Chapter 97

"Would you like to go see the art museum today?"

"I'll go."

That day, at Croa's suggestion, I decided to go see the art museum without hesitation.

I do have something I want to paint... but to see the colors of the stained glass when the sunset shines through, I have to wait until evening. So, it's fine to stay at the museum until then.

That's why I went to the museum with Croa and Laocles.

"...Wow."

"Of course, it's the 'Royal' Museum."

Right. Royal. So, it's a museum built by the king. Yeah, the name alone is impressive.

But what's impressive is the museum itself. The building itself seems like a work of art. There are gold inlays on the marble pillars, and the window frames are beautifully crafted, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow when the sun shines through, making it very beautiful.

The ceiling of the lobby, right after entering, has a luxurious chandelier, and the floor is tiled with various colors arranged in patterns. ...This is amazing.

"Even though we haven't reached the artworks yet."

"The building itself is an artwork."

Remembering the feeling I had when I entered the royal castle, I looked around and thoroughly enjoyed the museum's scenery. During that time, Croa completed the registration, and we were able to enter the museum.

...The museum was fantastic.

There were many paintings and sculptures on display, and there was a lot to learn.

There were also several watercolor paintings, from which I learned a lot. I want to be able to move the watercolors as intended...

I'm still practicing oil painting, so I can't fully analyze the techniques when I see them. I want to come back and see them again after practicing more.

Then... there were some paintings that were neither watercolor nor oil.

When I wondered what they were... they were 'magic paintings.'

...By crushing magic stones into powder and using them as pigments... and using various binders, like 'slime mucus,' 'dragon saliva,' and 'phoenix tears'... and apparently, they are painted using magic, not brushes.

If you can control the magic properly, the colors move as you imagine and form a painting. The murals in the royal castle were also made using this method.

Yeah. It's a bit hard to understand. But I'm very interested. I want to try it next time.

This time, the biggest discovery at the museum might have been the magic paintings. Of course, there were many other things, and I learned a lot from the watercolors... but, you know, when you find new materials, it makes you... a bit... happy.

My head was full of magic paintings, but as I walked through the museum... something caught my attention.

"...What criteria are these paintings collected by?"

To put it simply, the directions are all over the place. You could say there are various types, but... how do I put it... there are some that make you wonder, 'Is it really okay to put this in a museum?' Well, if it's called art, that's that.

But there are a few paintings that seem to lack technique rather than being intentional expressions...

"...The paintings displayed around here are said to be 'wonderful paintings by great artists.'"

Croa sighed a little and explained.

"Basically, paintings by nobles."

...Hmm, what does that mean?

When I was confused, Croa said with a slightly dissatisfied look.

"In other words, they are in the museum not because they are good or bad, but because they are 'paintings by nobles.'"

...After that, as I walked through the museum, I felt a bit complicated.

There were paintings I really liked in the corners, and paintings in the center of the room in glass cases that were... well, not so great, and there were a few of those.

Of course, there are many wonderful paintings by noble-born artists. Especially, since magic paintings using magic stones as materials require money, there were many by noble-born artists, and the rich perspectives of the artists were clearly visible, making them very enjoyable to look at.

The painting of the capital by 'Olin Halk' is particularly good. It's powerful and even a bit scary, with a sense of 'Look, this is the capital,' grand and a bit reckless. Yeah, I really like this. It gives me a sense of how this person sees the capital, which is great.

...But, it's not just that.

There are many paintings I don't particularly like. They don't resonate with me or seem particularly appealing.

Moreover, there are paintings where the shadows are inconsistent, the light source is off, the composition is lacking, and the overall image lacks persuasiveness, as if the artist didn't really look at the subject.

Hmm... Is it wrong to rank art? Thinking that 'I'm better than this' seems arrogant and I should be more humble. But at the same time, I can't help but think, 'How can such paintings be displayed in the center of the museum?' It's a very complicated feeling.

"...I'm a bad person."

"What's wrong, suddenly?"

"Yeah..."

...I learned a lot and it was definitely worth coming here, but... somehow, it was a complicated museum visit.

"...Tougo!"

As we walked out of the museum, I was suddenly called by Croa and was surprised.

"Are you okay now? You didn't respond when I called you."

"Ah, sorry."

...I wasn't called suddenly; I just didn't respond. Sorry.

"You seem to be spacing out."

"Yeah..."

Indeed, I was spacing out. I was. That's why I didn't notice Croa calling me. Yeah...

"Is something wrong? You've been like this since we left the museum."

"Was it when you said, 'I'm a bad person' earlier?"

When asked by Croa and Laocles, I... hesitated a bit but decided to talk about it.

"...There were paintings by nobles, but I couldn't really accept them."

Yeah. I couldn't accept them. And I couldn't accept not accepting them, or rather, I felt that not accepting them might be a bad thing...

"When I saw some of those paintings, I couldn't help but think they were bad, and I didn't like that."

"...I see."

"I think it's okay to say bad things are bad, but..."

"It might not be that they are bad, but that I can't see the good in them. Saying they are bad seems too dishonest and arrogant."

When I explained, Laocles and Croa nodded, as if saying, 'So, that's how you think.' ...Apparently, my thoughts were conveyed. I'm glad.

"So, when I thought that paintings that aren't very appealing to me might be very appealing to the king or the museum staff, I started to lose confidence in my own judgment and didn't know where to base my confidence."

"...You doubt your own eyes before doubting others' eyes."

"I think they are highly evaluated simply because they are by nobles. I don't think the quality of the paintings matters."

Yeah. Listening to the two of them, my head became even more confused.

"The paintings I couldn't accept were displayed in the center of the museum. So, I think they are highly evaluated, but then I started to wonder, 'What is evaluation?'..."

...What is evaluation?

I feel like I've been thinking about this since I came to the capital.

...In the evening, I started painting again. The painting of the stained glass with the sunset shining through.

However, somehow... I couldn't put much effort into the brush. My head was muddled, and I couldn't concentrate on the painting.

What is evaluation? I don't know what I want, and I don't know what criteria are used for evaluation. The arrangement of paintings in the museum doesn't quite make sense to me, and I don't like that I don't accept it. I don't understand the feelings of people who want the kind of evaluation found in the museum, and I don't understand what Lucian and the other Tougo were thinking... Hmm.

"Tougo. The fairies have stopped."

"Yeah..."

"Tougo, is it okay?"

"Yeah..."

"The fairies are trying to take off your clothes!"

"Yeah... huh?"

I was surprised when Rian suddenly called out, and I saw that five fairies were trying to unbutton my shirt. I quickly stopped them. No, you can't do that.

"...Do you have some problem?"

"Yeah, a little."

When I answered Rian, who looked worried, he made a slightly troubled face... thought for a moment, and then hesitantly said,

"Is it a problem I can help with?"

"Hmm... probably not, but..."

It's probably a different kind of problem. But I felt a bit helped by Rian's willingness to help.

...Yeah.

"Yeah. I want your help."

"R-really!? Then, what should I do!?"

"First, sit there."

When I gave instructions to the enthusiastic Rian, he sat in front of me.

There, I started a pencil sketch.

"...Huh?"

"Ah, don't move."

"O-ok... huh?"

Rian finally seemed to realize something as I started drawing him.

"...Will this solve your problem?"

"It won't solve it fundamentally, but it will make me feel better."

...And so, a pencil sketch of a sulking boy under the sunset-stained glass was completed.

I felt a bit better and more focused on the painting.

...After that, I spent the rest of my time in the capital painting.

I painted the sunset-stained glass, a bakery on the outskirts of town, the dim alleys, a large mansion, the bustling main street, and so on, just painting.

On the final evening of my stay in the capital, I returned to the inn with Rian and Angel, holding a sketchbook with fewer pages and a stack of separated drawing papers.

"Ultimately, Tougo 3 didn't come."

"Yeah."

While walking on the sunset road, Rian said a bit regretfully, and I nodded in response.

"Does that mean we have to go to him directly?"

"Hmm... He said that doing that might cause trouble for Fay and the others..."

...I would have liked to meet and talk to Tougo 3 directly, but unfortunately, I couldn't.

In that case... it will probably be a discussion between noble families.

It will be a big deal, and I will cause more trouble for Fay... Hmm.

"Back."

"Welcome back."

...But when I returned to the inn, Fay, Laocles, and Croa were waiting with slightly stern faces.

"Tougo. Can you go out right now?"

"Huh, yeah."

I was wondering what happened when... Fay said this.

"Tougo Uesora's painting is apparently entered in a competition."

The place Fay and I went to was a building behind the art museum.

There, Fay walked towards a flustered museum staff member.

"Y-You were