Chapter 98

"......This isn't your drawing, right?"

When Fei asked me this, I nodded.

Yeah. This isn't my drawing.

"......I see. Well, I thought it would be, but..."

Fei sighed deeply and looked at the drawing again... then turned to the museum staff and said,

"......Who submitted this drawing? The one who's impersonating our artist!"

...Fei is really angry. Very.

Seeing Fei's anger, the museum staff shrank back and answered,

"According to what I've heard, it's from the Bronpa family..."

I see. So the person who drew this is Togo the Third. I remember hearing that he works as an artist for the Bronpa family.

"Can I meet him? Where is he?"

"Yes, yes. If you're looking for Togo Uesora..."

Just as the museum staff started to speak, Fei interrupted.

"Togo Uesora is this guy. Don't call a fake by his name."

...Fei's crimson eyes are burning. They're really scary. But also very cool. I want to draw them.

"Don't get it wrong. He's our artist, so you know... and what about that fake?"

Fei glared at the museum staff with burning crimson eyes, and the staff person trembled and then pointed outside.

"If you're talking about that, he usually draws in the park behind the museum... I think he's probably there today. But at this time, he might already be on his way back..."

"Got it. Thanks."

Fei said this and started walking out briskly.

"......Getting angry is tiring, isn't it?"

And after a few steps outside, Fei said this and made a wobbly face.

"Good job. Thanks for getting angry for me."

"Yeah. ...Well, if I don't show my anger in such situations, I won't be able to stand up to them later."

He got angry for me. I feel a bit guilty, but also a bit happy. ...No, I feel guilty about feeling happy.

"Well... let's go find Togo the Third, shall we?"

"Yep."

Fei, who had returned to his usual self, and I started walking to the park behind the museum.

"......When we meet Togo the Third, I'll have to get angry again... and you, you have to look sharp, okay!"

"U-uh, yeah."

...Can I look sharp? Hmm.

And as we walked in the small park behind the museum, we found him right away.

"Ah, that carriage."

A beautifully crafted carriage was parked, and there was a light inside. ...And someone was drawing inside.

Myself and Fei looked at each other, then with determination, we approached the carriage.

...The person inside seemed to notice us approaching. And...

"Are you Togo Uesora?"

When I called out, the person looked at us with a puzzled expression.

"I want to talk to you for a moment."

The person I called out to... was a girl around my age with chestnut hair and indigo eyes, who looked quite assertive.

The girl looked at us intently. ...No, not intently, more like scrutinizing.

"Ah, ah..."

She didn't answer, so I was a bit confused. I was thinking about saying it again when Fei, unable to bear it, stepped in.

"Are you the one impersonating our artist?"

Fei glared at the girl.

"Let's talk. I have a lot of questions for you. And then for your employer."

When Fei said this, the girl...

"Why should I talk to you?"

She said this, turned her gaze away from us, and faced forward.

"Carriage, go."

When she said this, the driver signaled the horses, and the carriage started moving.

"Wait!"

I called out, but the horses didn't stop. They looked back at me a bit reluctantly, but were urged on by the driver, and the carriage slowly moved away...

And then, a familiar sound was heard.

...The horses pulling the carriage were startled by the Alicorn that suddenly appeared in front of them and stopped.

When Laocles and Clio got off the Alicorn, the Alicorn approached the carriage horses and snorted once. ...Then the carriage horses looked at each other, shivered, and the Alicorn snorted again...

...And the carriage horses seemed to lose all intention of moving. They sat down on the spot and started wagging their tails leisurely. They were looking at the Alicorn with reverence. ...What did the Alicorn do? What is it? Is the Alicorn like an idol to ordinary horses...?

"Hey, hey! What's this!"

The driver was surprised by the suddenly sitting horses and was flustered, but since the horses wouldn't move, there was nothing he could do. The horses were making happy sounds, and the Alicorn looked like it was saying, "Oh well." ...What did it really do?

"Is this Togo the Third?"

"Um, probably... Where are Lian and Anje?"

"They're at the inn. It's getting late."

The driver and the girl in the carriage were surprised. Of course, they would be surprised with the sudden appearance of the Alicorn, the sitting carriage horses, and the increase in people. Yeah.

"So, can we talk?"

Clio smiled and peered into the carriage, and the girl inside nodded slightly with a wary expression.

So we moved to a bench and table in the park.

It was getting dark, but Laocles brought a lamp, which we placed in the center of the table and started talking. ...This would be a nice setting for a picnic. It's a bit disappointing that we're here for a discussion instead of a meal.

"Um... just to confirm, did you submit a drawing to the contest under the name Togo Uesora?"

"Yes, I did."

When I asked, I got a straightforward answer. The girl's expression was calm, or rather, confident... No, she was nervous and on guard, but still, her clear and confident way of speaking...

"Then, are you employed by the Bronpa family as Togo Uesora?"

"Yes, I am."

I see. Yeah.

...Well, I think it's now certain that the girl in front of me is Togo the Third. So, it's good for now. If there was another me participating in the contest, it would mean there was a fourth me.

"Do you understand that Togo Uesora is the Redgard family's artist? Do you understand what it means to claim that name and serve the Bronpa family? You don't think it's wrong, do you?"

Fei continued, intimidating the girl, who became more nervous. ...But she remained confident and smiled.

"...Lord Bronpa says I am Togo Uesora, doesn't he?"

When she said this, Fei made a "Ah" face. Yeah. So, this is going to turn into a conflict between nobles...

Since Fei seemed to be thinking about how to proceed, I decided to ask a question in the meantime.

"Why did you submit a drawing under my name?"

"Because I am the Bronpa family's artist, Togo Uesora. There's nothing strange about it, is there?"

Ah, I see. So, she was employed by the Bronpa family first. Yeah. So, I need to ask about the circumstances of her employment.

"Um, then, why were you employed under my name? And who is saying you are Togo Uesora, you or Lord Bronpa?"

"...Huh?"

But it seems I asked the wrong question. The girl looked puzzled. Um, more clearly...

"Did you claim my name by your own will?"

...Then, the girl showed a slightly flustered expression for a moment.

"...Of course. I claim this name by my own will."

"See."

Yeah. If she says so, it must be true. But... I still have a feeling that something doesn't sit right with me, or there's a sense of discomfort...

"I thought you were told by Lord Bronpa to claim my name."

When I said this, the girl looked puzzled again. Sorry for frowning so much.

"I saw your drawing."

But when I continued, the girl's expression became tense.

...I also felt tense and asked,

"Because I thought you didn't need to claim someone else's name. So, I was curious why you're active under someone else's name."

"...Do you really think that?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see my... Togo Uesora's drawing submitted to the contest?"

"Yeah. That, the painting of the stormy forest."

I really think so. That painting was wonderful.

"The strength of the wind and the coldness of the rain could be felt. I thought it would be scary to be in this painting. The rustling of the trees could be heard."

I really felt this. I don't want to lie about my feelings. So, I tried to express them in words. ...But it was frustrating that I couldn't express them well in words.

"I think this painting will be selected. I haven't seen the other paintings, but... it was really beautiful."

...The girl looked at me with a mocking, yet a bit sad and painful expression.

"If that's the case, you must have lived in a very sweet world."

"Listen, in this country, the paintings that are properly evaluated, selected for the contest, and displayed in the royal castle or the royal museum are only those drawn by nobles or those with noble connections."

"Have you seen the paintings in this museum?"

"Yeah."

When I nodded, she sighed and said,

"Then you should understand, right? The paintings displayed here are either the favorites of nobles, displayed by the grace of nobles, or garbage drawn by nobles."

Garbage drawn by nobles. Garbage. ...Garbage, huh. Hmm, that's a harsh way of putting it...

"Especially the garbage displayed in the central room is a mountain of garbage. It's not intentional, but the poor brushwork, the lack of observational skills. It's crazy that such things are evaluated."

The girl shook her head, letting her chestnut hair flow, and had an irritated expression. It was like... a storm. I felt a similar roughness and coldness. Like the painting she drew.

"The only valuable thing in that room is not the paintings but the name tags. 'Drawn by so-and-so'—that's what has value. That room is just a display of names."

But I'm standing in front of this storm-like girl now.

...I also have some doubts about the paintings in that museum. I'm not satisfied, and I'm not satisfied with being unsatisfied.

Still... I like some of the paintings in that museum. I don't want them to be blown away by this storm. I don't want to lie about my feelings.

"Even if that room is just a display of names, there were still excellent paintings."

I said this to the girl in front of me. As confidently as I could. I'm not sure if I succeeded.

"...If that's the case, your eyes aren't much good, are they? The paintings displayed there..."

"The painting of the capital was good."

I asserted. I didn't want my feelings to be blown away.

"It's a painting by someone named Orlin Halk. It's very powerful, cool, and has a bit of a reckless or depressed feel to it."

When I said this, she... looked puzzled.

"...If you haven't seen it yet, you should. It's not garbage."

...The storm stopped. That's how it felt.

The girl slowly blinked her wide eyes and then, suddenly, the intensity in her expression subsided.

"...So, that's what you think."

"Yeah."

When I nodded confidently, the girl... took a deep, long sigh. Then, she ran her hand through her hair irritably, frowned, and thought for a moment before saying,

"...You're a strange one."

"Yeah. I'm often told that."

As I said this, looking at the three people who probably think I'm strange, Laocles nodded coolly, Clio giggled and nodded, and Fei nodded strongly as if to say, "That's right!" ...So much...?

"Well... it's fine. What you think is your business, and what I think is mine."

"Yeah."

That's true. My feelings are inside me, and even if she thinks the paintings are garbage, there are still things I like. And I don't need her to like the things I like. Yeah.

"So... did you submit a drawing under my name because you thought you wouldn't be selected under your own name?"

When I asked again, she smiled a bit sarcastically.

"...Maybe. If I'm a fake Togo Uesora, then maybe that's the case."

I see. ...So, she probably wants to be evaluated for her paintings? Hmm, but if she submitted under my name, wouldn't that not count as her own evaluation? But does she want to be selected? Hmm...

"...Why do you want to be selected? To be evaluated by the king?"

"Hah. Would you be happy to be evaluated by that old fart?"

...Old fart. Hmm, her words are really sharp. They cut through everything. Impressive.

"I don't know why other artists want to be selected. Some might want to be evaluated by His Majesty the King. But I want to be selected because I want my paintings to be displayed where many people can see them. That's all."

Her eyes glinted sharply. Her indigo eyes looked like a newly sharpened blade, as strong and sharp as her words.

"...I see."

I don't understand everything she's thinking. I don't really understand the desire to have many people see her paintings.

But there was a part I could understand... and I