Chapter 827

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The beach appeared after the Red Owl completed its spatial lump. The Schutzeron Kingdom, the area where Jin went to meet the contractor of Olmango after becoming a flagbearer in the past.

"Ugh... seems like there's nothing left to complain about now. Damn you, Luet! You disrespected me so much...?"

"Even though she drew it with such dedication amidst her busy schedule, don't be so hard on her, Murakan."

"If I go to the Garden of Swords next time, I won't leave her be... seriously."

Murakan gazed 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 the contractor of Olmango, Clamshell, worked.

And now, in addition to Olmango, there were Kaytam and Ochs, and Telpen present at the tavern. This tavern served as the safe zone where they had requested Jin to go.

Jin and Murakan gazed at the tavern, lost in memories for a moment.

The moment when they all came on vacation together with their Tikan comrades, and the memory of opening the second tomb of Temar sealed inside the giant clam in the sea and meeting Sarah.

"Oh, Sir Jin!"

[Jin?]

[It's Jin!]

Clamshell, the contractor of Olmango, Ochs (the god of frames), and Telpen (the god of pencils) welcomed Jin. The three of them were playing a card game together.

"It's been a while. How have the gods been?"

"Hello there."

[Mu, Murakan!?]

[Murakan, you say!?]

"Ah, stop being surprised every time you see me! I'm not that old rascal anymore, you know?"

[Hmm. So it seems.]

[Congratulations on almost regaining your old strength.]

"Thank you."

Ochs and Telpen smiled as if they were impressed, and Jin looked at the two gods curiously.

'These gods have such low authority that they can manifest as they please without a contractor...'

Ochs and Telpen were truly miscellaneous gods among miscellaneous gods. Some academic circles classified them not as gods but as spirit creatures or special creatures.

'Are these guys also endowed with special abilities like Mr. Olmango?'

In that moment of curiosity, Clamshell rolled his eyes and Olmango manifested.

[Jin! So you're here! Did you bring the Crispy Crunchy Latrie Cookie...?!]

"I couldn't manage to bring it because I heard about Mr. Kaytam in the Sword Emperor's territory, Mr. Olmango. But I'm sure they've been sending quite a lot of cookies from Tikan regularly."

[Heung... ever 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 keep surviving on seafood alone.]

"Anyway, every time I see the God of Clams, he always nags about cookies. I, on the other hand, prefer shadow force the most."

[Your god probably wouldn't fancy shadow force that much, Murakan. Solderet, that friend, must want to eat something other than shadow force, right?]

"Let's assume so. Anyway, I have some business with that gentleman who seems to be the god of painters, so let's get it over with 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 drawing a picture. So just wait a moment, don't disturb 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 midst of it all, a man and the manifested Kaytam appeared to be in a heated discussion.

"Kraak! What are you doing? I told you not to touch anything while I'm working! I pleaded with you!"

[Who is it? Which miserable person dared to do this? They must want to die. They're not afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods... Murakan? I-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 in advance, I would have gone out to wait. Oh, excuse me for showing this odd sight. I become a bit sensitive when I'm working, and I didn't even notice Sir Jin coming in. I was just in the middle of drawing the Garden of Swords."

The man was Billy, Kaytam's contractor.

[Greetings, it's nice 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 looks like you were concentrating on something, so sorry about that. I was in a hurry to get home, so I got a little impatient."

[No, no need to worry. I called for Jin and you. Actually, I'm the one who didn't properly greet you... But this little rascal! If you are 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 greatest masterpiece suddenly went berserk like a plague, do you know how frustrating that is?]

"L-Lord Kaytam, please calm down."

[Let go, Billy, let go! I'm going to kill that guy today and then die myself!]

Witnessing this scene, Murakan was taken aback by the fresh shock.

"Oh, I see. Whether a god is weak or strong, they need to have this kind of temperament. Even if you can't help but get upset when you know who I am, here, have some cold water (Olmango handed it over). Right, drink it all."

[Whew! Now I'm back to my senses. Please understand, Murakan. I lose my mind when someone touches my things like this.]

"That's possible. I've seen a few art gods act like that in the past. But why did you call me and the kid?"

[It's because of my greatest masterpiece.]

"Masterpiece?"

[Yes, the work I poured everything into. It's so perfect that even I, the god of painters, would never be able to 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. Every piece held a captivating and mesmerizing quality. His eyes were drawn to each and every one of them. It was a feeling of being captivated and enchanted. Only a god of painters and his contractor could create something like this.

"All the works here look like masterpieces, Mr. Kaytam."

[Compared to that child, these are nothing but mediocre works.]

"What kind of work is it?"

[This one.]

Kaytam pointed to the painting he had been observing with Billy just moments ago. It appeared to be a canvas painted entirely in black.

It seemed like there was something profound hidden in the black canvas, perhaps because Jin had witnessed Kaytam's true ability.

"Is it just a painting colored in black?"

[To your eyes, it can only look that way. However, this is not just a painting; it is 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 quite understand. Please explain a bit more."

[This painting represents the subspace, which I painted upon Solderet's request.]

"Wait, are you saying it's the tomb of Temar?"

[Yes, more precisely, it was a painting used as Temar's tomb. After a while, Solderet moved Temar's remains to another location. And this artwork became entirely mine…]

Murakan felt a sense of disappointment when he remembered that Solderet had left instructions to Picon or Olmango without him knowing.

But that was in the past. Right now, he believed that as he and Jin continued to approach the truth, they would naturally understand his intentions.

"...Please continue."

[Solderet didn't share any specific story with me. There was no prophecy like the one he gave to Olmango about the contractor appearing after a thousand years. He just said it with a tired expression. This relocation was not due to Zipfel's pursuit like other tombs, so I could be at ease. Zipfel doesn't know that I helped him.]

Zipfel had no knowledge that Kaytam assisted Solderet. If they had known, there wouldn't have been a chance 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. Perhaps it was to spare me from being involved. When he initially asked for 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 your 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 is not entirely baseless, but to be honest, it was because my artworks suddenly started to deteriorate. If it deteriorates further than it is now, the events I depicted from a thousand years ago will disappear completely from the artwork. Before that happens, I felt that beings who deserve to see it should take a look.]

The beings who have the qualification to see the events depicted in the painting were Solderet and those closely related to him. It included Jin, Murakan, and Misha.

"To depict events from a thousand years ago within a painting... You were hiding a remarkable ability just like Olmango. How about Ochs and Telpen? Do they possess similar powers?"

[They don't have such abilities, Murakan.]

[Yeah, we're just here to create Kaytam's frames and sharpen pencils.]

"I see. Then, 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 tiniest details were clear, but after the painting was tainted, it became difficult to recall. 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..."

"Mr. Kaytam, you said that your artwork suddenly deteriorated, and since then, you can't remember the content. If that's the case, it's highly likely that Zipfel's history manipulation is involved. Doesn't Zipfel know that Mr. Kaytam helped Solderet?"

[It's highly unlikely to be history manipulation, Jin. As I mentioned earlier, this artwork is a masterpiece where I poured everything I had. Since the artwork is closely connected to the spiritual world, if it is damaged, it affects my memories as well.]

"I'm starting to understand now. So, you want me and the kid to enter the painting and confirm the events from a thousand years ago before it deteriorates further?"

[That's correct.]

"If we find the one who damaged the painting during that process, it's even better?"

[Exactly. If you find them, give them a good lesson.]

"Alright, that sounds easy. We can enter right away, so let's prepare quickly."

[...It won't be as easy as you think, Murakan. Within the painting, there are guardians I depicted. Originally, this painting was meant to be used as Temar's tomb. And those guardians are painting, I had depicted them very strongly according to my will.]

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