"I don't think so."
The Scholar had been excited these past few days.
He felt as if inspiration were flowing endlessly.
He simply couldn't calm down and get some more rest.
"Yes."
Xiao Xiao agreed. "You don't look very well."
"Huh?"
Since Lord Xiao Xiao had said so, the Scholar nodded. "I understand."
Still, sometimes when he got carried away, he would probably forget his promise.
Xiao Xiao smiled.
It was enough that the Scholar was willing to take his advice to heart.
He changed the subject.
"Why doesn't a phantom appear behind you while you paint this time?"
That had been his question ever since he'd seen the Scholar.
The last time, at the art exhibition, the moment the Scholar put brush to paper, the painting's subject had appeared behind him.
It had been quite extraordinary.
Why wasn't it happening this time?
"Huh?"
After a moment of bewilderment, the Scholar smiled in understanding. "It's probably because of these pigments."
"Painting this picture with these pigments has been much harder than painting the ones before."
The pigments couldn't transmit his demonic power very well.
Even the brush in his hand no longer felt like an extension of his arm.
So that was it.
Xiao Xiao understood.
"Then..."
Hadn't he made a rather poor suggestion earlier?
The Scholar really wasn't suited to painting with human pigments.
"But..."
The Scholar's excited voice cut off Xiao Xiao before he could finish.
"This painting is wonderful!"
"I know."
"I'll finish a wonderful painting!"
Is that so?
Xiao Xiao didn't bring up what he'd been interrupted from saying.
He smiled.
"I'm looking forward to it."
"This painting will be a breakthrough for me..."
The Scholar's mouth kept moving.
His excitement was plain to see.
"Once I finish