Chapter 132 – Portrait
After returning to their room in the inn, Menew made the three of them, along with Mr. Wal and Kanon, sit on the bed. And then he sat down across from them and opened his sketchbook.
On the new, plain white page, he drew each of them carefully. The tension in the shoulders of the slightly nervous Totto. Mofusen’s bright smile. Ralph’s calm expression. When he was finished, Menew felt that he had not done a bad job at all.
The God Artist skill allowed him to draw a lot faster than before, but the quality had not dropped. However, he could not help but feel that something was missing.
“Is it finished?”
Ralph asked. Menew nodded vaguely and showed them the picture. They all looked at it with great interest, and raised their voices in amazement. Unless you were a royal or noble, having your portrait taken was a rare thing.
Just then, Ralph scowled. He took the sketchbook from Totto and thrust it back at Menew. And with his other hand, he flicked Menew’s forehead.
“There is no point if you are not in it.”
“I see.”
Now he realized it. The thing that was missing. It was himself.
He was the one who had dragged them along for this journey. Menew took the sketchbook and went to the sink room. There, he looked in the mirror and drew himself behind the others.
…He had probably been smiling. Because the finished drawing was smiling.
While drawing, it occurred to him. Just how privileged he was. He felt proud to be able to smile amongst them. And he would not trade it for anything in the world.
Alone, he looked at the finished drawing and thought about the journey up until now. How he had fought Ralph and then become friends. How he had met Totto by accident, and how they helped each other. How Mofusen decided to leave his village.
He would be able to remember it whenever he wanted, if he looked at this picture. It felt like a waste for him to keep it to himself.
And so he tore the page from the sketchbook and used magic to create copies of it for everyone. Well, not Stan and Kanon, as they could not carry them. And then he left the sink room.
“Here. For you, Totto. And Mofusen. And you too, Mr. Wal. And…Ralph.”
“Wow! Thank you! It’s amazing!”
“What an interesting experience. To be drawn like this.”
Ralph raised his eyebrows and looked like he was about to say something when Menew handed him the picture. However, Menew raised a finger to his mouth to keep him quiet.
Apparently, he felt that it was a waste. However, he carefully folded the original and placed it in his pouch.
Menew had experienced the most hardships and joys with Ralph. And so he felt it would be better for Ralph to carry it. It was just a feeling…
After all, it had been Ralph who first noticed Menew, and helped to support him where he was deficient. While it was somberly, he did not deny Menew, and accepted him as he was.
It was an important feeling, and so he trusted that Ralph would take good care of it.
“Now, since that’s done, let’s eat and then go to sleep! Tomorrow, we depart for Nadar!”
Menew clapped his hands at Totto and Mofusen, who were still looking at the pictures. They would leave tomorrow and arrive in Nadar in ten days. While it was the capital of the country who had started the war, the damage had been kept to a minimum. And so it was likely that things would still be lively in the city.
For dinner, the innkeeper recommended a good place. It was popular with the locals, and they would not have to wait long at this hour.
It was a plain building near the outskirts of Ramsteris. There was a street with rows of wooden buildings.
Most of the food was new, with names they had never heard of before. Totto looked at the menu with a serious expression and debated with Mofusen over what they could eat. And then Menew picked some random dishes and waited for the order to arrive.
Their table was soon covered with sweet and sour pork, bean paste, and an assortment of bread. There were also meat skewers and salads. They all picked up their forks and knives and began to eat happily.
No matter which town they went to, they had never had a bad meal. But Nadar was known for its food, and it was also close to the sea. So everything was delicious.
Perhaps the joy of traveling was in the food. Menew thought as he ate.
The anxiousness in his heart had vanished completely.