Renaissance of Muses for the Maestro Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Akira: Mithra, you came!

Mithra: Let me say beforehand that it’s not the art I’m coming for. I just heard that there’ll be some delicious food. 

Rustica: Even so, I’m glad you’re here. There’s a specific diner I recommend nearby the museum.

Their speciality dish was the…Blaze’n Glaze! No…Baked’n Caked! Wait…

Rutile: Hmm…if it's ‘Blaze’n Glaze’, maybe it’s fried donuts?

Mitile: Or pie if it’s ‘Baked’n Caked’!

Riquet: Either sounds good to me…! 

Akira: Oh right, Snow. Is White not with you today?

Snow: White is watching over two of our unruly little stooges. 

So I have to look after Mithra. 

Oh boo hoo, if only you lot had a bit more manner in you I could enjoy a nice vacation with my dear White…

Mithra: Ugh. I don’t know what happened to you, but I’d rather not hear about it. 

Akira: (You’re what happened…)

Mithra: Anyways, shall we hurry up and go? Tell me the address. 

Rustica: The art museum is by the borders of West Country, in a rustic homely town. 

I’ve only been there once myself, but I remember it as a quaint and pleasant place. It had quite a bit of nature even for the West Country. 

Chloe: And the art museum there has your favourite artist’s works put up too, right? What was their name again…?

Rustica: It is Pict. 

Akira: Oh, are they famous?

Rustica: Hmm, I wonder. The only place you can see his paintings are at that museum, though. 

He has a one of a kind style that has garnered passionate fans in art enthusiasts.

Rutile: Famous to those in the know, I guess you could say. 

Rustica: I suppose so. He died over decades ago, yet his artwork is still loved by many to this day. 

Including me. 

It would make me happy if you all could see his artwork. I’m sure you will find it a sight to behold. 

And through Mithra’s space door we went into a town in West Country. 

Like we heard, it was an artful town. A bit rustic, nature and township were one.

However…

Rustica: Oh?

Mitile: It’s a bit…

Heathcliff: …Crowded, isn’t it. 

The rustic town was bustling with crowds of people coming and going down the streets. It was a bit out of place with the quaint scenery. 

Mithra: There’s humans everywhere…how noisy.

Snow: Mm. Perhaps there’s an event going on. 

Riquet: It’s very much the opposite of what Rustica described earlier…

Akira: …Wait. Speaking of Rustica, where is he?

I looked at our surroundings. The Rustica who should’ve been right next to me was gone.

Akira: E-Emergency everybody…we lost Rustica!

Chloe: Seriously!? Where did he go? He couldn’t have gone far…

Mitile: I hope he didn’t get lost in the sea of people…

Rutile: Let’s all go search after him.

Chloe: …Ah! That antique store! What if Rustica went in there?

What Chloe was pointing to was a small little store a bit far off from the other buildings, with antiques lined up in front.

Just then, the door opened with a ring, and Rustica walked out holding onto a package with utmost care.

Once he noticed us waving to him, he began walking towards us. 

Chloe: Gosh, Rustica! You gave us a real fright! 

Rustica: Ahaha, forgive me. My legs just started walking on their own once my eyes caught sight of their wares. 

Akira: You guessed right, Chloe! How'd you know?

Chloe: That store looked like they had just the sort of things Rustica would like to browse through!

Rustica: Oh Chloe, you know me so well. Thank you for finding me.

Chloe: Hehe, no problem! 

Snow: So, what is it you purchased?

Rustica: A single painting. This lovely lady was sitting alone on the windowsill and…

He said as he opened up the package. We all swallowed our breaths at its reveal. 

Mitile & Riquet: Waaah!

Snow: This is…

Heathcliff: It’s…quite the unique painting.

Rustica: It’s titled “The Smiling Woman”. As you can see, I fell in love with her smile at first sight.

Akira & Chloe: S-Smile…?

Riquet: How does he see a smile…? All I can see is a crying woman. 

Although you could tell it was a human figure, there was an unusual taste to it.

Its colours were dull, the composition all over the place…it was hard to describe. 

Akira: (Is this that…’Don’t think, feel’ thing…?)

Mithra: It’s menacing and loathsome. A nice painting. 

Rutile: Yes, I agree. 

She’s smiling to the point her face is all wrinkled! It makes you want to smile too. 

Akira: I, I guess so, now that you point it out…?

Heathcliff: Although I don’t think their style is to my tastes…the artist must have used some high quality material to paint this. 

The colours are dark in hue, so depending on the lighting of the angle you look at it from, it may look different. 

Akira: Ah, you’re right. Once I stand where you are she does appear to have a softer expression. 

Rustica: That’s exactly the beauty of this painting. Her expression ever so slightly changes with the lighting.

That’s why Riquet thought she was crying earlier. It was another one of her many expressions. 

Aah, what a masterpiece she truly is. I wonder, could the lady in this portrait be my wife?

Chloe: Uhm…I’m gonna say no. 

???: Goodness, young man. That’s quite the odd painting you bought there. 

An elderly man called out to us while we were all staring at Rustica’s painting. 

Rustica: I suppose. With just one look at this painting my heart was stolen. Good sir, would you happen to know the artist of this painting?

Elderly Man: I don’t. I was merely surprised.

Everybody in town is currently going crazy over the resurrection of Pict, after all. 

Rustica: Resurrection…?

Our eyes widening in bewilderment, we all looked at each other. 

Elderly Man: Exactly as I said. Pict is an artist who died a long, long time ago. And now he’s resurrected. Quite recently, if I recall. 

Akira & Mitile: Whaaat!?

Elderly Man: Oh my, you youngsters came to this town without knowing that?

Akira: Y-Yes, we did. Is that…resurrection, true?

Elderly Man: Very much so. You can go on and head to the museum to see for yourself. 

From far away that museum may look fine now, but in the last battle with the Great Calamity, a part of the building was destroyed.

Just as he said, the town's buildings and stone paths were riddled with cracks.

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