Chapter 157

Episode 157

The studio was quiet and tidy.

Art supplies were placed here and there, and a few unfinished paintings were visible. An ordinary person might have glanced over them, but my eyes couldn’t be fooled.

‘They’re all unfinished sketches. None of them are colored.’

I had once dabbled in Freud and Lacan.

From a psychoanalytic perspective, this space was like Sapiella’s unconscious mind. The exhibition space outside was the conscious world.

The lack of color in the sketches meant she could visualize forms but couldn’t feel their texture.

My interest piqued.

“Did you intentionally leave them uncolored?”

“I sometimes paint abstract art. I also sketch whatever comes to mind. That’s why I haven’t colored them.”

“Your perception of objects is remarkable, not to mention your painting skills.”

“You flatter me. It’s just a hobby.”

The phrase “just a hobby” was always the most terrifying. Even in my previous life, there were many people who excelled in their “side hustles.”

I decided to save some time.

“But where is the painting you wanted evaluated?”

“This way.”

We went further inside, and there was an empty space with a single easel standing alone.

It felt different from the other areas, which were decorated in a cute and cozy style.

It felt isolated.

The blackout curtains and the reliance on the light from a single lantern probably contributed to that feeling.

If I had to describe it, it felt like peering into a secret abyss.

“It’s this painting. Please don’t be too surprised if it’s a bit strange. It’s quite different from what I usually paint…”

Sapiella trailed off and removed the white cloth covering the canvas.

The artwork was revealed.

A gray sea stretched beneath a gray sky. And on it, a single island stood alone.

‘It’s truly surprising. It feels like a completely different person’s work. The colors are different, and so is the style.’

Even someone who knew nothing about art could confidently say that the style was different.

‘Above all, it lacks vitality. It’s pure desolation. It’s too realistic. What kind of painting is this?’

No matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind.

Even after focusing on the painting again, there were no distinctive objects. It was a painting that seemed to depict a fading world.

“The style is quite different. It doesn’t seem like you painted this from observation. Did you imagine this as well?”

“This might sound strange, but… I had the same dream over and over again. I was flying over the sea and looking down at a giant island.”

Sapiella spoke about her dream in a soft voice. There was nothing special about it, except that it always ended with the same angle depicted in the painting.

If I didn’t know the mastermind’s identity and hadn’t harbored suspicions about , I would have dismissed it as a random dream or an artist’s fantasy.

But this was the mastermind’s best friend.

I couldn’t just ignore it.

“It’s a bit strange. Ah, I don’t mean the painting is strange, so don’t misunderstand.”

I went over the details I had observed in this space.

“I mentioned the coloring earlier because the works in this space are fundamentally different from those displayed outside. There were many abstract and free sketches. But this painting is realistic in its angle and depiction. It’s too accurate to be just imagination. The perspective is also perfect.”

Jericho, the self-proclaimed art expert, was impressed by my explanation. Sapiella was as well.

“Now that you mention it, it’s true. I didn’t realize it at all.”

“The sketch is realistic, but the colors aren’t. It’s a gray that seems to depict a place that doesn’t exist in this world. Gray usually symbolizes an uncertain future, or despair and depression.”

“Sir O’Brien, you’re very knowledgeable.”

“Sir Jericho knows more than I do. Speaking of which, why don’t you share your thoughts?”

“Ahem, well… I actually had the same thought as the Inspector. It’s unusually melancholic, unlike your usual style, my Lady. If you had used your usual colors, it might have depicted a peaceful and tranquil island.”

Her usual colors?

I barely suppressed a shiver at those words.

I mentally removed the gray from the painting before me and replaced it with the colors Sapiella usually used. This required a high level of imagination.

And I was capable of it. I soon got the result.

‘A completely different image comes to mind. Jericho is right. It’s a peaceful and tranquil island. It could definitely be changed like that.’

It was the first time I felt such contrasting emotions from a single painting.

A landscape that changed depending on the colors used.

An uncertain future.

Despair and depression…?

‘Could it be… that?’

A flash of inspiration struck me. A passage from , which I had read countless times, came to mind.

I wanted to run and check the book immediately.

But I regained my composure, like a professional.

“My Lady, do you still have that dream?”

“No, I don’t anymore. It was a dream that lingered in my memory for a long time. You know what’s strange? It disappeared from my memory after I finished this painting.”

“That’s because the dream became reality. Human memory is more volatile than you think. Since it became real, the memory faded.”

“I suppose so. What about you, Lady Selendis?”

Selendis, after choosing her words carefully, commented, “It feels grotesque. The gray sea gives the impression of an impending storm. I feel like a great war will break out on that island.”

Good observation, Selendis. A great war might indeed break out beyond that sea.

“Thank you so much. Thanks to all of you, I feel like my worries have been resolved.”

“If I may, I have a request for you, my Lady.”

“Anything, Sir O’Brien.”

“I’d like to purchase this painting. Would you allow me?”

Sapiella was slightly surprised. She looked like she hadn’t expected it at all.

Of course, I had checked with Jericho beforehand whether the Lady sold her paintings. I heard some of her works were traded for exorbitant prices.

That meant I could buy this painting too.

“But I don’t think this painting has much artistic value. It’s quite gloomy.”

“If I may, I believe the value of art is ultimately determined by the viewer. I see infinite potential in this painting.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes.”

Sapiella smiled gracefully and handed me the painting.

“I’ll give it to you as a thank you for this mission.”

“That’s too much. This work deserves proper compensation.”

“The viewer determines the value, but the artist determines the price. So please accept it.”

I accepted the painting, as it seemed rude to refuse any further.

“Thank you, my Lady. I’ll treasure it as a family heirloom.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. I feel like I’ve discovered a new path. I think I can do more.”

“Then we should excuse ourselves.”

“You can stay longer… I understand why Lucy praises Sir O’Brien so much. Let’s have dinner together later.”

Sapiella immediately sat down at her workbench and started sketching. We quietly left the studio.

“Wow, that was unexpected. You said you weren’t interested in art, but your evaluation was worthy of a professional critic.”

“I studied it briefly in the past. I just put it to use today.”

“I think there’s a reason you bought that painting.”

I just grinned at Selendis’s question.

I returned to my room and took out from my inventory. I had read it so many times that I knew roughly what was written in each section.

The part that inspired me was the invasion route chosen by Plione, the daughter of the Demon King, to invade the demon realm.

‘The Promised Land, Terranoir.’

It was a place mentioned in the middle of . The reason I didn’t immediately recall it was because it wasn’t an island.

It was a massive canyon where concentrated demonic energy was transformed to create a dimensional gate.

Of course, the process wasn’t smooth.

It was thwarted several times by attacks from the demon rebels. But in the end, Plione succeeded in opening the dimensional gate by activating her divine power.

The feeling I got when reading the book perfectly matched the gray island depicted in Lady Sapiella’s painting.

That’s why I remembered it belatedly.

‘Could it be that Sapiella is acting as a kind of medium?’

It was just speculation for now, but the truth would soon be revealed.

There was one minor problem: I didn’t know where this place was.

The Lady’s scope of activities was already vast, even traveling to and from the Veil Sea. It wouldn’t be strange if this island in the painting was located in the middle of the Veil Sea.

Becoming the mastermind’s left-hand man wasn’t easy, it seemed.

* * *

The next morning, Jericho came to me with documents.

“Here’s the report on the eighth mission. Please take a look.”

“You’re diligent.”

“I hurried because it seems we’ll be leaving for the capital soon.”

I slowly flipped through the pages and reviewed the contents. The process of resolving Lady Sapiella’s concerns was overly embellished.

“Isn’t this too flattering?”

“I only wrote the truth. ‘Since it became real, the memory faded…’ That was a great quote. But it’s strange. Lady Sapiella is clearly real, but my memory is vivid.”

“That’s because she’s a dream-like figure to you.”

“Wow, as expected of the Inspector! It’s suspicious that you’re still single. It’s a shame I couldn’t include that line in the report.”

“You can include it. Maybe the Lady will help you.”

Jericho vehemently denied it, waving his hands. He was so shy.

“Send this to the Lady. And send that painting to Walker Manor. Tell them to hang it in my office.”

“Yes, understood.”

A few days later, the messenger I had been waiting for arrived. A young knight handed me a luxurious letter adorned with gold embroidery.

“I convey Prince Karma’s orders, Baron.”

I unfolded the letter and read it. It seemed the Emperor had given his approval. It was an order to come to the capital immediately.

“Thank you for your hard work. Tell him that the Inspector of the Lucius Inspection Unit and the Plenipotentiary of Kalisto will personally meet with His Highness.”

“Yes, I’ll convey your message.”

Jericho, who was beside me, asked, “Is this an Inspection Unit mission or a task for House Kalisto? I’m a bit confused.”

“The family’s business is the Inspection Unit’s business. No time for idle chatter. Prepare immediately. We’re going to the capital.”

Exactly fifteen days after the messenger’s visit, we safely entered the capital.