A few days has passed again as the Everlight party has arrived at a city famous for an artisan who has created many sculptures for famous people which that includes the king's statue in the Ferria Kingdom and for Arron too.
The Everlight party enters the city to face a city full of sculptures everywhere. Sculpture of dragons, the legendary hero party, and many artistic sculptures placed around the city, giving it the name, 'City of sculptures'.
Suddenly, a loud scream sounded far back in the city.
"You think he's at it again?"
"He has been doing that for days, just take a break,"
The residents whispered among themselves. Will can tell that they speak in annoyance.
"What do you think the sound is all about?"
Raye asked the Everlight members which they just shrugged. So he decided to asked one of the passerby that lived in this city.
"Excuse me sir, what was that sound all about?"
"You don't know? Well, judging from your clothing you guys must be travelers, well, you know the famous artisan that lived in this city?"
"You mean Mr Hubert?"
"Yes, well, he seems to be going on a crisis and has been doing that for days! Us residents are fed up with him,"
The passerby walked away, groaning. Raye thought to himself and decided to pay a visit for the artisan, Hubert Gree.
"Let's see if we were any of help,"
The Everlight party asked direction from passerby of the famous artisan's house. When they arrived at the house, they were shocked by the many sculptures and works scattered around just in the front yard. The house of the artisan was red in color and black tiles for the roof.
A boy holding a grocery bag with blond hair and wearing a dungarees that is brown with a white clothe in it. He also wear a small brown hat with red and green patterns stripe around it. He notice the Everlight party outside of the artisan's house walk towards them. He placed his grocery down onto the ground and yelled loudly.
"Master, you got visitors!"
The Everlight party was surprised by the boy as he sighed.
"Master, you got visitors!"
The boy yelled one more time. Still, no response. The boy could only sighed and apologize to the Everlight party.
"I'm sorry, master has not been in his usual self for days, here, hold onto this, I'll let you enter through the back door,"
The boy handed Raye the grocery bag as he leads them to the back door.
"It's alright, we can come another time,"
"No, even then, he would still not answer your call,"
The back door which was located at the backyard, there is a rock tile pathway aligning from the white fences to the black door. There are also many sculptures scattered around the backyard.
The boy took out a pair of keys and unlocked the door of the backyard. He then let the Everlight party into the house. Inside, the walls were painted in dim yellow canvas and light brown stripes from the top to the bottom. Tables full of artworks and many sculptures were placed beautifully where the sun shines onto them. There were also sculptures of mermaids and dolphins placed at each side of the frame. There is also a piano with mini sculptures placed on the top.
"This house sure is full of sculptures..."
Al looked around the house, there were paintings hung onto the walls that were also made by the artisan himself. There is also painting that caught Will's attention. It was about the demon king continent. The painting was in night where a cliff and a castle that supposing to be the Demon King's castle. The starry night brighten the scene of the demon king continent.
"…"
On the other side, Loki was interested of a sculpture named 'The Pale Jade Dragon'. The dragon was a frame and was painted white with jade green painted on the fur. There are even jade powders powdered around the sculpture, making it shine and glow in green. The face of the sculpture of the Pale Jade Dragon was fierce looking. With the eyes being big and so as the eyebrow, giving it a hint of Chinese art.
[This dragon said to be me does not look like me,]
Loki look at the sculpture inspired by him in dissatisfied. Raye could only shrugged his shoulders as a response to his familiar.
"Master, there are visitors here for you,"
Finally, a response sounded in a room.
"Let them in, Malcius,"
The boy, named Malcius Gree, who was adopted by the famous artisan Hubert Gree. He used to be an orphan that admired the artisan Hubert Gree's work. He would watch Hubert work from time to time which Hubert eventually noticed and took him in as an apprentice.
"The master have given you the approval, you guys may meet him,"
The Everlight party then enters the room. Inside there sits a large table with many papers full of sketches and designs. There also sit a man with brown hair. It was messy as if he have not moved from his spot. The man then stood up to reveal himself to the Everlight party.
The man, Hubert Gree, was a guy wearing black glasses and a goatee beard like Al. He has black lining below his eyes showing signs that he had not slept for days. He wore a brown dungarees like his apprentice and a blue clothe behind it.
"Ah, welcome, how may I assist you?"
The artisan, Hubert Gree takes a good look at the Everlight party and fell back onto his chair.
"Wait, are you guys...the hero party that took down one of the warlock of calamity in the Kingdom of Sahhara? That golden blond hair of yours and that gloomy face of his, it's undeniable!"
Raye rubbed his head and shrugged while Will just look down onto the ground, feeling himself with depressed thoughts.
"W-wait, are you really the one that defeated the warlock Enceladus Lauren!?"
"Yes,"
Malcius fell onto the ground which Raye reaches out his hand for him to hold onto.
"I-it's nice to meet you sir,"
"Don't need to be so formal,"
"S-say, could you guys do me a favor, I will even pay you for it!"
Hubert begged the Everlight party to make a sculpture inspired by them. Raye thought about it for a second then agreed to do so.
"Does that help you solve your problem you're facing now?"
"Yes, it definitely would!"
"Alright then,"
"Really, thank you sir!"
The artisan kneeled onto the ground which Raye quickly reaches out his hand to pull him back up.
"I'm so sorry, I do not have any ideas on what to make for days, you just gave me a new hope, I would even place your sculpture at the middle of the city if you want me to!"
"That's not...necessary,"
----------------------------------------
Malcius brought the Everlight party to a garage that is empty.
"This is master's workplace, where he make sculptures,"
"Alright, I want you to pose for me, let's start with the hero,"
"O-ok,"
Raye stood on a mini stage where it is made out of rock.
"Alright, I want you to pose for me,"
Raye drew out his sword and places his blade onto the ground.
"No no, that's too cliche, try something else like raising your sword,"
Raye did so but the artisan wasn't satisfied.
"How about going into a battle pose?"
Raye held his sword at a few difference angles. After a whole 10 minutes, they returned back to raising the sword as the final pose.
"Alright, now stand still while carved out this sculpture,"
"How long will it take?"
"Probably around a week for your whole party members,"
Raye sighed and the carving begins.
During the meantime while the artisan, Hubert Gree was carving a sculpture for Raye, the rest of the Everlight members went out for a walk with the apprentice Malcius Gree in the city. While Auoun was looking around as if he had not been to an outside world before, though the fact that it's true. He was more interested with the sculptures that were located around the city. He ran around visiting every single sculpture as if they were attraction spots. While Will and Amethia were chatting, Al took out his cigarette and bit it. He then took out a lighter with the design of a golden hawk. It has a tiny red tail ruby as the eyes and the beak as the opening.
Before Al could lit up his cigarette, Malcius pointed out that the lighter was one of Hubert Gree's work.
"That design…it's one of master's work,"
Al was stop in his tracks of lighting. He then close the opening of the lighter which made a 'click' sound. Still biting the cigarette, he then replied to Malcius.
"Oh really? I got this from a friend of mine, I think he was a fan of your master too,"
"Master sure really is famous world wide,"
"I guess you could say so,"
"…I doubt that I could be his level,"
Malcius said in a low voice, but even so, Al manages to catch every words that came out from his mouth. Al took out the cigarette from his mouth and look at the sunset.
"There's a time for everything, maybe right now isn't the moment you dream of, but if you keep pursuing your dream, you might achieve it someday,"
Malcius looked at Al from the side.
"…you really speak like master, is that what old folks do?"
"What do you mean old folk!? I'm not that old am I?"
Al rubbed his head in anger. Malcius laugh as he watches Al lit up his cigarette.
"Don't you make your own art? Try selling it or something,"
Al tries to get back at him by retaliating with a question.
"My art are not as great as master,"
"…well in this city where your master is famous, it sure is hard to compete with him,"
Malcius went depressed after hearing Al dead honest words. Trying to make it up for him, he came up with a plan that hopefully he would not regret.
"…how about this, I'll let you make my sculpture and we'll see, hope that you do well and not mess it up,"
Malcius stared at the face of the man rubbing his head in frustration. He then snicker and hit him on the shoulder.
"You bet I do!"
Al simply took out the cigarette from his mouth and release the smoke in it.
A week has passed as the sculpture of the Everlight party was finally finished. They were at the garage and the sculpture of the Everlight party was covered by a huge piece of white cloth.
"Behold,"
The artisan Hubert Gree places his hand on the white cloth, grabbing onto it, finally pulling it off the sculpture. The sculpture of the Everlight party were all one to one replica to the original person, except for Al Sevis. Sculpture of Al Sevis as promise was made by the apprentice Malcius Gree. The face was a little old with the beard being bit bushy despite in real time its not. There were also a few mistakes that can be pointed out by Al himself.
"It's not easy to convince master to allow me to handle your sculpture, you know, well, what do you think about it?"
Malcius said in a mocking tone, hoping Al would get mad at it.
"It's great,"
"huh?"
"Though there are some mistakes but overall it's not bad,"
Malcius stared at the sculpture made by him then at Al.
"Is it…really not bad…?"
Malcius muttered to himself. Al then patted his shoulder, hitting it twice and walked forward to take a closer look at the sculpture of the Everlight party. From the behind, Malcius can't point out on what expression he is making right now. Deep down, Al was jealous, quite jealous indeed of the others sculpture. But to encourage the young apprentice, he had to accept it and move on with the jealousy.
The Everlight party had resolve the issue the residents were facing in just a week. Everyone was cheering for the Everlight party, chanting their party's name.
"Say Al, is there any reason that you let the boy carved your sculpture?"
Raye asked Al in curiosity. To be honest, there isn't any particular reason for why Al encourages the apprentice, Malcius Gree. Maybe it was because his nature of a former teacher then were in act when he first heard those depressing words. Words that were sounded like to tore them down, which that pisses Al the most. He hates it when his students do not believe in themselves. So as a teacher, he would encourage his students, reassuring them and making sure to keep their end of a promise.
But Al simply took out the cigarette from his mouth and release the smoke, replying and shrugging at the hero.
"No reason at all,"