Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 216 [Art is a fart]

It's another sunny day.

In the capital, mornings always begin with the warmest sunshine.

But this morning was destined to be anything but peaceful.

Because of a newspaper, or rather, because of someone, the beauty of this morning was shattered.

This person is naturally Ethan.

This morning, while it was still dark, many people inexplicably received the same newspaper.

Kingdom Deep Observation Report.

Those who received the newspaper were completely baffled, as they had never heard of it before and had no idea where this dubious publication came from.

Just as they were about to throw the newspaper into the trash can, his eyes were drawn to the huge headline on the front page.

In-depth interview with Ethan Pauleta...

Ethan's name still has some influence in the capital recently, so many people became curious and then saw the following text.

The real bombshell is in what follows—

Art is bullshit, nobody should pretend to be something they're not!
(This assumes that people in this other world understand the meaning of the word "pretentious".)
That's a rather crude statement, not something an artist would say at all, especially since he directly attacked art as worthless.

As a newly emerging artistic genius, this statement was truly outrageous. Even people who are not usually interested in art would start to take notice.

A purely spectator mentality.

As you continue reading, you discover that Ethan actually names the famous painter, the master Rubens, saying that he doesn't understand art at all and that his paintings are rubbish, without any attempt to conceal his true intentions.

Seeing this, everyone probably thinks this newspaper is some kind of tabloid, deliberately fabricating and making things up to grab attention.

As it turns out, this article doesn't just criticize Rubens; it includes a detailed explanation of the theory.

Ethan refuted Rubens' theory of the hierarchy of art in a complete and utter way, and finally put forward the argument that everyone is an artist and everyone can be an artist.

For most people who have only a superficial understanding of art, it feels extremely good.

Then, the newspaper began to circulate, and people eagerly passed it around, asking where they could buy it. This finally made the name "Kingdom Deep Observation" known in the capital for the first time.

Ethan's phone rang around the same time.

It was Hughes who called.

After moving, Ethan made a point of calling Hughes to let him know.

Now Hughes has come to demand an explanation.

"What's going on in the newspaper? Did you really say that?!"

Hughes was both anxious and angry.

“It was me who said it, teacher.”

Ethan had anticipated Hughes's call and was waiting for it.

"How could you say such a thing? Don't you know that by doing this you're making enemies of everyone? Do you still want to paint in the future? You're so young, you have a bright future ahead of you..."

Hughes became increasingly agitated as he spoke, almost to the point of fainting.

"Teacher, did you not finish reading it...?"

"Huh? Uh, I... wait a minute."

Hughes suddenly fell silent, put down the phone, and didn't return for a while.

"...Although what you said later was fine, why did you use that kind of headline? It's too easy to cause misunderstandings. Did that newspaper make that decision on its own?"

Ethan certainly couldn't possibly be an enemy of the art world; he was just using sensationalist headlines. In reality, aside from attacking Rubens, the content was quite mild.

"No, I took it myself."

Hughes fell silent again.

"You kid..."

"Teacher, I admit I have selfish motives, but I also really feel that it's time for art to change."

Ethan's words were full of a sense of mission, and even he himself felt they were very powerful.

"Fine, anyway... I'm your teacher, so if you're going to scold me, scold me too."

Hughes sighed and hung up the phone. Ethan thought about it and realized he had indeed caused the old man a lot of trouble and worry, so he should give him a gift or something to make up for it.

Let's give him a big gift then.

Art matters should be left to art.

Ethan's solo exhibition is still about two weeks away from starting, and Jackson is handling everything for him, so he doesn't have to worry about it much. He can now focus on his own things.

For example...

The Capital Mafia.

He is now certain that the person praying in his ear that night was definitely a member of the Royal Capital Mafia.

Because the Dark Savior is the object of the secret worship of the capital's mafia.

This is truly a perfect entry point.

However, Ethan was still not entirely certain.

He planned to conduct a sufficiently in-depth exploration tonight.

Ethan stayed at home until about 7 p.m., having just finished dinner and drunk some tea. After stretching, he began to change his clothes.

Of course, he couldn't go out in a suit and tie to investigate at night. Even if he was confident that he wouldn't be noticed, he still needed to take necessary precautions.

Ethan changed into a huge black trench coat that covered his entire body, and then covered his face with an alchemical mask.

This is also a creation of Living Flame, a level 2 alchemical item. One characteristic is that it is difficult to destroy, and the other is that it is easy to mold.

Ethan asked Anya to pinch his cheeks.

Because Anya had learned some disguise techniques.

She ended up giving Ethan a face that was completely devoid of any distinguishing features, like that of a middle-aged man.

There is absolutely nothing memorable about it.

Ethan nodded, quite satisfied.

"Young master, I want to go with you."

Anya then said.

"Two people would be too much of a target, and besides, it would be difficult for me to stay in this situation."

Ethan grasped Anya's hand, which she hadn't yet withdrawn, and said softly.

"I want to have a late-night snack when I get back."

"it is good."

Under the cover of night, amidst the flickering lights, Ethan headed towards the South District.

At the same time, in the South District.

Vasini looked at the faces of the young people in front of him under the cover of night, and at the afterimages cast on their faces by the lights in the distance.

He took a deep breath.

"You are all the bravest warriors in the family, and the blood and spirits of your ancestors will protect you."

"For Martino's glory!"

"For Martino's glory!"

The young people responded excitedly in hushed tones.

Vasini felt a surge of excitement, yet at the same time, a sense of desolation filled his heart.

This is already the bravest and most fearless member of the family.

But they were too young and not strong enough.

Is what he's taking them tonight really not a pure act of suicide?
How many people will return alive after tonight?
Vasini looked at each face, and after a long time, he finally hardened his heart.

We can't just sit here and wait to die; we have to give it our all.

"Come, let us offer one last prayer, for the great Lord will be watching over us as we move forward."

(End of this chapter)