“That’s it! Lady! A bit more primly! Ahh, my inspiration is overflowing!”
The perverted apostle, bleeding from his nose, continued painting without stopping. It seemed as though we could make a bet on whether the painting would be finished first, or if that perverted bastard would die from anemia.
Ugh, this is exactly why I never wanted to get caught by that perverted apostle. It was so obvious this was going to happen.
And to make matters worse, things have only gotten worse since then.
When I allowed the perverted apostle to paint last time, the only audience was that dumbass. But now, everyone on Academy Street is a part of the audience!
Ugh, why are there so many people today? It’s the start of vacation, so go home already!
Why did you even bring your servants to pack things up, and then create this human wall like some sort of trance?!
<Think of it from another perspective. Don’t you think you'd be curious too?>
‘What’s so amazing about a cute girl just wearing a pretty dress and posing!? Is everyone in this world a pedo pervert?!’
<It’s not just a little...>
‘What!? Were you hiding a more disgusting mind than Grandpa, that fool!? I’m seriously disgusted! I’m going to put on my gloves and grab my mace!’
I couldn’t believe the grandfather I had trusted and fought alongside was more vile than that idiot!
Damn it! I should’ve known from the moment I got the Divine’s favor!
<Was that too insulting?!>
‘But!’
<And look around! You can’t honestly tell me nothing stands out to you!>
Listening to Grandpa’s words, I subtly turned my gaze to observe the surroundings. It was needless to say that the perverted apostle standing in front of me was obvious.
“...Isn’t that the apostle from the Art Church?”
“Isn’t a handsome man like that rare?”
“True, but the apostle, who’s known for being so gentlemanly, shouldn’t be making that kind of face.”
The handsome man, who could’ve been a global idol in the modern world, was bleeding from his nose and grinning while moving his brush in a way that looked like a scene from a film about a deranged artist.
In fact, some women watching the perverted apostle were so overwhelmed that they couldn’t even hide the ecstasy on their faces as they held both hands to their mouths.
“Lady, you remain graceful even in such a chaotic situation.”
“Being next to the apostle from the Art Church makes you seem even more noble.”
“How fortunate that such a person is the Saintess of the Divine Church.”
And behind that perverted apostle, Faibi stood, keeping her place.
The moment I mentioned drawing a picture based around me, her eyes lit up, and she followed us, taking her position behind the perverted apostle as if it was a matter of course.
Of course, she was only watching and not doing anything herself, but with someone as noticeable as Faibi, it was impossible not to catch people’s attention.
Wait. Upon closer inspection, is she twitching? It feels like she’s holding back her instincts with logic. Is the painting that perverted apostle is doing really that impressive?
...Huh? What’s that divine power coming from Faibi’s hands?
Why is that divine power flowing towards the perverted apostle?
Ahhh! No wonder that perverted apostle hasn’t collapsed yet! Faibi has been healing him right next to him!
Faibi! You too, betrayed me!
“Hmm. This is something. The painting, unlike the accessories, seems to have a whole different level of quality. It looks like Lucy is alive inside the painting.”
Benedict, standing next to me, was admiring the painting.
Damn it! I should have known from the moment he promised to give me the original painting!
If that perverted apostle is doing something strange with his painting, I should’ve stopped him!
Are you still my father!? Protect your daughter!!
In the midst of my confusion, as I started blaming everyone around me, I suddenly felt a chilling presence running down my spine.
I jerked my shoulders and subtly turned my head to follow the sense of danger.
Then, on the roof of a nearby building, I locked eyes with the dumb fox, who was clinging to the chimney with an expression that could only be described as animalistic.
Yeah. I thought that dog-like animal would be quiet today.
When I stared at him with true disgust in my eyes, the dumb fox froze for a moment before breaking into a melting, eerie grin and falling backwards.
The body of the weakened dumb fox rolled across the roof and slammed into the ground.
The noise was loud, but no one seemed to shift their gaze from the other side.
No matter how I thought about it, this world is messed up.
I’ve been quietly suspecting that the Divine, who is a pathetic perverted bastard, has been up to something. But now, even ordinary people are in on this mess.
Was Agra, that pathetic, weakling, really the dark knight who wanted to overturn this broken world?
...No. I’m just rambling, but this is beyond disgusting.
I can’t accept the idea of elevating that pathetic bastard who, despite his title as a god, was narrow-minded and petty!
“What’s all this commotion? Oh, it’s Lucy Arln.”
“Wow. Lucy looks amazing.”
“She was fine when she kept her mouth shut. The problem was when she opened it.”
Following the familiar voices, I turned to see Arthur and Freya chattering next to each other, and I internally screamed.
Ughhh!
When will that painting ever finish!?
How long do I have to keep standing here like this!?
That perverted bastard hasn’t stopped moving his hands, but the painting isn’t showing any signs of being finished!
Just admit it! You’re only making random strokes, aren’t you!?
You’re just doing this to secretly laugh at me in a twisted way, right!?
Right!?
“Seriously, what’s with all this? What’s so special about watching someone paint that everyone’s gathered here?”
Inuki, the embodiment of an old grump, muttered as he stared at the human wall that had formed. His disciple beside him chuckled.
“They’re not just ordinary people. The one painting is an apostle from the Art Church, and the model for the painting is none other than Lady Arln, whose family’s fame was boosted recently by the Church’s accessories.”
Lucy Arln’s beauty had been the subject of many famous tales.
Even when she was acting like a delinquent, no one could deny that she was cute and beautiful.
But the people who gossiped about her beauty were only the nobles of the kingdom who had seen her. Those who stepped back thought that her beauty was exaggerated.
Even when someone painted her portrait and brought it to them, they’d just scoff and dismiss it.
But recently, the situation had changed. Not just in the kingdom, but in many other countries, the artist-apostle, Prete, who was recognized internationally, began praising Lucy’s beauty daily.
As someone chosen by the goddess, he claimed her beauty was like the goddess herself incarnate, sparking the curiosity of many onlookers.
The story of the accessories featuring Lucy’s painting spread quickly, fueling the interest.
Curious gossipers bought the accessories to see the Church’s painting, and after experiencing their effects, they began loudly testifying about them, causing the accessories to become a rare commodity.
Recently, even those who had disapproved of Lucy in the kingdom’s social scene started buying the accessories to follow the trend.
In this situation, the Art Church’s apostle starting to paint with Lucy naturally drew a crowd.
But in reality, the behavior of the crowd could not even be called frenzy.
The Saintess of the Divine Church. The apostle of the Art Church. And the monster, Benedict Arln.
With these three present, how could those who uphold order not be touched by the madness?
“If it had been more chaotic, I’d have found a way to intervene, but now there’s no way to get involved.”
“Is that so?”
Looking at his disappointed disciple, Inuki squinted his eyes, shifting his gaze away from the crowd.
In his eyes, a woman climbing the wall caught his attention.
Hmm? She doesn’t seem like an ordinary person. What is she doing climbing a wall in an alley?
Noticing the unusual presence emanating from the woman, Inuki tracked her movements. She had climbed to the roof.
And then...
Ah. Is she here to see Lady Arln too?
Interesting. I had thought Lady Arln’s beauty was remarkable, but this mysterious figure...
“Hmm?”
When Inuki saw the woman grinning like she was melting, clinging to the chimney, he blinked in surprise and quickly turned his gaze elsewhere.
Could it be that Lady Arln’s beauty could melt even such a presence?
Am I the only one who doesn’t understand what’s going on here?
Feeling a deep sense of doubt about himself, Inuki decided he would see things for himself and make his judgment.
“Disciple, keep your mouth shut.”
“Huh? Master, what—Ahh!?”
Grabbing his disciple by the nape, Inuki jumped up without a step and landed on the roof.
He then left the stunned disciple behind and turned his head toward Lucy, who was surrounded by many onlookers.
“...Indeed.”
After a few seconds of lost words, he thought he might begin to understand the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Lucy, playfully smiling across the bridge of water, was as captivating as the dance of a fairy queen that Inuki had seen in a dream a year ago.
“I’ll need to change my plans.”
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.
The idea of making armor to suit Lady Arln’s taste is canceled.
The inspiration that just flashed through my mind—there’s no way I can ignore it.