Earth's Sun was delighted by the visit from Jio's Portrait.

"Were you looking forward to my visit?"

She replied that she had been. Ever since he first appeared beneath Earth's sunlight, the Sun had marveled at his immense vessel. She laughed happily, saying she had wanted to converse with him, too.

"I have come here today to consider how a god ought to conduct themselves."

How a god ought to conduct themselves?

"My father answered that a god is nature, and a bystander. He said that if the sun descended directly upon the earth, there could be no greater hell, so observing from a distance would instead be a mercy."

Earth's Sun said she disagreed with him.

"For what reason?"

Because the Sun was always reaching out to living things.

All life born beneath the sunlight was her child. Earth's Sun had protected her children from the clutches of the countless Divinities that had flooded in during the Great Catastrophe. Far too often, she could not protect them without intervening herself.

"Then what is your own approach to being a god?"

The birth of life, and merciful love.

"O Mother Sun."

Precisely. He seemed to understand.

"You truly are the mother of all life."

Life on Earth emerged from the Sun's womb, then returned to her embrace. Fragments of herself, no different from her other selves—it was only right to provide an environment where they could play to their hearts' content beneath the sun.

"A kind of child-rearing, then."

They were her children, after all.

"Then what do you think of my father the Sun's approach? He merely watched his children with affection. Even while weaving the framework of fate, he would sometimes let it slip from his hands."

That, too, must be love.

"You think so?"

Often, he could not readily caress them, for they would burn if he held them.

"Yet you reach out your hand."

And so, as the Sun, she had been forced to forgo a great deal. She hid her enormous body lest they fear it, held her breath lest a single exhalation turn them to ash, and always cradled Earth with her eyelids closed lest her gaze melt their brains.

"That must be uncomfortable."

Love made it bearable.

"Love. What a sweet word. Then did my father the Sun not wish to hold his children, including Giovanni, in his arms?"

Sheltering them might not be the only form of love. Perhaps his children's mere existence was already more than he deserved, so dazzling that he could not bring himself to touch them. Perhaps he had loved humans in their pure state, untouched by the Sun.

"I understand."

There were as many ways to be a god as there were Divinities.

Love in that way, O immense mystery.

* * *

"... That was the sort of conversation we had."

"No wonder I heard a priest in the Sun Cult went mad."

"That is unfair."

"I'm not saying it's your fault."

He simply found it rather intriguing.

"Could I watch the two of you converse sometime?"

"No. That would be terribly embarrassing."

"That's a real shame..."

In any case, he understood what was troubling Jio.

"Hmm. How about this?"

"Can you offer some other help?"

"You have another divine friend, don't you?"

"Aha."

He meant Earth's Death.

"Shall I take you there?"

"Thank you."

Jio did not refuse.

* * *

"You have come to visit us."

Jio recognized the priest of Death who came to greet him.

"Weren't you the one who guided me last time?"

"I am honored that you remember."

"Please lead me to your father again, Priest."

"That, too, would be an honor."

Jio casually took out a small packet.

"A gift of thanks."

"... What sort of gift?"

"I'm glad you seem more at ease with me than last time."

"It may be more familiarity than I deserve, but thanks to the bishop's advice..."

"I see. There was another person who needed a gift."

What Jio handed over was Basram tea.

"It has a nutty flavor and aroma, like grain. I brought it because I heard that the priests of Death enjoy the tea ceremony. It has absorbed warmth beneath gentle sunlight, so it should be good to drink when you're tired."

"Might I share this with the faithful?"

"May I ask what you would use it for?"

"Many of the faithful who come here are frail."

"Because this is Death's order?"

"Yes, so..."

The priests of Death regarded life's end as a glorious blessing, but they did not deny the happiness of life. They also helped mere human lives draw to a close in a more precious, radiant way.

"With your permission, I would like to use it for those suffering through life."

If life held no happiness, it would only increase the number of those who abused death.

"Would you permit it?"

"Of course, my kind friend."

"... Thank you."

"I'll take that as agreement."

"You are a cheerful soul."

Despite the priest's unsmiling face, there was certainly more ease in that manner toward Jio than last time. Even Jio's abrupt declaration of friendship seemed to be received quite happily. He felt grateful for that response.

It pleased him immensely.

"Do priests of Death not amuse themselves?"

"There are as many deaths as lives, so there is inevitably much to do."

"Then it would be difficult for us to spend time at leisure together."

"If you wish, I will try to make time..."

"I'm not insisting."

Once again, the priest proceeded through the dark temple with a round, bell-shaped lantern, eyes covered by a white cloth. In the shallow water covering the floor, Jio could sense the god of death who had formed the river.

Soon they reached a great door. The priest stepped back, and Eunryeong, the bishop, emerged.

"It is an honor to see you again."

"Likewise."

"Now, Father awaits you. This way..."

Before they could venture any farther, Death abruptly poked his head out.

"My friend."

"Oh."

At the sight, Eunryeong gestured to the priest who had guided Jio.

"... You have done well. You may withdraw now. Our two elders will be conversing."

"... Yes, Bishop."

Seemingly unused to seeing Death so eager, the two were somewhat taken aback, but carried out their duties faithfully. The guide priest withdrew quietly, and Bishop Eunryeong closed the door to Death's chamber firmly before making to disappear into the darkness.

Jio called out to her.

"Would you join us?"

"... May an insignificant creature such as myself sit among you?"

"I came to talk today. I am seeking opinions, so the more voices, the better."

"In that case, unworthy though I am, I shall take a place among you."

Perhaps because she lived with Death's manifestation close at hand, Eunryeong remained composed even between two Divinities. With everyone suitably settled, Jio began lightly.

"It has been some time."

"You have been rather absent, my friend..."

"I felt sorry about that, so I've brought a meal."

"A meal, you say."

Death chuckled.

"You kept your promise, then."

"I fried some jeon."

Jio held up the lunchbox he had brought wrapped in black silk.

"Would you care to join us, Ms. Eunryeong?"

"... Did you make these yourself?"

"Yes, I did."

"I..."

Eunryeong trailed off.

"... I do not know whether I will still be able to serve Death after eating this."

"Eating it won't make you immortal, you know?"

"..."

"Why does no one believe me?"

Ju-hyeon was the same, as was Yu Seongun. The only people who took Jio's food at face value were passersby he encountered in his portrait form. Couldn't they just say, "Ooh, something tasty," and eat it?

"It should be delicious."

"I have not the slightest doubt about that, Hunter Seo Jio."

"It should be really delicious..."

"I do not doubt it."

"It's not some bizarre elixir, either. It's just food."

"..."

"You have an uncanny knack for falling silent only at times like these."

"... Hmm..."

Eunryeong soon nodded.

"If you will guarantee that my life as a human will remain intact, I would gladly join you."

"I guarantee it."

"That was rather quick."

"I have no intention of turning you into something other than human, Ms. Eunryeong."

"And it has no such effects, either?"

"Of course not."

"In that case..."

She looked up at her father.

"... Would you like some?"

"..."

Death looked deeply perplexed.

"... It looks delicious."

"... Oh, does it?"

Eunryeong was surprised, too.

"I never knew you could feel an appetite, Father."

"I am surprised myself."

It was nearly impossible for a Divinity to eat anything. Having a manifestation, as Death did, improved the chances somewhat, but even then it was no easy matter. They had no concept of appetite.

Yet Death stared fixedly at the jeon arranged neatly inside the mother-of-pearl-inlaid lunchbox.

"... My daughter..."

"Yes, Father. I am listening."

"... I do not wish to trouble you, but I fear I may ruin this lovely gift. Please pick up that yellow one for me."

"... Ah, the yellow one. Do you mean the pollock jeon?"

"Yes, that little one. It smells lovely."

Even for a Divinity with a manifestation, picking up and eating 'food' intact was difficult with an enormous body so close to nature itself. When the Divinity, inexperienced in such simple pleasures, hesitantly sought his daughter's help, Eunryeong laughed softly.

"This must be the joy of being someone's child. I never thought the day would come when I would feed you, Father. It seems I have yet another thing to thank Hunter Seo Jio for."

"You needn't speak so formally."

"Hmm. Shall I, then?"

Eunryeong happily picked up a nicely cooked piece of pollock jeon.

"Now... Father, how will you eat it?"

"..."

A huge 'face' descended smoothly out of the darkness.

Death, who usually dwelled in the darkness of the vast chamber, opened his 'mouth' a fraction. As that coarse slit, like the bark of a twisted tree, parted, Eunryeong judged it to be a 'mouth' and placed the jeon inside.

The 'face' stayed where it was instead of rising back into the darkness.

"..."

"... How is it, Father?"

"Delicious."

"Goodness..."

Eunryeong finally burst into bright laughter.

"How truly astonishing."

She felt immense joy. It was true that she served her Death as her father, offering him the love and respect of family, but she had never expected to experience such simple, ordinary 'family' happiness.

"Would you like something else? There are vegetable jeon, oyster jeon, squash jeon..."

"Give me that bumpy one."

"The vegetable jeon, you mean. Yes, here it is."

Jio smiled fondly at the cozy scene between father and daughter.

"What a lovely sight."

"Hehe... It's all thanks to you bringing us such a gift, Hunter Seo Jio."

"I'm happy you both seem to like it."

Nothing was more endearing, after all, than people relishing the food he had made them.

"Perhaps I should have made them a little bigger."

"No, this is plenty."

"But you're so big..."

"It is plenty."

In the end, what Jio had brought was 'something' in the shape of food. What mattered was not its volume but the amount of mystery packed inside, and Death was savoring the joy of fine dining through it.

A little while later, urged on by both Divinities, Eunryeong also took a bite of jeon.

"..."

"How is it?"

"... It's the most delicious thing I've ever eaten."

"Such high praise."

"No, it's not high praise. It's simply..."

In a rare display, Eunryeong flushed, her eyes sparkling.

"... Truly delicious."

"I am glad."

Sharing in his daughter's joy, Death laughed as well. His 'laughter' filled Death's chamber. Though embarrassed by her father's reaction, Eunryeong cautiously picked up another piece of jeon and ate it.

"I do think this might be dangerous..."

"It's not dangerous. This is unfair."

"But I simply can't keep my chopsticks still."

She was following exactly the same path Yu Seongun and Ju-hyeon had once taken. Though afraid that this mass of mystery might alter her very nature, she could not leave the exquisite delicacy alone.

Then Jio went so far as to bring out alcohol.

"You need a drink with jeon."

"Goodness."

Eunryeong exclaimed in delight.

"It smells wonderful. What kind is it?"

"Makgeolli brewed with fruit, rice, and flowers."

"It's heavenly."

And after a pleasant time had passed...

"..."

"..."

Death and Eunryeong realized something.

"... My friend..."

"Please, go on."

"Are you... going to turn me... into a pig...?"

"How did you know...?"

"... Oh..."

It was the same sort of realization Sa Narae had once reached.

'... Hansel and Gretel...'

The thought came to Eunryeong unbidden. The Divinity before her would not truly devour her like the wicked witch, of course, but that was simply how she felt. It was so wonderful, yet so far beyond what she deserved, that she was beginning to feel slightly wronged.

Only then did Jio get to the point.

"What is a god?"

"A god... Must you know?"

"I think I need to know in order to prepare."

"What sort of preparations do you mean?"

"Preparations for my own existence."

He wanted to define everything about himself.

"Will you help me?"

"Of course..."

Death readily granted his request. The 'delicacy' he had experienced for the first time was worth any price.

(To be continued)