How a Former Pro Takes Advantage by Doing an Easy Job

Chapter 195. Finding ways to utilize the printing press (5)

“....would it be necessary to go this far?”

Asha seemed to understand the need for a fake identity, but.

I still don't understand why I did this and hid in the estate of Duke Pratze.

It's not that she's wrong.

“But I really hated seeing it.”

I'm doing this only because I hate seeing the old man.

It might be like going back a long way just because you don't want to see the fox.

I'd rather have this

“Because if I meet you now, I'll have to see that person arrogant.”

Even if it wasn't so, these days Duke Pratze seemed to be in a much better mood than at other times.

You already know why.

Because the coronation ceremony of the best brother is right around the corner.

First of all, his grandson will soon become king.

Of course you should be proud.

Besides, since I found out that I supported the older brother's policy to some extent, I pretended to know for nothing.

I never said I would raise my hand against that human faction.

No matter where I go, my oldest brother will be the king.

The only goal is to get comfortable behind him.

But if you don't know that, you're misunderstanding something.

“Illusion is free, but annoying.”

Shall we just go to the fire again?

I get worried sometimes.

“Arel-nim is the only one in the world who thinks of the Duke of Prace that way.”

“of course.”

While having such a conversation, we were walking along the roadside in City Purichen.

I look around the roadside

“I heard that there are a lot of painters, so I expected it, but it turned out to be surprisingly ordinary.”

I looked around and said, “That's not fun.” he grumbled.

“What were you imagining?”

“hmm. Does it feel like a painting has just been painted on the wall and there are artists rolling around on the sidewalk? I was expecting it to be a more liberal city.”

“...what the hell is that?”

I guess I didn't understand.

To say the least, most of the painters here are, to say the least, more gentle-tempered, so they must be far from being particularly free-spirited.

This will make walking around my city more enjoyable.

“Come to think of it, Pena and that guy wanted to come along.”

“Yes, I did.”

Apparently Pena was bored, but when I told her I was coming here, she was expecting me to take her.

And I smile brightly

I refused to say no.

I am the one who properly rejects expectations.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t bring it because I was particularly mean, but I mean.”

“No matter how hard it was, it was too much for Princess Pena.”

Asha also seemed to understand roughly.

For Pena's circumstances, even if it's inside my city, taking her freely to other nobles' spheres of influence... is annoying.

Above all, from Asha's point of view, taking her to Pena would really make a hole in her stomach.

“And… he hasn’t created a fake identity yet.”

“Did you mean to make it?”

“I said just in case.”

Well, roughly for that reason, it was impossible for me to bring Pena out even if I wasn't grumpy.

Perhaps she already knew that much, so even though she was a little disappointed, she didn't really complain.

As an apology, you can buy me a gift later.

“So I’m going to play with that guy who can’t come…

” “Are you going to find a painter?”

“....Come and play.”

“Are you leaving?”

“I have to work hard to find a painter!”

For some reason, as she spoke with a smile on her face, I slightly averted my gaze and shouted, “Let’s go to the artist’s studio!” and took the first step forward.

I can't say I'm going to go crazy.

Okay.

Even if I say that, even if I'm lazy, I can't really say anything.

The recent Asha isn't as sharp as before.

“Surprisingly, there aren’t many workshops for artists.”

Asha muttered as she looked around the roadside.

As I was initially disappointed, the scenery here was really ordinary.

Markets are open normally and residents live normally.

It's a really normal city.

“Yeah, that’s right. A city would not function properly if there were only painters.”

The reason why Purichen is called the city of paintings is because Duke Pratze shows great interest.

In fact, even that alone would be unconventional for artists.

The reality is that most aristocrats only consider paintings to decorate their homes or show off.

It must be thrilling just to have someone in power who recognizes their values.

“In addition, the Duke of Prace... It seems that the old man has a good eye for painting and for seeing the artist's talent.”

“Didn't you really not like Duke Pratze?”

“Because dislikes and individual discernment and ability evaluation are two different things.”

Anyone who can't keep these two apart is just an idiot.

Even though I don't like it enough to set fire to his land, I still don't wear colored glasses with just that.

“So, from the perspective of painters, it is natural to revere this place.”

“Didn’t Arell really like painting?”

“me? Um well?”

I tilted my head at Asha's question.

If you ask me if I like it or not, let's come?.

“You can simply look at it and put a price on it. I am not very interested in painting.”

Because I like playing and eating more than art.

Anyway, this is a matter of personal preference.

“I don’t think I’m falling behind with something like this. Even in a city full of the latest technology, everything can't be perfect.”

The truth is that if you force yourself to pursue everything perfectly, you end up ruining everything.

I always pursue what I like more perfectly.

that's the most natural

“More trouble is hiring a painter.”

“Is there a problem? I heard that there are quite a few workshops.”

Even if not the whole city, there are still enough workshops to make a couple of fairly famous combinations.

All I want anyway is an artist who will stick with us and draw a picture.

Wouldn't it be that difficult to hire?

Asha seems to think so.

However, contrary to her, I had a rather plain face.

“Employment… wouldn’t be that simple, would it?”

I said with a smile as if I was a bit troubled.

“Actually, there is another reason why I deliberately hid my identity. There is something I definitely want to check before hiring a painter.”

“That… what do you mean?”

To her puzzled, I just added:

“...It's easier to understand if you see it yourself than explain it in detail.”

The painters here are basically a group of more than a certain number of painters.... In other words, they are active while belonging there.

not only angry

Even blacksmiths and merchants are usually listed on a combination of a certain size or more.

The reason for joining is simple.

It's because it's easier to get a job and get help when you're in trouble when you're in a group rather than alone.

It's because even though it's dangerous alone, when many come together, it exerts more than a certain amount of power.

....It's not just the advantages, but it's the features that are generally expected from the combination.

And there are no exceptions.

If you want to make a living by drawing pictures, you must join the union.

Otherwise, you won't be able to find any job.

....That's probably not a very desirable thing.

From what I hear, there are two major combinations of artists working here.

The two combinations are almost equal in popularity and skill, so it seems that they were developing while competing appropriately with each other.

Eventually, we arrived in front of a workshop belonging to one of them.

Then he stood at the door of one of the biggest workshops in the city and shouted.

“Are you inside?”

After a while, the door opened and a boy who looked younger than me came out.

It is probably an apprenticeship to learn painting while living and lodging with the painter, the owner of this place.

The dwarf workshops I had visited before were generally like this.

The boy looked startled when he saw me and Asha.

Maybe he thought we weren't ordinary guests after seeing our impressions?

“What are you doing?”

I'm trying my best to be polite.

Still, there are some caveats.

Roughly speaking, the painter here must have been instructed not to let suspicious people in.

“We are peddlers belonging to the Arnil Chamber.”

He introduced himself in the most polite way possible and showed his ID.

Only then did the boy seem somewhat relieved.

Have you ever been scolded for letting a strange person in?

“I want to meet you, the master of the workshop…. is he in the house right now?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me what I have to say. There is something I want to entrust you with.”

The boy bowed his head and went inside.

To tell his master what I said.

After a while, the boy returned with permission and told us to come inside.

“There are many apprentices.”

There were quite a few, from newcomers doing chores to seniors in charge of painting to some extent.

At this point, it's more like a painting factory.

“yes. It's the biggest studio in the city!”

“I think I've heard the same thing in a few other places....

When I sneakily joked like this, the boy shook his head.

“My master's studio is the largest than any other place!”

“is it?”

I scratched my cheek and laughed moderately.

yes, if you are, then it is

You have a strong sense of pride in the studio you belong to.

Well, it's the same wherever you go.

Everyone wants to think that where they are is the best.

And it's also a stroke when you're immature.

So the boy guided us into the studio and finally brought us to a middle-aged man who seemed to be the owner of the studio.

A painter with a fine beard.

“hmm? Are you the one who said you wanted to entrust the job? You are young.”

“I hear that often.”

Because I'm only seventeen.

Well... in terms of his fake identity, he's already in his mid-twenties.

Contrary to my thought that it would be nice to look younger, he is looking at me with some kind of pity.

“It must be a lot of trouble.”

In general, according to the trend within the Kingdom of Ernesia, it means that being young or looking young may be easily looked down upon.

So the men here want to look as old and rough as possible.

My aesthetic sense is the opposite.

“It’s Bunnell. I'm in charge of the workshop here.”

“My name is Cahill Harald.”

As we greeted each other, Bunnell and I shook hands.

I have no intention of revealing my identity yet, so I will continue to use a pseudonym for the time being.

“She...

asks cautiously, but seems somehow offended.

It's not particularly strange.

Usually artisans do not like women entering their workshops.

In extreme cases, they express their reluctance to even run errands.

In that respect, Archen was truly eccentric.

Asha seemed to dislike his rude attitude, but the dwarf didn't care who came in and out of his workshop.