#774

Gardener (4)

A proposal from God to create a new gardener.

When the man shared that fact, silence descended.

However, that silence didn’t last long before it was broken.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch…

By Oliver, who was calmly eating a chocolate cookie.

“…”

The man silently stared at Oliver, and Oliver, without turning his head, looked at the shadowed face of the man.

Even though he couldn’t see his face due to the deep shadows, he somehow felt he knew what expression the man was making.

“Please, go on.”

Oliver said, swallowing the chocolate cookie in his mouth with milk. He was so calm, as if it was someone else's story.

The man merely looked at Oliver’s attitude quietly.

Silence resumed, and Oliver continued eating his cookie while watching the man.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Cru-

“There was a problem.”

The man continued his story. Oliver asked,

“What was it?”

“It was that there was no one to replace me.”

“Hmm… Aren’t the demons an option?”

“No.”

The man firmly shook his head.

“They are beings who belong strictly to Hell. Regardless of their abilities, they are not suitable to play the role of a gardener. That would be akin to declaring the end of all things.”

Oliver understood immediately. Just by looking at the two demons who descended to earth—the Burnt One and the Woman on the Camel—it was clear.

Although they were kind and considerate to Oliver and humans to some extent, it was only within their own standards.

No matter how much a person tries to match their pace, it’s impossible to walk alongside ants.

They were unsuitable in many ways to carry out the endless role of the gardener.

“Don’t you have siblings?”

“…I do.”

“Was there no one among them willing to take on the role?”

“Perhaps because they saw how much I suffered, none of them responded.”

The man’s answer carried a sense of bitterness. Oliver thought for a moment and then chuckled softly.

“Hmm… Haha.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Oh, it’s just… I think I might understand why God kept you closest.”

“…”

“I believe it’s because you are someone who can leave His side. While your other siblings cannot leave Him, you can. If it were me, I might have done the same.”

“You are quite presumptuous, speaking as if you understand His thoughts.”

“I wouldn’t say I understand. It’s more of a guess. There’s a difference.”

“Do you not consider even the act of guessing to be presumptuous?”

“Not at all. I believe God gave us minds to think. Why would He be angry about that? Of course, I might be wrong, but I don’t see the act itself as a mistake. Unless He considers even such actions as sins?”

Oliver asked the man who had once stood by God’s side.

The man thought briefly and then answered.

“I’m not sure. At one point, I thought I understood Him, but now, having been apart from Him for so long, I no longer know what kind of being He is.”

“You probably just forgot temporarily.”

“That might be true, or it might not. Regardless, it’s been a long time since I last thought of Him. It makes me curious… why did He offer me this role?”

Muttering as if searching through blurry memories, the man seemed lost.

He appeared confused, like a wanderer who had forgotten his original purpose after being buried under time and fatigue.

Seeing the man in such a state, Oliver spoke to him.

“Perhaps, it’s because you are the most trustworthy.”

“…That too is a dangerous remark.”

Oliver shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe. Maybe not... Anyway, back to the original topic, what did you decide to do? Regarding the gardener candidate? Did you give up?”

“No. If it were something to give up on simply because there was no candidate, I wouldn’t have asked in the first place. However, I did contemplate. There was no one else to take the role besides me. Then, a thought occurred to me.”

There was strength in the man’s voice.

“The one who could replace me would ultimately be me. A being that comes from me.”

“I’m listening.”

“I went straight to the human world. To have an offspring, a being that comes from me. To pass on all the burdens I carried.”

“You’re quick to take action.”

“Not exactly. Though I went up, I couldn’t have one after all.”

“That’s unexpected. Was there a reason?”

“There weren’t any women to my liking.”

“Ah…”

The man shrugged.

“So, I told the demons to try it instead. Perhaps a half-blood between a human and a demon might be suitable for the role of gardener.”

Oliver shook his head after hearing the story of how the Pied Piper came into existence.

Born to become a gardener, he denied it, only to meet a tragic end.

“That’s a bit extreme.”

The man readily admitted it.

“I know. And I also realized that this method wasn’t the answer. Children born between humans and demons were all unsuitable to become gardeners. In the end, only a being originating from me could replace me.”

“So, did you create one immediately?”

“No, I looked around a bit more. I kept searching until I found someone I was sure about. Eventually, I found her—a foolish woman.”

A foolish woman…

“A woman who believed she bore a sin that wasn’t hers and lived her entire life atoning for it. At first, I approached her out of curiosity, and soon I became certain. This woman could bear a being who would replace me…”

The man trailed off, and a heavy, almost oppressive silence settled in the space once again.

Amidst the silence, Oliver diligently ate his chocolate cookie.

When he had almost finished all the cookies.

“That’s how you were born.”

The man confessed.

Revealing that Oliver was his son.

***

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Even after the man’s confession that he was Oliver’s father, Oliver continued munching on the chocolate cookies just as he had before.

One, two, three, four, five, six… and finally, the seventh cookie.

After confirming the plate was empty, Oliver brushed the cookie crumbs off his fingers and downed the milk in his mug.

Though the mug showed its bottom, it did not refill.

Clunk.

When Oliver placed the empty mug on the table, the man asked.

“Do you have nothing to say?”

“Should I have something to say?”

Oliver asked back. The man couldn’t answer easily, and in the meantime, Oliver crossed his arms, pretending to contemplate.

“Hmm, honestly, I do understand that showing some reaction would be considered normal. In the orphanage where I stayed, though it was very rare, there were occasions when parents or relatives came to find a child.”

The man listened quietly.

“At those times, the kids would literally jump for joy, as if they had gained the entire world. Meanwhile, the ones watching would feel even sadder.”

“Another’s joy becomes one’s misery. How about you? How did you feel?”

“Me? I didn’t feel much of anything.”

“…”

“I wasn’t particularly curious about who my parents were. There were more kids around me without parents than those who had them.”

“Don’t you resent it?”

“Resent what, exactly?”

“Everything. The fact that you were created out of necessity, then thrown to the lowest depths of society, deprived of the rights you should have enjoyed. Don’t you resent all of that?”

Oliver pondered the man’s question, then stood up, stretched, and walked over to perch on the edge of the table in front of the man.

This brought Oliver so close to the man that they were nearly nose to nose.

Even at such close distance, the shadow cast over the man’s face didn’t fade. Instead, it seemed to deepen, covering his features more distinctly.

“I’m not sure. Do I have any reason to resent you?”

The man stared intently at Oliver, trying to discern whether he was being sincere or just speaking empty words.

Regardless, Oliver continued speaking without hesitation.

“You mentioned that creating me out of necessity was a problem, but I’m not sure if that’s really a mistake.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I grew up in an orphanage, so I saw children born from drunken mistakes, children born because of faulty contraception, and even someone born out of hatred. Maybe the birth of life isn’t all that sacred after all. More importantly…”

The man listened in silence.

“I still don’t know what rights I was supposed to have. I’m just me.”

The man silently gripped the armrest tightly.

Squeeze…

“Though I was sold to work in a mine and had a hard time because of it, in the end, I learned black magic, so I consider that a kind of blessing. That’s why I don’t resent my childhood much. Rather…”

Oliver paused briefly and gazed at the man.

“Rather, it seems like the one who can’t forgive is you, sir—yourself.”

Oliver reached out toward the man’s arm, which was gripping the armrest tightly.

“Don’t be like that. I don’t resent you at all. In fact, I like you.”

“Are you serious?”

“You serve me delicious chocolate cookies and milk, don’t you?”

“Ha.”

“You also put up with my complaints.”

“I’ve put up with worse.”

“You tell me old stories, listen to my childish demands, and even endure my arrogant tone.”

“You deserve it.”

“One thing I learned in Landa is that even if you earn something, receiving fair treatment is difficult. Reason often gets trampled by irrationality.”

“…”

“So, I see all of this as your kindness. You’ve shown me kindness many times.”

“Is that what you think?”

“Yes.”

Oliver answered briefly but firmly, pulling the man’s hand into his own.

Tap. Tap.

Oliver tapped the back of the man’s hand twice.

“Even though you were in such a difficult state that you created me out of necessity, you didn’t rush me.”

“…”

“On the contrary, you gave me options. You told me that if I didn’t want to do anything, I didn’t have to. What would have happened if I had decided to do nothing?”

“…”

“What if I had agreed when the woman on the camel offered to make things easier for me? All of your efforts would have gone to waste. Yet, you didn’t intervene.”

“Didn’t it occur to you that I knew you wouldn’t go through with it?”

“Perhaps. But thinking like that leads nowhere, so I don’t want to dwell on it. What matters is the present moment.”

Oliver firmly gripped the man’s hand and looked him straight in the eye.

“What’s certain right now is that, no matter what, you’ve carried a burden for an unimaginably long time—a burden you didn’t have to bear. Endlessly, without stopping. So please, I ask you, stop blaming yourself and forgive yourself already.”

The air around the man and the shadows cast over his face quivered.

“With my recklessness and sins, you suffered.”

“And they’re also the reason I was born. If you ask whether my life was hard and painful, I won’t lie—it was. But isn’t life meant to be hard and painful? That’s what makes joy and fulfillment possible. Like emotions.”

Oliver recalled the basic theory he had learned during his time with the Joseph family.

Emotions are like an interconnected web; pulling out even one emotion can cause the entire structure to collapse, rendering it useless.

There is joy because there is sorrow, and satisfaction because there is discontent. They are inseparable, like light and shadow.

“If I had enjoyed only blessings and pleasures, as you mentioned, what would have happened? I’m certain that I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

Oliver shook his head.

“I wouldn’t like that. I like who I am now. I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve been wrong, but I still like myself as I am. So please, let go of your guilt and forgive yourself.”

Squeeze…

The man gripped Oliver’s hand tightly.

“It will take a very long time. Much longer than the time it took for you to come here.”

“I know.”

“Situations you didn’t anticipate will arise, and you’ll continue to be tested.”

“I know that too. Still, this is my choice. It’s something I want to do, of my own free will—just as you made your choice.”

Hearing Oliver’s firm and resolute answer, the man lowered his head and asked,

“Time in Hell is different from that of the human world. It flows according to my will, so not much time would have passed outside. If you want, you can meet the people you wish to see.”

“I won’t meet them. I’ve already spent enough time with them.”

“You are better than I am.”

“I think so too.”

Oliver smiled without using his thumbs, and the man lifted his head.

The shadow that had covered the man’s face receded, revealing his bare face.

It looked very haggard but was younger than expected—much like Oliver.

“...Aren’t you curious about your mother?”

“Was she beautiful?”

“…She was beautiful.”

“Good. That’s enough for me.”

With those words, Oliver embraced the man. He hugged him tightly.

He embraced the one who once stood by God’s side and was called the brightest.

The one who carried a burden he didn’t have to bear, suffering under its weight.

He hugged the one who gave him life.

“You don’t need to feel guilty. I’m satisfied with my life, and since your burden is something I want to carry, please rest easy now. I’m grateful to you for giving me this life… Father.”

Father.

At that sincere word, the man froze like a statue before slowly embracing Oliver in return.

For a long time, they held each other in silence.

In this empty, formless space, time flowed as if for eternity.

Eventually, the man vanished, leaving only Oliver behind.

Creak—

The sound of a door opening echoed.

Step. Step. Step.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sounds of human and beast footsteps echoed one by one.

Oliver, who had been kneeling on one knee to embrace the man, stood up and sat down on the sofa where the man had been.

Riding through the open door came the old man on a horse, the woman on a camel, and the Burnt One, along with the 72 demon lords who ruled Hell.

They all silently gazed at Oliver.

While Oliver inherited the man’s position, the 72 lords had split into two groups of thirty-six each, ascending to the human world to feast on their desired food and engage in a formal conflict.

One group supported Oliver’s will to maintain the world, while the other followed the will of annihilation.

However, as stated, it was merely a formal conflict, causing only global natural disasters before they returned to this place to witness their new lord.

They silently stared at Oliver, their new master.

After a long silence, Oliver opened his mouth for the first time.

“Suddenly, I remember an old joke I learned.”

“…”

“It’s about three men playing poker.”

“…”

“One day, in a tavern, three men—a Englandian, a royalist, and a Landian—played poker. Do you know what happened to them?”

The 72 demon lords shook their heads as if on cue, and Oliver said,

“I’m curious too. I wonder how that joke will end.”

Oliver gazed ahead and asked,

“What do you all think?”