Swordmaster's Youngest Son Novel - Chapter 827
Chapter 827
The beach appeared after the Red Owl completed its spatial jump.
The Kingdom of Schutzeron, the area where Jin went to meet Olmango’s contractor after becoming a Flagbearer in the past.
“Ugh… it seems there’s nothing to complain about anymore. Damn it, Lueth! Did you disrespect me that much…?”
“Even though she drew it with such dedication in the middle of her busy schedule, don’t be so harsh on her, Murakan.”
“If I go to the Garden of Swords next time, I won’t leave her alone… seriously.”
Murakan looked at the tavern set up on the beach with a slightly sullen expression.
The warm orange light gently illuminated the surroundings.
It was the tavern where Clamshell, Olmango’s contractor, worked.
And now, besides Olmango, Kaytam and Ochs, and Telpen were present in the tavern. This tavern served as the safe zone where they had requested Jin to be.
Jin and Murakan looked at the tavern, lost in memories for a moment.
The time when they all came on vacation together with their companions from Tikan, and the memory of opening Temar’s second tomb sealed inside the giant clam in the sea and meeting Sarah.
“Oh, Sir Jin!”
[Jin?]
[It’s Jin!]
Clamshell, Olmango’s contractor, Ochs (the god of frames), and Telpen (the god of pencils) greeted Jin.
The three of them were playing a card game together.
“It’s been a while. How have the gods been?”
“Hello.”
[Mu, Murakan!?]
[Murakan, you say!?]
“Ah, stop being surprised every time you see me! I’m not that old rascal anymore, you know.”
[Hmm. It seems so.]
[Congratulations on almost regaining your former strength.]
“Thanks.”
Ochs and Telpen smiled as if they were impressed, and Jin looked at the two gods with curiosity.
‘These gods have so little authority that they can manifest as they please without a contractor…’
Ochs and Telpen were truly miscellaneous gods among miscellaneous gods.
Some academic circles didn’t classify them as gods, but as spiritual creatures or special creatures.
‘Do these guys also have special abilities like Sir Olmango?’
At that moment of curiosity, Clamshell rolled his eyes and Olmango manifested.
[Jin! So you’re here! Did you bring Latrie’s Crunchy Cookie…?!]
“I couldn’t bring it because I heard about Sir Kaytam in the Sword Emperor’s territory, Sir Olmango. But I’m sure you’ve been sending quite a few cookies from Tikan regularly.”
[Heung… since these guys arrived, there are never any cookies left. Since the number of mouths has increased by three, we need three times the amount. Thanks to them, I’m still surviving on seafood alone.]
“Anyway, every time I see the God of Clams, he always complains about cookies. I, on the other hand, prefer Shadow Energy.”
[Your god probably wouldn’t like Shadow Energy very much, Murakan. Solderet, that friend, must want to eat something other than Shadow Energy, right?]
“Let’s assume so. Anyway, I have some business with that gentleman who seems to be the god of painters, so let’s finish this quickly. I’m busy. By the way, I don’t see that gentleman anywhere.”
[Kaytam is in the other room working with his contractor.]
Among the newly arrived gods here, Kaytam was the only one who had a contractor.
“Working? What kind of work?”
[What would the god of painters be doing? Obviously, he’s painting a picture. So just wait a moment, don’t bother him during his work…]
Swoosh!
Before Olmango finished speaking, Murakan simply opened the door.
Inside the room, the walls were covered with easels and paintings, and in the middle of it all, a man and the manifested Kaytam seemed to be in a heated argument.
“Kraak! What are you doing? I told you not to touch anything while I’m working! I begged you!”
[Who is it? What miserable being dared to do this? They must want to die. They’re not afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods… Murakan? Isn’t that Murakan…?!]
“…Sir Jin?”
As soon as the man and Kaytam saw the two, their anger subsided and their expressions softened.
“Oh, you, Sir Jin. If you had told me beforehand, I would have come out to wait. Oh, excuse me for showing this strange sight. I get a little sensitive when I’m working, and I didn’t even notice Sir Jin entering. I was just in the middle of drawing the Garden of Swords.”
The man was Billy, Kaytam’s contractor.
[Greetings, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Murakan. I am Kaytam, the god of painters. You may not know me, but I had a somewhat peculiar relationship with Solderet… I was the one who fulfilled his important request. So, don’t be surprised by my outburst, please don’t hit me.]
“Oh, it seems you were focused on something, so I’m sorry. I was in a hurry to return home, so I got a little impatient.”
[No, there’s no need to worry. I called you and Jin. Actually, I’m the one who didn’t greet you properly… But this little rascal! If you’re Murakan, so what? Do you know how hard it’s been for me? Damn these spoiled brats, they’re like a disease with their constant whims and tantrums! My works aren’t coming out, my masterpiece suddenly went crazy like a plague, do you know how frustrating that is?]
“S-Sir Kaytam, please calm down.”
[Let go of me, Billy, let go of me! I’m going to kill that guy today and then die myself!]
Witnessing this scene, Murakan was surprised by the new commotion.
“Oh, I see. Whether a god is weak or strong, he needs to have this kind of temperament. Even if you can’t help but get angry when you know who I am, here, take some cold water (Olmango handed it to him). Alright, drink it all.”
[Whew! Now I’ve come to my senses. Please understand, Murakan. I lose my head when someone touches my things like that.]
“That’s possible. I’ve seen some art gods act like that in the past. But, why did you call me and the brat?”
[It’s because of my masterpiece.]
“Masterpiece?”
[Yes, the work I poured everything into. It’s so perfect that even I, the god of painters, could never recreate it…]
Tears welled up in Kaytam’s eyes.
Murakan instinctively patted his shoulder.
Meanwhile, from the moment Jin entered the workshop, he couldn’t take his eyes off the paintings that filled the walls.
He was overwhelmed by the indescribable beauty of the artworks.
Landscapes, portraits, and even elaborately twisted abstract paintings.
Each piece had a captivating and fascinating quality.
His eyes were drawn to each and every one of them.
It was a sense of captivation and enchantment. Only a god of painters and his contractor could create something like this.
“All the works here seem like masterpieces, Sir Kaytam.”
[Compared to that boy, these are nothing more than mediocre works.]
“What kind of work is it?”
[This.]
Kaytam pointed at the painting he had been looking at with Billy moments ago.
It seemed to be a canvas painted entirely black.
It seemed like there was something profound hidden in the black canvas, perhaps because Jin had witnessed Kaytam’s true skill.
“Is it just a painting colored black?”
[To your eyes, it can only be seen like that. However, this is not just a painting; it’s a spatial creation.]
“A spatial creation?”
[Yes, Murakan. The space depicted on this canvas can only be recognized by me and Billy. Only I can enter, modify, and control this space… It was like that.]
“I don’t understand very well. Please explain a little more.”
[This painting depicts subspace, which I painted at Solderet’s request.]
“Wait, are you saying it’s Temar’s tomb?”
[Yes, more precisely, it was a painting that was used as Temar’s tomb. After a while, Solderet moved Temar’s remains to another location. And this artwork became completely mine…]
Murakan felt a sense of disappointment when he remembered that Solderet had left instructions to Picon or Olmango without his knowledge.
But that was in the past.
At this moment, he believed that as he and Jin continued to get closer to the truth, they would naturally understand his intentions.
“…Please continue.”
[Solderet didn’t share any specific stories with me. There wasn’t any prophecy like the one he gave to Olmango about the contractor who would appear after a thousand years. He just said it with a tired expression. This relocation wasn’t due to Zipple’s pursuit like other tombs, so he could be at ease. Zipple doesn’t know that I helped him.]
Zipple had no knowledge that Kaytam helped Solderet. If they had known, there wouldn’t have been an opportunity for him to meet Jin and Murakan at this moment.
“Why did Solderet move Temar’s remains then? Wasn’t there any explanation?”
[No, there wasn’t. Maybe it was to prevent me from getting involved. When he initially requested the painting, Solderet didn’t seem to be in good condition. I received the commission as an opportunity to draw a masterpiece, but I didn’t want to get involved in his wars. It’s an embarrassing story, but I was scared. As the god of painters, I just wanted to bless other artists and live peacefully.]
“Did your feelings change recently because I ensured your safety?”
[That reason isn’t entirely unfounded, but to be honest, it was because my artworks suddenly began to deteriorate. If it deteriorates more than it is now, the events I depicted a thousand years ago will completely disappear from the artwork. Before that happens, I felt that the beings who deserve to see it should take a look.]
The beings who are qualified to see the events depicted in the painting were Solderet and those closely related to him. It included Jin, Murakan, and Misha.
“Depicting events from a thousand years ago within a painting… You were hiding a remarkable ability just like Olmango. What about Ochs and Telpen? Do they possess similar powers?”
[They don’t have those abilities, Murakan.]
[Yes, we are just here to create Kaytam’s frames and sharpen pencils.]
“I see. So, Kaytam, what events from a thousand years ago did you depict in your artwork?”
[The problem is that I can’t remember. Until recently, even the smallest details were clear, but after the painting was contaminated, it became difficult to remember. But Murakan, it was related to you. That’s why I called Jin as soon as I heard the news about you.]
“An event related to me…”
“Sir Kaytam, you said your artwork suddenly deteriorated, and since then, you can’t remember the content. If that’s the case, it’s highly likely that Zipple’s history manipulation is involved. Doesn’t Zipple know that Sir Kaytam helped Solderet?”
[It’s highly unlikely to be history manipulation, Jin. As I mentioned before, this artwork is a masterpiece I poured everything I had into. Since the artwork is closely connected to the spiritual world, if it’s damaged, it also affects my memories.]
“I’m starting to understand now. So, do you want me and the boy to enter the painting and confirm the events from a thousand years ago before it deteriorates further?”
[That’s right.]
“If we find whoever damaged the painting during that process, is it even better?”
[Exactly. If you find them, give them a good lesson.]
“Alright, that sounds easy. We can enter immediately, so let’s prepare quickly.”
[…It won’t be as easy as you think, Murakan. Inside the painting, there are guardians that I depicted. Originally, this painting was intended to be used as Temar’s tomb. And those guardians are paint, I depicted them very strongly according to my will.]