Chapter 329: The Sage

Just as Baron Tichy Corsia was strolling along the path once taken by "Prince Kelin" toward the Imperial Royal Hotel, the Prince from the continent of Gana finally checked into his "temporary palace" in the Shengcheng.

This estate was named the "Sage's Court," located at No. 1 Sage Street, in the most artistic and scholarly suburb of the Shengcheng.

Unlike No. 11 Loyalty Street, where the Dantes family resided, there was no scent of dishwater here, nor the clanging of a cobbler's hammer. The water in the fountain was crystal clear, and the air was filled with the fragrance of paper and ink... everything was as beautiful as a world within an oil painting.

This district was renowned throughout the Empire for gathering numerous artists, scholars, and cultural elites. Lined along the street were the Empire's most prestigious Imperial Royal Academy of Arts, as well as many private painting schools and art salons, which attracted many freelance painters and academic teachers and students to settle here.

On the red-brick streets, youthful and beautiful young men and women walked to and fro; some were students of the art academy, others were lecturers and scholars.

One end of this grand avenue connected to the square in front of St. Clement's Cathedral, while the other faced the Silphin family estate.

It was precisely for this reason that a saying, unknown to outsiders, had long circulated in the art circles of the Shengcheng and the Empire: the reason the "Dream Avenue" of imperial artists was crowned with the name "Sage" was not because of the Imperial Royal Academy of Arts located in its center, but because of the Silphin family's "Sage's Court."

The entire estate's decor was luxurious yet refined. The neatly trimmed green lawns set off the white and gold courtyard walls, and the intricate reliefs and carved pillars were like a living epic, with every feather hiding a history that could not be told in a single night.

The core vaulted gallery and the portraits of famous figures, heroes, and legendary people hanging within were the shared longing of thousands of artists and poets on this planet.

The value of those paintings could no longer be measured in gold coins.

Compared to this place, even the most prominent and cultured Andes family in Thunder City seemed like illiterate upstarts.

The carriage stopped in front of the gate. The guards on duty stepped forward two paces, respectfully opened the carriage door for the two, and placed the footstool.

Count Casit Silphin accompanied Prince Kelin off the carriage and escorted him to the entrance, speaking in a humble tone.

"The time spent with you is so hard to part with. Although I wish more than anything to keep chatting with you, I believe you must be in greater need of rest after your long journey."

"During your stay in the Shengcheng, please do treat this place as your own home, Your Highness. If you have any needs, please notify the estate's butler; Mr. Stein will certainly arrange everything properly for you. As for me, I shall not intrude further."

Standing behind Count Casit, a tall, middle-aged gentleman bowed respectfully. He wore a monocle on the bridge of his nose, with a cord connected to his perfectly pressed collar, and his beard was trimmed as neatly as the greenery in the estate's front yard.

It was evident that this Mr. Stein was a meticulous man.

"Your Highness, if there is any lack of hospitality, please do not hesitate to tell me."

"I will, Mr. Stein."

Luo Yan smiled and nodded, then looked at Count Casit and continued, "Thank you for your trouble along the way, my lord. You may leave me here."

Tafu, perched on his shoulder, had already dozed off, her tail wrapped in a circle around his neck. This defenseless appearance showed she was truly exhausted.

Not far away, Sarah, cloaked in a cape, bowed slightly to him, and behind her were parked carriage after carriage filled with cargo.

At this moment, the estate's servants were cooperating with the dock workers to busily unload the goods from the carriages.

Most of these items were Prince Kelin's daily necessities, ranging from mattresses and chairs to the teapots and cups used for tea.

Just like his persona in Thunder City, "Prince Kelin" was a noble with extremely high standards and taste for life, certainly not comparable to that group of upstarts and gold-digging gophers from the New Continent.

Watching Prince Kelin express his gratitude, Casit smiled gently and continued.

"Not at all. It is the Silphin family's honor to host Your Highness. Additionally, the welcome banquet hosted for you by the respected Prince Regent tomorrow night will be held at the Valencia family estate. My servants will come here to receive you then."

The Valencia family was the head of the Empire's Elder Faction and had produced three Prince Regents over the past century; Luo Yan had heard Tichy mention this on the ship.

Including the fact that behind the Silphin family stood "Gregory IX" and the Church Faction, and behind the Royal Knights loyal to the Emperor stood Marshal Lako Aiberg and the highly influential Officer Faction in the military... Luo Yan was well aware of these matters.

Although the Tichy Corsia family had never sat at the main table, they were, after all, people in the "Holy Light Noble" circle, and their level was far higher than those leeks who were detached from concrete people and interests, plotting for the Empire and the Underworld.

According to the humble opinion of this Baron, while only the Silphin family appeared at the port to welcome them, behind that "superficial restraint," all three major factions had actually cast their restless gazes toward him.

As for what they were restless about, it was a bit beyond the scope for Tichy, who had never sat at the table, and would have to be observed by Prince "Kelin" himself.

After detailing the schedule for the next few days, Casit paused for a moment, then smiled embarrassedly as if remembering something, switching to a relaxed tone to continue.

"Oh, right, there is also a personal request... it is about the matter we discussed in the carriage earlier. Baron Harvey Mitia, who will paint for you, has already arrived at the estate and will be staying in the annex during this time. He is very interested in you and is free at any time; whenever you have time, you may summon him to your side."

Luo Yan pondered for a moment after hearing this, then responded with a smile.

"Better to do it sooner than later. Since Baron Mitia has already arrived, we might as well arrange it for today."

Casit was slightly surprised, then smiled and said.

"Then... let's make it later today. Once you have rested, just tell Mr. Stein, and he will bring Baron Mitia to you."

Luo Yan smiled and nodded, indicating he understood.

Casit bowed slightly to Luo Yan, then turned and boarded the previous carriage, slowly driving away from the "Sage's Court."

The honored guest had been delivered to his destination, and the Royal Knights, led by their Captain, also turned back, returning toward the Imperial Palace in the center of the Shengcheng.

As for whether the role played by that Captain was an informant for the Emperor or the Marshal, that remained unknown.

All three major factions had extended olive branches to him, and it was highly likely that this included the pieces buried in the Shengcheng by the Underworld—if nothing went wrong, Mr. Calamos's gaze was also focused on the stage beneath his feet, and they might even have already crossed paths.

Watching the carriage engraved with golden roses and scriptures and the knights holding lances walk away, a faint, imperceptible smile curled the corner of Luo Yan's mouth.

Things were starting to get interesting.

He wondered if Tichy and Lumir were doing well; their mission was also an indispensable part of his grand plan.

Withdrawing his gaze from the street, Luo Yan looked at the butler waiting at the door, cleared his throat, and said.

"Mr. Stein, I would like to rest for a while first. I hope to arrange the meeting with Baron Harvey Mitia after three o'clock in the afternoon, preferably at dusk. We can meet directly in his studio then; I hope he has the painting tools prepared in advance."

Stein bowed respectfully, memorizing every word he said.

"Yes, Master."

Time quickly reached dusk.

Since the meeting was agreed to be in the studio, Luo Yan did not greet Harvey at the estate, but after entrusting the sleeping Tafu to Sarah, he directly boarded the carriage prepared by Mr. Stein and headed to Harvey Mitia's private studio.

It is worth mentioning that this studio was not far from the "Sage's Court," even closer than the distance from the annex to the estate's main building. It was a three-story Western-style house right next to the Imperial Royal Academy of Arts on No. 1 Sage Street.

The outer walls of this exquisite little villa were covered with emerald vines, delicate and secluded. Several blooming wisterias were planted in the courtyard, and the air was filled with a faint floral scent, showcasing the owner's taste.

Letting the coachman wait at the entrance, Luo Yan walked through the small courtyard alone and knocked on the door. The person who opened the door was a young girl.

Her face was delicate, her eyes shy and clear, and her chestnut wavy hair was half-tied behind her head, with a few stray strands falling casually by her ears. She looked like a student from the art academy next door, likely Baron Mitia's assistant.

This lady seemed not good with words, especially shy, her voice as thin as a mosquito's: "May I ask... are you Prince Kelin?"

Luo Yan nodded gently to her in greeting: "Indeed."

The girl hurriedly stepped aside to make way, bowed slightly, and whispered: "Baron Mitia is already waiting for you in the studio upstairs... please follow me."

Her gaze never met Luo Yan's from beginning to end, so much so that Luo Yan couldn't help but wonder if she had even confirmed his face.

However, on the other hand, through the assistant's personality, which was so reserved it was almost a hindrance, he also had a preliminary impression of this Baron Mitia—

If it wasn't for personal preference, this gentleman should be a person with a quite weak personality.

Somehow, he accidentally thought of Igor again.

Come to think of it, he hadn't even had time to say goodbye to him when he left the continent of Gana, and he wondered how this guy had been doing lately.

Arriving at the third floor, the girl stopped in front of a door and knocked gently.

"Baron, Your Highness the Prince has arrived."

A slightly low male voice soon came from inside the room.

"Please come in."

The girl lowered her head and pushed open the door, respectfully signaling Luo Yan to enter.

"Your Highness, please."

Luo Yan nodded to her and walked into the studio in front of him. A fragrance of turpentine mixed with oil ink rushed toward him.

The dim sunset cast mottled light and shadows on the wooden floor through the glass windows, and several unfinished paintings and drafts hung on the walls.

A thin man stood in front of a canvas, organizing his easel and palette, seemingly too busy to spare a hand.

It was a face that hadn't seen the sun for a long time, as pale as a vampire, with only the bags under his eyes being dark. Those blue-gray pupils were like chicory fallen into a deep well, and his silver-gray hair was casually tied behind his head, carrying a few traces of melancholy amidst his gentleness.

Just as Luo Yan expected, he was a person with a very weak aura, a bit like a middle-aged, decadent version of Igor who had been tortured into despair by General Hamorton. Seeing the respected Prince Kelin, Harvey hurriedly stood up and nearly knocked over the paint bucket. Fortunately, his assistant lady was quick-witted and stepped forward to steady it, preventing a disaster.

"Sorry, cough! I mean welcome... welcome Your Highness to my private studio. I didn't expect you to have time to visit me so soon. I spent the whole afternoon cleaning up, but it was still a bit rushed. I hope this hasn't disappointed you too much."

Watching Harvey bowing in a flurry, Luo Yan smiled politely and returned the bow calmly.

"No need to be so polite, it is I who am intruding... You must be Baron Harvey Mitia. I have heard of your deeds from Mr. Casit. He told me that you are a rare painter in the Shengcheng who even surprised His Holiness the Pope. Especially in the control of color, all the professors of the entire Imperial Royal Academy of Arts combined cannot compare to half of your level."

Harvey gave a bitter smile upon hearing this, scratched his hair bashfully, and said with dodging eyes.

"Mr. Casit praises me too much... he always speaks so exaggeratedly."

"Is that so? I don't think so."

Luo Yan pulled a chair from the side, sat down opposite the canvas, and said with a smile.

"Let's begin."

To perfectly integrate into the circle of the Shengcheng's nobles without revealing any flaws, one must be on the same frequency as them in the smallest details.

This point cannot rely solely on Tichy's opinion; not to mention that this guy had been a pirate for ten years and wasn't a high-class character before that, he might fool General Hamorton, but there was absolutely no chance of performing the heritage of five hundred years.

Fortunately, the Kelin family had been away from the country for five hundred years, and the Shengcheng nobles' expectations for Prince Kelin were low enough. As long as Luo Yan didn't act too bizarrely, it wouldn't arouse their suspicion.

However, to be safe, Luo Yan still planned to rehearse before the welcome banquet prepared for him by the Prince Regent.

And Baron Harvey Mitia was a good rehearsal partner.

An ordinary person couldn't stare at every detail on him and ponder carefully, but a painter was different. To make a general look more like a general and a noble look more like a noble, he had to offer his insights from a professional perspective—and this was exactly what Luo Yan needed.

In the process of completing the painting of "His Highness the Prince," he would meticulously observe the shortcomings in his appearance and temperament and correct them with a professional eye.

Although the title of Baron was not very high in the Shengcheng, whether in terms of personal taste or the distance from the Shengcheng's upper society, he was at least a vast ocean ahead of Tichy.

Harvey, who picked up the paintbrush, quickly entered the state, as if he had become a different person; even his facial features changed. His sharp gaze was like a carving knife in a craftsman's hand, and no trace of melancholy could be seen anymore, leaving only meticulous sharpness.

And this was also the first time he looked Prince Kelin in the eye without dodging.

Just as he was carefully observing Prince Kelin, Luo Yan, wearing the mask of Prince Kelin, was also carefully observing the changes in his expression.

Time passed minute by minute, and the sunset's light grew deeper until it sank below the eaves.

The assistant lady brought a candelabra, lit candles for the room, and replaced the sunset outside the window with candlelight.

At first, Harvey did offer many useful suggestions, but as time passed, the suggestions he could offer became fewer and fewer, and more time was spent on the painting rather than observing.

Luo Yan's comprehension was very high and he had received professional training, so often one sentence was enough for him to draw inferences about many things.

"... Do I need to keep a pose without moving?" Looking at Harvey, who was focused on the canvas, he said casually.

"No, not necessary. Rather, I hope to chat with you... this makes it easier for me to shape the character more three-dimensionally." Harvey said in a hurried tone, but his eyes never left the canvas.

Seeing that he seemed no longer needing to stare at him intently, Luo Yan relaxed his tense shoulders, and his gaze began to wander along the studio walls.

As expected of a painter highly praised by the principal of the Imperial Royal Academy of Arts, this Mr. Harvey's painting skills were indeed extraordinary. He actually used only the application of color to make traditional oil paintings look as vivid as magic photographs.

If painting also had a division of transcendent power, he would probably be at the demigod level.

Luo Yan couldn't help but think vulgarly in his heart that a few centuries later, a painting here might sell for more money than Mr. Harvey could earn in several lifetimes.

And just at this moment, his gaze suddenly fell on a different painting, and a hint of surprise couldn't help but appear on his face.

Unlike those vivid portraits, this painting used colors and lines in a bold and unrestrained way, and was even seemingly chaotic, just like a doodle drawn casually by a child.

"Incredible... is this abstract art?"

Harvey's hand movement paused, then his gaze shifted slightly, glancing at his "casually smeared" clumsy work following Luo Yan's gaze.

And at this very moment, his expression gradually turned into surprise, followed by sudden enlightenment and shock.

When he looked at Luo Yan again, the expression completely turned into one of disbelief, and the fanaticism revealed in his eyes even startled Luo Yan.

He was just saying it casually—

Why is this guy taking it seriously?

"Abstract art? Your Highness, can you tell me more about it in detail!"

Watching Harvey, who had completely stopped his brush, Luo Yan didn't expect him to be so hooked, so relying on his remaining impressions and his ability to spout nonsense, he said casually.

"The so-called abstract art... is an artistic style that jumps out of concrete depiction. It does not attempt to depict objective things in the outside world, but expresses the inner world in a free and subjective way, allowing the viewer to directly feel the author's emotions, thoughts, and even subconscious through the combination of colors, lines, and structures."

"Simply put, ordinary paintings use the painter's hand to depict the objective world, while only this art movement uses the imagery of the objective world to portray the author's inner world."

Watching the silent Harvey, Luo Yan couldn't help but wonder if he had overdone his showing off, so he coughed lightly and said.

"These are just my humble opinions as a layman, and I am just repeating what others have said, Mr. Harvey need not mind—"

"No, Your Highness, your expression is simply... enlightening to me! This is exactly the answer I have been racking my brains for all these years! Abstract art, using objective things to depict the painter's inner world, rather than a simple imitation of natural things, so that's what it means..." Harvey muttered, his fanatical expression looking like he had gone mad, so much so that Luo Yan couldn't help but worry about his mental state.

"Are you... alright?" Luo Yan asked cautiously.

St. Xisi above, he had never thought of leading the Empire's art world astray; those moribund nobles were the objects of his corruption.

He absolutely never thought of corrupting this guy!

However, Harvey seemed to be trapped, unable to extricate himself from the deconstruction of the spiritual world and the exploration of art theory.

Just as Luo Yan was wondering if he should do something, Harvey suddenly took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Me? I'm fine! I'm very well!"

Luo Yan was slightly stunned, watching him suddenly pick up the brush and finish the unfinished part on the canvas with a swish-swish-swish.

Generally speaking, can oil paintings be finished so quickly?

Just as Luo Yan was confused, Harvey turned the canvas over and showed Luo Yan the result of his painting—sitting in the frame was a gentle yet majestic Prince, and the aura he radiated was indeed worthy of the more than seven million square kilometers he ruled.

Undoubtedly, this was a masterpiece!

However—

That was all.

Even if it was vivid, it was just one scroll among thousands, a feather adorning the wings of the Silphin family, not enough to leave a separate page in the epic.

Obviously, this was not Baron Mitia's pursuit!

Harvey looked up at Luo Yan, his gaze sincere, even pleading.

"Your Highness, the work commissioned by Count Casit Silphin has been completed, but I think... I want to create another work for you! Just use the abstract art concept you mentioned as a gift for you!"

Worried that Luo Yan would refuse, he hurriedly added another sentence.

"Please rest assured, this will not take up much of your time. I have already deeply imprinted your portrait in my mind; you only need to answer a few questions for me."

Luo Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, couldn't help but also become interested, his expression carrying a hint of curiosity.

"Please speak."

Seeing Luo Yan agree to him, Harvey, in addition to his surprise, took another deep breath, put away his surprised expression, looked at him seriously, and stared into those deep purple pupils.

"First, please tell me your favorite color, Your Highness; it will determine the color tone of the entire painting!"

Favorite color?

Luo Yan had never thought of such a strange question, but felt it was unexpectedly interesting, so he didn't answer immediately, but pondered seriously for a while.

Suddenly, his heart moved slightly, and a playful smile curled the corner of his mouth.

"Flame."

Harvey was stunned.

He had thought the answer would be purple or black, which were the colors he saw from his shadow, but he didn't expect it to be fire.

"Fla... me?"

Luo Yan nodded happily.

"Yes, that is the magic I am best at."

"I like its color."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 330 =====