Chapter 91

■ Chapter 90. Exhibition (2) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

As I mentioned before, being an artist is a starving profession. To create one's own work, tools are necessary, and those tools are not cheap.

Moreover, artists often have strong beliefs or philosophies, leading them to frequently discard their hard-earned works. This results in a vicious cycle where money is spent, and the quality of the work suffers.

Due to this structure, the perception arose that art was a culture enjoyed only by the nobility. Since money is abundant for the nobility unless they indulge in gambling or excessive luxury, working in the arts is not a problem for them.

Therefore, most famous artists are either nobles of the middle class or above, or well-known wealthy merchants. As a result, art was once the exclusive domain of the nobility, and the same applied to bands and theater troupes.

However, after the Jayros Revolution in the Ters Kingdom, culture spread nationwide, and more commoners and lower-class individuals began to pursue careers in the arts.

Of course, without exceptional talent, success is almost impossible, and most end up wasting their money and giving up.

To sustain their art, artists need money, but they can only earn it if there are people who appreciate their work, creating an ironic situation.

However, there are always artists who consistently create their own works despite these challenges. Many artists prioritize honor over money, so they cannot give up even if they want to.

Because of this, artists from commoner or lower-class backgrounds are particularly tenacious and have strong beliefs or philosophies. They also possess tireless patience and endurance.

These types of people have two outcomes: they either give up after becoming exhausted or succeed and leave their mark on the public.

While the world praises the latter as masters of craftsmanship, to me, with my memories from my previous life, it can be summed up in one word: 'perverts.'

“...What is this?”

And as soon as we entered the village, I could clearly experience what happens when such perverts have time, money, and inspiration.

While I was staring blankly at something that had boldly taken up a spot at the village entrance, Cecilie, who was standing next to me, muttered.

“It’s a statue.”

“I know it’s a statue. But what is this... Why is it so big?”

Cecilie’s comment was met with a response from Marie, who, like me, was captivated by the imposing statue.

I stood there for a while, observing the statue in detail.

To describe the appearance of the statue I was looking at: a young man is being beaten by a middle-aged man with a club.

The young man, in a cowering posture, seems to be trying to block the blows, while the middle-aged man, with a delighted expression, is swinging the club.

What stands out is not just the meticulously detailed muscles but the expressions, which are particularly impressive.

I couldn’t decide whether to say they were full of vitality or if they were truly modeled after real human expressions.

Most of all, the quality is so high that it’s hard to believe it’s all carved.

“There’s a sign here. It says... 'Xenon being trained by his teacher.'”

While admiring the statue, Cecilie found a sign and explained it to us.

I had a hunch as soon as I saw the statue, but I didn’t expect it to depict a scene from the early part of Volume 1.

I stared at the unnecessarily high-quality work, scratching my head and muttering in a bewildered voice.

“Out of all the scenes, why this one...”

“It’s also written here. He carved it because it didn’t seem like someone else’s story to him, being beaten by his teacher while learning.”

Thank you for the detailed explanation, Cecilie.

Still, I was bewildered and couldn’t easily pull myself away.

The expressions were truly exceptional, making it hard to look away from the faces.

“So, how do you feel as the original author? It’s the exact content from the introduction.”

“Eek!”

While I couldn’t take my eyes off the work, Cecilie whispered in my ear. Her rich voice penetrated my ear.

Her voice is already incredibly sexy, and when she whispers in your ear, it’s impossible not to be startled. My ear tingled so much that my body shivered.

“It’s, it’s a surprise. I was startled.”

“Huh-huh. So, what’s your answer?”

Whether I was startled or not, Cecilie smiled and asked me. I covered my ear with my hand and turned my head back to the work.

As I mentioned before, I have a bit of talent for drawing, so I often add illustrations.

Thanks to this, readers can get a general idea of what the characters look like.

Additionally, I put a lot of effort into describing the characters' appearances in the story.

Perhaps because of this, the depictions of Xenon and his teacher in the statue are exactly as I imagined.

‘How many months did it take to carve this...’

I wanted to applaud the sculptor. This admiration goes beyond being a fan; it’s a level of respect.

Although I am not a sculptor, I can understand the immense effort and dedication required to create such a work.

Moreover, sculptors, especially, cannot grow without the help of a teacher, and their results are heavily influenced by their innate talent.

“I feel proud and respectful of the sculptor. I just write, but this person sculpted.”

“Don’t you think you’re underestimating yourself? You changed the world with your writing.”

“It’s just a different perspective. Anyway, let’s look at something else. Marie, let’s go.”

“Huh? Oh, okay. Let’s go.”

After calling Marie, who had been quiet while admiring the statue, we moved on to look for other works.

Not far away, we found another statue, indicating that the entire street was lined with sculptures.

“Is this Jin and Lily?”

“The horns make it clear.”

“It’s beautiful.”

There were many passersby and tourists on the street, but it was not difficult to admire the statues.

Occasionally, people would glance at Cecilie or Marie, but they were focused on the works.

“Is that a female demon?”

“Yeah. Wasn’t there someone who said they would attend from the demons?”

“They seem to be nobles, so let’s not bother them.”

But, being in the medieval era, I occasionally heard people whispering.

What bothered me the most was the lewd comments directed at Marie and Cecilie. I couldn’t help but frown, even though I wanted to ignore them.

Of course, both women have their own unique beauty and are wearing revealing dresses, naturally drawing attention.

At such times, I particularly regret my unusually sharp hearing. I wish I couldn’t hear anything...

Snap!

While I was frowning and looking around, Cecilie silently flicked her finger. An amazing thing happened.

The somewhat noisy sounds of the village disappeared, and the surroundings became quiet. It was so quiet that it felt like we were the only ones in this space.

Blinking, I looked at Cecilie, who smiled and said,

“It’s a silence spell. The surroundings were a bit noisy, so I took action. I did it because Isaac was uncomfortable.”

“...Did it show on my face again?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind hearing such stories often, but since you were uncomfortable, I felt bad too. And this is much better, right?”

I smiled bitterly at Cecilie’s consideration. Using magic just for me must be quite a nuisance.

It’s no problem for a demon who uses magic as easily as breathing, but I still feel guilty.

‘But she also felt bad...’

Did she really need to add that? I stared at Cecilie’s kind face and put it aside for a moment.

What’s important now is the exhibition, not Cecilie’s feelings. Besides, it’s rude to have such thoughts with my girlfriend right next to me.

Turning my face away from Cecilie, I looked at Marie. Marie was so engrossed in the exhibition that she was staring intently at the statue.

“Marie, are you okay?”

“Huh? What?”

“Um... Never mind.”

Her reaction was so cute that I pinched her cheek. Marie, whose cheek was pinched, tilted her head in confusion.

“Why did you pinch my cheek? Do you want a kiss?”

“Later. Let’s look at something else first?”

“Okay. By the way, why did it suddenly get so quiet?”

“It was a bit noisy, so Cecilie used magic.”

We then delved deeper into the town and began to enjoy the festival disguised as an exhibition. Thanks to the various supports from the palace, there was plenty of food and entertainment.

Notably, among the passersby were not only humans but also various races, including elves, dwarves, merfolk, and even 'demons.'

Demons, with their jet-black hair, red eyes, and the symbol of the devil, the horns, were particularly noticeable.

“...There are demons too.”

“Yeah... I’m not the only one who attended. It feels like a dream...”

Cecilie, surprised by the sight of demons enjoying the exhibition, soon revealed her feelings in a slightly choked voice.

Before the Xenon saga began, demons were treated like time bombs and could not freely walk the streets. Now, they are enjoying the festival.

For her, who had always worked to fulfill the wishes of demons, it was a touching moment.

I was equally surprised but soon smiled warmly as I watched the people enjoying the exhibition.

All races are gathered for this exhibition, enjoying the festival together. Before the Xenon saga, this was unimaginable, and it’s proof of how much the world has changed.

‘I’m getting more and more greedy.’

My father said that this exhibition could be politically misused, but watching it with my own eyes, it’s impossible not to feel greedy.

If all races can enjoy a festival like this current exhibition, how wonderful would that be?

Of course, the deep-rooted conflicts between races will still exist, but they can be gradually resolved.

I watched the demons mingled in the crowd enjoying the exhibition and turned my head.

Cecilie, who seemed unsure if what she was seeing was a dream or reality, was tightly clasping her hands and had her eyes closed.

“Thank you, Moras... for blessing me and our demons...”

“... ...”

Seeing her praying to Moras, the god primarily worshipped by demons, made my heart warm. She must have been even more moved, being a princess who entered the academy but not a typical demon.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my neck and turned my gaze. I met Marie’s eyes.

Marie, who had also seen Cecilie praying, smiled and whispered to me.

“Our cute author. Now you know how great you are, right?”

I pinched her cheek without a word, playfully. Her cheeks, as white and soft as snow, were incredibly addictive to pinch.

I wanted to keep pinching, but with so many people around, it was a bit disappointing.

After pinching Marie’s cheek, I waited quietly until Cecilie finished her prayer. When she slowly opened her eyes, her red eyes were moist, and I suggested,

“Sister. What about going to talk to that person?”

“Huh?”

When I suggested it, Cecilie turned to me with a puzzled look. For some reason, her red eyes seemed even deeper.

“You’re curious too, right? How they got here. It seems like there’s an interesting story behind them being with humans. What do you think about asking them?”

“Hmm...”

Cecilie looked at the demon mingled with the human crowd, listening to my explanation.

If they were nobles from Helium, they would be in formal attire, but the demon mixed with the human crowd was uniquely equipped.

This suggests a high probability that they are wanderers or adventurers who have left Helium and are traveling the world. Since the Xenon saga only started a year ago, it’s natural to be curious about how they have been.

After a while, Cecilie watched a demon having a friendly conversation with a human woman, nodded, and replied,

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“Great. Marie?”

“Hmph. I’ll let you this time.”

What does 'let you this time' even mean? I was puzzled by Marie’s haughty response but moved my feet.

Cecilie, who seemed to be nervous, approached the demon with a brighter expression.

“Hold on. Hold on... I can’t do it here...”

While approaching, Cecilie gently tapped her chest and muttered to herself.