Chapter 203
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Carver
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At her unexpected words, I pulled a metal box about the size of my forearm from my subspace pocket.
It was a half-finished failure, without even any coloring.
"Hmm..."
Hwaryeong stared at it silently.
Then she spoke.
"My brother had a hobby of sculpting long ago... Why not ask him?"
Oh?
That was unexpected news.
"Did Young Master Cheonryeong learn sculpting?"
"Long ago, as part of his training under Father, he did some sculpting."
It seemed he got interested back then.
No need to agonize over it further, so I followed Hwaryeong to Cheonryeong's room.
Along the way, perhaps disliking the silence, she cautiously asked,
"But how is it that you possess such immense power, Young Master?"
"Hm... Well, I've died so many times it's hard to count, and somehow I ended up this strong."
She took it as a joke and giggled.
"You have a great sense of humor, Young Master."
Is this funny?
Her expression suggested she genuinely found it amusing. No way for me to know.
Cheonryeong was silently swinging his sword in the quiet training hall.
Seeing him focus endlessly on his blade, as if trying to shake off some preoccupation, strangely stirred an urge to point something out.
Of course, I'm not his teacher, and it's not my place to meddle.
"Young Master? What brings you here so late?"
He spotted me, lowered his sword, and approached.
Covered in sweat, it looked like he'd been at it for quite a while.
"Have you been practicing long?"
"Ah... Yes. It's nothing compared to your efforts, Young Master."
"You're doing well, Young Master Cheonryeong. Luna and I are a bit unusual, so no need to rush."
Even as I said it, I knew better than anyone it was pointless advice.
But I couldn't impose my standards—having died dozens, hundreds of thousands of times—on him.
"So, what brings you here..."
As he sheathed his sword and asked carefully, Hwaryeong explained the situation in my stead.
"If my humble skills can help, I'll do anything. Might I see that person's likeness?"
After pondering his offer, a fun idea struck me.
"Then how about both of you try out a Paradise Artifact?"
"I've heard rumors of them. Aren't Paradise Artifacts rare?"
"I have plenty. I can just make more if needed."
Many still didn't know they came from Cascadia, and these two seemed to be among them.
Not grasping my meaning, they stared blankly at each other before asking,
"Um... Sorry, but is the veiled artifact creator perhaps..."
"Yes, me."
"Good heavens... Young Master, if I may be so bold..."
"Go ahead."
"What in the world are you?"
Hwaryeong's words carried a world of meaning.
Of course, from my side, explaining it all was a hassle.
"Just go try it out already."
Nothing beats experiencing something firsthand to gain inspiration.
After trying the artifact, Cheonryeong openly marveled.
"It felt like the immortal realms themselves. Truly remarkable. I can see how someone might get deeply immersed."
"Can you do it?"
"If my modest talent can contribute, I'll help."
The Machine God's Heart couldn't be used by anyone but me, so carving had to be done manually.
But with an existing model, I could tweak its molecular structure to give the wood metal-like durability.
"Is this size okay?"
I brought Cheonryeong to the workshop and showed him a large log. He silently ran his hand over its surface.
"It's fine, but the wood itself isn't very sturdy."
"No problem. I'll alter the molecular structure and infuse it with metal."
Cheonryeong looked puzzled, not understanding, but I handed him a carving knife regardless.
"Need any other tools?"
"No, this is fine."
He coated the knife with faint aura.
Now that I noticed... He wielded the aura on the knife more precisely and cleanly than when swinging his sword.
The difference in his mental image, even with the same blade.
Cheonryeong circled the log, then expertly began shaving off the outer layer with casual taps.
It seemed rough, but his strokes hid astonishing expertise.
"Hwaryeong seems totally hooked on that game."
As he carved with a smile, Cheonryeong spoke to me.
"Is that so?"
"She's loved wandering and sightseeing since she was little. But as with most daughters of martial clans, unless you're a warrior, they usually end up in political marriages to protect the family."
Hwaryeong's case was a political marriage compounded by circumstances that kept her from going out much.
"She wanted to roam the world namelessly, rather than earn titles like dragon or phoenix. So..."
Scrape! Scrape!
"How could she not enjoy such adventures?"
I silently watched his work continue.
Watching an expert at work was subtly healing, like staring wordlessly into a crackling campfire.
The work took about two days.
Two days was incredibly fast, but Cheonryeong's hesitation-free pace far exceeded expectations.
Hearing it was nearing completion, I watched early, munching popcorn.
"That's the companion character Donia, right?"
"You can tell?"
"The quality's impressive."
Luna reached for my popcorn, satisfied.
"It goes beyond mere polish—feels alive."
Right, that was the detail I found lacking.
Cheonryeong's skill surpassed my expectations, and hours flew by until the sculpture was done.
He even used the paints I'd prepared to finish the coloring neatly.
"Whoa... With that color mixing, it looks real, not just a statue."
"Haha. A trick I learned from an eccentric long ago."
For a "trick," I'd never seen such lifelike sculpting.
The smooth finish, like finely carved marble, plus shading, made it seem ready to spring to life.
His words signaled my turn.
I piled special alloys beside the sculpture and manifested the Machine God's Heart.
Cheonryeong's eyes widened.
Keep the appearance and color, perfect the durability.
I liquefied the metal and seeped it into the statue seamlessly.
A precise synthesis with no margin for error, accounting for color shifts as materials changed—a delicate task.
While Cheonryeong watched in fascination, Luna eyed the power warily.
"Every time I see it, that power feels a bit unsettling."
Thus, the life-sized sculpture was complete.
"How... did you do that?"
"Merged the internal structure. It's not natural, but it has great preservation and durability."
Once started, do it right—plus recouping costs—with a mithril coating to boot...
Kaaaaang!!!
"What do you think? Pretty neat, huh?"
Not a scratch on what was just wood scraping under the knife moments ago. Cheonryeong said in awe,
"Incredible. The wood used is easy to carve but rarely chosen for its poor durability..."
"Tougher than most metal statues."
Tapping its waist produced a clear, metallic ring.
The red-robed mage Donia looked ready to unleash spells, filling me with satisfaction.
"Good work."
"Not yet. Haven't made companion Arik."
Mage Donia and warrior Arik.
As Luna said, a classic party combo.
The emperor had adventured with them too, apparently.
He definitely wanted their statues.
"What's this, a life-sized figure?"
Motivated now, Cheonryeong started on the second log.
His skill transcended mere carving—an artist's soul? Something like that.
I could make them myself, but mine would be copy-paste replicas. His had an indescribable detail edge.
"Whoa, this quality is real?"
Even Melissa marveled at first sight. Others would notice the difference too.
I added protective spells to the finished pieces and stored them in my subspace.
As I prepared to leave, Melissa asked,
"Going yourself?"
"What choice do I have? Emperor wants to meet."
The emperor insisted on seeing the original creator, so I had to go.
"Sigh... Can't even rest a few days."
"Even if the empire explodes, I'll wrap up the audience and come back."
I stepped into the mana gate with Aurora.
Cheonryeong didn't seem keen to go, so I left him.
Thus, riding the mana gate to the Mielephon capital.
Pascalia's capital was called the most prosperous city on the central continent.
Normally I'd leisurely sightsee, but golden-armored figures awaited right at the gate—no chance.
The imperial grandeur and procession felt overwhelming compared to other nations, but oh well.
This was empire culture.
Guided by the chamberlain into the palace, a massive, breathtaking imperial palace loomed, overpowering the senses.
Princess Aileena was at the academy, so no business with her here.
That was a relief.
Luna had wanted to come sightsee the capital, but I left her this time.
"I have one question."