Renaissance of Muses for the Maestro Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

Mithra: *munch munch*

Snow: Goodness, Mithy! Forks, you must use the forks! Don’t be a bad boy now.

Mithra: *munch munch munch munch* 

Rutile: “Why must I use them?” “Are you trying to order me around?” is what his face is saying.

Heathcliff: Wow, I would not have been able to guess that…

Diner Owner: Ahahaha! What a hearty appetite you have! So, you guys here to see Pict’s art?

Rustica: We are. The paintings at the museum were most impressionable. 

Coincidentally finding ourselves in front of the diner we had our sights on, we sat in for a late lunch.

Their special dish was neither the “Blaze’n Glaze” or the “Baked’n Caked”, but the very filling “Crispin’ Sizzle”.

Diner Owner: Moved, weren’t you? The restoration of his lost paintings is nothing short of a miracle. 

Akira: Yes, they were lovely. Uhm, would you know if Pict’s staying in town to draw his art?

Diner Owner: I wonder about that…they did say that when he was alive, Pict abhorred company and would never show himself to others. 

So we’ve not the foggiest idea of where he could be or when he will paint. 

Quite eerie if you ask me, though that’s how an artist brought back from the dead oughta be!

Akira: (A typical answer from the residents of this town…)

(Rather than searching for the truth, it’s become a hot topic amongst them.)

Instead of feeling fear or questioning the odd situation at hand, the townspeople are finding entertainment in it. 

Exciting, interesting, viral things–that’s what the people of West Country like.

Bereted Youngster: ‘Scuse me, I’d like to order.

Diner Owner: Ah, sure! Coming!

The diner owner runs off to serve their customer, and we all give each other a look. 

Our voices grow quiet as we start talking about the art museum and its hidden secrets.

Akira: Just to get this straight…are we agreed on there being no undead?

Snow: Quite. I didn’t sense anything out of place in that museum. 

And even if there were strange powers at work, there is nothing in this world that can bring the dead back to life. 

Heathcliff: But the people at the museum were so sure of those paintings being the original restorations. 

Riquet: Maybe they were never destroyed, and were unscathed the entire time?

Chloe: Yeah, that could be it! Like when I thought I lost a button, and it turns out it was hidden in my shoe!

Mitile: Then…why didn’t the museum curator just say so in the first place? There should be nothing to hide.

Rustica: Perhaps this whole situation is more simple than it seems.

Akira: Simple…?

Rustica: Yes. I believe it was a living breathing person who had created the fakes we saw today.

Mitile & Akira: F-Fakes…?!

We let out surprised gasps at the unexpected answer. 

It startled even the beret hatted customer by us, and a fork was heard dropping on the floor.

Chloe: K-Keep it down, you two…!

Mitile: Sorry…are we all good?

Apologizing to the young man, he fixed the beret on his head and gave us a small nod. 

Called by Heathcliff, the owner gave him a new fork, and as we said our thanks we returned to our discussion.

Akira: (Now that I think about it, those paintings being forgeries makes much more sense than the artist coming back to life…)

Though we had no proof to back it yet, I couldn’t help but believe that it must be true.

Seeing how calm Rustica and Snow were, I figured they must have connected the dots early on.

Rutile: If those paintings are fakes, then wouldn’t that make the museum curator a liar?

Riquet: We can’t ignore the possibility that he’s being deceived. 

Heathcliff: I don’t think that’s likely.

Riquet: Why is that?

Heathcliff: Any paintings to be displayed in a museum must go through inspections first by an appraiser.

If not, anybody could lie and display or sell counterfeit works.

The museum curator is also trained on this, so that’s why it’s unlikely for him to have been deceived. 

Mitile: Then that means…

Heathcliff: I don’t want to believe it either…but there’s no way he could not be involved. 

Mitile & Riquet: …

Mitile: So the museum curator and Pict…no, another artist, are working together to fool the townspeople.

Mithra: *munch munch*

Rustica: Oh, Mithra. Do you have something to say?

Snow: Or rather, you were still eating?

Mithra: …Yes. I’m finally full now.

By the way, about your fake art discussion or whatever, is it really so bad that the paintings are shams? 

Riquet: Of course it is. It is unforgivable to lie to others with counterfeit objects. 

If this is the truth, we must make haste and inform the townspeople right away!

Mithra: I thought you liked those paintings.

Riquet: Well, that is…

Mithra: The gallery visitors were awfully happy just to see that dead man’s art. 

I don’t think it bothers anyone whether those paintings are real or not. 

Amidst the serious atmosphere Mithra casually spoke like he were talking about his day.

Mithra: My stomach is satisfied, anyhow. Let’s go home so I can rest. 

Mitile: Mister Mithra…

Snow: …Hmph. He does have a point.

To my surprise Snow agreed with Mithra. He carried on explaining, a knowledgeable glint in his eyes.

Snow: It is too easy for us wizards to unveil the secrets of others.

Which makes it all too easy for their worlds to shatter.

Mitile: Shatter…?

Snow: Indeed. It would really spell the end for the museum were the people to find out that Pict’s paintings are mere forgeries.

That museum curator too, who was struggling answering wave after wave of questions, might be left out on the streets.

Those gallery visitors who cried tears of joy to see Pict’s art again will find themselves awash in despair once again. 

We can’t make everyone happy. And we may make others sad depending on our choices. 

Riquet: But…!

Akira: You’re…not wrong. This situation is not something that can be solved through just revealing the truth alone.

Even if we think what we’re doing is right, our actions might hurt someone else…

Riquet: Master Sage…

That art museum is loved by so many. Its gallery visitors, its curator who brought it back from destruction.

What is it that we can do for them? No matter how hard I think, the answer wouldn’t come easily.

Mithra: There you have it. Snow and the Master Sage are saying that the problems of mankind are worthless and a pain in the neck. 

Snow: Ohohoho. Silence, you.

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