The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 189

Giovanni loved the sea.

The sun was warm but hot.

The sea was cold but refreshing.

Everything in the world had pros and cons, and this world consisted not only of land but of sea as well.

The wind of the sea had a clear flow.

So, it was only natural that he had come to cherish a mermaid in his heart.

“Aria.”

With familiar bare feet, Gio walked across the surface of the water.

“You know I can’t swim.”

“You’re such a peculiar human, teacher.”

Splash...

The mermaid’s fin made a light splash.

“On that planet, it was rare for a human not to know how to swim.”

“Strangely, I just keep sinking.”

“You have to relax your body. Only then can you talk to the sea.”

“Perhaps it’s because I’ve already found satisfaction in just having all of you.”

“You sure know how to say such embarrassing things.”

Aria asked,

“Is it really okay to come this far out?”

A pale and slender hand wrapped around Gio’s leg.

“A mermaid might devour you.”

“Haha...”

Giovanni clasped that cold hand.

“That’s fine too.”

“......”

“Will you teach me how to swim?”

“...Alright.”

Aria, too, grasped that chilly hand.

“Let’s do that.”

Splash—

Led by the mermaid, the teacher fell into the sea.

***

“We’ve had moments like this before.”

Holding onto the lukewarm body heat, Aria continued.

“You looked like a prince, as if crafted from the seafoam. I thought no child of the sun could be nobler than you.”

“......”

“I’ve always been fascinated by what I didn’t have.

That light, sparkling even beneath the surface, felt like it would last forever.

Maybe I wanted to embrace you and take you down to my home in the deep.”

“......”

“I still do...”

Even in this dark night, Giovanni’s platinum hair was as gentle as spring sunlight.

Aria carefully brushed Gio’s cheek as he floated above her.

Perhaps his warmth had been sapped away by the dawn sea, or perhaps he had always been this cold—whatever the case, he did not feel as warm as he looked.

But he was smiling.

“......”

“...Teacher.”

Aria, holding that cheek, both smiled and cried.

A pearl dropped.

“I love you.”

The child of land I first wanted to claim from the moment I was born.

The one who showed me the world, taught me what a heart was, and gave me the ordinary—my one and only teacher.

A human unlike any other in any dimension.

“I love you, teacher.

I’ve missed you for uncountable hours.

Without you, the world only looked repulsive to me.

Ah, you loved this world so dearly...”

“......”

“I tried to love it too, but it wasn’t easy.

What had once been easier than swimming when you were here became impossibly hard in your absence.

Why didn’t the sun save you?

Why didn’t the deep punish us?”

“...Aria.”

“I know you won’t forgive me.

The forgiveness my brother and I need can only come from you—but you don’t have any forgiveness to give us.

Maybe it never belonged to you in the first place.”

The mermaid, for the first and last time, felt regret.

“If I’d known you’d truly return to my arms, I would have waited more patiently.”

“And my regret isn’t for the poor lives that died by my hands.”

“I know.”

“And I’m sure this isn’t the kind of regret you would have wished for either.

But what can I do?

I’m this selfish and wicked a monster...”

How can it still be called a monster, if it regrets its sins?

“Even so, am I not human?”

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“......”

“Humans can be as selfish and evil as they like.”

“...That’s true.”

Aria embraced her teacher once again.

“You would know that better than anyone.”

It was his teacher, after all, who had died from the most horrific selfishness and evil.

If Giovanni didn’t understand the ugliness of humanity, then who possibly could?

“I’m just a bit cold, good at swimming...”

“And when you cry, pearls fall out.”

“Everything you say is right, teacher.”

“Is that so.”

“I wish the sea that day had been our grave.”

Aria fantasized about drowning in the sea.

A thought only a ‘human’ could have.

“There’s no undoing anything.”

Even if all those she killed were revived,

Even if broken families were restored,

Even if the sun returned to the planets locked undersea,

That day could never return.

Aria blamed herself with her selfishness.

“I now have only two choices left.”

“What are they?”

“I could become an evil god and be with you forever.”

“And?”

“...Or take responsibility in my own way and wait to be accepted someday.”

“Your own responsibility, huh.”

A warm voice.

“What will you do?”

“Teacher.”

Aria asked, like the young student from that day.

“...Do you love us?”

“Of course.”

Gio didn’t know how to abandon what he once loved.

“I’ll love you forever.”

Within that, the mermaid found her answer.

“......”

“When will we see each other again?”

“...When everything is ready.”

As she released Gio from her arms, Aria smiled.

“I’ll invite the humans.”

And with that, Aria disappeared into the deep sea.

Into a darkness Giovanni could not reach.

***

“...??”

Joo-Hyun was dumbfounded.

“Wasn’t that a declaration of war?”

“It was.”

“...I see!”

Seeing her trying so hard, Yoo Seong-Woon let out a helpless laugh.

“Monsters these days declare war in such romantic ways.”

“Was it romantic?”

“Yeah, romantic.

An embrace in the sea at dawn...”

“She must’ve missed her teacher’s warmth.”

“That’s... strangely not wrong.

It’s a weird feeling.”

Yoo Seong-Woon continued.

“How long do you think we’ll need to prepare?”

“You’re asking that to a lowly portrait like me?”

“Still, you know more about the mermaids than any of us.”

“Aria is an excellent doctor and researcher.

It won’t take too long.”

“So do you have a rough estimate?”

“Hmm... about a month?”

“Whoa.”

Yoo Seong-Woon whistled.

“We only have a month left to prepare for an S-class dungeon assault?”

“Honestly, all we really need is mental readiness, so it could take even less.”

“Looks like it’s finally time for Earth to end...”

“As long as I’m here, that won’t happen.”

“I figured this kind of day would come eventually.”

“It won’t end.”

Joo-Hyun asked incredulously,

“Then shouldn’t we not be wasting time like this?”

“Come on, Joo-Hyun.

Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a vacation?”

“To be honest, I think Earth’s survival is more important than your personal vacation.”

“Do you have to be so cold about it, seriously.”

Yoo Seong-Woon let out a deep sigh.

“...Let’s inform our guild leader first.”

“If possible... we should inform the association as well.”

“We don’t know how the sea will be used, so it’s right to give a heads-up to the coastal regions.”

“Anyway, once the Collector’s Guild and the association find out, the other Symbols of Eternity will too.”

“Even then, it’s unlikely all of them will step up.

Well, maybe the Justitia side...”

Not knowing guild politics well, Gio asked,

“What is Justitia?”

“It’s the name of the number one guild in Korea.”

As always, Joo-Hyun explained.

“They took their name from the goddess of justice.”

“If the association handles Korea’s general administration, and our Collector’s Guild holds the funds, then Justitia handles public order and safety.”

“The guild leader of Justitia is one of the Symbols of Eternity.

They focus heavily on civilian protection and crime prevention.

They also do a lot of volunteer work and lead major raids.”

“Since their guild leader leads by example, if a national disaster occurs, they’re likely to act...”

Yoo Seong-Woon rubbed his neck.

“But they probably won’t join the actual raid.

They’ll be too busy protecting civilians.”

Justitia always gave off the impression of being the “last bastion.”

“If the nation isn’t on the brink of collapse, we can’t expect much from them.”

“Still, doesn’t it reassure you that they can help prevent civilian casualties in case of emergency?”

“They’re definitely ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) reliable in that area.”

But expecting them to join the assault was a stretch.

“Just because it’s an S-class dungeon doesn’t mean we need S-class hunters.

It’s possible to win with sheer numbers.

Korea, after all, is a country that succeeded with manpower, and hunters are scarce.”

“Besides, the fact that S-class hunters move carries symbolic weight.

If they step in directly, many people might panic instead.

Even the association director, who cares deeply about administrative control... will probably try to stay out of it.”

“The times when Symbols of Eternity have acted were usually during the aftermath of massive catastrophes.

Given how much people still fear those disasters, they won’t be quick to move.”

Gio tilted his head.

“What if avoiding action to prevent fear leads to something worse?

Wouldn’t it be better to act thoroughly from the start rather than leave a dangerous possibility unchecked?”

“That’s the rational stance...”

Yoo Seong-Woon thought for a moment and then said,

“But it’s also like this: the Symbols of Eternity are incredibly busy.

You could say they’ve built too much reputation.

To get them to move, Korea itself has to shake.”

“You mean there’s too much burden in mobilizing them?”

“It might seem strange to you.

But countries are bound by layers of conflicting interests.

You can think of it as being weighed down by their position.”

“Is it a status issue?”

“Hmm... in short, yes.”

And this wasn’t just a problem for the Symbols of Eternity.

“More importantly, if we keep relying on the few S-class hunters every time something happens, this planet won’t last long.

Even now, the world is barely held together by the mercy of a few powerful individuals.

If S-classes keep intervening, it’ll ruin people’s sense of responsibility.”

This had been agreed upon long ago in a summit of global S-class hunters.

Unless the fate of a nation or a dimension was at stake, S-classes should refrain from taking action.

“The rest of humanity must adapt before things reach the worst.

We can’t predict when those S-class hunters might change their minds.”

“So it’s about giving people the chance to adapt.”

“No matter how competent an S-class is, a few individuals can’t solve everything.

Even if they could, they shouldn’t.

So don’t expect them to jump in.”

They might be keeping an eye on the situation, but they wouldn’t act immediately.

“That’s why... it’s better to form an alliance with other guilds.”

“Won’t we cooperate with the Church?”

“That depends on the situation.

We might unnecessarily provoke the mermaids.”

Joo-Hyun nodded.

“Then, shall we head back for now?”

“I can’t even enjoy a vacation in peace.

In my next life, I swear I’ll be born unawakened.”

“I’m not sure that’s something you can choose.”

Gio interjected.

“Shall I help?”

“Do me a favor when I die.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“I don’t know what you’ll try, but okay.”

“Even after death, you’re all still my friends.”

“......”

Yoo Seong-Woon hesitated and asked,

“...Did we just sign some kind of contract?”

“I’ve lived this long.

You have to stay my friends in the next life too.”

“You’re so positive it’s scary.”

“You flatter me.”

Perhaps sensing the tension, he smiled gently with Giovanni’s face.

“I was joking, so please relax.”

“How is that a joke?”

“Why do you think it’s not?”

“Joo-Hyun, say something.”

Joo-Hyun laughed.

“I’d like to be Gio’s friend in the next life too.”

“See?

At this rate, we’ll be friends in the life after that too.”

“A friend who stays by your side even after death is pretty reliable.”

“...Yeah.”

Yoo Seong-Woon gave in.

‘He’s already resigned.’

That was the smile of surrender.

“I said it was a joke.”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

No one actually took Gio’s words seriously.

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