The Corpse Exhibition, Part 3
It wasn't as if I had provoked Camilo blindly without a plan.
I had intended to wound his pride from the very beginning.
Only then could I move on to the next step.
'If an ordinary visitor had committed such insolence, they would have met their death immediately, but...'
A Lich.
An archmage who transcended death.
That was the true identity of the corpse artist, Camilo von Taribas.
Few could survive his wrath. Even fewer when his art was insulted.
Perhaps only one of the twelve Sword Masters could stand a chance against him.
'But I am no ordinary visitor.'
Camilo had recognized me as a fellow artist.
All thanks to the hideous sculpture I had erected in the front yard of the Corpse Exhibition.
Therefore, he accepted my words not as the ignorant jeers of a layman, but as the valid critique of a peer.
...Of course, there was still one more verification process required before that.
"If your eye is so refined that you find yourself disappointed by my collection..."
Sliiid.
Camilo von Taribas pointed a finger.
He pointed toward the darkest corner at the end of the corridor, where glass cases displaying corpses lined both sides.
"What do you think of that piece over there?"
"..."
Churn!
The moment I stared in the direction he pointed, every cell in my body revolted.
Sikan Bauer and Adelia looked puzzled, as if they couldn't see anything, but it was crystal clear to my eyes.
A "something" twisted into a shape that human reason could never comprehend.
Tring!
...A ■■■ forbidden to humanity bypassed the censorship and burned itself onto my retinas.
Although my maxed-out Mental Strength kept me safe, I still felt a wave of nausea rising.
I forced myself to look at "it" as calmly as possible.
"It is difficult to discern its exact shape."
"..."
"But I can see the intention behind it."
Twitch.
The drawn line on Camilo's face wavered slightly.
Regardless, I pressed on.
"Faces distorted by agony, bodies straining to hold on until the very last moment. And even the fleeting instant when the soul escapes."
Swallowing down the bile, I described exactly what I saw.
And then, I offered praise I didn't mean.
"I must acknowledge it. That is unlike any of your other trivial works."
"...!"
In the next instant, Camilo's emotions shifted drastically. This time, it was joy, not anger.
"You can truly... see that?"
"Yes."
"Ah, very! A very splendid critique!"
Camilo's cold voice was instantly overtaken by excitement and madness.
"Ah, marvelous! Simply marvelous! How did you recognize the art containing the will of ■■■ at a single glance? You truly possess a profound understanding of art!"
Fortunately, Camilo seemed to love my answer.
I decided to flatter him further while I was at it.
Flattery always worked best when the target's mood was already elevated.
"And you are a magnificent artist yourself, to have created such a masterpiece."
"Heh, hehehe..."
Camilo let out a low chuckle.
"High undead like myself naturally love art. Because we have transcended the boundary between life and death, we can glimpse the true aesthetics that bloom within it."
"..."
"Some fool plays the violin day in and day out and calls it art. Ha! I refuse to even call such low-class trash art!"
I nodded in deep agreement.
"You speak nothing but the truth."
Then, I casually tested the waters.
"Which is why I ask... I would like to see more of your collection that matches that piece. No matter how I look at it, the other works on the first floor don't seem to reflect your full capability."
"...!"
Camilo nodded, readily accepting my proposal.
"Ah, of course! By all means! You have no idea how long I have yearned for the day I could have a deep conversation with someone who truly appreciates art!"
Just as I was secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Swish!
In the next instant, Camilo looked back at the rest of my party.
His manic laughter abruptly ceased.
"However..."
Camilo tilted his head.
He had noticed the stiff expressions on Sikan Bauer and Adelia's faces.
Ever since they set foot in the Corpse Exhibition, their expressions had been grim.
Naturally, they would be. Any normal human would feel an instinctual revulsion here.
"It seems your companions do not enjoy my art very much."
"..."
"If that is the case, won't it be difficult for them to properly appreciate the true value of my collection?"
A chilling aura once again seeped from Camilo's voice.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'Why is this undead bastard so damn picky?'
Dammit.
Can't he just let it slide?
Grumbling internally, I quickly spun an excuse.
"My subordinates still lack artistic refinement. I intended to use this opportunity to teach them what high art truly is—"
"Subordinates?"
Camilo seemed to tilt his head, then suddenly snapped his neck sideways.
The emotion in his voice grew increasingly hollow.
"You employ a hound of Midtemple and a girl of a Holy Family as your subordinates?"
...Damn it.
'He knew all along and was just playing dumb.'
Well, of course.
It made no sense for a high undead like Camilo to fail to sense holy energy.
In fact, it was stranger that he hadn't questioned it until now.
A bone-chilling bloodlust began to wrap around us once more.
"Yes. I had a vague suspicion."
Step.
Camilo approached slowly, exuding an eerily hollow atmosphere.
With every step he took closer, Adelia and Sikan Bauer flinched and retreated.
They had long realized that their opponent's level was overwhelming.
"As expected, you are..."
"Camilo von Taribas."
Yet, I did not back down. Instead, I took a step forward toward him.
Cutting him off, I replied in a deliberately cold voice.
"I came here to discuss art, not to pick a fight with you."
"..."
"But if you intend to bring up political factions and oppose me..."
I gripped the hilt of my sword.
"...then I will have to respond in kind."
Would he antagonize me by dragging up our ties to Midtemple?
Or would he continue our conversation as fellow artists, as if nothing had happened?
The choice was entirely up to Camilo von Taribas.
"..."
Faced with the two options, Camilo fell silent for a moment.
Before long, the drawn line on his face softened once more.
"...You make a fair point."
Camilo nodded in understanding.
"It is only proper to suspend conflict in the presence of beautiful art."
"..."
"Mediation, harmony, and love. Are these not also part of the positive influence that art can bring?"
Camilo didn't seem afraid of fighting me.
He simply found it regrettable to lose someone who shared his artistic values after so long.
To satisfy his own artistic desires, he chose to temporarily hold hands with a mortal enemy.
'Whew.'
I let out a silent sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness he's an undead obsessed with art...'
What would have happened if I hadn't built that sculpture in the front yard of the exhibition?
I would have been forced to fight Camilo, without a doubt.
It was a terrifying thought.
In fact, at least under the current circumstances, there was absolutely no way to kill him.
'Now is not the time to fight Camilo.'
While I was lost in thought,
Camilo bowed with an elegant gesture.
"Please forgive my rudeness."
"..."
"Now, please follow me. Let us forget the unpleasant memories and appreciate a more perfect art together."
I nodded calmly.
It was finally time to enter the 'real dungeon.'
Step, step.
Following Camilo's lead, I fell into deep thought.
Normally, to enter the "Special Gallery" of the Corpse Exhibition, one had to overcome countless obstacles.
'...Every single corpse sculpture in the exhibition is a monster.'
It was obvious just by looking at the level windows floating above the artworks.
Lv. 58
Lv. 59
Lv. 59
What if we had entered the Corpse Exhibition the normal way?
We would have had to deal with all those artworks lined up in the corridor... in other words, the undead chimeras created by Camilo.
There was no other way to access the Special Gallery.
"Here is the entrance."
But thanks to building affinity with Camilo and taking the hidden route, I was able to safely reach the entrance of the Special Gallery under his guidance.
"The Special Gallery is not a simple exhibition hall."
The double dungeon, the Special Gallery. Located on the third floor of the exhibition hall, this place had gifted nightmares to countless players.
"Shall we call it interactive art? It is a space where the visitors become part of the artwork to complete it."
"..."
"It consists of four rooms in total. Each room has a different 'theme.' And those who reach the final room..."
The black line drawn on Camilo's face distorted bizarrely.
"...will earn the right to view the greatest masterpiece I have spent my entire life creating."
He turned his head toward me.
"Until now, not a single visitor has reached the final room. But if it is you, I believe it is possible."
I nodded expressionlessly.
My true purpose for coming here lay in that final room as well.
"Then, I shall be waiting in the final room. I wish you an enjoyable viewing."
As we entered the first room of the Special Gallery, Camilo's twisted artistic vision began to unfold before my eyes.
Countless iron hooks hung from the ceiling, with corpses dangling like slaughtered meat. And a foul stench that pierced the nose.
Unlike the main exhibition hall, which packaged cruel sights as art, the Special Gallery offered blatant discomfort right from the entrance.
"Ugh!"
Adelia grimaced. She began to express her anger, unable to contain it any longer.
"This place is utterly disgusting. I want to perform a requiem and burn this entire place to the ground, but..."
"Stop."
I quickly stopped her.
"All the corpses here are connected to Camilo. If their souls are laid to rest through a requiem, he will notice immediately."
Bite.
Hearing my words, Adelia bit the inside of her lip.
Performing a requiem was tantamount to directly denying Camilo's art.
Doing so would only incur his wrath and invite greater danger.
Adelia and Sikan Bauer knew this as well. They were simply venting their outrage at the horrific sight.
Adelia let out a deep sigh and muttered.
"Then we must leave these poor souls abandoned like this."
"Wait. The right time will come later."
"...?"
Adelia tilted her head.
Taking that opportunity, Sikan Bauer asked a question.
"You mean we will be able to perform a requiem?"
"Yes."
"...Then when exactly is that 'right time'?"
Turn.
I slowly turned my head to look at the two of them.
Then, without a shred of hesitation, I spoke in a cold voice, as if stating an absolute fact.
"In one hour."
"O-one hour? Why then of all times...?"
To Sikan Bauer's follow-up question, I replied once more.
"Because by then, I will have killed him."
Silence.
The moment my words fell, a chilling silence descended upon the Special Gallery.
At the same time, Sikan Bauer and Adelia stared at me with startled expressions.