Chapter 296: Chapter 296

After that, Gio continued to rest for quite some time.

“What are you even doing in that portrait?”

“And besides that...?”

Yoo Seong-Woon, who had come out of concern for the portrait, asked.

“What are you painting?”

“Many things—but mostly food.”

What more could he possibly need to eat in there?

“Doesn’t your portrait already have enough crops? Na-Na and Joo-Hyun have brought over most common ingredients. And now you’re even drawing more food—”

“I discovered that chickpeas had gone extinct on Earth.”

“So you’re drawing an extinct ingredient... just to eat it? Did I get that right?”

“You understood correctly.”

“What the hell is that even...”

Yoo Seong-Woon hesitated.

“...Can I take a look?”

“I always welcome your visits.”

An extinct Earth crop restored by an Origin. Even as a salaried curator paying taxes, Yoo Seong-Woon couldn’t help but be tempted. In the end, he entered the portrait—and came back out.

In his hand was a freshly harvested bag of chickpeas.

“I don’t think chickpeas were this big originally.”

“I attempted to grow them in a form close to memory, but it was not easy. The first ones I drew were much smaller.”

“Well, a fragile plant probably can’t survive long against your resilient portrait world...”

Yoo Seong-Woon gazed at the chickpeas, now the size of a baby’s fist, with a wistful smile.

“Hm. I should share some with Miss Joo-Hyun.”

That evening, Joo-Hyun, who received the portrait-grown chickpeas, summoned Gio.

“Mr. Gio, are you there?”

“Yes. Did you call for me?”

“Yes, I did. I’m relieved that even my poor drawing skills were enough to summon you.”

“Your artistic ability is not poor at all.”

Perhaps it was to be expected of a former Association researcher. Joo-Hyun had drawn him nearly as he was in real life. Thanks to that, Gio—who had been making an egg sandwich—was able to be summoned without issue.

First, Gio handed over a paper-wrapped sandwich.

“I believe this could serve as a good late-night snack for you.”

Joo-Hyun took the sandwich without hesitation, then paused a moment before speaking.

“...It still doesn’t feel real, summoning a god just to get a snack.”

Sankallut, who was coiled around her neck, poked his head out. He quickly snatched one of the sandwiches from her hand and vanished beneath her hair.

Her shoulder felt heavier, but seeing as he wasn’t making a mess, Joo-Hyun let it go. Gio, ignoring the mischievous act of the evil god, replied calmly.

“I am an ordinary person.”

“And I’m your friend, Mr. Gio. Thanks again for the sandwich.”

“So, why did you call for me?”

“This afternoon, Mr. Yoo Seong-Woon gave me this.”

“Those are chickpeas I grew.”

“They’re... a little different from the chickpeas I know.”

Gio looked both surprised and pleased.

“You’re familiar with chickpeas?”

“It’s not like anyone can become a researcher for the Association.”

“What qualifications are required?”

“You’d need to know at least seventy percent of Earth’s extinct flora and fauna.”

Chickpeas were among them.

“More importantly, I’ve been involved in several restoration projects. I know chickpeas were originally much smaller. They were a high-protein, high-fiber superfood with plenty of vitamins and minerals—popular as a diet food before the Catastrophe.”

“I didn’t know that much.”

“I only memorized it, honestly.”

“Why did this little one turn out ?”

“As you might guess, most crops I grow tend to exceed average size. This chickpea grew bigger as well. I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“You... look surprisingly powerless for once.”

Her friend seemed mildly disappointed.

“Well, the reason I called you today...”

Joo-Hyun hesitated, then asked,

“Is it really possible for you to recreate extinct flora and fauna from Earth?”

“...Could you restore Earth’s ecosystem?”

She already knew the answer.

“The world has changed so much. Extinct species wouldn’t be able to adapt to this new ecosystem. I knew what you’d probably say, but... I had to ask, just in case.”

“You want to restore Earth?”

“I joined those restoration projects with that goal in mind.”

It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried to bring the world back to its original, safe state. The Association and government had poured countless resources into the effort. But all they’d confirmed was that Earth, already saturated with mystical forces, could no longer return.

Joo-Hyun looked a little wistful.

“Not that the current ecosystem is all bad, of course. But for someone like me—a weak, non-awakened human—it’s not exactly a reassuring world. Especially since I remember how it was before the Catastrophe.”

“You hope for a safer world.”

“I know we’re lucky things have stabilized this much, and yet I still want more. I guess I hoped, just maybe, Mr. Gio could offer a clue. But it’s not something you can expect one person to handle, right?”

Nor should anyone be expected to. If the world changed just because of one person, how chaotic would that be? Feeling slightly embarrassed, Joo-Hyun added,

“...I couldn’t contain a small moment of excitement, so I called you.”

“I understand. That does happen.”

“Is there anything else you’d like to eat?”

“Just the sandwich you gave me today. That’s plenty.”

“The sandwich alone is sufficient?”

“Well, if it’s ten sandwiches, that would be more than enough.”

“Is eating a lot bad?”

“It’s late, and my stomach’s not that big...”

“San has already eaten four.”

“...When did he eat all that?”

She had noticed her hand getting lighter.

“San, stop eating. How heavy are you trying to make my shoulder?”

“You might not feel heavy, but I feel heavy.”

The red snake stopped after his fifth sandwich.

“Well, Mr. Gio made it.”

She didn’t doubt it one bit.

“Oh, right... I heard there’s going to be a parade soon.”

“I’ve heard that as well.”

Gio rested his chin on his hand.

“A parade organized by the Collector’s Guild, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yes. It was originally a spring event, but was delayed because of the Dream Amusement Park incident. They don’t want to skip it entirely this year, so I guess they’re planning to hold it before the weather gets hotter.”

“What kind of event is it exactly?”

“The curators and their assigned works from the Collector’s Guild decorate the streets in a grand procession.”

Personally, Joo-Hyun wasn’t a fan of the event. It was technically held with relatively harmless works, but what if something went wrong? It could easily cause public panic.

“I’ve heard the details change each time. Some pieces can only participate depending on the date or weather.”

“And since you’re technically part of the Collector’s Guild, Mr. Gio, they’ve asked whether you’d be willing to participate. I was planning to organize everything and submit a written report tomorrow, but... since you’re here now...”

“...Oh, that’s surprising. Are you actually considering it?”

Joo-Hyun tilted her head.

“Given how drastically you’ve reduced your activities lately, I assumed you’d decline. I heard you haven’t even shown up at the guild much, so I thought you were still recovering.”

“I am still recovering.”

But this... intrigued him.

“Meaningful processions were once common in temples.”

“That’s something Giovanni would say.”

“Such festive occasions are «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» hard to pass up.”

“That sounds more like Argio.”

“But they’re tiring.”

Joo-Hyun chuckled quietly.

“Easy to read, aren’t you?”

“I’m pleased to bring a smile to someone dear.”

Unexpectedly, Gio accepted.

“Please inform them I’ll participate.”

And with that, the Collector’s Guild fell into emergency mode.

The Collector’s Parade was famous.

“It’s late this year.”

“Things have been chaotic lately.”

“I thought they’d skip it—but I guess not.”

“Very Collector’s Guild.”

The Guild was, after all, the embodiment of doing things their own way.

The parade had a long history. Guildmaster Bisa Beul had been putting on performances with his works even before the Collector’s Guild officially existed. Even in lawless times, it had been an impressively brazen illegal event.

And eventually, he turned it legal—by throwing money at it.

“Who’s participating this time?”

“I need to look at the pamphlet.”

There were still voices saying the whole thing was “dangerous nonsense,” but miraculously, not a single major incident had ever occurred. Others questioned, “Why does the Collector waste his fine taste on this stuff?”

But to people living in the city, the parade was familiar. Promotional robots handed out pamphlets on the streets. Everyone was on the lookout for familiar or new faces.

“Oh, Tosooni’s coming.”

“Tosooni is so cute...”

“She’s appearing with the caretaker again.”

“I got flowers last time. I wonder if she remembers.”

“I fixed her outfit last time.”

“Yeah, says here it’s their first performance.”

“Says their specialty is... juggling? Sounds fun.”

Each pamphlet included photos of participating works and their assigned curator, along with brief descriptions. Citizens who got early notice of the lineup often took vacation days to enjoy the parade in full.

“I requested paid leave.”

“Sergio Hunter is supposed to appear.”

“Live in reality, please...”

“I live for this day.”

Some came not for the works—but to see the curators. Since the Collector’s Guild operated more like a finance firm than a public guild, public appearances were rare. Idolizing a curator was considered high-difficulty fandom.

For some, seeing those rarely-seen curators in the open was like water in a drought. Reporters, too, scrambled to get coverage, so the streets always turned rowdy around this time.

“Ugh... the Collector’s Guild...”

“Bastards, seriously...”

Not everyone was happy about it.

“Can we just blow up the Collector’s building?”

“Why not just blow up Korea, chief?”

“Freaking maniacs, constantly releasing stuff onto the streets...”

Safety officers dispatched from the Association were sick of it. It was madness—anticipating and managing every possible disaster. There was no way to be in a good mood.

But they couldn’t openly protest, either.

“Chief, the Guild’s sponsoring us this time.”

“Goddamn capitalist hellhole...”

The Collector’s Guild always bought its way to legitimacy.

“This is why you become a guildmaster.”

“Yeah, I know. Damn it.”

Bisa Beul had become a guildmaster for this. Every bit of wealth and prestige he accumulated was just fuel to make this insanity legal. He was a dopamine addict, if ever there was one.

And the event started at 6 a.m.

The streets were already swarming with people.

For the record, Seo Seo-Hee, the guildmaster of Justitia, also came to watch this year’s parade.

“It’s been a while since I’ve attended one of Guildmaster Bisa Beul’s events.”

His close friend Jeong Hae-Woon was with him.

“So... can I go home now?”

“This year, they’re partnering with Gyeongbokgung Palace.”

“Ugh, I can already see the fairy tale imagery... This is so annoying...”

“We must protect Earth’s peace, my friend.”

They claimed it was a covert investigation, but... yeah.

“Apparently, Sergio Hunter is in the parade this year too.”

“WHY WOULD I CARE—!!”

Yeah, definitely not here for work.