NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 50
As the late seniors said, don’t trust monsters.
‘That’s not wrong.’
Cha Ara was a person who acknowledged the deep-rooted distrust of monsters in the hunter community.
Actually, the word ‘distrust’ is a bit strange, because no one trusts a wild boar that came down from the mountain.
‘It’s stupid to believe that.’
Before discussing trust and other things, the hunters and monsters were in a relationship where their very existence threatened each other’s right to survive.
The monsters mentioned here mostly live in dungeons, and there are also those that settled on Earth in modern times. The common denominator among these monsters, which vary in size and taste, is that they are all dangerous.
‘Because monsters are basically hostile to life on Earth.’
It didn’t matter how insignificant or powerful the ability was, being unilaterally hostile to something other than a human was enough to devastate the human spirit.
“… … .”
In that context, it was difficult for Cha Ara to accept the current situation.
“You’d better watch your step.”
“Oh, yes?”
“There is a fault right ahead.”
“ah….”
“Your eyes are dark.”
No, your eyes are bright.
‘Even if you talk to a monster, they won’t understand.’
The bird that Black Cloak had called ‘Honey’ brightly lit up the world for a moment, but then the bird returned to a soft brightness and hid behind the hood of the cloak.
Thanks to that, Chaara was following the black cloak following the light of the Anticat.
‘Is it because the main body itself is so black? Even when it’s close, it’s hard to see. If there hadn’t been an anti-cat, I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up with it…’
Anyway, I know that ‘Sergio’ is taking care of me.
‘Apart from the fact that my imitation of humans is a bit awkward… you know.’
In the first place, who would come to a cold cave like this barefoot?
In fact, Geo had his own reasons for this. The reason he sometimes walked around barefoot outside the portrait was because he took off his shoes at home.
As he drew pictures to create passageways and entrances, the places he moved to were mostly the workshop in the cabin, and Geo, who came straight from there to the dungeon, did not bother to bring shoes.
Since the ‘vein of jewels’ was dark, I thought that even if I ran into someone, they wouldn’t look at my feet.
“… … .”
But from Cha Ara’s perspective, it felt like it was just crudely imitating human clothing.
“Well, by the way, what is a house…?”
“Almost there.”
“Oh, really?”
Chaara felt a little relieved at the kind treatment.
‘… Judging from the fact that he answers me every time, it seems like he doesn’t have any negative feelings toward me.’
Normal monsters don’t have this level of intelligence, so they can’t be compared.
But basically, monsters are almost always easygoing, and when they see people, they want to see the color of their internal organs.
‘I heard that humanoid monsters aren’t that different…’
Even if the monsters were kind to humans, it was a disaster from a human perspective.
So, even though she didn’t quite understand this kind of polite treatment, Cha-Ara tried to suppress her fear and followed behind the black cloak.
‘If things continued like this, I would have starved to death anyway. In that case, it would be better to try something.’
As Chaara tried to calm her mind, the man in black cloak stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth.
He pointed to the wall.
“Here it is.”
“… … .”
frame?
‘… It’s an empty frame with only a forest background and no people.’
If so, I could just call it a ‘landscape painting’, but I felt that something was missing, that this was not a complete work.
“…ah.”
She soon realized that it looked somewhat familiar.
“Did you see that last time…?”
“Yes, that’s where I’m staying.”
“… Oh, I see.”
A drawing of a person. I’m not sure, but I think the essence of the black cloak is a portrait.
‘Was it in the form of a portrait when we met before?’
The black cloak held out his hand.
“Come on in.”
“… … .”
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary.
‘… If I stay here like this, I’ll just starve to death.’
I’m tired of waiting in the dark, starving, and waiting for new hunters who may or may not come.
Some might say it was a foolish decision, but Cha Ara did not want to miss the opportunity right in front of her.
“Phew… .”
I grabbed the other person with slightly trembling hands.
“…ah…!”
Then, for a moment, I lost my mind.
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Cha Ara felt like her body was entering the painting.
She felt like she wasn’t herself, she felt a hazy sense of floating, and after dozens or hundreds of strange sensations passed through her, she was finally able to come to her senses.
“… … .”
A gentle and clear air greeted the moment when the confusion had not occurred, as if it had been a momentary one.
“… … .”
“Are you okay?”
“…yes yes.”
It happened very quickly.
‘…Just now, something… .’
But I definitely felt a creepy sense of distance as I passed through the frame.
“… … .”
It was terrifying.
Or is it loneliness?
Cha-Ara, who had never been to school and was not good at expressing herself, was at a loss as to how to describe the feeling she had at that moment.
If I were to evaluate it after quite some time had passed, it was an eerie and strange sensation, as if I had been left alone in space for a moment.
“… Here is… .”
“This is the house I am staying in.”
As he said that, Black Cloak put down the cat he was holding in his arms, Anti-Cat.
“Honey, I’ll be your little brother, so take care of me.”
“Kurururuk.”
“kind.”
The sight of him talking to a bird made of water was like a scene from a fairy tale.
“… … .”
This space was like that too.
A dense chest of drawers filling the walls. Paints infused with the scent of nature, canvases hanging on wooden easels… .
“…Workshop?”
as.
‘Why is it empty?’
Not a single canvas was painted.
The air was mild. The scenery was peaceful. But for some reason, Cha-Ara felt eerie as she saw parts that were similar to the human lifestyle but different from each other.
“Yes, this is my studio.”
“This may be a rude question, but… there is no picture.”
“I’m always drawing.”
“… … .”
“It’s just not a painting anymore.”
It was a story that was so difficult that it sent a chill down my spine.
“A finished painting either goes away on its own, or… it remains like this.”
“… It wasn’t a passageway? This was, uh, a painting?”
“It is both a passageway and a painting.”
The monster, who answered bluntly, covered the frame of the ‘Jewel Vein’, the passage through which Chaara had come out, with a black cloth.
It was only then that Cha Ara realized that there were several picture frames covered with cloth like this all over her studio.
“… … .”
“Would you like to take a look?”
“Oh, no.”
“You must be hungry.”
Chaara blinked at the other person’s words.
‘… Didn’t the voice change somehow?’
No, the voice itself was no different from before. But… .
“Are you not afraid of me now?”
“… Yes? Oh, yes?”
“I asked because you seemed more relaxed than before.”
“That’s, uh, that, that’s… .”
“… … .”
The monster tilted its head as it waited for Cha Ara to stutter. Cha Ara, who saw consideration in that appearance once again, was soon able to calm herself down and continue speaking.
“… Yes, it seems less scary than before… .”
“That’s fortunate.”
The voice of the black cloak was polite and soft.
“When I go out, people are afraid of me. I think it’s because I’m a portrait.”
He opened the door to his studio.
“The kitchen is on the first floor.”
“Kitchen… .”
It’s too homely a word to hear in a monster’s lair.
Cha Ara felt a strange awkwardness, but she mustered up her courage and asked.
“Hey, can I go with you?”
“Of course.”
“thank you….”
Cha Ara followed the monster just like she did in ‘The Vein of Jewels’. But the atmosphere was completely different then.
‘… It’s very bright.’
To be exact, it would be more correct to say that it is gentle rather than bright.
This place, filled with warm air, gently relaxed my hands and feet, but there was something about it that was not light and calm and settled.
“… … .”
Why is that?
‘It’s like a fairy tale.’
The wooden walls gave off a fragrant smell.
The stairs, although made of hard material, were soft enough to give the illusion of being soft, and the cabin, filled with soft sunlight, had a soft atmosphere like one might expect from a well-dried blanket.
‘Still, strangely…’
Chaara felt like this place was like a grave.
“… … .”
“You can take a look around.”
“yes?”
“It looks like it’ll take a while to prepare the meal.”
The voice of the black cloaked man speaking like that had a somewhat aristocratic air.
“In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea to take a rest and look around the cabin.”
“Is that okay?”
“I’ll make you some fruit tea. How about taking it with you?”
“oh.”
It’s fruit tea.
‘Isn’t that really expensive?’
While he was hesitating, the black cloak went into the kitchen and soon came back with a glass. The tea, with its mysterious colors like the sunset, was like a magic potion, and it was refreshing thanks to the round ice cubes.
“You can eat while sitting on the sofa.”
“Go, thank you.”
Do all humanoid monsters act like humans?
‘It was originally labeled as humanoid, so in a way, it might be natural… .’
Cha Ara, who accepted the glass, carefully sat down on the sofa.
“!”
It was very soft.
‘It must be an expensive sofa.’
Although she thought so, Chaara felt a little embarrassed when she realized that monsters would never buy furniture according to human rules.
In the first place, it was foolish to try to understand the rules surrounding monsters from a human perspective.
“… The scent is really nice…”
It looked more like a work of art than food, but it had a very soft and sweet scent.
“… … .”
Let’s take a sip.
A mild sweetness enveloped my mouth.
“wow….”
Cha Ara’s pale cheeks turned faintly red.
‘… What the heck, this is so delicious. Are all fruit teas like this…?’
Because sugar itself was so precious, I had never properly eaten a single fruit, let alone a fruit tea called cha-a.
So for a moment, I thought that all fruit teas in the world were like this, but that doubt was momentarily put to rest as I sipped the tea and realized something amazing.
“… … .”
Oh, I’m not hungry.
‘No, I’m still hungry…’
The horrible feeling of emptiness that felt like my stomach was being scraped with a fork is gone.
‘What? Was it a real potion?’
Well, it’s a fruit tea obtained from a dungeon inhabited by humanoid monsters. I don’t know if I should compare it to the regular fruit tea used by humans.
Cha Ara pursed her lips as she groped to figure out the situation.
“… Hmm… .”
I felt strangely good.
It wasn’t enough to make me laugh out loud, but I could tell that the tickling inside me was letting go of the tension.
She felt like the stress she had been feeling at work recently and the resentment she had toward her teammates who had abandoned her were starting to subside a little.
“… … .”
The fruit tea was quickly consumed.
‘… My body feels so light.’
The tea had a special effect, and the injuries and fatigue she had were washed away. Thanks to the relaxation that followed, Cha Ara was able to look around her surroundings with a little more leisure.
“The ceiling is really high.”
I didn’t realize it because I was so nervous, but now that I think about it, it seems like it took quite a while to even come down the stairs.
Although it was only a two-story building, its scale was enormous.
‘But it doesn’t feel like a rich house like the ones you see in dramas. Is it because this place is a kind of dungeon? After all, it’s a place where monsters live, so if it’s a dungeon, it’s a dungeon… .’
Cha Ara slowly blinked her eyes.
The rustling sound and the slow breeze unique to spring.
The chirping of birds coming from outside the window was bright and clear, like a round bead vibrating.
“I’m a little sleepy… .”
I keep thinking about it, but it really was like a fairy tale.
“… … .”
and.
It resembled a funeral.
“Is it because it’s quiet?”
It was different from sadness or sorrow.
It did not resemble someone’s heartbreaking weeping. It did not resemble a visitor mourning silently. It felt rich and heavy, like several white chrysanthemums quietly placed in front of a photograph of the deceased.
“hmm….”
It was an atmosphere that was difficult to describe.
‘It’s not uncomfortable.’
It was just uncomfortable.
So much so that it could be considered dire.
“Ms. Cha Ara.”
“… … .”
“Ms. Cha Ara.”
“Ah, yes yes…!! Hunter Chaara is here!!”
“I know, so you don’t have to be so nervous.”
The monster that came out of the kitchen had already taken off its cloak.
“… … .”
“Are you having trouble moving?”
“Oh, no.”
and.
‘crazy.’
I didn’t know people could be like that.
‘Ah, no, I shouldn’t call him a human since he’s a monster… but he’s really handsome.’
Why is something that should be in a museum preparing a meal in a hut like this? He was so handsome that he felt distant. He didn’t seem human in many ways.
The monster, unaware of Cha Ara’s thoughts, spoke with his characteristically blunt expression and voice.
“I prepared a light meal, so I wonder what you might like.”
“Oh, thank you.”
And then Cha Ara sees an unexpected sight.
“… … .”
“Do you like rice?”
“I can’t eat it because I don’t have it. I can’t eat it because I don’t have it… .”
“Is there a side dish you dislike?”
“I wouldn’t complain like that when I’m getting something for free. But, no. That…”
“Is there a problem?”
“… Were you Korean?”
What is this seven-course meal?
“I introduced myself as Sergio. Doesn’t that sound like a Korean name?”
“Oh, I see.”
I was so scared I could hardly think, but it was a Korean name and I didn’t have time to think about it. I didn’t know that someone with such a neat and gloomy face like that aristocrat would prepare such a cozy meal for me.
‘So it was Sergio.’
I just learned that the reason the name was made up of three letters was to give it a Korean feel.
There was plenty of plain white rice and various side dishes that I don’t usually eat, but Chaara felt a sense of awkwardness.
‘…Why can’t I feel the energy of my late grandmother?’
Cha Ara felt a little strange.
Considering the noble aura of Sergio, a humanoid monster, it should not have been out of place, but it felt even more awkward because it looked so natural.
“… … .”
Cha Ara suddenly realized one of her feelings.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“…yes.”
It’s a very faint and rather alien feeling in this peaceful atmosphere.
It was a kind of ‘awe’.
“thank you.”
This refers to emotions that can be felt towards non-human objects.
‘… It’s a bit funny to say this after receiving such a friendly meal… .’
Cha Ara suddenly raised her head and looked into Sergio’s eyes.
A plain black eye is visible.
“… … .”
“Is there a problem?”
“…no.”
It looked quite human now.
“thank you for this food.”
In other words, it never felt human.
It’s not fear, I can only say it’s awe.