[Forest’s Entrails] [Grade: –]
Sausage made from the meat of a stag and herbs and fruits that grow along the fateful ley lines of the forest. Made by Gio, the forest's guardian, it can be consumed by humans. This sausage provides a deep sense of fullness and is excellent for healing wounds and boosting immunity.

"Help."

"Ah, you startled me."

"Please help me."

"Could you stop bringing these troublesome gifts to me every time, Yoo Seong-Woon, the curator?"

"This one is something I received, so I can't even share it with anyone else."

At the sudden arrival of Yoo Seong-Woon, Bisa Beul responded cheerfully.

"Then couldn't you just ask if you can share it?"

"Guess there’s no other way."

"Have you tried this gift?"

"I ate about three of them at home."

Yoo Seong-Woon nodded.

"It was delicious."

"Ah, now that you say that, I’m suddenly tempted too."

"Wait until you ask Gio and come back."

"If you're going to stop me from eating it, why even bring it to me?"

"If it gets into someone else’s hands, it’s obvious I’ll be in trouble."

"Ah, for the safe..."

Bisa Beul chuckled bitterly.

"Really, our staff is too cynical."

"Don’t they say you’ve collected all those people yourself?"

"Even so, who uses the guildmaster as a safe? They all treat me too kindly."

"Who created this atmosphere, then? Are you complaining now?"

"So, how’s the effect?"

"Changing the subject, huh?"

After a moment of hesitation, Yoo Seong-Woon rubbed the back of his neck.

"They say it's excellent for wound and immunity recovery, but I haven’t experienced any such injuries myself, so I haven't seen any effect yet. But..."

"But?"

"I do feel like my eyes are a bit clearer."

"Clearer eyes?"

Even in a world like this, medical technology related to eyesight had progressed slowly. Worn-out optic nerves couldn’t recover with time. In that sense, what Yoo Seong-Woon described sounded quite intriguing.

"Is it a definite effect?"

"It feels like it to me. If others eat it too, we’ll have a comparison group, and we’ll be able to analyze the effects in more detail."

"Then we should get Gio's permission first. You should ask when you bring the gift back. I don’t think Gio would outright refuse if you asked."

"You shouldn't conclude the nature of the source like that, and at the time, I was in a rush after pulling an all-nighter, so I was out of it. I just went to deliver the fish-shaped bread and ended up with this gift."

"If you're really tired, why not eat those cookies you received last time?"

"I’ve eaten all of them."

Yoo Seong-Woon, once again a slave to caffeine.

"How about the fruit syrup I received earlier? It looked nothing like it, but anyway, what did the other staff think of the fruit syrup?"

"The reaction was very good. They seemed confused too. The biggest advantage of the ley line honey, which I assume was from the fateful source, is that it 'restores human physical ability to its limits'..."

"Even if they hadn’t read the explanation, they would have been suspicious because they could feel something in their bodies."

Bisa Beul smiled and asked,

"Would you like some fruit tea?"

"...Please."

At this point, Yoo Seong-Woon, who was on the verge of overworking himself, needed some recovery.

Yoo Seong-Woon took a small sigh after drinking the fruit tea, which had a rich, savory taste like soup. It was delicious, but he felt a sense of futility, as he was consuming something so extravagant just for fatigue recovery.

"It would be really helpful in the dungeon. It could make a significant difference in the death rate too."

"That's true."

"But if I really bring it into the dungeon, there will be a commotion."

"That’s true too."

"...It’s a problem if the source is too friendly."

A new realization.

"So, didn’t your staff suspect something? They must have felt something was off."

"Everyone was curious about the source of the fruit syrup but didn’t ask me again. I told them I bought it at an auction, but of course, that didn’t really satisfy their curiosity."

"So, what did you say?"

"What could I say? Since no one asked, I didn’t say anything either. Our staff really hates getting involved in complicated matters."

"No one likes to do overtime."

"They’re all so cold-hearted."

Bisa Beul sipped his fruit tea and continued.

"Still, I don’t think many guessed it was a 'piece of art'."

'Piece of art' was a term used by collectors to refer to an object, blessing, or curse given by an artwork to a curator who is trapped within it.

"After all, no one would think that a piece of art would gift food…"

"Is that so?"

Among the works in Bisa Beul's gallery, there were quite a few entities with their own sense of self. Depending on how sophisticated their sense of self was, a high-level curator would be assigned to them, taking care to build a strong bond with the work.

Thus, occasionally, very rarely, a curator would receive a ‘piece’ in the form of a gift.

"Usually, they give objects."

"Well, food is an object too, I guess."

"Rather, they give accessories, paintings, or weapons."

"Right, most of the time."

There couldn’t be another work that developed a taste for cooking like Gio.

"Is Gio’s hobby only cooking?"

"No, as I’ve mentioned before, I also enjoy painting."

"Such paintings become portals or living beings."

"Exactly."

"What would happen if he painted a landscape?"

"......"

Yoo Seong-Woon's face crumpled like crumpled foil.

"Please don't make me anxious while I’m resting."

"It wasn’t such a big deal."

"I had a rough idea, but I don’t want to think about it now."

"Poor you..."

"Does the boss pity me? Is that all you can do?"

Bisa Beul nodded with a smile at his exhausted subordinate.

"I'm just curious. Since Gio can create anything with his paintings, I’m interested in what happens if he paints a landscape."

"Maybe he could create another world."

"Like a dungeon?"

"......"

"Cool."

Bisa Beul stroked his chin.

"From what many night guards have witnessed, Gio said he moves through landscapes painted in his artwork."

"I’ve heard differently, but you mean a landscape painting, not a portrait?"

"It seems that when Gio is in it, it's a portrait, and when he’s not, it’s a landscape. Pretty convenient, right?"

"That’s quite mind-blowing..."

"They say that at dawn, the paintings in the hallway disappear, so it’s definitely usable for travel."

"But wasn’t that already suspected?"

"That’s why I’m curious. If he can move through places that already exist via paintings..."

Then,

"Can Gio move to other dungeons as well?"

"......"

"I’m curious."

"That..."

Yoo Seong-Woon furrowed his brow.

"That sounds like a dangerous thought."

"Did it sound that way?"

"I’m not sure what exactly you saw in Gio, Guildmaster, but from my perspective, it's not good."

"Already, Gio has toured outside under your guidance."

"I agreed to it, but what you’re suggesting now is expanding Gio’s range of activity."

It felt unsettling.

"I’ve already said, Gio’s actions are... well, they seem questionable. I’m not sure if I can fully support it, but the gardeners are different. It’s something imprinted in their soul."

Gardeners didn’t perceive threats as threats or cruelty as cruelty. To them, the being at the source was something to be cared for.

"As I said when I signed the labor contract with you, Guildmaster, I’ve said it many times, but gardeners are not human."

They were born human but had tended the garden for so long that they desired coexistence between the two. It was inevitable that Gio, being so close to the source, had captivated Yoo Seong-Woon.

"You can’t survive as a gardener without reaching the source. It’s an ancient taste that can neither change nor should change."

"However, Guildmaster, you’re a complete human. If I, as a curator, fail in something, you should point it out and correct me."

"......"

"You’ve allowed too much to your works, Guildmaster. It’s not strange for me to be worried about that."

Bisa Beul smiled.

"Isn’t it the same logic as using me as a safe, Yoo Seong-Woon?"

"...Thanks to your favoritism, I’ve received a lot of help, so I can’t say much."

The guild members of the collectors were all Bisa Beul’s collection.

His weak moments, his excessive kindness—all stemmed from his irrational desire to collect. Bisa Beul loved all of his works.

"Even so, I believe that using the world as a test for your works will eventually cause a huge backlash."

"Backlash, huh."

"Every time a non-standard work like Gio appears, you’ve acted this way."

"How have I acted?"

"Regardless of how the world falls apart, or how many die, as long as you can understand and appreciate your works, you’ve done nothing about it."

"Well observed."

Bisa Beul nodded.

"That’s why I hired curators to manage them while I was busy appreciating them."

"......"

It was a dirty, irresponsible thing to say, but not entirely wrong, and Yoo Seong-Woon sighed.

"As a gardener, I’m the one speaking on the human side; this is really serious."

"I thought I was controlling myself, but if you say it like that, maybe I went too far."

Bisa Beul’s eyes sharpened.

"But aren’t you curious?"

Those were the eyes of someone who wasn’t trying to hide their greed.

"I’m curious about what kind of existence my work is. How diligent Gio is, if he could kill someone, and if he did, how and why he’d do it."

"......"

"Gio is a painter. He’s also a portrait. He avoids friction. He sees himself as a 29-year-old. How will he blend in with people? How will he react to unpleasant experiences? What will happen when he realizes he is a work of art?"

"......"

"Honestly, I don’t care what happens to the world because of Gio. It’s frustrating if my works are harmed by foolish people, but I’m not scared when my works fight among themselves and burn."

That was Bisa Beul’s honest desire.

"Have you heard the saying that the higher the grade, the more they move away from being human?"

"...It’s a popular story. The story about S-class hunters being less human is quite °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° well known."

"I’m embarrassed to claim this with my pitiful physical abilities, but I’d like you to understand that I’m also an S-class."

He was closer to being non-human.

"I wish this world were as beautiful and refined as I cherish it."

"......"

Yoo Seong-Woon’s face twisted in exhaustion upon hearing such absurdity.

"Most people don’t think about mass slaughter just because the world isn’t beautiful or refined, Guildmaster..."

"It’s because your view of the world is too narrow. To be blunt, even if the world ends because of my work, it was bound to happen anyway."

"This is what the president should have heard. Isn’t the guildmaster’s gallery the only one trusted by the association to manage high-risk items?"

"I know he said that, but he doesn’t truly trust me. He just needed a space and personnel to manage it. With all the dangerous works increasing, I was the only viable option."

Bisa Beul’s gallery held its autonomy due to this reasoning.

"So, the association doesn’t really trust me. They just needed a minimal amount of management, which I provide."

"...Despite such distrust, the association hasn’t taken your works. When I recall that I was once in the association’s research team, it’s clear they wanted your gallery."

"Exactly. Timing is everything. If I had opened the gallery ten years later, would the association have treated me like this?"

Bisa Beul smiled brightly, as if he had heard a funny story.

"Now, my gallery is quite famous. It has much more performance and exposure compared to the quiet research and control of the association."

"......"

"Even what I manage is a gallery. Customers can come, and they might even buy works. The association can’t suppress this historically rich gallery with customers who support me."

Bisa Beul’s face dramatically expressed sadness.

"Ah, really... When I think of the works trapped inside the association, my tears blur my vision. How rough must they be treated, struggling to survive?"

"...That..."

"On top of that, when I think of how my precious, delicate works will be treated in the association’s research lab, I can never let them go. Art has a soul, you know."

"Ah, yes..."

Yoo Seong-Woon, once a member of the association's research team, thought this was insane, but since he was now receiving benefits from working under him, he decided to let it slide.

"So you’re not planning to hold back?"

"I think I’ve held back enough, but I don’t know what more to hold back."

"This is a demon lord’s castle."

When something breaks, you never know how bad it could get.

"If an accident happens, it’s going to be a real disaster."

"You already included a life insurance policy for the curators."

"That wasn’t my point. Korea might disappear from the map."

"That would be scary. I believe our curators will take care of it before that happens."

"You’ve never seen a more irresponsible curator. I hope you have the sense to recognize that it's your gallery."

Bisa Beul’s gallery was more provocative and open than the association’s lab, but its safety was lacking.

‘If the dangerous and sensitive works had to be managed safely... stronger controls would be needed.’

This place had a lot of quantity but very minimal control. It was the complete opposite of the association’s lab.

Bisa Beul loved his works and took care of them with love. One of the basic requirements for curators here was to 'build a strong bond with their works.'

"......"

The world today was precariously maintained.

‘Though it’s unavoidable with the system having collapsed and being rebuilt...’

The situation was entirely driven by the mercy of a few powerful individuals.

‘If just one person goes off course, it would truly be chaos, but fortunately, nothing disastrous has happened yet.’

Surviving by the skin of his teeth.

"...We’ll work harder. Including the matters related to Gio."

"In that sense, would you be willing to help Gio make new friends? He must be lonely alone."

"Now you're just trying to wrap this up as a noble cause? I can tell you’re not even listening to what I just said."

At this point, it felt like fate that Gio had been auctioned to Bisa Beul instead of the association.

"......"

Well, considering the gardener's perspective, it was amusing to see how much more welcoming Bisa Beul's art-loving views seemed to Yoo Seong-Woon.

He nodded.

"I’ll ask him."

After all, he was planning to talk to Gio this early morning anyway.

One question wouldn’t hurt, right?

At that moment, Gio.

"I made a few."

"Ku-ung?"

A few?

"Yeah, I might’ve made a lot."

"Ku-ung?"

A little?

"Yeah, Dad got carried away. I was so excited, I couldn’t handle it myself."

"Ku-ru..."

"I’ll reflect on it."

Though he handed over about 5 kg of sausages to Yoo Seong-Woon, there were still 5 kg left.

"I dried them in the sun once, so if we store them in the ice warehouse, they won’t spoil…"

"Ku-ru?"

"As I mentioned earlier, I was really excited, and I’ve been neglecting the waterbirds' nests, so I wanted to give them a gift. Let’s not just keep them to ourselves; let’s share."

"Ku-ru-ru-ru-ru-ruuk."

"I knew you’d like it."

The piled-up sausages, in such an ample quantity, looked like a small hill.

Though it was smaller than the total amount of waterbirds in this forest, the perspective didn’t change the fact that there was an excessive amount of food.

However, Gio was resolute.

"Try this first. I made it more mildly, since I thought you wouldn’t like something too spicy."

He was excited. Even if he had made sausages with ordinary ingredients, he would’ve been happy, but this time, he was using fantasy ingredients to make the food.

"This is sausage made with Arum, Raven Walnut, and vinegar. I also ground a bit of Milky Way Mary. Honestly, it’s a bit too mild for my taste, but I think you’ll like it."

"Ku-ruuk."

"I’m not saying I won’t eat it, though."

For the first time in a while, Gio set up a table outside the cabin and finished preparing the meal.

The table was laden with freshly cooked rice from a cauldron, Bai Ban Mil, which had been pickled like a herb, and sizzling hot homemade sausages, full of juices, all baked in the oven.

"I’ll bring some to the waterbird nests later. For now, let’s taste it ourselves, slowly. We’ll visit the nests afterward. Agreed, son?"

"Ku-ru-ruuk."

"You're definitely my son."

Gio, placing the long sausages in his mouth without cutting them, nodded inwardly.

‘...Someone who likes strong flavors might find this a bit bland. Honestly, it’s a little plain, but the seasoning is just right, so it’s good to eat with rice.’

The sausages, dried briefly in the sun, were crunchy on the outside after being grilled.

Yet the intestines, used to make the casings, were nutty and chewy, yet soft enough not to resist the teeth. It was a texture that combined crispiness, chewiness, and tenderness.

"Mm..."

Crunch!

"Ouch, hot."

Juice spilled from the contents inside.

A faint woody fragrance slowly spread across the roof of his mouth. The sausages, freshly grilled in a brick oven where the fire burned brightly, were warm enough to be slightly hot, but the sweet, sticky juices locked inside the skin soaked his mouth.

Warm and...

"......"

Delicious.

‘...It was made lightly, but the fragrance is still great.’

The amount of salt was reduced to enhance the natural flavor of the meat, while the diverse and complex scents added layers of depth, complementing the meat’s original character. The result was the sausage before him.

The subtle nutty scent of the deer meat harmonized with the Raven Walnut, unifying the sausage's flavor.

Also, the sharp taste of Arum, hidden deep within, and the vinegar from the Sugartrap Tree fruit subtly but clearly asserted themselves.

‘This is better than I expected. I thought it would be bland.’

The sour taste of the vinegar combined well with the rich smoky flavor of the firewood.

The sausages were great, and the cooking method

was excellent.

"Especially, I think the vinegar was a great addition."

"Ku-ung?"

"Maybe it’s because it’s naturally fermented fruit vinegar? The subtle sweetness balances the sourness and bitterness, cutting through any heaviness... It really works well."

Next, Gio's exclusive sausages.

Crunch!

"......"

The red sausage, upon biting, immediately hit his taste buds.

‘My mouth is on fire.’

A sharp heat seemed to wrap around his tongue.

‘It doesn’t have a lingering aftertaste. It’s a very smooth, clean spiciness.’

This was Gio’s exclusive creation, packed with all the ingredients he had found.

The crisp scent of Milky Way Mary, which combined pepper and chili, and the strong spice and subtly sweet scent of the Crying Herb.

The ginger-like warmth of Arum, which tied together the wild mix of flavors, and the smooth, deep aroma of Raven Walnut.

Finally, the sharp, sour taste from the Sugartrap Tree vinegar, adding a variation of flavors...

"......"

Maybe it was too much.

"Still, it tastes great."

"Ku-ung."

"Don’t avoid it, just try a little. You should be okay."

"Ku-ru-ru-ru..."

"I guess if you don’t want to, it’s fine."

Honey seemed to avoid the spicy sausage, but Gio’s taste was perfect for him. His slightly uneasy stomach felt soothed.