They all call me an Outer God.

In a sense, Ria was indeed not afraid of being beheaded, because cutting off his head was no different from cutting off one of Little Swarth's tentacles. Unbeknownst to him, he himself had become like this, and Ria actually felt a little melancholy.

If a painting is not suitable, the person will be beheaded, and today is the day Haddock will once again paint a portrait for the king.

To be honest, Ria admired that king. In a sense, he was also a very persistent person. He turned down so many artists and chose Haddock to paint his portrait. Moreover, Haddock had his own artistic integrity and was unyielding.

Even after being imprisoned in the dungeon by the king as punishment, he persisted in creating realistic paintings.

Ria admired Haddock's integrity.

“Go, Haddock. The King is calling you again. This time, you really can’t insist on your individualism.”

"why?"

"When I asked why, he said that if you really couldn't create a work that satisfied him, he would not only cut off your head, but also the heads of everyone you knew, and he wouldn't even spare your pet grasshopper."

I would rather die than surrender!

Haddock was still gritting his teeth in his sea of ​​consciousness, while the other consciousnesses praised him for his backbone, even though such backbone would make his whole family curse him for the rest of their lives.

"He killed everyone he knew... just because he couldn't paint a picture that would satisfy the king, to find out what the king actually looked like."

Do you have any of your previous works that I could take a look at?

Yes, yes! In my studio, I like to stay in my own studio; that's usually where I paint.

"So, all we have to do next is go to your studio, right?"

After communicating with that consciousness in her mind, Ria said directly to the woman in front of her, "I understand. I will create a work that will satisfy Your Majesty."

[Wait, I won't paint. You can't do this. We're all in this together now. You have to show the spirit of an artist.]

Lia smiled: "I have no integrity whatsoever, and who said you were the one to create it? If you were the one to create it, we would only be beheaded."

So you mean...

"I'll handle it."

In an instant, Haddock's heart sank, and he couldn't help but question the consciousness of those Hephaestus.

So, what's the artistic talent of the person I'm attached to?

[Completely lacking artistic talent]

However, Ria's talent for playing the flute far surpasses ours, and we will always support those who love this instrument.

Haddock's heart was completely cold, colder than the scales of a Deep One. Now all he could think about was the loss of his artistic integrity, and he completely disregarded the safety of his family and friends.

Marfa, on the other hand, was overjoyed. Seeing that Haddock was finally willing to repaint His Majesty's portrait, she quickly pulled Ria away from the dungeon, almost moved to tears.

“Your Majesty, we have finally waited for the day when you are willing to take action. Do you know that you are so popular that you know most of the Is people? If that person really wants to kill, our people will have to migrate again.”

"Don't worry, I've come to terms with it. The integrity of artists is worthless. Your lives are the most important. You're standing right here in front of me, alive and well. I can't imagine you dying over such a trivial matter. So, just leave the rest to me, Mafa."

"How come you've suddenly become so eloquent?"

Mafa blushed. Her perception of Haddock had changed considerably, especially now that he had such a pleasing face that was pleasing to both humans and supernatural beings. She felt that Haddock had truly changed his ways.

Ria couldn't help but gossip to Haddock: "I think she likes you, otherwise she wouldn't have risked her life to come to the dungeon to persuade you. If I were one of your people, I would definitely corner you and punch you twice when you try to refuse the king."

However, I already have a favorite creature.

"……biology?"

"You'll see her when you go to my studio later. She's so beautiful. Now when I think of her, I feel that my persistence was the right thing to do."

Ria was somewhat speechless. He was quite curious about what kind of creature could be so infatuated with Haddock. So when he followed Mafa to Haddock's studio, Mafa didn't dare to open the door and deliberately stayed far away, as if waiting for Ria to open the door himself.

As soon as Ria opened the door, she saw a dark mass rushing towards her. Swarth instinctively reached out to defend himself, but Ria restrained himself and looked at the enormous creature that was flying towards him, less than half a meter away.

The creature did not intend to attack Ria. Instead, after sniffing for a moment with its nose-like organ, it whimpered and retreated, its body gradually disappearing into the wall.

Now Lia finally saw the entire studio. Everything here was square – the room, the drawing board, the watercolors, the stools, even the chandelier.

The appearance of this place reminded Liya of some games where houses are built with blocks. This art studio is a product built from blocks.

"The door is also square and has very sharp edges. If you bump into it, you'll probably bleed profusely."

"Hardek's paintings are indeed very distinctive, so realistic that I thought they were photographs taken by someone. There's a painting covered with cloth on the wall in front of us, would you like to go take a look?"

Thinking this, Ria stepped forward to remove the piece of cloth, but Mafa quickly stopped him: "No! His Majesty forbids anyone from seeing this, not even you!"

Even so, Ria still caught a disturbing glimpse of something in the corner of the fabric that had just been lifted.

It appears to be internal organs...

Is this the portrait Haddock painted for the king? Why are there internal organs in it?

And what was that dark creature just now? Haddock's lover? But he also said that his lover had run away with his brother, so perhaps these two are not the same person at all.

In other words, Haddock had his own wife, lover, and someone who secretly loved him. He was also the most artistically talented artist among the Iss. He remained unmoved even when the king threatened him with the lives of half the Iss.

In conclusion, Haddock lived a life of unimaginable luxury and is not worthy of sympathy.

My love is beautiful, isn't she?

"Excuse my poor eyesight, could you please tell me what race she is?"

You may have heard of the Tindaros Hound. Yes, I fell in love with a Tindaros Hound and vowed to collect everyone's blessings. However, my wife didn't understand my actions at all, so she left me forever, taking our child with her.

Will you bless us?

"will not."

Ria continued observing the other paintings, unmoved by Haddock's plea for blessings. Perhaps all artists have some kind of mental problem, and the higher one's artistic talent, the more severe the mental issues tend to be.

Even after being rejected by Ria, he still spoke with righteous indignation.

I will definitely gather everyone's blessings, and then have a grand and spectacular wedding with her.

The Hephaestus called him a "dog knight," which pleased the Haddak people.

"In that case, you should find a Tindaros hound to possess you, so that your wedding will be legitimate."

While Ria was examining the paintings, Marfa had already left to inform the messenger sent by the king about Haddock's eventual willingness to paint his portrait.

During this time, Riad stayed in the studio to prepare the tools for painting, such as clean paints, suitable brushes, and clean canvases.

“Shamir and Kisa are both missing. I need to find them. There are many unknown dangers hidden here, but it's not clear yet how this place is related to the crisis on the coast…”

He sat upright in front of the canvas, his posture was perfect, and the way he picked up the paintbrush was exceptionally elegant. Even though the canvas in front of him was completely blank and he hadn't painted anything, countless people would still be willing to appreciate this scene.

Because some people just sit there motionless, naturally resembling an oil painting.

Lia closed his eyes, carefully considering the impression of the image in his mind. The next second, he opened his eyes, as if countless inspirations had suddenly surged forth. The paintbrush seemed to have become a part of his body. He looked serious, and the paintbrush, covered in paint, moved like a dragon on the white paper, unrestrained and flamboyant.

"Shh-"

As Ria made the final stroke, it was as if he had activated some mechanism, and all consciousness cheered for him.

[Exceptionally gifted!]

A match made in heaven!

[Strive for excellence every day!]

What is this?!

Haddock couldn't help but let out a scream. He had initially thought that Ria was a hidden master based on Ria's demeanor, but when he saw the works Ria had created, he realized that was not the case at all.

[Excuse me, are you a proponent of abstract art?]

"No, I'm a realist."

What facts are being written about?

"That's a good question."

Ria summoned Little Swarth and pointed to the messy pile of things on the canvas: "Come on, make one."

"Gurgle." Little Swarth glanced at the canvas and quickly transformed into a mass of tentacles, twisting into the shape depicted in the painting. In a sense, they were completely identical, and it wouldn't be wrong to call them realists.

Haddock had completely given up on Ria.

My artistic integrity—now not only my artistic integrity, but also my character—is disappearing.

"It can't be that exaggerated, can it?"

Ria removed the canvas and tossed it to the ground. Immediately, tentacles emerged, carefully examining the painting for a long time before rolling it up with unusual care, as if it were some rare treasure, and dragging it into the shadows.

Not long after, Mafa returned and told King Ria that he needed to go to the palace to paint a portrait of His Majesty.

“He was surprised to learn that you had finally come to your senses. Listen to me, you absolutely cannot paint His Majesty in that disgusting way again this time. You need to paint him according to the most beautiful image of the king in your mind.”

"Ok."

Ria nodded and followed Marfa out of the room. Two guards dressed in full armor, their bodies completely covered, were outside the door to take away his painting tools. Ria only needed to ride in the carriage once.

Haddock's studio was located in a rather remote town, far from the palace.

After Liya followed Marfa for a while, she discovered that a royal carriage in a medieval style had been parked outside the town's ancient gate.

The carriage was so luxurious that it stood out starkly from its rustic surroundings, exuding an eerie and mysterious aura that sparked the imagination.

The carriage was painted a deep black, with gold decorations glittering in the sunlight partially obscured by clouds, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding gray stone walls. The wheels were enormous, and the wooden body bore the marks of time. Exquisite gold patterns on the four corners of the carriage showcased the nobility and arrogance of royalty in the details.

A gust of wind blew by, and the golden decorations on the carriage made a soft tinkling sound. The sound echoed in the silent air, making people feel a little uneasy, as if something terrifying might jump out of the carriage at any moment and drag them in.

The surrounding scenery became extraordinary because of the presence of the carriage. The ordinary town streets and roadside flowers and plants seemed to be affected by the carriage. They swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a faint fragrance. Then, blood-red sap was visibly seeped out, and pure white tissue resembling sharp teeth grew out.

Two tall, black horses were tethered to the front of the carriage, while the brightly dressed coachman sat at the front, holding a whip. When he saw Ria, he took off his large hat and gestured to him.

"Hardek, I'm glad you've finally come to your senses. If you hadn't, I probably wouldn't have been able to resist eating you—hahahaha, I'm just kidding. If I ate you, His Majesty would definitely have dealt with me first."

Lia silently observed the coachman's lower body and noticed that the man had no legs; his lower body was connected to the metal parts of the carriage.

Haddock couldn't help but remind Ria.

This is a supernatural creature; what appears to be a human figure is actually its tongue, used to confuse its prey, which is why it looks so vibrant.

[When it wanders around aimlessly, it will be spotted by prey. At that moment, the carriage will directly pull the prey in and shred it to pieces.]

[But you can rest assured now, he wouldn't do such a thing to the King's distinguished guest. After all, I know him, and his life is still in my hands.]

“You seem quite proud,” Ria couldn’t help but say, then he approached the carriage, opened the door, and examined it closely.

The interior was decorated in an exceptionally luxurious manner, making it impossible to tell that it was a murderous creature. Moreover, the carriage was even equipped with a table with exquisite food on it.

On the mahogany table, steaming tea, mingled with its aroma, was rising from the teapot.

Ria stepped into the carriage and took her seat smoothly. The carriage door closed automatically. Mafa could not sit in the same carriage as him. She could not even go to the palace with Haddock. She could only stay in the town and anxiously wait for the fate of the whole town.

In fact, Ria couldn't force the poor Haddock to provide the king with the works he wanted, because Haddock's consciousness was completely unable to control Ria, even if Ria gave him her body.

(End of this chapter)