"... Do you know what the first thing I thought was when I heard that story?"

Yu Seongun said, raising both thumbs.

"Wow, amazing. How did he do that?"

"You flatter me."

"I'm telling you, it wasn't praise. I really did think that."

The hallway meeting held precisely at midnight was convened again just before Yu Seongun worked himself to death.

As always, they carried on with a meeting that was not quite a meeting, accompanied by Jio's special tea and all sorts of snacks.

Ju-hyeon, who had been looking pityingly at Yu Seongun's haggard face, cleared his throat and said,

"Ahem, Mr. Jio was more sociable than I expected."

"Why was a guy that sociable usually so desperate to scare people, then?"

To Yu Seongun's question, pure as white snow, Black Cloak in the portrait answered.

"I did not scare them. They helped themselves to fear."

"Your vocabulary got richer while I wasn't looking. What language is 'helped themselves to fear' supposed to be?"

"It means I am innocent."

"No matter how I think about it, I still don't really get it."

Yu Seongun asked while massaging his stiff neck.

"How did you create such a warm and friendly atmosphere?"

By common sense, it was impossible.

Jio had an inherent level to him.

No matter how well he contained it, humans instinctively sensed the difference in level, and felt intimidated by it.

In particular, Jio was a being who had built up an eerie sort of level.

"People must have been very afraid of you."

"They were very afraid, so I tried very hard."

"I'm amazed that that's something you can accomplish by trying."

"I consider it fortunate that I have that much sociability."

"No, with you, it was less a matter of sociability and more... uh..."

In fact, if one treated "Jio's Portrait" as a human, it could not be said that his sociability was bad.

He simply had a side to him so indifferent it felt dreadful; Jio was extremely favorable and kind toward humans.

'Though in the process of interacting while being excessively polite, the problem arises that humans become somewhat afraid.'

In any case, saying that outright was a little awkward.

"... You do look a bit scary."

"I agree."

Jio nodded obediently.

"Since long ago, there have always been quite a few people who said I was frightening."

At that, Ju-hyeon tilted his head.

"Always? Then were people afraid of you even when you were Giovanni, Mr. Jio?"

"Yes, even then, many people were afraid of me."

"I don't think Mr. Giovanni has a particularly frightening impression..."

"To be precise, I should say they became frightened in advance and felt uncomfortable."

Giovanni was certainly a priest with a gentle and virtuous impression, but perhaps because of the distinctive authority of a Sun Cult priest and his bearing as a noble, many people could not treat him as an equal human.

"It was also because I was blond when I was Giovanni."

"Why blond, too?"

"It was a world where there was a superstition that children born with the color of the Sun were children of god."

"Children of god, huh..."

"In my case, I was even actually a priest of the Sun, so I imagine the burden was greater."

In particular, he was a famous priest with a name that carried weight.

For the people of that era, when the Sun Cult ruled the world, perhaps it could not be helped that they could not treat him as an equal when he had even been called a saint.

"And that was despite the fact that I do not recall doing anything especially terrifying."

"I heard from Iser that you had a nickname, 'the smiling tyrant of the sea village.'"

"..."

The portrait changed to platinum blond.

"... Iser said such a thing? When?"

"Last time, when we ate lamb skewers, it came up while we were having all sorts of small talk."

"I truly feel wronged. Why on earth must I become a tyrant?"

"He said that if they did not accept your mercy willingly, you forced it down their throats..."

"The results were good, so I believe it was fine."

"Aha, I see. So that is why people feared you even when you were Giovanni."

"I feel wronged."

At Jio's heartfelt appeal, Yu Seongun let out his characteristic easy laugh.

"I think that was probably closer to awe than fear."

"Ah, that must be true. If I had a neighbor like Mr. Giovanni, I don't think I could treat him casually either."

Ju-hyeon also agreed with Yu Seongun and nodded.

"You have an impression that makes it difficult to approach you in a friendly way."

The portrait felt wronged once more.

"I would appreciate it if you were friendly with me."

"We will, of course, but for people meeting you for the first time, it can't be helped."

At least when he was the gentle and clear-natured Giovanni, it stopped at the level of awe; once it came to Seo Jio, whose facial muscles seemed to have atrophied, or Arjio, the battle maniac, there was no choice but to feel pure fear.

Yu Seongun, who had heard the story of "Seo Jio" through Ju-hyeon, asked,

"But were people afraid of you even when you were Seo Jio? You wouldn't have performed miracles in any special way like Giovanni, and you wouldn't have been itching to spill blood like Arjio..."

"Yes, I was an ordinary teacher."

"No, well, you wouldn't exactly have been ordinary. No matter how I think about it, that much is impossible. Why are you trying to slide past it so naturally, like a snake going over a wall, as if it was an ordinary life?"

"I feel wronged."

Before they knew it, the portrait had returned to black hair.

"My impression was merely frightening."

"It must have been hard to inspire fear with a face that handsome, so I don't know if I should call this impressive or what..."

"I was always a kind and helpful Teacher."

"I'm saying it wasn't a problem of your words and actions, but of your impression, Jio. No, of course that was a problem too, but..."

That was not something that could be resolved by saying he felt wronged.

"Exactly, that's what makes it strange. Even when you were an 'ordinary teacher,' as you say, people were frightened."

Yu Seongun recalled what the fifth-floor chief had told him about the meeting room before he went home.

"What I'm asking is how a guy like that created such a harmonious atmosphere."

"I have been saying this the whole time, but I merely tried hard."

Jio did have that level of social grace and sociability.

"There were many people who felt uncomfortable around me because of an impression that made it difficult to feel friendliness, but in the end, they all remained good connections. If people are afraid of me, then ultimately, all I have to do is ease that fear."

Yu Seongun was impressed by Jio's words.

"Then why don't you usually do that?"

"It is tiring."

"Huh?"

"The outcome compared to the investment is unclear."

"So it's a losing business?"

"You understood perfectly."

In cases where they had to work together or see each other for a long time, Jio would work hard to put on his little performance, but most people were merely passing by.

There was no need to spend precious energy winning them over.

"It is true that my default impression is frightening, after all."

The more comfortably Jio treated someone without any effort, the harder it was for the other person to shake off their fear.

But put the other way, it also meant that if Jio treated them sincerely, they could stop being afraid as much as necessary.

"..."

"..."

At that, Yu Seongun and Ju-hyeon thought,

'... Well, of course making a being of that level feel comfortable couldn't be possible with a small investment. It probably isn't mercy he can bestow on just anyone.'

'Doesn't the fact that he can't stand on equal footing with an unspecified number of humans without making that sort of effort prove that he himself is not human...?'

As befitting a Gardener and Curator, Yu Seongun understood the exhaustion of a work, while Ju-hyeon, from the position of a friend, was pointing out the contradiction in Jio's usual claim.

At the very least, neither of them was seeing him as human.

Jio noticed Yu Seongun and Ju-hyeon's mood.

'Is there no one who will recognize that I am an ordinary introverted human?'

People becoming frightened because his impression was scary was the default setting, and to explain that and ease their tension, Jio had to expend a considerable amount of mental energy.

That was the life of an introverted human with a frightening impression.

But because this situation was absurd and funny, Jio decided to simply accept the current circumstances.

If they were going to treat him as a precious portrait, he had no intention of refusing.

Jio wanted to live as a portrait for the rest of his life.

"... It is not that I did something wrong, is it?"

"Ah, no, you didn't do anything wrong. If anything, it should be a big help."

"I was concerned because they are people who will be working with me."

According to what he had heard from Ju-hyeon, this subjugation was something like a group training camp.

Or perhaps it was like a workshop or a long business trip.

He did not want to become awkward with people he would have to spend quite a long time with.

'Hellscapes like that are rare.'

So it was a hundred, a thousand times more comfortable to do everything in his power to leave a good first impression and spend the rest of the work period in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Jio had truly struggled desperately to get along with these temporary teammates.

"However, recovery team member Kim Nana, who came in later, seemed a little surprised."

"Ah, I heard that story too."

Yu Seongun nodded.

"I heard she thought it was brainwashing."

"She was very afraid of me."

"And in the end, that was resolved after you talked with her a little too, right?"

"It required great effort."

"I can understand Ms. Kim Nana too."

Yu Seongun continued with an awkward smile.

"Seeing her coworkers cackling and treating Black Cloak as comfortably as an old friend while she was gone... Honestly, the moment she ran into that, of course she would feel creeped out. It doesn't make sense."

"Still, in the end, she seemed to feel comfortable around me."

"That's also true. You didn't misunderstand. From what I heard, it didn't seem like Ms. Kim Nana is still afraid of you. That part is surprising too, though."

At that, Yu Seongun asked slyly,

"You didn't actually use a brainwashing skill, did you?"

"I truly feel wronged."

"Uh, yeah, sorry. But honestly, it is a little suspicious."

"Have you ever seen a portrait cry?"

"I am curious, but I'll put off appreciating that until next time."

Ju-hyeon looked at Yu Seongun as if he were looking at a genuine lunatic, but Yu Seongun neatly ignored him.

Bi Sabeol's Curators were all originally like this.

A work crying?

That would be an extremely rare sight.

Fortunately or unfortunately, however, Yu Seongun was in an extremely exhausted state, so he passed this opportunity on to next time.

"If you created that atmosphere purely through conversation, isn't that genuinely amazing?"

"I am happy that you praise me."

Jio became a little happy because a hyung he was close to had told him, "Hey, you're good at social life."

Timid and easily frightened Jio felt rather proud that he seemed to have done something decent.

"I think it is thanks to the fact that there have often been things like this in the past, so I know how to deal with them."

"It wasn't that portrait-ishness of yours causing trouble?"

"I am not quite sure what you mean by portrait-ishness."

"You have that kind of thing, you know. What is it, things coming true as you wish..."

"Do you mean something like the stone towers people build while hiking?"

"... Is that similar?"

Jio had the ability to make matters proceed as he wished without taking any special measures.

Yu Seongun was thinking that it was probably possible because he had controlled fate as part of the Root.

"Well, either way, it's impressive all the same."

"Thank you."

"When I look at you, you do like being praised more than expected..."

At that, Ju-hyeon added with a smile,

"Perhaps because he is still young."

"..."

Under Yu Seongun's steady gaze, Ju-hyeon averted his eyes.

"... His personality. Yes, his personality."

"What are you getting embarrassed for?"

"I feel like I said something embarrassing..."

"I can never tell if you're bold or timid."

"I would appreciate it if you stopped teasing me."

Ju-hyeon, whose face had reddened, spoke with a little sense of injustice.

"But Mr. Jio is certainly on the younger side, isn't he? Twenty-nine, thirty-two, twenty-four..."

"If you call that short-lived, then yes, he was short-lived."

"Do not focus on the death, but look at his age while he was alive. He was young."

"Yeah, he did die early. I know."

"Are you saying such a sad thing to Mr. Jio's face right now?"

"No, it's just a fact..."

For some reason feeling as if he was being scolded, Yu Seongun turned to Jio.

"He probably doesn't have any particular regrets himself, you know?"

"Ahh, how wonderful it would have been if I had lived on and on for much longer with our mermaid students..."

"Is this how you're going to be? You're trying to make me the only bad guy here, aren't you?"

"It was a joke."

Giovanni did not have any particular dissatisfaction with his lifespan either.

"Is there not also a saying that the beautiful die young?"

"That confidence is very nice to see."

"The fact that I am handsome cannot be denied."

"You're brazen in the strangest places."

Yu Seongun shrugged.

"Anyway, I'm glad you got close without any major problems."

"Still, I think they did feel uncomfortable around me."

"Uh, really? Didn't you say the atmosphere was good?"

"Hmm."

After thinking for a moment, Jio continued.

"There have been many similar cases in the past as well."

"What kind of cases?"

"Where they accept my all-out charm routine as a form of mercy and hold me in awe..."

"Ah, so that was an all-out charm routine. I see."

In truth, Yu Seongun was also more inclined to interpret it as the mercy of a vast mystery rather than a charm routine.

Since Jio seemed to want him to pretend otherwise, he would let it pass, but that was simply his personal thought.

"..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Are you hungry?"

"... I am a bit peckish, but what's the problem?"

"It seemed you were thinking nonsense, so I wondered if it was because your stomach was empty."

"Putting aside what nonsense you're talking about, why are you connecting that to my stomach...?"

Yu Seongun was amazed that even Jio's way of being spiteful could be unified into feeding someone.

And so, the hour of decision approached, on the day of rest before the subjugation.

"It's such a pleasure to see the young master of the Collector I've only heard about."

"..."

"Our young master isn't going to cry in the dungeon because the food tastes bad, is he?"

Jio was being subjected to a one-sided provocation by some strapping punk.

'He dares challenge me over food?'

Most astonishingly, it was clear that the world had no intention of understanding his fragility.