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#203. Imitation and Creation (2)
The youth had three rings.
… I don’t remember the face, but the multi-colored mana contained in the ring had a distribution and ratio that I had seen before.
“Can I sit next to you for a moment?”
A soft smile.
A gentle and polite tone.
And, the sketchbook in hand.
Ray nodded without saying anything, and the young man took a wooden box that had been rolling around and sat down next to him.
The neat-looking clothes did not look cheap, but the young man sat down on the dirty box with great ease.
“My name is Solitaire. If you don’t mind, would it be okay if I briefly observe you working on your art?”
The young man’s gaze was filled with deep interest as he looked at Ray’s painting.
“doesn’t care.”
“Thank you. If you feel any inconvenience while completing the work, please let me know at any time and I will step down.”
The conversation paused for a moment.
The boy’s pencil moved busily across the drawing paper, and the young man never took his eyes off Ray for a moment.
Finally, the painting was completed.
Points, lines, and planes of indeterminate form were creating chaos and disorder on the white paper.
‘It’s still difficult. I don’t think it’ll make much of a difference even if I practice a lot.’
As Ray frowned slightly and thought, a deep sigh was heard.
“Oh…! The control of the strength of the lines is indifferent yet sophisticated, and the omission and reduction are bold and impressive. It is possible to reinterpret the subject in this way, and it is a painting that is worthy of being called a work of art.”
“… … ?”
In the judgment of the boy who prided himself on being somewhat socialized, this was clear ridicule.
A sudden surge of emotion.
Ray glared at the young man.
‘Remove it from this spot.’
The Lacrima inside the jewel nodded as if it was ready.
“May I ask what you are drawing?”
“The scenery you see right now.”
“The circle in the center must be a fountain.”
“That’s a car.”
“Then the subject with the wheel on the left would be a car.”
“That’s a fountain.”
“This must be a balloon.
“He’s a pedestrian. He’s on the ground.”
After answering, Ray nodded as if reaching a conclusion.
‘Eliminate it, without a trace.’
Lacrima, moved by the will, hissed her small tongue fiercely.
The moment Ray drew up his mana, the young man continued his lines.
“This is how you see the world, sir. To be honest, this is a style of painting I have never seen before. I cannot imagine how much time and effort it took to create this unique world.”
“… … .”
Ray calmed down for a moment.
Now I know that there was no particular malice or mockery in the other person’s words.
In other words, it was a story of sincerity.
“I envy you.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Yes, I don’t have my own unique style. My skills are lacking, but would you please take a look?”
When Ray nodded, the young man opened his sketchbook and showed him a drawing.
Children running and playing happily on the streets.
A lively atmosphere of shopping streets and merchants.
A panoramic view of the sector from a high tower.
Each and every one of them was so exquisite and high-quality that it was reminiscent of a photograph.
“I think it’s well drawn.”
“No. It’s just a good imitation of what I see, but it’s far from being a work of art.
Although it was a regretful voice, there was no hint of self-mockery or pessimism.
The young man continued speaking.
“It’s not hard to put something that already exists on paper. Anyone can do it if they practice consistently. But creating a unique world is a completely different kind of thing. It’s something that requires imagination.”
imagination.
The word I’ve been obsessed with lately came out of the mouth of an unexpected person at an unexpected time.
Ray expressed the question that came to mind without hesitation.
“What do you think imagination is?”
“That’s a question that can have many answers. First of all, when it comes to pictures, I think imagination is a perspective on the world.”
“What is your perspective on the world?”
“Yes. A painting is something that cannot help but reflect the artist’s subjectivity. Depending on the perspective from which one views the world, even if one paints the same subject, the results can be completely different.”
A perspective on the world.
Ray lowered his gaze to check his opponent’s bowl.
Red, orange, yellow… .
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Love, gratitude, excitement… .
The bright and warm colors of the emotions told me that the other person was looking at the world very positively.
In fact, all the pictures I saw earlier had a bright and lively atmosphere.
The opponent’s ring was then confirmed.
It contained manas of the same color as what was currently visible in the bowl.
All three rings did so.
The distribution of mana within the ring reflects the wizard’s disposition at the time of construction.
It meant that we have maintained a positive outlook on the world ever since we first formed the circle.
Suddenly I realized.
‘If you look at the rings, you can see how the person has lived. And, how they currently view the world.’
A question suddenly occurred to me.
How do I see the world?
It was a question I had never thought about, as I had only lived for the sake of surviving tomorrow.
For a moment, I felt as if the outer limits of the world were expanding, and I slowly lowered my gaze to check my own ring.
Red. Pink. Purple.
Yellow. Blue. Green. Gray, etc.
The mana of various colors that he had acquired during his travels was swimming inside the ring with dynamic movements.
In addition, there are also small proportions of manas that sparkle like grains of sand.
“… … .”
If you think about it, your ring has a different structure than that of a normal wizard.
Charged mana moved freely throughout all areas without any distinction between rings.
It was a story about how you can’t guess how you see the world.
Because the distribution of mana is constantly changing, the color that takes up the largest portion of each ring changes each time.
‘… There’s no such thing as a fixed perception.’
Find the rainbow.
You get what you pay for.
Protect your loved ones.
Except for a few basic principles, my perception of the world has continued to change with each journey and the enlightenment I have gained.
Is that why we have such an unclear picture?
Ray muttered without realizing it.
“I want an accurate picture.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to draw pictures that are clearly recognizable like yours.”
The young man with his eyebrows raised spoke with a puzzled look.
“If you put your mind to it, you can do anything you want, right?”
“No. I can’t do that. I just started drawing today.”
“You’re good at joking.”
“I can’t joke around like that.”
Our eyes met for a moment.
Ray felt that his opponent was reading something from his eyes.
“… That’s true.”
The young man’s bewildered voice.
It seemed that he was shocked to realize that Ray’s drawings were not the result of some terrible effort, but simply the result of being extremely bad at drawing.
But soon he returned to his original expression and said.
“But… if you can create this kind of style without any foundation, it can actually be considered an incredible talent.”
“I think you’re teasing me.”
“Absolutely not.”
“He said that drawing pictures using your own imagination is only possible after you have a solid foundation.”
“Who said that?”
“Yes.”
“Who is that?”
“My art teacher. He has great observation skills and is good at drawing.”
A moment of silence.
Ray added as if he had forgotten.
“And I like meat.”
“okay.”
The young man nodded, took a deep breath, and spoke in a persuasive tone.
“In my opinion, your paintings are already filled with overflowing imagination. Of course, it is true that the basics are important. However, there are some people who skip the basics that everyone else has to go through and reach the level of a master right away. We call those people geniuses.”
Ray answered right away.
“I’m not a genius.”
“No. You definitely have talent. You don’t need to be too obsessed with the idea of imitating the subject. I recommend that you develop your current style to your advantage. No, you absolutely must do so. Because─”
The young man’s gaze turned to Ray’s drawing in the sketchbook.
“─It would be a shame to postpone the birth and development of such an impressive world.”
There is no need to be obsessed with imitation.
Advice that is the exact opposite of what Greene said.
It was at that moment that the mana contained in the boy’s ring began to move slightly.
Ray, who had been staring at the young man, opened his mouth.
“I don’t think drawing is a job.”
“It’s just one of many things I’m doing. But as I continue to work on it, I’ve developed a considerable amount of greed, and I’m putting a lot of passion into it.”
Then a man approached, glanced at Ray, and whispered to the young man.
“His Holiness the Solitary Archpriest. The Bishop is looking for you.”
The young man seemed to be of fairly high status as a member of the religious order, but Ray wasn’t particularly surprised.
Because I had made eye contact with someone during a street parade the other day.
I had guessed his identity.
Even if it’s not the exact position.
Solitaire got up from her seat and looked at Ray for a while before opening her mouth.
“Would you like to come with me? I think we’ll have a lot to talk about.”
“… … ”
There was silence for a moment.
Tak─
Ray’s world disappeared beneath the cover of the sketchbook.
*
The northern outskirts of the sector.
“Teacher, have you ever been to a church before?”
“This is my first time.”
The cathedral stood tall among the damp buildings, boasting a splendid and magnificent appearance.
Near the entrance, there was a crowd of people, as if free food was being distributed.
“Then I guess you don’t know much about our church’s doctrines or main beliefs.”
“I guess.”
“Let me tell you a story─.”
“It’s Solitaire!”
A shout came from the distribution line.
People who turned their heads saw Solité and rushed over.
“Solitaire! I wanted to see you!”
“How was your night?”
“To me, to me, words of blessing…!”
A shabby and shabby appearance.
Solitaire greeted them with a gentle smile, without any embarrassment.
“Ron, your injured leg seems to have healed. That’s fortunate. Cassel, your complexion looks better than yesterday. Jack, as I told you, I’m not a saint.”
The answers were given one by one.
After that, Solitaire and Ray passed through the crowd and entered the cathedral.
A hall of vast expanse.
A ceiling so high.
Priests and believers were walking between the huge pillars supporting the cathedral.
‘Most priests are 1st or 2nd circle. The mana contained in the ring has a high orange ratio.’
It was a mana of color mainly associated with gratitude and a comfortable mind.
The priests and the congregation also recognized Solité and approached her, greeting her and showing deep respect.
“But the kid next to me… .”
“This is my guest.”
They looked surprised that Solitaire had brought someone.
Of course, the boy involved couldn’t take his eyes off the paintings lined up on the wall.
These were pictures with a strange feeling.
Silhouettes made of light were performing various activities in each frame.
“It’s God.”
“god?”
“Yes. The God who created the world.”
Solitaire added.
He said that all the religious paintings in the cathedral were his own works.
“But if it’s God, it’s Guanyin─.”
“yes?”
“─No, nothing.”
Ray, who was about to say that he was a voyeur, swallowed his words.
And the question was pursued.
“Are all of these pictures drawn by Solité?”
“Yes.”
“Even I, who doesn’t know much about art, can tell that it’s amazing. I think it’s possible to say that it has its own unique world.”
“No. I just copied and pasted passages from the Bible. I didn’t completely interpret or create anything new.”
Converting text into images.
It seemed like a great achievement, but Solitaire seemed to think it was far from enough.
Knock, knock, knock
And take another step inside.
Before long, a huge sphere surrounded by a no-entry rope appeared before my eyes.
A shiny surface like an egg.
The basic color is white.
Large, red, orange, and yellow patterns resembling spreading starlight covered the surface like a mosaic.
Priests and believers were seen bowing their heads and praying silently around them.
Solitaire spoke in a small voice.
“It’s an artificial sun.”
“I saw it at the march.”
“Yes, you can. It’s a large-scale sculpture that stands out from anywhere on the street.”
Solitaire nodded and continued speaking with slightly complicated eyes.
“It is said that the sun originally embraced all things under the clear sky with its warm sunlight. However, at some point, for an unknown reason, its light became weaker and it began to disappear between the dark clouds.”
“… … .”
“Everyone has a shadow. No matter how bright their outward expressions and actions may be, the shadows of worry and anxiety are deep in their hearts. But when the sun rises, all the shadows of the world will disappear. We are looking for someone who can breathe light into the artificial sun.”
Solitaire took a moment to catch her breath and looked straight into Ray’s eyes as she spoke.
“Our god.”