ã€ŠThe Picture Perfect Mochi I Drew Tastes Goodã€‹


 Volume 1 - CH 1.1

    T/N: So, things to remember:

    ¡°A/N:¡± are the author¡¯s notes, and

    ¡°T/N:¡± are the translator¡¯s notes that may or may not include useful information. Sometimes I make comments because I just cannot help it.

    The perspective is usually the main character¡¯s unless you see this ¡°~___¡¯s Perspective~¡± and tells you who¡¯s perspective it is.

    If you see ¡°italicized texts¡±, it means that it is in the third-person perspective. However, it is usually only for short sections. So, enjoy.

    On the day that summer vacation was approaching, I stopped by an art supply store on my way home from school and went straight to my teacher¡¯s house. I went to my teacher¡¯s house to drop off the art supplies I had just bought. And to paint a picture.

    I unpacked the paints I had bought with my lunch money this week and went to the canvas.

    ¡­I do an oil painting for the first time that day.

    I¡¯ve only just started getting money for lunch since I started high school, so I can finally afford to buy oil paints and other art supplies.

    All through junior high school, I drew pictures using only pencils. My teacher once tried to buy me some art supplies, but I refused because I felt too bad about it. I was renting a room in their house, and I couldn¡¯t cause him any more trouble.

    So, the only art materials I can use are a pencil, which I insist on using as a writing implement, and a notebook that was given to me at school (i.e., my parents don¡¯t know it exists). The backs of unwanted prints. The ground uses a tree branch. The concrete floor and rainwater. In those kinds of places.

    ¡­And then I went to high school, and ¡°as many art supplies as I could buy with the 2,500 yen I was given for lunch for the week¡± was added to my belongings.

    It is not free. But it was surprisingly fun.

    At first, it was just colored pencils and drawing paper, but then I started buying a set of watercolor tools. The watercolors I used at elementary school were thrown away¡­ so I bought a new set. I learned for the first time that there was paper for watercolor painting. The art supply store that my teacher showed me was full of things I didn¡¯t know, and I enjoyed just being there.

    After coming up with the idea of buying art supplies with my lunch money, I slowly began to get my tools together. After the watercolor tools, I bought some acrylic paints. I was going to buy back the ones I used in middle school.

    And then¡­ now I¡¯m finally working with oil paints.

    First, an easel. Then the canvas. I bought brushes and palettes, then oil, and then today I bought paints.

    I¡¯ve always wanted to try oil painting¡­ I was interested in it because I had never used it before, and moreover, I had always admired oil painting when I saw people in the art clubs at my junior high school and the high school, I just entered this year painting in oil.

    ¡°Oh. I see you finally have everything you need, even the paints.¡± (Teacher)

    When I was struggling with oil paints and just an old art book and reference book in hand, my teacher appeared.

    My teacher was an adult who was different from my parents and the people at school.

    He never got angry when I was painting.

    Not only did he not get angry with me, but he lent me a room in his house as a place to stay. He even pulled out his old art textbooks and reference books and lent them to me. My textbooks have been thrown away, so I have been drawing pictures using the old textbooks he lent me.

    ¡°Tougo. Did you hold back on your lunch money again?¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    He laughed, a deep belly laugh. This was always the same conversation. But he never stopped me.

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re doing pretty well, right? But unfortunately, human beings are creatures that die if they don¡¯t eat.¡± (Teacher)

    He then placed a cup of barley tea and a plate of re-heated mochi in front of me.

    ¡°These are leftovers from last New Year¡¯s, but they are a great source of energy. It¡¯s mostly carbohydrates. If you don¡¯t not hate it, eat it. And contribute to the consumption of mochi in my house.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°I will, thank you.¡± (Tougo)

    Sometimes I get more ¡°energy source¡± at my teacher¡¯s house. I was so embarrassed that he had to lend me a room in his house, have me stay there, let me leave my belongings, and even receive food, but I couldn¡¯t help it, because my teacher does not like mochis. Unless I eat it, mochi will never disappear from this house.

    And there are soumen noodles. My teacher cooks some and makes me eat all of it, saying with a sullen look on his face, ¡°They sent them to me again this year.¡± He doesn¡¯t seem to like somen. While I was eating somen, he was sipping mentsuyu [A/N: a Japanese noodle soup base]. It¡¯s definitely bad for his health, but I don¡¯t stop him. Since, even when I skip lunch, he doesn¡¯t stop me, so I don¡¯t stop him when he drinks mentsuyu. That¡¯s the kind of relationship we have.

    ¡°And you should also eat your vitamins. We have a good harvest this year. Thanks to you.¡± (Teacher)

    He then placed a plate of cherry tomatoes in front of me. These tomatoes are from the field behind our house. I know because I help take care of them.

    On the plate, which was not that big, there were more than ten cherry tomatoes piled up.

    ¡­I looked at the little pile of red tomatoes, but I stopped eating them.

    ¡°Oh, Togo, you don¡¯t any? You don¡¯t dislike tomatoes, do you?¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°I don¡¯t dislike them.¡± (Tougo)

    I put the ceramic plate with the small tomatoes on the table next to the canvas.

    ¡°I want to draw.¡± (Tougo)

    My teacher laughed. He laughed happily and loudly.

    ¡°Hahaha, yes, yes. I won¡¯t stop you. Just make sure you eat it after you draw it. It is an important part of our culture that those who helped enjoy the food.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°I will.¡± (Tougo)

    While I started sketching, he sat down on a chair and looked at me.

    ¡°¡­It is said that human beings are creatures that die if they don¡¯t eat, but on the other hand, there are also human beings who can die without eating, even in the presence of food. I almost do it myself sometimes.¡± (Teacher)

    He said that and laughed again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are like that, too. Even if you were about to die, you wouldn¡¯t be able to stop drawing.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    That¡¯s pretty much other¡¯s nature. Like my teacher, I am too.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop.¡± (Tougo)

    Even if I was stopped, and scolded, all my tools were thrown away¡­ Even if it was of no purpose, I still draw.

    ¡°Even if I die, I will not stop drawing.¡± (Tougo)

    Volume 1: Even if I Die, I Will Not Stop Drawing

    I woke up in a daze. I felt like I was dreaming about something, but I couldn¡¯t remember what. I¡¯ve heard that dreams are a way of organizing memories, and I wonder if forgetting them means that I¡¯ve completed the process of organizing my memories.

    ¡°¡­I had a dream about the past, but I had forgotten something, maybe I had not yet completed sorting out my memories.¡± (Tougo)

    But when I woke up, I understood.

    Maybe, I was not done sorting through my memories. If anything, it¡¯s more than a dream. However, my memories are completely foggy.

    I¡¯ve never seen a forest like this. Where am I?

    The forest was a real forest. Everywhere was all forest.

    Looking up, I could hear the leaves rustling and shaking. The countless leaves on the branches were green in the sunlight. The sunlight falling through the leaves shone on the fluffy soil characteristic of the forest.

    ¡­This, I wonder where I am.

    There is no forest like this near my house. I live in a high-rise apartment near the train station, so there is no such a spacious forest in my neighborhood.

    Does this mean that someone carried me here while I was sleeping? What for? Or am I a sleepwalker and came here on my own? But it¡¯s a strange place to have come on foot. There is no place like this within walking distance.

    ¡­So¡­ where was I before I came here in the first place? Was I really at home?

    Anyway, something is wrong with this. Something is definitely wrong happening.

    But¡­ well, okay. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get anywhere thinking about it here.

    Let¡¯s walk for now. I think it¡¯s okay to start thinking about it.

    I walked. And on my first step, I noticed that I was wearing normal shoes.

    They were the shoes I wear to school. And when I took a closer look, I saw that I was wearing my school uniform. Black pants and a white shirt. And my school jacket. All of them were nothing out of the ordinary.

    Well, whenever I¡¯m wearing clothes that aren¡¯t school uniforms, I¡¯m almost always in my pajamas, so it was daytime before I came to this forest¡­

    ¡­Well, okay. At any rate, I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not completely naked.

    After walking about 100 steps, I noticed some plants.

    ¡°So many plants I¡¯ve never seen before¡­¡± (Tougo)

    What does it mean that I found a lot of plants that I have never seen before just after walking 100 steps?

    This is a big deal. It is strange no matter how I think about it.

    There are strange plants growing here that don¡¯t seem to be in any of the botanical books. If this were not a dream, it might be treated as the great discovery of the century.

    Inside the bell-shaped flower, which looks like it is made of milk-colored glass, there is a ball that glows like a miniature light bulb, like a lamp. If someone had said, ¡°This is some desk lamp.¡± I would have understood, but this thing is growing out of the ground.

    Some of them are like giant mushrooms, rock-hard. If someone said, ¡°This is a desk here,¡± that would also make sense. What are they made of? Stone? At least it feels completely different from shiitake mushrooms and king oyster mushrooms¡­

    Also, a toy-like flower that starts dancing when something makes a sound. What was it, a Flower Rock ¡®n¡¯ Roll [T/N: It¡¯s a real toy]? There was a real flower version of that. They dance to the sound around them. Flowers. They¡¯re dancing.

    ¡­No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s strange.

    I don¡¯t know what to say, I¡¯m not talking about the level of ¡°I found myself in a strange place¡± or ¡°Maybe I¡¯m sleepwalking¡± or something like that.

    Could it be that I was sent to another world?

 Volume 1 - CH 1.2

    ¡°I¡¯m screwed¡­¡± (Tougo)

    At any rate, I¡¯m in trouble. Deep in trouble.

    I¡¯m suddenly in a place I don¡¯t know. This is something that absolutely cannot be explained by science. I was knee-deep in trouble.

    And to make matters worse, I have no memory of how I got here, so I don¡¯t even know how I got here.

    In that case, I can¡¯t say that I can go back by doing the opposite of hoe I came here. So, I have no clue how to get back to where I came from.

    It¡¯s a hopeless situation, but¡­

    ¡­Well, never mind. I don¡¯t know why I came here, but I can¡¯t help what I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how to get home, but I can¡¯t do anything.

    If I don¡¯t know anything, I will have to do what I can.

    Otherwise¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to die from stressing out.

    First, check the situation.

    I am in a strange forest. The greenery is beautiful. The air is very fresh.

    I see the occasional strange plant, but there is no lack of plants that look vaguely familiar. The plants seem surprisingly normal. What is happening?

    And as far as the eye can see, there is nothing but forest. I¡¯m not even sure how far this forest goes, so I guess I should start by walking through it.

    For now, I should first look for a human settlement. If I find someone, I will ask for help. I am not very good at talking to people, but I would like to think that I can manage.

    Even if I can¡¯t find people, I will still need food and water. This area looks like a forest, so I might be able to get some spring water or nuts.

    And if I can¡¯t get out of the forest by the end of the day, I might as well find a place to sleep. I don¡¯t want to stay in the open if I can help it.

    ¡­and my plans for the immediate future are decided.

    For now, I will walk and leave the forest. If there is food and water, I will secure it. If I don¡¯t find a way out of the forest after a certain distance, I have to be prepared to stay in the field. All right.

    I walked. I kept walking.

    And all I found is nothing.

    I couldn¡¯t find any water or nuts. There¡¯s nothing I can do about that.

    I was getting a little hungry and thought about trying the dancing flowers I saw earlier, but it was telling me ¡°I am not delicious don¡¯t eat me,¡± so I decided not to try them.

    I came to this world and the first person I talked to was a flower. I wanted to talk to a human being if possible.

    Well, thanks to the dancing and talking flowers, I finally understood that this is a different world, so maybe it wasn¡¯t a total loss at all¡­ maybe.

    No, but I wanted a better harvest.

    After that, I walked around the forest, but I couldn¡¯t find any food. And of course, I can¡¯t find a way out of the forest. Did I walk in the wrong direction?

    ¡­And then I got really hungry. It is often said that hunger is the best spice, but it is the presence of food that made spices popular, not the presence of spice alone. It is just a stimulant.

    When was the last time I ate something that looked like food?

    I don¡¯t know where my memory has gone, but the last time I ate¡­

    ¡­I can¡¯t remember. No, I really don¡¯t know when I ate anything. If I was careless, I might not have eaten anything for more than a day. No, I don¡¯t think so. This hunger I am feeling is probably not that.

    I¡¯ve been told to buy lunch on weekdays and sometimes meals on weekends, so I¡¯ve been using the money to buy art supplies, of course. I don¡¯t have time to buy food. Brushes and paints are expensive. And paper too. So, two meals a day is normal for me, and I¡¯m used to it. If I was spending my time as usual even during the blank time in my memory, I probably skipped meals at random as well.

    Maybe I had some mochi, soumen noodles, or udon noodles from my teacher during that time, but I don¡¯t remember, so I don¡¯t know if I ate them or not. I mean, if it was just a mochi, I¡¯d eat it and digest it right away, so I¡¯d be hungry sooner than later. They are pretty much pre-chewed rice¡­

    At times like this, water alone can satiate it. I do that at school. But¡­ unfortunately, there aren¡¯t any faucets around.

    We have no choice but to look around more.

    At least water. Food if possible. I wonder if there is any food somewhere.

    It was night and I still couldn¡¯t find any food or water.

    I picked some glowing flowers and tried to walk around using them as lights, but in the end, I could only see my feet, so I gave up searching and decided to camp in the open.

    Under a tree, I placed a glowing flower and got a little bit of light. It reminded me of when I am at my desk in my room, so I calmed down a little bit.

    ¡­Usually, by this time, I had just finished studying so that I would be exempt from nagging, and then while pretending to be studying¡­ I would have opened a notebook that served as a sketchbook while pretending to be studying for the rest of the time. I think I was doing pencil sketches or something with it.

    It seems strange when I think about it.

    Day after day, I never stopped drawing. My parents didn¡¯t like me drawing, but I continued to do it in secret, even when they were angry with me or stopped me. Even after they threw away my art supplies, I continued to draw using only paper and pencil. After entering high school, I used my lunch money to buy art supplies. When I couldn¡¯t paint at home, I went to the teacher¡¯s office to paint.

    I drew all the time. I drew because I wanted to. Even if I was hungry, thirsty, tired, or sleepy, I drew.

    Now I am hungry. I am thirsty. I am tired. Sleepy.

    ¡­Even before when I can satisfy them. If anything, even if I can¡¯t satisfy them.

    There is something I have to do.

    I looked in the inside pocket of my school jacket and found a few sheets of folded-up copy paper, maybe I was going to doodle on them later. In addition, there was a pencil stuck in my breast pocket. There was also an eraser in the breast pocket.

    And on the ground, a large stone that could be made into a desk.

    ¡­The rest was easy enough. I started drawing.

    Then I just kept on drawing. I couldn¡¯t sleep in this situation anyway, and I didn¡¯t feel like resting, so I just kept on drawing.

    While I was drawing¡­ my hunger and thirst vanished. I could just lose myself in drawing.

    Copy paper and pencil were not good drawing materials, but that was okay. It was enough to focus my attention.

    When I thought about what to draw, the first thing that came to mind was the mochi and barley tea that I had eaten at my teacher¡¯s home some time ago.

    The unimportant food and unimportant drink, given to me at my teacher¡¯s house, were something I was now inexplicably nostalgic for.

    For a while, I was absorbed in drawing. I kept drawing the food I used to eat, this food that was worth more than food.

    I was drawing pictures of food in a situation where there was no food. It is a kind of ridiculous joke, but what I needed now was to draw pictures of food rather than food.

    Soon the drawing was finished.

    I drew it on a piece of copy paper using only a pencil, and it turned out to be reasonably satisfactory.

    I looked at the finished picture, forgot about my hunger and my current situation, and just enjoyed the sense of accomplishment and happiness that the picture was complete.

    It was at that moment¡­

    The lines on the paper seemed to move.

    As I stared at it, wondering if my eyes were getting foggy, the lines seemed to shake and tremble like a living thing¡­ and then,

    With a squeak, they shrank to a point. then, with a pop.

    It came out of the paper¡­

    ¡­Yes. The mochi came out.

    It was abrupt. It was so sudden that I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ but somehow, in front of me, on the paper, under my hand holding the pencil, a mochi appeared.

    Yes. A mochi. A real mochi.

    A mochi appeared.

    What was in front of me was a mochi. Just steamed (or rather, heated in the microwave with water), just like the ones I saw at my teacher¡¯s house that day.

    ¡°¡­ the mochi I drew became a mochi.¡± (Tougo)

    But the most important thing is that what I have just drawn has now become a real thing and is appearing in front of my eyes. Why did the mochi I drew become a mochi?

    Is it an illusion? According to my teacher, ¡°When a person is in an extreme situation, he or she will have a hallucination or two,¡± so I wondered if I might be having one. Maybe I am. However, I¡¯ve never had a hallucination before.

    ¡­No, this is finally getting weird, right?

    It was crazy, but I didn¡¯t hesitate. I was that hungry. And above all, all, human beings are creatures that will die if they don¡¯t eat.

    I ate the mochi.

    ¡°A mochi¡­¡± (Tougo)

    It was a mochi. It was an ordinary mochi. It is just a mochi.

    The mochi that I had drawn became a mochi. It¡¯s a mochi. A real mochi.

    It was a phenomenon so mysterious that I am not able to understand it in any way. ¡­At any rate, the mochi I had drawn tasted delicious.

    Hunger is indeed the best spice. There is no seasoning or anything, it¡¯s just a mochi, but it tastes irresistible.

    ¡­But what on earth is this?

    I kept eating the mysterious mochi, vaguely thinking, ¡°My hallucination is delicious.¡±

    T/N: This is a new series that will replace Friendly Reincarnator. Louis has been a bit difficult to follow. I like lone-wolf protagonists but something about Louis made me dislike him unlike Rook from All-rounder Healer.

    I don¡¯t know how Tougo will make/end his journey, but I like him even until the next volume. I hope we can have fun reading about Tougo.

 Volume 1 - CH 2

    As the drawn mochi turned out to be just mochi, I ate it and also drank the barley tea that came along with it.

    The barley tea came in a black cup, and it was normal barley tea, just too strong. It was still barley tea. The mochi was a mochi, and barley tea is just barley tea.

    Perhaps the reason this barley tea was too strong was that I remembered the one served at my teacher¡¯s house. The barley tea served at my teacher¡¯s house was usually very strong because the barley tea bag was left in the tea pot.

    This barley tea was darker in color than mentsuyu. It was in a black cup, which made it look even darker. It was pitch black. And to be honest, it doesn¡¯t taste good.

    It was a barley tea, and a normal mochi, anyway. It was just food.

    ¡­And I ate it but it¡¯s not something you think about after eating and drinking, but I wonder if they were safe to eat.

    The copy paper on which I had been drawing just a few minutes earlier was now completely empty as if nothing had ever happened. In other words, if I think about it plainly and without regard to science or common sense¡­ I can say that ¡°what I drew in my drawing has materialized¡±. Or ¡°this is all me hallucinating.¡± No, I don¡¯t want to believe the latter one.

    ¡°¡­another one.¡± (Tougo)

    Since I had another chance, I drew a mochi on a gray plate. A black cup of barley tea that is too thick.

    I had to eat what came out, and since it was a good opportunity, I ate it one more time. Well, it tasted like mochi and barley tea.

    ¡°¡­more.¡± (Tougo)

    I wanted to verify it a little more, so I drew it again. And I knew it was mochi and barley tea.

    ¡­What the hell is this?

    I have only known in works of fiction that what you draw becomes a reality because I can¡¯t explain this.

    I think there are not enough ingredients for a mochi drawn with a pencil on paper to become a mochi. A mochi cannot be made of paper and pencil lead.

    Therefore, I have no choice but to question the mochi that has just appeared. I think it¡¯s too late to question it after eating it, though.

    Well¡­ even if the mochi and barley tea were really made of copy paper and pencil lead, it would probably be okay. Paper and pencil are not something you would die from eating. Rather, since they tasted good, so be it. Even if they turned back into paper and pencil in my stomach, it would be fine. Thank you for the food.

    Well, I was thinking about it for a while, but when my stomach was full of mochi, I started to feel sleepy. Maybe human beings are simpler creatures than I thought. No, or maybe I am.

    I got sleepy, so I¡¯ll think about it tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to think about anything now, and I¡¯m tired of being so surprised. I decided to recline against a tree and go to sleep. I felt a little cold, but I thought I could sleep if I curled up.

    Good morning.

    When I woke up, the sky was bright. And it was still the same forest.

    I was hoping that things would be back to normal after I woke up from sleep, but I guess it was not to be. I had no choice but to get up.

    Lightly brush off the dirt on my pants¡­ I sat down again.

    I have to plan what to do today.

    The mochi I drew became a mochi. That was a tremendous shock¡­ well, whatever I do today, I¡¯m going to make it all a verification of that.

    Because I¡¯m too curious. I don¡¯t care about clues to get back to the original world or anything else right now. I don¡¯t care about human settlements either. No more exploring today. I just want to investigate the mysterious phenomenon of a drawn mochi becoming a mochi.

    ¡­ Well, it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s okay like this.

    At any rate, I think I got some energy from the mochi and barley tea. ¡­It¡¯s fine that I spend the day drawing pictures today.

    ¡°Will it work with other things, not mochi?¡± (Tougo)

    Now I¡¯ll do my experiment. Let¡¯s draw some pictures.

    The first one is a cherry tomato.

    ¡­ Because I¡¯m bored of eating only mochi. There¡¯s no deep meaning.

    But the cherry tomato did not materialize.

    I drew a mochi, and the mochi materialized. Why is the mochi good, but not the cherry tomato?

    Next. A Pencil.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything in particular to draw, so I drew what I had in my hand. It was one of those pencils with a graphite lead inside a wooden shaft painted a deep green color, like the ones I often see.

    ¡­didn¡¯t work either. I don¡¯t know why.

    Next, a bicycle.

    I felt tired from walking.

    But I gave up halfway through. I couldn¡¯t draw the bicycle because I didn¡¯t remember its structure well.

    Next, a knife.

    I thought it would be useful for exploring the forest, and I also wanted to sharpen my pencil soon. And I simply wanted to draw metal.

    I have practiced drawing metallic luster before. Glass and metal are fun when you can draw them with just the black of a pencil and the white of the paper.

    As for the knife, I drew the one I borrowed from my teacher¡¯s house. I remember it because I used it all the time. The body is black like coal, and the blade is sharpened smoothly and has a metallic luster. The handle was made of black wood. The sheen was beautiful too, and when I first borrowed it, I was surprised that I could borrow such a beautiful thing.

    ¡­and then it appeared.

    Huh. It really appeared.

    Just as the drawn mochi became a mochi, a drawn knife became a knife.

    ¡°¡­mochi, barley tea, and a knife¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    I wonder why. Tomatoes and pencils are no good, bicycles are¡­¡­ well, I gave up on that one. But a knife is okay.

    What is the logic¡­¡­?

    The first thing I can think of is drawing ability, I guess.

    As for the mochi and barley tea¡­ I had actually drawn them several times. Since I was still in middle school, with just pencil and paper. Since the summer of eighth grade¡­ the only art materials I could use were paper and pencil, so for the next year and a half, all I did was do sketches every day, all day.

    I drew all kinds of things in the teacher¡¯s house¡­ and among them, rice cakes and barley tea appeared frequently, so I drew them the way they look.

    ¡­Surprisingly, mochis are difficult to draw. It¡¯s just a white blob. So, I think I was always trying to figure out how to make a mochi look like a mochi.

    Because of that, even though I am now in a place I don¡¯t know, I can still draw mochi and barley tea.

    It might be the same with knives. One of the sketches I found in an art resource book was of a glass bottle and a metal tumbler. That made me want to draw metal because I had drawn spoons, faucets, knives, and all sorts of metal.

    It¡¯s maybe why¡­ Simply, I was good at what I just drew, the mochi and the barley tea, and then the knife. Yeah. That¡¯s probably true.

    But if we go with that, I think the cherry tomatoes should be materialized.

    I drew quite a few cherry tomatoes. Every year, from summer to fall, I painted about one cherry tomato a day. Thanks to that, a whole bunch of 500 sheets of A4 copy paper disappeared during the summer. About one-tenth of that was all lost in cherry tomatoes. I probably have a hundred tomatoes in total, adding up all the summers I have spent so far.

    So¡­ I think that cherry tomatoes should materialize as well. I think¡­ but no cherry tomatoes appeared.

    Then there is the pencil. I am not convinced about this one either.

    I drew a lot of pencils. I could draw a pencil because I could do it in my room.

    When I draw in my room, I am limited in what I can use as a motif, so pencils are used more often than not. I am not mad about the pencil because it helped me learn how to compose a drawing.

    So, I think I should be able to materialize a pencil as well, but¡­ for some reason, the pencil didn¡¯t appear either.

    In the meantime, it had passed noon and turned into dusk. That was fast¡­

    I thought it was time for me to eat again, so I took out the mochi and ate them again.

    I want to eat something else¡­ but I¡¯ll hold off on that. I don¡¯t know if I can make something other than mochi.

    But I¡¯ll put up with mochi as food, but I need a place to sleep. A bed or a futon. At least a blanket.

    So at least something. I¡¯d like to find some kind of law about this ¡°materialization of what I drew in my drawing¡±¡­

    It was at that time.

    Something fell down beside me.

    It was a nut. A red one. Like the ones that grow on cherry trees in the summer. But brighter, yellowish red.

    ¡­It looked like a cherry tomato, and I felt like I hadn¡¯t seen color in a long time.

    That should be it I had been looking at nothing but paper and pencil today. All I saw was the world of black and white¡­

    ¡­Black and white.

    Really. Up until now, I¡¯ve been drawing in black and white.

    I looked for the source of the fallen nut. I looked up to see if they had fallen from a tree, but they had not. Unfortunately, the tree I was lying on did not bear any fruit.

    I looked up at the tree next to it, thinking it might be the one next to it, but it wasn¡¯t it either¡­ I would have noticed it yesterday if there was a tree around here that was bearing nuts.

    Does that mean a bird dropped it? If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s only one nut¡­ well, that¡¯s fine.

    I crushed the nut using one of the stones around me.

    The juice that came out of the crushed nuts was, as expected, red.

    I took the red juice with my finger.

    Then, I smeared it on the drawing of a cherry tomato that I had made in the morning.

    ¡°¡­¡­I knew it.¡± (Tougo)

    And I saw that the cherry tomato that I drew on paper became a real cherry tomato.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.1

    Now I get it.

    Apparently, in order to ¡°materialize what you have painted¡±, it needs a certain level of completeness.

    To materialize a red cherry tomato, you need red color. Then, to materialize a green pencil, it would need to be green.

    The mochi was safe because it was white. The barley tea¡­ was probably too dark, so it was treated as black and was safe.

    I wonder¡­ if it would not materialize if the barley tea was at a normal concentration of barley tea in a white cup. I want to try it.

    Now, tough luck.

    Only black-and-white things can be materialized from a black-and-white drawing, it¡¯s a lot trickier.

    I don¡¯t like mochis that much. I have positive feelings for them, and I don¡¯t dislike them, but I like them for the memories, not as food.

    My favorite food is¡­ hmm, edamame?

    Yes, edamame. Edamame. I want to eat edamame. But edamame probably doesn¡¯t materialize unless it is painted green, I think.

    ¡­but if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s an easy plan.

    My immediate goal has been decided.

    My immediate goal is to get¡­ ¡°colors¡±!

    Anyway, it was getting late in the evening, so I decided to create a blanket.

    A blanket, or rather, a large blanket. The one I had borrowed from my teacher¡¯s house was white, so I thought I could manage to draw it, and I did. I was happy.

    So today, I can sleep rather comfortably. At least I¡¯m not cold even if I don¡¯t curl up.

    My back hurts though¡­ so I want to make a mattress tomorrow.

    It was already, morning when I woke up. Good morning. Come to think of it, I only moved a few steps yesterday. Well, that¡¯s often the case when I¡¯m drawing. There are days when I didn¡¯t leave my room except to go to the bathroom.

    Well, I¡¯m going to start drawing today.

    I¡¯m going to start collecting paint today. I suddenly feel very motivated. Well, it can¡¯t be helped that it is more fun to look for paint than to look for food and water.

    What should I do? The paints I used in my original world were mainly made of minerals, right? I don¡¯t remember much, but I think they used iron trioxide or cinnabar to make red.

    And then there are flowers.

    I believe they used safflower for dyeing, and safflower was also used for paints and cosmetics. I remember reading about it in a Japanese history textbook. It is amazing that such a red color can be obtained from a plant.

    I don¡¯t know if there is a flower like safflower in this world, but I think it is worth looking for.

    If there are, I can eat all the cherry tomatoes I want. And maybe I can eat all the apples and strawberries I want.

    ¡­So, I decided to go out to explore, feeling much more energetic than the day before.

    Before going out to explore, I made a bag. I had more tools now, like my blanket and knife.

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to paint something with a very complicated shape. ¡­Well, for now, a paper bag. The one that came with the paints when I bought them at the art supply store. I couldn¡¯t take it home, so I left it at my teacher¡¯s house.

    It was not that difficult to draw a simple gray paper bag. To be honest, I don¡¯t think the drawing itself was that good, but it was good because I was able to materialize it.

    I put the folded blanket, paper, pencil, a freshly made knife, and a few shiny flowers I found growing around the place and decided to leave.

    Walking around with the paper bag.

    ¡­Soon, after walking, I found a red flower blooming.

    ¡°¡­can I use it?¡± (Tougo)

    Since it¡¯s a good opportunity, let¡¯s give it a try. I crushed the petals and painted with the juice that came out.

    What I painted was an apple. Not a Fuji or Orin, but a Kougyoku.

    If I used the pollen from the stamen of the flower, I could have yellow. Since Kougyoku is not a yellowish apple, this would be enough.

    The details were drawn in pencil. Or rather, I colored over the pencil sketch. I know how to color over pencil sketches because I have done it several times with watercolor.

    ¡­After three hours of doing so.

    I had one apple.

    ¡°¡­That was unexpectedly difficult.¡± (Tougo)

    It takes three hours to make a single apple, which is fine. It takes about three hours for a pencil sketch, and for me, my goal is to draw, not to draw an apple because I want to eat it. Well, it¡¯s fun to see the picture materialize, though.

    I painted this picture¡­ but the hardest part was collecting the petals.

    Only a few colors can be obtained from a single petal¡­ It is not efficient to get many petals and paint with them.

    When you think about it this way, paint was an amazing tool. Even with a small amount, the colors spread well, and the coloring makes it more beautiful.

    I wish I had paints. If I had paints, I could draw more things¡­

    ¡­Well.

    Could it be that if I draw paint, the paint will come out of it or something¡­?

    Draw a tube of watercolor paint and color it in one spot on the label. This completes a very common tube of paint.

    And as soon as it was completed, the lines swayed and trembled, coning together with a squeak and a pop¡­ just as they did with the mochis.

    A tube of paint came out.

    I squeezed the materialized tube a little, and to my surprise, the paint of the color I had painted on the label came out. The color of the petals. Red. Though it looks pinkish because it was thinned when I painted it on the paper.

    But this is¡­ it¡¯s so convenient!

    Then I made many, many more paints. I painted more paint than food. People don¡¯t change that much, it seems. It¡¯s the same as when I used to spend all my lunch money on art supplies.

    There are many different kinds of red.

    Red from flower petals is different from red from berries. When I tried rubbing reddish soil into the paint drawing, I was able to create a paint of that color.

    But there is a limit to what that can do.

    ¡°Too pale.¡± (Tougo)

    The colors are quite pale.

    ¡­The color coming out of bright red petals is not bright red.

    No matter what I do, the color will always be pale. And it will also become dull. So, if I paint a picture using red petals as paint¡­ I will inevitably end up with a slightly dull, pale red paint.

    So, I thought that I should paint with the color from the petals, let it dry, and then paint over it again to make the color darker, but this didn¡¯t work either.

    ¡­because once the ¡°tube of light red paint¡± picture was done, the tube of paint materialized.

    It seems that if I take it too slow at the coloring stage, it can materialize immediately. In that case, I thought that it would be better to paint the color first and then complete the picture of the paint tube later. It was the same, and it was still a dull color.

    Now, let¡¯s see.

    The color that came out the deepest and brightest so far was the color of the clay.

    The reddish-brown color I made by painting on reddish soil is the most beautiful color so far, but ¡­¡­ is not enough for me.

    I wonder if there are any bright reds out there. Like apple peel, like sunset, like vermillion, like the belly of an American white-tailed chick [T/N: I can¡¯t find it.], like blood. I wonder if there is such a red color somewhere.

    ¡­Oh, ¡°Like blood¡±¡­

    ¡°I did it!¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s done. I made a very red paint. I am very satisfied with it.

    By the way, I had to cut my arm a little in exchange for the red paint, but that can¡¯t be helped. I could do with a little injury for the sake of the paint. I put a bandage on it, so it will probably be fine.

    Now, let¡¯s see. Once I get red, I want yellow next. I also want blue.

    If I have red, yellow, and blue, I can make almost any color. The three primary colors are no joke.

    ¡­But aside from yellow, I wonder where I can get blue. Blue is a color that is very rare in nature, so I think it would be difficult to make it.

    Oh well. For now, I will just get what I can.

    Yellow was surprisingly easy to get. There was a large lily that was so big I could sleep in it, and I was given the tip of a stamen attached to it and used the pollen from it as paint.

    The pollen from the flower was an amazing color. It turned bright yellow. More importantly, the finished paint, also my hands.

    I wanted to wash my hands¡­ so I created some water. I could paint a picture of a glass cup filled with water in black and white, so I did.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I need water.¡± (Tougo)

    Then I remembered.

    I want water. I need water. Even if there is no food, I need water. More than for drinking, watercolors are watercolors, so I can¡¯t use them without water.

    I can paint directly with them, but if possible¡­ I need water.

    If possible, I would like an environment where I can get water without having to paint every time. I don¡¯t want to say that I have the luxury of a faucet or a water supply, but I do want clean water.

    However, I have not found any water sources up to this point.

    I think there is water in the ground. Because plants are growing.

    However, there was no place where it seemed to be gushing out, and not even a single stream had been found.

    It would be really nice to have something like that.

    .But because there is none.

    I will have to draw some. Let¡¯s draw water

    For now, if I can create a huge amount of water in a very large container, it will save me a lot of trouble.

    So, I decided to paint a large quantity of water using the paints I had on hand.

    To do this, I first searched for a piece of land that looked just right.

    As a result, I found a reasonably open place, with no rocks or fallen trees, and a basin that looked like it had once been a spring but had dried up, so I decided to use it.

    So, here we are.

    I sat down on the ground and started sketching a very large container with a very large amount of water in it.

    I was going to draw stones, soil, and dead grass. Then there was the ¡°nonexistent surface of the water. ¡°

    I add the non-existent water to the scenery as how I as see it. ¡­In short, I draw an ¡°extremely large amount of water¡± in an ¡°extremely large container¡± called the remains of a spring.

    The way the surface of the water reflects the light, the way the water shimmers at the water¡¯s edge, the ripples created by the gushing water, light reflected on the ripples.

    In short, it seems as if I am painting water, but I am also painting light. And if I am painting light, I can get by with just black and white. ¡­If I have red, yellow, and brown paints to make the colors of dead grass and soil, I can paint something well. I thought about making some fish swimming but decided against it because it looked like it would be too complicated. I just kept on painting ¡°a lot of water in a big container¡±.

    ¡­¡­I kept at it, and in the evening, I went to bed at night, and in the morning, I continued again¡­ Finally, I finished it.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.2

    ¡­¡­I kept at it, and in the evening, I went to bed at night, and in the morning, I continued again¡­ Finally, I finished it.

    It is a landscape painting. The first landscape I painted after coming to this world. It is a landscape painting that does not exist.

    In front of me, in reality, there is a dried-up spring. But in the landscape drawn on the paper in my hand, there is a spring of water welling up.

    ¡­nothing happened.

    I knew it was useless. Although it would be nice to materialize things like mochis, knives, and apples, this is just a landscape. I should have drawn a plastic tank of about 100 liters filled with water. But I wanted to try painting landscapes, so it can¡¯t be helped.

    Well, I got to paint what I wanted to paint, so it¡¯s fine¡­

    I thought so and looked down at the picture I had just painted.

    And then¡­

    The sheet trembled. And then, just like when the mochi materializes, the picture converges on one point¡­

    ¡­ softly, the picture spread out and disappeared.

    ¡°¡­What the-?¡± (Tougo)

    It disappeared without materializing. I thought, ¡°Huh,¡± but the water did not materialize¡­

    I looked up from the paper and was surprised.

    A spring had formed. Water had formed where there should have been no water.

    My drawing of a landscape that didn¡¯t exist changed the landscape within reality.

    And as soon as I confirmed it¡­ I suddenly felt my consciousness fading away, and I was forced to take another nap.

    ¡­The thing is, I passed out. Probably.

    When I woke up, it was past noon. My head hurt badly.

    But there was a spring in front of me. There was a spring with beautiful, very clear water gushing out of it.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± (Tougo)

    I touched the water to test it, and it was indeed water. I scooped up some water in my hands and drank it.

    It tasted delicious. It¡¯s water, so it doesn¡¯t have a taste, but apparently, my body was craving water. I think I didn¡¯t even drink enough barley tea yesterday, come to think of it. I wonder if that¡¯s what made me pass out.

    Yes, that¡¯s it. Yes. I think I fainted.

    I remember that the spring was completed. I also remember that it was morning.

    But now it¡¯s past noon. I think I lost consciousness at the moment the spring was completed. It was too sudden for me to have fallen asleep, and I probably fainted.

    ¡­I wonder why I fainted. I¡¯m a little worried.

    I thought about it, but the feeling of wasted effort is overwhelming. I feel useless just thinking about it.

    However¡­ I think that the reason I fainted was that I materialized the spring.

    The only things I¡¯ve materialized so far are rice cakes, barley tea, knives, mini-tomatoes, and blankets at best, so they were things that I could hold in my arms. But suddenly, I drew something as big as a fountain and made it materialize, so, well, I guess it was different from what I had done before. Perhaps.

    When I think back on it, the way it materialized was also different. Instead of materializing like a rice cake or a tomato, it was like ¡°squeak¡± and ¡°pop¡±, instead, it was like ¡°squeak¡± and ¡°poof¡±, and then it spread out and I noticed that the landscape had changed.

    ¡­or is it because I painted something that doesn¡¯t exist? Or because I added something that didn¡¯t exist to the original landscape?

    Hmmm¡­ well, never mind. At any rate, I¡¯ll keep in mind that in the future, ¡°if I draw something big and materialize it, I might pass out.¡±

    Well, after drinking some water, I remembered that I was hungry, so I decided to eat.

    Today¡¯s meal is¡­ meat.

    Yeah, meat. Meat. I decided on meat. I think if I don¡¯t eat meat too, my nutrition will be unbalanced. On the other hand, I thought I can live relatively well if I eat only meat.

    I could have drawn the meat as it was already cooked, but I wanted to try it out, so I drew the raw meat.

    Steak meat like the one in the picture came out. No, it¡¯s just a picture of meat.

    After the meat came out, I painted the frying pan. This is easy because it is all black.

    When the frying pan also comes out, I draw a lens.

    I managed to draw the lens in black and white. It is fun to draw something transparent.

    Now, let¡¯s see. Once the lenses are done, we use the lenses to collect the sun¡¯s light.

    The point to collect the light is the piece of paper painted black. This is the one I drew to materialize the bicycle but gave up on it in the end. A piece of it.

    When light gathered there, the paper gradually heated up and ¡­¡­ eventually burned.

    As soon as it caught fire, I threw some dead grass into it. When the fire grew big enough, I put branches on top of it to make a fire.

    When the fire was big enough, we put a frying pan with meat on it and roasted it.

    I realized halfway through the cooking that I hadn¡¯t put any oil on the pan, but it didn¡¯t matter. I decided to cook it in its own beef fat. In short, I grilled them as they were.

    The meat stuck to the pan a little, but it turned out fine. I put the cooked meat on a plate made of a leaf¡­

    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± (Tougo)

    I ate it.

    ¡­it was meat. However, I didn¡¯t use any salt or anything, so it was really just a beefy taste.

    I want salt.

    I also drew salt. ¡­This posed quite a problem. Because salt is just like any white powder. I thought that if I did that, it would be hard to distinguish it from flour, let alone sugar.

    However, I decided to be open-minded and drew the salt crystals as they were, and it worked out well. A palm-sized transparent cube materialized, and when I licked it, I found that it tasted salty.

    I licked it and found that it tasted salty.

    ¡­I will probably eat meat tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.

    After eating meat, I¡¯m going to look for the next paint.

    The paints I have now are flower petal red, nut red, red clay, and blood red. Then there is yellow pollen.

    I also have ochre from yellowish soil, black from humus, gray from stone dust, light brown from sand, and some kind of flower extract that I don¡¯t know¡­

    However¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly all red and yellow and brown¡­¡±

    I¡¯ve learned that there are only a limited number of colors that can be easily obtained from nature.

    What should I do? I was at a loss.

    I¡¯ve been making and making paints, but all of them are similar in color. Most of them are either slightly dull light reds, yellows, or browns. Something like that. I think white, black, red, and yellow are all the colors I can make.

    ¡­If possible, I want blue. If red, blue, and yellow are available, most colors can be made. But I know blue is a difficult color to find.

    What is it? I remember they used to make blue paint by crushing a gem called lapis lazuli. There are many other ways to make blue, such as from cow¡¯s blood, but there is no blue color that can be easily obtained. That¡¯s why humans went as far as crushing gemstones to make blue paint.

    Other than that, if tulips and other plants are growing here, blue color can be made. But I haven¡¯t seen any blue flowers so far. I wonder if there are some somewhere if I look for them.

    Also, I want green.

    If I have green, I can draw plants. There may be some situations where I can use blue as a substitute.

    I have a lot of green¡­ but surprisingly, there is not much of it.

    Even if I crush leaves, it seems that it is difficult to make the green color.

    Even if I get a light greenish juice, it quickly turns brown in just a few minutes. I tried rubbing the grass directly on the paper and got a slightly darker color, but it was difficult to apply it evenly.

    I want green in the form of paint somehow, even if it is ¡­¡­. Not just red and yellow, I want green. I want blue too. I want to use colors freely.

    I¡¯ve come to a strange world, but if I stay here, I can paint as much as I want. So this is not such a bad world. But if that¡¯s the case, I want to use paint freely. I want to use various painting materials freely. I want to use all kinds of painting materials freely. ¡­I came to a world where I am allowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡± (Tougo)

    The leaf I picked has a beautiful green color. There is no such thing as unevenness in the paint, and every inch of the leaf is green. Natural things are beautiful in their own right. It is just difficult to process them and use them as materials.

    ¡°I wish I could use this color for paint.¡± (Tougo)

    If I crush this leaf and take its juice and paint it, it will turn into a pale, dull green. The color of this leaf is beautiful, but it cannot be made into paint.

    Minerals are amazing in this aspect. Even if you grind them, they are still the same color. I have used sand as paint and red clay as paint, but it is nice to have the colors as they are.

    I wish I could use this leaf as an art material like sand and soil.

    The leaves reminded me of edamame [A/N: green soybeans]. No, it was because the color looked like that.

    ¡­I was thinking of materializing edamame if I could make green paint. But maybe I¡¯ll wait for the green paint until I find some minerals.

    I was a little sad, so I cut out the leaves with a knife for comfort. ¡­in the shape of an edamame pod.

    That alone doesn¡¯t look like edamame, so I cut out the brownish leaves finely to express the color of the part that is connected to the edamame branch, and to express the swelling of the pod where the edamame is inside, I cut another leaf. Try cutting and pasting.

    ¡­Oh, what I¡¯m using as the glue is the nectar from a large lily flower. I was indebted to the pollen when I made yellow paint, but I am also indebted to the nectar as a substitute for glue.

    Through trial and error, I was able to create a leafy edamame.

    This kind of thing is called collage, right? I had never done it before, but it was fun to try, just like making crafts. It might be more fun if I made it on a larger scale.

    And so, I was satisfied looking at my newly finished leafy edamame. It was fun to do something new, and it was fun to make things by trial and error. On paper, the leaves were bright green, which also contributed to my satisfaction.

    I was looking at the leaf edamame on the paper, while I was admiring it¡­

    The leaves on the paper shook and trembled, and then they gathered at one point and¡­ a squeak and pop.

    An edamame came out.

    ¡­Oh, so this works too¡­

    Now that I know that it¡¯s time to take on the challenge. I use the tip of the knife again to carefully cut the leaves.

    Carefully, I make sure that the leaf is as even in color as possible. Match the shape of the colored part on the label of the paint.

    Once the green pieces are done, I apply lily glue to the back and fit them into the labels of the penciled paint tubes.

    ¡­and.

    ¡°Green!¡± (Tougo)

    The long-awaited green paint was born in my hands.

 Volume 1 - CH 4

    Then again, I just kept on making paints. Once I realized that I could paste colored things as they were, I wanted to use all sorts of things as paints.

    The colors of flower petals became vivid paints if I pasted them as they were.

    Leaves also have different colors on the front and back. I made both colors.

    I found moss and used it as paint, too. The bark of nuts was also made into paint. I made paint from every piece of bark I could find.

    And then there was the dead butterfly! ¡­I found this orange butterfly carcass, about the size of my two hands, and I got its wings and made shiny orange paint.

    ¡­I wonder if there¡¯s a Blue Admiral or a Morpho butterfly on the ground somewhere. Then I could make blue.

    That was the end of my paint-making that day. Why?

    It was a strange feeling. I thought maybe my eyes were tired or my shoulders were stiff because I had been painting for so long, but it wasn¡¯t the same thing.

    I felt a sluggishness that I have never felt before, and a strange feeling of not being able to put any energy into my body. In addition, I felt dizzy as if I had anemia.

    I think this is probably the same feeling I had when I fainted after making the spring.

    I think I feel ill when I materialize too many pictures. Even now, when I make too many paints in a day, I feel sick. ¡­If I push myself too much, I will pass out as I did with the spring, I guess.

    ¡­that means I have to plan to some extent. If I am painting something too big without a plan, I will probably end up fainting.

    I think it would be better not to use a large easel or a huge canvas. ¡­I¡¯d like to do a mural someday, but I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d be prepared to pass out if I did¡­

    I camped in the open again, and the next morning, I made bacon and eggs in my frying pan.

    I think about it while frying bacon and eggs in a frying pan. I have to think about it because I have to materialize the picture systematically.

    What do I want to do now?

    First of all, blue paint. This is a must. Without blue, I will not be satisfied with what I want to paint. I don¡¯t want that. I hate it more than anything. That is why I want blue paint more than anything else.

    ¡­But first, I need a brush.

    Right now, I use all my paints with my fingers. This is inconvenient, so I want a brush. I think I can make a brush if I paint with it even in my current state, so I think I¡¯ll paint a brush first.

    Then, paper. I also want paper. It¡¯s okay that the materialized drawing disappears from the paper, but if I make a mistake, it will remain on the paper. If I keep doing that, the copy paper will eventually run out, so I want to secure some paper.

    ¡­If I draw a paper picture on paper, would it make paper? Oh well, I¡¯ll just give it a try. Then, if I can do it, I need some drawing paper. Copy paper is too incompatible with watercolors. It curls, it sags, it tears easily, it doesn¡¯t dry easily, and it¡¯s hard to use¡­

    ¡­Now.

    It¡¯s a much lower priority than paints, brushes, and drawing paper¡­

    I want a house.

    If possible, I want a house.

    I want to paint calmly in a house. ¡­Also, it¡¯s getting hard for me to stay in the field.

    But, well, this is the last time. If I can¡¯t, I can use a tent or something. I just need to make a shelter from the rain somewhere¡­

    So, first of all, I painted some brushes. But it was more difficult than I thought ¡­¡­.

    How to say it¡­ It seems that the shape and material of the brush change depending on the way the tip of the brush is drawn.

    This was a problem. I didn¡¯t think I would have a hard time with the brush.

    I can¡¯t fool myself about the brushes, and I don¡¯t think my current skills would allow me to draw each fine hair on the tip of the brush with particular attention to the quality of the material. ¡­I couldn¡¯t even buy a brush because they were too expensive. I can¡¯t even observe brushes because of that.

    ¡­Well, I¡¯ll work on this later. Even in the original world, I was doing it all the time with about three cheap brushes. It¡¯s definitely better than fingers.

    Next is paper.

    I thought it would be absolutely difficult to draw paper on paper¡­ so I drew some kind of sketchbook. A croquis book for pencil drawing and may be some drawing paper. Also drawing paper for watercolor.

    I wanted to buy paper for watercolors in my original world, but I couldn¡¯t afford it. The paper itself is thick and of high quality, and the four sides of the paper are stiffened so that it will not be distorted or warped even if it is moistened down. It is a luxury product.

    I was able to make the paper without as much trouble as the brush. ¡­It¡¯s so convenient that I can make the inside just by drawing the cover. I feel that the hard work with the brush is unreasonable. No, in fact, the paper may have been made completely different from the real thing. ¡­Well, I never used expensive paper in the first place, so it¡¯s fine. I wouldn¡¯t know the difference anyway.

    But still, I got it. A sketchbook for watercolor, which I have been longing for.

    When a picture materializes, I can use all the art materials I¡¯ve given up until now. This makes me very, very happy. ¡­I¡¯m so excited.

    I don¡¯t have to scrimp on my lunch to get art supplies. I don¡¯t have to worry about the price.

    I¡¯m going to get all the oil paints I need one of these days. I thought paints were too expensive and I would never be able to do it, but I may be able to try my hand at Japanese painting. I can use as much lacquer and gold and silver powder as I want, so I can do makie [T/N: Lacquer decoration with powdered metal.]. I might even be able to produce a block of fine marble and make sculptures.

    There are many things I would like to make. There are many things I would like to try. And now I can do it!

    ¡­Woah, the more I think about it, the happier I become. My face is grinning uncontrollably.

    But when I get happy like this, I feel like I have more energy.

    This is a feeling that I had hardly ever felt before I came to this strange world. I had only felt it when I was much younger. That feeling right now is pushing me forward.

    It¡¯s not a bad feeling. The feeling of being able to go as far and as fast as I want, as far and as fast as I want. A feeling of wanting to keep going.

    I¡¯ve probably had these feelings for a long, long time. ¡­But I guess I was just trying not to let it show.

    So let it show as much as I want. It¡¯s an unfamiliar feeling to let my feelings free¡­ but it¡¯s not a bad feeling.

    It was lunchtime by this point, so I painted some bread and bit into it while I painted the next picture.

    The first painting on fine watercolor paper was a¡­ bag.

    ¡­I had created three sketchbooks without thinking, so I couldn¡¯t fit them in the paper bag. I had no choice but to draw a bag. A proper one.

    I wondered what kind of bag I should make, and the first thing I thought of was a big shoulder bag made of canvas.

    I think it was dyed with persimmon tannin. My teacher said it was durable and would last a long time. ¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. This is the bag he used. The first time I saw it, I thought it would be a great idea to have a new one.

    While remembering the bag I longed-for, I replicated it with watercolor on paper.

    ¡­Ah, I knew it was totally different from copy paper. The colors of the paints come out very beautifully. It doesn¡¯t sag. It doesn¡¯t tear. It dries quickly!

    I thought to myself, ¡°So there¡¯s a reason¡­ why expensive things are so expensive.¡±

    And so, the bag was made.

    The bag is exactly as I remember it.

    When I tried to hang it on my shoulder¡­ the strap was too long for me. Even to this point, it is the same.

    I was laughing to myself, adjusting the length of the strap and moving it on my back. ¡­Yeah, it¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s not bad at all.

    I put pencils, copy paper, a blanket, and shiny flowers in it¡­ and then three sketchbooks, brushes, a knife, and a large tube of paint.

    They all fit perfectly in my large bag. This is all the valuables I have in this world.

    ¡­I¡¯m pretty happy.

    It¡¯s getting late in the evening, so I get ready for sleep for now.

    ¡­ however, I had more energy than yesterday, probably because I didn¡¯t materialize a lot of paint today.

    So, I think I¡¯ll at least make a place to shelter from the wind and rain. It¡¯s a good opportunity.

    ¡­so what I¡¯m going to draw is a pillar.

    It¡¯s done. Three pillars stood at a little distance from the fountain.

    I was a little tired, perhaps because the pillars were taller than I am. Yes, it seems that I get tired when I keep materializing my drawings.

    But I had to go one step further. Next, I will draw a large cloth.

    Since I started painting the pillars in the evening¡­ It was already getting dark by the time I started painting the cloth. But I put a shiny flower on the ground and used it as a light and used the cover of my sketchbook as a desk.

    And so, by the time it was completely dark, I had a large piece of cloth. Like thick felt. I imagined it to be wool, but it was probably synthetic fiber. I don¡¯t know if it was my poor imagination or my drawing skills¡­

    This was also a little tiring, but I guess it was better than the pillars.

    I took the edge of the cloth and threw it up the pillar. After¡­ a few times, the cloth caught on top of the pillar. After that, I pulled the cloth while adjusting it appropriately¡­

    ¡°Good night.¡± (Tougo)

    I climbed into my finished tent and went to sleep.

    The next morning, I was woken up.

    Because it was noisy outside.

    ¡­I woke up thinking that it was noisy, and then I froze.

    No, because¡­ noisy means there is something outside the tent.

    And if there is something out there in the woods like this¡­. uh, what? An animal? A beast?

    ¡­What I heard were chirping, cooing, and cawing sounds. Then a rustling sound of wings.

    Scared, I rolled up the edges of the tent and peeked outside. ¡­and there was a startling sight.

    Orange from head to chest, smooth gray belly. The wings are brown and its tail is orange. In shape, it is roughly sparrow-like.

    A robin, so much like the bird, yet large enough to destroy the whole image of a robin¡­

    ¡­the appearance of a monstrous bird that looks like it could be about 5 meters from end to end with its wings spread.

    Such a monstrous bird was bathing in the fountain I had created.

    It was not a bird, but a monstrous bird. Facing such a creature, I was frozen. No, I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    But it seemed that the monster bird didn¡¯t know what to do either.

    After meeting my eyes, it spread its wings¡­ and flew away.

    It was beautiful when it flew away. The color was beautiful, the shape was beautiful. The bright wings shone against the blue sky and looked magnificent.

    I thought to myself, looking at it.

    ¡­I want to draw that.

 Volume 1 - CH 5

    For a while, I watched the bird fly away. After the bird was out of sight, I was still in a daze, I think.

    I went out of the tent and looked at the spring.

    There was a feather that must have fallen out. I waded into the spring and picked it up.

    The gray feather was as big as my upper arm. It was huge. What is this?

    Encountering the unknown was terrifying, but more than that, it was exciting. Perhaps I had mistaken fear for the thrill of excitement. What do you call this kind of thing? Suspension bridge effect?

    But that¡¯s okay. Suspension bridge, hanging bridge, whatever effect. I like that bird. I want to draw it. I¡¯ll draw it. I¡¯ve decided. I will definitely draw it.

    I don¡¯t want to materialize it, I just want to draw it.

    ¡­ Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had this feeling. I¡¯ve been painting to materialize things for a while now.

    Yeah. Then, it¡¯s just right. I¡¯m going to reward myself once and for all by painting without thinking about things for living. I firmly decided.

    Once the goal was set, the planning was quick. I would find and paint that bird one more time, no matter what it takes. I decided.

    Now that I¡¯ve decided, the first thing to do is¡­

    ¡­take a bath.

    Yeah, I thought. I forgot all about it. But then I remembered.

    I had gone about a week without taking a bath¡­

    I drew out soap, a tub, and other things, and took a bath.

    I didn¡¯t feel comfortable taking off my clothes outdoors like this, but I thought¡­ well, no one will be around anyway. No one, right ¡­¡­?

    The water was cold when I took the plunge and bathed, but I felt refreshed after being clean for the first time in a long time. I will bathe regularly from now on. Or let¡¯s make a bath. A hot spring might be nice. Or rather, let¡¯s separate water for daily use and drinking water. That means we have to build another spring first, right¡­?

    I decided to leave the water problem for later¡­ Now the bird. I need clothes for that.

    Well, because I didn¡¯t want to wear my old clothes after bathing and getting clean after I had been wearing them for a week or so¡­ I mean, once I was clean, I was worried about how dirty my clothes were. And also, a little bit, stinky.

    ¡­ I had to do something stupid like drawing clothes to wear after taking a bath¡­ Next time, I¡¯ll do it after preparing properly.

    Then I packed my bag and set out.

    I headed in the direction the bird had flown. I don¡¯t have any other direction, but if I listen carefully¡­ I can faintly hear something like a bird¡¯s call, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find it, I think. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure it out.

    I think I have good hearing. I can pick up even the smallest of sounds.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s useful when I¡¯m looking for birds, like in this case. I kept on walking, looking for a distant ¡°cooing¡± like a bird¡¯s call.

    If I found something beautifully colored on the way, I would pick it up and collect it. I would use them as paints later.

    The most interesting thing I picked up this time was a purple flower. If I had to describe it by color, I would say mauve. It is such a vivid purple color that it would be a great color for paint.

    I also found bright green insect shells, white pieces that were probably lizard eggshells, and clear brown jewel-like pieces. I got a lot more than I expected, so it was well worth the walk.

    ¡°I wonder if there are living things around here.¡± (Tougo)

    There are probably more creatures here than where I was at the beginning. I had never seen insect shells or eggshells before. Thinking back, I haven¡¯t seen any animals up to this point. At best, I picked up a dead butterfly and used it as paint. After all, that was only once, and I haven¡¯t seen any living creatures, even carcasses, since then.

    ¡­Yeah, as far as animals go, I haven¡¯t really seen any. That bird was the first time I¡¯d seen one. I guess that¡¯s why I was so impressed, though.

    If there are a lot of animals, it means that there might be danger. What if a bear or something comes out? The only thing to do is to run away, but bears run faster than people think, right?

    Even if there is no bear, I will probably die if a wolf or wild dog or something like that comes out. I will run away. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll give up and die. But before I die, I want to draw the bear or the dog, or the wolf. No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time for that. [T/N: We have an art-baka, he¡¯s beyond otaku. LOL]

    ¡­Well, I¡¯ll be careful. As much as possible.

    As I was going through the forest, I heard the sound of birds getting clearer.

    I tried to be careful and look for at surroundings from that point on¡­

    ¡­that¡¯s where I found it.

    ¡°Huge.¡± (Tougo)

    A huge tree.

    And also, a huge bird¡¯s nest perched on top of the tree.

    ¡­I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s it.

    I¡¯m not good at climbing trees. I mean, I tried to climb a tree once, but I fell off and went home covered in mud, and they got mad at me. Since then, I have not climbed a tree.

    But I have to climb trees because I can¡¯t see them if I don¡¯t climb.

    ¡­However, of course, I can¡¯t climb a big tree, so¡­ I can¡¯t help but draw a ladder that hangs over a tree. Climbing up the ladder to let me watch the bird¡¯s nest from the tree next to it.

    I drew the ladder and climbed up the tree.

    The branches of the tree were surprisingly thick and sturdy, and even a novice tree climber like me managed to stay steady on top of the tree.

    The view from the top of the tree was not so bad. I could see the forest trees spreading out. I can¡¯t see beyond that. If I climbed higher, I would probably be able to see where the forest ends.

    But that¡¯s okay. What I want to see now is not the topography of this area, but it is the inside of a bird¡¯s nest.

    I looked at the bird¡¯s nest hanging in the middle of the tree next to me.

    ¡­there were no birds.

    But instead¡­ there was an egg.

    The shell of the egg was a beautiful Robin¡¯s Egg Blue¡­ Blue.

 Volume 1 - CH 6

    Blue. A vibrant blue.

    I knew there was a color called robin¡¯s egg blue. A bright sky blue with a hint of green.

    But this was the first time I had seen it in person. It was as if the egg had been cut out of the sky, a vivid blue. I wondered how such a colorful egg really existed.

    Seeing the glossy blue eggs¡­ I was completely fascinated.

    Because in the bird¡¯s nest in the tree next to mine, there is blue! Blue! A blue that I had almost given up on, thinking it was nearly non-existent in nature!

    I¡¯d love to use that as paint!

    I once forgot to paint the bird because the eggs were blue. I had no choice.

    I move along the branch to the next tree. It feels quite dangerous, but I can¡¯t help it.

    Perhaps it was fortunate that I was very light, for the branches supported my weight without breaking anywhere.

    Carefully but quickly, I made my way to the bird¡¯s nest. Sometimes it was dangerous, but even though I was terrified, I did not stop moving forward.

    ¡­After 10 minutes of doing so,

    I managed to get into the bird¡¯s nest.

    A sigh escaped my lips.

    There was a bright blue egg in a position where I could touch it with my hand.

    It was about 30 centimeters in diameter, about the size of my head. About the size of my head. And it had a smooth, shiny¡­ blue surface!

    From a distance, it looked unrealistic, almost like a piece of the sky had fallen, but seeing it up close like this, it was still a mystery. I wonder why the color is like this. Is it because they are just beautiful? No, I don¡¯t think so¡­

    There are a total of three eggs in the bird¡¯s nest. If there were any broken eggshells, I would have taken them, but alas, there are no eggshells.

    I think that all three eggs here must be live eggs¡­ No, they might be unfertilized eggs.

    But if it¡¯s a living egg, I¡¯d be hesitant to scratch it and use it as paint. on second thought.

    When I picked one up as a test, I felt a faint warmth, which made me even more hesitant to hurt the egg.

    ¡°¡­¡­What should I do.¡± (Tougo)

    I want blue paint. That¡¯s why I want this egg shell.

    Still, I want to draw that bird that is probably using this nest.

    But¡­ well, what should I do?

    As I think about it, I hold the egg in my arms and look up at the sky in a daze¡­

    ¡°¡­Oh, sorry for bothering you¡­¡± (Tougo)

    My eyes met with the giant bird.

    ¡­I suddenly break out in a cold sweat.

    Isn¡¯t this bad?

    The bird sees me as a suspicious person who has entered its nest without permission and is holding its eggs, right?

    Even if I tried to deceive it, I am holding its egg firmly.

    The bird in front of me is massive and can spread its wings about 5m. The bird¡¯s head is also much bigger than mine. If it opens its beak, it could easily hold my head¡­

    ¡°Well. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I didn¡¯t come for the eggs. I just thought it was beautiful¡­ and I touched the egg, but I didn¡¯t injure them, so¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I was in a hurry to explain myself, but I wondered if there was any point in talking to the bird. You see, the bird also tilted its head¡­ With a dubious look on its face.

    The bird looks¡­ doubtful.

    The bird. An expression.

    ¡­Is this possible?

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry for entering the nest without permission. I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± (Tougo)

    But maybe, just maybe¡­ this bird could understand my words. I put my hope in the bird¡¯s understanding and gently put the egg in its place, and slowly, slowly, I retreat. Out of the bird¡¯s nest.

    The bird did not allow me to do so¡­

    ¡°Ah.¡± (Tougo)

    The bird¡¯s beak extends. It grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me back into the nest.

    Then I was dragged into the bird¡¯s nest and knocked down. Although I fell on my back, the bird¡¯s nest seemed to absorb the impact, so there was little pain.

    But, unable to move quickly, I looked up at the bird, which was looking down at me, and watched in slow motion as its beak closed in again.

    I was pecked, very gently, rather unreservedly.

    I managed to roll my body to protect my head and stomach from being pecked, and the poking stopped.

    Instead, the bird deftly rolled the eggs and pushed them between my stomach and knees.

    ¡­And then the bird flew away.

    ¡°¡­¡­huh?¡± (Tougo)

    And I, completely out of it and unable to move, just lay there¡­ holding the egg, unable to comprehend the situation.

    The situation was a complete mystery.

    What on earth is being done to me?

    At any rate¡­ I was not killed. Yes, I was really lucky. I would probably die if I was pecked around by that huge bird, and I would probably die if I was dropped from this tree. I was really lucky to survive.

    But¡­ what situation have I found myself in?

    I have the three eggs now. I think that bird wanted me to be like this because that bird created this situation¡­

    ¡°Woah.¡± (Tougo)

    Just as I was thinking that the bird from earlier came back. Then, it pushes the nut in its beak into my mouth.

    I thought it was telling me to eat it, so I ate it anyway.

    It tasted like spicy persimmon¡­ What is this? Oh, come to think of it, birds can¡¯t taste spicy, right? No, but even so, this taste is terrible. I don¡¯t mind astringency and bitterness, but spiciness, not so much.

    I spent some time lying there staring at the bird, not knowing what to do with the mysterious taste that filled my mouth.

    I was lying there, staring at the bird, and feeling bad. ¡­I was sluggish. My body is hot. I think it¡¯s because of the fruit I just ate. I thought chili peppers had the effect of raising body temperature. I wonder if the fruit I just ate had that effect. Or maybe I just got tired while lying down.

    Now that I¡¯m in a state of ill health, I can¡¯t even escape from the top of the tall tree. I was like a carp on a chopping block, or me in a bird¡¯s nest. With this feeling, I gave up and decided to stay still.

    Then the bird patted me and the egg with its wings and flew away again.

    ¡­that¡¯s when I realized.

    ¡°Could it be¡­ it wants me to keep them warm?¡± (Tougo)

    Apparently, I¡¯m being made to help incubate.

    I¡¯m sleepy, slugging, and hot. So, I decided to keep the eggs warm.

    I got cold on the way, so I took out a blanket from my bag and wrapped the eggs with me. I am not as big as that bird, so it is a little difficult for me to keep the three eggs, which are about 30 centimeters around, evenly warm with only my body.

    I kept the three eggs warm by rolling them around and switching places as needed.

    ¡­Still, it¡¯s a mystery.

    Why am I doing this? When I calmed down a bit, I started to think this was strange.

    I¡¯m warming up a huge egg of a huge bird.

    How did this happen? I was supposed to be here to paint that bird, but the eggs were so beautiful, so when I entered the nest, something like this happened¡­

    ¡­yes. It might have been better to move a little more cautiously.

    A while later, in the evening, the bird came back.

    ¡°Huh, oh, welcome back¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    When the bird looked down at me¡­ it didn¡¯t even attack me, it just pushed a nut in its beak into my mouth.

    I¡¯m not sure if this means it wants me to eat it or not. Could it be that I am being raised? Am I being fed?

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. This doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± (Tougo)

    I tried to reject it, but the bird kept coming without regard, so I had no choice but to eat it. The taste was the same as ever. It was terrible.

    After watching me eat the nuts, the bird came into the nest. It sat down next to me and closed its eyes.

    ¡­It seemed to be going to sleep.

    What should I do? If the bird is going to sleep, can I go home now? But I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving the eggs alone¡­

    ¡­Not yet. Let¡¯s stay here for the night. I¡¯ve got nothing but a tent and it would be the same no matter where I slept.

    Thinking about it, I started to feel sleepy. Was it because of the nut or because I was tired? My body is still hot, somehow. I feel hot. I¡¯m burning up. This is no good. I¡¯m not in good physical condition to move down a tree in the dim light.

    I can¡¯t help it. There is only one thing to do.

    ¡­Good night.

    Good morning.

    When I woke up, the bird was in front of me, which was amazing and scary. Also, I was still feeling strange.

    ¡­there¡¯s something a little different.

    Something was moving around my stomach.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡±

    I rolled up the blanket and found that the egg closest to my stomach was wobbling.

    And then.

    With a crack, the egg cracked, and a bird chick came out from inside.

    After that, I was made to incubate again, but that¡¯s fine.

    What was more important was that a bird was born. In other words, the egg was broken. The eggshells should have been used by now, so I could take them.

    The pieces of the broken eggshell are thick enough to be from a large egg. The blue color seems to be only on the surface, but it is enough. I am sure I can make blue paint with it.

    In the evening, another egg hatched. Then another the next morning.

    By then, I was back to normal, so I was ready to climb down the tree.

    I said goodbye to the chirping chicks and to the giant bird, who seemed somewhat content in watching them¡­

    I decided to paint a family of newborn birds before leaving the tree.

    On the way, the giant bird shared some nuts with me. A rather tasty one this time. I didn¡¯t feel sick.

    I wonder if this is intended as a thank you for hugging the eggs. In other words, the one I was fed yesterday that didn¡¯t taste good was for that¡­ I wonder if it was meant to raise my body temperature to the optimum temperature for incubating eggs. I wonder what it is, but it¡¯s quite scary.

    ¡­whatever. I am honored to be of service to the bird family.

    T/N: Tougo is such an art-baka. Well, I hope he becomes more cautious in the future. Heh. Riiight.

 Volume 1 - CH 7

    I did it. I really did it. I finally got my hands on some blue paint.

    I was made to eat bad-tasting nuts, I got sick from them, I was made to keep the eggs warm, and all sorts of other things, but all¡¯s well that ends well. I was able to draw birds and even the chicks.

    And above all, I have blue!

    The blue eggshell of the giant bird¡¯s giant egg! They gave me a piece and I was able to use it to make blue paint!

    Now I have red, yellow, and blue, for the most part. I also got some green, purple, and orange, so I should be able to paint a lot of pictures now.

    Now, what should I paint¡­?

    I walked back to my tent. It¡¯s been a while. After all, I¡¯ve spent two nights in the bird¡¯s nest. ¡­What am I going to do, I wonder?

    Oh well. The first thing I make is a ¡°color sample.¡±

    I colored some sheets of paper with paint. I also record what each color is made from and how it was made.

    This is like a backup in case I lose the paint tubes. As long as I have the color swatches, I can use them to make a new tube of paint. If I have a note of how I made the color, I may be able to make it again.

    I will continue to keep color swatches, or rather backups of colors, on a regular basis. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m always going to be able to get blue eggshells.

    Well. Now that I have blue, I can paint a lot of things.

    First, I draw fruit trees. Because I don¡¯t want to draw food all the time. I wanted to paint a variety of things, so I wanted to be able to supply food without having to rely on drawing materialization. Especially, at least fruits.

    So, a number of fruit trees were to grow near the spring.

    The temperature was not that low, so I thought it would be early summer, but I was not sure of the season, so I drew some pears, grapes, peaches, and so on, at random, without really thinking about anything in particular.

    Then when they ripen, I was able to pick the fruit and eat it. I got carried away and grew tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes. They grew. I also grew edamame (soybeans) because I simply love them. This also grew.

    ¡­This should be enough food for the time being. I think I can cook meat and eat it from time to time.

    Once the field is ready, the next challenge will be the house.

    ¡­However, I don¡¯t want to pass out like the time after the spring, so I decided to do it little by little.

    First, I need to build a foundation. I built something made of wood, on stilts¡­ well, like a wooden deck.

    This alone was pretty exhausting, but I didn¡¯t pass out anyway.

    The next day, I made the posts and beams. In short, the framework. This was also a bit tiring, but I didn¡¯t pass out.

    ¡­and the next day I made the walls, and the next day I made the roof.

    On the 5th day, I finally made my furniture¡­ In this way, I was able to build a house.

    ¡°¡­this is so nice.¡± (Tougo)

    That night, I finally slept in my bed.

    I had slept on the ground or in a bird¡¯s nest, so the fluffy feel of a bed was a breath of fresh air. It was nostalgic, I guess.

    ¡­Come to think of it, half a month has already passed since I came to this world.

    As for what I was doing during that time¡­I was drawing most of the time¡­

    Well, it can¡¯t be helped that something so strange¡­ as the materialization of pictures has happened. In fact, I could say that I am alive because I was able to draw. If I had not drawn, I would have starved to death long before¡­ Yeah. So, it can¡¯t be helped.

    ¡­ I have to draw in order to live, but this situation is also a very happy situation for me right now.

    After all, I can draw as much as I want. It is difficult to get the right colors of paint, but I can get whatever I can draw. I can use as many expensive art materials as I want.

    And I can use them as much time as you want. And because there is no school, I can draw all the time I want. And most importantly, I can make art all the time because I don¡¯t have my parents watching me.

    ¡­ I wonder if my parents are worried about me not coming home. I¡¯m sure they are. They are like that. That¡¯s the kind of person my parents are.

    But even if I find a way to return to my original world right now, I wonder if I will return to my original world immediately¡­ Hmm, I feel like I¡¯m at a loss.

    Because if I stay here, I can paint.

    For me, being able to paint is the most important thing, so in that sense, this world is much more comfortable than my original world. If anything, I would like to stay here forever.

    What I regret about my original world is that I must have worried my parents and other people.

    I¡¯ve thrown out my schooling and everything, so that¡¯s it.

    And then¡­ My teacher.

    MY teacher is a hard person to explain¡­ He is an adult, but he is very different from other adults. I have never seen anyone else like him.

    He is like a ¡°teacher¡± to me, but at the same time, he is probably a friend.

    He is the only person who understands me, and I think I am probably somewhat¡­ someone who understands him, I think. I¡¯m not very confident int that.

    Unfortunately, I am a high school student, and he is an adult, so there was a clear difference in power (financial power and so on), and I am sure that I am indebted to him, and I am sure that I am causing him trouble, but I think that ¡­¡­ He enjoys the care and inconvenience there. Thankfully.

    Well, anyway, he is that kind of person. That¡¯s why I miss him.

    Even if I could have stayed in this world and painted as much as I wanted¡­ I would have to find a way to go back to my former world because he is there, I think.

    I¡¯m sure my teacher would be amused by the fact that I¡¯ve been in another world for a year or so and disappeared. So, I don¡¯t think I have to hurry so much.

    As for my parents¡­ yeah, well, not that sorry.

    The day after I slept in a bed for the first time. I slept so well that I slept until noon¡­ Beds are so comfortable to sleep in. I didn¡¯t feel that tired that I was surprised. It was amazing.

    Now, let¡¯s see. Today, the day I slept the most soundly since I came to this world, I decided to paint another spring.

    Because I wanted to separate the water for daily use and drinking water.

    And because the spring for domestic use was used as a birdbath.

    ¡­ The giant bird seems to have taken a liking to me. Maybe it was because it realized that I was not its enemy, or maybe it was because I incubated its eggs.

    It¡¯s rather scary to be pecked by that huge body, but the bird didn¡¯t care and came to me while raising a cooing cry.

    The bird seemed to have decided to use the fountain I¡¯d put out as its bathing spot.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± (Tougo)

    It was here again today. A huge bird was flapping around in the fountain.

    I watched it and started washing clothes next to it. It would be nice to paint clothes¡­ but it is faster to wash them than to paint them. So, I decided to at least do the laundry so that I would have time to paint.

    When I am washing clothes next to a bird bathing, I naturally get wet too. I knew that.

    So, I took off my clothes, washed the ones I was wearing, and bathed myself. Somehow, I felt that it would be bad if soap got on the bird, so I bathe in the creek where the water flows from the spring. The bird bathes upstream, looking like they own the place. I feel somewhat at odds.

    Once I am clean like the bird, I change into the clothes I have prepared and quickly draw another spring.

    The spring I will draw this time will be closer to the house than the original spring. I will give the original spring to the bird, but I want to make another spring for my drinking water and watercolor painting.

    I don¡¯t want the birds to use this one, so I will make it a little more artificial and smaller.

    I will put up marble pillars to keep the birds away, and on top of that, a roof to keep the birds away and the rain away. Inside, I will build a well-maintained spring made of stone. It ended up looking more like an altar and a fountain than a spring. But that¡¯s okay.

    The reason I used marble this time is that I would like to do a sculpture someday, and this is a practice to get the marble out for that. ¡­At the moment, it looks like a marble-like stone. I don¡¯t think it is suitable for sculpture. The texture is coarse. ¡­Well, that¡¯s OK. I¡¯ll practice more and get better.

    Then this time, I made a discovery.

    That is the discovery of ¡°how to get tired when materializing a picture¡±.

    This time, after making a spring again, I found out.

    It seems that I get tired when I try to make something ¡°big¡±. It was the same with the house, but I get tired when I try to make something bigger than myself.

    ¡­and even more, tiring is the ¡°water¡±.

    Again, the most tiring part was when I drew water into the spring and materialized the water gushing out. Although it was much smaller than the first spring, it was still very tiring. To be honest, it was more tiring than the house. The house is many, many times bigger than the spring.

    The mystery of this phenomenon was immediately clear to me.

    Because I had served both ¡°barley tea¡± and ¡°water¡± rather early on.

    It wasn¡¯t such a tiring job to get it out of the cup. If I had been bad, it might have been easier than paint.

    I think the reason for this may be that the amount of water was small, but more than anything else, I think it was because I wasn¡¯t making the ¡°water gushing mechanism itself¡±.

    This may be natural when you think about it. Because a ¡°spring¡± is a ¡°mechanism that continues to produce water semi-permanently¡±. It is not the same as a glass of water. Of course¡­ a spring is a hell of a lot more than a cup of barley tea, or even a house, for that matter. It¡¯s even affecting the groundwater and that kind of thing under the ground.

    If you think about it, this must be quite a big deal. I just wanted to materialize a large amount of water and materialized the spring without thinking about anything in particular. But I wonder if it was a good idea¡­ No, it¡¯s too late now.

    ¡­whatever. If something goes wrong, I¡¯ll just rethink my actions. I can¡¯t help thinking about it now. Yep.

    So, I made another fountain and thought, now I can get water for watercolor without disturbing the birds, and that day I roasted meat and ate fruit. Then slept for the night.

    ¡­The next morning.

    ¡°They¡¯re increasing.¡± (Tougo)

    Birds were bathing in the first spring. This is good because it¡¯s already happened.

    However, I don¡¯t understand the strange horse drinking water next to it.

    The strange horse had a pure white coat and a golden mane and tail. It was a picture-perfect horse, but I could see its wings flapping on its back as it bent over to drink water.

    Wings.

    On the horse¡¯s back.

    ¡­What is that?

 Volume 1 - CH 8

    A horse is visiting the spring, which has become a water source for my daily life as well as a bathing place for giant birds.

    But the horse is a strange one, with something that looks like wings on its back.

    The word ¡°Pegasus¡± flashed through my mind. Yes, if such a thing existed, it might look like this.

    ¡­However, the Pegasus(tentative) is a little strange.

    I found out why when I observed it from the window of my house.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s injured.¡± (Tougo)

    The horse had only one wing growing out of its back. The other one¡­ was cruelly cut off at the root.

    I quietly left the house, wondering if it would escape if was seen, and the bird noticed me.

    The bird noticed me, but did not seem particularly alarmed, but shifted its body slightly to make room downstream. It seemed to be making room for me to bathe. Well¡­ I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re being kind.

    Now, let¡¯s leave the bird out of it, but the horse.

    The horse noticed me and looked frightened.

    But it didn¡¯t try to run away when I approached the spring, probably because it saw that the bird wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about me.

    ¡­As I approached and took a closer look, I saw a wound on one of the horse¡¯s legs. Perhaps it couldn¡¯t run very fast even if it did try to escape.

    I felt sorry for him and thought it looked painful, but I decided to take a bath as usual. After all, the bird had made room for me.

    While I was bathing, the horse seemed to be gradually getting used to me, although it seemed to be paying attention to me. After finishing their drink, they continued to graze near the spring and showed no signs of running away.

    So after I finished washing and bathing, I quietly picked up my art supplies and came back¡­ and I tried to draw some medicine there.

    Yes. A medicine for wounds. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been in my teacher¡¯s house, but it¡¯s an old one. It¡¯s a kind of medicine, but it¡¯s effective against abrasions, cuts, and burns, and I¡¯ve been indebted to it.

    ¡­I immediately made such the ointment, and I brought it to the horse. I can¡¯t do anything about one of the wings, but I thought it would work on the wound on my leg.

    However, from the horse¡¯s point of view, it was probably none of my business.

    When I approached the horse with the medicine, it moved away. When I approached it again, it moved away again.

    I felt sorry¡­ So, I gave up approaching it. In the meantime, the horse went back to the depths of the forest.

    I wanted to do something, but I wondered if it was unnecessary to help.

    I was worried about the horse, but there was nothing I could do.

    I¡¯ve taken the time to draw a few more medicines and materialize them to prepare for emergencies, but I¡¯ve also materialized and increased the number of pencils that I drew and failed to materialize in the beginning. While I was doing that, I wanted to draw glass, so I drew a glass lamp and made it materialize.

    ¡­Then I would paint as much as I could and go to sleep at night, and soon the morning would come.

    When I looked out the window in the morning, there it was¡­ the horse from yesterday.

    As usual, the wound on its leg and the wing on one side was still there. It was painful to see.

    And it seems that it can¡¯t move its body very well, so it can¡¯t bend down to eat grass. I guess it must be hungry.

    But I¡¯m not a veterinarian, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯d run away if I tried to apply medicine to him.

    ¡­All right.

    I would draw grass near it. It should be tall enough for the horse to eat without having to bend down too much. But I also want it to be soft and easy for the horse to digest.

    ¡­First, I draw a rough sketch of the ground. I drew the edge of the spring and the rocks there, etc., and then I drew grass near.

    It is quite difficult to draw a grassland. When you are in a hurry, you can¡¯t paint the grass one by one, so I used watercolor to paint roughly.

    But it still worked.

    As soon as the painting is completed, it trembles, shrinks, and expands.

    And the grass was growing on the ground.

    The horse was puzzled. It might be natural since the grass grew suddenly.

    But the horse was puzzled, but little by little, it began to nibble on the grass. I hope it tastes good¡­. I don¡¯t eat grass, so I don¡¯t know what it tastes like.

    ¡­By the way.

    I thought about this when I painted the spring, but I think that ¡°painting something new on an already existing place¡± is a little different from ¡°making a picture materialize¡±.

    It was the same with the grass this time. Instead of grass appearing on the paper, it grew on the ground. It means that the painting was reflected in the actual landscape.

    Hmmm, I wonder what this means¡­ One thing I know for sure is that it is more tiring to reflect the painting in the actual landscape than to materialize a painting¡­

    ¡­whatever.

    Let¡¯s do a little experiment.

    I¡¯m curious to see how far I can go in ¡°reflecting the picture¡± instead of ¡°materializing a picture¡±.

    From this point on, it¡¯s a race against time. I hurriedly sketched the horse on watercolor paper.

    I didn¡¯t have much experience seeing animals up close, but I had seen pictures and videos, so I could manage the rest by observation alone. I knew the general structure of the body, so I could work out the details as I looked at it.

    Once I had a certain amount of detail, I started the coloring process. I¡¯m pretty slow, but I think I can get by with this. Well, even if it doesn¡¯t work, let¡¯s just give it a try.

    The horse is white, so it¡¯s difficult to color it. The white fur, the golden mane and tail. It¡¯s a beautiful horse, I thought, as I colored in more and more. I kept the white color as it is on the paper and only added color to the shadows.

    ¡­in the midst of this, I added bandages to the horse¡¯s legs.

    I thought to myself, ¡°Well, water came to a dry spring, so I can at least put a bandage on the injured horse¡¯s leg.¡±

    Then I added a wing to the horse¡¯s back and colored it in.

    The picture shook and trembled, shrank, poofed¡­ disappeared.

    I looked up from the paper and saw¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­Amazing.¡± (Tougo)

    Outside the window, the horse was puzzled by the bandage on its leg.

    As I quietly walked out of the house, both the bird and the horse noticed me.

    As usual, the bird made room for me and I went in there to wash, and then the horse approached me.

    ¡­Yes. The horse came up to me.

    ¡°¡­can I touch you for a second?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked, and the horse stuck its neck out in front of me as if to say ¡°okay¡±.

    I carefully touch the horse¡¯s neck¡­ and felt that there was skin under the coat, bone and flesh under the skin, and a definite heat of the creature in it.

    I stroked it as it was, and the horse was quiet and let me continue. I wonder if it realized that it was me who put the bandage on them¡­ If so, they¡¯re pretty smart horses.

    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    It seems that the horse decided not to be wary of me. I¡¯m glad about that because I don¡¯t mind animals.

    And above all, if their legs get better, even just a little¡­ I¡¯m really happy for them.

    Anyway, this was another discovery.

    Apparently, it is possible not only to ¡°materialize what you draw,¡± but also to ¡°reflect your drawing on something that actually exists¡±.

    Using this, it is possible to make fruit trees that are already growing bear fruit again or to make grass that has been eaten by a horse grow back. And it seems that I can bandage a horse without touching it, as I just did.

    This is useful. ¡­though it does seem to be very tiring if I use it too much. I¡¯ll have to be careful. I¡¯ll be very careful.

    And one more thing.

    ¡­I seem to be able to materialize things to some extent even if I draw them in a hurry and cut corners. I wonder if it was because this time I had the original and materialized only the bandage on it.

    Hmmm¡­I¡¯d like to try for a bit, but that¡¯s enough for today. I¡¯m kind of preoccupied with the horse.

    So, I ended up practicing drawing horses that day, remembering horses. It was a new experience for me because I had not drawn animals so often. I had always done still-life sketches.

    Living things have hair, skin, flesh, bones, and warmth.

    I could feel its pulse. I could feel it breathing. It felt like it was alive.

    I didn¡¯t dislike that feeling. I wanted to draw all the way down to that feeling.

    Yeah, I need to practice for that.

    I have to practice¡­

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have a practice subject.¡± (Tougo)

    The next day, the horse brought another horse.

    ¡°Eh¡­ Huh? There¡¯s another horse¡­? I wonder if it¡¯s a friend.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m shocked, I was really shocked.

    I was surprised at the horse with wings, but I was also surprised at the horse with a horn. Why does this horse have a horn on its forehead?

    ¡­No, it would be better to say, ¡°it had before¡±.

    The horn was broken off near the base, and the cross-section of the horn is visible. I think the horn originally grew straight¡­

    Also, there were a lot of wounds. The body of the horned horse had wounds here and there. Some of the wounds seemed to have been made recently, and blood was still seeping out.

    ¡°¡­are you telling me that this horse needs to be healed too?¡± (Tougo)

    The horse with wings whinnied as if to say, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Then I drew a horse with a horn and put a bandage on it.

    While I was painting, the horned horse looked uncomfortable, but it did not run away, probably because the horse with the feathers was standing close to it as if to admonish it.

    The horse with the horn had a lot of wounds and needed a lot of bandages for them. The horse on the drawing paper was covered with more and more bandages.

    ¡­It was kind of pitiful and a little painful.

    I wonder what happened to hurt like this. Did they fall off a cliff? But it looks like there are a lot of cuts¡­

    ¡­I was able to bandage all of the horse¡¯s wounds with my drawing while thinking about it. But just a little more.

    I drew the horse¡¯s horn.

    The horn was broken, but I bandaged the broken part and drew the horn as if they were at the end of the broken part.

    I drew it as if it were a prosthetic hand or a prosthetic leg or something like that. I thought that if I put a prosthetic horn, it might make the horse feel a little better.

    ¡­Well, I don¡¯t know how horses feel, and I feel it would be rude to weigh in on that. ¡­Yes. I just thought it would make me feel better.

    A white horse with a silver mane and tail. And the horns, which were still pale and shiny even after being broken, were beautiful. That¡¯s why.

    ¡­ Then I finished bandaging the horse with horns, too.

    The horse looked startled when it was suddenly bandaged and given a horn, but it only went wild for a little while, and then quickly quieted down.

    The horse was poking at the surface of the water and the ground with his horns, spinning around and around on the spot, looking confused, but it was not going wild, just confused. It was like that.

    When the winged horse snuggles up, the horned horse also snuggles up. Then the winged horse put its head to the horns of the horned horse¡­ it rubbed against the horns and then whinnied happily.

    Then the two horses began to drink water in good humor. Apparently, the treatment was to the liking of the two horses.

    I was glad to hear that. I hope the pain has subsided a little. That wound looked so painful.

    ¡­Now. I¡¯m going to take a bath too.

    When I started to bathe, the horse with horns looked a little uncomfortable. The horned horse made a face, or rather, its whole-body expression of dislike.

    I thought I heard that ¡°unicorns¡± don¡¯t like men. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about that. But I want to bathe.

    When I proceeded to bathe without hesitation, the unicorn still seemed to dislike it, but the Pegasus seemed to reprimand it. The Pegasus is somehow very understanding. It seems that I can see the personality somehow, which makes me smile a little.

    The unicorn that had been admonished by the Pegasus seemed a little reluctant, but eventually, it came closer to me.

    ¡°Can I touch you?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked them, and they didn¡¯t run away, so they let me pet them.

    It felt a little different from the Pegasus¡¯s. Maybe their fur was a little shorter. But I really liked the feel of their tail. The Pegasus¡¯s tail was soft and fluffy, while the unicorn¡¯s was smooth and silky. I think that¡¯s what it feels like.

    ¡­Then, for a moment, I noticed a corner.

    I think the bandages all worked, but what about the horn? I think the horn, unlike a prosthetic hand, can become a nuisance.

    ¡°Umm¡­ can I touch yours too?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked them, and as if they knew what I was talking about, they bowed their head and moved their horns closer to me.

    Somehow, I feel a little timid in front of a beautiful creature and gently touch the horn.

    ¡­The horn I touched was warm.

    I pulled my hand back involuntarily.

    I didn¡¯t think that the horn¡­ a fake horn can be warm.

    But as soon as I pulled my hand back, I realized that there was something wrong with it.

    The horn I touched seemed like a real, living, horn.

    Touching the horn again.

    It was pale and beautiful. It¡¯s a straight line, and the twisted shape looks like a piece of art, and it¡¯s so beautiful that I really want to touch it.

    ¡­As expected, it was warm.

    ¡°¡­ Can I remove the bandages?¡± (Tougo)

    After consenting, I gently put my hand on the bandage wrapped around the base of the unicorn¡¯s horn.

    There must be a seam under the bandage. Because the horn was broken at the root. I just added a new horn over it¡­

    Beneath the bandages was a horn.

    There was no seam, there was nothing broken¡­ it was a ¡°real¡± horn, and it was there.

    As soon as I saw it, I felt my consciousness fading away and I probably just passed out.

 Volume 1 - CH 9

    When I woke up, I was warm and fluffy, and comfortable.

    ¡­It seems that after I passed out, I was pulled out of the water and laid on the ground, where I was warmed by the giant bird.

    ¡°Thank you. It was warm and comfortable.¡± (Tougo)

    When I thanked the bird, it cooed in satisfaction and flew away.

    I was grateful that I didn¡¯t catch a cold, even though I was sleeping wet and naked. ¡­Yeah, I¡¯m glad the bird was there.

    ¡°You guys are still here.¡± (Tougo)

    Then, by the spring, the Pegasus and unicorn were wandering around. When I approached, both of them approached quietly. ¡­The unicorn seemed a little uncomfortable though. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry, a boy.

    ¡°How¡¯s your horn?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked, and the unicorn poked me very lightly with its horn. I was glad to hear that they are doing well.

    ¡°¡­I wonder if your real horn has really healed.¡± (Tougo)

    The unicorn¡¯s appearance suggests that the horn has been restored. The thing is the horn is probably what made me pass out. Just like the spring.

    At the time of the spring, I think I fainted because I materialized the ¡°water gushing mechanism¡± as well.

    And this time, I wonder if I fainted because he ¡°put back the horns of the unicorn that had been lost¡±. I guess it¡¯s a different case because it¡¯s not just a materialization, but a ¡°healing¡±.

    ¡­but this is a great discovery, isn¡¯t it?

    I feel that the materialization of pictures is quite profound.

    Anyway, I wiped myself off and got dressed.

    Then I ate a meal that I¡¯m not sure if it was breakfast or lunch¡­ Well, whatever.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you fixed up too.¡± (Tougo)

    I don¡¯t mind fainting once more. I wanted to paint the Pegasus¡¯s wings, too.

    The Pegasus was very quiet while they were being painted. Maybe they could tell that they are being healed.

    During this time, the unicorn was running around, eating grass, and gnawing on cherry tomatoes in the field, but it never seemed to move away from the Pegasus. ¡­You guys really get along.

    ¡°Finished.¡± (Tougo)

    While they are doing that, I finished painting the Pegasus. The wing on the Pegasus¡¯s back is the same as the other wing on their back.

    Then I watched as the wings on the Pegasus¡¯s back recovered¡­ and I passed out again.

    When I woke up, it was night. And I was being warmed by two horses on either side of me, it seems.

    I¡¯m thankful I didn¡¯t catch a cold thanks to them. ¡­Yeah, next time I draw something that looks like it¡¯s going to make me faint, I¡¯ll cover myself with a blanket before I finish it.

    After that, the two horses went back deep into the forest. Yes, I am glad that they seemed to be fine. I am honestly happy about this.

    On the other hand¡­ I fainted twice in one day, so I definitely ¡®lost my energy¡¯. My head hurts and I feel very dizzy. I feel as if the ground is shaking. It¡¯s like being on a boat.

    Now then¡­. Well, I thought it would be better to rest quietly, so I¡¯m going to bed today. I won¡¯t do anything else.

    I felt like I should eat something, but even if I did, I was afraid I would throw up, so I went straight to bed, wrapped myself in a blanket, and went to sleep as quickly as possible.

    When I woke up, it was already past noon. I overslept quite a bit, but that was okay because I was feeling better.

    It seems that the bird that comes to bathe every morning has already finished bathing and left. But today the horses were there instead.

    ¡°Good morning. Well, it¡¯s no longer early.¡± (Tougo)

    When I greeted the horses, they whinnied with familiarity and continued to drink water. ¡­This spring has become a place for creatures other than me.

    ¡°How are your horns and wings?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked and stroked them. The horns were still horns and the wings were still both wings with no problem. Furthermore, the Pegasus flapped their wings and showed me something¡­ They could fly.

    ¡°¡­The horse flew.¡± (Tougo)

    Horses can fly, I thought as I watched the impossible scene¡­ and decided to accept that, well, this is that kind of world. Yup, it¡¯s that kind of world. Horses fly. This is the norm in this world. That¡¯s fine.

    The horses were feeling better, so I decided to grow a little grass around the spring for them.

    No, I thought, it would be better to have food¡­. The horses seemed to like it pretty well. Both the Pegasus and the unicorn ate the grass that grew around the spring.

    ¡­And, perhaps because they liked it a lot, they brought along more companions.

    ¡°They Increased again¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    The next morning, the area around the spring was full of horses. And birds. The size of the birds is amazing. They have more impact than horses.

    ¡­but now it¡¯s horses. Horses that are in trouble.

    Every horse that was brought in had an injury somewhere. There were Pegasi whose wings looked like they had been sawed off, and there were unicorns whose horns had been broken.

    ¡­seem like I have no choice.

    I decided to heal all the unicorns and Pegasi one by one.

    And each time, I would faint and collapse.

    It took days. Maybe a whole week.

    But thanks to that, the number of horses cured increased, and there were three things that made me happy¡­

    The first happy thing.

    I got better at drawing. Just horses though.

    ¡­Well, for the time being, I think this was a visible effect.

    I have been observing horses for a long time, and I have been drawing only horses for a week, so it is an understandable result.

    It is obvious that my drawing has improved and my drawing speed has also improved a lot.

    The second thing I am happy about.

    It became harder for me to faint.

    I guess I¡¯ve gotten used to healing horses after healing so many horses. I can heal a horse¡¯s horn or wing and I don¡¯t faint anymore.

    I became very tired even if I didn¡¯t faint, but when I started on the second horse, I would still faint.

    And the third thing that made me happy.

    The horses gave me a gift.

    One day, after a week of healing the horses.

    The Pegasi and the unicorns came to me with something in their mouths. And they put it in front of me.

    ¡­It was a feather a Pegasus and a fragment of a unicorn¡¯s horn. Did they remove a feather? I wonder if the horn was a fragment when the unicorn was injured.

    The feathers and horns are all different colors and all are beautiful. Even though they are natural things, just one of them looks like a piece of art just by looking.

    Some of the horses¡¯ feathers were white with a luster like pearls, others were pale gold. There was also a pale rose-colored one. What is it, the color of the sun? The color of sunlight? I got that kind of impression.

    The pieces of unicorn horns were a strange pale color, dull silver, or even dark blue. All of them are very nice colors¡­ Each is a bit like the color of the sky.

    They had placed these wonderful things in front of me, and the horses were staring at me.

    ¡°¡­are you giving it to me?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked. The horses just wagged their tails and flapped their wings without responding.

    I took a step back, and they started pushing pieces of feathers and horns with their muzzles toward me.

    That most likely means¡­ yes.

    Apparently, these are presents from them.

    And the gifts continued.

    ¡°Woah!¡± (Tougo)

    I was suddenly scooped up by the unicorn¡¯s horns and thrown.

    The sensation of flying through the air scared me for a moment, and¡­ that was it.

    I was in the air and had landed on the Pegasus¡¯s back. Apparently, the Pegasus had caught me in mid-air. I wonder if they had already discussed this with the unicorn¡­

    The Pegasus under me, flew through the sky while flapping the wings on its back.

    ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s beautiful.¡± (Tougo)

    On the back of a Pegasus, who flew high in the sky, I got my first full view of this forest.

    The forest was still wide, but the end was now visible. It seems that I can leave the forest if I go on and on.

    This was a new experience for me to see the landscape from the sky¡­ Simply magnificent, beautiful, and fun to look at.

    And now that I know where this forest ends¡­ well, I guess that¡¯s a step forward.

    I don¡¯t have any intention of leaving this world yet, but it would be better if I knew how to do it. So, I still need to learn more about this world.

    The Pegasus turned around and returned to the original place.

    ¡°Thank you. It was a lot of fun.¡±

    As I thanked them for letting me ride, I thought to myself, ¡°Well, I should prepare some carrots for them.¡± But maybe carrots are too cheap for a horse.

    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s a good opportunity, so let¡¯s comb their manes.¡± (Tougo)

    I would prepare the carrots for another time, but for now, I decided to help with grooming.

    I draw a large comb and comb the horse¡¯s mane with it.

    While I was combing, the horse seemed to be feeling somewhat comfortable. I remembered that horses can¡¯t scratch their backs or the back of their necks. It made me itch thinking about it¡­ Horses have it tough.

    ¡°Would like me to wash you?¡± (Tougo)

    I thought that I¡¯m going to wash the horse today since it looks like it has some mud on it. Also, touching the horse will help me understand the shape of horses, and then I will be able to draw horses faster and more accurately.

    ¡­So I got to help the horses bathe. The horses seemed surprisingly happy, running around the fountain somewhat happily, sitting down to sleep with their tail swishing, or poking me with their noses. Yes, well, I am glad that they seem to have gotten used to me. Now I can observe and draw them a lot.

    ¡­And then, when I was in the fountain with the horses, they suddenly became noisy.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked, but the horses were very frightened. They were walking around and neighing restlessly. Also, they were moving closer covering me.

    I wondered what was going on, and I soon found out why.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this place¡­? So many Pegasi and unicorns¡­¡± (Voice)

    Beyond the wings of the Pegasi, I saw a person.

    I saw a human being for the first time in this world.

 Volume 1 - CH 10

    Human. A man. Taller than me, stouter than me.

    White shirt, rouge crosstie, vest of the same color, black slim pants, and boots. He has gold ornaments with red jewels on his ears, wrists, and tie knot.

    And dark red hair and¡­ scarlet eyes.

    ¡­The person, who looks a bit unrealistic, looked at me and the horse and gawked.

    I see, so Pegasi and Unicorns were frightened by this person.

    ¡­I guess that¡¯s why they surrounded me and ¡°protected¡± me for the time being. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m the weakest link in this group. I know.

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­?¡± (Man)

    The human who came to the spring looked at me. Both Pegasi and Unicorns were alarmed by this, with the Pegasi spreading their wings and the Unicorns pointing their horns at the person.

    ¡°Woah, hey, wait a minute! I don¡¯t have any intention of attacking! Because I don¡¯t want anything! Huh¡­?¡± (Man)

    As expected, the person seemed to understand that it would be dangerous if he got any closer, so he stopped¡­ from there, he called out to me.

    ¡°Are you the spirit of this spring!?¡± (Man)

    ¡­Huh?

    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken!¡± (Tougo)

    You¡¯re mistaken!

    ¡°Huh! What?!?¡± (Man)

    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken!¡± (Tougo)

    Flap, flap, flap. The Pegasi all move their wings at once and cried loud.

    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t hear you¡­! Again! Please repeat it, please!¡± (Man)

    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken!¡± (Tougo)

    This time, a unicorn walked up and started poking the redhead with its horns.

    ¡°Oh, shit! Hey, I¡¯m not a bad guy! Don¡¯t poke me, don¡¯t poke me! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry I stepped in your home! I¡¯m sorry! Spirit! I¡¯ll let myself out!¡± (Man)

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! Wait! Wait!¡± (Tougo)

    At any rate, after forcing my way through the Pegasi and the others, I managed to get out of the fountain and clear up the misunderstanding. I am a human being.

    ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ Huh? Spirit¡­?¡± (Man)

    ¡°I am a human!¡± (Tougo)

    I think the misunderstanding is finally cleared up. The confused redhead stared at me, tired from the horses poking him. The horses are as restless as ever¡­

    I¡¯m so, so tired.

    ¡°A human, huh¡­ Wait, I thought you were a woman, but looking at you you¡¯re a boy, but in spite of that, the unicorns seemed to have a lot of affection for you¡­ So, I was sure, ¡®This person is a spirit!¡¯ I thought I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Men)

    After I cleared up the misunderstanding, The Pegasi and the unicorns kept following me around. So, I can¡¯t talk to him calmly. I always have to talk with the red-headed at a distance of about two horses.

    I wonder if the horses are afraid of strangers. Are they shy? ¡­It¡¯s a little cute when you think about it. I decided to stroke their restless necks.

    ¡°No, I was surprised. A spring where a spirit is bathing with the Pegasi and Unicorns is definitely a sanctuary. I was in such a hurry that I thought I had accidentally lost my way and entered a sanctuary!¡± (Man)

    ¡­Sanctuary, what does he mean? By the way, what is a spirit? I don¡¯t know much about this world. I wonder if people who are on good terms with horses are called spirits. No, I don¡¯t think so. I feel like I was even more confused.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good. If you were a spirit, I might have been killed. Hahahahaha.¡± (Man)

    Apparently, a spirit is something that can kill people. That¡¯s a dangerous thing to do. I would never do such a thing.

    I mean, are there that many dangerous things in this world? I¡¯m a little scared. ¡­This really is a different world, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I forgot to tell you my name. My name is Fay Bullard Redgarde. I am the second son of the Redgarde family. Nice to meet you.¡± (Man => Fay)

    ¡­ And, somehow, when I heard him say his name, I thought, once again,

    I am in a different world.

    ¡°So, may I ask for your name?¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde asked me that¡­but I hesitated for a moment and then decided to answer honestly.

    ¡°Tougo Kamizora. I¡¯m probably from another world.¡± (Tougo) [T/N: ÉÏ¿ÕÍ©Îá is our MC¡¯s name. I¡¯m tentatively calling him Tougo Kamizora but he can also be called Tougo Joukuu.]

    ¡°¡­from another world?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. Probably¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh, wow¡­ that¡¯s amazing.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde had an ecstatic expression, or rather, a face that looks like a mass of curiosity, and rushes at me.

    ¡°I had heard rumors. Sometimes there are people who wander in from other worlds. But I thought it was just a fairy tale.¡± (Fay)

    And he smiles wide.

    ¡°Welcome to another world, my otherworldly guest! Welcome to our world! It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I saw that and I thought, ¡°Oh, he seems like a nice guy.¡±

    I don¡¯t have any proof. Maybe it¡¯s not good to trust people just like that.

    But somehow. I was a little bit like my teacher, because of his innocent expression of curiosity.

    ¡°There are many other lands and forests out there, but thank you for coming to our Redgarde forest!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­.Also, if this person is a bad person, I¡¯m already in a lot of trouble.

    He seems to be the rightful owner of this forest¡­ which means I am staying on his family¡¯s land without permission¡­

    For a while, I was bombarded with questions.

    What was the world like where I was from? Why do the fruits growing around this spring taste so good? How did I tame the Pegasi and the Unicorn (which apparently means the winged horse and the horned horse)?

    ¡­In the process of explaining these things, I felt like I couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, so I told him that I could materialize what I had drawn in my mind. Redgarde¡¯s eyes lit up and he asked me a lot of questions about ¡°materializing pictures¡±¡­ But to be honest, there were many things I couldn¡¯t answer because I didn¡¯t really know what I was talking about.

    Even so, Redgarde didn¡¯t seem to mind it in particular, he was just looking at me with bright scarlet eyes like a mass of curiosity.

    He was just curious. ¡­On the way, he also told me a little about this world.

    It seems that this is a different world after all. I knew this, but I didn¡¯t know about others.

    And this place is a part of the land ruled by the Redgarde family. Yes, I now somehow knew this, too.

    ¡°Well, the lands in this area are like a poor winning. It is moderately close to the capital and moderately large in area¡­ but, still, most of the territory is uncultivated forest. The forest is right in the middle of the territory. In effect, Redgarde territory is just a thin ring around the forest.¡± (Fay)

    Well¡­ How can I say it, as a Japanese, I have some thoughts about that. Japan is like that too¡­ because there is a mountain range in the middle of Honshu, it¡¯s a country with little farmland compared to the land area.

    As I listened with a slightly strange relatable feeling, Redgarde laughed a little mischievously.

    ¡°This forest may belong to the spirits. If we go into the forest, we will incur the wrath of the spirits. We cannot cultivate the land. If anything, they might even be reluctant to allow humans to enter carelessly and uninhibitedly. This is that kind of forest. ¡­so you and I might be in trouble, you know?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­What?

    ¡­This forest is the spirit¡¯s forest, and the spirits get angry when humans enter the forest¡­?

    Does that mean¡­ I have already angered them¡­?

    I froze for a while¡­ Redgarde eventually erupted in laughter as if he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    ¡°Hahahaha, just kidding! It¡¯s okay! No, I was being ridiculous, it¡¯s just a joke, so don¡¯t make that face.¡± (Fay)

    From the look on his face, it seems that I was being teased.

    ¡­I¡¯m from another world, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in this world. I¡¯m not sure if something is a joke or the truth, so please don¡¯t make fun of me too much.

    ¡°¡­¡­really?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Come on. I don¡¯t know how spirits think. Well, even if I¡¯m no good, you¡¯ll be fine. Unicorns and Pegasus are fond of you.¡± (Fay)

    Will it really be, okay? I still don¡¯t really understand what a ¡°spirit¡± is, but I have a feeling that it¡¯s something like the ¡°mountain god¡± in Japan. Then, having their anger on you, well¡­ That¡¯s really bad, right?

    In my case, the fact that I ended up in this forest was a kind of overwhelming power. I found myself here, so it can¡¯t be helped. I hope they can forgive me for that.

    But Redgarde probably came here himself, right?

    ¡°¡­Um, why did you come here? Isn¡¯t this a forest you didn¡¯t want to go into?¡± (Tougo)

    I was curious and asked.

    They are people who are so afraid of ¡°spirits¡± that they didn¡¯t want to disturb the forest. I don¡¯t understand why they would go to the trouble of going into the forest for no reason at all, even though the spirits might be offended.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, that¡¯s right, but I¡¯m in a situation where I can¡¯t not move.¡± (Fay)

    I asked, and Redgarde scratched the back of his neck with his face painted with frustration¡­ Then, softly, he answered,

    ¡°It seems there are poachers in this forest. I¡¯m here to find them.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­Poachers?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yes. Apparently, they are after Pegasus feathers and Unicorn horns.¡± (Fay)

    That¡¯s when I had an epiphany. Because all the horses were injured. Many of them had cuts and other wounds that could not have been caused by natural causes¡­ Some of the horses had their wings clipped and their horns broken.

    ¡°¡­Do you have something on your mind?¡± (Fay)

    Seeing me like that, Redgarde sharpened his gaze a bit. He is not a bad person, in fact, I am sure he is a good person, but he is a little scary.

    ¡°¡­the poachers themselves, no. There were wounded horses.¡± (Tougo)

    I answered, and Redgarde nodded his head in understanding.

    ¡°I see. I see. You¡¯re their good friend. Would you like to come and show me where they were injured? ¡­Hmm, you¡¯re really trusted, huh?¡± (Fay)

    I don¡¯t have that close of a relationship with the horses, but¡­ It¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t doubt you. You don¡¯t look like someone who could. You¡¯re thin and you seem to have no physical strength. You don¡¯t have the ability for poaching, right?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I didn¡¯t want to nod my head, but I nodded my head because I knew that¡¯s what it would definitely look like. I¡¯m sure it does. I¡¯m too thin, too weak, and too feeble to do anything about it.

    ¡°Somehow, you don¡¯t seem to be good at blood or fights.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I nodded honestly.

    ¡°Still, the Pegasi and Unicorns like you this much. There¡¯s no doubt about it. I know you¡¯re a good guy, so I guess that¡¯s why they like you.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I do not think so.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh. Oh, you don¡¯t think so. ¡­Eh? Were you bullying them?¡± (Fay)

    I didn¡¯t bully them. I don¡¯t hate them, but¡­ still.

    If the horses think I¡¯m a ¡°good guy¡± and they like me, I¡¯m happy.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t have any clues.¡± (Fay)

    And Redgarde let out a sigh as he said that. He seems to be in a state of shock.

    ¡°I know that Unicorns and Pegasi gather here so much that they can poach as much as they want. But it¡¯s hard to catch them red handed.¡± (Fay)

    Yeah, that¡¯s true. I think that¡¯s true. Poachers are not stupid. They might do something in secret. It¡¯s not like they just come out at a certain place at a certain time.

    ¡°¡­and it¡¯s getting dark.¡± (Tougo)

    Besides, it¡¯s almost dusk. It¡¯s a little difficult to walk in the woods.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my way coming here.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I see.

    I don¡¯t know what to say.

    But sure, yes. As far as I can see the forest from the sky with the Pegasus, it seems that this place is quite deep in the forest. The forest is not a place where you can get lost, but rather it is a place where you can find your way around. Unless you get lost.

    ¡°¡­so, that¡¯s it.¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde bowed his head vigorously toward me.

    ¡°Its fate that we met here! So, can I stay here for a night?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Hmm, I can¡¯t say no.

 Volume 1 - CH 11

    That day, for the first time, I had a stranger in my house.

    Redgarde looked around the house as if he were a curiosity, but I didn¡¯t feel bad about it because he wasn¡¯t a vulgar person.

    ¡°Please come in.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t borrow your bed! I¡¯m not even planning to borrow a bed! I¡¯m just looking for shelter from the wind and rain.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­and here it is. This person might be able to help the horses living in this forest. I think he should be nice to the horses instead.

    Also, I simply don¡¯t like the idea of letting a first-time guest sleep on the floor.

    And so¡­ I roughly draw a picture on the spot.

    I draw on the sofa. And a blanket.

    Since I have been able to use paints, it has become much faster to paint evenly on the surface. With a single pencil, it takes a long time to paint a surface.

    On the other hand, When I paint a man-made object like a sofa, the paints are a big help.

    ¡°Oooh¡­ amazing, it really appeared¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± (Tougo)

    Since the offer of taking the bed was declined, I decided to offer Redgarde the couch. He is taller than I am and has a decent¡­ stouter figure than I do. So, I made the sofa big enough for him to use comfortably, so¡­ yes, it made the house a little smaller. But that¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Even so, I¡¯ve never seen magic like this. Where did you learn this?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± (Tougo)

    Is this magic in the first place? I don¡¯t know anything about it, so as far as I¡¯m concerned, I can¡¯t answer that question.

    It is more uncomfortable than I expected to have a stranger in my house. I am more restless than Redgarde. He¡¯s already gone to bed, but I¡¯m still tossing and turning, unable to sleep for some reason.

    ¡­It is no good. I can¡¯t sleep. And when I can¡¯t sleep, I want to paint.

    What shall I draw? Well, what I want to draw is¡­

    ¡°Portrait drawing¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­ No, let¡¯s not do that. I¡¯m a little drawn to figure drawing, but I¡¯m not sure I want to draw a sleeping person without permission.

    I think Redgarde must be kind of fun to draw. Even to me, as a man, he has a reasonably good appearance, beautiful hair, and eye color, and above all, he has a nice expression on his face. I¡¯m sure it would be fun to draw her. It would be fun to draw her.

    But I don¡¯t think it would be good to draw him in his sleep. Probably not. It¡¯s just too much work.

    ¡­I¡¯m going to use carrots because I want to feed them to the horses.

    I lit a lamp (I drew a match, too, and it came out, which is handy) and I start drawing the carrots, relying on the light and the moonlight coming in through the window.

    ¡­Speaking of which, I wonder if the horses have decided to live around this house. They are sleeping peacefully under the trees around the fountain or walking around even though it is nighttime. Well, I don¡¯t mind.

    ¡°Poachers, huh¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Still, poachers, huh? There are poachers in this world, too. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your money is to be prepared to pay for it.

    The feathers of the Pegasus and the horns of the unicorn are beautiful. So, I can understand why others would want them. I can understand the feeling of wanting to poach them and take those by force.

    But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right¡­ Especially after I¡¯ve petted, cured, rubbed up against, and been ridden by horses. I have feelings for them, and I don¡¯t want them to get hurt, I think.

    I hope¡­ I can solve this. This problem.

    It was morning, and a pile of carrots was made. Redgarde was surprised when he saw the pile of carrots. Well, I was surprised too. Why did I keep drawing carrots all night long?

    Oh well. What¡¯s done is done. I went outside and handed out carrots to the horses, calling out, ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡± and walked outside, handing out carrots to the horses. ¡­The carrots were well received. I¡¯m glad they seem tasty.

    ¡°Oh, this is delicious. What are we going to do with all these carrots? ¡­well, it doesn¡¯t mean it tastes bad.¡± (Tougo)

    And our breakfast was carrots, too.

    Redgarde was chomping down on a raw carrot. I didn¡¯t have the courage to bite into it, so I cut it into thin strips with a knife and ate it.

    By the way, the seasoning was salt. I thought it might be good to have mayonnaise or something like that, but I decided not to use it because I felt sure that mayonnaise would turn into white paint if I painted with it in my sleepy state.

    ¡°I see that we have nice weather, but I did not think it would be. It looks like the spirits aren¡¯t too mad at us.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde chomped on a carrot and looked out the window, smiling brightly.

    It¡¯s a sunny lovely day, huh? ¡­But if the ¡°spirit¡± gets angry, will a storm appear?

    ¡°Um, may I ask you something?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? Sure. Go ahead.¡± (Fay)

    I was curious, so I decided to ask about it.

    ¡°What is a spirit?¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde looked worried, very worried, but still decided to explain while worrying. He uttered the words that came to my mind.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Hmm, well, they are creatures more magically capable than humans? No, are they even a creature¡­? I don¡¯t know.¡± (Fay)

    From the beginning, I did not understand any of what he said. It was a noticeable cross-cultural barrier.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like spirits are the forest and the forests are spirits¡­ They live in places like forests and springs¡­ They are sometimes incarnations of forests or springs. Well, they protect the area anyway. They also have much more magical power than humans.¡± (Fay)

    What is magic power? Probably has some kind of power. Maybe. I can tell from some vague gut-feeling.

    ¡°Most spirits don¡¯t like humans. But if they find a human they like, they will help them. The heroes in fairy tales are usually the ones who are favored by the high-ranked spirits and given power. I think they are someone more powerful than a human, different from a human, but more than a little capricious.¡± (Fay)

    I see. Do they generally settle down around places? In other words, they are similar to the ¡°mountain gods¡± in Japan.

    In short, I think it is a form of nature worship. No, I can see that there is magic in this world, so it would not be surprising if there really are such ¡°spirits¡±¡­

    ¡°Oh, yes. The other thing to remember is that genies have a beautiful appearance. The genies in fairy tales are all beautiful men and women. I¡¯ve never seen one in person, so I don¡¯t know what they really look like.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­But didn¡¯t he mistake me for one? I don¡¯t know what expression I should make.

    It seems that Redgarde noticed, perhaps because I was making a face like, ¡°What kind of expression should I make?¡±

    ¡°Oh, about you? Well¡­ yeah. If anyone sees a smiling human bathing surrounded by Pegasi and unicorns, they¡¯d think it was a spirit. That scene was too surreal.¡± (Fay)

    Oh yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ Well, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m strange, but that the horses are with me that is strange¡­

    A little over an hour later.

    ¡°Thanks for the help! Thank you!¡± (Fay)

    After a breakfast of carrots and fruit, Redgarde had to leave. He said he would try his best to find poachers again.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find those poachers and beat them to a pulp! I¡¯m not going to let them mess with the horses again!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. Good luck.¡± (Tougo)

    I watched Redgarde leave with a smile on his face and waved off lazily until I could no longer see his brightly colored head behind the trees.

    Well.

    The horses seemed to really like the carrots. They poke me with their noses and ask for more carrots.

    I¡¯m in charge of taking care of the horses again today. ¡­and also the bird.

    The birds came again today. They came a little later than usual because Mr. Redgarde was there, so I guess they were a little wary of me.

    Well, anyway, this huge robin is coming in happily again today and occupying the fountain. Yeah¡­ it¡¯s fine, nothing to worry about. Go ahead and bathe as long as you like.

    But today¡­ the giant bird seems to have brought something to me.

    As soon as I started to bathe, the bird pecked me and pushed ¡­¡­ something in its beak.

    ¡°Huh? Eh? What? This?¡± (Tougo)

    It was a piece of paper¡­ But¡­

    ¡°I cannot read it.¡± (Tougo)

    I tried my best to look at the paper that the bird brought to me, but I couldn¡¯t read it. I couldn¡¯t read it, because these letters were different from any letters I knew.

    It seemed to be written in an otherworldly alphabet that, unfortunately, I could not read. The only thing I could make out was that it might be some kind of contract. It¡¯s stamped with something like a seal, and there¡¯s also something like a thumbprint.

    But I don¡¯t know anything more than that¡­ So, yeah, I feel bad for the bird, but I¡¯m going to put this away for a while.

    ¡­but the bird seemed satisfied with that. It seemed to be satisfied with me having the paper, and when it saw that I had put it in my pocket, it chirped and crooned.

    After that, I lay back and relaxed on the bed. I had spent the last few days fainting in order to heal the horses, so maybe it would be better if I didn¡¯t paint anything today.

    However, if I didn¡¯t draw a picture, I would feel itchy, so I thought I should draw something, so I went outside with my sketchbook and a set of art supplies. I wandered around my neighborhood and thought that if I found something I liked, I might draw it.

    Hmm, should I have drawn Redgarde before he left? It was a shame to not make a portrait drawing ¡­

    That¡¯s when I was thinking that.

    The horse came up to me, whinnying.

    And then they pushed me hard with their nose.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± (Tougo)

    I was pushed along the front of the house, past the spring, and as soon as I got out into the open space¡­ I was scooped up by the horns of a unicorn and carried on the back of a Pegasus.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    For a moment, I wondered what this was all about while the Pegasus ran off into the forest with me on their back.

    The Pegasus was fast.

    They were moving through the forest at a breakneck pace, running through the trees without slowing down. And sometimes they would fly.

    Watching the trees in the forest drift away behind me, I can only try to hold on to Pegasus as hard as I can¡­ If I am thrown off, I will definitely die.

    The Pegasus doesn¡¯t care about my inner turmoil and just keeps running.

    ¡­Come to think of it, it seems like they are in a hurry, but they are not flying, where are they heading, or is something happening because they are in such a hurry? It just continued to be carried by the Pegasus.

    About 10 minutes after being carried by the Pegasus.

    The Pegasus I was on finally stopped. And from there onwards, they moved slowly, slowly, like they are moving forward while trying to erase their presence.

    Soon, I begin to hear what sounds like voices coming from behind the trees. I begin to see a little open space.

    ¡°Tha¡ª¡± (Tougo)

    And I retract the words that were about to come out when I see the scene that was there.

    ¡­What was there was the sight of a dozen or so people surrounding two Pegasi and trying to cut off their wings.

 Volume 1 - CH 12

    The pained neighing of the Pegasi echoes. It is followed by a bellowing laugh and angry shouts.

    Then, the sound of cutting flesh, blood spurting out and the horses¡¯ rampage can be heard all the way through.

    I couldn¡¯t move¡­ the scene was very overwhelming.

    The tips of my fingers are cold. I can¡¯t move as if I¡¯m frozen. ¡­I can¡¯t do anything while looking at the gruesome scene.

    The red of the splattered blood is unpleasantly burned into my eyes. The neighing of the Pegasus lingers in my ears. Then I hear the voices of the brutal people who cut off Pegasus¡¯s wings while it was alive¡­ The gleam of saw-like blades and the heavy thud of the clipped wings falling ¡­everything has sealed my actions.

    ¡°I was wondering what I was going to do when I almost got caught, but if you just look at the results, it¡¯s another good harvest.¡± (Poacher)

    ¡°Two horses, two pairs of wings, and the wings are still intact! I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get a good price for them!¡± (Poacher)

    The poachers laughed at each other with the horses¡¯ neighing.

    I wonder if I stayed there for a while, looking at them. The poachers¡¯ hands finally cut off the other wing of the horse.

    The Pegasi were limp, but still trying their best to scratch the ground. But with only one wing, it couldn¡¯t even fly away.

    ¡­It was about that time when the horse carrying me turned around.

    The Pegasus I was riding bent over and shook me off.

    I rolled on the ground but was not particularly hurt. In other words, it was a gentle ejection.

    Before I could wonder what was wrong, the Pegasus, who had carried me all the way here, was walking straight ahead.

    I couldn¡¯t even say, a word. I couldn¡¯t speak as quickly as I wanted, and my breath just leaked out. My half-extended hand couldn¡¯t even reach the horse¡¯s tail.

    The Pegasus is going straight ahead, straight towards the other Pegasus whose wings had been clipped off.

    ¡­Here, at last, I think. The first thing that comes to my mind is why.

    Why go all the way to the people who hurt you? Why did they shake me down here?

    Why did they bring me here?

    I don¡¯t even have to think about it.

    The Pegasus brought me here because he wanted my help.

    The Pegasus walked away and was immediately spotted by the poachers. The poachers were delighted and immediately set about catching him.

    The Pegasus was darting about, but they were not about to run away. It was as if they were trying to attract the poachers¡¯ attention while being concerned about their friends whose wings had been clipped.

    Seeing the Pegasus being chased, I rummaged through my bag.

    I take out a set of art supplies. Pencils, paints, brushes, and a sketchbook. And a bottle of water.

    I quickly begin to run my pencil through my sketchbook, hiding in the bushes to catch my breath.

    I drew a long rope. A long rope tying up poachers.

    I could heal the wings of a horse. Even the horns of unicorns could be healed. And I even bandage their wounds. If I wished¡­ I could even wrap a rope around a poacher.

    The human figure, as seen from afar, is, well, messy. But that¡¯s OK. Even a horse could be affected even if it was rather crude. Now, I don¡¯t want to spare even a second. I¡¯m going to pull out all the stops I can.

    ¡­In the meantime, the poachers finally caught the Pegasus.

    The horse, which had come all the way here with me on it, was dragged down to the ground and held down.

    Then, a saw-like blade was placed on the horse¡¯s wings¡­ and began to move.

    A horrible sound. Heart-wrenching screams. Disgusting laughter.

    I tried not to hear any of those sounds. I eliminated all information coming in through my ears and just continued to observe and draw what I could see.

    The Pegasus goes berserk. Blood splatters. A saw is swung down toward the Pegasus¡¯ back. A meaningless injury.

    I watch and observe such scenes, but still, I steadied¡ªfroze my heart, and only moved my hand¡­

    I kept on drawing. I never stopped drawing.

    The poachers caught the Pegasus, and when all three pairs of wings had been clipped off.

    ¡­finally, my drawing was completed.

    ¡°Nuh?!¡± (Poachers)

    The poachers fell down.

    Suddenly, their bodies are tied up and they fall to the ground, unable to move their hands or feet.

    Those who didn¡¯t fall were tied up with ropes connected to other poachers, so naturally, they were dragged along and fell down.

    ¡°What the hell is going on? What the hell is this?¡± (Poachers)

    ¡°Damn, hey, what¡¯s going on! Somebody, get the rope untied now!¡± (Poachers)

    I moved quickly when I saw the poachers starting to make noise.

    This time, my body moved properly. I ran, and ran, to get to the wounded Pegasi.

    As I approached, the horses wagged their tails to reassure me. I was about to cry when I heard a weak whinnying.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Let¡¯s go home. Can you walk?¡± (Tougo)

    I called out to the horses and watched as they stood up. They stood up fine. The Pegasi were brave enough to stand up straight.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll do the treatment a little later.¡± (Tougo)

    The Pegasus cried out, weak and faint, but still walked steadily. ¡­Are they really alright? It¡¯s a serious injury, but for now, it¡¯s better to leave this place. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have the Pegasi push themselves a little more and move.

    ¡°Hey, you! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± (Poacher)

    ¡°Did you do this to me? Hey!¡± (Poacher)

    The poachers were clearly shouting at me. But I ignored them all and headed back the way we had come with Pegasi.

    If possible, I wanted to go back to the house for treatment, but it looked like Pegasi would not be able to keep up their strength.

    The Pegasus, who seems to have been caught first, had several wounds on their body. ¡­Horrible thoughts weaved in my mind, but maybe this Pegasus was tortured to lure the other Pegasi with their scream.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll heal you here.¡± (Tougo)

    I can¡¯t let the Pegasus force themselves anymore. Looking back, I could no longer see the poachers.

    ¡­Then, I¡¯ll be all right. I decided to paint the horse right here.

    The wounds were bandaged. Proper wings where the wings used to be.

    I¡¯ve painted this many times over the past week. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m used to it.

    ¡°¡­almost done.¡±  (Tougo)

    I encouraged the Pegasus as I moved my brush. The past week had definitely paid off, and it only took me about 30 minutes to paint one horse.

    I painted up the Pegasus with the minimum lines and colored one horse at first. The drawing of the Pegasus trembled, swayed, squeezed, and flew toward the Pegasus, and the bandages and wings were attached to the Pegasus.

    As soon as I did, I felt like something was leaking out of my body, but I put up with it.

    ¡°Next one, let¡¯s go.¡± (Tougo)

    Then I started to draw the next Pegasus, and suddenly I thought.

    I¡¯m probably going to pass out when I finish this one.

    I was a little lost.

    There are three Pegasi. But maybe my limit is two horses before I pass out. It has been like that for the past week.

    ¡­What should I do? I think it would be very tricky if I were to faint here. Aside from the poachers chasing us, fainting in the middle of an empty forest is simply courting death.

    However, both Pegasi are badly wounded. If I faint in the middle of the forest, one of them will still have to be treated later. That¡¯s not good.

    I would only be able to treat one more animal before I passed out, but there are two more Pegasi.

    ¡­then I have no choice but to try.

    I draw two Pegasus on the drawing paper at the same time. If I was afraid I would pass out after drawing one more horse, I thought, ¡°Why not finish two horses at the same time before I pass out?¡±

    ¡­Even if I faint after drawing them, the horses will probably carry me away. Maybe.

    In the first place, would I be able to draw two horses at once and have them healed before I fainted?

    I was worried about that, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. If the treatment was incomplete, I would have to redo the drawing after I returned home.

    ¡­I drew more carefully than the first one. More, thoughtful and precise.

    And¡­ maybe it was worth it.

    As soon as I drew the two horses at the same time, the picture began to shake and tremble as usual.

    ¡­And then.

    ¡°¡­I did it!¡± (Tougo)

    In front of my eyes, each of the three Pegasi wagged their tails while flapping their wings.

    Seeing Pegasi recover safely, I feel my consciousness fading away.

    But it¡¯s a little different than before. Somehow, something is not just coming out of my body¡­ it¡¯s like the cold is entering my body.

    Gah! And the area around my chest feels painful. I cannot breathe.

    The breath I¡¯m trying to take doesn¡¯t go deep into my chest. While I was suffering from that, something was slowly coming out of my body, and my body was getting colder and colder¡­

    ¡­and moreover.

    ¡°Hey, boy. You did all that, didn¡¯t you?¡± (Poacher)

    The poachers have caught up with us.

    I think about a lot of things, like how I tied him up, or how a cage would have been better than a rope, but I can¡¯t think of anything. But even as we were doing so, the poachers were getting closer to us.

    ¡°¡­hmmm? What is it? It looks like the Pegasi are very fond of you.¡± (Poacher)

    In front of me who can¡¯t move, the Pegasi stand in their way. Spreading their wings trying to protect me from poachers.

    I wanted to say no, but I couldn¡¯t speak. I wanted to say, ¡°What are you doing, get out of here,¡± but I couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Looking closely, you¡¯re a beautiful little kid.¡± (Poacher)

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of magic beast tamer? Or¡­ well, whatever.¡± (Poacher)

    The poachers looked at me through the wings of their horses and chuckled.

    ¡°It looks like you will sell well.¡± (Poacher)

    ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡± (Voice)

    But the hand that was extended to me never reached me or the Pegasi. Instead, I heard a familiar voice in the distance¡­

    ¡­and then I passed out. Well, it can¡¯t be helped.

 Volume 1 - CH 13

    I woke up and found myself in bed.

    For a while, I try to remember why I was here, what I could remember before I went to bed¡­ and then I saw a horse peeking out of the window on the side of the bed and remembered various things.

    I got up and got out of bed in a hurry and approached the window. Then I saw horses, many, many horses, herded near the window.

    And at the head of the pack are the three horses that were badly hurt by the poachers. I remember the color of their feathers and manes, so I¡¯m quite sure.

    ¡°Are they okay?¡± (Tougo)

    When I opened the window and reached out, the horse snuggled up to my hand. Wings flutter on its back. The wound is properly bandaged, and the bandage isn¡¯t bleeding, so maybe the wound is getting better.

    ¡°¡­that¡¯s good.¡± (Tougo)

    I was relieved, and then, as soon as I was relieved, my body relaxed.

    The first time I slumped to the floor, I realized that I had no strength in my body.

    ¡­Now, how long have I been asleep? The first thing that comes to my mind is the fact that my body is not strong enough.

    I left the room while moving against the wall, and when I left the house, Redgarde was there. As soon as Redgarde sees me, he looks very worried.

    ¡°Oh, hey, you¡¯re up. Are you okay?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Somehow.¡± (Tougo)

    I have a strange feeling that I can¡¯t get any strength into my body¡­ and to put it simply, that¡¯s all. Even if I say that my body doesn¡¯t have strength, it¡¯s not so much that I can¡¯t move.

    ¡°Was it Redgarde who carried me?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ sorry. I left you in the hands of the Pegasi and the others and they started trying to lay you near the spring to sleep.¡± (Fay)

    That¡¯s good that you carried me¡­ I think I would have caught a cold if I had slept in the spring.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad. Thank you. By the way, what about the poachers?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Those guys have already been taken away. They¡¯re in the town¡¯s jail.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, I see. That¡¯s good. I was worried about my horse if those guys were still in the forest.

    ¡°¡­however.¡± (Fay)

    However, Redgard made a sour face.

    ¡°The charges against them so far are ¡®intruding into the Forbidden Forest¡¯.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­not poaching?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t witness any poaching going on, and I don¡¯t know how to disprove they weren¡¯t poaching and that they were just entering the forest. They didn¡¯t take the Pegasus feathers or unicorn horns yet. We couldn¡¯t find them, so we can¡¯t charge them with the crime.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Of course. The Pegasi and I were the only ones who caught them red-handed, and what Redgarde saw was probably three energetic Pegasi, the poachers facing us, and me fainting for no particular reason. They could say I¡¯m exhausted. If they hid the wings somewhere or throw them away¡­ The ¡°We were not poaching¡± phrase will pass.

    When I think about it¡­ it makes me regret that I fainted without doing anything.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m still glad. At any rate, Pegasus and you are both safe.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± (Tougo)

    For the time being, I¡¯m glad I found out what happened after I collapsed. ¡­As far as the result of the situation is concerned, it is not good.

    ¡°I was really scared. You found the poacher before I did, and you were about to be attacked by them¡­ and then you just collapsed and haven¡¯t moved for three days.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­huh?

    Three days¡­?

    ¡°Three days?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yes, three days! What the hell did you do to be left in that state¡­? Every time I come here, you haven¡¯t moved an inch. I thought you were dead¡­¡± (Fay)

    Ugh¡­that¡¯s scary.

    I was unconscious for three days. With no external injuries? That¡¯s scary¡­ That¡¯s very scary. What is that? What kind of condition was I in?

    ¡°Did you use some kind of powerful magic? I knew a magician who experienced something like that when he knocked a big enemy.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­maybe that¡¯s it.¡± (Tougo)

    Maybe it happened because I drew two horses to heal them simultaneously. After all, one horse at a time would have knocked me out for about six hours¡­ but this was three days.

    ¡°You have to be really careful, alright? Somehow, I feel like you¡¯re not familiar with magic¡­ You made me worry after finding you.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Umm, yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± (Tougo)

    Well, it¡¯s unfamiliar. What is magic? Is it a state of being?

    Yeah¡­ So, for now, I¡¯ll be careful. It seems that if I forcefully draw a horse, I will sleep for three days.

    ¡°¡­By the way, about the poachers.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh. What is it?¡± (Fay)

    I was more concerned about the poachers, not about the fact that I had been asleep for three days.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you somehow bring them to justice for poaching? For example¡­ can¡¯t I testify?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well, I appreciate that very much¡­ How and what are you going to testify about?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well, you see¨CLook, both the Pegasi and you are safe.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde tilted his head and said,

    ¡°Currently, there are no injured Pegasi or unicorns.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Ah.

    Oh, I see¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ I deliberately erased the evidence. Since there is no wounded horse, you can¡¯t prove the crime of injuring a horse. That¡¯s how it is.

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m grateful for your feelings, but it¡¯s difficult. The only thing you can testify is ¡®I saw a poacher chasing the Pegasi¡¯, but there¡¯s no evidence for that.¡± (Fay)

    Well¡­ I screwed up, didn¡¯t I?

    I interfered with Redgarde by healing the horses. It might not have been good for the horse either way

    ¡°¡­Well, don¡¯t be so glum! The poachers, well, we¡¯ve taken care of them for now. ¡­but look, the Pegasi are saved! The Pegasi are happy! I¡¯m sure they¡¯re grateful too. And look at the proof of how much they adore you! They stuck to your window and wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± (Fay)

    As if to prove Redgarde¡¯s point, the horses rubbed up against me. And they tickled me with their feathers. I was very ticklish.

    ¡°Well, come with me. For now, you should eat something. I was able to give you some water. But you haven¡¯t eaten anything for three days.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Having heard that I feel like I¡¯m feeling hungry. Yes. I am hungry.

    The horses also brought me fruit, as if to say, ¡°Eat.¡± The cutest one was a unicorn who brought me a peach on the end of his horn. I see. So that¡¯s how you carry things. Of course.

    ¡­ I was a little depressed that I didn¡¯t do so well, but there was no use in being depressed. For now, I decided to eat some food to cheer myself up.

    ¡°The fruit here is so good, well, I knew it would be good. Why is it so sweet, though?¡± (Fay)

    I couldn¡¯t say to Redgarde, who was picking fruit from the trees around the fountain and eating it, ¡°Those are Japanese fruits,¡± so I made small talk with him while trying to hide the fact. I don¡¯t know what kind of fruits this world has to offer, but I¡¯m sure that the fruits that have been bred by modern Earthlings are delicious.

    ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s right. Tougo. I forgot to mention earlier that there are ways to deal with poachers.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    While I was surprised by the sudden change of subject, I was also surprised by the content. After all, didn¡¯t you just say that you had no choice but to charge them with ¡°trespassing in the forbidden forest¡±?

    ¡°We can¡¯t prove that we caught them in the act. But if they plan to sell them, we might be able to prove that they were guilty. If there is evidence of transactions in which they sold Pegasus feathers and unicorn horns on the black market, we can use that to bring justice upon them!¡± (Fay)

    Oh, yeah. The poachers were catching horse horns and feathers and selling them. And if we can prove they were selling them, we can find them guilty of poaching.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll do it. I, Fay Bullard Redgarde, vow to protect the peace of this forest in the name of the Redgarde family! I promise!¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde said and smiled brightly to reassure me and the horses.

    ¡°¡­So, I have to get going now.¡± (Fay)

    Then Redgarde stood up. He must be busy too. However, he was probably worried about me and came to the depths of the forest. ¡­I feel horrible to put him through that.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to town, find out where the poachers are lurking, and search their homes. If I can find even a single proof, a contract, that¡¯s good enough for me!¡± (Fay)

    But when Redgarde said this, he smiled at me without showing any signs of fatigue.

    I was looking at him¡­ Then I suddenly remembered something else.

    ¡°Um, will this do?¡± (Tougo)

    Combing through my memory, I remember that I put something like that in my bag. That¡¯s why I searched my bag¡­ and there was indeed a piece of paper that had been in there for the past three days.

    ¡°Can you read this?¡± (Tougo)

    I unfolded it and handed it to Redgarde, who read it¡­ and he made a confused expression.

    ¡°¡­I found what I was looking for before I even looked for it.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Here, it¡¯s a contract. It¡¯s proof that they traded unicorn horns and Pegasus feathers.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I see. That¡¯s good. Great even.

    ¡°No, why do you have all this stuff? Did you pick it up near poachers or something?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No. I got it from a bird.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°A bird¡­ you really are a mysterious person¡­¡± (Fay)

    No, I¡¯m not the mysterious one, the bird is the mysterious one.

    After that, Redgarde took the contract and left.

    ¡­I couldn¡¯t ask him in detail, but I¡¯m sure he helped me. Once again, I would like to thank him properly.

    While I was thinking this in a daze, the usual giant bird came and started to bathe. I guess it was because I hadn¡¯t been around for a while, and it was tilting its head at me.

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re the mysterious one, you know?¡± (Tougo)

    I couldn¡¯t help but say that when I saw the bird. Truly. This bird is a very mysterious one.

 Volume 1 - CH 14

    That night I spent the night in a place that wasn¡¯t my bed.

    Somewhere. Outside, in front of the house.

    I slept under a tree, wrapped in a blanket, and¡­ surrounded by horses.

    I ended up relaxing at the fountain until the evening after seeing Redgarde off, but when I tried to go inside afterward, the horses wouldn¡¯t let me leave.

    I think they were probably anxious. The horses had just had a bad experience, and my lying down seemed to have caused them to worry.

    ¡­So, I went outside to sleep surrounded by the horses.

    I was so nervous, but I was not comfortable.

    I think I have a tendency to get restless when I sleep with other animals around me, especially horses. Horses, in particular, have a higher body temperature than humans, and when they are close by, you can tell that they are close by. ¡­Well, it¡¯s hard to relax.

    The horses maybe the same too, and when I think their eyes are closed, they open them, and I don¡¯t know whether they are sleeping or not. I wonder if they are still restless. I can¡¯t say for sure, but I think it might be because horses are creatures that don¡¯t sleep that much in the first place.

    Since I can¡¯t sleep, I think about a lot of things.

    First of all, the poachers. Will they be properly punished?

    ¡­I feel a bit hazy when I think about this. I want them to be punished, but I feel guilty for wanting them to be punished.

    Well¡­ I can¡¯t help it. I am that kind of person.

    And then there¡¯s the bird.

    It was that bird that brought the proof that would be used to punish the poachers.

    I wonder what that bird really is. In a world where there are horses with feathers and horns, I wondered if giant robins were common, but even so¡­ that bird seems strange.

    They are very expressive. They are not afraid of people. They let me hold their eggs. I don¡¯t know where or how they got it, but they even brought me the contract.

    What on earth is that thing?

    ¡­And finally, my thoughts turn to the world from which I came.

    I¡¯ve probably been in this world for about a month now. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m counting the days correctly. Maybe about a month.

    Speaking of one month¡­ I wonder if I¡¯ll be okay when I go back to my world. What about my high school credits? Will I have enough days of attendance?

    I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never really paid attention to that part of the system. I¡¯ve never missed a day of school unless I caught a cold or something, so I guess that means I never had to worry about it.

    Yeah, well, I¡¯ve attended almost everything so far, so my credits would still probably be fine.

    If it doesn¡¯t work¡­ yeah, I don¡¯t want to think about it too much. I should stop.

    But even if I leave the high school credits behind, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have to go to cram school every day. I might not have time to draw¡­ because I would have to study for what I missed because of my absence.

    ¡­I hate it.

    I don¡¯t want to go back to my old world.

    There¡¯s only one clear reason why I want to go back, but that¡¯s it¡­ but there are too many other things that are too complicated.

    Now that I¡¯ve come to this world and I¡¯m enjoying my life, I wonder if it¡¯s too much, but¡­ but I think I¡¯m getting more uninterested in going back to my old world.

    When I was lounging among the horses while thinking, dawn came before I knew it. I don¡¯t know if I stayed up all night or if I fell asleep and not noticed.

    ¡­whatever.

    The dawn sky glows pinkish and is very beautiful. Just seeing it was worth the trouble of not being able to sleep well.

    And then¡­ Well, maybe the horses were satisfied.

    That day, I was being taken care of by the horses.

    When I went to bed and woke up, the horses had already brought me fruits for breakfast, and then the unicorns carried me to the spring to let me bathe, and then I was dried by the feathers of the Pegasi, but I got a change of clothes by myself, and then I had to nap again, surrounded by horses.

    ¡­what¡¯s going on?

    Various horses came next to me, one after another. Apparently, they were taking their turn. Well, I don¡¯t know why they take turns, but at any rate, they are smart¡­

    That night, too, I slept surrounded by horses. ¡­It was getting hard to sleep on the ground with blankets and horses as bedding, so I decided to hang a hammock from a tree and sleep there. The horse still seemed to agree with me. He still tried to sleep under my hammock, though and tried to be with me in some way.

    And the next day.

    ¡­I was feeling somewhat better.

    I had been surrounded by horses last night and the night before and hadn¡¯t been able to sleep much, so I thought maybe I hadn¡¯t recovered particularly well¡­ but it turns out that wasn¡¯t the case, and I no longer felt any physical discomfort.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I slept surrounded by horses.¡± (Tougo)

    I tried whispering to the horses, but the horses were just walking leisurely and eating grass, without responding to anything in particular. ¡­I don¡¯t think there is such a thing as animal therapy or in this case horse therapy. Hmm¡­

    Now that I feel a little better, I started to paint again.

    This time, it¡¯s just a sketch. I found a beautiful stone in Redgarde was wearing¡­ and I wanted to record the feeling of it, so I drew it.

    A bracelet with a deep red stone. I drew it, remembering how it looked on his left wrist.

    At that moment.

    ¡°Hey! Tougo!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I saw Redgarde coming from far away with a smile on his face.

    ¡°We did it! We caught all the poachers!¡± (Fay)

    Apparently, he was able to successfully incriminate the poachers after that using the contract.

    ¡°There are still a lot of procedures to go through. But for now, it is done!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡± (Tougo)

    Now there will be no more poachers. The horses would be safe. That¡¯s really good.

    I called out to the horses, ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± and they neighed cheerfully. Yes, that¡¯s good.

    ¡°I¡¯m really indebted to you this time. You caught the poachers and even prepared the contract that I need.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°The horses saved each other, and the bird helped you, not me. And as for the poachers, I¡¯m sorry I put you through all that trouble.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°No, you saved me. I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯m going to do it without your help. It was relatively easy to bring down the poachers, and I was able to pull the traffickers together with them.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, I see. If there are people selling horse feathers and horns, there are also people buying them. And this time, he caught the ¡°buyers¡± as well.

    That¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad to hear that, even though it wasn¡¯t me at all.

    ¡°¡­but you were the one who saved me. If it weren¡¯t you, the Pegasi, Unicorns, and umm, bird? I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t have moved.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde said and patted my back.

    ¡°So, thank you, Tougo!¡± (Fay)

    I see. I¡¯m glad I was able to help you.

    ¡­But please use a little less force.

    ¡°¡­So, I was wondering how I could thank you. I thought ¡°stuff¡± would not be good, wouldn¡¯t it? You, you can get everything you want if you draw it¡­¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde¡¯s eyes are on the bracelet I am drawing in my sketchbook.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t draw this one because I wanted it, but because it was beautiful and it was for recording.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, is that so. A record¡­ well, it would certainly be the most complete record if the actual thing remained intact.¡± (Fay)

    I didn¡¯t intend to materialize it¡­ And that¡¯s why I drew it while trying not to draw too much detail¡­ but I¡¯ll keep quiet about it.

    ¡°I wonder what would be good¡­ maybe a medal? I¡¯m going to consult with my father.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t need that.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Is that so? Territory then?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I do not need it.¡± (Tougo)

    If I own land, it will be troublesome. ¡­That¡¯s right.

    ¡°What do you want then? I¡¯d like to give you whatever you want, as long as I can make it happen.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­anything?¡± (Tougo)

    I was a little hesitant while looking up at Redgarde, but for the sake of the future, I decided to say something.

    ¡°Then, please give me permission to live here.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­you really do not desire anything¡­¡± (Fay)

    I want you to say that I am security-focused.

    ¡­after some time.

    Did Redgard go through various procedures after that? It seems that he managed to do something about the poachers. He seemed to be busy, but he took time out of his busy schedule to come to visit us.

    He brought me food and brushes for my horses as souvenirs.

    He also told me many stories¡­ above all.

    ¡°Well, let me take a short nap!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Okay. Then let me draw a little.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha. Okay, I¡¯ll take a little nap. Take your time.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Same to you.¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde comes here to play, takes a nap or a break, and then goes home. In short, he seems to come here to relax.

    And while he naps, rests, and reads, I am allowed to use him as a model to do figure drawing.

    Today, too, he started napping in the hammock, and I started practicing sketching with him right away.

    Human beings have complex shapes. It¡¯s interesting.

    ¡­¡­ Yeah. I¡¯m glad Redgarde came to visit us. It¡¯s fun

 Volume 1 - CH 15.1

    Redgarde came to visit that day as well.

    ¡­and that day became a memorable day.

    ¡°Excuse me! Please give me something to wipe with!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Here.¡± (Tougo)

    I handed him a towel at the door and he thanked me and began to wipe himself.

    ¡­So.

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s raining! It just came pouring down so suddenly.¡± (Fay)

    Today is the first rainy day since I came to the otherworld.

    Come to think of it, this is the first rainy day since I came to this world. It¡¯s been sunny all this time, so the rain feels really refreshing.

    When I was staying outdoors it didn¡¯t rain even once, which was really nice.

    ¡°That¡¯s something. Did you put a roof over the horses¡¯ head too?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes. I drew it in a hurry when it started raining.¡± (Tougo)

    When it rained, the horses got wet and I felt sorry for them, so I quickly made a roof next to the bathing area so they could take shelter from the rain.

    ¡­The reason why I built a hut next to the spring as a bathing area is that Redgarde has been coming to visit often. Yes, he comes suddenly, and if I am not ready, he could see me. ¡­well, it¡¯s quite embarrassing to be seen after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for them, too. They get to stay dry during the rain and have a comfortable place to stay.¡± (Fay)

    Come to think of it, this area has become a playground for Pegasi and Unicorns. I noticed that a rather ridiculous number of them were gathering. It looks like I could run a ranch.

    And since such a ridiculous number of horses were coming, I decided to build a larger place for them to take shelter from the rain. Yes, it was a big deal. It was very tiring to materialize something so big.

    But I guess that means I have grown up. If I had painted a roof of this size before, I would have fainted, but now I feel fine.

    ¡­I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t rain until now.

    ¡°Come to think of it, doesn¡¯t it rain much around here?¡± (Tougo)

    I noticed that it hadn¡¯t rained in over a month, so I asked.

    Then,

    ¡°Hmm?¡± No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. ¡­Well, the last time it rained was a little over half a month ago, huh? Yeah, there certainly hasn¡¯t been much rain recently.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Redgarde replied with such an answer.

    What is it? When you say a little over half a month ago is that when I met the bird? Or was it a little earlier? Well, either way, it was around the time I was camping out in the field, but I don¡¯t think it rained then.

    Maybe it didn¡¯t rain only in the forest? No, no way¡­

    ¡°So, Tougo. I¡¯m sorry, but can I stay here tonight? It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to stop raining¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. Please do.¡± (Tougo)

    And with that Redgarde decided to stay the night. I don¡¯t mind, actually.

    ¡­I noticed, if I did not ¡°materialize what I draw¡± but ¡°reflect what I draw¡±, it is easy to build more guestrooms. So, I made a guestroom. With this, Redgarde can take it easy. I can practice drawing people as much as I want. Yippee!

    ¡°Oh, damn, I can¡¯t wait for it to stop¡­¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde scratches his head, looks out the window, and sighs.

    ¡°Do you hate the rain?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t like it much¡­ Especially when I¡¯m on the road.¡± (Fay)

    I see. He does not like the rain when traveling. I understand that.

    ¡°What about you? Do you like the rain?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I like rain. Although my paints don¡¯t dry well and my laundry doesn¡¯t dry well, I like to look out the window and see the rain falling softly. I really like it.

    I also like the quietness of a rainy day. All the sounds around me disappear and become the sound of the rain. This area is in the forest, so it is quiet, to begin with, but even so, the atmosphere is different on a rainy day. The white mist and the distant trees look like pale greens and grays. Oh, I want to paint this forest too. I have to draw it in a more abstract way so that it would not be materialized when I drew it

    I started painting the forest at the eaves of the house. Redgarde is relaxing inside the house.

    Come to think of it, I don¡¯t know much about him¡­

    He doesn¡¯t seem to hesitate to talk about himself, but I don¡¯t talk much about myself, so I feel like we are not giving an equal exchange, and I¡¯m mostly the one who¡¯s listening. I think we only know each other as acquaintances.

    But I do know that Redgarde seems to be having a hard time at home these days.

    He said he¡¯s having a hard time cleaning up after the poachers.

    I heard that his family is the lord of this area, which means that he is a nobleman.

    And because of that, I heard that he has a lot of difficulties. He is exempted from socializing because he is the second son, but he is made to do things like policing misbehavior in the territory because he is the second son. Yeah, I am not really sure.

    ¡­Well, I mean, when Redgarde comes here to visit, it¡¯s usually when he wants to take a break.

    It¡¯s quiet here, and I think it¡¯s a nice place. And the horses are here.

    But¡­ the only thing that makes me wonder is how Redgarde got here.

    I asked him how long it would take to get to his house from here, and he said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know where I was going, it would probably take a little over half a day. But if you know where you¡¯re going and you move fast enough, it¡¯ll take you about an hour. I wonder what I have to do to make a half-day walk into an hour.

    ¡­There is one more thing I am wondering about.

    I am wondering how Redgarde saved me from the poachers when he rescued me.

    I don¡¯t know because I fainted immediately, but I wonder how many poachers there were who came to capture us. If everyone I had tied up with ropes at that time had slipped through the ropes and were chasing me, there must have been more than 10 people.

    And Redgarde alone dealt with all of them? ¡­but he doesn¡¯t have anything particularly weapon-like with him.

    Hmmm¡­ Well, never mind. I guess there¡¯s no point in even thinking about it. If it really bothers you, I¡¯ll ask him again next time.

    I stopped wondering and started concentrating on the forest painting again.

    The forest on a rainy day is still beautiful. But drawing rain is so difficult.

    ¡­I had seen an oil painting of a rainy forest before. There was a forest and a river, and then it rained and had a white blanket, but it was not fog, it was rain.

    If I could, I would like to paint something like that. I have only been using watercolors since I came to this world, but I think it is time to start using oil paints. I¡¯m sure oil paints will come out if I paint it. Well, my memory of them is not that great, so I will have to work a little harder to remember¡­

    The forest was a little cold on a rainy day. It was a little chilly in the forest on a rainy day, wearing only a shirt and pants that I had roughly drawn.

    I get goosebumps under my shirt. Yes, it is cold after all. I¡¯m the type of person who likes to close all the buttons up to the first button, so it won¡¯t get any warmer than this.

    I wonder if I should prepare something to wear, but for now, I think I¡¯ll just use a blanket. It is raining now, so I want to paint a rainy forest. I don¡¯t have time to draw clothes.

    ¡­So, I got up and thought, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll bring a blanket.¡±

    The horses neigh.

    As if they were scared of something.

    I looked into the distance. I am sure that I can see something approaching in the rain¡­

    It was a few people in hooded cloaks, wet from the pouring rain, but definitely coming this way¡­

    And¡­ it was a huge serpent, made of water.

 Volume 1 - CH 15.2

    And¡­ it was a huge serpent, made of water.

    My first thought was that it was beautiful.

    I don¡¯t know about people, but a giant snake made of water is very beautiful. Beyond the transparent body, I could see the green of the forest through it. Ripples float on the surface of its body as it is hit by the rain. The body shakes as it moves, and the landscape is distorted within the body.

    ¡­It makes me think that there are really strange creatures in the otherworld. Well, I don¡¯t know if they are living creatures or not.

    Anyway, I looked at the group of people and felt a slight sense of emergency¡­ but I still stared at them.

    It was then.

    One of the people spoke something, and a water serpent, apparently having heard it, swung its tail up¡­

    ¡­swinging its tail down onto the roof where the horses were sheltering from the rain.

    A terrible noise. The roof, made of wooden shingles, cracked and shattered. Beams snapped and pillars collapsed.

    ¡­The horses that had been sheltering from the rain under the roof, ran this way and that way, neighing¡­ and finally came toward me.

    The Pegasi spread their wings and stood in front of the house. The unicorns lower their head in front of them, their horns poised in an attack position.

    I also put down my painting tools and went down in front of the house.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a strange kid here. He looks like a man, but I never thought he would be able to tame a unicorn like this. Is he¡­ a magic beast?¡± (Man)

    The hooded person who approached us said with a grin¡­ a disturbing grin. I¡¯ve seen it many times in my original world. It¡¯s a very disgusting expression.

    ¡°¡­something you want with our horses?¡± (Tougo)

    I thought it would look dangerous if I was surrounded by the horses, but I still said that. I don¡¯t hide the meaning of ¡°Whether you have a business or not, please go back quickly.¡±

    ¡°Horses, huh? It¡¯s interesting that you call Pegasi and Unicorns horses. ¡­but yes, they are. I have no use for Pegasus or unicorns ¡®right now¡¯. Of course, if there is something I can have, I would take it.¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­When I heard the word ¡°take¡±, I figured it out.

    These guys are those poachers¡¯ companions.

    ¡°Our target is the second son of the Redgardes. He¡¯s here, right? Come on bring him out.¡± (Man)

    ¡°¡­he¡¯s not here.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha. I don¡¯t care for your transparent lies. We know he¡¯s here.¡± (Man)

    Yeah, well, I guess so.

    ¡°He was there, but he had already left, just before the rain gets stronger. He seems quite busy.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± (Man)

    I felt it would be difficult to go through with just ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± so I made a slight adjusting. But I guess this isn¡¯t really strange. Maybe.

    I¡¯m sure that Redgarde¡¯s personality is such that he has no hesitation in staying at my house¡­ but apparently, the person in front of me knows Redgarde, and if so, he knows that he¡¯s busy.

    ¡­and so, I thought.

    I had something wrapped around my body.

    However, before I could think, my body was squeezed. The thing that was tightening around me was the tail of the water serpent that had appeared at my feet before I knew it.

    The Pegasi flapped their wings in a panic and the unicorns poked at the water serpent, but it seemed that its body made of water would not accept any attack. I tried to struggle, but my hands just slipped into the water and I could not resist at all. But the force that was squeezing me was getting stronger and stronger.

    ¡°Ugh¡±

    My breath escaped from my voice. My lungs were compressed against my ribs, and the air was escaping from my body.

    My bones creaked. It was painful. Blood rushes to my head. My head is hot. But the place being touched is cold and chilly.

    ¡­ The moment I thought I was going to be strangled to death, the force that was squeezing me weakened.

    Suddenly, air entered my lungs and I coughed. Water got into the wrong place.

    ¡°Poor thing. Apparently, Redgarde doesn¡¯t trust you. If he¡¯d known what he was up to, he wouldn¡¯t have lied to you.¡± (Man)

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    The hooded man said so and then instructed the water serpent to do something.

    Instantly, my body is lifted high. The tail of the mysterious serpent was still holding on to me, even though the Pegasi were flying around trying to help me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about someone who doesn¡¯t trust you, do you? Come on, tell me. Where is he?¡± (Man)

    I was puzzled by the meaning of what he said, but I knew I shouldn¡¯t tell him where Redgarde was, so I just kept my mouth shut.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. Then, should I drag it from inside you?¡± (Man)

    The tail of the snake that was constricting me reached up to my mouth.

    ¡­Ah, I had a bad feeling about this.

    My bad premonition came true, and the tail made of water tried to enter my mouth. No, this is a horrible situation. I will drown.

    But there was nothing I could do, so I shook my head and struggled to escape the snake¡¯s tail¡­

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Oh, yeah. It seems that he has come.

    ¡°Let him go. I¡¯m your target, right? What?¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde had gone out of the house.

    As soon as Redgarde came out, the snake¡¯s tail stopped aiming at my mouth. It seemed to have been distracted.

    I was saved, but I was not in a situation to rejoice. I was in a bad situation, no matter how I look at it.

    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here.¡± (Man)

    ¡°Oh, yes. I heard a loud voice. You woke me up. What do you want?¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde came out of the front door and walked straight toward us. I wonder if it¡¯s better for him not to come here¡­

    ¡°Hmm. It seems that you have a connection with this kid?¡± (Man)

    ¡°¡­Oh. He is my benefactor.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Yeah, it¡¯s my fault. This. I think it would have been better if Redgarde didn¡¯t come out, but he had to because I got caught. I¡¯m really sorry.

    ¡°I see. Well then, would it be fun to strangle the kid right here and now?¡± (Man)

    ¡°Hey!¡± (Fay)

    For a moment, the constricting force became stronger, but the moment Redgarde yelled out, the grip weakened again.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t do it¡­ You mess with that guy you¡¯ll get me angry. The Pegasi and unicorns too, and¡­ probably the spirits of this forest won¡¯t be silent either.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm. Spirits, huh? I wish you could have said something better. But¡­ it is certain that the Pegasi and Unicorns will not be calm. In that case, I wouldn¡¯t like to start any unnecessary fight.¡± (Man)

    The hooded man said with a nasty smile on his face¡­

    ¡°Throw away your equipment quietly. Well, I don¡¯t think you can fight in this rain.¡± (Man)

    Redgarde glared at them. The eyes are as bright and sharp as a blazing fire.

    ¡­and then he removed his bracelet, earrings, and his cross tie, and threw them into the fountain.

    With a plop, the four bright red jewels sink to the bottom of the water.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite a graceful thing to do, huh?¡± (Man)

    ¡°Heh. Thank you.¡± (Fay)

    After Redgardw spat out a reply, he sat down on the grass.

    ¡°Done. You can take me with you if you want. But leave that kid alone, will you?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°It¡¯s helpful are quick on the uptake. Mr. Incompetent.¡± (Man)

    The hooded man signaled, and the other hooded men came and tied up Redgarde. ¡­And then.

    ¡°Hey! I told you to let him go!¡± (Fay)

    Another rope was wrapped around me.

    ¡°Huh. If we mess with this kid, The Pegasi and Unicorns won¡¯t shut up, right? ¡­In other words, this kid a good bait. Naturally, we won¡¯t let such a precious bait go. It doesn¡¯t make any sense otherwise, does it?¡± (Man)

    After both Redgarde and I were tied up, the water serpent took me and Redgarde into its mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you. Not here anyway¡­¡± (Man)

    ¡°You¡­¡­!¡± (Fay)

    Then we were swallowed by the water serpent¡­ and I fainted.

 Volume 1 - CH 16

    ¡­I woke up in a daze, it felt like I was dreaming, but when I tried to recall, I couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    Instead, I opened my eyes, and there it was an unfamiliar place.

    Dark gray stone floors and walls. I rolled over and saw that the ceiling was also made of stone. Then I turned¡­ and saw that the wall in the opposite direction to the one I was facing at first had iron bars. There, Redgarde, lying down on the side of the iron bars.

    ¡­I suddenly remember everything that happened before I fell asleep all at once, and I try to move, but I can¡¯t move. I think my teacher told me that when your will is flooded all at once, your mind gets confused, and you can¡¯t move on the spur of the moment.

    Finally, two breaths later, I finally start to move my body.

    It seems that the reason my arms and legs don¡¯t move well is that they are bound. It seems that my wrists and ankles are bound.

    Since it can¡¯t be helped, I had no choice but to turn over and roll over to get to Redgarde¡¯s side.

    Every time I rolled on the floor, I got dust on my body. But I couldn¡¯t care less. I couldn¡¯t care less about the coldness of the floor.

    ¡°¡­Redgarde.¡± (Tougo)

    I finally reach Redgarde and try to talk to him, but he doesn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Redgarde.¡± (Tougo)

    I try shaking him while calling. I can¡¯t use my hands, so I¡¯m sorry, but I had to kick his leg. Just a little kick.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde grunted¡­ then started to wriggle and turned toward me.

    ¡°¡­Tougo? Are you safe?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde seemed to be barely conscious, but he tried to blink several times, then shook his head and finally got up. I saw that and did my best to get up too. It was a little hard to get up without using my hands¡­ it was like doing sit-ups.

    ¡°Wait¡­ Damn, where is this place?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I do not know.¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde looked around and said, ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon¡±. Yeah, I can see that, too. It should be expected.

    ¡°Damn, those bastards¡­ I will never forgive them.¡± (Fay)

    Grunting and saying this in a voice that sounded like he had crawled from the bottom of the earth, Redgarde stared outside the jail, behind the bars¡­ where no one and nothing was there, and eventually let out a big sigh.

    ¡°Oh f*ck, I¡¯m so sorry, Tougo. I got you in this mess because of my blunder.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah, well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± (Tougo)

    The first words that followed were an apology to me, so he really is a nice guy, isn¡¯t he?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure those people are related to the poachers. Then it¡¯s hard to say I had nothing to do with it.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well, that said, you still shouldn¡¯t have been involved¡­¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde¡¯s apology seemed to be about to continue, so I interrupted him and asked,

    ¡°But I¡¯m involved. So please tell me. How is our situation?¡± (Tougo)

    For now, let¡¯s just check the situation. Lying on the stone floor isn¡¯t going to make things better.

    ¡°¡­about the guys who put you and me in here. They¡¯re connected to the poachers¡­ they are the ones who purchase materials from the Pegasi and unicorns.¡± (Fay)

    Ah, the people who are going to be dragged by the contract.

    ¡°When the poachers were caught, the ¡®buyers¡¯ shared the crime, but it seems that the people running the black market didn¡¯t like it. They resented me.¡± (Fay)

    It¡¯s a normal result, I think. Well. Poachers and black marketers wouldn¡¯t be happy being caught.

    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯ve been after me for the past few days.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s ¡­¡­ a lot of work.

    I looked at Redgarde, expressing ¡°good job¡± resulting in him giving an awkward smile¡­ and then said boldly.

    ¡°About what they said¡­ so, about, me, well. I cannot fight when it¡¯s raining, you know. So, when I saw that it was going to rain, I ran to your place. However, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d follow me into the forest¡­ That¡¯s how I got you into this. I¡¯m really, really sorry

    Then Redgarde told me about his abilities.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that good with magic or swordsmanship. They called me an¡­ ¡®incompetent¡¯. It¡¯s exactly what they say.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde said. Even if I don¡¯t think so, maybe he considers himself ¡°incompetent¡±. He had that kind of tone.

    ¡°So, I bought it with money¡­. I bought my abilities. Remember my earrings, bracelet, and cross tie? Those are my weapons. I have summoned beasts within them.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Summoned Beasts?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah. Four fire spirits. Two with wolf forms and two with bird forms.¡± (Fay)

    Fire spirits¡­? No, I can¡¯t imagine them at all. I¡¯d like to see them when we get out of here.

    But still, a fire spirit in the form of a wolf and a fire spirit in the form of a bird? ¡­Oh.

    ¡°¡­were you riding them when you came into the woods, by any chance?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re very perceptive. Yes, that¡¯s what I did. In the woods, I¡¯d ride the wolf. Outside, it¡¯s the birds.¡± (Fay)

    I see. So, half a day one way in an hour. ¡­That¡¯s crazy fast, you know? Well, it¡¯s a little scary, but I still want to see it.

    ¡°¡­but they¡¯re made of fire. So, I can¡¯t use them on rainy days.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°So, they disappear, huh?¡± (Tougo)

    I don¡¯t know what fire spirits are, but I guess they are made of fire. If that¡¯s the case, it would be a pity to t bring them out in the rain.

    ¡°Yeah. Well, if possible, I wanted to use summoned beasts that aren¡¯t fire-attribute, but¡­ I don¡¯t have any talent other than summoning fire-attribute summoned beasts.¡± (Fay)

    I wonder if Redgarde is mocking himself. That¡¯s what I read from his expression.

    ¡°I can¡¯t use any decent magic on my own, so I bought my ability with money, but I can¡¯t even use it properly. I¡¯m quite pathetic, aren¡¯t I?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± (Tougo)

    I don¡¯t think so. From my point of view, the fact that he has a fire spirit inside the jewel and he can control the fire spirits is pretty amazing.

    But I guess that¡¯s not how Redgarde feels. So, no matter what I say, it won¡¯t help him.

    I know that, at least somehow.

    ¡°¡­something about the Redgarde family. Our family has been producing tamers for generations. It is said that our ancestors command red dragons to fight.¡± (Fay)

    Then Redgarde to change the subject, showed me the crest on his belt buckle and said,

    ¡°Look. It¡¯s even in our family crest, you know? The dragon.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­Dragon.¡± (Tougo)

    The crest was apparently the family crest of Redgarde¡¯s family, and there was a dragon cloaked in flames.

    ¡°It looks cool, right?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I grinned at him and nodded in reply. The way the dragon is drawn is good. The design is quite simplified because it¡¯s a crest, but it¡¯s still a dragon, and it¡¯s still a flame. I like it. It¡¯s not a simple sketch, but I¡¯d like to study the design at least once.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to command a dragon too, even if it¡¯s just one time.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde said with a faraway look.

    ¡°I heard that red dragons are already extinct. But there are still ordinary dragons out there, so the possibility is not zero. Though, I doubt it will come true.¡± (Fay)

    His eyes darken a little.

    ¡°My father and brother can use summoned beasts other than fire-attribute, but dragons impossible. So, if I could just¡­¡± (Fay)

    His eyes closed tightly.

    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m being too ambitious, especially for someone like me, who can only use fire-attribute summons, to even wish for a dragon.¡± (Fay)

    In the end, his eyes were closed for only a few seconds.

    ¡°But imagining it is free!¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde laughed as he said this. Keeping the dream in his eyes.

    ¡°¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    That¡¯s it. That¡¯s right. Imagining is free.

    You are free to dream whatever you want. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s something you can¡¯t make come true, or if it¡¯s something you don¡¯t really want to make come true. Dreaming is free.

    Yes. Because dreaming is freedom.

    ¡­that¡¯s why I paint.

    ¡°Okay. So, now you know what¡¯s going on, right?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Well, mostly.¡± (Tougo)

    After listening to Redgarde¡¯s story, I understood the situation.

    In short, the people of the black market, who were connected to the poachers, resented and tried to harm Redgarde. Okay.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I hid a lot of things. I got you involved¡­ But I will definitely let you escape. Please let me at least apologize with that.¡± (Fay)

    I don¡¯t care about apologies or anything like that. The poachers and the black market people are to blame, and Redgarde is not to blame. I¡¯m sure that if they had continued poaching, I would have been involved at some point in time.

    ¡­That¡¯s what I thought, but I guess he saw the look on my face and probably thought I was worried. Redgarde then smiled at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll figure something out! I don¡¯t want to do anything I can¡¯t repay you for.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    Well, I have nothing against Redgarde, and I don¡¯t want his apology, but apart from that, I¡¯m not sure he can ¡°figure something out¡± in this situation. Because our hands and feet are bound.

    ¡­But Redgarde answered as expected.

    ¡°¡­So, first things first, I have to do something about my hands and feet.¡± (Fay)

    When he says that, he starts to move.

    ¡°Those guys are looking down on us too much. Haha. Look.¡± (Fay)

    Then, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he pulls something shiny out of his boot.

    ¡°It¡¯s a knife.¡± (Fay)

    Right.

    ¡­Hiding such a thing in such a place, won¡¯t you cut your leg? Is that really alright?

 Volume 1 - CH 17.1

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde quickly cut the ropes on his own wrists, followed by the ropes on my hands and feet. Then he untied his own feet.

    ¡°Damn, I mean, what the hell are you doing, locking me in a place like this?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°How are we going to get out of this?¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde and I investigated the state of the prison together.

    But all we could tell was that the floor, walls, and ceiling were made of gray stone. And the iron bars had some red rust on them, but that was it. Of course, it¡¯s not something we can bend or break with our bare hands.

    ¡­It was supposed to be, but Redgarde put his foot on the iron grate and started to bend it.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ Ah, this is no good.¡± (Fay)

    I knew he couldn¡¯t, but I didn¡¯t say it. I could tell by the movement of his muscles that he was really going all out and really trying to bend the bars, and I didn¡¯t want to do anything to make fun of that.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t think I can break the locks. It¡¯s not even shaped like something you could pry open with a knife¡­¡± (Fay)

    The iron bar door has a lock that looks like a padlock. It might be easier to break than the iron grille, but even so¡­ hmm, it¡¯s metal. I think it would be difficult.

    ¡°I think if only we had the key to this one, we could get out of here. ¡­Tougo, you, can¡¯t create one?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible because I don¡¯t know the shape of the key. Also, I don¡¯t have any art supplies.¡± (Tougo)

    And as for me, I can¡¯t help with this either.

    The key is just a key, so if the shape is not right, even if it materializes, the key will not fit and will not be able to be used. Above all, there were no art materials here. I tried drawing a pencil with my finger on the dusty floor, but it was no use.

    ¡°Oh¡­ right, you need something like that. ¡­Damn, I¡¯m sorry. You don¡¯t have any pencils or something like that with you.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Somehow, he seems to be that type. Somehow.

    ¡°Well, what do you need to draw a picture like that? Do you draw with magic stone powder or something?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    I was puzzled when he suddenly said that to me. What is magic stone powder?

    ¡°Most wizards use magic stones to activate their magic. I use stones too.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, I remembered that Redgarde¡¯s ¡°summoned beasts¡± come out of red stones. Oh, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s the magic stone.

    ¡­Well, maybe I am not using that, right? At the moment, the materials I use for painting are the pencils I brought from my original world, the soil, fruit juice, and grass juice that I got after coming to this world¡­ and the paints I made by materializing the pictures of the paints.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s regular paint¡­ I think, also¡­ I can do it with fruit juice, too.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Fruit juice? Is it some special fruit?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Oh, and I also made edamame [A/N: green soybeans] using leaves.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Leaves?¡± (Fay)

    Well¡­ it¡¯s possible that everything in that forest is something mysterious, I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°I-I see¡­ I definitely thought you were using something special. I thought you were using unicorn horns, pegasus feathers, or other materials from creatures with a lot of magic power, or maybe you were crushing magic stones and using them as paints, or something like that.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with that.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Then¡­ what is your magic?¡± (Fay)

    I wonder what it is. Yeah, I want to know too¡­

    So, so far, our escape has stopped at the point where we have cut off the restraints on our limbs. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Usually, when people are put in a stone and iron prison, they can¡¯t leave. I mean, if they could leave, there would be no point in having a prison. Yeah.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then, is that just the only magic you can use? Oh, can you use magic other than drawing a picture?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never done it.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Really¡­?¡± (Fay)

    And here I am useless. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. But I still don¡¯t really understand what magic is in the first place.

    If this is going to happen, I should have looked into it better. I regret it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve used such strange magic, but you¡¯ve never tried anything else? Even elementary magic? Have you ever tested your magic?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­I do not know.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯ve never seen anything like that in the forest. Birds and horses didn¡¯t talk about it. I can¡¯t help what I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°I-I see, umm, you¡¯re really a weird guy after all¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I am a weird guy by my own admission and others. But there are a lot of people weirder than me, and if anything, I think most of the people around me are weirder than me too. Like you.

    ¡°¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll do what I can do, but you¡¯ll have to do your best. I¡¯m not proud of it, but I¡¯m not strong.¡± (Fay)

    When he said that¡­ Redgarde produced a fireball the size of a fist out of his hand.

    ¡­For the first time, I came to this world, I finally have seen magic for the first time.

    No, I¡¯ve seen paintings materialize, horses have flown in the sky, and snakes made of water have attacked me, but still, there¡¯s something different about this.

    The flames burning on Redgarde¡¯s hand were so, so beautiful.

    Flames are so beautiful. Red, orange, and sometimes yellow. It flickers, and its shape is not constant. Sometimes, pieces of the flame would drift upwards, and then disappear in the middle of the flame. I could never get tired of watching it.

    Above all, I like the light. When a fire burns in a dark place like this, the orange light spreads throughout the room, and the shadows sway in time with the flickering flames. It is warm and shimmering, calming and invigorating. That¡¯s what I really like about it.

    ¡°¡­you, don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m not sure if I was looking too hard or not, but Redgarde gave me a bit of an awkward look. But yes, I would like to look at it a little more¡­ It seems difficult to draw this, but I want to draw it properly someday.

    The fireball that Redgarde created, floated up and gently went in front of the door¡­ where it began to heat the lock.

    ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to melt it. Well, if I was a little stronger, I might be able to break through the stone wall and get out, but¡­ realistically speaking, it¡¯s impossible for me.¡± (Fay)

    Yes. Even if he threw this fireball, it¡¯s probably impossible to break the stone wall.

    ¡°So, I thought I¡¯d attack a point where it seemed most likely to damage.¡± (Fay)

    It makes sense.

    I¡¯ve read some books¡­ but I thought the temperature at which iron melts was over 1,000 degrees Celsius. I¡¯m not sure if this fire will be enough.

    ¡°After that¡­ well, I¡¯m just trying to figure out what the unicorns will do without us. I¡¯ve got a few things on my mind.¡± (Fay)

    But Redgarde seems to have something on his mind. I¡¯ll do what I can to help.

    However, without art supplies, there is no way for me to come up with a great plan to get out of the place, so I decided to steadily examine the floor and walls. I thought, ¡°¡­there might be a secret passage or a loose part somewhere.¡±

    I carefully brushed the dust off the floor and looked at the gaps between the stones one by one. But I couldn¡¯t find anything else, except for a chipped corner of the stone. Well, you don¡¯t keep people locked up in jail with a secret passage, do you¡­?

    It would have helped if the stones on the floor and walls were removable or extractable. No, each stone here is too big for me to move by me.

    Still, I looked at the floor and walls, hoping to find something. Redgarde kept using his fireball on the locks of the prison.

    ¡­and at that time.

    *Creak*, and the sound of a wooden door opening can be heard. ¡­and.

    ¡°¡­Hmm? What is that? There¡¯s light.¡± (Voice)

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think they woke up, did they¡­?¡± (Voice)

    I heard people talking.

    Then I heard footsteps.

    ¡­What should I do? Someone is coming.

    What should I do? Should I pretend to be tied up? Or should I just face them?

    While I was hesitant, Redgard was probably hesitant as well. And¡­ he was quicker to act.

    He pulled back the fireball that had been burning the lock and sent it flying over the prison floor and into the fallen rope, scorching it. The point is the rope that bound our limbs was shaped as if it had been partially burned, not cut by a knife.

    ¡°Hide it.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde further whispered, taking the liberty of pulling out the hem of my shirt and then shoving the knife into my back side, between my pants belt and my back, to hide it. For a moment, I felt a chill run down my spine, but I couldn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Hey, what are you guys doing!¡± (Voice)

    ¡­In front of the prison, two people appeared.

    At that moment, Redgarde moved.

    Slowly he approached the bars, then he opened his hands and waved them.

    ¡°How troublesome¡­ Did you drop cut rope?¡± (Man)

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. The rope is going to be burned as you can see here. If you wanted to tie me up, you should have at least prepared some decent shackles. Or what? Are you guys really that broke?¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde stared at the people behind the bars, throwing provocative words at them.

    ¡°So? What do you want? You finally decided to let us out of here?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to have to ask you to give up some information before I kill you. We¡¯re already set up upstairs.¡± (Man)

    ¡­One of the people behind the bars moves something in his hand and shows it to us.

    It was¡­ pliers. It was that kind of tool.

    What are you going to use that tool for? What are they planning to do? ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to give up some information before I kill you. We¡¯re already set up upstairs.¡± ¡­The more I think about it, the more I can only imagine disgusting things.

    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m being naive. I hadn¡¯t thought about what would happen if I couldn¡¯t get out of here.

 Volume 1 - CH 17.2

    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m being naive. I hadn¡¯t thought about what would happen if I couldn¡¯t get out of here.

    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s great. Well, if you¡¯re willing to bring us out, I¡¯d appreciate it. By the way, I¡¯d be very grateful if you could send me back with my body in one piece, okay?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Are you scared? My bad, as expected, incompetent nobles have stupid things to say.¡± (Man)

    The laughter echoes on the other side of the iron bars. Redgarde responded with a smile (not his usual grin) and waited patiently for the iron bars to be unlocked.

    And then. One of the people outside the jail bent down, key in one hand, and touched the lock with the other¡­

    *sizzle* and.

    ¡°Hot!?¡± (Man)

    A moment later, he screamed. ¡­Of course. Because he carelessly touched the lock that had been heated all along, he got burned.

    The key fell from the burned man¡¯s hand to the floor with a clink. At the same time, the other two became furious.

    ¡°You, what are you doing¡­ Uwaa!?¡± (Man)

    But two fireballs immediately followed one to each of them. Two fireballs were aimed¡­ at the faces of two of the jailers.

    As expected, their faces were hit with fire, but it was not enough to kill them. However, both of them cover their eyes and scream.

    ¡°¡­you bastard!¡± (Man)

    And then the first person who got burned by the lock punched through the bars.

    ¡­But, before the arm reaches Redgarde. He deftly shot his long legs through the iron bars and kicked the person.

    ¡°Alright! It¡¯s the key!¡± (Fay)

    In front of the three people crouching outside the prison, Redgarde reached through the bars and picked up the key.

    ¡°Wait, Tougo. I¡¯ll open it right away!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Eh, hey, the heat.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Fay

    Redgarde chuckled as he said this and touched the lock, inserted the key, and removed the lock without any problem.

    ¡­The jail door opens.

    ¡°Well, they say I¡¯m incompetent, but I¡¯m somewhat resistant to fire. ¡­So, let¡¯s go, Tougo! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde looked back at me and grinned.

    ¡­That¡¯s when it happened.

    I think something transparent flew in the air.

    The transparent something sliced through Redgarde¡¯s side just as he was getting out of jail.

    Splat, blood splashes. Seeing that reminded me of the Pegasus when their wings were cut off. Even then, it was bright red. The blood was spilled, splattered, a bright red.

    ¡°Oh no¡­!¡± (Fay)

    Redgard-san threw a fireball in return, but immediately after, a large transparent snake attacked and bit Redgarde.

    ¡°Redgarde!¡± (Tougo)

    There was no response to my shout. Bitten by the serpent, a limp Redgarde was lifted to near the ceiling.

    ¡°Really, it seems that I might have been a bit violent. Though It seems that you want to be hurt so much.¡± (Snake Magician)

    Then came the sound of footsteps and a human¡¯s voice. I remember¡­ The water serpent, this person¡¯s voice, and the way the person who appeared was wearing a hood over his head. It was this man and this snake that first caught me.

    ¡°B-bas-tard¡­¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde stared at the man who had come up to his feet. But the hooded man only scoffed at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you yet. Though, I¡¯m sure¡­ you¡¯ll be asking me to kill you soon enough.¡± (Fay)

    The hooded man glanced at me as he said this.

    He looked at me, still at the door of the jail, and laughed again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look like that. I¡¯m not going to kill you either, because you seem to be useful. I¡¯ll take good care of you¡­ as long as you behave yourself.¡± (Snake Magician)

    He said so in a gentler tone¡­ but then, with that voice, it suddenly turned cold and low, he continued like this.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, stay there and be quiet.¡± (Snake Magician)

    And the prison was locked.

    The sound of footsteps and a serpent slithering away. And finally, there was the creaking sound of the wooden door moving, then the banging sound of the door closing, and that was it.

    ¡­it became quiet.

    It didn¡¯t seem real. I can¡¯t understand what happened.

    But it is real. Redgarde¡¯s blood spilled on the floor proves that it happened here.

    He was badly injured. And he was taken away. Something absolutely wrong is happening. Something that probably shouldn¡¯t have happened.

    ¡­what should I do?

    I want to do something about it, but I can¡¯t think of anything to do about it. My vision is blood red, but my mind is just blank.

    I am afraid of everything. I am afraid of what might be happening to Redgarde right now. I¡¯m afraid, but I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.

    I don¡¯t know what to do. What should I do? What can I do to turn this whole horrible thing around? I want to pretend it didn¡¯t happen at all. I want to pretend that nothing happened, but I lack everything to make it happen.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, stay there and be quiet.¡± The words he said to me, the low, cold voice, are still echoing in the back of my ears.

    I¡¯m scared. The thoughts about ¡°pain¡± are scary. I absolutely hate it. But. But!

    ¡­But.

    Because I want to turn everything upside down for convenience.

    Because I want to do something about the unmanageable.

    Because even a piece of it is possible.

    Because dreaming is free.

    Because in this world, I am surely allowed to do so.

    ¡°Even if I die, I will not stop painting.¡± (Tougo)

    Because I am such a person.

    The canvas is this floor. The paintbrush is my finger. The paint is ¡­¡­ blood.

    I take a drop of Redgarde¡¯s blood on my finger and start painting.

    I have already decided what I am going to paint.

    A dragon.

    Let¡¯s draw a dragon. A dragon in the color of blood.

    The color of blood, the color of fire, the color of¡­ Redgarde. Scarlet. I draw such a dragon.

    On the gray stone floor, I slide my finger wet with blood. The blood extends and becomes a line. Brightness and darkness appear in the blur. It gathers and makes the figure of a big dragon.

    The reference is the Redgarde family crest, which was shown to me earlier. The figure of the dragon that was there.

    Then there is the figure of the ¡°dragon¡± in my imagination, and later, a horse.

    The body of a four-legged creature. body. The muscles and bones under the skin. I drew the red dragon using all the knowledge I had inside me and all the imagination I command.

    Because it is a dragon, it has wings. It has scales and sharp fangs. It has horns, and a long tail, and, as in the coat of arms, it is enveloped by a blazing fire.

    It has a stout frame. Yet supple. ¡­Oh, yes. I am sure it would be very beautiful if it flew in the sky. The red color would be beautiful against the blue sky. It would be perfect for the sunset sky. When it flies on a rainy night, it would probably spit out flames to brighten up the sky.

    As I built up these images in my mind, I reflected them on the floor.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    But halfway through, I ran out of blood. I had already used up almost all of what was on the floor.

    But no problem. Not enough paint? Then get it out! I have red paint running through my body, too!

    I use the knife that Redgarde left with me. I slide the blade of the knife boldly inside my left arm, and after a hot pain, the red paint comes pouring out.

    I immediately began to continue painting the picture with it.

    The pain did not disturb me. Something much bigger than the pain was driving me.

    Perhaps it was impatience, perhaps it was fear.

    But more than that, it was an ideal, a possibility, a hope¡­ a yet unnamed impulse.

    I had to draw it. If I don¡¯t draw it, it will be scary.

    I have to draw it. I might be able to turn this situation upside down.

    I have to draw. That¡¯s what I¡¯m living for.

    ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s fun!¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s fun. Painting is fun.

    I found myself laughing.

    Laughing, I added red paint and rubbed it on the floor with my fingers.

    The dragon is completed. The dragon that only exists in my mind comes to this world.

    At last.

    I scooped up the last drop of Redgarde¡¯s blood and finished drawing the eyes of the dragon.

    As soon as I finished drawing the pupils, all at once my strength left my body and I collapsed on the floor.

    Perhaps it was because I had been concentrating so hard all the time, but my heart felt strange. My breathing also felt strange. My eyes were fluttering.

    My fingertips are cold and trembling. I¡¯m cold. ¡­but I¡¯m sweating.

    I try to catch it with my hand so that the sweat doesn¡¯t fall on the picture I just painted, and I realize¡­

    There was no picture on the floor.

    In an instant, my vision brightened.

    A terrible sound. And then the stone fragments raining down. The light that illuminated them was the color of fire.

    A roar resounds above my fallen head. The plumes of flames illuminate the surroundings.

    ¡­The eyes that look down at me as I look up¡­ I saw the color of warmth, endlessly scarlet blood.

    The ceiling has been broken through. The sky is jet black.

    And under the jet-black sky, there was a scarlet dragon¡­ spreading its wings, roaring in the sky, and breathing flames brighter than the moon.

    The dragon was staring at me. I couldn¡¯t move my body, so I only moved my eyes and looked up at the dragon.

    ¡­The dragon bent down and brought its face closer to me. Every single scale that covers their face, their big mouth, their fangs that can be seen through the gaps, and above all, the sharp glint in their eyes. They were all very beautiful.

    ¡°¡­¡­nice to meet you.¡± (Fay)

    The dragon heard my voice, looked at me a little strangely, and then ¡­¡­ stuck out its bright red tongue and licked my cheek. That tickles.

    From the other side of the dragon, you can hear people¡¯s noisy voices in the distance. A big dragon suddenly appeared, so they must be really surprised. It¡¯s a little fun when you think about it.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a voice on the other side, there¡¯s something I need your help with. There¡¯s someone I want you to help. Someone with a color like yours.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said that while staring into the eyes of the dragon that was near me, the dragon blinked as if to say, ¡°I know,¡± and took off the next moment.

    Immediately after the dragon took off, a strong wind blew up and I closed my eyes.

    Then the wind died down, and when I opened my eyes again¡­ the dragon was a little further up in the sky, spitting fire at the water serpent.

    ¡­everything would surely be all right.

    As soon as I thought that, I felt at ease and ¡­¡­ more and more strength left my body. But it was a pleasant feeling of weakness. I was filled with a sense of accomplishment, and I was having fun.

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s fun, it truly is?¡± (Tougo)

    After all, drawing is fun.

    I closed my eyes thinking that.

 Volume 1 - CH 18

    I woke up on my bed. But it¡¯s not my bed¡­ I wondered where I was.

    I looked at the ceiling and saw a soft white ceiling.

    I turned my head to the side and saw a wall with vertical stripes of different widths, made of soft white, slightly dull red, and subdued golden color.

    Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before. It was a stylish wallpaper I had never seen before. I wondered where I was.

    I tried to get up, but my body was too weak to do so. I tried a little, but my body was surprisingly heavy.

    The place where my heavy body sank down was a soft bed. ¡­It was so soft. The feeling of my body sinking into it is amazing. The comforter on me is the same. It is very soft. As someone who usually sleeps with just a blanket, this is a little¡­ how can I put it, it¡¯s rather unsettling.

    I was wriggling around in a way that I couldn¡¯t move, when all of a sudden, I heard a clunk.

    ¡°¡­Huh? Tougo, have you finally woken up!?¡± (Fay)

    The person who was standing there was¡­ Redgarde.

    ¡°Is your body all right? Are you feeling any pain? Can you move? Oh, can you recognize me? Do you know where you are?¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde came right up to me and asked me a lot of questions at once. Yeah, I can¡¯t answer that many at once.

    ¡­Besides, there is something that worries me more than the place.

    ¡°That wound¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde has a bandage on half of his face around his left eye¡­ And one of his hands is also wrapped in bandages and hung with a triangular bandage¡­

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, well, it¡¯s no big deal. How are you?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Well¡­ I think I¡¯m fine, although I feel heavy. Where am I?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Our guest room, I brought you in.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I see. This is Redgarde¡¯s house, isn¡¯t it? Certainly, for some reason, the atmosphere in the room, or the smell in the air, is certainly something like that.

    ¡°What happened after that? What about your injury? And what about the dragon?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Calm down¡­ for now, drink this.¡± (Fay)

    With the support of Redgard-san, I raised my upper body. Sitting was a little difficult, but I did my best. Then, he put a soft cushion behind my back so I could lean against it, so I leaned back half-buried in the cushion.

    Then I was handed a cup with a drink in it, which I drank while holding it with both hands. It was fruit juice. It was sweet and delicious. It tasted invigorating.

    ¡°Is it good?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s fine. No, you don¡¯t express much with your face¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Is that so? I think I¡¯m the type who is relatively easy to read.

    ¡°For the time being, you probably want to know about the Red Dragon, right?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    By ¡°Red Dragon,¡± he meant the scarlet dragon I drew in my blood. I knew it wasn¡¯t a dream, kind of.

    ¡°I knew it. You brought it out, didn¡¯t you? It came out of nowhere, so I was surprised and so were all the people in the black market.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. I drew it.¡± (Tougo)

    I was surprised, too. I didn¡¯t think it was really going to appear¡­ or maybe I thought it would. Maybe I really did. I¡¯m not sure.

    ¡°¡­that red dragon turned everything upside down.¡± (Fay)

    After saying that, Redgarde said that and pulled out a chair next to the bed and sat down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to go deep into the ocean of details, so I¡¯ll just conclude by saying that we managed somehow. I got you out of there, and I beat up the black market. If summarize, I¡¯d say we¡¯ve rounded up all the evil that¡¯s been spreading in Redgarde territory. ¡­I got myself in a bit of trouble, though. I¡¯m alive as you can see.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde says so and laughs, but I can¡¯t laugh when I look at him.

    ¡°Um¡­ your eyes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah. Still have one.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Your hand.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°A few fingers and some. Well, I was lucky I didn¡¯t die. And you¡¯re okay, so that¡¯s good.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­it hurts just looking at it. Just because I¡¯m safe, I don¡¯t want you to smile like that. I don¡¯t want to see you making that face.

    ¡°Hey hey, Tougo. Don¡¯t make that face. For me, it¡¯s a bigger problem if someone other than me is endangered because of me.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­ so do I.¡± (Tougo)

    When I say that with the intent to protest, Redgarde just smiles happily.

    ¡­and.

    ¡°Still¡­ you see, it was worth an eye, a scar, a finger, and a couple of bones. Look.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde climbs onto my bed and opens the window beyond me. Then he whistles out the window¡­ and I hear the sound of wings outside the window.

    Just when I heard the sound of the cloth flapping, a scarlet dragon peeped out of the window.

    ¡°Look, Tougo! ¡­It¡¯s my summoned beast, the Red Dragon!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°It became your summoned beast?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh! Surprise! Are you surprised?! I was surprised too, really!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­yes. I was surprised.

    The dragon I drew came out of the picture, saved Redgarde, and became his summoned beast.

    In other words, Redgarde¡¯s dream came true.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. ¡­Congratulations. It was your dream, wasn¡¯t it?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh! It came true! It was something I never thought would come true, but it did! It¡¯s like a dream, really!¡± (Fay)

    When Redgarde reached out his hand through the window, the scarlet dragon stretched out its neck and began to rub its cheek against his outstretched hand. The dragon is a big dragon, so it looks pretty scary, but the way it squints at you and rubs up against you is kind of cute.

    ¡­Hmm? What?

    Um¡­ it¡¯s kind of weird.

    The scarlet dragon poked its head out of the window and was being patted quietly¡­ but I don¡¯t remember it being this size.

    ¡°Could it be that that dragon has gotten smaller¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡± (Fay)

    Yes. It has definitely shrunk. I mean, it broke through the ceiling. It¡¯s not the size of a car, it¡¯s the size of a multi-story building. ¡­I think bigger than the giant bird that comes to bathe in the spring, but¡­

    ¡°Hmm¡­ If it shrank, it would have to be that one. Lack of magic power. I¡¯m the contractor, so I¡¯m going to need more magic power.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, I didn¡¯t know there was such a thing.

    ¡­Redgarde looks a little apologetic, but I think this dragon, in this size, is quite cute.

    ¡°The first thing to do is to quickly find a good magic stone that can be used as a medium¡­¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde was stroking the dragon¡¯s neck as he said this. Then the dragon cries out looking quite happy.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m fine. If only you woke up immediately, everything would be fine.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde patted me on the shoulder. It didn¡¯t hurt like it did when he had hit me on the back before. He seemed to be concerned about me.

    ¡°How long have I been sleeping?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Ten days.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Ah. Of course. Actually. No wonder I felt my body was weird. If you stay asleep for 10 days, this is what happens. I see.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re awake. Truly.¡± (Fay)

    I probably caused you a lot of worries. I¡¯m really sorry about that, and I¡¯m also sorry that I left you to clean up the whole mess for 10 days.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about, especially that sort of thing. You can go back to the forest again, but until you feel better, you can stay here and take it easy. I owe you, my life.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde said so to me and laughed. Furthermore, he stroked my head like he was patting me so gently.

    ¡­If he says I saved his life, then he should know he saved my life, too.

    He has always been there for me. If I hadn¡¯t been there, he might have done better on his own. Still, he never said a single word against me.

    That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s too much, isn¡¯t it? I am so sorry.

    It was about that time. There was a knock at my door.

    ¡°It¡¯s open.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde answered before I did, and the door opened¡­ and two people entered.

    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re Tougo. Good thing you¡¯re awake.¡± (Young Man)

    The first is a young man who looks a little older than Redgarde.

    He has hair that is almost more golden than Redgarde¡¯s and rose-colored eyes. He had a softer demeanor than Redgarde and seemed to be more mature.

    ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t startle you with my sudden appearance. I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Old Man)

    The second man was a middle-aged man. He had almost brown hair and dark red eyes. He had a sturdy-looking body and a sturdy atmosphere that made him seem dependable.

    These men must be Redgarde¡¯s brother and father.

    ¡°I¡¯m Van Milio Redgarde. I am the lord of the Redgarde territory, and I am also the father of Fay Bullard Redgarde who was helped by you all this time.¡± (Old Man => Van)

    ¡°Ah, hello, I¡¯m Tougo Uezora.¡± (Tougo)

    I was in front of two adults, and I wanted to be polite, but unfortunately, my body would not move. I sat on the bed, buried in the cushions, but I managed to lower my head a little. I wonder if I am being rude. I¡¯m very worried.

    ¡°I¡¯m Roses Rufus Redgarde. I¡¯m Fay¡¯s older brother. My brother has caused you trouble this time. I¡¯m afraid even you got dragged into it¡­¡± (Young Man => Roses)

    And Redgarde¡¯s older brother said so and looked apologetic toward me.

    ¡°No, I was the one that caused trouble.¡± (Tougo)

    In a panic, I hurriedly corrected him. I would be troubled if they misunderstood that.

    ¡°Redgarde saved me. That¡¯s why¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°That may be so. I¡¯m sure he saved your life. He¡¯s that kind of guy.¡± (Roses)

    But in the middle of my correction, Roses said this¡­ and then he laughed, a laugh much like Redgarde¡¯s.

    ¡°But I¡¯m told that my brother came back alive because of you. You helped him, and he certainly helped you. Thank you so much.¡± (Roses)

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll take some time to relax until you¡¯re feeling better¡­ or even after that if you want. Thank you so much. I am thankful for your courage.¡± (Van)

    His father also said this, squeezed my hand on the comforter, and smiled at me.

    ¡­It was strange. why would they laugh?

    ¡°¡­Um, aren¡¯t you angry?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Van)

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been there, Redgarde might not have had to get hurt like this.¡± (Tougo)

    I can¡¯t seem to get the words out because they are stuck in the back of my throat. However, I¡­ I felt like I was getting angry, and I also felt hateful. I think. Or maybe I wanted them to get angry at me.

    If someone gets hurt, the person who was with him at the time gets blamed. That¡¯s the way it is, whether the injured person cares or not.

    I thought it was natural, but¡­

    ¡°Hmm¡­ angry, you say. If it weren¡¯t for you, Fay would probably be dead.¡±

    Saying this, Redgarde¡¯s father looks troubled.

    ¡°Because you were there, I was able to get by with just this level of injury. There¡¯s nothing better than keeping my life. It¡¯s normal to say that one or two injuries are badges of honor. It looks like if I get some good medicine, perhaps, even if my eyes are impossible, I might be able to get my fingers back.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Really?¡± (Tougo)

    A medicine. Is there such a thing? This world is certainly a different world, so I think it would be nice to have something like that¡­

    It gives me a little bit of hope. Maybe they, too, have hope.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not going to happen if lives are lost. ¡­So, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s because of you that I am alive. I don¡¯t know how to be angry about that¡­ but I¡¯m grateful, and not even angry.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I¡¯m not sure how you are not angry about that. ¡­and it bothers me when people say it like this.

    Somehow¡­ it feels weird. There are words that I heard that were completely different from what I expected, and how should I put it¡­ yeah, I¡¯m extremely confused, like I am lost at sea.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Thank you for waking me up.¡± (Tougo)

    Furthermore, I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ when you even say something like that.

    ¡­I¡¯ve been treated so well, and given such warm words, and no one blames me. That makes me terribly uncomfortable.

    What am I going to do?

    Then Redgarde¡¯s father and brother shook my hand firmly and quietly left the room. They seemed to think that since I was sick, it would be a pity to make me too anxious. I was so surprised that they cared so much about me.

    ¡°¡­ Well, that¡¯s what it is. I¡¯ll say it again. Thank you very much. Thanks to you, I was saved.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde, who remained in the room, said the same thing, and then he, too, was leaving the room.

    ¡°Then, go to sleep for now. I¡¯ll bring food brought to your room later.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm?¡± (Fay)

    I caught the hem of Redgarde¡¯s clothes as he was leaving the room and asked him,

    ¡°¡­when I get my body working properly¡­ would you mind if I paint a picture of you?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­¡­a picture?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. A painting. A portrait.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s an outlandish request. I know that. But I really want to paint him.

    If you want, I want to do what I can do.

    ¡­And apparently, Redgarde didn¡¯t mind my outlandish request.

    ¡°Me? Hmmm, well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde looked at me with a puzzled expression and then smiled a slightly embarrassed, yet slightly pained smile.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to draw me, you should have done it before I got hurt.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­ He told me not to worry about it. Though he got the ¡°Red Dragon¡± also known as the scarlet dragon, it¡¯s fine. But there is no way that he would not feel something about his injury. It must be painful for him. I¡¯m sure it must have been hard for him. ¡­but he still didn¡¯t say anything about it.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. If you are going to draw me, make me at least three times cooler.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­¡­I will.¡± (Tougo)

    I didn¡¯t know if it would be successful, so I didn¡¯t say anything to raise his expectations.

    But¡­ now that I have healed the horse¡¯s horns and wings, I believe I can restore a person¡¯s eyes and fingers.

    ¡­I want to give them back to him, and I will.

 Volume 1 - CH 19

    From that day on I got serious about my rehabilitation. I moved my body desperately until I could move my body, my fingertips, my arms ¡­¡­ what I mean is, move my brushes as I wanted them to. I moved my body as hard as I probably ever have in my life.

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t push yourself too hard, okay? You were bedridden for 10 days, alright?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡° Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. I know you want to go back to the forest as soon as possible, but¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. Because I want to draw as soon as possible.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­Oh, you¡¯re that kind.¡± (Fay)

    I want to draw quickly. I want to draw him but I don¡¯t know if I cure him, but I still want to draw a Redgarde who is not injured and in a healthy state. If there is something I can do by drawing, I want to draw.

    ¡­While I was thinking that, I was moving my body.

    ¡°I see¡­ you really like to draw, huh?¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde let out a sigh while looking impressed.

    ¡­Really.

    Yes. I really like drawing.

    The picture materializes, the picture is reflected in the entity, the creature that shouldn¡¯t be there is created, and even if you remove all of that¡­ yeah. I like it.

    I like it. I like to draw. That¡¯s right. I remember now.

    ¡°¡­of course.¡± (Tougo)

    When I nodded and answered, Redgarde¡­

    ¡°Hey, Tougo you laughed!¡± (Fay)

    He looked somewhat happy as he said that.

    ¡°You always have that look on your face. Now, you have that kind of face, not the usual sulky one.¡± (Fay)

    Do I sulk? I might be oblivious. But¡­ yeah, well, if I¡¯m allowed to continue to paint as much as I want, I¡¯ll probably end up making ¡°that kind of face¡± all the time. I¡¯m sure.

    Soon my body was back in shape, and I was ready to paint.

    So, I decided to go back to the forest with Redgarde to get my painting materials.

    ¡°Okay. You get on this one.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­and I¡¯m in trouble right away.

    ¡°Um¡­ what is this?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s my summoned beast.¡± (Fay)

    In front of me is a wolf made of fire.

    The wolf is bigger than me. And Redgarde is riding on the other one¡­ He is riding a wolf.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all right, man. They can run normally even if I ride them. Tougo is lighter than me, so don¡¯t worry about him. They are fire spirits, after all.¡± (Fay)

    I gently touched the back of the flaming wolf while wondering if it was hot.

    ¡­Fluff, I felt something lighter than fur. Then it¡¯s warm.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told them about you Tougo so it¡¯s okay.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± (Tougo)

    I took a chance and let myself climb on top of the flaming wolf.

    Still, I was able to ride much more comfortably than I thought. ¡­ The fire spirit seems to be changing the shape of the wolf to fit me. No wonder it fits just right.

    ¡°Good! Well, we can¡¯t go too fast, but let¡¯s take it easy. Take it easy, okay.¡± (Fay)

    And as soon as I got on the flaming wolf, Redgarde said that¡­ and the two wolves started running at a great speed.

    It took about two hours to reach the forest.

    ¡­It was probably a ¡°can¡¯t go too fast¡± speed, but it was too fast for me. Yeah, I¡¯m a little, a little tired¡­

    ¡°Hi! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you guys!¡± (Tougo)

    And when I got to the forest house, there were a lot of horses there. Unicorns and pegasi, all came up to me.

    ¡°See, just as I promised! I brought Tougo back safely!¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde said, and a Pegasus patted him with a feather. I think it was a ¡°good job¡± kind of thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± (Tougo)

    I greeted the horses, too, and they came closer and closer to me¡­ It was a little painful to be pushed so tightly. I was also tickled by their feathers and tails, which made me quite ticklish.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re very popular, Tougo.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­ move back a bit. I need to get some art supplies.¡± (Tougo)

    I managed to get the horses to back off for now, and I headed back toward the house. When I came back with my bag of art supplies¡­ I was surrounded by horses again.

    ¡°Um, just a minute.¡± (Tougo)

    I screamed in protest, but the horses didn¡¯t back away. They didn¡¯t back away even an inch. Moreover, more and more horses came from deeper into the forest and surrounded us.

    What should I do? I can¡¯t move with this.

    ¡°¡­does this mean we can¡¯t not go inside the house?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­It seems that Redgarde and I are not allowed to go back to Redgarde¡¯s house.

    I had no choice but to paint a picture of Redgarde here.

    I felt sorry for Redgarde, but he also laughed and forgave them. ¡°If I bring Tougo back, Pegasus and the unicorns will get angry,¡± he said with amusement. yes. Certainly, they will feel angry¡­

    Redgarde sits comfortably on the sofa, and I set up my easel and a wooden board with watercolor paper stretched over it so that I am facing him. Then I decided to draw him.

    This is the first time I will paint a figure like this. It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve used such a large canvas¡­ so I¡¯m a little, nervous.

    But I have sketched Redgarde many times. I know enough about his face to be able to draw it to some extent without looking at him.

    Even if he has a bandage covering half of his face or one arm wrapped in a bandage, I remember enough to be able to draw him without it.

    ¡°Okay! Make the drawing cool!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    And best of all, his scarlet eyes are looking at me, shining powerfully.

    ¡­It¡¯s okay. I can draw him properly.

    The first day ended with a rough sketch. The first reason is that I didn¡¯t have the stamina to do it, and the second is that Redgarde didn¡¯t have the stamina to do it.

    ¡­It¡¯s hard work being a model. It is absolutely hard to sit motionless for hours on end.

    ¡°Oh, my body is stiffening!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Sorry.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s fine! As long as you draw me super cool!¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde stood up from the sofa and came toward me, stretching out his arms.

    ¡°Whoa, let me see a little bit¡­ Oh.¡± (Fay)

    He peered into the draft¡­ and his eyes blinked.

    Naturally, what is on the drawing paper is the figure of Redgarde without any injuries.

    Seeing that, he probably guessed what I was trying to do.

    ¡°No way you¡­ you are planning to cure me?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    When I nodded while feeling a little nervous¡­ Redgarde eyes blinked.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­ Awesome!¡± (Fay)

    He stared at the drawing paper for a good few seconds¡­ and then, like a dam, he asked me,

    ¡°How long will it take you to finish this? Oh, it¡¯s fine, as long as you can handle it!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Eh, um¡­ maybe about 3 days¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯ll do the undercoat, add layers of color, and then add the details, maybe in three days. I really want to do it faster, but it may not be possible with my skills. So, the fastest I can is three days.

    ¡­If I were to paint Redgarde, I felt that a heavy oil painting would be better than a light watercolor. But I wanted to do it fast anyway, so I chose watercolor, which dries much faster. Of course, it¡¯s also because I was not used to oil paintings.

    ¡°I see! I¡¯m going to be cured in about three days! That¡¯s great, Tougo! You¡¯re really amazing!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Well, I am still not sure if you¡¯ll be cured.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll be cured! I¡¯m going to be cured! Oh, I¡¯d better ask him to stop arranging the medicine. It will be wasted. Can I have this piece of paper?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Oh, here you go. Not¡­ but, huh, what?¡± (Tougo)

    Redgarde then took a piece of notepaper that was lying around, wrote something on it with a pencil¡­ and suddenly produced a bird made of flame.

    ¡­This is also his summoned beast, I guess. The bird made of flame came out of Redgarde¡¯s earring, took the piece of paper from Redgarde, and flew out the window. Probably that bird is going back to Redgarde¡¯s house.

    ¡°All right! I¡¯ve stopped arranging the medicine! And I told him I¡¯m staying here for about four more days, so it is all good!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    Is that a good thing? Stopping the arrangement of medicine, isn¡¯t that a big deal?

    Slowly, I get nervous, and my thoughts froze¡­

    ¡­But, Redgarde patted my back and laughed.

    ¡°You should be confident. You brought the Red Dragon back to life, right? Then surely, you can handle my injuries!¡± (Fay)

    When he says that, I can¡¯t help but think¡­

    ¡­Yes. I will do my best, and make sure I succeed.

    That day, I slept surrounded by horses. In a hammock outside.

    ¡­My body was sluggish, and I feel like I should have slept on the bed, but the horses wanted to stay with me¡­ Yeah, as expected, I gave in.

    I went to sleep while in such a situation I didn¡¯t understand, with the horses packed under and next to the hammock. I was restless, but perhaps because I was tired or weak, I was able to fall asleep rather quickly.

    By the next morning, I was feeling somewhat better.

    I had been in the same condition before¡­ but maybe it was horse therapy?

    ¡°Perhaps you were receiving magical energy from the Pegasi and Unicorns?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    That day, while I was painting Redgarde again, he gave me his opinion about horse therapy.

    I understood it, but I didn¡¯t know if he was right or not¡­

    ¡°I heard that they sometimes share their magic power with those they are close to.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Certainly, the horses are surrounding me while taking turns.

    However, even if I remember such things, I don¡¯t know what really is happening.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why they want to sleep with you? When you¡¯re weak due to lack of mana, they want to share their mana with you, aren¡¯t these brave guys like that?¡± (Fay)

    In response to Redgarde asking that question, I feel a little sorry¡­ I will listen.

    ¡°¡­what is magic?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Huh? Oh, I see, you don¡¯t even understand that kind of thing! Ah, I see!¡± (Fay)

    And I immediately feel a cross-cultural barrier. I¡¯m sure Redgarde is feeling it too. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡°Well, you see, magic is power. Magic is what makes things happen, and living creatures live by magic. It¡¯s in the body, and to some extent, it flows outside the body. Umm¡­ like blood, you know what I mean?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Somehow, I think, ¡°That¡¯s how it is,¡± when decided to ask. I just answered, ¡°I see,¡± but I don¡¯t really understand it.

    ¡°So, look, because I have so little magic power since I was young, I can only have a contract with summoned beasts that really like me. However, I can¡¯t summon them for very long. I¡¯m not sure how the Red Dragon became my summoned beast¡­ Why did they like me that much? I¡¯m not sure how it happened. It¡¯s obvious that I don¡¯t have enough magic power¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­Maybe it¡¯s because I drew them with your blood. I drew the eyes with your blood. Maybe that¡¯s why he thinks you¡¯re their parent.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I-Is that so? Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think they consider me as their parent, but it¡¯s true that if it was drawn using my blood, it would be strange if they were made with my magic. Well then, I¡¯m convinced that we¡¯re compatible.¡± (Fay)

    What? You said earlier that ¡°magic power is like blood,¡± but is blood really like magic power? I¡¯m not sure anymore.

    ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to bring it back or not, but it¡¯s a delicate point. Magic is also a matter of affinity. It depends on the person, the magical beast, and the magic power¡­ there are many things that don¡¯t match. For example, my magic is compatible with fire magic, but not with other magic.¡± (Fay)

    I see. So¡­ if materializing my paintings is using magic, does that mean that my magical powers match the magic of the paintings?

    ¡°That means you¡¯re compatible with Unicorns and Pegasus.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s nice to be able to get along with horses. yes. I don¡¯t know what it means, but it is good.

    ¡°Well then¡­ let¡¯s get back to the topic this time. Okay? Tougo. ¡®Humans may die when their magical power runs out.¡¯ Remember this properly.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°What?¡± (Tougo)

    I wondered if my paintings are magic, and I was taken aback. In other words¡­

    ¡°When you materialize a picture, you are probably consuming magic power. So, when you¡¯re drawing too much, you faint, in essence, you fainted from lack of magic power.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­When I think about it, somehow, there are scenarios that come to mind.

    When I healed a Pegasus¡¯ wings and fainted, I felt something slipping out of my body. Huh, I wonder if it means that the magical power is gone.

    Then, here comes¡­¡±Humans may die when their magical power runs out.¡±¡­

    ¡°¡­In other words, the reason I didn¡¯t wake up for 10 days this time¡­¡± (Tougo)

    When I timidly asked, Redgarde nodded slowly and gravely and said¡­

    ¡°If something went wrong, it could become more dangerous.¡± (Tougo)

    Even if I could die, I will never stop drawing.

    Even if I die, I¡¯m going to paint. I¡¯m going to die if I can¡¯t paint anymore.

    But¡­ yeah. I want to draw for as long as possible¡­

    ¡­I have to be careful.

 Volume 1 - CH 20

    After painting some more that day, I took a break there. Both Redgarde and I were still recovering. It¡¯s not good to push yourself too hard. I heard that if you become short of magical power¡­ you will die, so really, overworking yourself is not a good idea.

    In order not to overdo it, I decided to sleep outside today as well. As soon as I stepped out with my blanket, the horses came up to me and said they were waiting for me. Yes, thank you. Thank you for your help.

    ¡°I-Is it really okay for me too¡­?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re fine. I think it¡¯s good since you are a benefactor of the horses. I think that¡¯s why the horses are pulling you.¡± (Tougo)

    And Redgarde sleeps outside, too.

    When he came outside because ¡°I want to see Tougo sleeping with Pegasi and unicorns because it looks interesting,¡± he too was pulled and pushed by the horses and brought to the spring tree. So, I drew out a hammock for him as well.

    Redgarde timidly walked through the horses and lay down in the hammock, where he covered himself with a blanket. After a few moments, the horses came over to him and began to crawl under him and stick to his sides.

    ¡°Look, you are accepted, see?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh~ this is amazing. What an extremely generous treatment. Wow, Pegasus and Unicorn near me.¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde was expressing that kind of impression. Yes, they are. The horses here are all good guys. When the horses are praised, it somehow makes me happy, too.

    The next day, I started to finish the painting.

    I put darker colors in the shadowy areas and more distinct colors in the areas where shadows were lacking¡­

    Watercolor painting is fun to add layers of color like this. Little by little. All of the strokes are piled on top of each other, and they become one color, one picture. This is fun.

    It makes me feel, for a little while, that what I am doing is not in vain.

    ¡­I was also working on the most important part of the picture, the eyes of Redgarde.

    I¡¯m not sure what to do with it, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something I can do. I wanted it to be as detailed as possible, and yet clear.

    I drew the clothes and background quite roughly. The face, however, is a little more rough and ready to be painted. Even though I drew his face¡­ I couldn¡¯t just roughly draw his face.

    Especially the eyes. They are the most eye-catching part of the face. Therefore, I want to draw the most detailed, the clearest, and the most beautiful.

    ¡­but.

    ¡°Which color should I use¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I was struggling in front of the palette with the paints out and the paper with the test paints on it.

    No matter what, there is no color that fits his eyes.

    Basically, the more you mix paints, the more they lose their vividness.

    You could call it ¡°deepening,¡± but it¡¯s not suited for expressing his scarlet eyes that shine so brightly.

    And all of the paints I have are slightly different colors.

    The color of the petals of a red flower is also different. They are not the color of red clay. The color of my blood doesn¡¯t seem right either.

    ¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯m having a bit of a hard time.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo, are you okay?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± (Tougo)

    If you say that there is only a subtle difference in everything, that is true. But I don¡¯t want to compromise that ¡°subtle difference¡±. Especially when it comes to Redgarde¡¯s eyes, I absolutely don¡¯t want to compromise.

    What should I do? Do I go outside to look for paints now? That¡¯s not right either¡­

    ¡­and when I¡¯m lost.

    Kyuu.

    A voice came from outside the window.

    ¡°Oh, they came too, huh?¡± (Tougo)

    I went out of the house, and there was the Red Dragon. It landed with its scarlet wings flapping and was being petted by Redgarde, who seemed to make it feel good.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Tougo. I left him at home¡­ but I think he came here.¡± (Fay)

    I remember he said that there are no good magic stones for the Red Dragon. The thing is a summoner is going to need a gemstone that will be the summoned beast¡¯s dwelling place. Normally, they wear a jewel so that they can summon a summoned beast at any time.

    So, until that jewel is obtained, the Red Dragon is supposed to stay in the garden of the mansion¡­

    ¡°Hey, hey, that¡¯s ticklish.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­The Red Dragon kept licking Redgarde¡¯s cheek, and then snuggled up to him, looking happy. Yes. Since they are so attached to Redgarde, it¡¯s a pity to keep them apart.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tougo. Can the painting wait a bit? I¡¯ll play with them a little more first.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Sure.¡± (Tougo)

    As I watched the Red Dragon and the other summoned beasts, the flaming wolf, and the flaming bird, frolicking¡­

    ¡­Ah!

    ¡°Oh? Tougo, what¡¯s the matter?¡± (Fay)

    I approach the Red Dragon.

    The scarlet dragon seems to have some degree of affection for me, perhaps because I painted it with more than half my blood. I was so excited to see the Red Dragon, and I was so excited to see them.

    I was happy to see such a¡­ Red dragon.

    ¡°This color!¡± (Tougo)

    The color of Redgarde¡¯s eyes! This is it! The color of the Red Dragon¡¯s scales is exactly the same as the Redgarde¡¯s eyes!

    So, I hurriedly take action, I immediately ask the Red Dragon.

    ¡°Just one scale, please!¡± (Tougo)

    Just enough for a tube of paint!

    ¡­in the end. Red Dragon generously gave me a scale. I got a piece of the one on the tail that was almost peeled off.

    I also got permission from Redgarde. He said, ¡°He¡¯s going to molt anyway, so why not?¡± So, I gratefully took the scale.

    Now.

    I quickly drew a tube of paint and stuck the scales on the color labels to make¡­ a very beautiful scarlet paint.

    Now, finally, I can finish my painting!

    ¡°Redgarde!¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­just as I thought.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, Tougo! Just a little more time!¡± (Fay)

    Apparently, the Red Dragon and fire spirits don¡¯t want to let Redgarde go. I¡¯ll have to hold off on the painting for a little while longer since I don¡¯t have a model.

    Yeah, I know. It can¡¯t be helped. I can¡¯t help it, but I¡¯m going to try¡­

    ¡­I can¡¯t wait to paint!

    In the end, the painting was not finished until the next day.

    But the painting is finally finished. Finally. Finally. It had been a long time since I could paint, and it had been a long time since I started painting. Even after I got the scarlet paint, it felt like a very long time!

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± (Fay)

    I got ready to fall down (that is, I got my blanket out and settled in a position where the horse could come up to me, and there) and added the last stroke.

    The painting was now complete.

    ¡­at that moment.

    The watercolors trembled and came together with a squeak.

    ¡°Woah!?¡± (Fay)

    The first thing that I saw is that the watercolors are all over Redgarde.

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    He stared at it, moving his hands. With both eyes.

    ¡°¡­Tougo!¡± (Fay)

    I look at his face, full of joy, and I know I¡¯ve done it. I had done what I had to do. I did what I wanted to do.

    I am extremely happy.

    ¡°Woah! Tougo! Hey! Stay with me!¡± (Fay)

    And I passed out again.

    But I¡¯m okay because I was prepared for it. Good night.

    When I woke up, it was morning. Good morning. Apparently, I fainted in the morning and woke up the next morning.

    I was in a hammock, surrounded by horses. Good morning. Thank you for all your help.

    As soon as I got out of the hammock, I went back to the house. I wanted to make sure. I wanted to make sure it wasn¡¯t a dream¡­

    ¡°Oh, Tougo! Good morning!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I was deeply relieved when I saw Redgarde, who was reading with both eyes firmly fixed on me and both hands holding a book.

    ¡°Well, you really do run out of magic all the time¡­ How can you faint so often? I¡¯m impressed. Usually, it is not possible to run out of magic so quickly, you know. The magic doesn¡¯t activate before the magic runs out, does it?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m happy for you. Redgarde, how is it?¡± (Tougo)

    I can¡¯t quite hear his words. More than that, I wanted to know how he was doing right now.

    When the pegasus¡¯ wings were healed, the wings were moving properly and he was flying in the sky, but¡­

    ¡°Hmmm. It¡¯s perfect. I can move my fingers properly and I can see with both my eyes!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­ Good. It seems to have really worked. I¡¯m so glad. It is very nice.

    ¡°Um, Redgarde.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°By the way, Tougo.¡± (Fay)

    When I was about to say something, Redgarde bent down a little and stared into my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Redgarde anymore, Tougo.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Huh?

    Looking puzzled¡­ He said with a big smile on his face

    ¡°Call me Fay. You¡¯re my best friend. I¡¯m not going to be a little bit shy about it. Okay!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­best friend?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? We¡¯re best friends! We survived death together! We can help each other! And we¡¯re kindred spirits, too! Then it doesn¡¯t matter who we are or where we come from! We¡¯re best friends now and forever!¡± (Fay)

    Best friends? Is that what we are? Are we kindred spirits? Do we get along? ¡­Yeah, well, we might fit in. The difference in status doesn¡¯t bother me so much because the difference in our worlds is bigger. No, I think it is because he is like that, though.

    But¡­ I can¡¯t really feel it somehow. I¡¯m not sure what this is. I don¡¯t know¡­ but I¡¯ve never had someone I could call a ¡°best friend¡± before. Oh, except for my teacher. He was a teacher as well as a friend¡­ so he was more than a best friend, he was something else.

    But we¡¯d become best friends before we know it.

    ¡°Right? Tougo. Right? Right?¡± (Fay)

    I was troubled. I¡¯ve never seen his type of person before. I don¡¯t know what to do.

    But he looks at me with hopeful eyes.

    ¡°¡­ Fay?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right! Yes!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Yes. I thought that calling him ¡°Fay¡± would be easier than ¡°Redgarde¡±. You don¡¯t have to move your mouth too much to give the sound.

    No, I still don¡¯t feel it, but¡­

    ¡°So, let¡¯s go to my house right away, Tougo!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Eh.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Breakfast can be after about an hour!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°What¡­ what?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave immediately! Let¡¯s go!¡± (Fay)

    I was still in a daze, a head full of fluff, not really understanding what was going on, and before I knew it, Redgarde had grabbed me by the hand and was pulling me outside.

    And then I was put on the back of a flaming wolf.

    ¡­Ah, this could be.

    ¡°Well then, Unicorns and Pegasi! Sorry, I¡¯m borrowing Tougo! ¡­Okay! Let¡¯s go!¡± (Fay)

    Redgarde¡­ no, the moment Fay said that.

    The flaming wolf began to run vigorously.

    ¡°Fast! Too fast!¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? Is it? Then should I slow down a little?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes, do it¡ªplease!¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s a little¡­ no, a hell of a lot scarier when the trees in the forest are drifting backward at a ridiculous rate. And it was even scarier because we weren¡¯t going straight ahead, we were dodging the trees, turning from time to time, sometimes using them as footholds.

    ¡­Still, we slowed down a little when Fay signaled something. I was relieved to see that we were no longer running in a ridiculous manner.

    ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± (Fay)

    Fay was running next to me and said as if he suddenly remembered.

    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you interested in becoming our family painter?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when you get home again! So, think long and hard about it!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I slowly ruminated over Fay¡¯s words in my head and realized¡­

    This must have been a terrible thing, I thought.

    But whatever. I realized that the flaming wolf would not stop. I was so excited to see my ¡°best friend¡± who was also riding a wolf next to me, and the feeling would also not stop.

    ¡­yes.

    We are becoming one¡­ Perhaps.

 Volume 2 - CH 1.1

    That day I was doing pencil sketches.

    It takes time for oil paints to dry. Especially in winter, the paint dries slowly. So oil paints take a long time to dry, and I end up doing pencil sketches or watercolors in between.

    I have heard that the basis of painting is drawing. Not necessarily because of that, but I don¡¯t dislike pencil sketching so much. There is the frustration of not being able to draw the way you want and the frustration of not being able to express yourself well, but as you add more and more pictures, it gets less and less frustrating, and it simply becomes a joy to draw.

    ¡­ It was raining outside.

    Why is it so cold when it rains in winter? But I don¡¯t dislike this coldness so much.

    I feel most at home when it¡¯s a little cold. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t turn on the heater very often.

    In a slightly cold room, I don¡¯t turn on the light too much and just move my pencil while rubbing my chilled hands. That somehow calms me down.

    ¡­though there are people in this house who don¡¯t like the idea of me being in a cold room.

    ¡°Tougo, I hope you¡¯re not still wet. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    My teacher came in with a towel in his hand. He probably saw my shoes at the entrance but not my umbrella and realized that I had come all this way without an umbrella. No wonder. I didn¡¯t have an umbrella today.

    ¡­And just as my teacher predicted, I was still wet.

    Of course, I wiped my hands. Otherwise, I would have been in trouble because the paper would have been wet even though I was in the middle of drawing.

    However, I didn¡¯t wipe my hair very much. Or rather, even if I wiped my hair, it wouldn¡¯t dry immediately, so I¡¯ve given up on it.

    ¡°¡­come on. What¡¯s with the cold in this room? You didn¡¯t turn on the air conditioner again, did you?¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I told you that you could turn it on, but you didn¡¯t turn on the heater. Instead you had the air conditioner on cold¡­ You quite like the cold, don¡¯t you?¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    When I answered, my teacher, laughed happily.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but you should wipe your hair. You¡¯re really going to catch a cold. Come here.¡± (Teacher)

    My teacher put a towel over my head as I approached and began to dry my hair. He wasn¡¯t very good at it.

    ¡°I dry wipe it myself.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°No, not yet. I want to experience it because I don¡¯t get this kind of opportunity very often. I wonder if this is what it feels like to dry a large dog.¡± (Teacher)

    That may be so, but I wonder how similar it is to the feeling of drying me. I don¡¯t know either, so I can¡¯t say anything.

    But for the time being, I decided to be dried until my teacher was satisfied.

    After being towel dried by my teacher, I felt a bit distracted, so I decided to take a break. I heard that Teacher also came to take a break, so it was just right that we both took a break.

    I hold the cup of cocoa my teacher brought in with both hands and warm my fingertips. I love the feeling of my fingers slowly warming up.

    ¡°Ah, it looks like it¡¯s going to stop raining. It¡¯s getting weaker.¡± (Teacher)

    He looked out the window with a cup of cocoa in his hand.

    By the way, Teacher still doesn¡¯t drink cocoa for the time being because he has a cat¡¯s tongue. I also have a cat¡¯s tongue. So we both don¡¯t drink cocoa while it¡¯s still hot. But I think it¡¯s a good thing because a cup of hot cocoa makes a good hot water bottle.

    ¡°It looks like the rain will be over by the time you leave. I¡¯m glad. You wouldn¡¯t want me to lend you an umbrella, would you¡­?¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well, take it easy until the rain clears up.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I sipped from my cup, hoping that the rain would last just a little longer.

    ¡­It was natural since I had given up on Teacher¡¯s cup since it was still a little too hot for me to drink.

    So for a while longer, the cup of cocoa will be a hot water bottle for my hands.

    While warming myself with the cup of cocoa, I look at the desk.

    How many sheets of paper are there on the desk? There are several sheets of paper on the desk. Some of them are papers on which I have drawn pictures, but there are more papers on which I am ¡°going to draw on¡±.

    If I have an extra printout from class, I get it and use it as paper to draw on, and if I get a blank sheet of paper, I happily take it home and use it as paper to draw on. That¡¯s why double-sided printing is my enemy.

    ¡­However, among the papers lined up on the desk, there is one that ¡°cannot be used for drawing on paper due to its single-sided printing.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tougo¡­ Oh, is that why?¡± (Teacher)

    Teacher, who looked at me with what must surely have been a reluctant face and then peered over the desk, took up the prints and nodded in agreement.

    The printout that my teacher took up was a printout of¡­ our career options survey.

    After looking at the printout that said, ¡°career options survey,¡± my teacher seemed to understand my feelings.

    ¡°I see. You are already that time in school. You chose the humanities and sciences for summer, right? Let me look at it¡­ Law school. I see. That¡¯s a very good offer. Very good.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    My teacher looked at my face and laughed.

    ¡­He told me that this was my stance.

    I¡¯m glad to know that there are people out there who can see my feelings.

    Maybe this is how I got my teacher to find me, and that¡¯s how I manage to breathe.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ it looks like it¡¯s going to be hard to write this. You¡¯re right on time to turn it in before the deadline.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I hate the career counseling I have to do. I am going to have to lie. And even if the lie is true, I still have to lie.

    Each time I do this, I feel like my feelings are getting buried inside me.

    Every time they get buried, my teacher finds them and digs them up, but still, many people come to bury my heart.

    That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I have it better than you¡­ but I still have similar things.¡± (Teacher)

    My teacher says then leans against the wall near the window with his cup in his hand.

    ¡°I too have told lies on paper. I¡¯m sure you know that too¡­¡± (Teacher)

    Yes. I know. Teacher is also a teacher, and there are times when he has to hide his feelings by telling lies that he doesn¡¯t want to tell. If anything, he might be having it a lot harder than me.

    ¡°¡­For example, every year, you lie about the somen noodles that are given to you. You say, ¡®It was delicious¡¯ even if it was not.¡± (Teacher)

    Um¡­ well. I actually enjoy all the somen noodles.

    ¡­In that sense, ¡°Tougo Uezora¡¯s¡± words on those being delicious may not be a lie.

    ¡°Well, aside from somen noodles, it seems that you don¡¯t quite know what you wanted to write in this career survey.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡­I am at a loss for words.

    I¡¯ve been looking back at my feelings, but I can¡¯t seem to formulate them properly.

    I like to draw. But I can¡¯t put it into words.

    I want to paint. I want to paint all the time. But it stops there. ¡­There is surely nothing beyond that.

    There is nothing. There shouldn¡¯t be. That is what I felt.

    I want there to be something. But I don¡¯t think I should say that.

    At least, I can¡¯t write ¡°I want to be a painter¡± on my career application. I am sure that is not what I want to write¡­

    Seeing me like that, my teacher smiled happily.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think you like to draw. From my point of view, you look really happy when you draw, and it¡¯s really nice.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I hope that you will be able to live a life in which you can do what you want to do. Of course, I know how difficult that could be.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I know too There are many reasons why it is ¡°difficult¡±. I know that too. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know what to write in the career option survey, so I ended up writing ¡°law school¡±.

    What is it that I am lacking? Is it words or courage? I don¡¯t even know.

    ¡°But you know what, Tougo? In the first place, you don¡¯t have to trust everything about yourself to a piece of paper.¡± (Teacher)

    Mr teacher, however, put a printout of the career choice survey on the desk.

    ¡°What you wrote here can¡¯t be everything about you, can it?¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    What is written there is not what I want. There are many other things that I want to write here and many other things that I can¡¯t write here. I have not yet been able to see it clearly or give it form it. ¡­I still can¡¯t see it well, and it doesn¡¯t take shape. I feel like I shouldn¡¯t give it a shape, though.

    ¡°Even if you come to terms with reality. Even if the future doesn¡¯t look very good. Even if there are things you have to give up. But we must not lose sight of who we are.¡± (Teacher)

    Teacher doesn¡¯t even look at me as he says,

    ¡°Who you are. It is okay to let go of reality and everything else and keep that hidden in your heart.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Hidden¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I responded a little, and he looked at me with a grin.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes, keep it hidden. Hide it from those who will try to destroy your treasure as soon as they find it before it has a chance to take shape.¡± (Teacher)

    His words were something no one else had ever said to me.

    And I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what I wanted to be told.

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s all things that can¡¯t be done. It¡¯s all a bit of a mess. You have to lie on this paper. You have a lot of unspoken thoughts, and you know who you want to be.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I have to lie and hide my true feelings. Things that would be destroyed if taken out must be hidden quietly.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to pretend you don¡¯t see it, nor does it mean you have to put it away and forget about it.

    You can hide the unspoken. You can let it slowly warm up inside of you and wait for the day when it will hatch¡­ like the egg of a bird.

    Someday.

    ¡°¡­well, someday.¡± (Tougo)

    My teacher looked at me and smiled, rubbing the cup of cocoa in his hand, which he had drunk out of before I knew it.

    ¡°I hope someday you¡¯ll be able to put into words what you really feel.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I hope so too.

    I hope that one day I will be able to give form to what I have been keeping hidden and incubating for so long.

    ¡°If you can put your feelings into words, please let me know. I want to hear how you express yourself.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°¡­you know I am not good at putting things into words.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s right. Yes, you are. But you also know that I¡¯m not very good at drawing, but you let me do it from time to time. That¡¯s similar.¡± (Teacher)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    This is good. Yes. We are good.

    Both Teacher and I are full of things that we can¡¯t do.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. So, will you tell me about it sometime?¡± (Teacher)

    Seeing my teacher grin, I nod.

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Someday. I¡¯ll be able to put it into words.

 Volume 2 - CH 1.2

    I was taken to Fay¡¯s house, where I was welcomed enthusiastically by his father and brother.

    ¡°Tougo! Welcome!¡± (Van)

    ¡°I heard about it from my brother in his letter! Thank you very much!¡± (Roses)

    I was a little surprised because they were like this even before I entered the entrance. No, I was very surprised. I wonder if these people have been waiting at the door all this time¡­?

    ¡°Come on, come on, don¡¯t just stand there talking, come inside! Is breakfast ready yet?¡± (Roses)

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m hungry.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see. What about you Tougo?¡± (Van)

    ¡°¡­¡­maybe a little.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh good! Go ahead and eat a lot!¡± (Van)

    ¡­That¡¯s how I ended up visiting the Redgarde family again.

    Umm¡­ I don¡¯t need that much breakfast¡­

    In the end, I ate quite a lot. I¡¯m surprised at myself. I¡¯ve been eating a little bit more, a little bit more, as recommended, and before I knew it, I¡¯d eaten a lot.

    But I don¡¯t feel bad about it. Because the food at Redgarde¡¯s home is very delicious.

    Also, it¡¯s fun. Fay says something, his brother chides him, and his father laughs at him. Or, his brother comes up with an idea, his father responds, and Fay comes up with something better. Listening to such conversations was kind of fun in itself.

    ¡­It¡¯s refreshing to have a lively and fun atmosphere at the dining table.

    ¡°All right, Tougo. Eat a lot! You should eat a little more, maybe.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­ yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I think Fay probably said that because of my body shape. I am definitely in the ¡°skinny¡± category when my BMI is measured. Sometimes, I¡¯m too skinny. Yes, I am a little concerned about my body. But just because I eat a lot doesn¡¯t mean I can easily gain weight. There are people who try to force themselves to eat, but they don¡¯t gain weight. Well, it¡¯s still true that I don¡¯t eat much.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Tougo. You don¡¯t usually eat much, do you?¡± (Van)

    ¡°No, I do eat.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh, father, you can¡¯t rely on what he¡¯s eating. He¡¯s someone who is satisfied with a piece of fruit.¡± (Fay)

    Yes. I was immediately exposed by Fay.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good. You should eat something substantial.¡± (Van)

    I immediately made Fay¡¯s father¡¯s face cloud over. I felt sorry for him when he looked at me like that, but I couldn¡¯t help it if I didn¡¯t eat. I had skipped lunch almost every day since I became a high school student, but that was for the sake of drawing pictures.

    ¡°Ah, father. You can¡¯t say that to him. He seems to forget a lot of things when he paints. So, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­yes.

    The things I draw, and the things I forget when paintings, are things that can¡¯t be helped.

    But it¡¯s nice to hear someone other than me say it. ¡­¡­

    Fay is a good person. Really.

    ¡°Oh my, was that so? Then¡­¡± (Van)

    Fay¡¯s father didn¡¯t even think for a moment, just looked at me and said nonchalantly,

    ¡°Tougo. If it¡¯s okay with you, why don¡¯t you come live in the mansion?¡± (Van)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You seem to be young. If you would prefer to be sheltered by someone, my family will take care of that. I can take care of your food and sleep. Then you can relax and paint.¡± (Van)

    Live¡ªin this mansion. So, I can spend my time painting¡­

    I was at a loss when he suddenly suggested that.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­I look around.

    Sitting at the same table, Fey, his brother, and his father. And the servants are also smiling at me. I don¡¯t feel bad.

    I don¡¯t, but¡­ if they ask me if it¡¯s okay for me to be here, I feel like I don¡¯t belong.

    This lovely family is not my family.

    ¡°¡­ because there are still a lot of horses in the forest¡­¡± (Tougo)

    So I decided to say so.

    It was a very kind offer, but I felt like I shouldn¡¯t accept it¡­ No matter how I felt about it. Not that I didn¡¯t want to, but I just felt like I shouldn¡¯t, somehow.

    ¡°I see. Come to think of it, I heard you were liked by Unicorns and Pegasus, right?¡± (Roses)

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that from Fay too. I also heard that because of Tougo, Fay caught the poachers.¡± (Van)

    Oh, they heard stories about horses.

    ¡°It is rare for a man to be favored by a pegasus, but it is even rarer for a man to be favored by a unicorn. Yes, indeed, it would be a shame for them to pull you away from the forest like that, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± (Van)

    Fay¡¯s father said and laughed. Good thing I turned down the offer even if I thought he might be offended. Apparently, this family resembles Fay, and everyone seems to be a straightforward and reasonable person.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I thought it would be kind of fun if you came to live in our house. Well, just come visit us often.¡± (Van)

    ¡­Apparently, everyone is just like Fay.

    Yes. I will. If you thought it would be fun, I¡¯m honored to hear that.

    ¡°By the way, Tougo. Did you think about what I said earlier?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    And then, in the midst of the enthusiastic welcome, breakfast, and the offer to live here, I forgot to mention that there was also this.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you become our family painter?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Um, well, you see, the horses are in the woods.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t have to live with us. But it¡¯s okay if you want to be our exclusive painter?¡± (Fay)

    I looked at Fay¡¯s brother and father and they were just smiling at me. It seems that the conversation is something they are fine with.

    ¡°What? How about it?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Even if you say¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I was troubled by Fay¡¯s shining gaze.

    ¡°What does a ¡®family painter¡¯ do¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    So I decided to ask him for more information.

    ¡°A house painter is a painter who is hired exclusively by our family. The painter paints for our house, or commissions from other places throughout the house. The Redgarde family provides the living and working funds. We will pay for the paintings separately. Of course.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Oh.¡± (Tougo)

    I had a vague idea of what to expect, but it was a rather outrageous story. In other words, he is asking me to accept them as a patron. I was told that they would become my patron, right?

    I think this kind of talk should be given to professionals, not to amateurs like me who can barely be called amateurs¡­

    It¡¯s a bit outlandish and unreal.

    ¡°The good thing for you is, well, you¡¯ll have a steady stream of money. And the work for you will go through us, so we¡¯ll be there to find you work.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°On the other hand, the bad thing for you is¡­ you won¡¯t be free. You¡¯ll be doing commissioned work for us, so you won¡¯t be able to devote all your time to what you want to draw.¡± (Fay)

    I don¡¯t think that would bother me too much. I don¡¯t care what I paint, as long as I get to enjoy my time drawing.

    ¡°And if you want to work for a house other than ours, then you¡¯re going to be a bit of a liability. So, for example, if you want to be a painter for the Royal Castle, it would be better not to have a contract with the Redgarde family. There are plenty of bigger and better houses out there, even if it¡¯s not a royal family.¡± (Fay)

    Well, I don¡¯t have any idea what a royal castle is, and I don¡¯t have any idea what other noble houses are, so I don¡¯t care¡­

    ¡­It turned out to be outrageous. I¡¯m in trouble.

    ¡°Your abilities are a bit too rare. So I¡¯m sure there will be plenty of bad guys out there who will try to take advantage of you! And Tougo will never be able to make that kind of decision on your own, will you? Maybe. Right? What do you think? We can take care of that too, you know?¡± (Fay)

    Yeah, I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m confident that I can¡¯t tell the difference between a bad person and a non-bad person. That¡¯s right. Sorry about that.

    ¡­Really. If I am going to live in this world, I am going to interact with people to some degree.

    And of course, the world is not all good people like the Redgardes. ¡­There are also people like the poachers and people on the black market.

    But I certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference. Maybe I¡¯m the gullible type.

    In that light, I would certainly be very grateful if the Redgardes would take care of me¡­

    ¡­Hmmm.

    Isn¡¯t this good?

    I¡¯m probably not good enough. I know my skills. I¡¯m not going to an art prep school, I¡¯m just painting. At least, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough to do it professionally. I don¡¯t have the confidence.

    And I feel a little sorry to be indebted to the Redgarde family. I know they feel indebted to me, but still, it¡¯s a little too much for me to sort out my feelings.

    ¡­and there is something in my mind that is holding me back. It¡¯s hazy, it¡¯s stuck in my chest, it¡¯s stuck. I think that¡¯s what¡¯s holding me back.

    And I¡¯m sure¡­ I can¡¯t put my feelings into words yet.

    ¡­But that¡¯s okay.

    It doesn¡¯t matter right now what my feelings are.

    I have enough reasons for refusing, even if I take into account the fact that they don¡¯t take shape.

    ¡°You see, the picture of me that Tougo drew, you used it to heal my injuries, didn¡¯t you? So, please draw another portrait of me!¡± (Fay)

    Fay is laughing as he says this, but¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­well.¡± (Tougo)

    I am now facing a problem that I have been neglecting for so long.

    ¡°I have no guarantee that my paintings will remain as paintings¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Yes. The materialization of the picture is not always a matter of my intention to make it materialize, and there is a good chance that the picture will materialize by accident.

    Even if I don¡¯t intend to make it into a mochi, if I draw a mochi, it will become a mochi.

    In other words, I may not be able to draw a ¡°picture¡±.

    ¡­Before my feelings, I can¡¯t do a painter¡¯s job, can I? I¡¯m not sure how I feel about that.

 Volume 2 - CH 2.1

    I may not be able to draw.

    That would be a fatal flaw for a ¡°family painter,¡± wouldn¡¯t it?

    If someone ordered a picture of a mochi and the mochi arrived, even the Redgardes would be troubled. Consequently, I would be troubled.

    ¡°¡­Huh? What does that mean?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I mean, well, I can make a ¡®picture materialize,¡¯ but I can¡¯t make a ¡®picture not materialize,¡¯ other than to cut corners when making a picture¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­As soon as I said that, everyone at the table fell silent. Yes, that¡¯s right. Yeah.

    ¡°Eh¡­ You¡­¡± (Fay)

    There, Fay regained his focus faster than anyone else.

    ¡°Are you still wetting the bed, by any chance?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Hmm?

    ¡°No, I am not¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°But your magic leaks, right?¡± (Fay)

    What do you mean, magic leaks? ¡­maybe in this world, ¡°magic that you didn¡¯t intend to activate¡± is treated like bed-wetting or something like that!?

    ¡°Ahahahaha! No, my bad, my bad! I know, you¡¯ve only been in this world a short while! In a way, you¡¯ve just been born. It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of¡­ fufufu.¡± (Fay)

    He is full of laughter that I may be leaking magic, but Fay is leaking laughter. He can¡¯t hold it in.

    ¡°Hahahahahaha! I see! You, with that face, a serious face, but you couldn¡¯t control your magic? Yet, you speak normally, you act nicely, and act like you look like you¡¯re in control! I see.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Ugh, you don¡¯t have to laugh¡­¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s awkward. I feel very uncomfortable. Fay is laughing, and both his brother and father are grinning. ¡°Well, I am from another world.¡±

    ¡­Based on values that I don¡¯t understand at all, they are somehow amused. Or they are made to laugh. It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re being malicious, and that¡¯s good, but how should I put it¡­

    ¡°Fay, your otherworldly friend is very much like this¡­ always making you feel cheerful, isn¡¯t he?¡± (Roses)

    ¡°Now you see? Brother, you¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­It¡¯s kind of embarrassing.

    In the end, the conversation ended at the breakfast table by saying, ¡°Let¡¯s practice magic control later¡± and ¡°Think about the idea of being our painter later.¡±

    The Redgarde family was not inclined to drop their offer of a painter even though they knew I was unable to control magic, and they were rather interested in me as a person from another world. He even asked me if I wanted to live with him. Yes, I¡¯m glad to hear that he is interested in me. But I¡¯m kind of sorry, and I¡¯m still kind of embarrassed¡­

    ¡­So, I went to practice magic control with Fay.

    ¡°Alright. First of all, you should be aware of your magic!¡± (Fay)

    Fay says so but¡­ this is the first difficult part.

    Until now, I have been able to materialize pictures without being aware of anything in particular. That means, ¡°I don¡¯t know how the picture materialized¡±.

    Since I am not aware that I am using magic, I cannot control it. I had to start by sensing my own magic.

    ¡°You, when you consume magic power, don¡¯t you feel it?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I might be.¡± (Tougo)

    When I heal one of the horse¡¯s wings or horns. Or, when I materialize the Scarlet Dragon. At times like that, I feel like something is flowing out of me. Maybe that¡¯s magic power?

    ¡°I see. Then try to become aware that the thing you consumed at that time is in your body.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­ No, that¡¯s difficult. How can you have some kind of awareness of something invisible in the body?

    ¡°¡­Is it no good?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said that I was giving up, Fay sighed¡­ then handed me something.

    ¡°Then take this!¡± (Fay)

    The thing that was handed to me was something with a wooden grip had a brass-like metal pattern inlaid on it and a clear stone that looked like a crystal ball was attached to the end of the grip.

    When I grasped the grip¡­ the metal pattern glowed, and the crystal ball at the end of the grip glowed.

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good. Feel that properly.¡± (Fay)

    Furthermore, the light slowly changes color inside the crystal ball, passing through the handle and entering my body.

    ¡°¡­woah.¡± (Tougo)

    I was surprised.

    Your hands felt fluffy and warm. And then it becomes cool. ¡­ The feeling that enters my hand is different depending on the color of the light in the crystal ball

    ¡°Do you understand? This is magic power.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I understand.¡± (Tougo)

    I think it¡¯s a tool to bring out magic inside me and put it back inside my body again. That¡¯s interesting. Just by pulling it out, I am now aware of what¡¯s there. I¡¯m starting to realize that, this, magic power is definitely flowing through me.

    ¡°So, expand your awareness from your hands. See? You can see it flowing through your whole body, not just your hands, can¡¯t you?¡± (Fay)

    After I become aware of it, now, I can certainly feel it. I do indeed have magic power.

    It is something that glitters inside the crystal ball, changing color. Is this my magic power? It¡¯s beautiful. I see. Something like this is flowing inside me? It makes me a little happy.

    ¡°This tool is amazing.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh, of course. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re pleased, it is so much better because you are.¡± (Fay)

    After practicing feeling my own magic for a while, I give the tool back to Fay. Then, as soon as Fay gripped it, a scarlet flame flared up inside the stone.

    ¡­I see. Fay also said that magic power differs from person to person. Is that what he is?

    ¡°By the way.¡± (Fay)

    Then Fay said, with a smirk.

    ¡°This toy is something we give babies in this world.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I see.

    Well, I¡¯ve only been in this world a little while, a baby, so to speak¡­

    I was a little angry, so I poked Fay in his side, and he laughed.

    That whole evening, I practiced holding the ¡°baby¡¯s toy¡± and feeling magic.

    It¡¯s funny how once you know the magic inside you, you start to know what¡¯s outside of you.

    I can feel the magic in Fay, in the flowers in the garden, in the wind, and so on. Yes, this is interesting.

    ¡°Good. Then it¡¯s time for the next step! Next, we¡¯ll practice making sure the magic doesn¡¯t leak out! If you can do this, you might even be able to keep the painting from materializing! Good luck!¡± (Fay)

    The next day, I¡¯ll be studying magic with Fay again.

    ¡­I think I made a step forward because I was able to feel the magic inside me but it¡¯s hard to know what to do after that.

    The first thing to do is to practice to prevent the magic from leaking out, so today I am holding such a tool, like a candle made of gold and a goldsmith¡¯s craft.

    But.

    ¡°¡­¡­It is useless.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, well, just try harder. Yeah.¡± (Fay)

    Like yesterday¡¯s tool, this tool is also a tool for practicing magic control. This candle-like object channels magic power when you hold it and its tip light up. So I¡¯m practicing not to light up while holding this candle, but¡­

    In a way, it may be like stopping your own blood flow with only your will. It is that level of difficulty.

    The candle-like light doesn¡¯t go out at all. I know that magic power is flowing from my hand and being channeled into it and that it is becoming light, but I don¡¯t know how to stop it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Really?¡± (Fay)

    Seeing me like that, Fay grabbed my wrist.

 Volume 2 - CH 2.2

    ¡°Really?¡± (Fay)

    Seeing me like that, Fay grabbed my wrist.

    The candle-like light went out and at the same time, slowly and gradually, something feels itchy.

    ¡°Hey, wait, this¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Okay. Just put up with it for now.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Okay¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I was told to be patient, but this was very hard to bear. It¡¯s itching, it¡¯s very itchy, it¡¯s unbearable.

    ¡°Fay, let go.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I will. If you hold on a little longer.¡± (Fay)

    Maybe Fay is holding my wrist to stop the flow of magic. But it¡¯s making me uncomfortable. It makes me really itchy.

    ¡°Please, Fay.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hold on a little more.¡± (Fay)

    It¡¯s not just slightly ticklish or itchy, it¡¯s something that is inexplicably itchy!

    Itchy, itchy, itchy¡­ I know I have to learn to hold back my magic power, but I can¡¯t!

    ¡°No more¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh? Oh, come on, it¡¯s not that unbearable¡­¡± (Fay)

    I grabbed Fay¡¯s hand and tried to pull it away, and I let go of the stone. And then.

    ¡°Woah!?¡± (Fay)

    At the same time, a beam extended from the candle and flew into the sky.

    I couldn¡¯t think about anything for a little while. I was in a daze.

    ¡°Just now, that was¡­? Amazing¡­¡± (Fay)

    And while Fay was admiring something, I was relieved to finally stop the itching. Yeah, I don¡¯t want to put up with that stuff like that. No more.

    ¡­and when I calmed down.

    ¡°You¡­ Maybe it will be quite difficult for you to control your magic.¡± (Fay)

    Fay stares at me while saying that. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying for a while now¡­

    ¡°Your magic power is an exceptional amount, more than you can imagine, maybe.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Huh?

    The next day.

    ¡°This guy started leaking magic.¡± (Rose)

    ¡°Until now, he seems to have little magic power, but suddenly his magic power seems to have increased.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°He can¡¯t control it and he is having trouble. Can¡¯t you do something about it?¡± (Van)

    ¡­Yesterday, a doctor who examines magic power came to see me. The Redgarde family is all over me and the doctor looked troubled, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    I have also asked them to hide the fact that I am from another world. So, the only people who know I¡¯m from another world are Fay, his brother, his father, some of the Redgarde maids, and the horses and bird.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ well, it¡¯s not uncommon for magic power to suddenly increase. There have been reports of sudden increases in magical power during the growth period, but¡­ Is there any other reason for him to increase his magic power?¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°What? What kind of trigger?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°For example, reading a special grimoire, receiving the favor of a spirit, or learning new magic¡­ Oh, I heard that sometimes when you are in a life-threatening situation, your dormant magic power can be awakened. Yes, anything, any injuries recently?¡± (Doctor)

    ¡­I heard that I was bedridden for about 10 days, but I am not sure.

    In the end, they didn¡¯t know the cause. I mean¡­ well, I almost died once, so that may be the cause, but I am, in case someone is wondering, as soon as I came to this world, I made a mochi out of a picture. So maybe¡­ yeah, because ¡°I¡¯m from another world¡±.

    I wonder what it is¡­

    For the time being, the doctor made a diagnosis like ¡°I¡¯m sure he is the type that increases during the growth period¡± wrote down a series of treatments, and then went home.

    ¡­it¡¯s just.

    The doctor told me something troubling on the way home.

    ¡°Since you have such a high mount magical power, why don¡¯t you aim to become a magician in the royal palace?¡±

    ¡­Are magicians in the royal palace allowed to draw?

    ¡°¡­Hey, Tougo. Do you want to be a royal court magician?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well, no matter how I think about it, I¡¯m sure that if you become a magician in the royal palace, you can¡¯t spend all day long painting¡­¡± (Fay)

    I¡¯m glad that Fay knows me so well.

    ¡°If Tougo wants it, he can become employed by the royal palace¡­ However, if that¡¯s not the case, well, there¡¯s already the talk of him becoming our house painter, so I wonder if it¡¯s better for him to stay here.¡± (Roses)

    I heard that Fay¡¯s brother is positively considering making me their family painter.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, Tougo, it would be better if you were able to control your magic. For the time being, put on that seal and learn how to control your magic power.¡± (Van)

    ¡­and there is Fay¡¯s father.

    He gave me a ¡°sealing tool¡±.

    The ¡°sealing tool¡± isn¡¯t particularly scary, it seems. It is something like a correction tool for people who have suddenly increased their magic power or who have too much magic power.

    It is in the form of a bracelet. It is currently on my left wrist. It¡¯s like a wristwatch, so I don¡¯t feel much discomfort.

    The effect is that¡­ it ¡°seals¡± part of my magical power.

    ¡­That¡¯s how I was temporarily able to reduce my magic power and practice controlling my magic power in that state.

    The first thing I need to do is to get used to it, and then I can use a weaker sealing tool and practice controlling my magic power again.

    When I get used to that too, they will weaken the sealing device a little more, over and over¡­ Until I am able to control my magic power even with my original amount.

    Yeah, I¡¯m sure that will work. Let¡¯s use this and do our best to learn to control the magic.

    It¡¯s embarrassing to have Fay call me a ¡°bedwetter¡±, and first of all¡­ if I can control the magic with this, I might be able to draw a picture properly as a picture!

    ¡­However.

    My plan ran aground in a day and a half.

    ¡°Uh, how¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I got the sealing tool on, practiced controlling my magic right away, painted a picture after a break because I was totally tired, then stayed at the Redgarde house, and the next day, I practiced controlling the magic again¡­ and after about a day and a half

    The seal was broken.

    ¡°¡­ the limit one is one day.¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I went to see the doctor one more time and he told me such a hopeless thing.

    It seems that my magical power is too much, and the sealing tool will become useless. What the hell happened to me?

    ¡­I did so, and I was prescribed another sealing device.

    This time, well, it¡¯s a bracelet¡­ with a black stone in the center of it.

    From now on, they are going to replace the black stone every day and take care of the replaced black stone by ¡°releasing the accumulated magic power¡± to make the sealing device last longer. I heard that if you want to make the sealing tool weaker, you can just change the type of stone, so this might be a better option.

    ¡­ I¡¯ve heard that it costs a little bit more to get a new seal, but Fay¡¯s father won¡¯t let me pay for it. No, I certainly don¡¯t have the money to pay for it, but¡­

    While I was feeling a little sorry about the money, the others seemed to be thinking about something else.

    ¡°¡­Tougo, can you properly change the magic stone for the sealing tool once a day?¡± (Fay)

    That¡¯s what Fay said¡­ I thought.

    Well. I am not sure.

    I don¡¯t have the confidence to properly replace the stone once a day. It¡¯s easy for me to forget things when I am drawing, and what¡¯s even more troublesome is that if I forget to change the stone, the stone can explode.

    Then, I have to make sure I don¡¯t forget to change the stone, but I¡¯m not confident that I can do it. However, if I forget to replace the stone, I¡¯ll be in big trouble¡­ and I am not confidence¡­

    And so.

    ¡°All right. Then Tougo, Let¡¯s go!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± (Tougo)

    From now on, I will go with Fay.

    As to why that is¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you what you need. Slaves.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m going to have to buy a slave now, for my body.

 Volume 2 - CH 3

    Slaves. Yes. A slave.

    Why a slave, you may ask, because Fay says, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Tougo can remember to change the sealing tool¡¯s magic stone once a day! Tougo is too incapable of living! If he is left alone, he will die!¡± And He insisted.

    Regarding the exchange of magic stones, I was going to tell him that it was not true that I would die if I was left alone, but when he mentioned that I had fainted many times due to ¡°magic power depletion,¡± I was no longer in any capacity to argue with him.

    Then everyone decided that if I was going to live in the forest, it would be better if I had someone close by to take care of me. Mainly in terms of managing my food and shelter.

    ¡­That brings me back to my earlier point. We were talking about ¡°buying a slave¡±.

    It seems there is slavery in this world. Criminals, the poor, people in debt, and people from enemy countries who have lost a war? These people become slaves.

    ¡­However, I have quite a bit of resistance. Because there is slavery, there are slaves. No matter how accepted¡­ I have a strong attachment to the morals of my original world, and I feel a lot of resistance.

    ¡°I see. In your world, there were no slaves.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    After all, this place is a different world, I think. Their common sense is something that is completely different from what I grew up with, and naturally, our morals are also different.

    Fay is a good person, but at times like this, I can¡¯t help but feel a little distant from him.

    ¡­But.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? What does your world do with the people who were hungry? Don¡¯t tell me they were all begging on the street?¡± (Fay)

    When Fay started to say that, I felt a bit like, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ the government paid for those who couldn¡¯t work or were unemployed.¡± (Tougo)

    Anyway, I tell Fay a little bit about my world, about welfare, culture, and so on. Yeah. I told him a little about my world.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand. ¡­Well, does that mean that in a way, it¡¯s a system where those with money help those without?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­ yes, something like that.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s a rough summary, but maybe that¡¯s mostly it. Mostly.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not much different from slavery, is it? It¡¯s rather good that there is a proper place of employment, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­huh?

    ¡°It¡¯s true that if you become a slave, you can¡¯t choose your job. But at any rate, you will definitely be able to sleep, eat, and get a job, won¡¯t you? And when you accumulate some money, you can buy your status back and be free. It¡¯s not that bad, right? Right?¡± (Fay)

    I feel¡­ that something is different from the ¡°slave¡± that I thought of.

    ¡°¡­slaves aren¡¯t, you know, being forced to do whatever others say, or being treated badly, or something like that?¡± (Tougo)

    Just in case, I asked. Isn¡¯t there some kind of difference between the ¡°slave¡± in this world and the connotation of ¡°slave¡± in my world?

    Fay snorted and answered.

    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t say there isn¡¯t. There are times when they are treated that way. It¡¯s just that when you¡¯re a criminal slave, the percentage of that happening is inevitably higher. But at the very least it is illegal to mistreat those who are enslaved because they have no money.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, there¡¯s a law against it? Something has gone way beyond my expectations. I don¡¯t know, this world is a strange place after all.

    ¡°Um¡­ is there such a treatment when it¡¯s illegal?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are some people who do it out of sight, out of mind. The only thing is, it¡¯s hard to crack down on this kind of thing. Yeah¡­ Is there no such a thing in your world?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°There are.¡± (Tougo)

    It is true that there are people in my world who repeatedly commit illegal acts. I know, labor laws are often broken.

    ¡­I see. Slavery in this world is more relatable than I thought. It feels a little strange, but it makes sense now that we talked about it.

    Then we got to town.

    ¡°¡­there are a lot of people here.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Ah, Tougo, isn¡¯t this your first time coming to town!?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    It was the first time I had been in a town since I came to this world.

    The town is made up of many houses made of wood and stone. Well, there is a forest nearby, so there is a good amount of wood available. Naturally so. However, they are not built like Japanese houses, so there is an exotic atmosphere.

    The walls are usually plastered. However, they are not pure white, but rather colored, which is fashionable. Some walls are chic gray, some are light pink beige, and some are champagne gold.

    So that means there are colored materials to mix with the plaster. I¡¯m a little curious¡­

    Then the windows. There are some with glass windows, but in most private houses there are many with wooden shutters. Apparently, glass is a bit of a luxury item.

    The street is paved with cobblestones. The dark-colored stones give a subdued impression, but among the dark stones, some are pure white. The white accents are quite nice.

    Children were running on the cobblestones. There is a fountain in the plaza, which seems to be a place of relaxation for children and various other people.

    ¡­how unusual.

    I see. The town in the other world is like this.

    ¡°Is that right? Is this your first time in town? ¡­Then I should have planned to make it more enjoyable. I failed.¡± (Fay)

    Fay looked at me and made a face as if he had ¡°failed¡±. It¡¯s kind of funny.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t have to do that¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°But you¡¯re from another world, aren¡¯t you? I have to show people from another world around town, right? It¡¯s definitely better when it is fun, right?¡± (Fay)

    Oh, so that we can enjoy it, well, not me, but Fay.

    ¡­Yeah, I like that about him.

    We walked a little further and came to the outskirts of town. There I found a big old building. The plaster on the walls was peeling away, revealing stone and brick in places.

    Apparently, this was the place where slaves were sold.

    As soon as we entered the store, Fay started talking with the shopkeeper. I was left out of the conversation, but Fay looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯m here today to find a caretaker for him, not one of our employees,¡± to which the shopkeeper looked at me.

    I bowed my head. I felt a little uncomfortable at moments like this.

    Then Fay and the store clerk talked for a bit¡­ at which point, Fay grinned and whispered into the store clerk¡¯s ear.

    ¡­What is it?

    And finally, I was asked to see the slaves.

    ¡°All right. What do you think, Tougo? Is there a girl you¡¯re interested in?¡± (Fay)

    There are slaves in front of me.

    ¡­It feels strange. After all, the slaves here seem¡­ very aggressive.

    ¡°Oh, my sweet boy! Hey, why don¡¯t you let me be the one you choose? I can cook and clean.¡± (Slave)

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you just pick me over that old lady over there, ¡®big brother¡¯? I¡¯m not going to say anything bad about you.¡± (Slave)

    ¡°Oh, my gosh! You¡¯re a beautiful boy! I want you to buy me! Pick me! I¡¯ll do all kinds of fun things for you!¡± (Slave)

    ¡­yes.

    I¡¯m in trouble.

    I¡¯m looking at a lot of women smiling at me. And they are saying some rather, you know, questionable things. By the way, their clothes are also quite revealing. What should I do with this¡­?

    ¡°Okay, Tougo. Who do you want? Who among them caught your eye?¡± (Fay)

    And Fay asks me that with a smirk. ¡­I¡¯m sure he¡¯s making fun of me. He¡¯s grinning. No matter how I look at the women in front of me, they don¡¯t look like housekeepers, somehow they¡¯re different.

    ¡­So let me tell him my opinion.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like these women because they¡­ make me feel uncomfortable.¡± (Tougo)

    As far as I¡¯m concerned, I¡¯m not comfortable with someone I¡¯m not comfortable with.

    ¡°Eh! Are you sure!?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Eh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°What!?¡± (Slaves)

    What is wrong?

    ¡°No. ¡­Hey, Tougo. You came here looking for a slave to take care of your living, right? You¡¯re going to live with that slave, okay?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°If they are going to be with you, you¡¯d rather it be with a beautiful girl! If they are going to take care of you, they better be able to do everything, from morning till night!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°You¡¯re all alone in the depths of the forest, you know? You don¡¯t have any social status, and you don¡¯t have any ties, so nobody will complain about you buying a slave like them!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t feel comfortable.¡± (Tougo)

    A difference of opinion.

    If we are going to live together, I don¡¯t want to be with someone I don¡¯t feel comfortable with.

    ¡­ At any rate, I decided to ask him to show me the other slaves.

    But I¡¯d like to refrain from a grumpy uncle. I also don¡¯t want to be with a strict-looking auntie. I would like to refrain from the sexy older lady because I feel uncomfortable, and I would also like to refrain from an older brother who looks kind of sexy.

    ¡­There are some people who think that this person would be good, but I don¡¯t think so.

    Hmm¡­ even if I was told to choose a slave, it might be useless because I don¡¯t know who to choose¡­

    In the end, I decided that it would be faster for me to look around than to have the slaves brought to me, so I asked them to bring me to the slave waiting area.

    There were many rooms with large windows, and the slaves were in them one by one or in groups.

    On the door of each room, there are descriptions of the slaves. I can¡¯t read it, but Fay read it to me. It says that they are good at housework, or that they can use magic or something like that. It seems that such things are written.

    Apparently, the slaves were categorized into several groups. They are ¡°good at housework,¡± ¡°good at fighting,¡± ¡°good at farming,¡± and so on. The slaves are divided into categories to some extent, and there is a line of slaves of similar abilities in one line.

    ¡­There was also a line of people who looked like the women Fay had asked to be brought to me earlier. I felt awkward there, so I walked right past them.

    Then, when I went deeper and deeper into the store, there was a place with iron bars.

    ¡­I wondered what it was, it was very close to the image I had imagined of a store that sold slaves.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo. From there onwards is the criminal slave area.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, I see. Criminal slaves¡­

    Yeah.

    Fay stopped me, but I¡¯m going to go take a look anyway, just to be sure. Because so far, I¡¯m not sure about all of them. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like to look around at all of them and then make a decision after I¡¯m satisfied.

    However¡­ a ¡°criminal slave¡± was more than I expected.

    The sound of clanging. It was the sound of the iron bars clanging.

    And the one who rang the bars was a man with the appearance of a ¡°bad guy¡±.

    ¡°Hey, you little brat. Are you a nobleman¡¯s kid?¡± (Man)

    ¡°No, mister.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I see. If you don¡¯t have money, I have no use for you.¡± (Man)

    And then, the man who looked like a ¡°bad guy¡± went away behind the bars again. I was a little surprised.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo. That guy¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I was a little surprised, but I really want to see everyone.¡± (Tougo)

    Fay stopped me one more time, but I really want to see this one too.

    The people behind the bars could be scary-looking people with glowing eyes, or they could be sleeping all the time, or they could be head-butting against the wall while muttering something. They are definitely not the best people to take care of your daily life. And by the way, I don¡¯t feel comfortable. They are uncomfortable in a different way than the women earlier.

    Some people even threw things through the cracks in the iron bars. Please don¡¯t throw the remains of broken glass bottles too much. I think I¡¯m going to get hurt. Well, Fay¡¯s summoned beasts will protect me, so I¡¯m safe, but¡­

    Still, I was looking at the row of iron bars. Looking, watching a lot of scary people, looking, watching¡­ and then.

    At the far end of the bars, I found it.

    ¡­Sharp eyes, a straight nasal bridge, a well-trained body, hair, and beard that makes you say, ¡°I just left it alone, and it grew¡±. The man with the appearance of a ¡°warrior¡± reminded me of the image of the plaster statue in the art room.

    A plaster statue in the art room.

    It was a statue of Hercules.

    ¡°I choose that person.¡± (Tougo)

    I decided on this person.

    Because I wanted to paint him.

 Volume 2 - CH 4.1

    ¡°Hey, Tougo. Don¡¯t tell me you decided on him?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I show Fay, who has caught up with me, the plaster figure behind the bars and I say,

    ¡°I choose that person.¡± (Tougo)

    Fay took his time, looked at the living plaster statue behind the bars¡­ looked at me¡­ then looked at the plaster statue again¡­ and said,

    ¡°¡­what¡¯s going on with your hobbies?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I want to draw him.¡± (Tougo)

    I told him exactly what I desire. And drawing is my hobby.

    ¡°No, no, no, there¡¯s more to drawing! There are cute things and beautiful things!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take this one.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Are you insane!? He¡¯s a man!?¡± (Fay)

    I am sane. What are you talking about, Fay?

    ¡°Because we¡¯re buying a slave! It should be a woman! You should choose a woman!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­nude drawings of women are still kinda¡­ yeah.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Wait! You¡¯re going to do a nude drawing of a man! Are you insane!?¡± (Fay)

    Well¡­ yeah. If it is a drawing of this person, I think I could learn a lot from him. He is like a specimen of how muscles look.

    It¡¯s not that I want to draw nudes, but I want to draw many pictures of these muscles. I want to draw it from many angles.

    He is mostly a plaster statue. Plaster statues are a typical motif for pencil sketching.

    And I have a living plaster figure in front of me. I have no choice but to draw it!

    ¡°¡­so, you like men¡­?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± (Tougo)

    No, I don¡¯t. But I¡¯ve always wanted a plaster statue.

    Then I began to explain to Fay about plaster statues.

    A plaster statue is a replica of a good sculpture. It is a motif that every sketcher must draw at least once in his or her life. I could not visualize a plaster statue clearly in my mind, so I would not be able to draw a plaster statue and materialize it with just my imagination.

    More than that¡­ I always dreamed of drawing plaster statues.

    ¡­It was a longing. Drawing plaster statues. I was envious when I saw people in the art club making plaster statue drawings.

    When I went to see the art club¡¯s exhibition at a cultural festival or something, there were several plaster statue sketches.

    I wanted to try it, too. But plaster statues are expensive. It was a little too expensive for a high school student to buy with his lunch money. I was too busy buying oil canvases, watercolor paper, paints, and pencils, so I couldn¡¯t afford a plaster statue.

    ¡­That¡¯s why I want to draw plaster statues.

    If there is a living plaster statue, I want to buy it.

    I want to draw this person.

    While I was explaining the situation in unusual flowing words, Fay¡¯s face became indescribable. I think he was thinking, ¡°This guy is an idiot,¡± but at the same time he has an expression like he is thinking, ¡°But if he wants to do it that badly, I don¡¯t want to stop him if he wants to go this far¡±.

    ¡­and Fay groaned and groaned some more¡­ as he approached the grate.

    ¡°Ah, fine¡­ hey, you over there! Can you do housework!?¡± (Fay)

    And he began to speak to the living plaster statue behind the bars.

    ¡­Then the living plaster statue moved.

    The head moved, and the eyes turned toward us.

    It was amazing. When his body moves, the muscles also change shape. The skin also stretches and compresses, and the impression changes depending on the angle! Amazing! I want to draw it all!

    ¡°Do you want to buy me?¡± (Living Statue)

    ¡°It seems so! So, can you take care of this guy!? Can you take care of this ready-to-fly, fluffy, head-in-the-clouds guy who is so detached from life that he forgets to eat and sleep?! Make sure he is sleeping and eating, and remind him to do one more thing a day!¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I feel like I¡¯m being given a ridiculous introduction¡­ Sure I forget to eat and sleep a lot, but I don¡¯t think I have my head-in-the-clouds, and fluffy. No, what do you mean by ¡°ready-to-fly¡±? Is that how they see me? I feel like¡­ hmmm.

    ¡°Are you insane? All I can do is fight¡­ Look at the tag.¡± (Living Statue)

    The living plaster statue said, and then, with a flick of its chin, indicated the tag attached to the bars.

    ¡°¡­geez.¡± (Fay)

    And Fay grunted when he saw the tag. ¡­what does it say?

    ¡°You see. I kill people. That¡¯s why they locked me up in here.¡± (Living Statue)

    ¡­Ah, could he be a criminal¡­?

    Apparently, this living plaster statue has killed people before. I see. That¡¯s terrible.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Tougo. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better not to use this guy as your plaster statue¡­?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ll definitely choose him.¡± (Tougo)

    Hate the sin, don¡¯t hate the plaster statue.

    ¡°Exchange the magic stone of the sealing tool and assist in living, right? Anyone can change them, but we¡¯re here to find slaves to do housework for now, right? ¡­Hey! Slave! Can¡¯t you do any housework besides fighting? Hey! Tell me you can! Tell me or I¡¯ll break down!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°If you want someone to do housework, choose another slave. I¡¯m confident in my strength and stamina, but don¡¯t expect anything else. You¡¯ll understand looking at me.¡± (Living Statue)

    ¡°Yes, I understand looking at you. I can see. It¡¯s wonderful. I look forward to working with you.¡± (Tougo)

    I knew it when I saw him. The more I look at him, the more I see him as a plaster statue. That¡¯s right.

    And if I am going to have a model, he needs to be physically strong. A living plaster statue with physical strength. ¡­Yeah. That fits the bill.

    ¡°No, no, no! Tougo! Come to your senses! Let¡¯s try another one! Let¡¯s find others!¡± (Fay)

    Fay says so, but I want this plaster statue.

    ¡°Look, Tougo, think of your life? How are you going to live?¡± (Fay)

    Life. Life¡­

    ¡­After thinking for a moment, I approached the bars.

    The living plaster statue behind the bars looked a little doubtful¡­ but I knew exactly what I was going to say.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do my best to keep you healthy.¡± (Tougo)

    The living plaster statue looked extremely puzzled. Oh, it looks less like a plaster statue when it has an expression on its face. But this is it¡­

    ¡°¡­I know I¡¯m the one who¡¯s being bought, but are you guys sure you¡¯re happy with me?¡± (Living Statue)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I¡¯m not alright. I¡¯m not alright at all, but¡­ I can¡¯t stop Tougo, it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± (Fay)

    So I ended up buying a living plaster statue. I am very satisfied.

    I did it. I got a living plaster statue.

    It¡¯s amazing. The more I look at him, the more he looks like a plaster statue. I wonder if you could call it deeply chiseled. The face, the body. And the atmosphere. He doesn¡¯t talk much and doesn¡¯t move much. That makes him look more and more like a plaster statue. It¡¯s amazing.

    What should I do? I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯m going to ask him to live in my house and model for me.

    Oh, maybe it would be better if he doesn¡¯t live with me. Then I should make another house for him.

    Then, I need to clean him up. After all, he¡¯s a criminal slave¡­ He¡¯s unkempt and doesn¡¯t seem to cut his hair or take baths very often. Since we are going to have him model for me, let¡¯s make sure he gets that done.

    So, I think I should build a bath. I think it is a little too rude to bathe a plaster statue of a person. I want him to take a proper bath to warm up his body and improve blood flow.

    I feel as if I am taking care of him, not that he is taking care of me. I¡¯ll take care of him.

    ¡°¡­Tougo¡­. You, you¡­ No, I won¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s my best friend¡¯s choice. It¡¯s not my place to say anything.¡± (Fay)

    Yeah. I¡¯m really glad Fay is this kind of person.

    ¡­By the way, the Redgarde family is paying for this living plaster statue. I tried to decline, but they said, ¡°Well, then, we¡¯ll give you a villa in town,¡± so I decided to be the bigger man and take this.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo. Do you want to buy another slave? Someone who will take good care of him. He is a criminal slave, so he was much cheaper than I had budgeted. If you wanted to hire another slave, we could¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Because there was no one else I wanted to draw.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­ Um, we are not looking for a model, we are looking for a slave to take care of you¡­ Ah, I should stop.¡± (Fay)

    Yes. That¡¯s how it is.

    So I got a living plaster statue. I got permission from Fay, so it¡¯s okay. I did it.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m saying here. For now, let¡¯s go home.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s almost nightfall. I guess I¡¯ll be staying at the Redgarde house for the rest of the day. Thank you for your help.

 Volume 2 - CH 4.2

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m saying here. For now, let¡¯s go home.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s almost nightfall. I guess I¡¯ll be staying at the Redgarde house for the rest of the day. Thank you for your help.

    At any rate, Fay¡¯s brother and father had a good laugh.

    We went out to hire a slave to help with my living condition but came back with a living plaster statue. Apparently, that was pretty amusing to them. Yeah, if it¡¯s funny, that¡¯s good.

    ¡°Fufu¡­ I see. Tougo. You¡¯re this kind of person.¡± (Van)

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this slave cleaned up for now. Let¡¯s start with bathing him.¡± (Roses)

    ¡­So, the first thing I did was bathe the slave at the Redgarde family¡¯s mansion.

    Meanwhile, I will wait in the yard of the Redgarde house.

    I was going to be responsible for giving the plaster figure a bath, but the maids of the Redgarde house said, ¡°It¡¯s a little too much to ask Mr. Tougo to do such a thing,¡± and they kicked me out, so I had to wait in the garden.

    When they asked why the garden, I said I could see the flowers in the garden from the window. When I said I wanted to see it, Fay kindly gave me permission. So now we are in the garden.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah. Our gardener is a good one.¡± (Fay)

    Fay answered smiling at me. I see. I guess there is someone who makes this beautiful garden, too.

    The garden was shining with colors of flowers I didn¡¯t know existed. Maybe these flowers are not from my world. Some of them are similar to each other, but they are slightly different from each other. I¡¯ll have to paint this garden someday.

    ¡­Then when I was looking at the garden for a while.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo. About that slave¡­¡± (Fay)

    Fay cut the silence.

    ¡°Can I tell you something? This slave is a criminal slave, so I¡¯ve put a collar on him.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I thought it was kind of in the way, so I wanted to remove it.¡± (Tougo)

    The collar, I remember it. The one that appears to be made of iron and is a little bit wide. Because of that, it¡¯s a little hard to see the neck. I want to remove it.

    ¡°Hear me out! ¡­You know what? That collar is a magic tool. As long as he wears it he absolutely cannot attack his master or anyone or anything you don¡¯t want him to attack, and he cannot move away from you beyond a certain distance.¡± (Fay)

    Ah, was there such a function?

    Wow, that¡¯s amazing. Just because he has a collar, ¡°he absolutely cannot attack his master or anyone or anything you don¡¯t want him to attack¡­¡±? This world is really a different world. ¡­No, maybe in my world, if they stick electrodes or something in someone¡¯s brain, they can do something similar, but¡­

    ¡°So it won¡¯t be too bad, but you have to be careful. ¡­Look, don¡¯t forget. This slave¡¯s crime is ¡®murder,¡¯ okay?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Yeah. That part is a little scary, maybe.

    ¡­But from the living plaster statue seems to be going through the procedure right now, he looks like a very quiet person, and¡­ if he would never attack me, then there would be no problem. Maybe.

    ¡°And then! Get your life in order! If that slave won¡¯t do it for you, you¡¯ll have to do it instead!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    And that is also difficult.

    About my living, mainly food, I have to prepare for two people from now on. I have to do my best. Mainly in the part of remembering to eat.

    ¡°Mr. Tougo. We¡¯re done.¡± (Maid)

    Then the maids brought me the living plaster statue.

    ¡­yes. It¡¯s very beautiful.

    ¡°He¡¯s clean.¡± (Tougo)

    He had a bath, got clean, and then had his hair and beard trimmed. My hair, which had been left long, was now in place. I had asked then to just trim his beard, so he really looks like a statue of Hercules. Or maybe it is the statue of Laocoon [T/N: A Trojan priest.] from the art book I borrowed from my teacher.

    Hmmm¡­ Which is one? Hercules? Laocoon? The tight muscles are closer to the statue of Laocoon. The face looks much younger than that of Laocoon. I think he looks like the statue of Hercules when he was young. His hair is not curly, so it is a little different from either of them. But yeah, I don¡¯t care either way.

    ¡­Then he got cleaned up and I got to look at him properly in a bright place, and I finally got a clear idea of his colors.

    His hair is steel gray. His skin is a little darker, and his eyes are a beautiful yellow. Yellow, or gold¡­ something like that. In winter, when the sun rises late and the morning sun shines from the side. At that time, clouds, power lines, and roads all turn this color. That¡¯s right. His eyes are the color of the morning sun.

    I wonder. Maybe it¡¯s because his eyes are brighter. It makes him look even more like a plaster statue. You see, plaster statues are all white, so there is no difference in the color of the eyes, skin, or hair. And the living plaster statue in front of me has dark hair and lighter eyes, so there is not much difference in contrast.

    For example, my hair and eyes are black, and my skin is not tanned¡­ I don¡¯t go outside I don¡¯t have much color. Therefore, the difference between eyes and hair, and skin is clearly visible. But he doesn¡¯t have it.

    It¡¯s amazing. I don¡¯t know if I would call it exotic or otherworldly. That¡¯s how I feel. I thought the same thing when I saw Fay for the first time, but I didn¡¯t know there were people with such beautiful colors.

    For a while, I looked at the living plaster statue. Then, the living plaster cast made a slightly awkward face. I was a little rude to stare at it for so long. I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡°¡­ Master. What¡¯s your name?¡± (Living Statue)

    The living plaster statue asked. His voice was low and had that kind of sound, like heavy stones rubbing against each other. It¡¯s nice.

    ¡°Name? I¡¯m Tougo Uezora. What about yours?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°None.¡± (Living Statue)

    ¡°Mr. Non?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have a name. You can call me whatever you want.¡± (Living Statue)

    Um¡­ I was a little confused and turned to Fay. I¡¯m not sure if this is normal in the otherworld, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be that way.

    ¡°Hey hey, what do you mean you don¡¯t have a name?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I threw it away.¡± (Living Statue)

    I wonder if it¡¯s possible to throw a name.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if he killed someone, he must have had a reason. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, it¡¯s okay. If Fay says it¡¯s okay, then it¡¯s probably okay.

    ¡°So, Tougo. Give him a name. Having no name is too much.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Okay. Plaster Statue.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Anything but that.¡± (Fay)

    Oh, right.

    ¡­That¡¯s why I decided on a name for the living plaster cast of him.

    His name is Laocles. Naturally, I took it from the plaster statues I know.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Laocles.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles didn¡¯t answer, just glanced at me and let out a sigh. Yes, well, that¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Starting today, please take care being a model.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles looks at me and gives me a dubious look.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to stay still, so I¡¯ll paint as fast as I can. However, I¡¯d like you to let me draw another pose when we take a break. For now, sit on that couch¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hey, Master.¡± (Laocles)

    I am absorbed in preparing my art materials. Drawing paper and a pencil. A pencil sharpened with a long core for pencil sketching. Since I came to this world, I no longer get annoyed for sharpening pencils this way. Yes. I am very happy with these little details.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t stay up all night, I¡¯ll finish after drawing about three sheets.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°What are you talking about? Tell me what you¡¯re going to do.¡± (Laocles)

    I was a little surprised, but I was happy to see Laocles sitting on the sofa while saying so.

    ¡°I want to draw a picture of you. Please let me draw you.¡± (Tougo)

 Volume 2 - CH 5

    Laocles is an excellent model. If I asked him to stay still, he would stay still for half an hour, and if I asked him to stay still for an hour, he would stay still for an hour. He would just blink, but that¡¯s it¡­ What an excellent living plaster statue.

    There is one frustrating thing, though. I¡¯m not used to drawing people yet, so the only thing I can draw in the time that Laocles can sit still is his face.

    But then again, many plaster casts are only from the neck up. So I guess I¡¯ll start from here.

    ¡­I would like to paint his whole body once I can draw more quicker.

    However, I decided not to paint more than three Laocles in a day, because it would be very tiring to remain motionless. No, not me, but for Fay.

    ¡°Think about Laocles¡¯s body, too. He won¡¯t disobey your orders and won¡¯t move an inch. It¡¯s painful for me to watch him.¡± (Fay)

    I see. I¡¯m happy to see him, but I can¡¯t help it. I want Laocles to be healthy, so I decided to stop drawing so many pictures of him at once.

    If I could, I would have painted him for a total of 12 hours, with a few breaks in between. ¡­But it can¡¯t be helped. He may look like a plaster statue, but he¡¯s alive.

    I was taken care of by the Redgardes that day, but the next day I went back to the forest. On our way back, Fay lent us his fire spirit, and Laocles and I rode it home. When we arrived at the forest, the two fire spirits went home again. How clever.

    ¡°¡­What is this place?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°A forest with a lot of horses.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles, on the other hand, was a bit surprised at the forest. Well, it¡¯s all horses here, you know.

    We continued on our way, weaving our way through the horses. The horses seem to be very interested in Laocles. I simply explained to the horses that I will draw him. I wonder if that satisfied the horse. The unicorns would never approach Laocles, but the Pegasi would come up to him and sniff him. Laocles is having trouble with the sniffing. Well, get used to it.

    Pushing through the horses, we finally came to the front of the house.

    ¡°This is my house. Please use it as you see fit. There is a guest room, so you can sleep there.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Come in,¡± I said, inviting Laocles inside.

    He is taller than me and taller than Fay, so the house might be a little cramped.

    Maybe the bed is too small. Then I¡¯ll have to draw a new one and materialize it.

    I was thinking,

    ¡°I¡¯m good right there.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles indicates outside through the open doorway.

    There it is¡­ the remnants of the roof I built for the horses to shelter them from the rain.

    It¡¯s the roof that was once destroyed by the poachers and their accomplices, but for the time being, a new one has been built properly. It seemed easier to create a new one than to fix the broken one. The horses are going to the new one.

    ¡­And Laocles seems to be saying that he will sleep on the broken roof.

    ¡°Um¡­ do you like being outside?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± (Laocles)

    When he asked me about it, I could only say I am an idiot. Yep.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to sleep under the same roof as a slave who has murdered.¡± (Laocles)

    While saying so, Laocles has a complicated expression.

    He is telling me to be wary of him, but¡­ hmmm, is he really someone I should be wary of? I feel that someone who reminds me to be vigilant is not a bad person by any stretch of the imagination. Is this way of thinking wrong?

    ¡°Um¡­ You have a collar so I¡¯m fine.¡± (Tougo)

    When I asked that, Laocles was silent. He remains silent and stares at me.

    ¡­Hmmm, he has no intention of retreating, it seems.

    Fay also said, ¡°He has a collar, so it¡¯s okay,¡± but he¡¯s worried, so it can¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°I¡¯m not particularly wary of you. But if you¡¯re worried about it, fine, we¡¯ll split the house.¡± (Tougo)

    I relented. I felt that Laocles looked a little relieved at that moment. No, his face was almost expressionless the whole time. Yes, he really looks like a plaster statue.

    ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll give your house out soon.¡± (Tougo)

    So I decided to give him a new house.

    ¡°¡­ what are you talking about?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Oh, if I faint, please put me in the hammock outside. Maybe the horses will carry me, but¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles looks around at the horses, then at me as I take out my art supplies, and he looks at me like he¡¯s at a loss.

    Yeah, he is still worried about not having a home. Probably, I think. I¡¯ll build him a house soon.

    I¡¯m sure the grace period until I faint should have been a little longer. I started drawing more things than when I materialize my house, and when I also materialize the Red Dragon. From my experience so far¡­ Mainly when I healed a horse, but apparently, the more I draw, the slower I faint¡­ that¡¯s my feeling.

    So, here¡¯s a little challenge, let¡¯s try to get one house out in one day.

    He looks restless as he watches the horses, so let¡¯s build a house a little further away from my house and the spring. A little further away, yet still within the effect of the slave collar. In other words, not too far from me.

    I walk around at random and find a good piece of land. Okay, this is the place.

    I immediately put up the foundation there. ¡­Yes. The feeling is different from before. It¡¯s much easier than before. I can do it.

    ¡°¡­¡­What happened?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I laid the foundation.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles was surprised that the picture materialized, but I quickly painted the next one.

    ¡­Nothing. Don¡¯t draw the posts and beams and then the walls, just get a house out of the way from the start. If I faint, it will probably be for a day or two.

    In my head, Fay is saying, ¡°Be really careful!¡± but I¡¯m going to ignore it. I¡¯m sorry if I run out of magic and collapse again.

    ¡­¡­And so, a house with cream-colored plastered walls and a dark gray roof was completed.

    It is a little smaller than my house. But, well, the ceiling is higher than mine, so you¡¯ll have to forgive me.

    But still, I may have grown up. I still haven¡¯t fainted even after I put the house out like this now.

    ¡°Um¡­ let me put the rest of the furniture out tomorrow. Just get the bed out and then I¡¯ll go to bed too.¡± (Tougo)

    I then took the liberty of putting the bed out in one of the rooms in the house, which I decided to call a bedroom. It was a big bed, big enough to fit his large body with room to spare. The cloth and the soft texture of the bed were well-expressed. The bed was soft and fluffy. Good.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡± (Laocles)

    And Laocles was left alone, but¡­ well, that¡¯s just fine.

    ¡°I¡¯m this kind of person. I hope that¡¯s a good introduction.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said that, he¡­ hesitantly nodded.

    ¡°¡­ Apparently I was bought by an outrageous person.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles said so with a slightly cramped expression.

    Yes. It¡¯s great that you understand.

    After all, I didn¡¯t pass out that day.

    But I was so tired that I had to sleep in the hammock outside again as the horses pulled me along.

    I wondered if Laocles was sleeping well. I wonder if he is using the bed I created for him.

    ¡­I¡¯ll ask him about that tomorrow. I will. Good night.

    Good morning.

    When I woke up and went outside, the giant bird was bathing in the spring. It¡¯s been a while.

    I said hello to the bird and the horses, took a quick dip, and then headed to Laocles¡¯ house.

    ¡­I knocked on the door but there was no answer, so I quietly asked to look in the window from the back of the house.

    The window, which is not even curtained yet easily shows me the inside of that room and Laocles sleeping on the bed¡­

    Yep. Laocles was still sleeping.

    ¡­He seems to be sleeping soundly. Yeah. I wonder if I was tired. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to relax much in a prison-like room.

    Oh, and maybe I drew too much yesterday.

    ¡­yes.

    Please sleep well for a while longer. Sleep well.

 Volume 2 - CH 6

    From that day on, my life with Laocles began.

    Laocles eventually woke up in the late afternoon and came to my house.

    He said he had slept too much, but I didn¡¯t really care. I don¡¯t mind it, because I have also slept for about 10 days. Half a day doesn¡¯t count as too much sleep at all.

    I was not going to have a meal with only fruits, because Laocles needed to eat.

    So, I drew bread.

    Then there was ham. Both of them are very big chunks.

    No, it¡¯s too much trouble to draw them one by one, so I drew them at ¡­¡­.

    So, our meal is bread, ham, fruit, and water. That¡¯s how we started our meal.

    I say we started¡­ but I don¡¯t think it will change in the foreseeable future. I think it¡¯s going to stay the same for the time being. Bread, ham, and fruit for the time being. Probably.

    Since I can only draw a limited number of pictures of Laocles, I spend the rest of the time practicing the control of magic.

    I¡¯ll be careful not to materialize while drawing something like a still life.

    First of all, I have to be careful not to put magic into each stroke.

    Fay told me that I must be putting magic power into each stroke while I was drawing. So, I don¡¯t need to use a magic stone or something like that. I think it would be magic without using a magic stone or something like that.

    Well¡­ I can do it. I hope. Well, I can¡¯t help it. Since, I¡¯m painting, I should at least get into fixing it.

    But it seems that the problem is that along with my enthusiasm, I also put magic into the picture. ¡­So, I try to be conscious of what I am doing while painting so that I don¡¯t put the magic power flowing inside me into the picture.

    However, this is not going well.

    First. I was painting a peach. It is very difficult to express the hairs on the skin of a peach using only pencil and watercolors. But that¡¯s what makes it fun.

    ¡­Drawing very, very carefully, so as not to channel magic power. Still, seriously, without pulling back, I just draw. It was very difficult. Although, I¡¯m being very careful about controlling my magic power. Fay said, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it and you¡¯ll be able to do it,¡± but I¡¯m still far from that point.

    ¡°Achoo!¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­And the moment I sneezed, I lost focus and it materialized.

    Oh no.

    While peeling and eating the peach,

    Next, leaves.

    One withered leaf and one green leaf. it¡¯s fun to express the difference in texture between the two, the dry and distorted look of the withered leaf and the freshness of the green leaf.

    ¡­but.

    ¡°¡­¡­ugh.¡± (Tougo)

    There was an itchy feeling while I was drawing. This is the feeling I get when I suppress my magic. It seems that this will also settle down after getting used to it, but it seems that I am not used to it yet.

    I can¡¯t do anything about it, so I grabbed the candle that Fay lent me.

    The more the candle glows, the more the itchiness inside me subsides.

    ¡­In order not to materialize the picture, it seems to be good to release the magic power that has accumulated like this.

    But.

    ¡°Oh.¡± (Tougo)

    Did I make a mistake in how I released it, or did I end up filling it up with magic power while I was drawing? Two leaves appeared on top the paper.

    Next. The next one is a rock.

    It¡¯s just a rock, but it¡¯s surprisingly difficult.

    Natural rocks come in all shapes and sizes, and their materials are not uniform. They are made of a mixture of various minerals, and they are a lot of fun to draw because of their textures.

    But I can¡¯t enjoy it too much. I shouldn¡¯t put magic power into the brush.

    I was careful not to put magic power into my brush¡­

    ¡°Hey, Master.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    The stone materialized when I was startled by the sudden voice of Laocles.

    ¡­hmm.

    Laocles generally doesn¡¯t come into my room, especially when I¡¯m painting. Since, I asked him not to come in.

    But even so, he came in¡­

    ¡­Laocles silently points to his left wrist with his right index finger, just a little bit. Yes, I know. Yes, that¡¯s right. Time for the changing.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Tougo)

    While I was replacing the sealing stone, Laocles watched in silence. And when I¡¯m done, he puts my meal on a small table near the door and silently leaves.

    ¡­he doesn¡¯t talk much. He only calls me ¡°master¡± or ¡°hey¡±.

    So, I don¡¯t really know much about him.

    But, well, if he himself doesn¡¯t want to talk, I think it¡¯s okay. Talking to someone is not necessarily necessary.

    It would be fun for me if he would talk to me sometime. But, well, he might say it¡¯s too much to ask.

    I¡¯m getting enough work out of him at this point. He¡¯s the one who helps me remember to change the sealing stone, and even though he says he can¡¯t do housework, he prepares meals and makes sure I eat twice a day.

    Of course, he doesn¡¯t seem to be a good cook, and he doesn¡¯t make anything elaborate. Well, that¡¯s what I had heard.

    The meal he just left for me was just a piece of bread that he had sliced, with ham that I had drawn and cheese that Fay had left. But I like it because it¡¯s quite tasty. Above all, it¡¯s easy to eat.

    Leaving the materialized stone aside, I immediately eat.

    The salty cheese and juicy ham go well with the savory bread. My drink is water. I think it¡¯s something they brought from the fountain. Yes, that¡¯s enough. I am very satisfied.

    I get sleepy after eating. It can¡¯t be helped. Teacher told me that eating stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and produces acetylcholine, which makes me sleepy. I was sleepy while he said that. I still remember though.

    I can¡¯t help it, so I¡¯m going to sleep. I can¡¯t help but feel sleepy after eating, there¡¯s really nothing I can do.

    ¡­But for the time being, I will go and talk to Laocles before going to bed.

    Laocles was outside. I get the feeling he¡¯s outside most of the time.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Sure.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles just looked at me and started moving his body again.

    ¡°Good night.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Night.¡± (Laocles)

    It seems that Laocles is still awake. As for what he does outside, he¡­ chops firewood, fetches water, and even does the laundry, but he spends a lot more time doing something¡­ training his body.

    Yes. He is working out.

    It¡¯s wonderful. It¡¯s really wonderful. Not many other models are this serious.

    ¡­He works out not for me, not to maintain his physical beauty, he says.

    But when I asked him about it, he said he was restless. Yup. He says that if he doesn¡¯t work out, he doesn¡¯t feel comfortable.

    Well, I understand how he feels because I also feel restless when I¡¯m not painting. Maybe.

    I can see Laocles from the window of my room.

    In the moonlight, I can see the movement of his muscles, the tautness of his skin, and his well-proportioned body. He is moving¡­ but he looks like a really well-made sculpture.

    Now, Laocles is apparently swinging. He is holding a long piece of firewood and swinging it.

    ¡­Come to think of it, he said, ¡°All I can do is fight.¡± No, in spite of that, he¡¯s been asked to prepare the meals, do the laundry, and inform me about the replacement of my sealing stone for the sealing tool.

    But ¡°All I can do is fight.¡± means¡­ I think that he used to fight before he became a slave.

    I wonder how he fought. A sword? Yes, he looks good in one. Laocles fighting with a sword, shield, and armor. It would be like a scene from Greek mythology, wouldn¡¯t it? Hmmm, I¡¯d like to draw something like that someday.

    ¡­ Well, after I learn to control my magic, I guess. I¡¯ll do my best.

    So, I practiced hard to control the magic power.

    When I drew Laocles, I practiced so that I could control the magic. I practiced even when I was drawing something other than Laocles. If possible, I even want to practice when I was eating or bathing.

    ¡­Oh, by the way, I haven¡¯t made the bath yet. I want to make it soon, but only after I have practiced.

    So, I practiced all the time for about 10 days.

    Then, strangely enough, it stopped being so itchy even when I held back from channeling magic power.

    Finally, I was able to draw a ¡°the mochi I draw does not become a mochi.¡±

    ¡°I did it.¡± (Tougo)

    I showed Fay the finished picture.

    It was a picture of assorted fruits. It was a pencil sketch colored with watercolor. ¡­I gave it my all.

    ¡°Oh! You finally made it! Congratulations!¡± (Fay)

    Fay was happy to see my drawing and, most of all, I¡¯m sure, my face. Yes, I am sure he is very happy now. He has a very happy expression on his face right now.

    ¡°I see. So, now, you can stop the painting from materializing as long as you wear the sealing tool?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Yes. Now I can finally paint.

    I can draw, but¡­

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go get the next magic stone! The next time I am in the market for a new stone, I should get one with a slightly weaker seal.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Oh.

    Oh, I see. This training is not the end of it, is it?

    ¡­right.

    It looks like my training will continue.

    A little dejected, I go to Fay¡¯s house to see the doctor there again.

    By the way, Laocles was to come with me. Laocles wears a slave collar, so he can¡¯t be away from me for more than a certain period of time. So, when we go out like this, we go together.

    ¡­And this excursion was a little different from the usual.

    ¡°Um, can someone give me a ride to Fay¡¯s house?¡± (Tougo)

    I ask the horses in front of me.

    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to be able to do that, but I¡¯m going to have to learn how to get around without relying on Fay¡¯s summons.

    ¡­Thinking that, I wondered if there was any horse who could carry me, so I called all of them¡­

    ¡°It was more than I expected.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m surrounded by horses.

    I¡¯m being squeezed.

    ¡­Yeah, this was more than I expected.

    In the end, it was hard to choose one horse. The horses are all good guys, so they all came up to me and said, ¡°Go ahead and ride me.¡± Yeah, so it was tough.

    Still, I decided to ask the nearest horse, Pegasus, to let me ride on his back.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo. You don¡¯t use a saddle?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I mean, are you sure that¡¯s the way you want to ride?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I clung to the horse with my stomach flat against his back. This is probably the most stable way to ride.

    ¡°¡­Have you ever gone horseback riding?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Almost never.¡± (Tougo)

    I think I rode a pony at a ranch once, but that was about it.

    ¡°How about we practice sometimes? I¡¯ve never seen a guy who rides a Pegasus like you¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­I¡¯d rather be practicing magic control than riding, and practicing painting more than both, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll practice riding too, so the horses won¡¯t make fun of me.

    And so, we arrived at Fay¡¯s house. It¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ve been holed up in the woods for a while, practicing magic control.

    ¡°The doctor is coming tomorrow. He is preparing the next magic stone. So, you want to stay the night? That would make my father and brother happy.¡± (Fay)

    Hmmm¡­ I wonder if I¡¯m just freeloading off them.

    ¡°Then, please take care of me.¡± (Tougo)

    But it¡¯s troublesome to go back again, so let¡¯s stay with Laocles today. The Pegasus didn¡¯t seem to like the Redgarde family¡¯s stables and ended up staying in the courtyard. He was fascinated by the various flowers, which he had probably never seen in the forest, and wagged his tail and flapped his wings. Well, he seems to be behaving himself, so I guess he¡¯ll be fine.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do today? Shall we go to town after this?¡± (Fay)

    I look at Fay¡¯s excited look and think.

    The town is certainly a fun place to visit. Maybe we should see more than just painting.

    Or even buy something you need in town¡­

    Oh.

    ¡°I want to buy food.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, okay. Let¡¯s go there.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Before that, I want to go to a pawn shop.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­It¡¯s time to stop relying on the Redgardes for all of my finances.

    There is talk of a family painter, but apart from that, I think it would be better if I could take care of myself.

    ¡°If I paint jewelry or something and materialize it, it will sell, right?¡± (Tougo)

    I want to make some money.

 Volume 2 - CH 7

    While I wait for the doctor to arrive, I draw a picture of a jewel.

    It¡¯s difficult to make complex cuts, so round ones, a cabochon cut, I think it¡¯s called. I draw one of those. Near perfect circles and ellipses. I draw about ten all at once, with variations.

    First, garnets.

    A transparent hemisphere catching the light and casting colored shadows. I had practiced with marbles and lenses before, so this was easy. It materialized successfully.

    Next, the turquoise.

    This stone is the color of the giant bird¡¯s eggshell, itself¡­ However, opaque turquoise is a difficult texture. Therefore, I used the marble columns of Fay¡¯s house as a reference and painted a dark brown pattern on them. It was a little difficult, but I finished this one without a hitch.

    Next¡­ Amethyst. I drew this one in the form of a crystal like a hexagonal prism.

    I found vivid purple petals when I was chasing the bird in the forest. The paint I made from that is useful here. Mixing other paints such as pink, I showed the true potential of transparent watercolor. When it comes to painting something transparent, transparent watercolor is amazing. ¡­And this one materialized without incident.

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s beautiful.¡± (Fay)

    Fay peeked in from the side and let out a sigh of admiration.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± (Tougo)

    I pick up three garnets lying on the desk and place them on Fay¡¯s hand. They are gems painted with scarlet paint made from the scales of the Red Dragon born of my blood and his, so, well, about half of them are his.

    ¡°Eh, is that alright?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll draw some again.¡± (Tougo)

    Next time, I want to draw something with a more complicated cut. What should I make? Oh, but I think it would be difficult without an actual sample. Hmmm¡­.

    It was at that time.

    I heard a tap on the window. I looked at the window and saw the Red Dragon.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    When Fay opened the window and reached out his hand, the red dragon rubbed itself against Fay¡¯s hand and showing he missed him. Even though he is a dragon, he does this kind of gesture, which makes him cute.

    ¡°¡­Huh? Hey, hey, what¡¯s really going on with you?¡± (Fay)

    No wonder Fay was panicking. The Red Dragon poked its head through the window more deeply and leaned. It¡¯s a little dangerous. Mainly in the sense that the window frame is about to break.

    I looked at the Red Dragon, wondering what the heck was going on. ¡­The Red Dragon was chomping at something, stretching out its neck, apparently trying to go at Fay¡¯s other hand.

    ¡­ah.

    ¡°Maybe this is the reason.¡± (Tougo)

    I took one of the garnets still on the desk and held it out in front of Red Dragon.

    The red dragon cried as if to say, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. That¡¯s right. I think you¡¯d like to get inside the magic stone too, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± (Fay)

    Saying that, Fay gently put the garnet he had in his hand on the desk.

    ¡°But as expected, this is no good. It¡¯s too small for you to enter.¡± (Fay)

    The Red Dragon gave a sad cry as Fay said this. ¡­¡­ hmmm.

    ¡°Hey, Fay, I¡¯m not sure what kind of stone a summoned beast can fit in. What kind of stone is good?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? No, no, no. It can¡¯t be anything. It has to be a magic stone with proper magic power. And each summoned beast has their own preference.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Really. I see.

    ¡°Um, why did the Red Dragon like this stone¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    I mean, wouldn¡¯t that be the point?

    I just drew the stone. I mean, the stone I just drew out, could it be a magic stone?

    Fay told me there was a simple way to experiment, so I gave it a try.

    ¡°This is a magic stone lamp. It is fueled by the magic power of a magic stone and it lights a fire. ¡­There are some scrap magic stones in it right now, so I¡¯ll take them all out.¡± (Fay)

    Fay brought a beautiful small lamp and opened the lid on the base of it. Then, something like a rough, muddy-colored pebble comes out of it. Apparently, this is a ¡°scrap magic stone¡±. In short, it is a stone that has magic power but is not good enough. It may be that there are many impurities in it.

    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll burn all the magic left in the lamp.¡± (Fay)

    Then Fay lit the lamp and set it aside for a while. ¡­and the lamp went out in less than a minute.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I know it¡¯s a waste, but are you sure you want to do this?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll draw again.¡± (Tougo)

    And I put one gem inside the lamp. Then close the lid of the lamp¡­ and light it.

    Then.

    ¡°Oh!¡± (Fay)

    There was a bang and a fire started. ¡­A brighter fire than before began to illuminate the surroundings.

    The lamp has a beautifully crafted covering that shines through the light of the fire. The shadows that fall on the desk on which the lamp is placed also shines through the lampshade, making it very beautiful.

    The light shimmering in time with the flickering of the fire is fun. I love it. I want to paint this one someday.

    ¡°This is¡­ Uh, hmm¡­¡± (Fay)

    On the other hand, Fay was groaning.

    ¡°¡­ are you wearing your sealing tool right now?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No.¡± (Tougo)

    I wanted to materialize the jewel, so I drew one without my seal. That way the jewel will appear faster.

    ¡°Try it with the sealing tool on.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh? Sure.¡± (Tougo)

    Well, okay. As Fay told me, I put the sealing tool back on and decided to draw a jewel again.

    The jewel was drawn and materialized. Fay then picked it up and presented it to the Red Dragon, who was still looking greedily outside the window.

    ¡°Here.¡± (Fay)

    However, the Red Dragon turned away, but I could hear it crying in protest.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like this one, do you?¡± (Fay)

    Fay asked, and the Red Dragon leaned forward with a squeal. He seems to be more concerned about the first gem left on the table.

    ¡°So, to put it succinctly, if you put more magic into it than you materialize when you draw it, you¡¯ll end up with a magic stone!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see.¡± (Tougo)

    I see. That seems complicated.

    I still don¡¯t understand what a magic stone is, but it¡¯s probably a big deal, since Fay looks panicked.

    ¡°Wow, this is quite the big deal¡­ Uh, Tougo can become a magician in the royal palace, and the world¡¯s number one jeweler¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go far away.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I guess so. Looking at you, I can understand that.¡± (Fay)

    I was told that by a frightened-looking Fay, but it can¡¯t be helped. I have no desire to become a magician in the royal palace, nor am I interested in being a jeweler.

    But for the time being, the things I¡¯ve been drawing and materializing up until now¡­ I understand that it might have been a bit of a problem.

    Since the jewel materialized jewels have become magic stones, I wonder if the house has also become a magic house. I don¡¯t know.

    While Fay was looking at the jewels on the desk and worrying, ¡°What should I do with this¡­¡±, I look outside the window at the Red Dragon, which is still waiting.

    When I reach out my hand to the Red Dragon, it acts friendly, doing the same as with Fay. Cute.

    ¡­The Red Dragon is staring at the stone on the desk all the time. The way it cries is somehow pitiful.

    I don¡¯t really know what a summoned beast is, but if he doesn¡¯t have a home¡­ that would be a very, very sad thing.

    ¡°Um, Fay.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Fay)

    So, I decided to make an offer.

    ¡°Can I draw a stone that will become the Red Dragon¡¯s home? A bigger one.¡± (Tougo)

    Then Fay, after a moment of confusion¡­ answered with a big smile.

    ¡°I was just thinking of asking you!¡± (Fay)

    Then I drew a big jewel.

    Oval in shape with a long diameter of about 5 cm. The colors ranged from deep scarlet to bright orange, with a variety of shimmering colors. I remembered it from the lamp fire that I had seen earlier. When the Red Dragon first came out into the world, it was breathing fire. That color was beautiful. So, I wanted to recreate it in the jewel as much as possible.

    ¡°Amazing¡­ it¡¯s beautiful.¡± (Fay)

    Fay¡¯s eyes sparkle as he picks up a stone that looks like it has a fire burning inside and looks through it to the light. Oh, the gemstone looks a bit like Fay¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hey, Red Dragon! You¡¯ll love this one! What do you think?¡± (Fay)

    And when Fay held out the jewel to the Red Dragon¡­ The Red Dragon headbutted the jewel at that moment.

    At that moment, the Red Dragon headbutted the jewel.

    ¡°Whoa!¡± (Tougo)

    The Red Dragon¡¯s body was sucked into the jewel and vanished.

    ¡­Is it okay?

    ¡°Okay. Then come out.¡± (Fay)

    Fay then pointed the jewel out the window as he said this, and this time the Red Dragon came out of it again.

    ¡­How did it get inside and how did it come out?

    It¡¯s a very strange sight¡­

    ¡°Tougo! He likes this magic stone!¡± (Fay)

    Red Dragon is in and out of the gem, somersaulting outside the window. Maybe he¡¯s having a good time. I¡¯m glad he likes it.

    ¡°If you like it, that¡¯s very good.¡± (Tougo)

    I was a little tired from concentrating so hard on the painting, but seeing the joy on Red Dragon¡¯s face made me feel like I was going to blow off all my fatigue.

    Yeah, very good.

    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go!¡± (Fay)

    And Fay said, holding the jewel with the Red Dragon inside.

    ¡°Huh? Going where?¡± (Tougo)

    As I wondered what was going on, Fay burst out laughing.

    ¡°The town! You¡¯re going to buy food, right? Did you forget?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­oh.

    That¡¯s right. That was the reason I started painting jewels in the first place.

    I thought I would sell my jewels, make money, and use it to buy at least some of my own things. I forgot that while I was painting.

    ¡°Umm, then let¡¯s wrap the jewels I materialized properly.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s about it, Tougo.¡± (Fay)

    I grabbed my pencil to draw a small bag or something, and Fay said to me,

    ¡°Perhaps a small grain will suffice.¡± (Fay)

 Volume 2 - CH 8

    Then we went out on the town.

    I was worried¡­ so I decided to take one garnet, one turquoise, and one purple crystal with me. I didn¡¯t want to run out of money, so the garnet and turquoise were about 3 cm in size. The amethyst was one large crystal about the size of my hand.

    After putting them in the soft cloth bag Fay gave me, I shove them in my pocket and ride out to the town, me on the Pegasus and Fay and Laocles on the flaming wolves.

    Fay¡¯s house is on the outskirts of town. It is on a slightly elevated hill. From there to town, we could have walked¡­ well, the faster the better, or else the stores would have closed.

    So, I decided to go for a walk. Because I was painting jewelry like crazy. Sorry.

    When I get to town, I ask Pegasus to go back to Fay¡¯s house. I¡¯ll have him pick me up later. ¡­No, because it seems that horses with wings are rare after all, and I was worried about the gazes of the townspeople.

    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s go to the jewelry store first.¡± (Fay)

    Fay smiles and pulls me.

    ¡°Oh, Laocles. If you find something you want in town, just let me know.¡± (Tougo)

    I said as I pulled Laocles along with me. I am not familiar with life in this world and Fay is an aristocrat, so he may have different needs from those of Laocles. So, I have to ask Laocles to tell me what he needs.

    ¡°¡­¡­got it.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles looked puzzled, but it was my first time doing proper shopping in town, too. Let¡¯s get along with each other, or I¡¯ll be troubled.

    We enter a jewelry store that Fay is familiar with. There was a sign with some kind of mark on it. When I asked Fay what it meant, he said it was a mark of a purveyor to the nobility. I see. In other words, it¡¯s a store that Fasy uses. Then I can relax. We then go inside.

    ¡°Hey, Young Master Fay. How¡¯s it going? Are you looking for something?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m planning on selling you something today. And by the way, not from me, but from my best friend.¡± (Fay)

    Fay talked to the shopkeeper, then beckoned me over.

    ¡°All right, Tougo, give me one, just one jewel.¡± (Fay)

    I walked next to Fay and, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, pulled a turquoise out of the bag. The robin¡¯s egg blue gem glistened in the light of the lamp in the store.

    ¡°Oh, this is¡­!¡± (Shopkeeper)

    I put the gem in the shopkeeper¡¯s hand, and his eyes lit up¡­ Then he went over to the other side of the counter, pulled out a loupe, looked through its small magnifying lens, and started examining things.

    ¡­And then, huh, he let out a sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡­wonderful.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    The shopkeeper muttered to himself and asked with a serious face.

    ¡°Where did you get this jewel?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Well¡­ I can¡¯t say that I drew it. So,

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± (Tougo)

    So, this is the only answer I can give. There is no other answer. I¡¯m not suspicious. Really.

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­ Well, you don¡¯t want to tell us the source of such a treasure, do you? Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    The shopkeeper said and decided not to ask about the origin of the gem for now. Thank you.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s a wonderful jewel. With something like this, even a dragon would find it attractive. Of course, its size may be a little lacking, but¡­ Hmm, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a little cramped, so this is fine. There are many summoned beasts that will like it, you know?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Yes, it was. It was actually so. The Red Dragon was stretching its neck toward the garnet, it seems that was the reason for that.

    ¡­I wonder if these jewels have properties summoned beasts like. As for Red Dragon, I wonder if it was something like ¡°It¡¯s a little cramped, but the ambiance is nice, the facilities are well-equipped, and I like the exterior, so I chose this house.¡± Probably.

    ¡°So, when it comes to the purchase price¡­ what do you think of this?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    The shopkeeper handed me a piece of paper.

    ¡­right. I cannot read.

    ¡°Fay, what do you think?¡± (Tougo)

    So, let¡¯s ask Fay. ¡­and then.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give you a pretty good price for this.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Fay froze with a surprised look on his face.

    ¡­How much is it?

    I got the go-ahead from Fay, so I sold the jewelry at that price.

    And I suddenly have a heavy bag in my hand.

    ¡­The contents are gold coins. It is filled with gold coins. I was surprised.

    This is what Fay meant when he said, ¡°just one jewel¡±, about the jewel I was selling. If I had sold all three, the price would have been even more outrageous. No, Fay looks as if he didn¡¯t expect such a large amount of money.

    ¡°¡­how much is this worth?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked Fay after we left the jewelry store. I still don¡¯t know how much this bag has and how much it is worth.

    ¡°Well¡­ I can eat normally for a year, I think. Laocles, how about you?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Two to two and a half years.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­ Oh, I see. Yeah, different people need different amounts of money to survive.

    But, yeah. There¡¯s that much. What¡¯s in this bag?

    ¡°Can a single jewel fetch that kind of a price?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic stone with such a high quality that a summoned beast can live in it. If it wasn¡¯t a magic stone, it would only be enough money for a week¡¯s worth of food.¡± (Fay)

    Hmm¡­ Jewels are jewels, but jewels that contain magical power are expensive. Yes. I understand.

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s hard to keep a summoned beast, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why summoned beasts are weapons of nobility. Magic stones cost money, so¡­ That¡¯s all for me. I have no talent for magic. So, if I don¡¯t prepare a good magic stone the summoned beast can¡¯t go with me¡­¡± (Fay)

    Come to think of it, Fay used to say, ¡°I bought my ability with money¡± so that was what he meant? I see. I finally got it.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? But, come to think of it, the Red Dragon has been attached to Fay since before she had the magic stone.¡± (Tougo)

    After that, when I asked about it because I was a little worried, Fay just smiled wryly.

    ¡°The Red Dragon is a very special and unique creature. That was probably special in more ways than one. It just so happens that the red dragon likes me a lot.¡± (Fay)

    Really. Well, I think I know why you are liked.

    Not only because of Fay¡¯s good nature but also because of his coloring. They look just like the Red Dragon¡¯s. Maybe he feels a kinship with him.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll draw a dragon, too.¡± (Tougo)

    Seeing Fay and the Red Dragon makes me a little envious. But if I draw a dragon, I feel like the horses will get angry.

    ¡°¡­Next time, please let me run out of magic for three days, okay?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­Oh, come to think of it, there was that kind of problem, too. I¡¯ll do my best.

    Then we headed to the grocery store. At first, we bought a bunch of things that would last a day, for now. Some hard-baked bread, some chunks of cheese, and some ham. And ham. I think it¡¯s called cured ham, or something like that. It¡¯s very big and it¡¯s on a bone. That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ve never seen it before.

    ¡°Ah, this is delicious.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    And then there are a few other things that Fay recommends. Some kind of jam in a jar, and some kind of paste. In short, something to put on bread.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to try this!¡± (Fay)

    And then there are the sweets Fay recommends. I heard that they are delicious, so I guess I¡¯ll just have to try them.

    ¡°And clothes! Tougo! You¡¯re always wearing that shirt! You need a change of clothes!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I just have a bunch of the same ones.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that!?¡± (Fay)

    I don¡¯t need a replacement shirt and pants. Yup.

    ¡­As Fay led the way through the town, the number of purchases increased steadily.

    I¡¯ll carry some of it myself¡­ but it¡¯s mainly Laocles who does the luggage carrying for me.

    ¡°Is it too heavy?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°No.¡± (Laocles)

    I ask him, but his reply is something like this. Well, he has muscles like Hercules and Laocoon. Maybe I don¡¯t have to worry too much.

    But I¡¯m sorry. A hunk of bread, a hunk of cheese, a hunk of ham on the bone, or even a jar of anything would all be heavy¡­

    ¡°Um, if there¡¯s anything you want, just let me know, and I¡¯ll buy it.¡± (Tougo)

    So at least if there was something he wanted, I would buy it. The money has somehow become more plentiful than I had planned, and if there is something that Laocles wants, I would love to buy it.

    ¡­that was when it happened.

    Suddenly, Laocles stopped.

    He didn¡¯t stop his feet, but his focused was stolen and his feet stopped. It was like that.

    ¡­Ahead of his gaze is an old store.

    And in the shop window, there were a number of worn-out tools¡­ and one of them was a sword.

    Laocles¡¯ face, while staring at the sword, had an expression that was unusual for him.

    Like hesitation, like impatience. It was a complicated expression.

    ¡°¡­Laocles.¡± (Tougo)

    When I called out to him, he became flustered and started moving his feet again. In the end, he stopped for only a few seconds. But that time seemed strangely long.

    Laocles glanced once more at the show window¡­ and then his eyes closed.

    When¡­ his eyes opened again, there was no more emotion in them.

    As he walked away, I wondered if I should call out to him again.

    That sword he was looking at was probably what he wanted.

    But Laocles said nothing. I don¡¯t know, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.

    ¡­ but I don¡¯t feel at ease, even if I think so. It feels like impatience, anxiety, and above all, hesitation as to whether or not I should take the plunge. It all comes together and passes in an instant.

    Behind me, walking in step with Fay and Laocles, the store that is moving further and further away from me is¡­ probably a pawn shop.

    If I don¡¯t buy that sword now, it might disappear.

    When I thought that, I really wanted to move.

    ¡°Oh, hey, Tougo. Where are you going?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Just there!¡± (Tougo)

    Fay called out to me, but I didn¡¯t stop and ran.

    The store was far away, but it was not that far if I ran. I turned down the street and went a few doors down.

    I ran toward the store I had just passed¡­ and opened the door.

    It was dark inside. Various goods were lined up in a motley assortment, covered with dust. It seemed to be unkempt. Not even organized.

    And inside the store, there were three people. Two people who seemed to be familiar customers, and the shopkeeper behind the counter.

    The three people in the store looked at me with curiosity. This store doesn¡¯t seem to be very popular in this area, and new customers are rare.

    I felt uncomfortable being the center of attention, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I called out to the shopkeeper,

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Shopping? Or pawning?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    As I walked up to the counter, the two customers who had been talking at the counter gave me some space. So, I go over there and have a conversation with the guy.

    ¡°Um, shopping.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh, okay. What do you want? The ones over there are only one silver coin each. The one on the desk over there is five silver coins. The one on the shelf over there is one gold coin.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    ¡­I don¡¯t really understand the sense of money in this world, but for the time being, I know that the pricing is very rough.

    ¡°I want to buy the one that was outside, not inside.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Huh. Which one? All the things outside are expensive. Can you even pay?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    ¡°I have money.¡± (Tougo)

    I said, and the shopkeeper looked at the bag in my hand and looked satisfied.

    ¡°If you pay, I¡¯ll sell it. So, which one?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Oh, good It¡¯s not for sale.

    So, I decided to tell him what I wanted to buy.

    ¡°I want to buy that sword.¡± (Fay)

    As soon as I said that I felt that the atmosphere in the store had become strange.

    The shopkeeper looked at me with a surprised look¡­ and then gave me a quizzical look.

    ¡°¡­do you have any feelings for that sword?¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Well¡­ I don¡¯t know how to answer this.

    Because it caught Laocles¡¯ eye? Because it caught my attention? But that¡¯s not my reason.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t have one, but¡­ I really want to buy it.¡± (Tougo)

    I have no idea. However, for Laocles, it may be something that he has a fondness for. I don¡¯t know.

    Somehow, I didn¡¯t want to mention Laocles. It may be because the reaction of the people at the store was a little strange.

    ¡°I see¡­I see.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Then the store clerk looked at me, then looked at my hand¡­ and grinned.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. Then for the time being should I kill you?¡± (Shopkeeper)

 Volume 2 - CH 9

    ¡°¡­Then for the time being should I kill you?¡± he said, and for a moment I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about.

    But when the shopkeeper pulled out a knife from under the counter¡­ I knew it was a bad idea.

    The knife the shopkeeper took was thrown at me.

    I hurriedly dodged it, and this time, suddenly, something sharp and shiny came out of the right edge of my field of vision. I dodged it almost as if it were a reflex.

    I dodged it, and got out of the trajectory, but when I managed to turn around and look back¡­ I saw that a sharp shiny object was about to be launched at me once again.

    That thing that shines sharply is probably a knife. The second knife came.

    And the one aiming at me with the second knife was another customer, who was in the store. No, it wasn¡¯t a customer, it was someone related to the customer. He seemed to know the guy in the store originally.

    ¡°You¡¯re out of luck, boy!¡± (Man)

    I managed to roll on the floor to avoid the knife that was coming at me. I was lucky. The knife aimed at me went to the floor.

    ¡°You failed to finish him.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    ¡°What? He¡¯s not going to get away with it anyway. Let¡¯s take our time.¡± (Man)

    ¡°Tsk. Come on. Next time, don¡¯t miss.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    I was praying in my heart they miss the next time, but I was thinking that even if I prayed, they would probably hit me sooner or later. ¡­I managed to stand up and brace myself.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I walked into a pawnshop-like store and was instantly going to be killed.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Even so¡­ it¡¯s surprising that our nemesis or his companion came to be killed has a lot of money.¡± (Man)

    The people in the store laugh as they say that.

    ¡­I wonder what this all means.

    First of all, one of the reasons they are after me right now is money.

    Yes, I was definitely holding a bag of money. Was I being careless?

    But more than the money, I think I¡¯m being almost killed now because I came to buy that sword.

    The reaction of the people at the shop also became strange when they found out that I had come to buy the sword. So maybe that¡¯s what it is.

    ¡­These people said, ¡°our nemesis or his friend¡±. Does that mean that the ¡°people who come to buy this sword¡± are their nemesis? Then Laocles, who was staring at that sword¡­

    I didn¡¯t have time to think about it. Another knife coming soon. I lower my posture and run immediately, dodging the knife thrown by the shopkeeper and heading for the store door. However, before I reached the door, another person, who was a customer, stands in my way. I had to avoid the ax-like thing that person was wielding, so I couldn¡¯t get close to the door.

    In the meantime, the other customer locks the door from the inside and approaches with a knife. The knife came from somewhere and broke a pot that was lying around. The sound of pottery breaking echoes through the room.

    Then an axe swung down, and I hurriedly avoided it. Then one of the shelves in the store breaks and there is another terrible noise.

    ¡­While I was running around like that, I was completely cornered.

    The store wasn¡¯t that big, to begin with. There is no escape.

    ¡­This looks bad.

    ¡°¡­It looks like you people aren¡¯t just killing me because you want money.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said this, both the shopkeeper and the customers laughed.

    ¡°Money? I want money. Any amount. How much is it boy? (Shopkeeper)

    After saying that¡­ the shopkeeper continued.

    ¡°But yes. If it was only money, I wouldn¡¯t have taken your life.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Really. on second thoughts.

    ¡°What if I told you that I just wanted that sword because it was beautiful?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°It¡¯s too late now. It¡¯s like saying that you have an idea when you say that.¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Even if you say that I¡¯m in trouble. I have an idea, but I don¡¯t know the details.

    Because Laocles was watching, maybe it¡¯s just that he used a sword before he became a slave, and it made him nostalgic.

    ¡­But. However, something about it is definitely bugging me

    If that sword is Laocles¡¯. What if that sword had something to do with Laocles? What do you expect to find there? What would lead these people to the crazy idea of ¡°killing anyone who shows interest in the sword¡±?

    Why did Laocles become a slave in the first place?

    ¡°Could it be that sword killed someone?¡± (Tougo)

    So, I asked.

    ¡­the shopkeeper replied with a sly grin,

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. The sword you wanted is the sword of those who killed our very, very precious master!¡± (Shopkeeper)

    And then the knives and axes came at me and¡­

    ¡­That¡¯s when it happened.

    The store door rattles.

    At that sound, the people in the store flinched for a moment. ¡­right after that.

    There was a loud bang¡­ and the door was kicked down.

    The door was blown open. And pieces of the door. And then a piece of the wall.

    Scattering wood everywhere, and then¡­ Laocles came in.

    Laocles and I locked eyes for a moment. And right after that, Laocles was already moving.

    First, he threw his luggage. A big hunk of cheese and a hunk of bread. The whole bag.

    The hunk of cheese hit the torso of one of the guests with such force that he fell to the ground.

    ¡°Damn, no way¡­!¡± (Shopkeeper)

    Furthermore, Laocles swung the shopping bag in his hand and punched the shopkeeper in the side of the head, who was somewhat startled. As it was, he tossed the shopping bag away, freeing one of his hands.

    Laocles then confronts one of the customers with an axe¡­ with the ham.

    ¡­amazing. The ham is beginning to look like a club. I think it was in the statue of Hercules, wasn¡¯t it? There is also this kind where Hercules has a club¡­

    Laocles with a club of cured ham looked amazing. He caught an axe with the ham club, grabbed a customer by the chest with his left hand, and head-butted him.

    When he saw the shopkeeper getting up, he hit him with the ham this time.

    ¡­Very. Very awesome. Laocles is very strong.

    He¡¯s strong, and¡­ really, really beautiful.

    I never thought moving muscles could be so beautiful. The way his arm muscles rise and fall when he swings his arms. The way his body moves to avoid a flying knife. The tension in the muscles, the sense of dynamism that is absolutely impossible in a mere sculpture.

    ¡­No, I know it¡¯s not the time to gawk. But the way Laocles fought was so one-sided that I just had to watch, and suddenly the fight was over.

    Looking down at the three on the floor, Laocles let out a small sigh.

    Then he looked at me¡­ glanced awkwardly at me, turned away¡­ and reached out his hand to me.

    I cowered, but there was no shock that my body had expected, just a plop and Laocles¡¯ hand on top of my head.

    Then, awkwardly and clumsily, his hand moved.

    ¡°¡­¡­I troubled you.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles said something I didn¡¯t understand, then picked up the shopping bags, cheese, and bread he had been tossing around and tried to leave the store.

    Trouble¡­ The store? Well, sure, the door was broken, the shelves were broken, and the merchandise was rather broken. But maybe that¡¯s not what Laocles meant¡­

    ¡°¡­do you think you caused trouble for me?¡± (Tougo)

    When I hesitantly asked, Laocles stopped and then said only a small, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Um, I was the one who caused trouble. I went out on my own and things got weird. I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Tougo)

    I immediately went after Laocles and apologized to him.

    I had caused him trouble. I had taken the liberty of finding a focus of his thoughts, and I had gone to get it. I didn¡¯t even check if he wanted me to¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that.

    When I apologize, Laocles makes an awkward face again. Like, he doesn¡¯t know what to say, or he doesn¡¯t know how to say it.

    ¡°You¡­ You saw me looking at that sword, didn¡¯t you?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°That¡¯s why you moved. I know that. Then it¡¯s like I¡¯m the one who dragged you into this.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Uh-no¡­ I should have asked you if I could go buy that sword. I shouldn¡¯t have been afraid to ask.¡± (Tougo)

    Somehow, I felt like I shouldn¡¯t have asked. I had a feeling that Laocles was going to say something, and yet I was sure he would not say it to me. Still, I wanted to fulfill what he had in mind, even if he didn¡¯t say it.

    Perhaps I was impertinent. That¡¯s all.

    ¡°¡­For now, let¡¯s go back. That noble is probably lost.¡± (Laocles)

    Ah, come to think of it, I gave Fay some trouble, too. I see, he¡¯s on his way¡­

    ¡­yeah.

    Then I was about to follow Laocles out of the store when ¡­¡­ I remembered.

    Why did I come to this store in the first place?

    ¡°Um, Laocles.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯ll listen properly this time, to his intentions. I¡¯m not going to measure it on my own. So that I don¡¯t get scared on my own.

    ¡­But I couldn¡¯t say anything beyond that.

    I thought I heard a strange sound¡­ and in the corner of a deserted store, in the hands of a fallen shopkeeper, something black was wriggling.

    As soon as I thought that was it.

    There was a terrible sound. The ground shook. Heavy sounds of something breaking, many, many, many sounds echoed.

    ¡­and then.

    ¡°That looks bad.¡± (Tougo)

    A very, very black, irregularly shaped ghost-like thing that looked like it was made from the darkness of the night broke through the ceiling and looked down on us quietly with its large body.

 Volume 2 - CH 10

    ¡°That is¡­ sh*t!¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles quickly turned pale and then kicked one of the people who had fallen on the floor of the store.

    Then the person groans and rolls to the floor. In his hand is a black stone.

    Does that mean that this black monster is some kind of summoned beast?

    ¡°You¡¯re still here?!¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles shouted and struck the black ghost, swinging the ham. I wonder if they know each other.

    ¡­but that¡¯s all. The cured ham is buried under the feet of the black ghost, and then¡­ it disappears as if it were swallowed by the black darkness.

    It disappeared. Ther cured ham is gone.

    The ham, which until a few moments ago had been beating the shopkeepers to a pulp like the club used by the mythological Hercules, vanished without a moment¡¯s thought. The ham seemed to have melted away halfway through and disappeared.

    As I was shocked at the sight¡­ The ghost moved.

    The ghost lifted something that looked like a hand¡­ and then swung it down.

    Then, the place where Laocles had been until a moment before¡­ vanished.

    It disappeared. The ceiling wreckage that should have been there, the scattered merchandise, and the floor. The only thing left is a hole in the ground where the ground has been gouged out.

    I was shocked to see the scene in front of me. ¡­What is this guy?

    While I was horrified by the scene before me, Laocles quickly moved on to his next attack.

    He picked up an axe that one of the guests was holding and slashed at the black ghost with it.

    ¡­For a moment, the ax seemed to glow. But that¡¯s all¡­ the black ghost had a faint cut, but it soon closed up. It¡¯s like cutting a soft mochi. No matter how you cut it, it sticks together immediately.

    ¡°Damn, this is no good¡­!¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles clicked his tongue, raised his axe, and began to concentrate on something.

    But while he was doing so, the ghost reached out to him again. This time, the hand would swing down at Laocles.

    I hurriedly threw things I had around toward the ghost.

    A piece of a jar. A knife blade. A pebble. A carved wooden statue I didn¡¯t understand. I threw these things at the ghost, but it didn¡¯t react at all. And as soon as they hit the ghost¡¯s body, they all disappear as if they were absorbed into the ghost¡¯s body. It was just like the ham I had just thrown.

    Still, I kept throwing things. There was nothing else I could do. Even if I took out my art supplies and built a wall right now, it wouldn¡¯t make much sense because the ghost can erase everything and anything. If that¡¯s the case, at least make the ghost¡¯s hand face me instead of Laocles¡­

    ¡­It was at that time.

    A flash of light.

    Light was leaking from my hand. What I was trying to throw was something that looked a lot like the candle Fay had lent me to practice my magic.

    A rumble echoed; it seems to have come from a black ghost.

    Before I could even think about it, the ghost crawled away from me, as if trying to get away from me¡­

    ¡°There!¡± (Laocles)

    There, the ax of Laocles roared.

    This time, the axe shined bright. There was a crack, a sound like something exploding¡­ And the axe tore through the ghost¡¯s body with a mighty crack.

    Pah, blood splashes.

    ¡°¡­¡­F*ck!¡± (Laocles)

    The ghost seems to have aimed at Laocles¡¯ leg at the same time as it was cut. Part of Laocles¡¯ thigh is missing as if it was ripped, and blood overflows from it.

    Laocles would no longer be able to walk. It would be difficult for him to attack.

    Furthermore, the ghost that Laocles had cut off seemed to have reattached itself to the body and was now back together again.

    Horrifying.

    I¡¯ve healed Fay¡¯s injuries before, but this was the first time I¡¯d seen someone get hurt.

    It was a much worse scene than I had expected. As I watched this terrible scene, I wondered absentmindedly if this was how people bleed.

    ¡°Hey, you run away!¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles said so while protecting his wounds.

    Since he said that, I should probably run away. The store is already full of holes. The door that Laocles kicked through. Holes in the walls that the black ghost has obliterated. I can escape from anywhere.

    ¡­but.

    I think that if I run away, I will probably regret it for the rest of my life.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try not to be a bother.¡± (Tougo)

    The ghost is about to wave its hand down, this time at me, not at Laocles. I looked up at it and regained a firm grip on what I held in my hand¡­ The ¡°candle-like thing¡±.

    When I consciously pour magic into the candle, it lights up strongly.

    ¡­When the light appears, the black ghost crouches in surprise and withdraws its raised hand.

    When I turn off the light, he stretches his body and starts reaching out, but when I turn on the light again, he withdraws.

    ¡­yes.

    After all, I realized this guy is not good with light.

    It is bad with light, so when Laocles¡¯ ax shined, I think that attack worked. the attack worked. And it¡¯s also because he¡¯s not good with light that this ghost was scared of the glowing candle-like thing.

    ¡­then it¡¯s easy. I know how to make a beam out of this candle-like thing.

    That will surely be an attack that works well against black ghosts.

    I removed the seal from my wrist and put it in my pocket.

    The light of the candle-like beam became noticeably stronger. The black ghost cowered, shrank, and grew more docile as I aimed the light at it.

    All that¡¯s left is to be patient. endure the magic. And¡­ endure the approaching ghost.

    I restrain the wrist of my left hand holding the candle with my right hand.

    And just like Fay did to me, I restrained the magic.

    ¡°¡­¡­ugh.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m not used to this feeling. Itchy, itchy, hopelessly restless.

    But I had to be patient. I had to hold it in, hold it in, and get it out all at once. I just held on and held on.

    The black ghost stretched out its body, making an angry cry, ¡°Pugyuru!¡± The light was not shining because I was in the middle of holding back. It would be the perfect chance to get a shot at me.

    ¡°Hey! Run away!¡± (Laocles)

    I could hear Laocles¡¯ voice, but still, be patient.

    I held on, held on, held on even as the black ghost¡¯s hand shot up in front of me, held on even as the itch swelled up inside me, held on even as the itch got itchier and itchier¡­ And then, just as the black ghost¡¯s hand was about to reach me.

    I fired a beam from the candle-like thing.

    I could see the sky.

    The beam pierced through the black ghost¡¯s torso and instantly made a huge hole in it. On the other side of the hole, I saw the sky near dusk.

    The ghost looked down at the body that had been pierced by the beam and then began to scream again.

    The hole in the ghost¡¯s body did not seem to close up. On the contrary, the hole is widening, slowly dissolving the ghost!

    Light. If there is light, we can defeat the ghost!

    Even that monster, which swallows up everything and makes it disappear, is not invincible!

    The black monster twisted its body angrily and then glared at me.

    With Laocles at my back, I held up the candle-like thing.

    ¡°If you want to eat me, try it!¡± (Tougo)

    The ghost seemed to understand my words and glared at me angrily, but still did not attack me.

    The ghost stared at us for a few moments and then it stretched out outside the store and tried to run away.

    That¡¯s when I thought, oh my god, this ghost shouldn¡¯t be out on the town.

    A cry came from outside the store. Then, a squeak, a rustling of wings, and a roar of flames. I looked up and saw the building crumbling.

    Looking up, beyond the collapsed ceiling, there was a Red Dragon flapping its wings and Fay riding the Red Dragon.

    ¡°Yo! I lost my way, but I found a big one! It¡¯s a good landmark!¡± (Fay)

    Fay¡¯s lighthearted words were just as encouraging.

    ¡°Fay! This ghost doesn¡¯t like light!¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Light? I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t even use the light magic!¡± (Fay)

    Fay smiled and chuckled¡­ giving a reliable smile.

    ¡°But light is actually a follower of flames!¡± (Fay)

    With an absurd statement, the red dragon spits out flames.

    The flames shine stronger and brighter, redder and brighter than the setting sun, illuminating the surroundings.

    ¡°How¡¯s that? It¡¯s brighter now!¡± (Fay)

    The flames that the Red Dragon breathed out certainly had an effect. The black ghosts were shriveling up as if molten by the flames.

    The ghost was unable to resist and tried to run away. Toward the town.

    ¡­but then the flaming wolves howled. Flaming birds flap their wings.

    The black ghost is completely surrounded by Fay¡¯s summons and cannot escape anywhere.

    ¡°Alright! Now, for the finisher!¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Alright! Now, for the finisher!¡± (Fay)

    Finally, before the Red Dragon could spit flames¡­ the beam that I had prepared completely melted and obliterated the black ghost.

    ¡°Even though I appeared, looking cool, you end up dealing the final blow.¡± (Fay)

    Fay came down to the ground and found me and Laocles¡­ Who was badly injured.

    ¡°Woah¡­ is he alright?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I¡¯m stopping the bleeding, but¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I couldn¡¯t find bandages right away, so I had Laocles use the shirt he was wearing as a tourniquet.

    However, from the gouged part of the thigh, the blood is overflowing and it won¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Well¡­ look, Tougo. I¡¯ll take care of it. You should start drawing.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Okay.¡± (Tougo)

    Fay speaks quickly. I¡¯m saved. I immediately took out my art supplies and started drawing Laocles¡¯ thighs.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing¡­¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Laocles, shut up and watch. Your master is like this.¡± (Fay)

    I quickly made a rough sketch on a piece of drawing paper.

    I used a pencil to draw Laocles¡¯ entire body, then I roughly shaded it and colored it right on top of the pencil. I am already familiar with Laocles¡¯ skin coloring. I have painted Laocles many times with watercolor.

    ¡­As for the color, I tried not to look at the real thing too much. Because Laocles was losing more and more blood, and because of that, he was becoming paler and paler. So, I used his colors as they were in my memory.

    This time, I paid special attention to his thighs.

    The tension of his thigh muscles, taut skin pulled by his bones, the bumps of his flesh, and the way the shadows fall.

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    I painted his thighs with these things in mind.

    The actual thigh of Laocles is bandaged, or rather, he has a shirt pressed against it to stop the bleeding. So, I used the other leg as a reference and just kept on drawing.

    ¡­I drew the leg in front of me, flipping it left to right in my mind, and deducing the shadows and the muscle structure. This was unexpectedly difficult work. It is very difficult not to be able to draw as you see it.

    ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to heal me?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Okay. You understand. That¡¯s what is happening. Now, be quiet.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles looked at me and looked a little confused and puzzled.

    ¡°I can be left alone. If you need another slave, buy another one.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°No.¡± (Tougo)

    I refused to say anything more, I don¡¯t understand him and continued to move my brush.

    ¡­It is quite a messy drawing. It looks more like a rough sketch than a watercolor pencil sketch. It is not drawn well at all. I was very worried about whether it would be okay to draw in such a messy way¡­ but I was conscious of it and poured my magical power into it.

    I practiced controlling my magic a little bit. I hope it will work. I hope it works. No, I have to make it work.

    The horses were okay, even at this level. So, it should work with Laocles, too.

    ¡­and finally, I finished the painting.

    I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m very, very tired that I was about to fall asleep at any moment.

    But¡­ well, that¡¯s okay. I was able to heal the wound of Laocles.

    I was able to heal the wound of Laocles. I painted it in a hurry, but at least I was able to stop the blood and save Laocles¡¯ life.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Do you feel anything strange?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­a little, my legs are a little weak, but¡­ it¡¯s enough.¡± (Laocles)

    Ah, it seems that his leg¡¯s functionality is not fully restored. That is a point to reflect on. What does that mean? Maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t draw it properly enough.

    ¡°Good work, Tougo. You can go to sleep now.¡± (Fay)

    Fay patted me gently on the back. I wish he would stop. It makes me even more sleepy.

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    ¡°No, it¡¯s still a bit¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I walk away from Fay¡­ and through the wreckage of the store.

    The store was already in a state of disrepair, almost like rubble¡­ But something still bothered me.

    The sword.

    ¡­Because it must be buried somewhere.

    I told Fay what I was looking for and asked Fay to help me find it. This time I asked Laocles, ¡°Can I look for that sword?¡±

    ¡­I did so, and Laocles started looking for it with me. So we all started looking in the rubble together.

    It was found sooner than expected. The sword was buried in a place that was easier to find than expected, probably because the area around the show window was closer to the outside.

    I picked up the sword and took it to Laocles.

    ¡°Is this sword your sword?¡± (Tougo)

    I then asked. ¡­Laocles nodded with a reluctant look on his face.

    ¡°That it is.¡± (Laocles)

    I have gotten bits and pieces of information about this sword.

    ¡°This sword is the sword of someone who killed people.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­But that doesn¡¯t matter. That¡¯s not what I wanted to know.

    ¡°Do you want this?¡± (Tougo)

    For a moment, Laocles seemed troubled.

    But after a moment¡­ he picked up the sword and laughed.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles laughed.

    The eyes narrowed just a little bit, and one side of his mouth lifted a little¡­  I thought, how just a little bit of movement of facial parts can change the impression.

    I was surprised, and Laocles immediately went back to his usual plaster statue look¡­ No, a bit bitter, even for a plaster statue.

    ¡°¡­This sword and me have done you a terrible disservice. The sword, and most of all, me. You can hate me.¡± (Laocles)

    And because he said that I was not happy about it.

    For me, this time¡­ I think I did something wrong. Yes, I should have made sure. I should have asked properly. It would have been a problem that could have been avoided with just that, so I don¡¯t have any feelings of resentment towards the sword or Laocles.

    ¡­I know that in a situation like this, it¡¯s no use giving in endlessly.

    Yes. I was once told by Teacher ¡°Push each other, hit each other and don¡¯t compromise, and especially don¡¯t give back more than one back-and-forth.¡±

    This is what the teacher said to me with a very reluctant look on his face when he received an assortment of instant coffee as a thank-you gift for the somen noodles I had given him. He was not a big fan of somen noodles, and coffee was one of his least favorite foods.

    ¡°And it wasn¡¯t all bad.¡± (Tougo)

    That¡¯s why I want to say words that are not compromises.

    I had no idea about the sword. I didn¡¯t check, and Laocles probably still has something unresolved. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to ask you to be kind enough to say which one is which.

    I¡¯ll show you what made me happy.

    ¡°Look. This. Lapis lazuli.¡± (Tougo)

    I found this in the rubble of the store.

    ¡°That is¡­¡­?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I found it when I was looking for a sword. It was lying around in a pawn shop. It will be good for a deep blue paint.¡± (Tougo)

    So, I¡¯m good, I said. And I also put, how about you?

    ¡°That¡¯s why I think I¡¯m glad I came to this store.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said that¡­ Laocles sighed with a look like I was crazy.

    ¡°¡­you really like to draw.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    While saying so, Laocles looked at the sword he received from me.

    ¡°Me too, I got my sword back. ¡­So, I guess it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m here.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I see.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m glad to hear you say that.

    I don¡¯t know what that sword means to him, but I¡¯m sure it would be better to have it than to lose it.

    Even if he decides to give it up later, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not a waste of time to be able to make that choice for himself.

    And¡­ I know the pain of losing something precious to you regardless of your will, and the joy of buying it back.

    ¡°¡­here¡¯s my story.¡± (Laocles)

    Then Laocles begins to speak further after said this.

    ¡°I knew everyone who was in that store, including that black monster.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Once, when I was using this sword¡­¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yeah, I see¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­¡­Hey.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    But I was finding it harder and harder to stay conscious.

    My body is getting weaker and weaker. My eyes are blurry. I think I¡¯m going to pass out¡­

    ¡°Should I continue¡­ when you wake up again?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m sorry Laocles, but I¡¯m about to lose consciousness.

    When I thought of fainting in that position, wouldn¡¯t that be too annoying, the Red Dragon lowered, so I was allowed to lie down on the Red Dragon¡¯s back.

    The dragon¡¯s scales were something. It was a little warm.

    It¡¯s warm, but yeah.

    Good night.

 Volume 2 - CH 11

    I woke up in the guest room of the Redgarde family. I was relieved to see familiar wallpaper.

    And when I woke up, my body moved rather normally. In other words, this time I wasn¡¯t bedridden for ten days.

    ¡­To make matters even more pleasing, there was a blue stone¡­ a lump of lapis lazuli by my bedside.

    Apparently, it wasn¡¯t a dream.

    Now I have ultramarine blue. I am very happy. Robin¡¯s egg blue is beautiful, but I wanted a deep blue too.

    I walked out of the room, feeling a little excited.

    As I was walking around the house, greeting the maids who had become familiar with me, I saw Laocles in the courtyard, swinging his sword.

    ¡°Laocles.¡± (Tougo)

    When I called out to the window, he looked back in surprise, then strode toward the window where I was standing.

    ¡­and then he stared at me and said something outrageous.

    ¡°Are you really alive?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m alive I wonder if he thought I was dead.

    ¡°How many days have I slept?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Three days.¡± (Laocles)

    I see. Three days.

    Just three days. ¡­Oh. In other words.

    ¡°Just in time. That¡¯s quite good.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­what are you talking about?¡± (Laocles)

    In other words, it was within the time frame that Fay said, ¡°the magic depletion lasts three days¡±. Thank goodness.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a human run out of mana.¡± (Laocles)

    Since it was a good opportunity, Laocles and I talked in the courtyard.

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re almost like a corpse. You were.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± (Tougo)

    I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on with my body in my sleep, because I can¡¯t see myself collapsing.

    ¡°No breathing. No pulse. Your body is cold¡­. Like a corpse.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yeah. That sounds like a corpse if you ask me.¡± (Tougo)

    A corpse. Was I almost a corpse? I would like to see myself like a corpse once, but the time when I see myself like a corpse is probably when I really die. I hope I can successfully use astral projection then.

    ¡°I heard that a person who has run out of magic power can stop time of their body. They suck magic power from their surroundings until they regain enough magic power to sustain life.¡± (Laocles)

    Oh, I didn¡¯t know that. So, does that mean I¡¯m in a state of suspended animation? I wonder if I was in such a state. I don¡¯t know anything about myself.

    ¡°I had knowledge of it, but when I actually see someone in that state, it¡¯s still terrifying.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Tougo)

    I scared you. I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡­but at the same time, I¡¯m a little happy.

    ¡°You¡¯ve become more talkative.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles started to speak a lot. Before, he used to say ¡°Yeah¡± and ¡°Hmm¡±, but now he talks a lot. That makes me happy.

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± (Laocles)

    The moment I said that, however, Laocles awkwardly closed his mouth.

    I probably shouldn¡¯t have said that¡­ I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to tell him.

    ¡°For the time being, I cleaned up various things during the three days you were sleeping.¡± (Laocles)

    Then I decided to look for Fay with Laocles and ask him about the situation. He always takes care of a lot of things while I¡¯m sleeping.

    ¡°First, that pawn shop. They were selling a lot of illegal stuff, so I just took them to task.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°What a mess.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure there will be more crimes they are guilty of. But for the time being, possession of an illegal summoned beast is more than enough.¡± (Fay)

    An illegal summoned beast, huh? ¡­That black ghost, maybe?

    ¡°Ah, the illegal summoned beast is that big, black, slimy thing called, Nube.¡± (Fay)

    Nube¡­ In other words, it¡¯s a ghost. Okay.

    ¡°It was a summoned beast made by solidifying a curse. It would have been dangerous if we had left it alone.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Solidify a curse¡­?¡± (Tougo)

    I heard another word I didn¡¯t know. The only thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word ¡°curse¡± is a straw doll.

    ¡°The point is, strictly speaking, it was not a summoned beast, but a mass of curses¡­ Or something like a mass of magic that only causes bad things to happen. If we had left it alone, it would have probably destroyed this town.¡± (Fay)

    Fay shrugged his shoulders after saying that. However, I wonder how big of a deal it was. No, we were able to prevent it from happening, so it¡¯s fine, but¡­

    ¡°Um, Fay. I¡¯m concerned about the fact that we destroyed a store.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°You care about that¡­? Well, it¡¯s not a problem. They were criminals, and the store had to be shut down anyway.¡± (Fay)

    I see. Well, that¡¯s good. I was afraid I¡¯d be liable.

    ¡°And Fay.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I took the sword and a lapis lazuli, but¡­¡± (Tougo)

    In the end, I decided to go along with Fay¡¯s words, ¡°Take it as an inconvenience fee.¡±

    Well¡­ when they get out of jail, I¡¯ll pay them a little as a release present¡­

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Laocles told me about the time I was out of magic and sleeping.¡± (Tougo)

    Suddenly, I bring it up. I¡¯m not sure if Laocles is embarrassed that he was somewhat distraught earlier, but he turned away.

    ¡°Oh, I see. You didn¡¯t even know what it meant to run out of magic.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happens during magic power depletion.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Alright.¡± (Fay)

    Fay nodded and then said¡­

    ¡°Well, to put it bluntly, you¡¯ll look like a corpse.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes. I heard.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­For the time being, I found out that when I¡¯m out of mana, I seem to be in quite a dangerous state.

    ¡°¡­well, people don¡¯t run out of mana that often. So, I¡¯m pretty surprised.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I see.¡± (Tougo)

    I was just sleeping, so it didn¡¯t feel like that at all, but seeing how distraught Laocles was made me feel a little sorry that I had to reflect.

    ¡°Then, be careful from now on.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah¡­ But well, I can¡¯t help it this time. Laocles¡¯ life was at stake. If I don¡¯t do anything, it will be inhumane. Right.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Fay)

    Fay and I nodded to each other. We were of the same opinion, and we shake our hands.

    From now on, let¡¯s be careful not to run out of magic.

    And in the future, when I need to, I just deal with magic power depletion. Let¡¯s do that.

    ¡°By the way, the doctor¡¯s here.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Eh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Look, I was going to get a magic stone for your next sealing tool, right? I called him ahead of time so he could fix you up faster if you ran out of magic.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Come to think of it, it was.

    Originally, I was going to weaken the sealing tool one step and practice controlling it again because I was getting better at controlling my magic, so they called the doctor¡­ but since I didn¡¯t have time until the doctor arrived, I drew some jewelry, materialized it, sold it, and used the money to buy what I needed¡­.

    ¡­and I ended up sleeping for three days.

    I¡¯m really sorry to the doctor. Yeah.

    And on the way to the room where the doctor was coming.

    ¡°Because I told the doctor that you were out of magic, so he might ask you some questions.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Fay said such a thing.

    What do you mean by ¡°he might ask you some questions.¡±¡­?

    ¡­So, I went to see the doctor.

    In the room, there was me, Fay, Laocles, Fay¡¯s brother and father, and the doctor. And the doctor¡­

    I can see that the doctor is nervous¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s hard to do a one-on-five check up, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°I was so surprised. I heard you ran out of magic power and collapsed.¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°It seems so.¡± (Tougo)

    That¡¯s what the doctor said right out of the gate. Well, it must have been quite a surprise to be called in on a different matter and find that the person you were supposed to see had collapsed from lack of magic power.

    ¡°Has this happened before?¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Magic power depletion happens all the time to me, so I nodded obediently.

    ¡°I see¡­ After all, the sudden increase in magic power is probably not good for controlling magic power. So, I think you are pouring more magic power than necessary into your magic.¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°More than necessary¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I can picture two different gems in my mind, one with the sealing device on and one without. They look the same, but the Red Dragon¡¯s reaction is completely different.

    The one I painted without the seal probably had more magic power in it than necessary. That¡¯s probably why the Red Dragon wanted it.

    On the other hand, the one drawn with the seal does not contain more magic power than necessary for materialization. That¡¯s why the Red Dragon looked away.

    ¡­ putting in more magic than necessary is not all bad, I guess. The thing to remember is that the more magic power you put into it, the more valuable the gem will be.

    In addition, by pouring in more magic power than necessary, I may have been able to heal Fay and Laocles¡¯ injuries. I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m not willing to try this. There is no such thing as ¡°more than necessary¡± when someone¡¯s injury is at stake. I have to do everything in my power¡­ And every time I do that, I run out of magic power.

    So, although I have sorted things out in my mind, from the doctor¡¯s point of view, it seems that it is incomprehensible.

    ¡°By the way, how many magic power depletion have you experienced in the last six months?¡± (Doctor)

    Half a year? I think I was still in my original world half a year ago.

    So, counting from the time I came to this world¡­

    I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve healed horses.

    ¡°Well, maybe more than ten and less than twenty instances¡­¡± (Tougo)

    So, I¡¯m going to give a rough estimate. But I can only answer this way. I didn¡¯t know if I was out of magic or just falling asleep when I was healing the horses in the first place. I¡¯m not sure if falling asleep is included in magic depletion?

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite frequent¡­¡± (Doctor)

    Oh, that¡¯s right. Come to think of it, Fay also said something like ¡°It¡¯s hard to run out of magic power in the first place¡± before. Before I run out of magical power, it shouldn¡¯t activate in the first place, right?

    As I was thinking and answering, the doctor was taking some notes (probably some kind of medical record) and asked me another question.

    ¡°So, um, ¡­¡­ just before you ran out of magic, what kind of magic did you use most of the time?¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Well, I think that someone with a massive amount of magical power as you must have been using some kind of magic that was so powerful that you ran out of power.¡± (Doctor)

    Right. Of course. ¡°What kind of magic?¡±

    ¡­What should I say.

    Should I answer honestly?

 Volume 2 - CH 12

    What to do about this one?

    For me, my feelings are 50-50.

    First of all, the advantage of honestly telling the truth is that ¡­¡­ I might be able to find out more about my condition.

    I¡¯m a foreigner to this world, so I may not be able to give you a correct diagnosis, but first of all, I know very little about ¡°out of magic¡± and ¡°magic power¡±. If I could understand these things and my condition in detail, I might be able to paint more efficiently.

    And, most of all, I am anxious. Not knowing myself well is still a worry.

    ¡­On the other hand, as a demerit, it may be dangerous.

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to be suspicious of everyone¡­ but first of all, it seems that this world is not that safe.

    This is something I don¡¯t agree with. I think that because there is magic, it should be easier for people to harm others than in my original world, and I don¡¯t think that a high level of moral is required to use magic. ¡­Well, it is said that a finger can be cured with a medicine, so I wonder if ethics are even out in such a place.

    ¡­ Well, whatever. Anyway, this world is not that safe. There are poachers and humans are kidnapped.

    Even if it¡¯s not in the forest, but even in a normal town, when you enter a store, it¡¯s a dangerous occurrence to hear someone say, ¡°Then for the time being should I kill you.¡± ¡­Isn¡¯t it a strange place after all? Isn¡¯t it crazy?

    Well, I guess that¡¯s why I should be wary and suspicious of various people¡­ It¡¯s sad, but¡­ I¡¯m not very good at it.

    In that sense, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s okay to share my information with the doctor.

    If I draw a jewel, I can materialize the jewel. If I want to, it¡¯s not just a jewel, but an object called a magic stone.

    However, perhaps¡­ Judging from the price of the jewel, what I noticed when I went to sell the jewel, and what I was told¡­ it was something that had no other precedent or was extremely rare. I came to such a conclusion.

    At the very least, it confirms that there are no or few others who can ¡°produce magic stones at low cost¡± like I can.

    ¡­If there were many people who could make the same kind of jewels that I have drawn and materialized, the summoned beast wouldn¡¯t the nobility¡¯s weapon. The price would fall. It¡¯s common sense.

    That¡¯s why I think there is no other individual with¡­ ¡°what I draw materializes¡± than me. So, it seems.

    If I were to tell the doctor about it, they would know me as a ¡°very rare and unparalleled¡± person. That¡¯s¡­ well, I think it might be a bit of a big deal.

    I know that doctors are obliged to keep confidentiality and should not talk about their patients¡¯ personal information, but I know that my thoughts, common sense, and beliefs are not really applicable in this world, so I am¡­ in trouble.

    I should say, ¡°what I draw materializes¡±?

    ¡°I heard that the magic he used was light magic.¡± (Van)

    Then Fay¡¯s father started to speak.

    I wondered what was going on, but Fay¡¯s father told a lie without hesitation.

    ¡°It seems that his control is bad, and it seems that it is not something that can be used much¡­ is that right? Fay. You are more familiar with him.¡± (Van)

    ¡°Oh¡­ Right, Doctor. Did you know that cursed summoned beast that showed up in town the other day?¡± (Fay)

    As I was wondering what to do, Fay started to speak after his father, and I continued my silence.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I was surprised. There were rumors that you appeared on the Red Dragon and saved the town. It was like an act from a legend¡­¡± (Van)

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about me. But what about Tougo? Well¡­ he helped me defeat he summoned beast. With his light magic.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± (Doctor)

    Apparently, they decided to create an explanation, so I nodded gesturing, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡±.

    ¡°I was surprised by the appearance of the Red Dragon, a legendary being, but I never expected to find two saviors here.¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°Okay. You can praise me more. However, keep Tougo a secret. He has no backing, and I don¡¯t want to expose too much about him.¡± (Fay)

    Fay is very helpful because he is very clear about the details. He will not be asked for details about what he called a ¡°secret¡±.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Oh, so he¡¯s a servant of the Redgarde family¡­?¡± (Doctor)

    ¡°He¡¯s just the best friend of mine. Right, Tougo?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    The rest of the time, I just smile and cover it up. Yes. I shouldn¡¯t worry too much about it.

    After that, the doctor gave me a new magic stone for the sealing tool and left.

    I quickly attach the new stone to the sealing tool. In other words, it seems to be a sealing magic stone that is slightly weaker than the previous black stone.

    ¡­When I replaced the magic stone of the sealing tool, I felt that my strength suddenly springs up. Yes. I guess it means that the seal weaker.

    For the time being, I¡¯m going to practice controlling my magic power again with this. If it is necessary to ¡°pour in more magical power than necessary¡±, I will remove the seal and materialize with all my might, but for other things I want to control it as much as possible and limit the consumption of my magical power to the amount necessary for materialization.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tougo.¡± (Van)

    Fay¡¯s father called out to me.

    ¡°I said that on the spur of the moment.¡± (Van)

    ¡°No, I was saved, thank you.¡± (Tougo)

    Faye¡¯s father looked a little apologetic, but all I could do is thank him.

    ¡­Yes. There are ways to learn about myself by experimenting on my own. However, what is known to others cannot be taken back. So, I think it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t tell the doctor this time.

    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯m glad. ¡­Your magic is very rare. I¡¯ve never seen it anywhere else. That¡¯s why I thought it would be better to keep it under wraps until you make up your mind.¡± (Van)

    Yes. ¡­Yes?

    ¡°Um, you¡¯ve never seen anything similar?¡± (Tougo)

    Is¡­ Is¡­ Is that so? Not a second one? Really?

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never heard of it. I¡¯ve never heard of something you draw materializing. That¡¯s unusual. ¡­Roses. How about you?¡± (Van)

    ¡°None. For me too. What about you, Fay?¡± (Roses)

    ¡°Hmm? I haven¡¯t seen one either. I¡¯ve never heard of one too. That¡¯s why I thought it was very unusual.¡± (Fay)

    ¡­I see.

    It¡¯s really rare¡­

    Yeah, I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t tell the doctor.

    That same day, I went back to the forest from Redgarde¡¯s family mansion. The horse was probably getting worried.

    ¡­Or rather, I was worried about the horse. Or the horse was sulking.

    The Pegasus, who I had left waiting in the courtyard of the Redgarde house for so long, seemed to have no intention of letting me down, and even after I arrived at the forest, he kept on walking at a brisk pace so that I would not be able to get off.

    ¡°Umm, excuse me, I¡¯d like to get down.¡± (Tougo)

    I tried to protest discreetly, but the horse only let out a single whinny and wouldn¡¯t let me down.

    I¡¯m getting a little bit of a look of exasperation from Laocles¡­ I don¡¯t want you to stare at me.

    The horse won¡¯t let me down, so I¡¯m thinking in the meantime.

    What I¡¯m thinking about is magic power, magic power depletion, and magic. I decided not to talk to the doctor about it after all, so I guess I have to think about it myself.

    First of all, I don¡¯t really understand what ¡°magic power¡± means. I have only recently become able to perceive magic power.

    But for the time being, it¡¯s generally correct to say that ¡°Magic Depletion¡± happens when you use too much magic at once.

    ¡­There are some things I know about the consumption of magic power at this point.

    First of all, the bigger the painting, the more magic power is consumed.

    As was the case when I built my first house, it is quite tiring to draw something that is bigger than I am.

    Secondly, the more complicated something is, the more magic power is consumed.

    For example, a spring that gushes water. Or the wings of a Pegasus. Such an object is much more tiring than a piece of wood or a ham of the same size.

    Also, things that I am used to drawing are easier to materialize. ¡­No, it is not really relevant these days, though.

    ¡­I think that the method of reflecting the drawing, in reality, is more consuming of magic power than the method of materializing the drawing.

    But I¡¯m rather convinced about this. The point is that the part that has to be influenced is bigger, and that explains it.

    If you make a spring appear, you have to affect the groundwater and so on. If the Pegasus¡¯ wings were to be created, it would have to affect the physical condition of Pegasus itself. In other words, the scope and depth of my magic will change along with my magic power.

    ¡­ I think I should be able to figure out how many days I would faint if I drew what and how I drew it¡­ But what complicates the situation even more here is my own personal growth.

    I am definitely growing. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing. ¡­Well, compared to when I was building houses in five stages, I can build a small house in a day now. I guess I am growing.

    And the reason for the growth¡­ It can be explained by the fact that I am from another world, but more than that, I am sure that ¡°I feel like I am being trained as much as I faint.¡±

    I¡¯ve been training a lot since I healed my horse and then fainted, and then healed and then fainted. I think.

    ¡­Then, I guess, after I get the Red Dragon to materialize. If you think about it very simply starting from the house, my magic power has increased by about five times when the house was first built¡­ So, what happened during that time is the horses and the Red Dragon. I¡¯m not sure how much of a difference that would make. I think that means everything is involved. I mean in terms of the number of times I fainted, the time I spent unconscious.

    ¡­Now that I think about it, it might not be all that bad to faint from running out of magic power. It is a horrifying thing to hear that you become like a corpse, but if the amount of magic power you gain from fainting due to running out of magic power increases, wouldn¡¯t it be better to actively faint?

    Then I will be able to draw and materialize even bigger things. That¡¯s a bit tempting¡­ well, I¡¯m fine with it, as long as the magic runs out enough to keep me unconscious just within three days from now on, I¡¯m fine with it. Though, Fay would not look good. I think Fay will understand if I explain the reason.

    ¡­ I don¡¯t have such a bad impression about the magic power depletion because I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good thing or not.

    So, I¡¯ve decided that I don¡¯t need to tell the doctor that what I draw will materialize and work on preventing magic power depletion.

    I am sure that Fay and his family wondered more than I did whether or not they should tell the doctor that ¡°what I drew materialize¡±. I too, wondered.

    But I knew that it would probably be more troublesome if they knew about it.

    As Fay said, there will be a lot of people trying to take advantage of me¡­. Because, well, I hear that the jewels I painted can be sold for a rather ridiculous price.

    Jewels in this world is probably jewelry and at the same time a practical item and a weapon. As Fay said, ¡°summoned beasts are weapons of the nobility,¡± I think it is because jewels are weapons after all.

    And since I seem to be able to make such ¡°weapons of the nobility,¡± ¡­well, I can use them to make money.

    Also, I feel that I might be of great use to doctors.

    Because I can draw and heal injuries to some extent. I think this is very useful¡­ isn¡¯t it?

    I heard from Fay that there are medicines in this world that can make missing fingers grow back, so in that sense, medicine in this world is quite different from what I consider ¡°medicine¡± in my common sense, but still, healing people should be the same¡­ ¡­Above all, there is almost no cost for my paintings. All I need is paper, paint, and a brush.

    ¡­Well, in other words, my ability would probably be rather troublesome if people knew about it. That¡¯s what it comes down to.

    When I think about that kind of thing¡­ I finally have to seriously consider the words Fay told me.

    About ¡°aren¡¯t you interested in becoming our family painter?¡±

 Volume 2 - CH 13

    I don¡¯t need that much money. As long as I have enough money so that I don¡¯t bother other people, that¡¯s all I need.

    And I probably don¡¯t need a job either. I can paint even if I don¡¯t make painting my job.

    I don¡¯t really want to be a ¡°painter¡± because I can do it without working as a painter.

    I don¡¯t mind drawing what Fay asks me to draw, and I¡¯ll do as much as I can if he asks me to. I can draw as many pictures as I can if Fay asks me to. ¡­But that is probably not ¡°work¡± for me.

    Yes, it is not. For me, ¡°drawing¡± is not ¡°work¡±.

    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think I can be a ¡°painter¡±.

    I wonder if I am thinking too much about it¡­

    I am simply worried about what lies ahead.

    I had the pegasus put me down after a while. And I ate a meal with Laocles. (A piece of bread with cheese. No ham since it was eaten by the black ghost. I was looking forward to it!)

    ¡°Hey, Laocles.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°What?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I¡¯ve been invited by Fay to become the Redgarde family¡¯s painter.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles looked at me as if to say, ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­Laocles looked at me as if to say, ¡°I don¡¯t care even if you ask me that question.¡±, but¡­ still, he thought and answered.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t think badly of that noble, you should accept it.¡± (Laocles)

    I see.

    ¡°Why?¡± (Tougo)

    I wanted to hear the reason, so I asked Laocles to speak a little more. He is not a very good speaker either, but I¡¯ll let him do his best.

    ¡°Because I thought you might need some protection.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­hmm?

    ¡°As for money¡­ you don¡¯t need that protection. You don¡¯t.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°But you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re good at talking to people.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I nodded with the thought, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯m very good at socializing. I¡¯m also not good at talking. I¡¯m also not very good at judging the intent and morals of people who approach me.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to paint in the future, you¡¯re going to have to deal with the trouble. And more than that, I¡¯m sure the ¡®other side¡¯ will be coming and drag you into things.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Drag me into things.

    ¡­I hate that thought, but it seems inevitable.

    ¡°At times like that, it¡¯s better to have some backing. If you¡¯re on your own, you¡¯re just one naive kid, but with the Redgardes behind you, you¡¯re not so easy to deal with.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Is that what this is about?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°At least it makes it harder to underestimate you as just another naive kid. If you know the connection to a particular nobleman, you can mislead him into believing that you can use your connections to take various countermeasures. Even if you don¡¯t do anything.¡± (Laocles)

    Yeah. I see. Even if I don¡¯t do anything.

    Sure, Fay is from the territory lord¡¯s house. No one wants to make enemies with the lords¡­ and even if I just keep on drawing pictures, the Redgarde¡¯s will make those people wary of me and stay out of it.

    ¡°I see. Hmm¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­On the contrary, what¡¯s there to be confused about?¡± (Laocles)

    While I was looking troubled, Laocles looks at me strangely.

    Yes, I guess so. I think that kind of reaction is normal.

    I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so hesitant, either.

    The Redgardes are good people. Though, I still feel a little bad.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m dissatisfied with them¡­ Also, it¡¯s not a bad idea to become a painter because I¡¯ll be able to draw pictures, and even more, they support me and give me monetary assistance¡­ This may not be necessary, but I can get support for my life in this otherworld where I don¡¯t know how to do many things.

    Yes. Nothing bad.

    Nothing, but when I try to think¡­ A sheet of paper flickers in the back of my head.

    A hand reaches out to take me back to the ¡°other side¡±.

    ¡°¡­Even if you don¡¯t have an answer, they are willing to wait a little longer.¡± (Laocless)

    ¡°of course¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles tells me that. Yeah. Originally, the offer of being the house painter is not something they want in a hurry. After all, I still haven¡¯t been able to fully control my magical power.

    I still need to wear the strongest sealing equipment to be able to draw pictures that don¡¯t materialize. I wouldn¡¯t be able to make it as a painter yet if I didn¡¯t do this¡­

    ¡°It just looks like you need protection.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    But I may need protection right now.

    I¡­ I don¡¯t worry that much about myself, but I might cause trouble for Laocles, Fay, the horses and the bird, and I just have to make sure that I don¡¯t get involved in any criminals. At least I should not be about to be killed the moment I enter the store, as I was this time. Also, I would be glad if people like poachers don¡¯t come here.

    That¡¯s why I wondered if I should accept the offer of being a painter as soon as possible.

    ¡°¡­make me a shield.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Eh?¡± (Tougo)

    Suddenly, Laocles says something like that.

    I was surprised and stared at his face¡­ Laocles then said.

    ¡°If I have a sword and a shield, I can fight for a while. If it¡¯s a little troublesome, I can handle it.¡± (Laocles)

    I was surprised at Laocles¡¯ offer.

    Well, he did say that he could¡­ fight.

    ¡°Does that mean¡­ you¡¯re going to escort me?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Not only will you model for me, but you¡¯ll escort me as well?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­Originally, I¡¯m more of an escort than a model.¡± (Laocles)

    I never thought that you would be my escort. I see. You can definitely do it.

    ¡°But it might be a hindrance for you to get along with the nobles. It¡¯s not power, it¡¯s force that solves things.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ªum good. Very good. I¡¯m looking forward to your help.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m so happy, so happy¡­ I¡¯ll bring my art supplies right away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯ll create a shield right away.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Wait.¡± (Laocles)

    And when I was about to put the pencil on the paper, he said,

    ¡°Go to bed for today.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­That¡¯s what he told me.

    Right¡­

    ¡°Good night.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Night.¡± (Lacocles)

    I¡¯m going to bed now, because I¡¯ve been told.

    It¡¯s morning now, so I¡¯ll get up soon. Good morning.

    As soon as I woke up, I went to take a bath.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± (Tougo)

    The bird is with me today. As usual, the bird was taking a bath as if it was his own. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen the bird for a while. I¡¯ve been visiting Fay¡¯s house a lot lately, and there have been times when I simply ran out of magic and stayed in bed.

    ¡­I also take a bath and leave the spring quickly.

    Today is the day to draw the shield of Laocles. I want to get into it.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± (Tougo)

    So, I headed to Laocles¡¯ house with all my art supplies. Laocles was waving his sword in front of the house. His figure was imposing and very cool.

    ¡°¡­ you¡¯re early today.¡± (Laocles)

    I¡¯m early, because I want to draw the shield. Also, I went to bed early last night.

    ¡°I was going to draw a shield¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Really.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles put away his sword and approached me. ¡­and tilted his head as he watched me put the pencil down on the drawing paper, but I didn¡¯t.

    ¡°¡­ you¡¯re not going to draw.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yeah. I am going to draw. I want to draw. But¡­¡± (Tougo)

    For the first time since I came here, I¡¯m facing a serious situation.

    ¡°I wonder what a shield looks like. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen a shield.¡± (Tougo)

    Oh my, I don¡¯t understand the structure of a shield.

    So, we went to town.

    This is the first time to go out to the town without riding Fay¡¯s summoned beasts.

    I know the way, because the Pegasus flew me there. ¡­Yes, I had a hard time choosing the right horse this time, too. They all moved very close to me¡­

    ¡°Pegasus is fast¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles also rides a horse. ¡­Unicorns still do not come near Laocles. However, the Pegasi seems to have gotten used to him. Laocles is more confused, but he is also heading to the town together on a Pegasus that approaches, saying, ¡°I can give you a ride.¡±

    We flew through the forest, above the trees, and over the plains to the town. Since we are not riding on the ground, there is almost no shaking. It was very comfortable.

    ¡°¡­ is it okay for me to ride on them?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Tougo)

    It was a little funny because Laocles seemed to be shying away from the pegasus. When I checked with Pegasus, he neighed at me. That¡¯s probably a yes.

    ¡­and finally, we arrived at the town.

    ¡°Are you finally coming out of the forest on your own?¡± (Faye)

    Anyway, we went to visit Fay. Somehow. I wanted to tell him that I had come this far on my own.

    ¡°Well, a Pegasus huh. They¡¯re fast. Did Laocles also ride?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you. However, I haven¡¯t had a ride yet.¡± (Fay)

    When Fay said so and poked the Pegasus on the nose, the Pegasus made a face like ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind giving this one a ride.¡± Though this one seems to like Laocles more than Fay.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on? Suddenly. Oh, you don¡¯t want to be our painter?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to talk about it, but I¡¯d like to put my decision on hold for a while longer.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. What¡¯s going on?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I came to buy a shield.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said that, Faye said, ¡°Oh,¡± and looked at Laocles¡­ Then smiled.

    ¡°I see. Finally, Laocles is going to be given a sword and a shield and was promoted from a mere house helper and model to an escort knight! Good for you!¡± (Fay)

    Fay said and looked as happy as I was.

    But¡­

    ¡°No, the shield I¡¯m buying is for reference.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± (Fay)

    I won¡¯t make mistakes with that.

    ¡°I decided to draw a shield while looking at the shield I bought.¡± (Tougo)

    I want Laocles to be equipped with the best shield after all.

    I will not compromise.

 Volume 2 - CH 14

    ¡°How about this one?¡± (Shop Keeper)

    ¡°It¡¯s a little heavy.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I see. Then this way.¡± (Shop Keeper)

    ¡°I¡¯d like something a little bigger.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Alright. Then this one.¡± (Shop Keeper)

    ¡°It¡¯s not the right shape.¡± (Lacoles)

    ¡­So, we were just doing a shield window shopping.

    We looked at every store that sold shields, looking for the ¡°just right shield, but one trait short,¡± and bought them all.

    I have plenty of money to spare. I want to properly pursue what the ¡°best shield¡± looks like without making any compromises here.

    ¡°¡­seems like you¡¯re having fun.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Yeah. It¡¯s fun. This kind of thing is very fun.

    Laocles was reserved at first, but eventually he realized that I was really having fun. From the middle of our shopping journey, he began to actively express his opinions.

    I don¡¯t know whether a shield is good or bad, so I rely on Laocles¡¯ opinions. I¡¯m going to gather his opinions and draw the best shield for him.

    Then I dropped by Fay¡¯s place once and asked him to show me the shields in their house.

    Fay is a nobleman, so he needs guards. Fay himself can fight with his summoned beasts, but it seems that he still needs a guard as an escort. Since he does have some¡­ I was shown the shields used by the guards. It has the Redgarde family crest on it and is cool. I see, not only practicality but also this kind of decoration is important.

    I wonder what I should do. I have to think of a design that will fit Laocles perfectly.

    Leaving Fay¡¯s house, we start talking again. The Pegasus was next to Fay¡¯s house, looking at the flower bed here and there and occasionally smelling it. These horses seem to like flowers.

    ¡°What kind of shield is good for Laocles? I¡¯ll draw anything you want.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­As long as it¡¯s easy to use that¡¯s all that matters.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Color?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± (Laocles)

    I see. Laocles doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in that kind of thing.

    But I¡¯m interested in it to the fullest, so I¡¯d like him to stick to it too. I will do my best for Laocles in terms of usability and practicality. And I¡¯ll do my best for the decoration.

    I definitely want to paint a plaster statue of Laocles equipped with my shield and sword, fighting valiantly one day.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± (Voice)

    ¡­At that point, I was suddenly called out.

    I was just about to get on the horse, so I panicked a bit¡­ I know that my riding is not cool.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± (Laocles)

    But before I could panic, Laocles stepped forward. He stepped in front of me and put his hand on his sword. I was so proud of him.

    ¡°No, no, I do not wish to be hostile to you at all¡­¡± (Voice => Old Man)

    The person who approached us took a half step back, looking a little intimidated by Laocles¡¯ appearance.

    ¡­that person looks older than us. Elderly, I guess. Yes. So, there are about three younger people behind him. Each of them has some sort of bag or box, but¡­

    ¡°Who are you? Name yourself.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles said, and the older man straightened his posture and bowed to us.

    ¡°I am working on behalf of a certain nobleman who has asked me to recruit you in secret.¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°¡­¡¯a certain nobleman¡¯?¡± (Tougo)

    I was tilting my head, and Laocles¡¯s expression turned even sterner.

    ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t plan on naming yourself?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not saying that. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little bit difficult to talk about it here.¡± (Old Man)

    The old man glanced at the mansion nearby. ¡­I guess that means it¡¯s hard to talk next to the Redgarde family. Hmmm.

    ¡°¡­Um, well, if it¡¯s something you can¡¯t talk about here, I don¡¯t want to hear about it.¡± (Tougo)

    At any rate, I said that to the suspicious person. If it¡¯s something they can¡¯t let Fay hear, I don¡¯t want to hear it either.

    ¡°Oh well. But you are not under contract to the Redgarde family, are you?¡± (Old Man)

    I wonder¡­ Why do you know that?

    ¡°Well, I understand how you feel about feeling indebted. Apparently, you are a kind person¡­. Then we will talk about it here.¡± (Old Man)

    The elderly man smiled and motioned to those who had been standing behind him.

    While Laocles was on the lookout, these people opened the bags and boxes to show him what was inside¡­

    It was a large amount of gold coins in a bag. A large gemstone sparkling in a small box. And then¡­ a staff?

    ¡°With these rewards, I would like you to perform a summoning for the son of the Giorren Family.¡± (Old Man)

    ¡­¡­huh?

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± (Tougo)

    Summoning? What is a summoning?

    ¡­Ah, ¡°summoning¡±, so, summoned beasts? In other words, do you want me to create some kind of fire spirit?

    No, but why would he ask me? I¡¯m not a summoner¡­

    ¡­oh.

    The Red Dragon¡­

    That¡¯s the only thing I can think of, so maybe that¡¯s it. These people are asking me to materialize a Red Dragon. Maybe.

    I guess they could call it summoning¡­ is that what you mean by ¡°summoning¡±? If I materialize my drawing, I summon it? I don¡¯t quite understand.

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re asking me that.¡± (Tougo)

    I don¡¯t know a lot of things, but I¡¯ll ask this one thing anyway. I don¡¯t know why they think I summoned the Red Dragon, but I¡¯m going to ask this one question anyway, because if I don¡¯t know why they think I summoned the Red Dragon, I won¡¯t feel comfortable.

    ¡°Oh? But it was you, wasn¡¯t it? You summoned the Red Dragon.¡± (Old Man)

    But the other person is unmoved. I see. They never tell you the source of their information, do they?

    ¡°The Redgarde family¡­. Well, Fay Bullard Redgarde is in possession of the Red Dragon because you summoned it, didn¡¯t you?¡± (Old Man)

    Hmmm, is it because Fay brought out the Red Dragon the other day when he defeated the Black Ghost in town? No, but that wouldn¡¯t mean that I summoned the Red Dragon¡­

    Hmmm¡­?

    ¡°How about it? Of course, if there is anything you need, we can also provide it. As for the remuneration, this is also an advanced payment. We will pay you for the successful summoning separately.¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°Even if you say so¡­¡± (Laocles)

    I¡¯m in trouble. I am in a lot of trouble. What is it with these people?

    I¡¯m not sure how they know that I summoned the Red Dragon, but I don¡¯t know.

    Besides, you want me to summon a summoned beast¡­ Hmm, why?

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to discuss this in more detail at a coffee shop in town. I know a good place.¡± (Old Man)

    The elderly person says that and smiles again, but even if I am smiled at, I can¡¯t take any action other than being embarrassed. Hmm, I¡¯m in trouble.

    ¡°Hey. If you say any more incomprehensible things, I will kill all of you right here.¡± (Laocles)

    While I was in trouble, Laocles started to make a very violent proposal. Yes, it¡¯s a little bit dangerous, but it¡¯s helpful.

    ¡°Hey¡­ you mean to kill me? You look like a slave, don¡¯t you? Who do you think you are, slave?¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve killed people. Because I¡¯m a criminal slave¡­. Ah, yes. I¡¯m a murder criminal slave. I have no hesitation in killing all of you right here, right now.¡± (Laocles)

    When Laocles said this and was horrified, both the first man and the people behind him cowered. Yes, I know how you feel.

    ¡°Ki-kill¡­ do you think you can get away without facing repercussions!?¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°Oh. I know. You know what they say, ¡®the dead don¡¯t talk¡¯¡­ I will just make sure not a single one escapes. That¡¯s all it takes, right?¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles said something very disturbing again, and then grinned, with a very scary smirk.

    ¡°¡­Oy. Is that not enough of a threat? Until I actually cut off even one of your limbs, you won¡¯t realize?¡± (Laocles)

    And then the suspicious people ran away. They said, ¡°We¡¯ll come back another day.¡± ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want them to come back.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t end things peacefully.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°No. it¡¯s enough. Thank you. You did well.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles seemed to have some regrets about the way he solved the problem, but I didn¡¯t really care. I¡¯m not bothered by the fact that I got to see the cool (and a little scary) side of Laocles.

    ¡°¡­We should go back for the time being. You should report it.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Eh, ah, yeah.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­ So we went back to Fay¡¯s house, where we had just left.

    Bringing a not very good report.

    ¡°Damn¡­ So, that¡¯s what happened.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    When I reported it, Fay reclined on his chair and groaned.

    ¡°Damn it, where did that leak come from?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯ve never told anyone but Fay, Laocles, the horse and the bird that I can ¡°materialize a picture I draw.¡±

    I don¡¯t know where it leaked from¡­ Hmm, I think it wouldn¡¯t help if the fact that Fay had a Red Dragon had already been known by the time we exterminated the black ghost the other day. But I couldn¡¯t help it. It would have been better if there was at least one more fire-breathing creature.

    ¡­Then maybe my ability was exposed there too.

    At that time, I was healing Laocles¡¯ wounds. Seeing that, they might have thought, ¡°He was the one who summoned the Red Dragon.¡± Hmm, I doubt it.

    Because if someone had seen me drawing¡­ ¡°He drew a picture and it healed someone¡¯s wound¡± and ¡°He drew a Red Dragon and summon it¡± would not be connected. Maybe.

    So, someone who knows more about my situation? Everyone in town knows that Fay and I are friendly, so the rest is a process of elimination¡­?

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point in thinking about it. So, Tougo. Are you going to accept their offer?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No.¡± (Tougo)

    If I had to decide whether or not to accept the offer, I wouldn¡¯t accept it. I¡¯m not going to accept it.

    I drew the Red Dragon because I wanted to draw it at the time, the Scarlet Dragon was perfect for Fay, and there were various pressing circumstances. I wanted to draw it because I wanted to draw it.

    I just can¡¯t get used to being asked to draw.

    ¡­I think the reason why Red Dragon is so fond of Fay now is because she¡¯s a good person. Yeah, I can¡¯t bring myself to draw for someone I don¡¯t know who might be a bad person. Maybe it¡¯s selfishness, but¡­

    ¡°I see¡­ from what you¡¯re saying, it looks like you¡¯ll be paid handsomely.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want it.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Haha. That¡¯s right. You¡¯re that kind of guy.¡± (Fay)

    Fay chuckled with amusement and then made a serious face.

    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, be careful. If anything happens, just tell them you¡¯re under a contract with the Redgardes, even if it¡¯s a lie. I¡¯ll give you permission.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Ye-yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I see. Do you mean to make a ¡°contract that you can lie if you have a contract¡±? No, I¡¯m starting to get confused, but from now on, I¡¯ll just say ¡°I¡¯m under contract with the Redgarde family¡±.

    ¡°And don¡¯t ever leave Laocles. ¡­Oh, you guys are sleeping in different houses, right? Then, Laocles, you¡¯ll be in the guest room at Tougo¡¯s house from today on.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Eh¡­ Laocles, don¡¯t you hate it?¡± (Tougp)

    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. I don¡¯t mind.¡± (Laocles)

    I thought that Laocles probably didn¡¯t want to sleep under the same roof¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Thank you for your help.

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you stay at my house for a while from now on?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh? Hmmm¡­¡± (Tougo)

    Furthermore, Fay even offered me such a proposal.

    Hmm¡­ I feel more comfortable in the forest. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t like Fay¡¯s house, but I¡¯d rather stay in the forest.

    ¡­but this is not the time to say that.

    ¡°Thank you for your offer.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t worry and let me take care of you. So, take it easy until it cools down.¡± (Fay)

    So, I was going to stay at the Redgarde Family¡¯s mansion for a while.

    ¡­Sorry for intruding again.

 Volume 2 - CH 15

    In the guest room of the Redgarde house, which has become completely dedicated to my use, I was painting shields.

    ¡°How¡¯s this one?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but make it a little longer.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I understand.¡± (Tougo)

    Listening to Laocles¡¯ opinion, I continued to draw the shield.

    I brought in plenty of reference materials, and I thought to myself that it was a luxury to be able to spend all day in the room drawing.

    It also feels very luxurious that Laocles gives me his opinion. I have never had someone correct my drawings like this before.

    ¡­No, this is not a correction of the picture, but of the shield. Yes.

    ¡°Hey, Tougo, Laocles. It¡¯s time to take a break.¡± (Fay)

    Then Fay came in.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been half a day.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day.¡± (Tougo)

    I wish you would start worrying about being cooped up for three days or so¡­ I¡¯m too sad to tell Fay that, so I won¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Half a day, three hours, whatever. Take a break, take a break!¡± (Fay)

    Fay had brought snacks and tea. Yeah, I¡¯m getting hungry looking at the food.

    The sandwich with moist chicken, tomato, lettuce, and cheese tasted, how should I say it, like an aristocrat¡¯s rice. It was totally different from the cheese and ham sandwich on bread in the forest. I like them both.

    ¡°So, is the shield ready?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Soon, just a little longer.¡± (Tougo)

    I improved the handle and the curvature. So far, five prototypes have been made. However, nothing convincing has been achieved yet.

    ¡°I like the design, so now I¡¯m just trying to make it fit Laocles¡¯ tastes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I see.¡± (Fay)

    I see. I¡¯ve decided on the design. I¡¯m going to make a matching design with the Laocles sword¡­ or rather, a complementary design.

    The sword of Laocles is a magnificent thing. It is shaped like a cross, like you often see in fantasy worlds. The color is a deep silver. I guess you could call it a dull color¡­ It¡¯s a nice and unadorned color.

    The blade length is about 80cm. The blade has been cared for since I saw it at the pawn shop, so it is polished and shines brightly. The handle is a little longer than the standard, so I think it is designed to be used with both hands. It is a cool iron gray color, even duller than the blade.

    There is a beautiful gold-colored stone inlaid between the blade and the handle and where the guard meets. The color of the stone shines brightly and is very nice.

    The color is kind of like Laocles. It fits perfectly.

    When I asked him about it, he told me that his colleague at the time had chosen the color of the stone for him. I want to shake hands with that colleague.

    Because of this¡­ I decided to make the shield in the same color and inlay the same color gemstone.

    The edge of the shield would be framed with an iron gray metal decoration similar to that of the sword¡¯s tsuba. Then, after asking Laocles, I found a position where it would not get in the way, and I inlaid a stone there in the color of the morning sun in winter, similar to his eyes.

    The surface of the shield will be polished like the blade of a sword¡­

    ¡­yeah.

    ¡°A little drab.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s a little too simple, that¡¯s what I feel.

    The shield of the Redgarde was the most important design reference.

    The shield of the House of Redgarde is rather flashy and cool. The rim is finished in gold, and the center of the shield is crimson. The center of the shield is a deep red with the crest of the Redgarde family in gold. Very cool.

    ¡­Since it is this shield which is a minor modification of the Redgarde family shield, regardless of its shape, looks a little sad because of the absence of the crest.

    Well, it doesn¡¯t have my crest like the Redgarde family¡¯s, and I can¡¯t help it, so I¡¯ll leave it as it is.

    As Laocles told me to do, I changed the shape of the shield and then I will draw it stroke by stroke, earnestly and with all my might. May it be as sturdy as possible. I hope this shield will protect Laocles.

    Especially for the gemstone part, I used the tip of the brush and painstakingly painted. I hope the gemstone will turn out to be something nice.

    After an hour of rest.

    Finally, I materialized the shield.

    ¡°¡­¡­so?¡± (Tougo)

    I asked, watching Laocles equip the shield on his left hand.

    Laocles held up and around the shield attached to his arm, like he is thinking something¡­ Then raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

    ¡°This is good.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­Hooray!

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± (Tougo)

    Finally, I have a shield that Laocles likes! This makes me so happy!

    I wonder why, but I¡¯m so happy. Could this be the first time that someone is pleased with something that I drew and materialized? (I materialize a spring and the bird loved it, and the horses seem to like the roof keeping the rain off, but that¡¯s beside the point.)

    ¡°Heh. It¡¯s beautiful. Let me see it for a moment.¡± (Fay)

    Fay goes to take a peek at Laocles¡¯ shield. The shield is so polished that it reflects Fay¡¯s face. Fay was reserved and did not touch the shield¡­ but stared at it with eyes full of curiosity and interest¡­

    ¡­and said,

    ¡°Is this iron?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know.¡± (Tougo)

    The only thing I thought about was the coloring, because I just matched it to the sword. I wanted it to be as durable as possible, but I had no idea what it was made of.

    Fay was unmoved by my answer, saying ¡°I see.¡± to Laocles in a deadpan tone, and then tapping the edge of the shield lightly.

    ¡°¡­uuugh.¡± (Fay)

    Fay groans¡­ and tilted hishead.

    ¡°Is this Magic Ore?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­What is this Magic Ore?

    ¡°Are you sure? Magic ore is a mineral with a lot of magical power. Sometimes we use minerals that already have magical power, and sometimes we add more magical power while processing it.¡± (Laocles)

    I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know anything.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, well, you don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    As expected of Fay. He knows me well. ¡­or is it easy for me to read?

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to say it in a way that¡¯s easy for Tougo to understand¡­ That is, this thing is very hard.¡±

    It¡¯s very hard. I see. That¡¯s good to know. That means that Laocles will be well-protected.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s so hard, it¡¯s really hard to process.¡± (Fay)

    Well, I guess that¡¯s true. But if I just draw it, you don¡¯t have to go through the trouble of processing it.

    ¡°So, the ¡®Magic Ore Shield¡¯ has excellent performance¡­ but Magic Ore itself is precious, and there are not many craftsmen who can process it, so, well¡­ it¡¯s very precious.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Huh? So, you can make a material called Magic Ore because you can add magic while processing it, right?¡± (Tougo)

    I just thought it was technically possible.

    The fact that there are so few glass windows in this world indicates that it is difficult to manufacture glass. In other words, I don¡¯t think the technology to melt and mold such things is very developed¡­ In other words, I wonder if it would be possible to make artificial gems.

    Yes. That¡¯s why I was convinced about the ¡°Magic Stone¡±.

    Gemstones that have a lot of magic power and stuff can¡¯t be ¡°man-made¡±. That¡¯s why the magic stone, which can only be obtained naturally, is very expensive. That¡¯s what I thought.

    On the other hand, it seems that they have metallurgy, and above all, they seem to be doing blacksmithing, so I thought that they must have a certain amount of skill in iron and steel processing.

    ¡°Idiot. Very few people can imbue magic into something like iron, you know?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­Um, Fay, maybe someone can put magic into jewels? There may be people who can put magic into gemstones and turn them into magic stones?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ve never heard such a thing¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Really.

    My predictions about gems were right, partly, but about magic ores¡­ It seems that this world was much harder than expected.

    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t this something that shield-users and collectors would desperately want¡­ I don¡¯t really understand¡­¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­I see. Well¡­ Well, nevermind.

    ¡°If you lose it, I¡¯ll materialize one again, and if you break it, I¡¯ll materialize it again.¡± (Tougo)

    At any rate, no matter how valuable this shield is, I can always materialize it, so, I hope Laocles will use it as much as he wants.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see it as something that can be broken. First of all, who would be stupid enough to lose it? It¡¯s a shield that costs more than me.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable.¡± (Tougo)

    It doesn¡¯t make sense that someone like the statue-like Laocles would cost less than a shield. I don¡¯t believe it!

    ¡­Well, that¡¯s fine.

    I¡¯ve learned that I¡¯ve made a moderately good shield, and if it protects Laocles, that¡¯s good enough for me.

    in addition¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­hmm.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles has been equipping himself with a sword and a shield for a while now, trying to maneuver the shield around and swinging the sword around. And while he was doing that, the corners of his mouth were slightly, but definitely, up.

    Apparently, Laocles liked the shield.

    ¡­As for me, that makes me the happiest.

    The day was spent at the Redgarde house while we talked.

    And after discussing my lodging with Fay, Fay¡¯s brother and father, and Laocles, it was decided that Laocles would sleep in the same room as me.

    Very reassuring.

    ¡°¡­you don¡¯t mind sleeping in the same room with a stranger?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Laocles is not a stranger.¡± (Tougo)

    Laocles is in the process of moving the beds around so that his bed is by the window and mine is on the inside corner. ¡°If there¡¯s going to be an attack, it¡¯s going to be from the window rather than from the hallway,¡± he says, then adding

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed people.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yeah. I heard.¡± (Tougo)

    As I listened to Laocles¡¯ words¡­ I found him looking a little lost.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°No.¡± (Laocles)

    Before I could finish, Laocles had finished moving the bed and was sitting down by the window.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk. Let¡¯s talk about my background. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t feel comfortable sharing a room with someone whose background you don¡¯t know.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m particularly uncomfortable with that.¡± (Tougo)

    But I¡¯d be happy to hear him talk.

    ¡­I also sit on my bed facing Laocles and wait for him to start his tlae.

    Laocles¡¯ eyes wandered a bit around his lap as if searching for words¡­ and then he began to speak.

    ¡°I was once a knight who served a noble.¡± (Laocles)

 Volume 2 - CH 16.1

    ¡°I was fourteen years old when I was placed in the care of a house as a knight apprentice.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles begins to speak.

    ¡°It was a house that ruled a territory west of here. It was not a very large territory, but it prospered modestly through good government.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Is it similar to the Redgarde territory?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The area alone is much smaller than this one, and there is not a vast, impenetrable forest in the center of the territory, so is not comparable.¡±

    Come to think of it, it was. The Redgard territory is inconvenient because of the forest I live in.

    ¡°¡­Well, I served in such a lord¡¯s house. I was recognized as a full-fledged knight at 18¡­ and this sword was given to me by the lord at that time.¡± (Laocles)

    The lord of the house. I think he meant the lord himself.

    Laocles was looking at the sword, with an expression of a bit of nostalgia, a bit of joy, and a bit of melancholy. ¡­Yes. I¡¯m glad I got his sword back.

    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s a sword forged from meteorite iron. If you take good care of it, you can use it for a long time. I hope it will serve your family for that long.¡± (Former Lord)

    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± (Laocles)

    But Laocles did not.

    ¡°The Lord of the house was a good person. The people loved him. I was determined that I would protect him¡­ But he had a younger brother who was no good.¡± (Laocles)

    As I waited for the continuation while somehow imagining what happens next¡­ Laocles spoke words that cut him to the core.

    ¡°And the lord was killed by his brother¡­ probably.¡± (Lacocles)

    ¡°¡­the evidence.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°The assassin was found. They say he planted poison. He was tried as a criminal, of course. But that¡¯s all. They wouldn¡¯t say who ordered the hit.¡±

    I see¡­ I guess that¡¯s hard to accept.

    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not uncommon in the world of nobility. The weight of a person¡¯s life is like that. If it¡¯s covered up, that¡¯s all there is to it. Following in the succession line, his younger brother became the lord. But he is just a fool.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles, says, ¡°fool¡±, with a scary expression.

    ¡°¡­The territory fell into ruins within a few years. He squeezed people for taxes and purged any who disobeyed him. If there was a young and beautiful woman, he would kidnap her and make her his concubine. People sent several appeals to the royal castle, but never received a reply.¡± (Laocles)

    I see. ¡­He has come to hate the Royal Capital.

    ¡°The knights were not there to protect the lord and the people they became the lord¡¯s pawns and oppressed the people. I killed one person among them for the first time.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Eh?¡± (Tougo)

    Seeing my reaction, Laocles smiles bitterly. It¡¯s a rare expression, but I can¡¯t afford to be happy for its sight.

    ¡°Yes. They were innocent people. I was just trying to correct the folly of my lord.¡± (Laocles)

    My breathing is a little labored. It¡¯s as if I can¡¯t breathe air.

    Seeing me like that, Laocles asked me if I was okay. I answered that I was fine, but I was more worried about Laocles than myself. Though I thought it was none of my business.

    ¡°¡­that night. I killed the lord. I killed a lord, and I thought it was the same whether I killed one or two more. And if it was to happen, it should be me.¡± (Laocles)

    I almost asked him if it was hard but stopped myself. I knew I shouldn¡¯t bother digging up the hard part.

    ¡°I talked to some of my colleagues who had been with me since the days of the former lord, and they were all on board¡­ After defeating the lord¡¯s newly hired guards, we got to him and¡­ I killed him without hesitation.¡± (Laocles)

    He doesn¡¯t have much of an expression on his face when he says he killed him. But it was a far cry from his usual plaster statue expression, and he looked much more tired.

    ¡°I have no regrets about killing my then lord. I should have done it, and I still think I had to do it.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I see.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m miserable that I got my colleagues involved because of it. If I had gone it alone and not consulted with them, I might have been able to avoid incriminating them as well.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­If I had been his colleague at the time, I think I would have thought that I would have done the same, rather than being left alone to take the blame without being consulted. ¡­Maybe it would be more painful to be left without doing anything.

    I know this is all my thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m a criminal slave now that I¡¯ve killed my master. I¡¯ve been living as a slave for the past few years. I have been bought and sold several times. I¡¯ve been sold to a few people, but you¡¯re the first person to buy me because you want to paint me.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I nodded deeply, the thoughts of ¡°Yes,¡± and ¡°What a waste¡± coming together to make me nod my head. He is certainly a good fighter, but he is also a very good model. It would be a waste not to paint him.

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re the first I ever talked about my history.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Eh?¡± (Tougo)

    That¡¯s right. How should I put it, does that mean I am now trusted?

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± (Laocles)

    At that moment, Laocles stared at me and asked.

    ¡°What do you think of me, after what I just said?¡± (Laocles)

    His eyes were serious, but also a little frightened. I know that a brave warrior should not be frightened, but I could not help but see it as frightened. The shock of it all made my words slow down.

    ¡°Eh¡­ after what you said¡­¡± (Tougo)

    I didn¡¯t know what to say and I was at a loss for an answer, but what did Laocles think of that silence?

    This is not good. Perhaps I was misunderstood.

    And if he is misunderstood, he should clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

    I don¡¯t despise Laocles. I don¡¯t dislike him. I am not afraid of him. I wish him well. I¡¯m not afraid of him¡­ But I can¡¯t sum those things up in one word, so I can¡¯t help it.

    ¡°¡­¡­take care of me again.¡± (Tougo)

    I decided to say that.

    ¡°¡­that¡¯s the conclusion you got from hearing what I just said, huh?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­Yes, and then I reconsidered, and I realized that the me from earlier probably didn¡¯t answer Laocles¡¯s question.

    Realizing this, I panicked and opened my mouth to give a proper answer. I didn¡¯t think it was scary, or I thought it was hard work, or something like that, so I put it together like that¡­

    But as I panicked inside, Laocles started laughing.

    ¡­Yes. A deep belly laugh.

    I never imagined that he would laugh that loud¡­ I was a little surprised, and I thought, ¡°Laocles can laugh out loud, too.¡±

    When I was a little surprised, Laocles noticed me and stopped laughing with a slightly awkward face.

    ¡°¡­that is just like you.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles said that and smiled wryly.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m asking this question for the umpteenth time, but are you willing to stay with a guy who kills people? There are plenty of guys better than me. Sell me and buy someone else.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I¡¯m not particularly afraid of you, and I¡¯m not going to sell you¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Really?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Yes. That¡¯s all I will say.

    ¡°I¡¯m really glad it was you I chose.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­You are¡­ The second.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Huh¡­ Huh?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°You¡¯re my second master.¡± (Laocles)

    Didn¡¯t you say earlier that you moved around between a few people? And that none of them had you as a model. Did I mishear you?

    ¡°¡­that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m glad you told me.¡± (Tougo)

    I¡¯m glad that he told me what kind of life he¡¯s lived¡­ No, I wonder if it¡¯s inappropriate to be glad I was told about the weight of his life, or that I be glad in general.

    ¡°Go to bed.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes. Good night.¡± (Tougo)

    Anyway, he told me to go to bed, so I did.

    When I got into bed, I smelled something nice and immediately felt sleepy. Maybe they use a good fabric softener because it¡¯s a bedding of a noble family.

    The next day. When I woke up, Laocles was already awake. I got up and stared out the window¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think he was keeping watch through the night, but he was looking out the window.

    ¡°¡­¡­good morning.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Laocles, did you sleep properly?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I slept.¡± (Laocles)

    If he says he slept all right, I won¡¯t say anything more. I skip lunch myself, I don¡¯t stop people who like to sip mentsuyu [T/N: Cold soba dipping sauce/soup base.], and I don¡¯t complain when people don¡¯t tell me if they went to bed or not.

    After we were served breakfast, we decided to go out of town for a bit.

 Volume 2 - CH 16.2

    After we were served breakfast, we decided to go out of town for a bit.

    Because I wanted to buy a ham.

    Yes, ham.

    ¡­I ended up missing out on a big chunk of ham because it was eaten by the black ghost¡­ I was looking forward to tasting that one, so I decided to go buy it one more time.

    However, I follow Laocles¡¯ instructions properly, since there may be some of the ¡°Summon a Red Dragon¡± people around.

    I walk on the building side of the street, and Laocles will turn to the corner first. We don¡¯t go into the narrow streets. We don¡¯t go into any other butcher shops except the one where I bought a ham last time.

    The town was still full of strange and mysterious things, and I wanted to look around, but we had to keep moving¡­ We didn¡¯t make any detour, but took what Laocles called ¡°the best street¡± to buy a ham.

    ¡­but.

    ¡°Good morning, nice to meet you again.¡± (Old Man)

    We meet again¡­

    I stepped back, holding the ham I had just bought firmly in my arms. Then Laocles stepped in front of me with his shield at the ready and his hand on his sword.

    ¡°W-well, you don¡¯t have to be so guarded.¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°F*ck off.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles¡¯ threat was quiet but sharp, like a thrust of his sword. So cool.

    ¡°No¡­ You see. I am deeply, deeply sorry for my rudeness last time.¡± (Old Man)

    The Dioren family servant, while being stared at by Laocles, said this quickly¡­ and signaled to the people who had been waiting behind them.

    Then he displayed, more gold coins and more jewels than last time, and after that, he showed me another staff.

    ¡°This reward is proof that hold you in extremely high regard! Give us a moment of your time and we will reward you more!¡± (Old Man)

    Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a bit painful to be wanted. Even if they give rewards, it¡¯s quite troublesome.

    ¡°Please, will you grant the Red Dragon to the House of Dioren as you did to the House of Redgarde?¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°Even if you ask¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me telling you to f*ck off?¡± (Laocles)

    When Laocles made another terrifying gesture, the old man backed away¡­ but left, saying, ¡°I see you again.¡± I don¡¯t want to see you again.

    That day I painted and practiced controlling my magic, and the next day I practiced horseback riding.

    Riding on the pegasus, I trotted through the garden of the Redgarde family¡¯s mansion.

    It was difficult to keep my balance, because I was riding in a posture of a ¡°horse rider,¡± not with my stomach flat against the horse.

    But it is a good experience for the future. Yes, if I learn to ride a horse here, it might be useful later on. Mainly when I draw a picture of Laocles riding a horse.

    ¡­Then, when I have to ride a horse in public. Yeah, I¡¯m not sure if doing that¡¯s a good idea. But It¡¯s good to be able to look good.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°A little tired.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I guess so.¡± (Laocles)

    You have to sit up straight, and you have to keep your balance as the horse walks. It¡¯s quite tiring because you have to use your whole body.

    On the other hand, Laocles, who is riding the other Pegasus beside me, does not look particularly tired as he rides.

    ¡°You are riding a horse without a saddle, so it is natural for you to be tired. Don¡¯t you want to put a saddle on these guys?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Hmm¡­ if they allow me, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± (Pegasus)

    I have a feeling that a saddle would be uncomfortable to wear from a horse¡¯s point of view. That¡¯s why I felt like I want to use it¡­ but the horse neighed and moved his head as if nodding. Hmm, so it¡¯s okay, right?

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a saddle, then. It would be easier to ride.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    If it¡¯s going to be more comfortable, it¡¯s better that way. Yeah. So, I was thinking that I¡¯d like to use the saddle¡­ At least once.

    ¡°But those guys are a pain in the ass when we go shopping.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Maybe we won¡¯t run into each other again.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­ I¡¯d like to use the saddle, but I can¡¯t go into town to buy it. After all, it would be troublesome if I met someone from the Dioren family again.

    ¡°Then, maybe I can draw one? ¡­Oh, I don¡¯t know the shape of the saddle.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Is it the same as a shield? If you want to know more about it, you can ask the Redgardes and borrow one that they don¡¯t use.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Yeah. I can draw something like that.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­can¡¯t we just use it as is?¡± (Laocles)

    So, we will continue our horseback riding training without leaving the Redgarde family¡¯s yard so as not to meet the Dioren family¡­

    ¡­But.

    ¡°Lord Tougo! Please, the Red Dragon!¡± (Old Man)

    Here we go again¡­

    ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t come into other people¡¯s gardens.¡± (Tougo)

    It¡¯s true that I wasn¡¯t riding in the courtyard, but in the backyard, which was larger than the courtyard. But I wonder what it¡¯s like to have someone call out to you from the outside.

    ¡°We are prepared to visit you as many times as necessary until we receive your approval. Please, for the sake of the son of the House of Dioren, summon the Red Dragon.¡± (Old Man)

    No. He¡¯s not listening to me.

    ¡°¡­ Um, why do you want a Red Dragon so much?¡± (Tougo)

    So I tried, and I asked. ¡­¡­ and he said.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because we need a summoned beast suitable for the son of the Dioren family.¡± (Old Man)

    ¡­I received an answer that I don¡¯t quite understand. No, maybe this person is listening to me, but he just can¡¯t understand.

    ¡°If the Red Dragon, which is only a legend, has become the property of the Redgarde family, then the Dioren family must also have something equivalent.¡± (Old Man)

    ¡°The dragon is a living creature. It¡¯s not some decoration.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The living legend of the Red Dragon has a value far greater than that of a mere decoration.¡± (Old Man)

    No. I really can¡¯t get through to him. I¡¯m getting kind of tired¡­

    While I was feeling troubled, Laocles let out a sigh and then patted the Pegasus¡¯ neck lightly. ¡­What is he doing?

    ¡°Tougo. Move back.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Huh? Alright.¡± (Tougo)

    I instructed the pegasus, and he did as I instructed and walked away from the area.

    ¡°Lord Tougo! Just a few more words!¡± (Old Man)

    Following me a short distance away, the Dioren family almost stepped into the garden¡­

    ¡­At that moment, the Pegasus that Laocles rode galloped.

    *Pow*, the Pegasus spreads its wings and jumps.

    The speed that comes with just a few steps of acceleration is more than enough. A step without hesitation. And then,¡­¡­, he easily jumped over the low hedge in the garden, and his front hooves were unleashed toward the Dioren family members on the other side of the hedge.

    ¡­Amazing!

    ¡°Hiii!¡± (Old Man)

    The hoof extended at a speed far exceeding that of a normal horse. If someone gets kicked, it won¡¯t be something you can walk away from. The servant of the Dioren family, who must have understood that, scattered and ran away, including the people who were standing behind them.

    ¡­And the Pegasus, without kicking anyone, without falling, with its hooves extended, with Laocles riding was posed stepping up in the air.

    ¡°That was a good one.¡± (Laocles)

    Charging with the Pegasus, pretending to kick, and staying in the air. ¡­amazing! Laocles should have a shallower relationship with horses than I do, but he is already riding them better than I do.

    The Pegasus also has a face saying, ¡°not bad¡±. Yeah, maybe they found out that Laocles rides better than me on board. That¡¯s right.

    ¡°¡­ did they run away?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles stared in the direction from which the Dioren family members had fled.

    ¡°He was a very brave man to try to get into the yard of a nobleman who they consider a rival.¡± (Laocles)

    I think they¡¯re fighting against each other¡­ The bottom line is that they want to compete with the Redgardes, so they want a dragon of their own. But even if they are not competing with them, even if their family isn¡¯t a noble family, they shouldn¡¯t try to step into someone else¡¯s yard without permission in the first place, and they shouldn¡¯t chase around someone who doesn¡¯t want to talk to them.

    ¡°What should I do with this¡­? I have a feeling they¡¯re going to barge into the room one of these days.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I think so too.¡± (Laocles)

    Laocles, while dismounting from his Pegasus, made a reluctant face¡­ and then said to me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Fay Bullard Redgarde. We have something to talk to you about.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡­Laocles talk to Fay? I wonder what it is.

    ¡°Hiding from them, avoiding them, won¡¯t make things better. We must go on the offensive.¡± (Laocles)

    I see.

    ¡­In other words, it¡¯s a fight?

 Volume 2 - CH 17

    Then Laocles started talking to Fay.

    Laocles is taller and probably much older than Fay, and his muscular mass makes him very powerful.

    Fay is shorter than Laocles, maybe a little older than me, but still very powerful because he is an aristocrat.

    ¡­I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m being too harsh. I really don¡¯t know. But since they both seem to have the same goal in mind, there¡¯s no conflict between their words. So I am not afraid even if I am in between them. They are just very reliable.

    I always think that I am very, very fortunate.

    I am glad that these two are on my side.

    ¡°So, Tougo. I¡¯m going to have a talk with the Dioren family.¡± (Fay)

    And that¡¯s how the conversation came to an end.

    ¡°If they keep bothering Tougo, you can¡¯t go back to the forest, and you can¡¯t go out in the town either, can you? So, let¡¯s just settle it as soon as possible.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡­The point is, if I plan to continue refusing, then I should have a formal meeting to discuss the matter, submit a formal request, and then formally decline the request. In the meantime, there are also talks about writing a contract like ¡°Don¡¯t follow me ever again¡±.

    If I just stay at Fay¡¯s house, things won¡¯t get better, and if that¡¯s the case, I should refuse them face-to-face. I would like to return to the forest as soon as possible, so I want to do that.

    ¡°¡­and here¡¯s the biggest problem.¡± (Fay)

    Then, as we came to an agreement, Fay looked a little troubled.

    ¡°Tougo. Will you be our family painter?¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Right. Of course.

    After all, it seems that there is no way around this.

    ¡°If you become a painter for the Redgarde family, even temporarily, we can use that as a reason to refuse the Dioren family¡¯s request. Me, my brother, and my father can stick our necks out and do our best to crush the Dioren family to dust.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to beat them to dust, but¡­¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you¡­ So, if you don¡¯t have a contract with the Redgardes, there are two ways you can go about it¡­¡± (Fay)

    Yes.

    ¡°Either the Redgardes and the Diorens have a fight over who gets the contract with Tougo, or one says, ¡®Well, I don¡¯t want you anymore.¡¯ If you go with the former, it¡¯s just twice the problems. Then it would be easier to have you have a contract with us first.¡±

    ¡­Really. Yeah, that¡¯s how it is.

    If I sign a contract with the Redgarde family, I can hide behind the Redgardes¡­ Fay and his family. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal directly with the Dioren family ever. Or they could put pressure on them, in a way that I could do, or protect me in ways that I could never do alone.

    ¡­But, how can I say that¡­ So.

    ¡°I refuse, not because I don¡¯t like the Redgardes, I do so because I want to. I think that¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± (Tougo)

    I want to do something about this on my own. I think it¡¯s the right thing to do. To some extent. To the extent that I can.

    ¡­so I¡¯ll be thinking about this with Fay and Laocles.

    ¡°In the first place, why do you want to refuse?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know who they are.¡± (Tougo)

    When I said that, Fay looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met him, this ¡®son of the Dioren family¡¯.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­Ah, I guess so. It¡¯s just his servant that kept coming.¡±

    When I answered, both Fay and Laocles nodded.

    As for me, I just draw because I want to. If they want the Red Dragon to be a summoned beast, I would like to see that ¡°someone¡± before making a decision. I would like to decide on the answer depending on what kind of person that person is.

    ¡°If that ¡®son of the Dioren family¡¯ is someone like Fay, I think I can draw for him.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Really?¡± (Fay & Laocles)

    Both Fay and Laocles look surprised, but I can¡¯t help it. I am neutral by nature to begin with.

    ¡°¡­ah, on the contrary, you, uh, you drew Red Dragon because you liked me?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t thinking that at the time, but¡­¡± (Tougo)

    After thinking a little about Fay¡¯s words, I answered.

    ¡°¡­I thought that the Scarlet Dragon would like Fay.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°The Red Dragon, not me¡­ If you think the Red Dragon would like the person, then you can draw the Red Dragon for that person?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    I think that¡¯s important. It¡¯s the dragon I¡¯m materializing. I want them to be happy, and I want them to be in good hands.

    ¡°However, if Fay and the others would be in trouble if I materialize a Red Dragon, I wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± (Tougo)

    Well, I think that if it¡¯s someone who will make the Red Dragon happy, they won¡¯t use it in a way that will cause trouble for Fay and his family. ¡­Though it¡¯s possible that the people around them would.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ well, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m troubled. No, but for me, I think it¡¯s, um¡­ No, even if you materialize something, it¡¯s not good for it to be another dragon¡­ No, it¡¯s not good to materialize just for anyone. No¡­¡± (Fay)

    ¡­Then let¡¯s make different dragon. Something that isn¡¯t a Red Dragon.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call the Dioren family and tell them to make sure their ¡®son¡¯ is included in the discussion.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Can we do it at my place? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want them to be at your house in case something happens. The spirits might get angry.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Yes.¡± (Tougo)

    Come to think of it, I remember that there are spirits in the forest where my house is located. I¡¯ve never seen them, but I wonder if they are there after all.

    ¡°Okay. Well then¡­ If we talk to them as a member of the Redgarde family, it looks like it¡¯s going to be a political issue. You have to do your best on your own.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°I have Laocles too.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°¡­ because you never know what they¡¯re going to do.¡± (Laocles)

    And with Laocles with me. I am reassured.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, Tougo, can you read?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°¡­¡­I cannot read.¡± (Tougo)

    Come to think of it, that¡¯s right. I can¡¯t read. Even if I request the other party to write a letter of intent, it is meaningless if I do not know what it is inside. ¡­I should have studied. I guess this should have come before horseback riding.

    ¡°I see¡­ what about Laocles?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°I can read and write all the way through. But if a slave were to read for his master, the master would be looked down upon.¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s going to be a disadvantage. It might be troublesome for Tougo if they find out that he can¡¯t read¡­ Well, it¡¯s better for me to stay with you.¡± (Fay)

    ¡°Please.¡± (Tougo)

    So, I asked Fay to join me. Not as an aristocrat, but simply as my¡­ my best friend. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I asked him to stay with me.

    Then I sent a letter in my name (written by Fay) to the Dioren family.

    ¡°I ask you to bring the person who wants to have a dragon as a summoned beast come to the Redgarde house.¡± And ¡°I ask you to come to the Redgarde house, to make a proper request.¡±

    ¡­I also said, ¡°The reason I¡¯m using the Redgarde house as the venue is because I don¡¯t want you to know where I live, and the Redgarde house is not involved in this matter.¡±

    Well. Now all that is left is for me to take a proper look at the ¡°son¡± and decide whether or not I can materialize a dragon for them.

    ¡­If he is as good-natured as Fay, I would be happy to materialize a dragon of a different color, something that is not a Red Dragon.

    But if it¡¯s someone I don¡¯t think I won¡¯t get along with, then I¡¯ll have to decline the offer this time.

    I received a letter from the Dioren family that said something like, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Or rather, the first squire brought the letter directly to me. That¡¯s very polite.

    The date and time were set, and I was a little nervous as the date approached¡­

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± (Laocles)

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to squeeze my art supplies with me.¡± (Tougo)

    I decided to take advantage of the previous reflection and properly bring my art supplies.

    last time, when I was caught by the black-market people involved in the poaching.

    It was a blow that I didn¡¯t have any art materials at that time. Thanks to that, I ended up painting a picture of a dragon with blood on the stone floor¡­

    ¡­Yes. Actually, that injury hurt a lot later on. Cutting my arm and making it bleed, well, I thought it wasn¡¯t something I should do very often.

    So, this time, I will bring my art supplies properly.

    First, a pencil and eraser. This is fine, since they are compact to begin with.

    And next, the paints¡­ I materialize shallow box with a lid with small partitions and squeezed out a little bit of the paints into the partitions. I think the makeup tools used by women were like this. I really don¡¯t know much if it¡¯s the same.

    In the box of paints, I also put a water brush, a shortened pencil, and an eraser.

    A water brush is a brush with a handle that looks like a tube and is filled with water. When you squeeze the handle, water seeps out from the tip of the brush and you can draw with it.

    When I saw this brush at an art supply store, I thought it was amazing. I heard that it is often used for watercolor pencils or something like that, but it is also used for ¡°portable watercolor paint sets¡± like this one.

    ¡­Then, a few small sheets of drawing paper can be stored inside the box, and it is ready to go.

    A compact watercolor set. It¡¯s nice.

    ¡­Because things with portable designs are often expensive especially those with good performance. It was one of the things I admired in my original world but couldn¡¯t buy.

    I am satisfied.

    Now I¡¯m ready to go. I¡¯m ready to be kidnapped and put in jail. Now all I have to do is hide this¡­

    ¡­right.

    ¡°Where should I hide?¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°Oh? A hiding place? Why not in your shoes?¡± (Fay)

    ¡°But if they will find it if they take off my shoes.¡± (Tougo)

    ¡°If you put it that way, it doesn¡¯t matter where you put it if they take strip you naked, right?¡± (Fay)

    Hmmm¡­.

    I was a little bit hesitant, but I decided to follow Fay¡¯s advice and put it in my shoes.

    And for that reason, I had to buy a pair of shoes. I had never worn boots except for rain boots¡­ So there was something unsettling about them.

    And finally the day came. I looked out the window and saw a luxurious carriage pull up in front of the Redgarde house, so I, Laocles, and Fay bravely went out to the front door.

    ¡°Thank you very much for having us here today to meet with you.¡± (Old Man)

    When we stepped outside, we found that the elderly attendant we had met many times was already outside the carriage. And he greeted me, smiled at me and shook my hand.

    ¡°My master was very pleased¡­¡± (Old Man)

    And when the attendant said so and turned around, his master was just about to get off the carriage.

    When the attendant opened the place, two people got out of the carriage came toward me, surrounded by people who looked like guards¡­ And smiled at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Sardo Roe Dioren. I¡¯m the lord of the Dioren territory.¡± (Sardo)

    Is he the same age as Fay¡¯s father? In other words, he¡¯s roughly the same as my father, but he looks like an aristocrat, so I¡¯m a little nervous.

    ¡­and.

    ¡°And this is my son, Santos Rado Dioren. I want you to summon a Red Dragon for my son.¡±

    In front of me stands a boy who looks a little older than I am, looking down at me.

    He stared at me and gave me a ¡°He looks worthless,¡± kind of look, and a little smirk of disgust on his face.

    ¡­Yeah.

    I had decided to be as fair as possible in my judgment¡­ But in my mind the scales tipped toward ¡°no¡±.