Jio had not simply been sitting idle all this time, either.

'I did learn the basics about the Moon Cult.'

Where the Sun Cult valued mercy and life, the Moon Cult valued knowledge and wisdom. One vast fellowship of disciples that took the immense mystery known as the Moon as its teacher, or so he had heard.

'However eager the Moon Cult's priests are to learn, they wouldn't try to spy on the mysteries of a complete outsider like me... Even now, they probably think I requested a private room to bring my mystery under control.'

Jio grinned.

"Well, there's no need."

It wasn't as though he had coughed up blood because he had actually suffered any harm.

"My son, surely Mr. Ju-hyeon will acknowledge your father's efforts this time? How admirable of me to appreciate his advice enough to follow it to such lengths."

"Mrr..."

"What? No, why? I really did my best. After all that, the Moon Cult won't have any serious doubts about 'Hunter Seo Jio,' will they?"

"Mrr, mrr, mrr."

"No, I'm a portrait..."

"Mrr."

"Cute, but firm."

Arjio grumbled. Everyday acting was another matter, but Arjio was better than Giovanni at these dramatic performances, so his personality was currently more pronounced.

Jio blinked as he gently stroked the round Honey.

"..."

Soon his expression settled. Tilting his head, he wore a blank look.

"... Yes, Collector is bound to hear about what I did and its side effects, so Mr. Ju-hyeon will worry. I'd better contact him beforehand to put his mind at ease."

In truth, no one else at Collector would worry about Jio's condition. The red liquid might have been blood in composition, but to Jio it was ultimately nothing more than paint, and the people at Collector knew that perfectly well.

Then Yu Seongun came rushing over.

"I heard you were hurt!!"

"..."

"Are you sure you're all right? You didn't strain yourself? You never said anything about this before you went to the Moon Cult. Their bishop was being so apologetic that I wondered what had happened, and then—honestly...!!"

"... Mr. Yu Seongun."

"Can I get you anything? I heard you handled it yourself, but are you sure you don't need medicine?"

"I've just realized something."

"Out of nowhere?"

"Yes."

Jio rubbed his chin, looking at Yu Seongun, who had come all the way to the private room where he lay in the Moon Cult's temple.

"You're just as greedy as I am."

This older friend of his was quite something, too.

"Of course, I respect that about you."

"... Thanks, but this is very sudden and confusing..."

"Still, didn't I handle this better than you expected? No one will suspect my true identity because of this. At most, it'll confirm the theory that Hunter Seo Jio is Black Cloak's saint."

"That's true."

Yu Seongun let out a breath, quickly composed himself, and nodded, as though he had never come running in looking so alarmed.

"You really did handle that part well."

"Greedy."

"Huh...?"

"From now on, you don't get to criticize me."

"I don't know what I did, but if it's bad enough to compare me to you, isn't that serious?"

"I'm just saying."

He was just as inconsistent as Jio, after all.

* * *

His assumptions had immediately been put to shame by an unexpected development, but everything else went as Jio had anticipated.

Collector took the Moon Cult's report that 'Hunter Seo Jio' had overexerted himself helping the saintess in stride.

"Ah, I see."

"..."

If anything, the priest who had come to deliver the news was the one left flustered.

"... We have no intention of shirking responsibility for this, but you're far calmer about Hunter Seo Jio's injury than I imagined. Has this happened often?"

"I'm afraid we can't go into detail on that. Hunter Seo Jio might not mind, but we still have to protect our Hunter's privacy."

"I see."

The Moon Cult priest found this rather odd.

'I understood he was the Collector's dearly cherished son.'

At present, the Hunter named Seo Jio was immensely valuable. He also maintained such an air of secrecy that even within the Moon Cult, people had whispered, "Why did he accept the request so readily?"

Above all, Bi Sabeol kept him so close that people even said he was 'locked away in the gallery.' With someone like that coughing up blood while helping the Moon Cult's saintess, the priest had expected at least some agitation.

'I know perfectly well that Collector's members don't worry much about one another's injuries, but...'

Something felt unsettling.

"Ahem."

Clearing his throat, the priest bowed his head once more.

"We are deeply ashamed that our honored guest has been confined to bed. As priests who serve the Moon, we brothers in discipleship will do our utmost to repay this debt. As for the precise compensation... we would like to discuss that with Hunter Seo Jio first. I came to ask whether you might allow us a little more time to make repayment."

"We're more than happy to accommodate that. Hunter Seo Jio's wishes matter to us above all else. The manager who communicates most closely with him isn't a member of Collector, so you may proceed however your needs dictate."

Again, something felt off.

'What... is the reason for this attitude?'

This didn't look like the detached sort of 'trust' said to be common among Collector's members. It looked like sheer 'neglect,' as though they truly didn't care what became of Hunter Seo Jio. The priest felt increasingly strange.

'I was certain he was treated as someone precious.'

Even in a business meeting, Collector had every right to be angry. To extract the greatest possible compensation for Hunter Seo Jio's suffering, they should have at least put on a show of anger.

"..."

Despite his unease, the priest expressed his gratitude. As a member of the Moon Cult, of all organizations, this was hardly his place to pass judgment.

"You are most considerate, as one might expect of the guild Hunter Seo Jio calls home. Still, I fear we might inadvertently cause him further offense."

"There's no need to worry. All we ask is that the Moon Cult give Hunter Seo Jio's wishes top priority. The Guild Master himself told me as much before I came here."

"Thank you for your understanding. Then..."

They discussed a few additional matters, then parted as calmly as they had met. The Moon Cult priest still wore a slight frown on his way back to the order.

"Was Collector very angry?"

"... No, it's all right."

At long last, they had a chance to resolve the enormous problem that had been quietly festering within the Moon Cult. Seeing the young priest's concern that an angry Collector might recall Hunter Seo Jio, the man shook his head.

"Collector said they would leave everything entirely to Hunter Seo Jio's wishes. His future treatment of her, the debt the Moon Cult owes, and everything else besides."

"Those are far more extraordinary terms than I imagined. I'd heard Hunter Seo Jio's standing at Collector was very high... In any case, that's a relief. At last, our saintess will be able to recover her stability."

"It certainly is a relief, but..."

Suddenly, the priest realized something.

"... Ah, dear."

Collector did not regard Hunter Seo Jio as human.

'I wondered what felt so unsettling when their treatment of him was so very attentive.'

That 'attentive treatment' was itself deeply contradictory. Collector did not see Hunter Seo Jio as a person. That was why, despite all the fuss they made over him, anyone watching only felt uncomfortable.

'I can understand it, given that it's Collector.'

In any event, the Moon Cult was in no position to criticize.

"Let's head straight back to the order."

"The saintess will gradually improve now, won't she?"

"Haha, of course. Didn't Hunter Seo Jio work a miracle for us?"

"It would have been better if we could have resolved it within the Moon Cult... but this is still such a relief. With help from another saint like Hunter Seo Jio, surely our saintess, too, will someday..."

"This is not a conversation to have here."

"... That was foolish of me."

"It's all right. I understand how you feel."

They, too, struggled to see their saintess as human.

'Perhaps this, too, is the inevitable path fate lays out for a saint.'

It would be good to collect more varied data, but saints were rare even on a global scale. He found himself wanting to write a paper on the august mysteries surrounding them, though it seemed unlikely to be easy.

With a little lingering regret, the priests returned to the Moon Cult.

* * *

After Yu Seongun left, Ju-hyeon came in.

"Mr. Jio."

"I was wrong."

"You kept saying you'd be fine going alone, so I trusted you and let you go."

"I thought the problem with the saintess would be rather far from your cup of tea..."

"You told me that last time, too."

Jio wasn't particularly concerned about Ju-hyeon's physical safety as an Unawakened, but he did worry about his mental health. Even Jio's conversations with Yu Seongun invariably drew a look of 'What the fuck are you talking about?' from him. The situation at the Moon Cult would be deeply uncomfortable for him.

That was why Jio had come alone.

"If I'd known you'd worry this much, I would have brought you along from the start."

"I'm very glad there wasn't actually anything wrong with your health... But even knowing this was your best effort at keeping up appearances, I can't help feeling bewildered and hard done by."

Ju-hyeon said he felt as though he had lost another ten years of his life.

"Well, you are a portrait... A painting... I suppose you can do anything..."

"It only occurred to me after the fact that you would be so alarmed. I believe I was very careless. I apologize."

"Uh... This might sound a bit random, but you're speaking rather stiffly. Just like Mr. San."

"It has been this way for a little while, but yes, my speech has become awkward. Assimilation is almost complete..."

"Aha."

Ju-hyeon also knew how 'Jio's Portrait' imitated a human. Through assimilation with a human 'Jio,' it adopted that person's stature and manner at the time. Once that human stature was finally consumed by mystery, it sought another 'Jio.'

So Jio's stiff speech now meant that the portrait made up a greater share of him than the human did.

"Then are you going to look for another 'Jio'?"

"Surely you don't think that?"

Giovanni looked incredulous.

"I haven't even started the Demon King project yet, Mr. Ju-hyeon..."

"I trust you've blocked out the sound, but hearing you say that so brazenly inside the Moon Cult really leaves me at a loss."

"You seem to be doing quite well as you are."

"... Ahem. What do you intend to do now, then?"

"Care for the saintess."

Ju-hyeon nodded.

"You aren't planning to come back right away?"

"Father is taking good care of the cabin."

"Then no hallway meetings for a while."

"For now, I'd like to try befriending the saintess."

"I can never tell whether you're an introvert or an extrovert..."

"Perhaps both?"

He liked his home, and he liked his friends.

"I think the saintess and I could be good friends."

"I hear she's quite young..."

"Something as trivial as age cannot be a barrier to friendship."

"It generally is, though."

"Oh, honestly."

Arjio finally surfaced.

"Why all this backtalk when I say I want to make a friend?"

"See? You're befriending her because of this Demon King business after all."

"My social endeavors are not so base and worldly. More importantly, you've gravely misunderstood me."

"I'll hear you out."

"You've got the order backward."

Jio declared proudly,

"I'm not making friends to become a Demon King. I'm becoming a Demon King while I'm at it, since I'm making friends anyway!"

"..."

There weren't many ways Ju-hyeon could respond to that.

"... I see!"

Just the usual for us, then.

* * *

"..."

HUFF... HUFF...

The sound of steady breathing.

"..."

The Moon Cult's bishop looked at the sleeping saintess.

"... Poor thing."

You survived again.

After stroking the youthful face with a cold hand, the bishop left the room.

(To be continued)