Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Mother?
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Mother?
"Mother."
"Hmm~? What's up, Aren?"
"What would you think if someone else, say, painted your portrait?"
"Oh? Are you going to draw it for me, Aren?"
"Huh? No, I don't have that kind of talent."
"Ooh~ So you're just asking what I really want? Not like a suggestion or anything?"
"No, it's that one of my new acquaintances has real skill, so..."
"...Aren, you met someone new? It's not some weird person, right?"
"No, no, she's a good person. Do you really think I have that bad an eye for people?"
"Don't you?"
"..."
Mother?
"Still, Aren, up until now, your only friend has been Ranyori, right?"
"But Ranyori's a good friend, isn't she?"
"That's true, but with a sample size of one, it's a bit hard to judge~"
"Come on, Mother. Aren't I your son? Can't you interpret it in a more positive light?"
"Son, life isn't that forgiving—you can't just always think in such optimistic terms."
"You're right. Yeah."
Suddenly dropping some profound life advice like that leaves me with nothing to say.
She says it with a smile, which somehow makes it hit even harder. Yeah.
...Wait, but what did I even do wrong? Why am I getting scolded right now?
I brought up the portrait idea with perfectly good intentions, didn't I? How did things turn out like this?
Time to change the subject. That's not what I wanted to say...
"Anyway, Mother, enough of this boring talk—what about the portrait idea?"
"I could go on, but I'll let it slide for now~ So, this new friend of yours is going to paint my portrait?"
"Something like that."
"Why~? Did you ask her to?"
"Well... Honestly, she said she needed a model."
"I knew my son wasn't being filial out of nowhere! So there was an ulterior motive."
"No, no, it's not like that. You get a pretty picture, and she gets some practice drawing."
"But couldn't she just use someone else?"
"Nah, that won't do. She specifically needed a truly, truly beautiful model, and you're the only one who fits."
"Ooh? Has my son's flattery skills improved? Trying to boost my ego?"
"I've never said empty words, Mother."
"Alright, fine~! Does she draw well?"
"Yeah, really well."
"Great!"
The direction might be a little off, but she does draw really well.
Still, once I mention she's my mom, she'll know to hold back, right?
If not, I'll just step in and stop it by force if I have to.
Family defense mode activated.
"When are we going?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Got it~ I need to pick out a pretty outfit for tomorrow~"
"Author! Author, what is this?!"
"Anyway, I kept my promise. She's good enough as Karen's model, right?"
"If this is how you keep promises, you don't have to bother."
After exchanging greetings with my mother and seemingly sorting out her thoughts, Arwen dragged me into her room.
Mom's probably in the living room playing with Ranyori right now. Or more accurately, Ranyori's entertaining her... whatever.
Anyway, Arwen was still staring at me like she couldn't believe this was real.
"In my nearly 100 years of life, I've never met anyone as crazy as you, Author. How did you even think to bring your mother here?"
"But you said you couldn't draw without reference data. All you had was yourself and Ranyori."
"It would've been better to just work with that and make do, rather than this?!"
"No way..."
"What's wrong with it? What kind of character is she?"
Right, what kind of character?
"She'll be in the same position as Senyora's older sister figure. Mature vibe."
"What, decent height and killer figure?"
"Yep."
"...I get why you brought her, but still."
Ranyori. Cat Beastkin. Grew up almost abused in an orphanage.
Probably didn't eat properly as a kid, so she's on the shorter side.
Plus, with that sleek, elongated-limbed Cat Beastkin look, she doesn't match the image in my head at all.
Arwen? No need to even discuss. She's sickly and lives on salads—how could she fit?
Those are the data points Arwen had inputted. Neither works great as Karen's model.
Compared to them, my mom... well...
No matter what comment I add here, it'll sound weird, so simply put:
Even though I'm an adult now, she looks so youthful that most people who meet her think she's in her early thirties.
And lately, she still gets confessions from guys in their early twenties when she goes out.
Of course, Dad usually cuts them off with a "Excuse me, miss—" before they finish.
They should count themselves lucky it ended there. Better than losing their heads.
Anyway, point is, to build a database for drawing Karen, I had no choice but to ask Mom for help.
"I get what you're thinking, Author! She's a character with a big heart, right?!"
"Yes. Excellent self-filtering—thank you."
"But that image doesn't have to go this direction! You didn't have to call your mom...!"
"No. For the plot I'm planning, it has to be exactly this."
"Why?"
"She's an unlikable character."
"...?"
"Super unlikable. The kind where readers see the illustration and get so pissed off that even 'what the fuck' slips out—the overwhelming type."
"...Oh."
"I might even put more effort into her than Senyora."
"I totally get it now!"
"Good."
"I can go all out, right?"
"That's the idea."
"Yay!"
I'd successfully reached a dramatic compromise. Arwen was thrilled at the chance to push her limits(?).
In exchange, I asked her to draw a normal portrait of my mom. For data purposes, too. She agreed, of course.
...Though I did beg her not to pull the same stunt on Mom that she did with Ranyori when drawing Senyora.
"It's done!"
"Whoa~ You really are amazing! I can't wait to show her!"
"Thank you!"
"Hmm? Shouldn't I be saying that? Anyway, thanks~ See you later~!"
"Take care...!"
I sent Mom off with Ranyori first. I said I had more business here.
Before leaving, Mom whispered to me.
"But is it really okay for me to just take this...? Shouldn't I pay her or something?"
"Think of it as a gift from your son. Don't worry about it."
"How'd you get close to someone like that? And an elf, no less?"
"Just... happened..."
"...Hmm, two. Two of them."
"What?"
"Nothing! This much should be fine!"
"?"
"People have two arms. Two means you can hug them both at once, right?"
"What are you even talking about?"
"Still rooting for Ranyori, though."
"Mom, please just tell me what you're saying."
"Bye! Heading out! Ranyori, let's go!"
"Yesss...!"
She left without explaining. Probably not important...
"Was that helpful?"
"Karen details. Now."
"She acts cold and prickly toward Beastkin on the surface, but she doesn't actually hate them. Eventually, she opens up completely to Senyora and loves her to death."
"Outfit?"
"Plain. Dark colors, zero skin showing."
"Hmm..."
"But her body's so aggressively curvy that even plain clothes can't hide the impact."
"Perfect! Leave it to me!"
"Yep."
After that, I left it to Arwen off the rails. Letting her do her thing would probably yield better results than my explanations.
...Correction: not "probably"—it turned out great. She's already done. Why so fast?
"Next?"
"...Hmm, the cover?"
"On it."
She dove right in, lines flying across the page without hesitation.
The room soon filled with the scratch of pencil on paper.
I watched silently from the side, not even breathing loudly as her pencil danced.
Dark circles still lingered faintly under her eyes from fatigue, but her gaze burned with focus.
"Huuu..."
"Good work."
"Base sketch complete. How is it?"
"Perfect."
"Phew... I'll color it soon... Anything else...?"
"Nope. I'll let you know when Volume 2's done."
"Got it. I'm gonna pass out for a bit."
"Sure."
...Huh?
"...!"
I caught her as she slumped from the chair, eyes closing like a switch had flipped.
She just collapsed like that... Was she that exhausted?
I carried her to bed and tucked her in. Turned off the light.
It was already deep into the night—perfect time for a good sleep. She might actually rest well.
"Sweet dreams."
I stepped outside.
I was walking home slowly.
No one around. Not on the main street anyway.
As I walked, I pondered the final arc for Volume 2.
Karen's story needs a break for now... Something intense enough to make them forget her.
And ideally, since Karen will help Senyora in peril later, Senyora needs to face a real crisis.
"Hmm..."
What kind of crisis...
—That's what I was thinking when, to my right, from a gap in the alley,
a hand shot out. And grabbed my collar.
"?!"
It yanked me. And naturally...
"What."
"...?"
I held firm. Weaker than expected.
Plus, my body was still toned from sword training.
I turned my head.
They tried to flee, so I grabbed their wrist instead.
In the shadows, I could make out their silhouette.
...Not sure exactly, but a Beastkin. Ears perked up on their head.
Breathing ragged. Excited? Scared? Hard to tell.
The moment I sized up the situation, one thought flashed through my mind.
'Oh, plot material.'
Yeah. Exactly.