The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 193

Cha I-Sol’s divine contract stirred unrest among the elders of the Church of the Sun.

“Are you saying Black Cloak is a divine being?”

“No, but the association—”

“Well, those people aren’t exactly trustworthy.”

“How in the world did this happen...?”

There had already been multiple reports of divine beings disguising themselves as monsters for amusement. And now that Cha I-Sol had directly demonstrated a link to one, they could no longer deny the proposition: Black Cloak is divine.

But questions only multiplied.

“Then what exactly is Black Cloak’s identity?”

“Shouldn’t we investigate this Cha I-Sol a bit more closely?”

“She’s only just formed a contract with a divine being. If we interfere, the connection could become unstable or even severed, causing damage. It’s best to let her stabilize.”

“But if Black Cloak is an evil god, then cutting the connection early would be wise.”

“But we don’t have any solid confirmation of that, do we?”

Still, most of the priests were confused more than truly concerned.

“More importantly, Cha I-Sol’s position is now a healer...”

“If it were truly an evil god, would it have granted her the power of healing and regeneration?”

“Evil gods loathe providence. A divine being that would form a contract with Cha I-Sol cannot be evil.”

“We examined it several times and found no signs of harmful energy.”

After all, why else would healers be treated like nobles? Their rarity and the difficulty of learning the craft were reasons enough—but fundamentally, it was because their powers of healing and restoration were miracles of providence.

“A traitor cannot grant the power to heal.”

“Calling them a traitor—please refrain from careless remarks, even if we’re speaking of a suspected evil god.”

“I only meant it in a contextual sense.”

What evil god would aid in human healing?

“We checked whether it might be an evil god’s trick, but the student Iru Da, whom Cha I-Sol healed, showed no defects. No mental instability, no physical abnormalities—complete recovery, in other words.”

It was right to assume the power Black Cloak lent was not malicious.

“Besides, evil divine beings inevitably reveal their malice somehow. The fact that we’ve observed nothing unusual so far serves as evidence of Black Cloak’s goodwill.”

“That’s a fair point, but still—nothing is certain yet. It’s safest to continue observing. For the time being, let’s exclude Cha I-Sol and Iru Da from practical sessions.”

“If we confine them too tightly within the church, the divine being linked to Cha I-Sol might take offense.”

“But we really don’t have much of a choice. If by any chance Black Cloak turns out to be an evil god, who will bear the responsibility? We all know the fate of priests who fall under an evil god’s sway.”

“Hey now, what if Priest Kang hears you...”

Their confusion gradually began to settle.

“As long as we confirm that the divine being supporting Cha I-Sol really is Black Cloak, and that it is not malevolent, then there’s no issue. We don’t need to scare ourselves.”

“That’s true.”

After all, a trainee priest was just that—a trainee. Until they formed a formal contract, they could still serve a different divine being. That was customary in the current religious landscape.

“There’s something I heard separately... Someone said they sensed the energy of the sun coming from Cha I-Sol...”

“...The sun? Could it be a misreading?”

“It’s not just one person who said it. They described feeling a warm aura.”

“It could just be a divinity associated with heat...”

“Come to think of it, no one knows Black Cloak’s true name, do they?”

“Just what kind of divine being did Cha I-Sol end up contracting with?”

Black Cloak had already established himself as a kind of native Korean monster. He was known for denying evil, affirming good, and gifting the virtuous. The number of priests who still believed him to be an evil god was dwindling.

In the end, the priests coaxed Cha I-Sol to learn more about the divine being’s identity.

“Um, I’m not really sure either.”

“Even a vague clue would help. It might be a dangerous divinity, after all...”

“I don’t think he’s dangerous. I was told... he’s like the sun.”

“...Like the sun, you say?”

“He told me he gave me sunlight.”

“Ah, I see.”

The priests rejoiced at the news.

“She may not be contracted with the goddess we serve, but if it’s another sun, then that’s like gaining another family member.”

“Well, but thinking of Black Cloak’s image... it’s hard to call him the sun...”

“He is quite literally a figure cloaked in black. No one knows what’s inside.”

“There are still doubts, but it’s certain he has a deep connection to the sun. Even Iru Da, who’s known for her sensitivity to divine pressure, didn’t deny the warmth.”

“Then it’s certainly difficult to say he’s evil.”

At that point, another priest voiced a different suspicion.

“I heard Cha I-Sol called someone named ‘Gio’ right before her contract.”

“...Gio? As in Sergio the hunter?”

“One of the other trainee priests in the infirmary said they overheard it in their sleep... not sure how accurate that is.”

“We should probably confirm that.”

Cha I-Sol admitted it readily.

“I called for Gio hyung.”

“You mean Sergio the hunter?”

“Yes. I asked for his help...”

It was already widely known that one of the evil gods sealed in the association’s research facility—Sanqallut—had used the recent confusion to reach into the Church of the Sun. One of the priests, embarrassed, cleared his throat.

“Er-hem... about that, we offer our sincere apologies once again.”

“I’ve already accepted your apology.”

“It was due to our negligence that an evil divine being reached out to Cha I-Sol.”

“Gio hyung helped me, so it’s fine!”

“...Wasn’t it Black Cloak who helped banish the evil god?”

“Uh, well, yes, but...”

Still struggling to process everything, Cha I-Sol answered after a moment of thought.

“They both helped.”

“So then...”

The priest reached a conclusion.

“...You mean the power Sergio the hunter carries is the same as Cha I-Sol’s.”

The priests of the Church of the Sun thus arrived at what should have been an obvious realization.

“Wow... so the divine being Sergio serves is Black Cloak...”

“That explains why he never revealed his divinity.”

“It must be hard to admit to serving a god who’s treated like a monster.”

“Or maybe Black Cloak chooses to act like a monster for his own amusement.”

“Perhaps he didn’t reveal himself because the divine being himself didn’t want to.”

“Coincidence or not, wasn’t Sergio also a healer?”

“Now it all makes sense.”

The priests nodded in agreement.

“Back in that dungeon raid, I remember Sergio being given medicinal herbs by his god...”

“Isn’t Black Cloak known for giving gifts to people he finds virtuous?”

“Then are those gifts just part of Black Cloak’s personality? Even civilians can receive them. But if so, the idea that Sergio is a saint...”

“Even taking that into account, Sergio’s capacity is far beyond that of a normal person.”

“Exactly. The size of the gifts he’s received is different. I heard he even received the divine will directly.”

“If that’s true, then it’s a blessing for the Church of the Sun.”

It was exceedingly rare to witness the power of providence in this world. Traditional gods, to put it nicely, loved nature as it was—but to put it bluntly, they were incredibly lazy. They rarely intervened in human society.

“No wonder Sergio and Black Cloak act so similarly...”

“Huh? Were they really that alike?”

“I always thought they were strangely similar. Sergio loves giving gifts to others—especially food.”

“Ha ha, he sure seems devoted to feeding people.”

“He can’t bear to watch anyone go hungry.”

“Black Cloak’s gifts are often edible snacks too, right? With all these similarities... he must really have the heart of a saint...”

And so, the Church of the Sun reached a new conclusion.

“We should try to build a closer relationship with Sergio the hunter, don’t you think?”

“Hmm. Even if he Awakened differently, someone of that capacity is absolutely fit to be ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) a priest.”

“Among Koreans who serve sun-related divinities, there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t come to our church.”

“I doubt Sergio would be against the idea.”

“Of course. It’s about growing closer with the Church of the Sun. He might even be happy.”

The only one growing more agitated by all the whispering was Kang Seodam.

“......”

A maggot-ridden religious order.

This really is a den of worms.

It was revolting.

Before the wounds of last winter’s “Deep Sea Kingdom” incident had even healed, they rushed into an A-rank dungeon. An evil god slipped in while the conquered dungeon was being developed. Now, in the middle of handling the aftermath, they were already busy scheming again.

How can they be this greedy?

They should be reflecting on their own mistakes and focusing on recovery, but instead, they were just stirring up more trouble. Things had worked out just barely well enough to avoid disaster, but if they hadn’t, everyone would be at each other’s throats.

Kang Seodam couldn’t bear to face his students. With a deep sigh, he eventually went to find Cha I-Sol and Iru Da.

“Cha I-Sol.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

“And Iru Da.”

“Yes. I’m listening.”

“To both of you... I owe you an apology.”

Kang Seodam was just one of the teachers who trained the trainee priests. Still, he bore no small amount of responsibility. He had failed to properly protect his students, and things had escalated this far because of it.

“Have you spoken thoroughly with your guardians?”

Cha I-Sol nodded.

“My hyung and noona said I should do whatever I want.”

“My mother said the same. She also said she’s looking forward to how we’ll move forward...”

Kang Seodam nodded as well.

“Of course. This incident was a grave mistake on our part, so there’s no need for you to bear any guilt. Just continue recovering, and walk the path you wish to.”

“What kind of paths are there?”

“Since you both serve divine beings other than our goddess of the sun, you’re free to stop your training here and seek a new path. We can also assist with early graduation.”

Before Cha I-Sol could ask anything, Iru Da grabbed her partner’s hand and spoke.

“Even if we want to join another church or guild, it’s best to get an official priest certificate first. I respect your opinion, but now that things have happened this way, those who used to bother us will back off.”

“Sister Iru Da makes a good point. The students who created a hostile environment have already been expelled, and the priests here, knowing they were in the wrong, will tread lightly around you.”

“As Teacher Kang said, you may have lost your attachment to this place... but we’re in the stronger position now. Our peers will be cautious, and we have reason to ask for better treatment from the church.”

To that, Cha I-Sol replied,

“Summarize that for me...”

“If we stay, there’s more to gain.”

“Am I the only dumb one here? No... right?”

“...I-I’ve always been told I’m, uh, mature for my age. So no, you’re not weird.”

Though Cha I-Sol had a simple and earnest nature—possibly due to growing up in the countryside—Iru Da hoped she wouldn’t see that as a flaw.

Thanks to Iru Da’s comfort, Cha I-Sol quickly recovered.

“Okay, that’s good.”

“That’s just my opinion. I want to hear what you want.”

“I want to keep being with Ruda. And I like Teacher, too.”

“Then let’s aim for early graduation. It shouldn’t be hard for us.”

“If we graduate early, how old will we be as official priests?”

Kang Seodam answered that part.

“It depends on the situation, but it’s possible to complete your training within three years.”

“Gasp, really?”

“You’ll have more practicals and a busier schedule... but if you can handle it, yes.”

“Then I want to graduate fast!”

And so, while the two young priests dreamed of early graduation...

Earth’s seas stirred from the depths.

***

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

Aria asked politely.

“Would you be willing to get kidnapped?”

“Oh.”

Faced with such a novel proposal, Gio couldn’t help but admire it.