I entered the art supply store with Yoo Yeonha. Various easels and canvases that exuded luxury lined the neatly organized store.

“Do you really plan on painting?”

Yoo Yeonha asked as I busily looked over the products. I didn’t bother responding as I picked a brush, palette, easel, canvas, oil paint, etc.

“How much will these be?”

I asked at the counter. The store owner wearing a beret and sleeve protectors looked at me skeptically.

“Do you know how to paint?”

I smirked at his question. Honestly, I had no idea. I figured I would naturally pick it up once I started.

“Of course, I’m buying these because I know how to paint.”

“Why are you wearing a mask? Do you have leprosy?”

“It’s none of your business, so please just tell me how much.”

The store owner grimaced and shook his head.

“We can’t sell our goods to any chap on the street. That’s the law.”

“I said I know how to paint. I might not be just another chap, you know?”

“…”

The store owner crossed his thick arms in disbelief and glared. It seemed like he would call the police if I stubbornly persisted.

I smirked again and nodded.

“Then, let’s do it like this. Sell me those first and I’ll go paint. You can gauge my skills and call the police if you’re not satisfied with my painting.”

“

Hmm…

You sound confident, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, deal.”

I extended my card to the store owner and he snatched it out of my hand.

“How much—”

I asked, but the store owner interrupted me.

“Three million won. It’s actually three hundred thousand won, but I’m charging more just in case you run off. I’ll refund the full amount if you bring back your painting and I acknowledge your skills.”

I almost punched the store owner when he said three million won, but I composed myself after hearing him out.

I looked at Yoo Yeonha after paying for the items. She tilted her head and shrugged as if to ask why I looked at her.

“I need a model.”

“What?”

“I need a face to put on this canvas, right?”

I tapped on the easel and canvas.

Yoo Yeonha furrowed her brows and looked at me in disbelief. No, it might be more accurate to say she looked at me in disgust.

Five minutes later…

We came to a nearby park with excellent scenery. I asked her to sit on the grass while I prepared the easel. I placed the canvas on top and took out the palette and brush.

Yoo Yeonha began grumbling as I mixed the colors on my palette.

“I dare you to screw up. Be prepared to never see me again if you mess up a single stroke.

Ah

, don’t even think about giving excuses like you were drawing an abstract painting of me. It has to be the real me or else—”

“

Ah

, quit whining will you? Why are you talking so much?”

I began painting after cutting her off.

Whik! Whik!

My brush strokes came out perfectly without a hint of hesitation.

“How did you all clear the second test?” I asked her while painting.

“Nayun did everything, what else?”

“Chae Nayun?”

“Yes, I think Nayun has reached an entirely different level now. It’s safe to assume she’s reached the pinnacle.”

Yoo Yeonha proudly smiled as she recalled Chae Nayun’s martial prowess.

“Is that so?”

I had no idea how strong Chae Nayun became, but she did switch to the sword a long time ago.

Yoo Yeonha sullenly looked at me.

“Can you be a bit more interested? You were the one who discovered her talent for the sword.”

“I did?”

“Yes, you turned Nayun into a swordsman.”

“

Ah…

”

I smiled after recalling the distant past, but didn’t say anything and focused on painting.

Yoo Yeonha sighed as if she gave up talking and focused on posing as well.

The brush moved according to my will as I transferred the beautiful woman surrounded by lush greenery onto the canvas.

***

Chae Nayun roamed around the third test’s stage.

She checked every main structure in the area including the king’s castle, the magic tower, the academy where they trained the next generation, and even the artist hall where they trained talented artists.

“Registration will close soon! Hurry and register!”

She saw a shirtless man causing a scene on her way to their lodgings. He kept telling people to sign up for the martial tournament, which Yoo Yeonha asked her to participate in.

“

Ah

, I should join that.”

Chae Nayun had completely forgotten. She went over to register when someone sulking on a nearby bench caught her attention.

This dumb blonde perfectly fitted the description of beauty.

“Why the hell is she over there looking all depressed?”

Chae Nayun thought about just ignoring her, but that dumb blonde was the protagonist of this world. She should at least go over and ask why it looked like Rachel stepped on shit.

Chae Nayun approached and sat beside her, but Rachel kept her head down and didn’t even notice.

“

Ehem

!”

Chae Nayun faked a cough, and only then did Rachel finally look up.

“What are you doing here?” Chae Nayun curtly asked her.

“…”

Rachel looked away and didn’t even have the strength to talk. Chae Nayun hated that face the most.

“What is it?”

“…”

“Chicken got your tongue? Why aren’t you talking all of a sudden?”

Rachel looked at her and weakly replied, “It’s not a chicken, it’s a cat…”

“Oh…”

Chae Nayun’s face became slightly flushed.

“T-That’s the same thing. Hey, I did that on purpose to make you laugh. You dare make fun of me?

Haa

, did you really think I didn’t know it was a cat?”

Her excuses sounded too obvious. Rachel didn’t even bother to entertain her. Chae Nayun acted dumb a few more times, but Rachel didn’t react at all.

“

Sigh…”

Chae Nayun racked her brains. The only thing that could put Rachel in this state… She had no idea because they weren’t close, but if she had to guess…

“Hey, did you fight with Kim Hajin by any chance?”

Rachel flinched at her words. How did Chae Nayun know that Kim Hajin was Xtra? That question popped up in Rachel’s head first.

“I guess I’m right. What did you two fight over?” Chae Nayun asked, but Rachel didn’t want to talk about it.

However, Chae Nayun already did her research and had an idea. She faked two coughs before carefully speaking.

“Hampton?”

Rachel shook and turned towards Chae Nayun.

“Looks like it, but why did you two fight over something from so long ago?”

Rachel remained silent, but a part of her wanted to ask someone about it. She wanted to know who was in the wrong between them.

“I…”

Rachel hesitated, but Chae Nayun encouraged her.

“Yes, go on. Feel free to speak.”

Rachel sat properly on the bench and faced Chae Nayun with a sigh.

“I believe that I’m responsible for the massacre that occurred at the Hampton Palace. I should carry the burden—”

“

Huh?

Why do you have to carry that burden? That wasn’t even your fault.”

Chae Nayun bluntly responded and Rachel flinched. Chae Nayun said the same thing as Kim Hajin, but she even scoffed as if she found Rachel’s words to be funny.

“You’re a funny one, aren’t you? Hey, you…

uhm…

Do you know how my mom died? Answer me honestly. Everyone knows about that incident.”

Rachel felt surprised and didn’t expect Chae Nayun to openly talk about that event. Did she already recover from it?

Chae Nayun grimaced and continued, “If we went by your logic, then my mom’s death would be my fault, right? Are you trying to drag my family into this?

Ha?

Is the English Royal Court’s vice leader really going to stoop so low?

Ha?!

”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Then what is it? What did you mean?”

Rachel broke out into a cold sweat at Chae Nayun’s pressure. She chewed her lips and nervously gulped.

“

Pfft—”

Chae Nayun held back her laughter and tapped Rachel’s shoulder.

“So what I’m trying to say is, it’s not your fault. Don’t force yourself to carry the burden of everything, alright?

Ah

, it seems like Kim Hajin said the same thing.”

“…”

“Well, I understand how you feel. People tend to think their misfortune is the worst. I used to be no different.”

Chae Nayun spoke while looking at the sky. The sun began to set and the sunset’s orange hue dyed the ground. She suddenly thought about Kim Hajin.

I still don’t know what kind of person he is, what burden he’s carrying, or how lonely his life is…

However, only Kim Hajin could save Rachel in this world.

Chae Nayun slowly lowered her gaze from the sky and looked at Rachel.

“He’s going through tough times just like you, so he probably felt frustrated seeing you blame yourself for everything.”

Chae Nayun wanted to change the topic before Rachel could ask anything else.

“

Ah

, you signed up for the martial tournament too, right?”

Rachel nodded.

“I plan to sign up too. I suggest you surrender if you meet me. I’m not someone the likes of you can handle.”

Chae Nayun confidently laughed and patted Rachel on the back.

Tak Tak Tak

Rachel grimaced at the sharp pain that spread all over her body.

“

Ah

, stop that.”

“Do you understand, little baby?”

“Stop that. Let go.”

Rachel shrugged Chae Nayun’s hand away before standing from the bench. Chae Nayun also stood and they walked side by side for a while before someone caught their eye.

“

Huh?

What the hell are they doing?”

Chae Nayun frowned while looking somewhere. A situation they couldn’t understand currently took place in front of them.

Kim Hajin, who wore a mask, seemed to be at the park with Yoo Yeonha. Yoo Yeonha sat on the ground like a model as Kim Hajin painted a portrait of her along with the scenery.

“Hey, what the hell are those two… Fuck, have they gone crazy?”

Chae Nayun grumbled and looked at the person next to her. Then she jumped in surprise.

Rachel’s expression had turned cold and emotionless. No, it looked emotionless, but also contained anger.

“Hey, hey.”

Chae Nayun nudged her. Only then did Rachel’s strange and scary expression disappear. She was still brooding though.

“I’m going.”

Rachel left with those words.

Chae Nayun sighed as Rachel walked away with a scary aura.

“At least she managed to be comfortable around me. I guess I only have to get a bit closer to her.”

Chae Nayun accomplished one of her objectives to grow closer to Rachel.

“But what the hell are those two doing? Damn it…”

Anger surged from within her as she glared at Yoo Yeonha and Kim Hajin.

That posing girl and the bastard painting her… What the hell are those two doing right now?

A voice suddenly shouted from somewhere nearby.

“The tournament registration will now close!”

“

Huh? Eh? Ah!

Fuck! Wait a minute! I have to join!”

Chae Nayun screamed as she ran towards the shirtless muscular guy.

***

“All done.”

I finished the portrait after about an hour. It took longer than expected even with Young Dwarf’s Dexterity because I never painted before. It would’ve taken even longer for the oil to dry, but I skipped that part thanks to stigma’s mana.

“Hey, get up.”

“

Huh? Ah

, yes…”

Yoo Yeonha woke up and nonchalantly replied as if she never dozed off in the first place.

She stood with a sigh and walked over with half-opened eyes that still seemed drowsy.

“

Yawn…

Then, I’ll get going now. I wasted too much time because of you.”

Yoo Yeonha tried to leave without even checking the painting. I grabbed her shoulder.

“Hey, aren’t you going to take a look?”

“Why should I? I’m busy.”

Yoo Yeonha retorted while tapping on her smartwatch with an annoyed expression.

Still, I had to let her see it and give my work a score. I took the canvas from the easel and handed it to her.

“I said I’m not interested. Why do you keep insisting…”

Yoo Yeonha suddenly stopped and blankly stared at the canvas. Her face grew bright red at the portrait of a black-haired woman surrounded by lush greenery.

I had no idea what to call this portrait, but I could tell that I did a great job.

“

Umm…

” Yoo Yeonha dryly gulped.

“What?”

She slowly hugged the painting and asked.

“Are you looking to work with a curator by any chance?”

***

A week passed. Most guilds had finished the second test and entered the third. All of them focused on increasing their fame and renown.

Some guilds chose to do social work while others opened businesses or subjugated dungeon monsters.

Meanwhile, all sorts of tournaments began. A few guilds focused on these tournaments. Creator’s Sacred Grace, Essence of the Strait, Rakeford, Chinese Empire, Golden Afterglow, Panzerburg, La Guild Lumiere, etc. The intense competition between the top guilds finally began.

“First, I’m looking for a sponsor.”

Yoo Yeonha said after I finished the archery tournament. She held onto two oil paintings as if her life depended on them.

“Sponsor?”

“Yes, having a sponsor will increase your renown. I heard the king loves art and nobles actively sponsor artists because of that.”

“Well, that’s good for me. Aren’t you busy though? You’re the most important person in your guild, right?”

Essence of the Straits had quite a lot to do right now. The preliminary rounds of all the tournaments finally began. They also had to build relations with the local nobles and an information network in this world.

“I am busy, but I also have a reason to invest in this.”

“

Huh?

What’s the reason?”

Yoo Yeonha furrowed her brows and bit her lips as if she felt annoyed.

“Chae Nayun… She failed to register for the tournament.

Ah…

I can’t believe she forgot…”

She made Chae Nayun seem like the dumbest buffoon in the world, which starkly contrasted with the praise from a while back.

Nayun has reached an entirely different level now. It’s safe to assume she’s reached the pinnacle.

“Damn, I’m so annoyed I can kill her. Anyways, follow me.”

“

Huh?

Why me?”

“The nobles here love it when an artist personally meets them, so you’ll have to attend the meeting.”

I nodded and got up.

“

Ah

, before that.”

Yoo Yeonha tapped on her smartwatch.

[Essence of the Straits Yoo Yeonha has proposed a personal alliance with Xtra from the English Royal Court.]

[Will you accept?]

I received a message on my smartwatch and looked at her. She stared at me with big sparkling eyes that seemed to say,

Accept it

.

I almost tapped yes, but suddenly stopped.

“

Hmm…

I’ll see how you do first before accepting this.”

“

Huh?

What did you just say?”

“What? Isn’t that logical? You’re the one who needs me, right? Go on. Lead the way.”

“No… that’s…”

“You don’t want to?”

“Wow…”

Yoo Yeonha looked flabbergasted and suddenly exclaimed, “First it was Chae Nayun and now it’s you! Damn it!!! Come, follow me!”

She had no choice but to grit her teeth and stomp away. No, she led the way.