Summoned by a Child's Drawing

While reviewing the curriculum for the new acolytes soon to join, Kang Seo-dam took a call.

"Yes, Hunter Yu Seong-un."

"Is there any god among them who can be summoned just by drawing a picture?"

"I have no idea why you're asking this out of nowhere, but since I'm busy I'll answer first: yes, it's possible. The characters and patterns frequently used in rituals are a kind of drawing, after all."

"It wasn't a particularly professional drawing."

"How unprofessional are we talking?"

"Kid-level?"

"Even then it isn't impossible. No matter how crude it is, as long as the purpose is clear."

Kang Seo-dam wedged the phone between his shoulder and chin and kept typing as he continued.

"What matters most is the will of the person performing the ritual—what they intended to achieve through it. If that will is strong and clear enough, and if the being receiving the offering is broad-minded enough to accept such a shoddy rite, then it can work just fine."

"Why would that even work?"

"Usually it's the malevolent gods who fall into this category… but with summoning rituals like this, I understand it can succeed even when the target isn't a god at all. Mysterious beings who possess their own personal summoning rites exist everywhere. If the entity is especially accommodating, simply calling its name can be enough to draw its gaze."

"But why?"

"It's difficult for mere humans to grasp, yet those who stand close to divinity can sense wherever they are being called or depicted. A god is the sort of being who could answer the simultaneous prayers of the faithful across the entire world if it so chose."

Kang Seo-dam's eyes flicked across the document as he checked it.

"Even when they aren't gods, lower-ranked mysterious beings sometimes spread their own summoning rituals far and wide. After all, nothing strengthens one's status and divinity more effectively than the faith of followers."

"What about an existence whose rank is already overwhelmingly high? High enough that it no longer needs faith at all—and who doesn't even want its rank to rise any further?"

"I tried to keep ignoring it because I'm too busy, but this is about that person after all, isn't it? The pitch-black one? The cloak one? The one who evaporated the seawater in a dungeon to make a staircase and then cleaned it up with a single wave of the hand? That one?"

"Thank you for finally acknowledging it."

"What a walking disaster."

Beings called "gods" are willful destinies, forces of nature given form. They know exactly what they exist for and what they intend to do. They also know what they are to humanity.

Black Cloak, however, was different.

"If faith accumulates without him realizing it, he will never learn how to manage his own rank. Judging by the way a child's drawing was enough to summon him, his ritual seems absurdly simple, doesn't it?"

"That's right."

"Then all we can do is pray he never loses his temper for the rest of his life. At least while he remains calm he will restrain himself and show consideration for fragile humans, so there shouldn't be any major problems then. He likes humans so much to begin with…"

"And if he does get angry?"

"As you well know, Hunter Yu Seong-un—nothing but ruin. Just as only someone who's eaten meat knows how to eat it properly, only someone who's been angry knows how to be angry well. If a god who has no idea how to express anger safely simply vents his feelings unchecked, it will be a true catastrophe."

Kang Seo-dam paused in thought, then asked,

"Most gods have a clear reason for existing. Unless they inherited divinity from a previous god, the one who created a particular summoning ritual is usually the god corresponding to that ritual. The rites of summoning and offering arose in the first place to elevate their ranks."

"But the one we're talking about isn't like that."

"It is possible if he inherited both the divinity and the corresponding rites from a predecessor. Is the being you speak of such a case, Hunter Yu Seong-un?"

"I can't say he has none of those traits, but he isn't entirely that either. He's a qualitatively different existence from a god."

"……"

Kang Seo-dam looked away from the monitor for a moment before speaking again.

"Though extremely rare, there are mysterious beings who simply exist as embodiments of certain rules, and whose ranks rise naturally within the laws of nature. To give a simple example, the very act of people breathing might itself be an act that elevates the faith of some mysterious entity."

"Sorry, but I still don't follow. What does that mean?"

"More simply put: there are beings who grow stronger merely by existing. Just as it is a natural law that time deepens and history lengthens as the years pass."

Kang Seo-dam's fingers began typing once more.

"In our Sun Temple we do not call such beings gods."

"Then what do you call them?"

"Simply nature. Rules. Destiny."

"Other gods also possess will…"

"They are nature and destiny as well, but this is a different context."

The reason was simple.

"As you said, Hunter Yu Seong-un, those others have will and purpose. The mysterious beings I am describing now have none of that. They never sought to become gods, they do not even know they have been defined as 'gods'—they simply… exist, flow onward, and grow stronger."

"A disaster, then."

"From a human perspective even an earthquake caused by the shifting of the earth's crust feels like a disaster. Those beings simply exist. They may possess self-awareness or preferences; they may or may not have noticed humanity."

"Hmm…"

After a short pause Yu Seong-un asked,

"The Sun Temple can speak of this because you've observed such mysterious beings before, right? Something so powerful it can't even be called a god?"

"That is classified. Just as the Collector's Guild holds a few secrets of its own."

"Understood for now. May I visit you later with another gift, Priest?"

"Please do not come. I am busy."

"I'll send it by courier, then."

The call ended.

"……"

Still, even after saying all that…

"…With that one, at least, I don't think it will become a great disaster."

Kang Seo-dam had clearly sensed divinity from Black Cloak. Judging by the aura and the circumstances, the power had likely been inherited from a previous god—which meant there was a parent who could teach him how a god ought to behave.

And even if there were no parent god, this world's Sun God still existed. His Goddess was quite well-disposed toward Black Cloak; she might offer a little help.

"In the end it wasn't something for me to worry about. Tch. And in the middle of all this work."

Kang Seo-dam muttered quietly and returned to reviewing the curriculum.

Overtime had become a familiar companion of late.

And here was another hunter continuing his own overtime.

"Right, Ji-oh."

"A pleasure."

"You really are active, aren't you."

Of course it was Yu Seong-un.

"So our young Cha I-sol here went and summoned you?"

Having finally grasped the situation, Cha I-sol offered a voluntary confession.

"I'm sorry for making you work overtime."

"If you apologize like that, Cha I-sol, what am I supposed to do?"

In truth the damage wasn't all that severe.

"Well, I usually talk with Ji-oh around four in the morning anyway…"

"Were you tired?"

At that, Black Cloak—Ji-oh—made a gesture as though stroking his chin. He seemed to be mimicking human surprise, yet because his face was invisible not a shred of emotion came through, and Yu Seong-un's nape ached a little.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. You visited so often at that hour that I assumed it suited you. If you wish, we can rearrange our conversation schedule."

"No, I've got plenty to do before and after anyway, so shifting the talk time wouldn't get me to bed any earlier. It just changes the order of the work I have to do at that hour."

"Regrettable."

"Same here…"

In any case, it was currently 7:41 p.m.

"Has everyone eaten dinner?"

"W-we were just about to make bulgogi…"

"So that's how things ended up."

Even if she was a hunter, Cha Ah-ra was only F-rank; how much experience could she possibly have? Her face showed she still didn't understand how any of this had happened, so Yu Seong-un turned to Ji-oh.

"Before we get into the real discussion, Ji-oh."

"Please speak."

"I'd like you to ease the atmosphere a little."

In plain terms he was asking Ji-oh to lower his rank, but saying it that way would only offend someone who considered himself human.

After the conversation with Priest Kang Seo-dam, Yu Seong-un's sense of caution had sharpened. He had no intention of doing anything of the sort. He would simply treat this as dealing with a god who lacked any self-awareness of being a god.

Yet even that request seemed too abstract, for Ji-oh showed puzzlement.

"I do not understand what you mean."

"You're scary right now. You don't feel human."

"Understood."

Immediately Ji-oh pushed his hood back.

"……"

"Will this do?"

What emerged from within was Giovanni, with his vivid platinum-blond hair.

"In my experience this tends to improve the mood a little…"

"For now, yes."

"Perhaps the color of the cloak is the problem after all."

"That probably plays a part."

Yu Seong-un secretly swallowed a sigh of relief.

…I'm glad there's even a method like this for lowering his rank. And that Ji-oh doesn't mind lowering it is another stroke of luck. If he were an ordinary god or a Child of the Source he would have been offended and torn me to shreds on the spot…

How fortunate that a being of this rank was so human-friendly.

"I'd like to try explaining this phenomenon. Is that all right?"

"Please do as you wish."

"Thanks for understanding."

At last Yu Seong-un began.

"It seems Cha I-sol summoned you, Ji-oh."

"…I had a feeling that might be the case, but how is that even possible?"

"Cha Eun-hyeok's question is perfectly reasonable—I didn't understand it either. So I asked Priest Kang Seo-dam, who has far more experience on this side of things, and he said it can happen from time to time."

Naturally he omitted every mention of ranks and gods out of consideration for Ji-oh.

"Extremely rarely, there are mysterious beings who possess their own summoning rituals without ever intending to. In your case, Ji-oh, the condition of the ritual was apparently 'draw Ji-oh.'"

Yu Seong-un looked at him.

"Why did you come here in the first place, Ji-oh? What did you sense that brought you?"

"I knew I had been drawn. I also naturally knew that the one who drew me was young Cha I-sol. And when he said such a cute thing about wanting to be friends with me…"

"You decided to make an appearance?"

"I had also been wondering how everyone was doing lately. We parted without even saying goodbye when we left the dungeon, so I was worried about Cha I-sol—especially after he was kidnapped. The timing felt fortunate."

Platinum-haired Ji-oh asked with his characteristic gentle smile,

"Have you been well, Cha I-sol? Nothing hurts?"

"Th-then Black Cloak was big brother Ji-oh all along…?"

"Ah."

Giovanni turned to look at Yu Seong-un.

"……"

"…Staring at me like that won't produce an answer, Black Cloak."

"I only wanted to protect a child's pure heart in this harsh world."

"I'd say that purity is safer than learning Santa isn't real."

Cha I-sol reeled from the shock.

"Santa isn't real?"

"The two Cha siblings must have raised him with real care. Sorry for being the one to shatter that innocence first."

"I was going to give Santa Grandpa a massage when I met him…!"

"Oh my, how sweet."

"I was going to ask if he could come live with us after he retires…!"

"His sense of self is rock-solid."

At any rate, Cha I-sol was less shocked by the revelation that Ji-oh was Black Cloak than expected.

"But why did it turn out that way? Does big brother Ji-oh really give presents to good people?"

"If someone needs it, I do my best to show consideration and respect."

"Why?"

"I have the leisure and the ability, and those who receive my goodwill desire the gift, so there is no reason not to grant it."

"Woooow…"

Cha Eun-hyeok thought privately,

With a personality this pure, where is he going to get sold off to?

As the eldest brother, it seemed he would have to keep his wits about him at all times.

"S-so… did we do something wrong…?"

"Hm? No, no."

Yu Seong-un turned to Cha I-sol.

"You just thought Black Cloak looked cool and were drawing him without any particular intent, right?"

"Yes. People say he's really famous these days."

"Is that so?"

The Collector's Guild that had made the urban legend famous had nothing to say.

"As long as the ritual itself isn't widely known, it doesn't matter. Ji-oh, if someone draws you, do you always become aware of it or get summoned there?"

"I can become aware, but the summoning itself… seems to be my choice."

"If that's the case, then it really doesn't matter. I only rushed over because this whole thing was so absurd and open to abuse."

Cha I-sol bowed his head once more.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble."

"For something like this? You'll make me feel awkward if you apologize that much."

"But…"

"It's truly fine. Ji-oh wanted to see you anyway. Even though nothing serious happened, you were still kidnapped by monsters, so everyone was worried."

"I'm okay, though."

"You look it, which is pretty impressive. Great mindset. It's almost sad to think how big a person you'll become with that attitude already… but anyway, everything's fine and there's no problem…"

Yu Seong-un was simply left speechless.

"…Just please don't go spreading this summoning method around."

Otherwise a great many people would end up exhausted.

And with 100 percent certainty, Yu Seong-un himself would be among them.

(To be continued)