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Chapter 203
At her unexpected words, I pulled out a metal statue about the size of a forearm from my subspace.
It was a failed piece, unfinished and without any coloring.
“Hmmm...”
Hwa Ryeong stared silently at it for a long time.
Then she spoke.
“My brother’s old hobby was sculpting… perhaps you might ask him?”
Oh?
That was unexpected news.
“Lord Cheon Ryeong learned sculpting?”
“Long ago, as part of his training under our father’s instruction, he practiced sculpting.”
It seemed he had developed an interest back then.
Without much hesitation, I followed Hwa Ryeong to Cheon Ryeong’s room.
On the way, perhaps disliking the silence, Hwa Ryeong cautiously asked.
“But, how is it that you possess such great strength, my lord?”
“Hmm… well, after dying countless times, I somehow ended up this strong.”
Thinking I was joking, she giggled.
“You have quite a sense of humor, my lord.”
Was that funny?
Judging by her expression, she truly found it amusing.
I had no idea why.
Cheon Ryeong was silently swinging his sword in the quiet training hall.
Watching him immerse himself in his sword, as if trying to shake off some deep thoughts, made me oddly want to point out a few things.
Of course, I wasn't his teacher, and there was no need for me to interfere.
“My lord? What brings you here at this late hour?”
Upon spotting me, he immediately lowered his sword and approached.
Judging by the sweat soaking his body, he had been practicing for quite a while.
“Have you been training long?”
“Ah… yes. But it’s nothing compared to your efforts, my lord.”
“Lord Cheon Ryeong, you’re doing well. Luna and I are a bit of a special case, so there’s no need for you to rush.”
Though I said that, I knew better than anyone how meaningless such advice could be.
But I couldn’t force my own standards — those of someone who had died hundreds of thousands, even millions of times — onto him.
“By the way, what brings you here…?”
After putting away his sword, he asked cautiously, and Hwa Ryeong explained the situation on my behalf.
“Though my skills are lacking, if I can be of any help, I will do whatever I can. Might I have a look at the person’s image?”
At his offer, I thought for a moment and then came up with an interesting idea.
“Then, would you both like to try out the Paradise Artifact?”
“I’ve heard rumors, but isn't the Paradise Artifact hard to obtain?”
“There are plenty. If we run out, we can just make more.”
Many people still didn’t know that the Paradise Artifacts originated from Cascadia — it seemed these two were among them.
The two looked at each other blankly, not understanding what I meant, and then asked.
“Um… forgive my rudeness, but surely the secretive creator of the artifacts isn’t…?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“My goodness… My lord, may I boldly ask…”
“Yes?”
“What exactly are you, my lord?”
There was so much meaning packed into Hwa Ryeong’s words.
Of course, I was too lazy to explain everything.
“Just go and try it out.”
* * *
The best way to gain inspiration is to experience things firsthand.
After trying out the Artifact, Cheon Ryeong couldn't hide his amazement.
“It was like a glimpse of the heavenly realms. Truly an incredible creation. I can see why someone might become addicted to it.”
“Do you think you can manage it?”
“If my meager skills can be of help, I’ll do my best.”
Since the Heart of the Machine God couldn’t be used by anyone but me, I would have to do the actual reinforcement myself.
Still, if there was an existing model, I could manipulate its molecular structure to make the wood nearly as strong as metal.
“Will this size do?”
Bringing him to the workshop, I showed him a large log.
He silently ran his hand over its surface.
“It’s good enough, but the wood itself isn’t very durable.”
“That’s fine. I’ll alter the molecular structure and infuse metal into it.”
Cheon Ryeong looked puzzled, not understanding my words, but I just handed him a carving knife.
“Do you need any other tools?”
“No, this is fine.”
He coated the carving knife with a delicate layer of aura.
Now that I saw it… he wielded the aura over the carving knife more skillfully than he did with his sword.
Even with the same blade, the difference lay in the image he had in mind.
After surveying the wood briefly, Cheon Ryeong began to carve casually from the surface with confident strokes.
Though it looked like he was carving roughly, there was an astonishing degree of professionalism in his touch.
“Hwa Ryeong seems completely absorbed in that game.”
Cheon Ryeong smiled as he carved and spoke to me.
“Is that so?”
“She always loved exploring the world ever since she was young. But as is the fate of many daughters of noble houses, unless they were warriors, most ended up in political marriages to protect the family.”
In Hwa Ryeong’s case, there were particular circumstances that kept her confined more than most.
“She never wanted titles like 'Dragon' or 'Phoenix' — she just wanted to wander the world anonymously. So…”
Scratch, scratch.
“How could such adventures not be delightful for her?”
I continued to silently watch him work.
Watching a master craft something, zoning out without saying a word, had a healing effect — like staring into a crackling campfire for hours.
The work itself took about two days.
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Even two days was incredibly fast, but Cheon Ryeong’s pace, unhesitant and sure, was beyond what I had expected.
And when I heard that the sculpture was nearing completion, I went to watch him work, munching on popcorn.
“Hey, isn't that the companion character, Donia?”
“You recognized it?”
“The quality is pretty amazing.”
Luna, seemingly satisfied, reached out for the popcorn I was eating.
"It feels like it's alive, beyond just being well-made."
Yeah, that was the part I felt was lacking.
Cheon Ryeong's craftsmanship was far better than I expected, and after several hours passed in the blink of an eye, the sculpture was completed.
Afterward, he even used the dyes I had prepared to neatly finish the coloring.
"Wow… with this color combination, it doesn’t look like a statue but something real."
"Haha. I picked up this trick from a peculiar artisan long ago."
To call it a mere trick would be an understatement — I had never seen a sculpture so lifelike.
It was so smooth it seemed like meticulously carved marble, and the added shading from the coloring made it feel as if it could come alive at any moment.
At his words, I realized it was about time for me to step in.
I piled up the special alloys I had prepared next to the sculpture and activated the Heart of the Machine God.
Cheon Ryeong's eyes widened in surprise.
The goal was to maintain the outer appearance and color but perfect the durability.
I turned the metals into a liquid state and allowed them to permeate into the sculpture.
It was a method that involved merging only the materials with utmost precision, without a single mistake, while also being very careful to prevent any discoloration due to material changes.
While Cheon Ryeong looked on in fascination, Luna observed the power with a peculiar gaze.
"Every time I see it, it feels a little unsettling."
Thus, the sculpture, roughly the size of a person, was completed.
"What... happened?"
"I merged some internal structures. It’s not something that would occur naturally, but the result is extremely durable and preserves well."
Since I had the philosophy of doing it properly once started — and recovering every coin I invested — I even added a thin coating of mithril...
Kaaaang!
"How is it? Pretty amazing, right?"
At the unbelievable sight — where the wood that had been easily sliced through earlier now showed not even a scratch — Cheon Ryeong exclaimed in amazement.
"This is amazing. The wood used for this sculpture is usually avoided for its lack of durability, even though it's easy to carve..."
"This thing is probably sturdier than most metal statues."
When I tapped the statue's waist, a clear metallic ringing sound echoed out.
Seeing the figure of the red-cloaked mage, Donia, looking ready to unleash magic at any moment, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"It's not over yet. We haven't made the figure of our companion, Arik, have we?"
Mage Donia and warrior Arik.
As Luna mentioned, it’s a classic combination of comrades.
The Emperor had also embarked on adventures with those two, if I recall correctly.
Sure enough, the Emperor had requested statues of both of them.
"This is no different from making life-sized figures."
Fueled by enthusiasm once he started, Cheon Ryeong began carving into the second block of wood.
His craftsmanship wasn’t just simple carving — it was like the soul of an artist was imbued into his work.
Honestly, I could have just made it myself, but the difference between something I copied and pasted and something he meticulously carved was undeniable — a subtle, but clear difference in detail.
"Wow. This quality is insane."
Even Melissa, upon seeing it, couldn’t help but be amazed, so it seemed others felt the same.
After completing the work, I added protective magic and stored them in a subspace.
As I was getting ready to leave, Melissa asked,
"You're going personally?"
"What else can I do? The Emperor wants to meet me."
Since the Emperor expressed a strong desire to meet the original creator — me — I had no choice but to go.
"Ugh… so much for getting a few days of peace."
"Even if the empire explodes, I’ll finish the audience and come right back."
Together with Aurora, I stepped into the mana gate.
Cheon Ryeong didn’t seem particularly eager to come, so I left him behind.
Thus, I was transported through the mana gate toward the capital of Mielephon.
The capital of Pascalia was often called the most prosperous city in the central continent.
Normally, I would have liked to take my time sightseeing, but the moment I arrived, I was greeted by a parade of soldiers in dazzling armor, so that was out of the question.
The atmosphere and scale were on a completely different level compared to other nations — overwhelming, really — but what could I do?
It was simply the culture of the Empire.
Led by an attendant, I entered the Imperial Palace, and the sheer size and beauty of the palace landscape were awe-inspiring.
Princess Eilena was at the Academy, so I wouldn’t be seeing her here.
That was a relief.
Luna had wanted to come to explore the capital too, but I left her behind this time.
"I have one question.”
I said.
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