Two days later.

Arad arrived at Glory Hall with twenty paintings, all covered with protective panels.

"Boss, there’s an incredible number of people here! It looks like everyone with any influence in the Stronghold has shown up," Theo remarked, glancing around in amazement while helping the Arad Company staff transport the paintings.

"Not bad. The more spectators, the better," Arad replied, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as the crowd grew larger. His confidence in his paintings only made him more pleased with the turnout.

"Eighteen, nineteen... twenty?"

Meanwhile, Mary had been counting the paintings brought into the inner castle over and over.

"Boss, are there exactly twenty paintings?" she eventually asked Arad for confirmation.

"Yes, there are exactly twenty," he answered firmly.

"…Are you sure?"

"I’m sure. Why do you ask?"

"No reason… never mind," Mary said, stepping back after Arad nodded.

Including the absurd paintings of Mary that she’d rather not think about, there were supposed to be twenty-three paintings in total. However, only twenty had been brought here—specifically, only the portraits of Arina and the combined portraits of Mary and Arina.

‘Well, it’s better not to display those strange paintings publicly,’ Mary thought, pursing her lips slightly in her current form as Arina.

Her dark gray eyes reflected both relief and a faint melancholy.

"The silver hair and gray eyes reflect your soul and mana, my lady," Isabelle had said long ago while giving her the transformation necklace. "It symbolizes your noble and pure essence."

Arina couldn’t help but recall those words again.

"A confession in Arina’s name will have to wait," she thought.

If Arad disliked her in Mary’s form, it could mean that his soul and mana disapproved of hers as Arina. This interpretation made her hesitant to confess her feelings in the current situation.

"Not for looks or status—only for my inner self! I’ll win his heart as Mary!"

To win Arad’s affection in her Mary disguise would prove it was true love—or so she convinced herself in this tangled web of self-doubt and determination.

Once the staff had finished setting up the paintings and the crowd had neatly taken their seats, the maids serving the Northern Grand Duke began appearing around the hall.

"The ruler of the North and representative of the Renslett lineage, Her Highness, Grand Duke Arina Rune Renslett, will now enter!"

The voice of Isabelle, the head maid, echoed through the vast hall of the inner castle.

Click, click, click.

Moments later, Arina appeared as a shimmering illusion conjured by Isabelle.

"…"

The real Arina, still transformed as Mary, focused her attention on the illusion created by Isabelle.

"Renslett Rune Renslett."

"Renslett Rune Renslett."

"Renslett Rune Renslett."

The now-official chant reverberated through the hall as Arina’s illusion stepped forward, her lips parting to speak.

"Count Arad Jin has finally completed his paintings," she announced.

"Indeed, Your Highness. However, I became ambitious as I painted and ended up creating far more portraits of Your Grace than originally planned. Please forgive my indulgence," Arad replied with perfect decorum.

"I forgive you gladly, and I look forward to seeing them," Arina said, pretending to view the paintings for the first time. Though she had already seen them before, she focused her thoughts on performing her role convincingly.

"You’ll find them to your satisfaction," Arad replied confidently. Then, with a nod to his staff, they simultaneously removed the protective panels covering the paintings.

Ooooh!

The hall was filled with genuine gasps of admiration.

Count Arad Jin’s talent for painting was nothing short of extraordinary. His works not only met expectations but exceeded them, leaving a lasting impression of awe and emotion.

That day, the twenty paintings unveiled in the hall of the Northern Stronghold struck even those unversed in art with profound wonder.

"Truly remarkable. They’re just paintings, and yet… they exude an indescribable power. I can finally understand why noble families on the continent spend dozens or hundreds of gold coins on a single painting," Arina said, visibly pleased.

"These are the paintings Arad poured his heart and soul into for me!" she thought, her chest swelling with pride and joy.

Unlike the embarrassing paintings of Mary she had buried deep in her consciousness, the portraits of Arina were genuinely magnificent.

"I want to show them off. I want to let more people see the way Arad depicted me!"

With this thought, Arina made a significant decision.

"I want these paintings displayed throughout the Northern Stronghold so that as many of our people as possible can see my face," she declared.

She ordered the eighteen portraits of the Northern Grand Duke to be hung in prominent locations across the Stronghold.

"I can craft frames to protect the paintings," Arad offered. "With magical treatments, the frames will shield the paintings from fire or significant impact."

"Excellent, as expected of Count Arad Jin. But just the frames alone seem insufficient. Isabelle?"

"Yes, my lady. Such matters require the expertise of witches. We’ll add protective enchantments to the frames as well," Isabelle replied.

"What kind of enchantments?"

"Enchantments that allow viewing but prevent touching. Anyone without permission who attempts to touch the paintings will find their hands passing right through, as if through a mirage."

"Good. Place the two portraits of myself and Mary in my bedroom and office, respectively. The rest shall be displayed in the grand conference room and banquet hall of Glory Hall, the plaza and corridors of the inner castle, and… the Arad Industrial Complex."

The fortunate few who saw the paintings that day were deeply grateful for Arina’s decision.

Such stunning works would now be on display for all to see.

"Is this truly the face of our Grand Duke?"

"She’s beautiful."

"She’s so pretty… I can’t believe someone can look this stunning."

"The paintings look so real!"

"They’re beyond just well-done."

"Every time I look at them, I feel something unusual."

"The portrait of Her Grace in armor feels empowering."

"The one of her in a dress seems to radiate the scent of flowers."

Thus, the Stronghold gained a new landmark and hotspot.

"Shall we meet by the portrait where Her Grace is smiling brightly?"

"No, this time let’s meet by the one where she’s wearing the fur coat."

People began choosing meeting spots specifically where the portraits were displayed. Even when walking through the Stronghold, many deliberately took routes passing by the portraits.

Those passing the paintings found themselves involuntarily captivated by the Grand Duke’s image, lingering longer in those areas than in other parts of the Stronghold.

No matter how many times they saw them, they unconsciously acted the same way.

"I think I’m in love with Her Grace," one person confessed.

"…?"

"Th-that’s not it! It’s not love in a romantic sense! It feels more like how you’d love a parent!"

"Ah, I see… I feel the same way."

"Phew~! I thought I was the only one feeling strange."

"I’d gladly lay down my life for Her Grace, the Grand Duke."

"Me too! Fighting and dying for someone as beautiful, compassionate, and noble as her would be an honor."

"These days, I’ve been reading the Renslett Scriptures. They even contain some of Her Grace’s words!"

"But you can’t read, can you?"

"I paid good money to learn because I wanted to understand even a little of what Her Grace has said."

This was an unintended butterfly effect that Arad hadn’t anticipated.

A new kind of fandom culture was emerging in this otherworld.

And the ripple effects weren’t confined to the Northern Stronghold.

"To think I’d see such an extraordinary piece of art in the North!"

"This is revolutionary. Such bold, striking lines! It’s unbelievable. My heart feels like it’s going to burst!"

Visitors from the South, who had traveled through the North to reach the Stronghold, stood in awe.

"How did they achieve these colors?! And the shading!"

"It’s stunning… So this is the Northern Grand Duke…"

These travelers included noble patrons who had paid large sums for chimera automail procedures, as well as merchants from Bishop Company who accompanied them.

"This painting could sell for an exorbitant price, don’t you think?"

"The North is currently the most talked-about region on the continent. It’s where Arad Salt, Northern porcelain, and Mary’s Blessing are produced."

"It’s always been famous, though. A land where savagery and civilization blend in the snowfields and a cradle of Sword Masters for generations."

"Not to mention the Demon Realm and the Great Northern Barrier."

"And of course, the Grand Duke of the North herself is the subject of endless fascination."

"If these portraits were sold in this context…?"

The Bishop Company merchants couldn’t take their eyes off Arina’s portraits hanging throughout the Stronghold.

"They’ve put up protective enchantments."

"And the frames housing the paintings aren’t ordinary, either."

The merchants gazed at Arina’s portraits with wistful eyes, as if staring at an oasis in the middle of a desert.

"Let’s try petitioning Her Grace."

"Yes, asking won’t cost us anything."

Gathering their courage, the merchants requested an audience with Arina.

"We pay our respects to Her Grace, the ruler of the North and the representative of the Renslett lineage, Grand Duke Arina Rune Renslett."

"Renslett Rune Renslett!"

Their audience was granted with some difficulty.

"What is the reason you sought to meet with me?" Arina asked.

"Your Grace, we humbly request that you sell us the portraits displayed throughout the Stronghold," one merchant pleaded.

"No," Arina replied firmly, rejecting their request without hesitation.

"Your Grace! We are willing to pay any price!"

"Not just money, Your Grace. Think of the fame and honor it would bring! Your beautiful face and noble name would be known across the continent!"

But the Bishop merchants weren’t ones to give up so easily.

"That’s right, Your Grace! If these portraits became known in the Empire, it would help dispel the prejudices Imperial nobles have against the North."

They even enlisted the help of visiting Imperial nobles to bolster their argument.

"Exactly. Many in the Empire still view Northerners as uncultured and unrefined. But if these paintings were seen, people like me would look up to the North and Your Grace with newfound respect!"

"It’s not just the Empire. These paintings could spread the name of the North and Your Grace’s reputation throughout the countless kingdoms on the continent. I will personally ensure that your portraits are prominently displayed in Baeddenheim, the capital of the Kingdoms’ Union."

"…"

Arina fell into deep contemplation at their persuasive words.

"I can’t part with the paintings Arad personally created. But… they could be valuable. And if what they say is true, it might change the prejudices against the North."

Money and fame—both were desperately needed by the North and Arina.

But selling these particular paintings was out of the question. They were the result of Arad’s wholehearted devotion, as if he had become consumed in his efforts for her.

"Couldn’t these paintings be mass-produced, like the porcelain from the factories?"

A sudden idea crossed Arina’s mind.

If porcelain could be mass-produced, why not paintings?

If anyone could find a way, it would be Arad.

"Leave me for now. I will think it over," she finally said.

After dismissing the Imperial nobles and Bishop merchants, she immediately transformed into Mary and headed to the industrial complex.

***

The wave that began in the North gained tenfold momentum after encountering the Bishop Company.

The Northern wave, now called the Northern Current, spread beyond the Empire to the surrounding kingdoms.

In the Northern Stronghold, factories and academies expanded by the day.

Time passed, and it had been two and a half years since Arad first arrived in this otherworld.

By Northern standards, it was late winter transitioning into early spring in April, a period when the biting cold began to subside.

In a temporary classroom at the newly opened Renslett Academy:

"So, if you draw it like this and shade it like this, the contrast separates beautifully. Pretty easy, right?"

I was giving a lecture to fifty individuals considered the most skilled painters in the North.

"For oil painting, if you mix this No. 33 paint from Arad Company with water and powdered fire-attribute mana stones… ta-da! You can create a color almost identical to a real sunset."

The North had always been a culturally underdeveloped region.

Until now, no Northerner had ever pursued painting as a profession.

But not anymore. Here at Renslett Academy, systematically trained painters were being nurtured.

And these students were already part of the second cohort.

"See? Simple, isn’t it?"

"…"

"…"

The faces of the students sitting in the classroom were blank, reminding me of a scene from an old Bob Ross-style art class.