Chapter 33: Portrait Popularity

‘Where’s he going now?’ Inala paused his work for a moment upon seeing Inala follow after Luttrena. He didn’t know Luttrena’s real identity. All he judged based on her attire was that she hailed from an affluent family.

He didn’t have any means to gather info on people outside his settlement. ‘Did Virala get access to information about people from Granny Oyo?’

Granny Oyo also sold medicine to other settlements. Therefore, she maintained an account book about her customers. If Virala somehow chanced upon it, he might use it to further his agenda.

‘Indeed, all he’s selling is some medicine. With the support he’s getting, he wouldn’t even need the Parute gained from selling here. His true objective should be to network with affluent students.’ Inala concluded.

Does that mean he too would network with the students? Yes. That was why he was making portraits of everyone. But would he target those focused upon by Virala? If the chance presents itself, then yes.

Grehha, Yennda, and Resha had already left the fair. That left only Virala and Inala here. After some time passed, Inala was unable to notice the presence of Virala too, same for Luttrena, ‘Did the two of them go somewhere together?’

Virala was great at wooing women. Inala was aware of that fact. Therefore, he wondered if Virala intended to take a harem route, ‘But the Mammoth Clan women aren’t the type to share their beloved with another. He’ll be stabbed in the back at this rate.’

‘I can use it against him. But first, I need to gather evidence.’ Thinking as such, Inala resumed his work, making portraits of the students.

“Can you make one with us together?” Two elites that intended to return to their settlement had exited the middle ring and arrived at the outer ring. They then noticed the most crowded stall in the outer ring and approached it to witness what was up with it.

Inala was aware that the rest of the reincarnates would only be selling a product. Therefore, they’ll finish up the selling process quickly and would return home to collate their gains. That meant only Inala would be left behind until the evening.

The elites and even the masters would be leaving by the outer ring to return to their settlement. By then, most of the stalls in the outer ring would be empty, save for him. As most of the crowd would surround his stall, the elites and even the masters would be curious.

That was his goal all along. And once it was evening time, his first elite customers arrived.

Inala observed the two elites that seemed to be a couple and asked, “Do you want a couple’s portrait?”

“Can you fit two people in that tiny portrait?” The female elite asked.

“Yes, but can you two hug each other?” Inala asked, smiling upon seeing them nod as he adjusted their hugging pose.

“This is embarrassing.” The male elite blushed upon hugging his wife in public. Public display of affection wasn’t a thing in the Mammoth Clan. Inala was aware of it, and hence, he hurried the production.

He finished the major sketch lines and prompted them to relax, “You can stop hugging. I have what I need to finish.”

Since the pose was done, he only needed to fill in the details. That could be inferred individually. An hour later, he finished two portraits, giving one to each of the couple, “How is it?”

“A-Amazing!” The female elite blushed as she inspected the portrait. She felt the inscription of her and her husband in the portrait, observing their loving pose in a daze, “I’ll treasure it!”

Death was everywhere in Sumatra. This portrait might not mean much in terms of practical value. But it created a memory of each other that would last even if one of them might die in the future.

They could remember their beloved through their portrait, living vicariously in the memory of their past.

“Thank you.” The male elite made a curt bow toward Inala. He had only graduated a few months ago. He was a newbie elite and hence didn’t have the arrogance elites usually had. This also meant he was nervous.

For, elites died all the time, in charge of most of the Empyrean Tusk’s safety. If he died, he didn’t wish his beloved to forget him. This portrait will serve as a reminder and keep her memory of him fresh. His wife too felt the same.

Moreover, the portrait was only palm sized. Hence, it could be carried on their body. They could tie it to a thread and sling it around their neck or harness it to their hip. By carrying it on their being, they would remember their family and would fight with a stronger intent to survive and make it back home alive.

“I can make portraits and even sculptures.” Inala advertised himself upon seeing many elites eyeing his stall. “Whether it be the compact portraits you can carry with you or life-sized versions for your homes, I can make them in the shortest possible time. If you pay a premium, I can even make the portraits using clay that is as hard as our bones.”

The last part was just a boast, but it did garner him plenty of attention. Many elites began to commission him, and soon, he ran out of materials. There were still plenty of customers waiting.

Smiling wryly, Inala expressed his apology, “I’m sorry, but all the materials I prepared have run out. I can only resume making the portraits tomorrow. Please visit the 44th Settlement’s Academy of Refinement and ask for my service. My name’s Inala.”

“Only instructors can enter the Academy, right?”

“It’s not appropriate for us to barge into such a place.”

“He’s still a student. If he was an elite, he could visit our settlements to take up work.”

“What’s the 44th Settlement doing?”

“Just assign this student a home to work on his craft.”

“Don’t they have plenty of vacant homes?”

The elites complained one after another. It wasn’t easy to enter another settlement. A lot had to be coordinated beforehand to make two Empyrean Tusks move beside each other before the elites from one settlement could jump into the other.

Originally, Inala’s work wasn’t deemed important for the settlement’s future. So, none of the Instructors promoted his exhibit to the middle ring. Moreover, the exhibit praised by Instructor Mandu was Inala’s Comedy Troupe.

Therefore, when he didn’t see it, Instructor Mandu was disappointed and hence didn’t support Inala’s actions. Inala advertised one but sold something else. It offended him. That was why he didn’t support Inala’s stall.

But now that dozens of elites pressured him, Instructor Mandu was forced to act and promote Inala’s exhibit and permit him to form a business. 𝒪𝗏𝓁xt.𝗇𝓔t

‘I succeeded in the end.’ Inala became relieved upon seeing an irritated Instructor Mandu give him the green light.