Chapter 89

– The Princess’s paintings were truly outstanding. But the disappointing part was that there were indeed a lack of various techniques.

Ioleen had been mentally occupied with Rupert’s words since returning to the palace after her long excursion.

“So that’s why my paintings lack vividness and I couldn’t concentrate.”

Simply copying was not difficult for Ioleen.

However, realizing through Rupert’s brief criticism what she had been missing, something that had never been filled even if she drew similarly, brought her a wave of comfort, as if a blockage had been cleared.

– “You need to vary the size of the characters. And utilizing the arrangement of the buildings can further draw the reader’s gaze.”

Drawing wasn’t just about portraying what you see.

In a way, Ioleen thought it had a commonality with the swordsmanship she had briefly learned in her childhood.

Just as numerous subtle movements and breaths were necessary to lead someone according to one’s intention, the same applied to painting; it required techniques to guide the viewer’s gaze as intended.

Once she returned to her quarters, she began rereading Rupert’s comic book from the beginning.

Now she could finally grasp the meaning behind the pictures that Rupert had drawn.

In certain scenes, he placed buildings in the center to attract the viewer’s attention, while in others, he emphasized the protagonist using light and shadow.

Confirming that such elements were arranged in nearly every scene gave Ioleen a slight chill.

“Is this achievable through calculation?”

Until now, Ioleen had drawn only by instinct, so the idea that she could think of such intricate compositions every time she painted was shocking.

– “While praise is never enough, if I had to point out one thing about Your Highness the Princess’s painting, it feels as if it was drawn with just your fingertips.”

Ioleen understood the technical critiques immediately, but the last advice felt like cloudy nonsense and didn’t resonate with her.

However, only after rereading the comics he had drawn did she grasp the final counsel.

Up until now, the paintings she had created were merely to showcase her skills rather than for the viewer’s enjoyment.

Thus, they lacked vividness and couldn’t engage anyone.

“How fun, no, it’s been so long since I felt this desire to do better.”

Usually, when ordinary folks realized their shortcomings compared to how exquisitely Rupert’s comics were designed, they would typically feel defeated.

But Ioleen was different.

To her, the higher the wall, the better. She found immense joy in realizing how much she still needed to improve, and the fact that the skills of those she wished to catch up with were exceptional thrilled her.

There was a famous soccer player from the past who once mentioned in an interview that he struggled because he had a habit of slacking off during neighborhood games as a child.

His talent was so remarkable that if he played to his fullest, the match wouldn’t even be competitive, so he always slacked off, and he said he continued to do so even after becoming a pro.

There was a well-known story about him, saying he only began to try his best after moving to one of the world’s top leagues and then seeing another player.

Ioleen felt just like that now.

Whenever she challenged herself with all her might, the opponent typically lost their fighting spirit, and she disliked losing her motivation.

But Rupert seemed capable of receiving her full-force challenges with ease.

“Prepare plenty of new pens and practice paper.”

“Yes, understood.”

Jorge, who was now openly serving Ioleen, moved swiftly to carry out her command as soon as her words finished.

###

“Is this truly paradise?”

The head of the Doujinshi Club, Shroud, was left speechless by the spectacle unfolding before him.

The first thing that caught his eye was the steel armor of Alphonse Elric, the younger brother of the protagonist from Iron-Blooded Alchemist.

The figure of Alphonse Elric was still being released, but what lay before him was of a different dimension.

This steel armor, dubbed a life-size 1:1 figure, was indeed massive like the ones in the comic book.

After staring for a while, Shroud began to inspect the intricate details of the steel armor, once again left in awe.

It was a depiction so detailed that it could be believed to have jumped straight out of the book.

“I had a really hard time booking this place, but it’s worth it for this!”

Having secretly been an avid fan of comic books, Shroud felt liberated now.

Though he greatly loved manga, he maintained a facade of casual interest in front of others due to his noble status.

Thus, standing proud as the head of the Doujinshi Club, he was experiencing what true ecstasy felt like at this special exhibition.

Like any other day, Shroud had popped into Somerset Goods Store to purchase newly released figures and immediately rushed about to reserve for this new special exhibition.

Only customers with at least a gold badge could make reservations, yet the competition was so fierce that some members of the Doujinshi Club could not even attend.

“Oh, this is the legendary pocket watch!”

The effort Shroud expended to get into this special exhibition was certainly worth it.

It was a rare opportunity to view numerous unreleased figures and even the prestigious alchemist pocket watch that had been distributed in a limited draw.

“Is this the same item the Crown Prince has on his arm?”

“Indeed, it’s something fit for His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“How can it be so exquisitely crafted?”

After admiring the pocket watch for a while, Shroud’s attention was drawn by a sudden commotion nearby.

‘Do they not know how to appreciate such a work of art?’

Initially bothered by the noise disrupting his viewing, he soon became curious about what could be so interesting.

He made his way towards the crowd.

On this day, the very first lucky visitors to the special exhibition had congregated around none other than the 1:1 size figure of Edward Elric, another protagonist from Iron-Blooded Alchemist.

“Wait, what’s this?”

Shroud, who had been internally blaming the noisy crowd, couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

He had just seen the figure equipped with the newly popular Mechanical Golem’s Arm that had caused quite a stir after being worn by the Crown Prince.

As the head of the Doujinshi Club, Shroud felt a sense of duty to convey the vivid emotions of witnessing such a figure to his members.

“…If only I had that.”

While deeply absorbed in observation, a familiar voice broke into his ears, prompting Shroud to turn his head.

There stood a handsome young man with black hair, intently gazing at the figure of Edward Elric.

‘What is it? That voice sounds familiar.’

However, Shroud couldn’t quite recall whose voice it was.

If he had ever met someone so stunning, he wouldn’t have forgotten; thus, he assumed it must be a case of mistaken identity.

‘Alright, shall we check out the next exhibit?’

Having sufficiently admired the Mechanical Golem’s Arm, Shroud moved on to the next display.

This time, he was set to see the figures of characters selected in the previous popular vote, which had not been released yet.

On the table were figures of Edward Elric, Winry Rockbell, and Eastern Prince Ling displayed together.

Unlike the other figures, these three seemed to have been presented as a set from the start, naturally arranged side by side.

Edward Elric appeared shyly looking up at the sky, while Winry Rockbell stood with her arms crossed and a bright smile directed at him.

And in between them, the Eastern Prince Ling posed with his arms wrapped around their shoulders in a charming display.

“This is a good piece; just looking at it reminds me of a scene from Iron-Blooded Alchemist.”

Shroud understood that just replicating a character well does not make for a great figure.

Only figures that reflected the characters’ personalities or recreated scenes from the comic book were truly valuable, in Shroud’s eyes.

In that context, the quality of this unreleased figure was remarkably high; he was already excited about the possibility of purchasing it once it was released.

“Hey… don’t smile like that, Winry.”

As he admired the unreleased figures, he turned when he heard another familiar voice, discovering that the same black-haired young man had now joined him.

The figure he was staring at looked like he was gazing at a lost wife, and Shroud took a cautious step back, feeling slightly scared.

‘What’s with this weirdo…’

Although he himself loved comics and figures, he didn’t obsess over them to that extent, leaving him slightly unsettled.

‘Now that I think about it…’

Looking at the immensely absorbed young man admiring the three figures, Shroud recalled one of his fellow Doujinshi Club members, Elzawin.

Elzawin was exceptionally knowledgeable about Iron-Blooded Alchemist, and he was a monster member who possessed all sorts of rare goods and limited-edition books.

He wondered if that eccentric, who had insisted on including Eastern Prince Ling in the popular vote, might be here at this special exhibition.

“Could it be him?”

Reflecting further, Shroud felt that the voice of this young black-haired man resembled Elzawin’s.

Of course, they didn’t know each other’s faces since everyone in the Doujinshi Club wore masks, but it was hard to disguise physique or voice, making it quite similar.

Yet,

‘Nah, surely not.’

Shroud thought it was unlikely that Elzawin would be so engrossed to that extent.

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