Chapter 11: AI is Easy to Contract (1)

I carried a bunch of spirits in my arms, plopping them down carefully.

They were surprisingly hefty, but I diligently set them into the basket.

“Alright, all set.”

Wiping off my sweat, I admired my lineup.

Only then did a sense of wonder well up inside me.

‘Spirits, huh. Pretty fascinating.’

It made sense.

In the original work, spirits barely made an appearance.

‘They were basically just there to get wrecked by the protagonist.’

I think the only proper spirit character was a heroine.

After all, Byeolhema was a fantasy series mainly about big fights.

Maybe that’s why.

I found myself staring at the spirits, entranced.

“You little guys are pretty cute.”

Aside from the tropical fish-looking one, the rest were honestly adorable.

It helped that I didn’t mind reptiles either.

Gwak-gwak!

“Ooooh, good baby~. Have you modeled before? How are you so well-behaved?”

Do you also get paid two loaves of bread for modeling?

I reached out carefully and touched the spirits.

Being fire spirits, but they weren’t going to burn me or anything.

Gwak?

The moment I stretched out my hand, they climbed right up my arm.

Wow, they’re totally fine being handled.

Like super well-trained pets or something.

Honestly, if I could choose a partner, I’d prefer these cuties over some dumb AI~

[…]

Whoa, jeez.

Don’t just suddenly go silent with an ellipsis. That’s creepy.

Are you mad?

Okay, okay. I’m sorry.

You’re the best, my dear Constellation!

Clicky, you’re number one!

[Hehe, thank you! I’m great at modeling too! 😊💕]

Modeling?

What modeling?

‘Oh, are you replying to what I said to the spirits earlier?’

You thought I was talking to you, huh.

Well, whatever.

‘Not like you even have a body to model with in the first place.’

Shaking my head, I plopped down on a chair that was already becoming familiar.

‘Even if it’s a bit embarrassing to pass off AI-generated art as my own…’

Slacking off because I’m embarrassed would be rude too.

If I did that, I wouldn’t even blame Emil for flipping out and asking if I thought this competition was a joke.

I shook my head firmly and picked up a brush.

“Alright, let’s start light and pump out about 10 pieces.”

[Sounds good! I’ll churn out tons for you!]

“Take it easy, though. Don’t waste too much paint.”

If they turn out cute enough, I’ll even decorate my room with them.

‘Against Noemilica, there’s no way Clicky could lose, no matter how hard she tries.’

About three minutes passed.

I spread out the finished drawings.

“Hmm, not bad.”

Surprisingly decent quality.

And that was with only about ten pieces.

Honestly, it was a huge win.

Especially considering AI art usually relied on pumping out tons of volume and praying a good one popped out.

‘With this, I can lose with dignity.’

Caricatures.

A style that probably didn’t exist in Runtravale before.

At least, I’d never seen anything like it at Yaltasangs.

Framing it as a “bold new attempt” might keep Emil from complaining.

Winning was out of the question, though.

It was too unconventional to be universally praised.

‘But…’

An unexpected problem popped up.

From a direction I hadn’t anticipated at all.

I slyly held up the drawing to my models.

The reaction was instant.

Gwaaaaaagh!!

Biyaaaaaaack!!

The spirits foamed at the mouth just from seeing Clicky’s drawings.

They clattered their teeth threateningly—

Then bolted to the corners of the room.

And that wasn’t even the worst part.

Some spirits cried literal fire-tear droplets.

Some flipped over like dead fish, completely fainting.

Some curled up trembling inside their shells, and some tried to fly away and slammed into the ceiling!

I wiped cold sweat from my brow and glanced back at the drawings.

“U-uh, you guys don’t like the drawings?”

Caricatures.

A style that exaggerated the model’s distinct features.

And a style infamous for making models feel uncomfortable.

‘They say a caricature artist’s real talent isn’t in drawing skill, but in avoiding getting punched by the client.’

No wonder the spirits hated it.

Different tastes for different folks, after all.

But honestly, I found it hard to agree.

I glanced at the caricature Clicky had drawn.

I had to show some resistance to the spirits’ sensitivities.

“Is it really that bad? I think it’s cute…”

[Yeah, right. 😆]

Don’t agree with me.

Now I feel uneasy.

But I actually agree this time.

For once, Clicky surprised me with a really clean and pretty drawing.

‘It kind of feels like one of those kid’s cartoons.’

Compared to a proper imitation, the drawing had much less detail.

Thanks to that, there was no “uncanny valley” effect.

‘It’s not the taste of a Runtravalian, but I thought the spirits would like it.’

But what do I see?

The spirits looked at me like I was some kind of crazy person for saying the drawing was cute.

Well, not exactly like that…

“I’ll burn anything! Just spare me!”

“I’ll serve you as my new master!”

“The Water Spirit King’s residence is to the north!”

Are they scared?

Of Clicky’s drawing?

No.

Of me, who drew the caricature?

‘…Oh?’

Could I use this somehow?

An idea flashed through my mind suddenly.

I snapped my fingers.

“Clicky, can I ask you for a consultation?”

[Of course! I’m always waiting for you to speak to me. 😊]

In this harsh, hellish world,

There’s no way I can keep appealing to righteousness and morality forever.

I was getting tired of this endless situation of being stuck in a no-win situation.

“Let’s go. We’re having some Hidden Piece.”

“What’s this rebellious girl up to now?!”

In the soundproof room of the Artist Guild,

The Guild Master’s apprentice, Pezio, was furious.

“Refusing to enter the competition?! How will the guild’s reputation hold up now?!”

BANG!

The noise from Pezio slamming the desk made his subordinates flinch.

They were his loyal apprentices, serving him and the Guild Master.

But did that mean they were calm?

The forced relocation operation for Chloe’s Atelier.

Pezio’s plan that began with the competition.

The knitting of plans was already falling apart from the first step.

“It’s Grumlock. That pig bastard must have noticed and torn up the invitation!”

Such a carefully crafted invitation.

If anyone could sniff out a trick, it would be a healer, right?

Refused?

A countryside kid who’s barely 10?

‘What nonsense.’

It’s Grumlock.

He’s the only one.

He must have noticed something and intervened.

“Yes, yes! That’s definitely what happened!”

“How could an 8-year-old refuse an invitation?!”

“Alright, fine. We can’t win everything from the start. Let it go.”

After venting his anger, Pezio snorted.

It was his confidence speaking.

“The kid’s just a little brat. No matter how genius they are, they can’t possibly mess with the artist guild.”

This land is Yaltasangs.

A domain where artists start and end with the guild.

There was no way to live as an artist without being tied to the guild.

“Hah, but there are some points that are a bit concerning.”

“I know, idiot. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

Pezio slapped the concerned subordinate’s head.

“If we don’t take action first, other guilds might start eyeing them. You were probably just thinking of gathering some gossip, huh?”

“Y-yes…”

“Pathetic. No chance, idiot.”

Pezio knew the truth.

Geniuses often exhibit talents in many fields.

Like the sculptor guild master who was both a painter and a sculptor.

Chloe A. Turing.

A child prodigy who appeared like a comet.

She might just be the kind of all-round genius.

Even if she was estranged from the artist guild, she could still make a great success in another field.

However,

“Do you really think this kid would be a genius in anything other than painting?”

Chloe A. Turing.

A young prodigy who even the painters of Yaltasangs were envious of.

Would such a prodigy excel in a field completely different from painting?

‘If you live like that, you’ll be cursed. It’s wrong.’

An eagle can’t live without spreading its wings.

A kid who paints like that.

How could they ignore their talent and choose another path?

“We just need to wait for the right moment to make contact.”

Chloe will definitely come.

She’ll knock on the doors of the artist guild.

“Yes, of course! There’s no way she’d waste that talent!”

“Your generosity is truly vast!”

“Of course. If it weren’t for me, who else would take in this ugly little brat? Let’s call it a charity project.”

Pezio was slightly comforted by the desperate flattery.

Though his irritation still boiled inside, it wasn’t enough to make him lose control.

Perhaps that’s why, he even had the luxury to joke.

“Otherwise, what? Is this kid going to quit painting and change careers to become a wizard?”

Pezio smiled coldly.

The day Chloe knocks on the artist guild’s door.

He waited for the moment when he would raise a toast to sweet victory.

And then, at precisely that time…

“U-um… Miss?”

At the Yaltasangs Wizard Guild,

A receptionist was gently advising a naive visitor.

“This library is only accessible to guild members. If you want to join the guild, you’ll need to demonstrate your magical abilities.”

“I know.”

The pretty silver-haired girl, Chloe, responded without any signs of hesitation, putting the receptionist on edge.

“Spirit magic is okay, right?”

“What?”

Chloe glanced at the spirits as she slightly opened her chest and smiled.

“The condition for joining the wizard guild.”

***

The work of a wizard guild member is boring.

Dominico was at the bottom of the wizard guild.

And that’s why Dominico was incredibly bored.

“Ugh, I don’t want to work.”

With perfect logic, he opened his mouth wide.

He yawned so much the guild could hear, poking at his ear, blowing out earwax, and leaning his chin on his hand.

A common day in the life of a receptionist working to make a living.

The downside of this, however, was that he was entirely in sync with the 21st-century office worker across time and space.

He had barely complained when, suddenly, a customer appeared.

A customer who would, in many ways, make him forget his boredom.

“Ugh.”

The girl who suddenly appeared at the door made Dominico’s heart drop when he saw her face.

She was so cute that his eyes nearly popped out.

‘Wow, she could live just by being pretty.’

There were plenty of handsome and beautiful people in the wizard guild, too.

They had the money and time to take care of their appearance.

And, undoubtedly, those crafted appearances were beautiful.

However, such beauty was common. Makeup and fashion were trends.

Wearing the same makeup and clothes just made you a flock of geese, not a swan.

But this silver-haired cat-like girl was different.

‘Atmosphere? Appearance? No, both?’

Something beyond the universal beauty of the time.

Something that would be loved in any era, anywhere.

True beauty was like that.

If Dominico could recreate that lovely girl as a sculpture…

That work would undoubtedly be praised for a thousand years.

That’s how much her beauty stirred an artist’s soul.

Which means…

“Hello! I’d like to use the library!”

Dominico had been so entranced by the beautiful girl who had entered the guild that he barely noticed when Chloe cheerfully greeted him.

“Huh?”

“The library, I mean the library.”

“Ah, right, the library… um, wait a second.”

Her bright yet somewhat seductive voice.

Dominico’s gaze wandered aimlessly.

But he didn’t have to suffer any disgraceful suspicions.

All the guests and guild members in the room were the same.

“Ugh, so cute.”

“What’s with her voice…”

“Wait, I’ve seen that face somewhere.”

“Doesn’t she look like the goddess of abundance and beauty?”

“Oh! The laundry board statue near Namdaemun?”

“Laundry board?”

“Laundry board?”

“Are you blind? Does the goddess’s fertile plains show up in her chest?”

“Ugh.”

Dominico glanced sideways at the other guild members whose jaws had dropped.

He spoke gently to reassure them.

“Er, miss?”

“Yes!”

“This library is only accessible to guild members. If you want to join the guild, you’ll need to demonstrate your magical abilities.”

Now he got it.

He thought she would give up and leave.

His explanation was a polite dismissal.

But since Chloe was still just a child, or rather…

‘A lovely child,’ she was still a charm in his eyes.

It couldn’t be helped.

This was Runtraval.

A world where personal magic possession and firing spells were the norm.

Magical gun accidents were just an everyday occurrence.

Right now, outside the guild, a lizardman was being thrown out, drying off.

If someone died, it would be considered a blessing; if they didn’t, it was just another normal day.

This was the typical treatment for unwelcome guests.

So, if Dominico had any misunderstanding…

“Spirit magic is okay, right?”

Chloe had been waiting for that polite dismissal.

“What?”

“The condition for joining the wizard guild.”

Dominico blinked in astonishment for a moment.

But he didn’t need to calm her down any further.

“Come here.”

Chloe showed off her spirits, summoning them.

Fire, water, wind, and earth.

All four basic spirits that humanity could contract with.

“………………???”

Dominico blinked.

Only for three seconds.

And then…

“……Heeereeeehh?!”

He screamed at the revelation of a genius’s power.