Chapter 119: The Room

A/N: Mister is used as a more informal/close form of address. Formally, Goran would be called Clan Leader Rasmus.

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The books, once consumed by Goran, inevitably made their way into Kano's hands and were received with much excitement. Although Kano preferred reading works of fiction, he was especially enamoured by the prospect of reading educational texts exploring different art styles, with hopes of broadening his capacity and expanding his toolbox. After all, this was the primary reason why Kano ventured out of the village with Mister Rasmus.

Speaking of which, Kano was incredibly nervous the first time he entered Radiant City. Everything was just so... big! There were people everywhere - if someone were to toss a pin into the air, it would never reach the ground. It was that crowded! There were a myriad of noises reverberating, calling for Kano's attention. A plethora of bright lights, colourful signs, and enrapturing sights filled with magic assaulted his senses. Surprisingly, the throng of folks kept their distance from the carriage he was in. It was only later that Kano realised the cause - the seal that was plastered on the side of the carriage, denoting the Rasmus Clan.

Teacher Larks wasn't speaking lightly when he warned Kano about the significance of Mister Rasmus' background. The Rasmus Clan was a powerhouse others couldn't look at lightly. The only power that superseded them within this region was probably the Maika Clan, who were responsible for this Duchy. Of course, above them stood the Emperor's clan, but that was a bit beyond Kano's comprehension.

Kano worldview was akin to a country bumpkin. After being exposed to a small glimpse of the outside world, Kano realised just how small he was in the grand scheme of things. The Rasmus Clan's mansion in the city definitely did not help towards alleviating this. Kano couldn't wrap his mind around how a house could be so big. It was like a small village in and of itself! The guest room Kano was staying in was at least ten times larger than the room he shared with his sister. Oh and the bed! So soft! Kano drowned himself inside its warm and cosy embrace and achieved a slumber so deep that he dozed through the entire day. 

To that end, Mister Rasmus had assigned a tutor to instruct Kano about certain nuances he needed to be wary about. They weren't exhaustive, just basic etiquette and general knowledge so that he wouldn't be lost during social interactions. After all, he was supposed to show his face in public along with the Rasmus Clan's leader, he couldn't portray himself as a common rube.

Every morning, the tutor assigned to him would arrive right on the dot at seven. After that, Kano was free to do whatever he pleased. He was allowed to roam around the mansion, talk to everyone working there, eat whatever he wanted, and paint and draw to his heart's desires. Kano was living a carefree life.

The day before, Kano received the stack of textbooks compiled by Teacher Larks. At first glance, they looked unbearably exhausting, but after taking his time and reading through them, Kano was completely addicted. The discussions and examples shown in the books were enlightening, to say the least. They offered Kano a wider perspective on how to approach art. They introduced new techniques that Kano was kind of familiar with, from when he was learning about literature.

For instance, one section of a book discussed the power of symbolism in art. It said that one can manipulate colour, form, imagery and composition to emphasise personal or absolute truths and perspectives in visual form. When writing, symbols are often portrayed as specific objects or motifs that repeat themselves and hold a specific meaning to them. Of course, the specific application or inclusion of the symbol can alter its significance. For instance, the colour red symbolises maturity. A red dress can allude to sensuality or allure, or it can portray bloodlust and rage. The red ruby shoes worn by Dorothy from Wizard of Oz symbolise the growth and maturing of the character through her journey.

Kano realised that it was possible to extend this into the visual arts realm. By skewing realism and naturalism, one can extend what can be perceived from artwork from just the surface imagery. Of course, to achieve this, the observer must also be able to look beyond just what is shown. Kano understood that this may be an issue for the time being. Within the mansion, there was a room that was filled with artworks, as well as recording artefacts containing images and recordings of the more expensive and higher-tiered arts that were stored in a more secure space. Upon studying them, Kano realised that current standards of art relied heavily on recreating scenes, landscapes or portraits with high levels of realism. The closer the work came to reality the more it was lauded.

Kano lowered the book in his hand, carefully closed it and placed it on the study desk in the guest room. Although he had only spent a little more than a week in this mansion, Kano's body had undergone drastic changes. For one, he was no longer a scrawny, depressing kid. His cheeks had gained some fat that brought more life into his already blinding smile. His unkempt curly brown hair was tied into a neat bun, just like the one worn by Mister Rasmus.

With a light leap, Kano landed on the floor and put on his wooden slippers. He walked out of the room and clip-clopped happily towards the art storage room, to gape at the works once again. This time, he wanted to observe the works with a broader lens, to see if the artists had somehow instilled any symbols, themes or other such stylistic devices that had gone unnoticed.

The mansion was largely open-air, with an exposed central courtyard holding a beautiful mini-garden. The prefix mini- is used lightly since it was the same size as Matron Reva's garden! On top of that, there was a veritable meadow surrounding the mansion which Mister Rasmus called the 'actual' garden. Because of the plants and trees in the courtyard, the ambience was much cooler and breezier. It almost felt as though Kano hadn't left the village.

The boy navigated through the hallways with familiarity. After all, apart from the guest room, Kano practically lived within the art storage room. 

Clip-Clop, he skipped, while humming a light tune.

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Clip-Clop.

Clip-Clop.

Clip-SNAP! "Ow!"

Kano's left slipper snapped at the joint between his toes. It did so right when Kano lifted his foot forward, causing it to detach and fling itself along an awkward trajectory. The slipper bounced off the wall and hit a door on the opposite side, right at the handle, causing it to slide open. The boy hopped forward on one leg to retrieve the rogue slipper which had fallen into the open room.

He picked it up casually without paying much attention to his surroundings. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from the courtyard and thrust the lightly open door fully. It didn't stop there, the interloping gust of wind rolled forward and lifted the white clothes covering the various items within the room, exposing them to the environment. After wreaking sufficient havoc, the gust exited through the window within the room, throwing it open and allowing natural light to enter.

"Woah!" Kano vocalised as he absorbed the wonderfully designed room. It had elegant marbled walls with golden, jewel-adorned sconces, and wooden beam ceilings evoking a mix of both wealth and rustic simultaneously. Near the centre of the room, there was a half-elevation leading up to an enormous bed. A series of bookshelves were flushed into the wall on one side of the room, lined with a variety of books ranging in age but of uniform design. Kano's eyes sparkled upon witnessing the sight, he had never seen so many different books in his life. As a voracious reader, this was his personal heaven. The other side of the room was comparatively barren. Somehow, Kano got the feeling that it used to be populated with furniture and life but was now devoid of it all leaving only a sad, empty space.

From the corner of his eyes, Kano observed what he recognised as a stand where painters hung their completed works for display. Interestingly, it was the only item in the room that had yet to be affected by the rogue wind, as it was still completely covered by a smooth white cloth. With a curious frown, Kano approached it and with a gentle tug, removed the cloth.

As the cloth fell to the ground, the painting displayed on the stand revealed itself. It was a portrait of a woman. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life. Her eyes were like pearls, with pupils so dark that they could trap light; they were sharp, with a pleasant almond shape. Her nose arched elegantly, ending with a cute and plump tip that evoked a feeling of wanting to squeeze them. Her cheeks were rosy and lively, with dimples in them. She was smiling with her teeth showing - it was a hearty smile, one that forced you to smile along. It filled Kano with infinite warmth. Her hair draped down her side and ended with a mirthful bounce. She looked as though she were running through a field of roses, without a care in the world.

Kano could feel an unbearable amount of love oozing out of the painting. The kind of love Kano had never felt before in his entire life. How could someone love another so deeply? Kano's eyes drifted to the bottom right corner of the painting, only to droop in disappointment at not witnessing the artist's signature.

"Whoever painted this loved this person dearly, whoever she was..." He mumbled.

Kano took a few steps back to observe the painting better. The further he went, the more he felt as though he had seen this woman somewhere before. Right as he took the final step, his back collided against the bookshelf.

"It's Medium Sis Jean!" Kano exclaimed. Right as he did so, a wobbling book stumbled out of the shelf and landed squarely on his head.

"Ouch! What was that?" As he followed the sound, he noticed a handwritten journal flung open before him on the floor.

"Investigating a Practically Safe Invasive Procedure for Emergency Birthing," Kano enunciated slowly in trying to read the beautifully written texts on the open page.

Kano hummed curiously and plopped down to read the rest of the page.

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