The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 257

The teacher who had saved her from pain and treated her as an equal—Aram had learned that he was, in truth, something far beyond a mere saint.

And yet, she wasn’t deeply shocked.

“I think... I had a feeling it might be something like this.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Miracles don’t just happen easily, do they?”

This had always been one of the possibilities she’d considered.

“Even fabricated miracles are like that. So for someone like me, who’s wrapped up in all kinds of mysteries and fate... to be granted a pure miracle? That’s almost impossible.”

“And you adapt to reality so easily. Always imagining the worst.”

“Still, the fact that a constructed miracle came to me is something to be grateful for.

It’s a valuable miracle.

Now the only thing left is... what it is you want from me, teacher.”

“...I’m sorry to say this...”

The Evil God grinned.

“I’m not your teacher.”

“...How different are you, exactly?”

“About 0.01% of all the mysteries in the world.”

“Isn’t that... a pretty huge percentage?”

“Well, that depends on how you look at it.”

“...As always, it’s complicated. Fate can’t be calculated with simple knowledge...”

“But you can accomplish similar things.”

That’s what it meant to be a hero or a saint.

“Then I assume you’re all finally ready to listen to me in full.”

Ather, who had been watching with a face that said he was losing his mind, spoke up.

“...It’s because I realized there’s no other way.”

“That’s the right mindset.”

“You could also call it resignation.”

“A wise judgment.”

“It was a judgment, yes, but still...”

The Evil God had appeared suddenly and begun manipulating the world in earnest.

It was clear he had a plan.

And in the process, Ather had been resurrected.

And now even a Saintess from another dimension had arrived.

“There’s no other way to see it—we’ve been given roles to play.”

It was too blatant to ignore.

“More than anything, you’ve worked very hard to keep us from harboring any ill will toward you.

Not just pretending to be nice—you really don’t come off as a being of evil.”

It wasn’t just an act of gentleness.

According to the Saintess, not even one person had died from dream addiction in the real world.

There was practically no tangible harm.

The Evil God smiled and pressed on.

“So?”

“...At the very least, I don’t think what the Saintess and I are meant to do is beyond our capabilities.

It might all be a trick—but if so, it was a trick well-crafted enough to fool us in our current state.”

“Exactly right.”

The Evil God asked,

“Do you know the tale of the dragon?”

“...It’s a distant legend. I don’t know what point you’re trying to make.”

“I’m sure our Saintess, who’s been wandering the amusement park these last few days, knows it.”

After hesitating, Aram nodded.

“...A dragon is a divine proxy born of nature.

It cannot return to the earth unless divinity allows it.

Because its lifespan is so long and weary, it spreads knowledge of how to kill itself across the world.”

Similar stories existed in other dimensions too.

Beings of eternal life always ended up seeking a path to death.

“So... what are you trying to say?”

“I think you already know.”

“......”

Hugging her pillow, Aram nodded slowly.

“...Then, is it my role to kill you, teacher?”

“I told you—I’m not your teacher.”

“You’re at least like him.”

“That, I won’t deny.”

Gio didn’t reject that much.

“Thank you for understanding.”

To make it easier for them to join this play—or something like it—Argio had hidden nothing.

He had whispered to Ather to pull him into the performance.

He had encouraged Aram to throw herself in fully.

“You don’t have to kill me.

But we have stayed here far too long.

It’s time to scrub away the stains and build a new home.”

“And to unearth that ‘we’ of yours, we have to open the Evil God’s tomb.

Only then will the true stain be revealed.

But there’s no guarantee this isn’t just another of your malicious tricks.”

“Of course it might be.

It could be that I’m whispering all this just to fully break free of the seal.

Aram, my little friend.

Do you need some time to think?”

“Yes. I need time.”

“Then take as long as you want.”

“......”

After a moment’s hesitation, Aram took the Evil God’s—Argio’s—hand.

“...Teacher.”

“How lovely.”

The wicked divinity bowed his great body with a smile.

“He is not here.”

The merciful saint does not show himself in this place.

“......”

“?”

“...Give him back...”

“Hm?”

“Give back my teacher, you wretched Demon King—!!!”

“Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!”

Argio burst into raucous laughter.

***

The Evil God said he would give them time to think, and left.

Only Ather and Aram remained.

“......”

“......”

Of the two who sat in dazed silence, it was Ather who spoke first.

“...You’re quite brave.”

“...Judging from how things are going, I didn’t think he’d get mad about something like that...”

“Still, you were brave.”

“Was I... too brave?”

“Maybe a bit.

But even I would’ve grabbed him by the collar.”

“A saint who grabs the Evil God by the collar...

That has a nice ring to it.

Even the priests of the Church of the Sun who hate the Moon Sect would ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) applaud.”

“I think it’s an accomplishment any saint would applaud.”

“Well, he let me grab him, though...”

Anyway.

“I now have one more reason to join this Demon King subjugation.”

“Is it because he tricked you?”

“No.

When a god deceives a human, it’s not really a trick, is it?

It’s not like we call it trickery when fate brings something we didn’t foresee.”

“I suppose someone of your station wouldn’t get angry over fate’s little pranks. Then what is it?”

“My teacher is inside the Evil God.

I don’t know if he’s trapped, asleep, or just being shared... but he’s in there.”

“......”

Still slouched in defeat, Ather asked,

“...I’ve heard something about that.

That there are three ‘Gio’ inside him.

They’re separate beings sharing the same body.”

“...Was one of them named Sergio?”

“Yes.

I assumed all those ‘Gio’ were gods of the same kind as the Evil God.

But judging by your reaction, I guess not.”

“He’s definitely not that kind of person.”

Aram’s voice trembled.

She felt herself grow emotional.

“Why does my teacher have to be stuck with someone like that...!”

“No offense, but I don’t think he’s exactly your property...”

“Do you have a disease that makes you say things exactly as they are?”

“Something like that.”

“Shall I purify you in the name of the Saintess?”

“I’ll pass.”

That purification would probably be torture.

“...What kind of person was this Sergio?”

“He always smiled at me.”

“I’m sorry, but the Evil God Argio smiles a lot too.”

“There are different kinds of smiles, Ather.

Not the kind you’re thinking of.”

“A gentler one?”

“Like he was full of sunlight.”

“...So that’s where all the warmth I received came from.”

Ather accepted it without resistance.

“In this broken ruin where even electricity doesn’t run, he brought warmth.

He made it so that sunlight reached this sealed space.

I always wondered how that was possible...”

“My teacher is bound to solar divinity and considered part of a divine family.”

“Then... he’s a saint too?”

“He never directly admitted it, but yes, he was understood to be one.

If sunlight truly reached this cursed dungeon, it must’ve been his power.”

That wasn’t an insult—it was just the truth.

This ruin was cursed.

There was a reason Aram had specifically entered this place in the vast Black Forest.

She had expected something special.

“The reason your experience with Argio was so kind and so human is probably also thanks to him.

If they’re sharing one body, it would be easier to copy each other and learn from one another.”

Aram’s expression twisted again.

“I still don’t understand how it’s possible.

Even if my teacher has a great vessel, I thought he was clearly human.

He’s a saint, yes, but... still, a human...”

“You can’t understand how a saint who made a contract with the Sun God could share a body with the Evil God. I get it.

But I’ve heard of similar cases now and then.”

“You’ve heard of such cases?”

“Not firsthand—just rumors and old records.”

Ather continued, uncertainly.

“You know better than anyone how immense a saint’s capacity can be.

In my world’s history, there were many such figures.

And with such capacity... they could contain many things.”

“......”

After a long pause, Aram nodded.

“...That does make sense.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“There have been cases of saints putting wicked things into themselves and slowly purifying them.

In my country, such human-based purification systems have long been banned...”

“Good to hear.

Even in the final records of my world, saints were often used that way—as seal vessels for demons.”

“How barbaric.”

Even if the names confused her, Aram instinctively knew—‘Giovanni’ and ‘Argio’ were not the same.

Her teacher would never affirm evil.

Which meant only one answer was possible.

“He must have willingly sacrificed himself to seal the evil.”

“I can’t say it’s impossible.

There have been precedents.”

“My teacher was already well-known for self-sacrifice.”

“Self-sacrifice?”

“Giving your life for what’s right.”

“That’s... tragic.”

“He must’ve noticed the Evil God and decided to share a body for the sake of purification.”

And that wasn’t even wrong.

Argio was currently merging with ‘the portrait of Gio.’

The Evil God himself had said—if he united with the ‘Happy Pig’ and the ‘Saint of Mercy,’ his evil would naturally be diluted.

That process was already underway.

Ather looked deeply exhausted.

“...So this is what happened because I called on Argio’s name?”

“I... I can’t say it’s impossible...”

“Then I must bear the consequences.”

“...This involves my teacher. I’ll take responsibility too.”

She couldn’t bear to lose that kind benefactor.

“Thankfully, things aligned.

Because my teacher is with him, the current Evil God has learned mercy.

He understands the value of kindness.”

“And the last saint who settled as his dominant persona did not enjoy senseless rage or innocent bloodshed.

He was known for cruelty toward enemies and love of battle and war—but still.”

“That’s why the Evil God is planning his end.

He wants one last, proper battle to release his anger.

That’s the conclusion he’s chosen.

Whether it will truly be the end, I don’t know—but still.”

That part was easy to predict.

“...But can we really trust this?

What if he’s deceiving us into opening the seal?”

“If so, it would dishonor your comrades’ sacrifices.”

“Even if he’s sincere, there’s still a problem.

If he becomes a fully restored Evil God, he may lose all reason.

Even if he doesn’t... things won’t end well.

I know exactly what kind of being that wicked Demon King is.”

If it was a lie, it was a problem.

If it was the truth, it was still a problem.

“So what matters now is whether the Evil God knows ‘forgiveness.’”

If he did, then whether it was a lie or not wouldn’t matter.

“The Evil God is creating a battlefield.

He used you, Saintess, to provoke the religious world.

If what you say is true, then your fellow clergy and nearby priests are likely very... sensitive about your so-called kidnapping.”

“I understand well how blindly religious people can act.

That’s why I wanted to let them know it wasn’t a kidnapping, but...

Strangely, no one else from my world has appeared in the dungeon.

And honestly, by this point... calling it a kidnapping wouldn’t be wrong either.”

“The situation isn’t as terrible as it could be, but that won’t calm down frenzied priests.

And it’s not just about religion.”

“Yes, it’s already become a national-scale disaster.

This dungeon, ‘Dream Amusement Park,’ is a threat by itself.

It’s not just the Moon Sect—other hunters will come too.

We can’t deny anymore that this has become a battlefield.”

“If war breaks out here... and if that was the Evil God’s plan...”

“...Then maybe...”

Aram gave a dry laugh.

“Maybe it’s not a bad idea for us to be the ones to open the hive.”

Elite troops would swarm in to destroy it.

Letting the dungeon get half-destroyed messily, or ripping the Evil God out entirely—if they had to choose, the latter was better.

“That wicked Demon King... he’s probably calculated all this.”

“I don’t think we ever had a real choice.”

“But that doesn’t mean we have to follow his script exactly.”

“That’s the spirit of a true saint.

I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’ll follow your lead.”

“Thanks for the support.”

A being like the Evil God couldn’t possibly not know what she was thinking.

But even so, his plan was clear.

And if they could derail it, even just a little—maybe they could crack that ironclad façade.

Fine, I’ll admit it. The current Argio... isn’t so evil anymore.

Aram couldn’t say she’d suffered much from him.

But maybe because of that, her petty grudges had piled up.

Restricting her teacher’s freedom.

Kidnapping her into the dungeon.

Putting her family and the world to sleep.

Revealing her teacher’s hidden identity without permission.

Letting that smug Evil God have his way—that pissed her off.

Just wait.

I’ll repay my family’s and my teacher’s grudges myself.

Aram clenched the pillow in her arms and ground her teeth.

***

“...It’s not really like that.”

In a peaceful hut.

Gio blinked as he washed a strawberry the size of a fist with his father.

“My new student seems to have misunderstood something.”

“Gu?”

“No, I don’t think it’s a bad thing for me, but... it’s a little embarrassing.”

“Gu-gu-gu...”

“It is entertaining.”

And entertainment was enough.

Well, I suppose that’s true.

Gio nodded and quietly placed the cleaned strawberry before the Moon.

He had already accepted it—

That even the Moon could become a pig.