Chapter 557: Canned Food(3)
Chapter 557: Canned Food(3)
Now that I had Calz’s consent, all that was left was to be "canned."
I didn't start right away, though. While I only needed a typewriter and a desk to write, Calz needed time to prepare since he had to paint.
I also learned something new this time: art supplies are obscenely expensive. It wasn't for nothing that Calz had told me to work him like a dog.
People say being an artist is a starving profession, but the reality is a bit different. Fame and honor aside, you need money first just to practice art.
Most of the famous artists currently active were originally from wealthy families or the nobility—people who had money to begin with.
Those without money couldn't do it even if they desperately wanted to. Art supplies were ridiculously expensive back in my previous life, so I could only imagine how bad it was here.
Maybe I should turn our territory into a land of opportunity while I'm at it?
Fortunately, because the Maishal Territory had established itself as a cultural city, prices were relatively low.
Furthermore, to satisfy the goal of "culture for everyone," various classes were being held for free.
Whether someone wanted to play music, paint, or sculpt, free lessons were being offered without discrimination.
Of course, this wasn't because I pressured anyone; the Minerva Empire provided direct support.
The Minerva Empire had plenty of money, and they knew money was the primary requirement for engaging in the arts. After all, hadn't they lured the professors of Halo Academy with cold, hard cash?
Moreover, since this was the territory where Xenon—that is, I—was born, there was no need for promotion. People who wanted to pursue art naturally flocked to the territory on their own.
The only problem was that a few "veterans" were mixed in among them. They weren't old fogies, but rather people trying to recruit apprentices to bolster their own reputations.
I've already gained all the fame I could want, so I might as well teach some art since I'm bored. People with that kind of mindset were coming to the territory.
I even recognized a few names I'd heard in passing. I couldn't tell you how surprised I was to hear them.
While I hadn't been paying attention, the Maishal Territory had been making boundless progress.
"Mr. Calz, do you not take on apprentices? Since I'm the one commissioning you, you could gain quite a bit of fame."
We arrived at a shop to prepare Calz's art supplies. It was a place that primarily sold art-related tools.
Naturally, my presence drew attention, but knights acting on orders from above were escorting me.
I felt like a celebrity in the middle of a broadcast. Even now, many people were peeking at me over the knights' shoulders.
"Hahaha. I'd like to, in spirit, but my paintings are a bit far removed from that sort of thing."
Calz replied humbly with his characteristic boisterous laugh. He had groomed his beard now, returning to his Mario-like appearance.
I tilted my head at his answer before nodding in realization. Calz's work was indeed quite far from fine art.
He just had to draw illustrations based on the sketches and explanations I provided. It was closer to commercial art than fine art.
Well, by this world's standards, his style is just considered unique.
I had hired Calz simply because his style was familiar to my eyes. It would be easier to understand if you thought of it as something close to game concept art.
The fact that he could produce such quality without the invention of tablets showed his sheer talent.
The unfortunate part, as he said, was that his style was ahead of its time, so it received less attention.
He had gained fame by being hired by me, but it would be difficult for him to find students.
"Besides, I don't have time to take on apprentices right now. I have to send a drawing every three days or so."
"......I'm sorry."
"No, no. There's no need for you to apologize, Sir Xenon. I'm managing to churn them out somehow."
I couldn't help but give a bitter smile at the sting in his words. Right now, he must feel like the dwarves under the tyranny of Bourgeois III.
He was an illustrator I had found through a series of coincidences, and I had absolutely no intention of letting him go.
I planned to work him as my slave—no, my illustrator—for War of Blood and Iron and for the rest of my life.
Unaware of my wicked (?) plan, Calz was preoccupied with buying art supplies.
The money he'd received from me alone would be enough to buy several houses. Suddenly curious about what he'd done with all that cash, I asked him.
"Come to think of it, what have you been doing with the money I've given you so far? More paintings?"
"No. I put it into stocks."
"Stocks?"
"Yes. I thought I'd try to grow the money. It was such a large sum that it made my head spin."
He let out a sigh and continued in a low, somber voice.
"But then the Great Depression suddenly hit..."
"......"
I had nothing to say. The culprit behind the Great Depression was standing right next to him.
I heard Mr. Musk lost a lot too...
Calz was one thing, but Musk had also shed tears of blood because of the Great Depression. He said he almost had his roots pulled out.
Fortunately, he had enough reserve funds for emergencies to weather the storm. Even if he had collapsed, I would have provided the funds myself.
"But are we really going to work there without eating or sleeping?"
This was after we had requested the purchased items be sent to the temple. Calz asked me with a look of utter disbelief.
I talked to the gods casually all the time, but this was Calz's first time. Naturally, he was suspicious.
He was even secular. He believed in the existence of the gods, but he wasn't devout. To him, a temple was just a place you visited like a hospital when you were sick.
Even then, if it was something minor like a cold, he'd just go to an apothecary for herbs.
"Yes. It's hard to believe, but you won't need to sleep or eat. However, if you think you'll get bored, it's a good idea to bring some snacks."
"How long did you work in there, Sir Isaac?"
"A month."
"A-A month?!"
When I answered, Calz looked at me as if he were seeing a monster. His expression screamed, Is that even possible?
If anything, I was the one who found it strange. I said a month, but the perceived time was less than that.
When you really focus, time flies. The pressure of having to write quickly disappears after a while, too.
"You don't need to worry too much. It's not like you'll go crazy in the middle of it, and I can change the environment however I want."
"What do you mean by that?"
"For example, I can show you a forest with a waterfall, or light a campfire under a night sky where the Milky Way flows. You'll see once we get there."
Calz still looked puzzled despite my explanation. They say seeing is believing; he'd understand once he experienced it himself.
Most importantly, we weren't going to be "canned" immediately; we were just going to do a simple trial run for about a week.
I had discussed this with my family, and in real-time, only about three hours would pass.
My divine power is fine, too.
Mora had told me before. Now that I had obtained divinity, I didn't need to worry about such things anymore.
If one consumes divine power, it takes a long time to recover. No matter how great Kate was, if her divine power ran out, she was no different from an ordinary person.
But not me. Since my divinity acted as a sort of perpetual motion engine, my divine power didn't decrease even if I used it.
Furthermore, the most important things for divinity are "faith" and "worship." These two must be satisfied for it to function as a perpetual engine.
In other words, it meant there were people somewhere in this world who truly worshipped me. I couldn't tell you how awkward I felt after learning that.
Is this how Jesus or Buddha became gods...?
It wasn't something to worry about right now. Although I was revered as a Saint, I wasn't a "Holy Man" like them, and it felt disrespectful to even compare myself.
Even if I were to earn the qualification, I'd probably refuse out of sheer pressure. It was absurd for a mere writer to become a Saint.
To put it bluntly, if I really became a Saint, then every webnovel author on Earth would be a Saint too.
"Sir Isaac?"
"Ah. Sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment. Is this your first time at a temple, Mr. Calz?"
"I've been a few times in the past, but not recently. Especially not to Lady Mora's temple; this is my first time here."
In fact, most people were like Calz. Even if they believed in the existence of gods, it was rare to find someone as fervently devoted as a priest.
To them, the gods were more like kings with absolute power than omnipotent deities. As long as they didn't commit tyranny, people just lived their own lives.
Of course, the atrocities committed by the Holy Nation 'Savior' in the past also played a part. They had fallen into fanaticism, shouting, "Death to those who do not believe in Luminous!"
I suspected Luminous himself was horrified when he saw that, as it probably reminded him of his past self. It was a very likely story.
"Is there anything I should be careful of? It's my first time praying..."
"Just close your eyes reverently and kneel. I'll tell you everything you need to do, so don't worry."
"Hmm... Then I'll be counting on you, Sir Isaac. Oh, before that, may I buy some light snacks as you mentioned earlier?"
"By all means."
I also bought some simple snacks while I was at it. Since food doesn't spoil inside the "can," it didn't matter what I bought.
However, I avoided foods that were only good when hot. Even if they didn't spoil, they were still unappetizing once they got cold.
And so, with all preparations complete, we arrived at the Temple of Mora for the trial run.
"Hello, Sir Isaac. We received word in advance. All the items have been placed in the chapel."
"Thank you. Where should we go?"
"This way, please."
Following the priest's guidance, I entered the chapel where I would stay with Calz for a week.
Calz, who was at Mora's temple for the first time, looked around before scurrying to follow behind me.
"Lady Mora's temple is quite dark. Lord Luminous's temple is so bright."
"That's because Lady Mora is the Goddess of Darkness and Rest."
She was also the Goddess of Peace, but there was no need to mention that, so I let it slide.
Soon, as the priest had said, we entered the private chapel where we would be "canned." Inside, a desk and Calz's supplies were already set up.
"It seems surprisingly cramped?"
Calz spoke as if he were surprised by how small the space was. Well, it was bound to look small from the outside.
"Ah. It'll get bigger later."
"It'll get bigger?"
"Yes. Let's start with a prayer first."
As I said before, experiencing it once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. When I began to kneel, Calz followed suit with a clumsy posture.
Then, as I always did, I closed my eyes and clasped my hands. I could feel Calz following my lead through his presence.
[You're here?]
"Gah!"
Mora's voice echoed in our heads. At the same time, a gasp of shock erupted from Calz behind me.
Wondering what was wrong, I looked back to see Calz had tumbled backward in surprise.
Judging by his expression, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. His Mario-like mustache trembling was quite a funny sight.
"Don't be alarmed. That's Lady Mora's voice."
"I-Is it true? Was that really the Goddess...?"
"Yes. So calm down and let's pray again."
"Yes, yes."
At my words, Calz knelt again and prayed reverently. I felt like a veteran player watching a newbie.
After a brief moment of idle thought, I immediately communed with Mora.
[My child. Don't be so surprised. It hurts my feelings.]
"I-I'm sorry! I have committed a discourtesy to the Goddess!"
[Pfft. You don't need to say it out loud. Just thinking it is enough.]
I recall being just like that when I first communed with Luminous. I could feel how tense he was.
[Then we can start right away, yes?]
Mr. Calz? Are you ready?
Yes, yes. I'm ready.
As I said before, it's for one week. Experience it for a week, and then you can make your choice.
Understood.
After that, Calz and I worked together in the Room of Time and Spirit for a week.
And when about a day had passed in terms of perceived time...
"This is madness! I have to get out of here!"
"Where are you going? It's only been about a day."
"Are you insane?! You want me to stay here and do nothing but work?! I should have known from the moment you started putting out books every three days! You said a week, but since we don't need to sleep, it's more like two weeks!!"
Calz couldn't take it anymore and snapped. It was a reaction I couldn't understand.
"I mean, you just... have to draw. Time will fly by then. Right, Lady Mora?"
[......]
"Lady Mora?"
[......I guess the ascetic training really does have an effect.]
"Pardon?"
While I was tilting my head in confusion, Calz pounded on the exit door and screamed.
"Let me out of here!!"
If he's like this now, how is he going to survive a whole month?