Chapter 94

In the square of the capital, I started to draw.

... In other words, what Cloa is saying... is it about street performance?

That... um.

"Hey, isn't that good? Look, Togo, when you went to the capital, you didn't have much time to draw various things, right? Like the castle and all."

"Uh-huh."

"The castle is clearly visible from the square! You can draw to your heart's content!"

... Yeah. That's really good.

I don't quite understand Cloa's intention... but just going to the capital to draw pictures sounds fun. Maybe I should give it a try.

"So, let's make it a five-night, six-day trip to the capital for research! Right? You'll be drawing for five days straight!"

"Uh-huh."

If that's the case, I'd love to.

... Yeah. It's going to be fun. Since we're leaving the forest, I'll draw a lot of things other than the forest. Yeah. I don't quite understand Cloa's intention, but...

... So, we came to the capital.

Since it's been about half a year, it seems Cloa decided to lift the ban on the capital. ... Still, we're well disguised. It's the secretary style we used when we went to Agent's house. Yeah, it's completely different from the Cloa at the party, so I think people who expect the Cloa from the capital won't recognize her.

"Well, let's set up around here."

Cloa brought us to the center square of the capital, smiled, and set up a folding chair, indicating it to me.

"Please, Togo."

"Um... yeah."

I sat down and then took the sketchbook Lian brought, the pencils and erasers Ange brought, and the watercolor supplies.

"... So, I just draw here?"

"Yes. If possible, I'd like a watercolor, you know. I want those transparent and beautiful paintings... but, you can draw in any style you like. The most important thing is that you enjoy it."

Yeah. Got it. ... Well, it would be a bit difficult to paint oil here, but I want to record the colors of this place, so I think I'll use watercolors anyway.

"If you want to move... well, it's okay for a little while. Just make sure you can see three streetlights from your position. If you want to move further to draw something else, let us know. Laocrates, Phaethon, Lian, or Ange will be around the square, so just ask someone."

... Oh, they won't be in the square all the time.

"They wouldn't be in the square all the time, would they?"

Right. That makes sense. Well, if that's the case...

... So, I started drawing. The castle is clearly visible from the square. I started sketching while looking at it.

... In the forest, everything is natural, so drawing something artificial like a castle is a bit fresh.

Especially this castle, which has changed its shape to blend with nature... the dull color of the walls, the slightly rusted fence, the slightly cracked stones, and so on. It's a bit complex and very beautiful.

At first, I was a bit conscious of Cloa and Laocrates nearby, but eventually, my attention was only on the castle. It can't be helped. Such a beautiful subject is rare.

I moved a little to see the part of the castle hidden by the trees in the square, but mostly I continued drawing in that spot. Of course, as Cloa said, I moved within the range where I could see three streetlights from my position. Actually, I didn't need to move that far.

... Still, it's fun. Very fun. This painting trip to the capital is the best! I thought the forest was full of random shapes and uneven colors that artificial objects don't have, but... in the city, there are plenty of random things too. The more I look, the more I discover.

I want to record every color of the square's cobblestones. I want to be able to express the brilliance of the water splashing from the fountain. I want to draw the shadows of children playing in the square moving with them, and the long skirts of women fluttering in the wind. I want to draw everything.

Oh, and I have five more days of this. How wonderful!

Of course, I need to think about the time to return and probably need to sleep during the five days, but still, I have about 120 hours. With that much time, I should be able to draw a few watercolors, right?

Immediately, I took out the watercolors and started adding color to the underdrawing of the castle. ... I brought a sketchbook that doesn't need stretching. It's bound on all sides, and when you want to use new paper, you have to peel it off with a paper knife.

I brought three of these, so I can draw other things while the paint dries. It's the best!

Even though I have plenty of time, I want to make the most of it. ... Hmm, in such a wonderful place, I might not finish in five days...

... By the time I had colored about 30% of the castle.

"You're good at this, aren't you?"

A calm voice came from the side, and I was a bit surprised. I was so focused that I didn't notice the person approaching.

The person... the old man, was probably on a walk. He looked like it, and he probably wasn't a noble. Yeah.

"Thank you."

"If it's okay, can I take a closer look?"

When I thanked him, the old man smiled and said that. I naturally handed him the sketchbook.

"Ho... This is impressive. I'm not very good at judging art, but, yeah, it's good. ... Oh, I'm saying the same thing again. Ha ha. Sorry, I'm not very good with words."

"No..."

I didn't know what to say and stumbled a bit. Should I thank him again? Or say something clever?

... But the old man seemed satisfied after looking at my drawings. He returned the sketchbook to me, said, "Sorry for bothering you. Good luck," and went back to his walk.

Well... that was fresh. Yeah.

It's very fresh to have passersby look at your drawings... and to be praised. Yeah...

... Feeling a bit fresh, I continued drawing the castle. At the same time, I started drawing a picture centered on the fountain in the square. I'll work on the underdrawing of this while the paint dries.

"Wow, it's beautiful!"

... Then, children came over.

"Amazing! It's a picture of the castle!"

The castle picture is about 60% colored. I plan to add more details, but for now, all the colors are visible, and the shadows are somewhat in place. The children seemed to be fascinated by it.

"Oh, no! It's bad to touch! ... I'm sorry, my children."

"It's okay."

The children who were peeking at the drawing were grabbed by the collar by someone who seemed to be their mother and pulled back. ... Well, they looked like cats. Cats are carried this way, right?

"... Um, would you like to take a look?"

"Really!?"

When I gently offered the sketchbook, the children who looked like grabbed cats started to peek at it with shining eyes.

"Oh, oh, thank you for letting us see."

"It's okay."

The children's mother bowed slightly to me with a mix of gratitude and happiness, and started looking at the sketchbook with the children. "It's the castle, isn't it?" "It's the castle. Look, you drew it from here," they were talking, and I felt a bit ticklish and uncomfortable. It was fresh.

... Then the children and their mother looked at my drawings for a while and thanked me before leaving. They seemed to be on their way back from shopping. The mother gave me three candies as a thank you.

... So, I called Lian and Ange, who were casually playing in the square, and shared the candies with them.

The candies were orange-flavored. The refreshing taste was good. The candies were a beautiful translucent orange, like gems. Maybe if I bought a jar of candies from a candy store in the capital and placed it by a sunny window, drawing it from a backlit angle, it would be beautiful. Yeah. The souvenir will be a jar of candies. It's decided.

... So, I drew pictures while being looked at, peeked at, spoken to, praised, and given candies by passersby in the square until evening.

By then, the first castle picture was finished. The fountain will be carried over to tomorrow. The feeling of the sun changes, so the picture would change.

Instead, I did the underdrawing of the park bench and its surroundings. I'll color it when I like the time. The bench at sunset is nice, and the bench at sunrise would probably be nice too. Oh, I'm looking forward to it.

"How was it?"

"Well, it was fun. Everything was very fresh... I might not finish in five days."

"Probably. You looked very happy."

"Togo, did you like the capital?"

"Yeah, very much."

I wanted to keep drawing even at night, but it became difficult to draw with only the streetlights, so we went to the inn.

Fei had booked the inn, so I went to the inn with Laocrates and Cloa, who came to pick me up from the square.

"You were spoken to by a few people, weren't you?"

On the way, Cloa smiled and said that. ... She was watching.

"You were watching?"

"Part of it, yes. ... I haven't been to the capital in a while, so I went shopping with him. I've gotten used to the forest, but I still like the capital."

"Yeah, I like it here too."

Coming to the capital to draw is quite a luxury. It's a blessing that I can do such a luxury. There are many things I like here.

"... I thought you wouldn't need to worry, but are you going to draw pictures tomorrow too?"

Then Cloa asked, and I answered immediately.

"Of course!"

There's only one answer. Naturally, I'll draw tomorrow. I'll draw the day after tomorrow too. There are that many things here.

"Hehe, that's good. Then, let's draw in the square tomorrow. I have other places in mind, so let me know if you get bored."

Wow, I'm curious. What kind of place will Cloa, who spent time in the capital, recommend? It must be a beautiful place. I could spend five days just in the square, but since I'm here, I want to see various places. Hmm, it's a dilemma...

... We ate dinner at the inn, slept, and woke up with the sunrise, then immediately headed to the square.

"You're early."

"Sorry for making you come along."

But apparently, it's not good for me to be alone, so Laocrates came with me. ... He also woke up a little after sunrise. He came out of the inn's living room while I was getting ready, so I asked him to come along. (The living room of the inn feels strange, but it's an inn where several private rooms are connected to one living room, so it can't be helped.)

"Well, it's fine. Cloa apparently wants you to be outside for a long time."

... I see. Cloa planned my trip to the capital with some intention. Well... Am I really just supposed to draw pictures? I mean, it's fine if that's all I have to do...

People on their morning walks passed through the square. Some of them spoke to me or looked at my drawings. Hmm, it's fresh. In the forest, no one I don't know would speak to me if I were drawing. ... In the first place, there are no strangers in the forest. I know everything about the forest, so there aren't even unknown horses...

... So, I drew pictures, completely forgetting breakfast, and by noon, Phaethon dragged me to a nearby café for lunch.

Well... It's brunch. My teacher used to say that.

My teacher's brunch was usually not a fancy "brunch," so the expression fit well. ... In that sense, what I'm eating now is a fancy open sandwich, so it might be brunch. Hmm.

"How's it going? Did you draw anything?"

"Yeah. I finished the fountain picture. Now I'm coloring the bench while drawing the capital's avenue."

There are many trees in the forest, but there are no trees neatly lined up on both sides of the road. So, it's a bit fresh, and I'm drawing it. I plan to color it roughly and finish it, then move to the next place.

"Got it. Well, as long as you're having fun, that's the most important thing."

"Yeah."

It's fun. That's for sure, so I nodded firmly. That's exactly right.

Fei, who seemed to sense the strength of my nod, smiled and stirred the glass with a straw while asking,

"... By the way, did you give your name to anyone?"

... Did I give my name? Hmm.

"Yeah. I was asked if I was an artist by an old man yesterday, and I said yes. Then he asked for my name, so I told him. I also told another old couple. Then, some children introduced themselves, so I did too. And a boy and a girl around my age... two of them. And... um, that's it."

"Got it, got it. So, everything is going smoothly."

Fei stirred the straw happily and then tilted the glass to drink the juice in one go. The straw was useless.

"Smoothly? What's going smoothly?"

"You don't need to worry about it. If you worry, it might not go well."

... That's a bit annoying, but I can't do anything about it. If Fei says so, I won't ask any more. And I'll draw pictures. Yeah. I want to draw more than listen to the conversation...

... So, I spent the whole day drawing in the square.

But.

"Hey, you there."

At dusk. As I was packing up my art supplies... someone spoke to me.

"Hey, you're calling yourself 'Togo Uesora,' right?"

The person was a boy around my age, a bit nervous. And behind him were a few people around his age, including the boy and girl who spoke to me in the morning. They must be acquaintances.

"Yeah. I'm Togo Uesora."

I restated my name, and he looked even more nervous...