Chapter 429
The Traveler Never Says Goodbye
At the same time, Eivass, with Isabel disguised as Yulia, easily found Janis.
Janis hadn’t tried to hide at all. She was sitting atop the largest clock tower in the Red Queen District, overlooking the entire Glass Island, leisurely sketching a painting stroke by stroke. If one’s eyesight was good enough, they could see her just by looking up.
Although Fifth Tier powerhouses typically remained hidden, “Master Janis” was an exception. Her popularity on Glass Island wasn’t low. After all, she was a world-renowned top artist and the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Glass Steps Herald, giving her quite an extensive social network. In a high-society area like the Red Queen District, filled with priests, merchants, and scholars, it was easy to identify Janis with just a glance, and no one dared to disturb her.
Eivass lacked flight ability, but Isabel was different. As a “versatile” individual, she hummed a cheerful folk song that lightened their bodies while painting in the air with her finger. In the blink of an eye, she conjured a pair of illusory wings for Eivass. These were just outlines, resembling butterfly wings, radiating particles outward like a halo. Eivass immediately understood how to use them. There was no principle or logic involved; simply because wings were drawn, he could fly.
Eivass hugged Isabel from behind and leaped, soaring directly upward. His movement was less like flying and more like floating—akin to a full-powered jump on the moon, he floated to the top of the tall clock tower. Isabel, in her Yulia form, was small and light; holding her was like holding a kitten. She let out happy and fearful cries, like riding a roller coaster, and grabbed Eivass’s collar and cuffs. As Eivass landed, the illusory wings behind him dissipated into light particles.
Janis glanced at them and immediately recognized Isabel’s disguise. She burst into laughter. “What made you think of disguising yourself as this silly girl, little Isha? So cute…”
“…Did I not do well enough, Teacher?” In a swirl of pink light, Isabel transformed back. She asked somewhat shyly and seriously, “I should have been identical to Yulia…”
“It’s like realism in painting. Beginners with some skill often make this mistake, believing they’ve captured enough likeness. Those who know nothing about art will exclaim, ‘It looks so real!’ but there’s an imperceptible stiffness. I won’t mention vague terms like ‘soulless,’ ‘lacking emotion,’ or ‘lacking tension.’ To me, it’s simple: you haven’t observed enough, and you’re trying too hard.”
Janis chuckled and pointed to her easel. “What do you see?”
Eivass and Isabel looked intently. With Janis’s skill, she could quickly create a moving magic painting. Yet, the Janis before them was painting slowly, like a novice just starting. She had been sitting here for half the day, but her canvas only showed outlines and structures, lacking significant detail. Even so, Isabel could tell at a glance—Janis was painting Glass Island. But not Glass Island as it was now, but Glass Island sixty years ago.
She saw the past through the present. The houses were mere outlines, and the figures lacked heads. Yet, Isabel could instantly recognize it as Glass Island, and even sense the emotions of the passersby. Though Janis hadn’t painted the sun, Isabel could tell it was a cool autumn afternoon.
“Only when you grasp the whole can you then omit and modify,” Janis said leisurely. “You’ve painted everything you saw, everything you remembered, perfectly replicating it. But is what you observed truly everything? Did you see Yulia’s facade, or her inner self? You remembered her face, but did you remember the shape and softness of her earlobes? You remembered her hairstyle, but what about the ear and the back of her neck hidden by her hair? You saw her figure, remembered her height and build, but you didn’t observe her inner bones. You didn’t notice that her leg muscles were somewhat atrophied due to long-term malnutrition and lack of exercise, and her posture when standing was a way to compensate for that weakness. You didn’t notice that her smile was a distant, polite expression, nor her rational gaze when scrutinizing people. Did you notice her feelings for Eivass? Do you know why she dedicated herself to studying Alchemy? Do you know what she likes, and why she likes it?”
Janis turned back, her voice calm and serious. “Little Isha… Her Majesty the Queen of Avalon. I will give you your final lesson. Art is the concentrated manifestation of beauty, but its essence is void. Art originates from reality, from the material, from the ubiquitous beauty of life in the world. But art’s own beauty is virtual. It comes from abstract consciousness, containing embellishments and lies. The essence of beauty is a mirror image. It approaches reality infinitely but is not a replica of reality. Because what is fake is fake, and it can never become real. No matter how realistic it is, it remains ‘realistic.'”
“Let me ask you again, little Isha—what is the path to beauty?”
“…Aesthetics?” Isabel answered tentatively.
Upon hearing this, Janis smiled with satisfaction. This was the answer she had taught Isabel when they first met—Janis’s true legacy. “Precisely. To reach beauty, one must discover beauty. To discover beauty, one needs aesthetics. Observational power is the ability to discover beauty. In this regard… every painter is a detective. One must discover the details that others cannot.”
As Janis spoke, she magically flipped her hand, and a bundle of freshly dew-kissed white roses appeared. She smiled, waved the flowers at Eivass, and then handed them to Isabel. Isabel caught them with both hands and studied them intently. After staring for a long time, she couldn’t find any flaws and could only exclaim, “Teacher, you’re amazing! I can’t see any flaws…”
“Because they are real,” Janis said with a smile. “These are roses I bought for Sophia this morning. —What is real cannot be fake, and what is fake cannot be real. Do you understand a little better now, little Isha?”
“…I think I sort of do, but not entirely,” Isabel replied honestly.
Janis simply smiled. “It’s good that you don’t fully understand. Beauty is the crystallization of life, and your future is still long.” She sighed softly. Janis looked up at the sun, as if gazing at someone, her eyes warm and bright. Isabel suddenly sensed something. “Teacher… aren’t you going to attend Grandmother’s funeral?”
“I’m not going,” Janis smiled gently, winking at Isabel like a young girl. “As long as there’s no final farewell, she hasn’t truly left, has she? My old friend must still be somewhere. One day, I will see her again. Perhaps in the Material Realm, perhaps in the Dream Realm. And before then… my wandering journey, as ceaseless as the wind, is about to begin.” She said softly, a dim yellow hue flashing in her pupils. “Before that, I must paint a good picture for her. This was a promise made when we first met, a promise I’ve never fulfilled.”
Soon, the dim yellow was replaced by a bright, balanced yellow. She sighed, laid down her half-finished painting, and carelessly discarded her paintbrush. As the brush left her hand, it dissolved into colorful particles and vanished into the void. The moment she released the brush, the painting began to fill in details and become complete, like a blooming flower.
Eivass, who had remained silent, suddenly realized at this scene—it was as if Janis was restraining herself, trying to slow down the act of painting rather than using a brush. At her level, she no longer needed a brush and paint to create art. If she finished this last painting, she would have to leave Avalon. She clearly didn’t want to leave Glass Island yet, nor say goodbye to her old friend… which was why she sat alone, painting the picture left unfinished sixty years ago. Although Sophia had passed away a week ago, the death of a friend was like aged wine, its lingering effects surfacing now, transforming into a light, rain-like sorrow and remembrance. And now, Janis had finally overcome the twilight desire within her heart and chosen to let go.
Isabel, of course, hadn’t grasped all of this. She simply watched with wide eyes, marveling at the miraculous scene. It was like spring arriving, with flowers blooming. The season in the painting shifted from autumn to winter, then to spring. Flowers bloomed, and everything became beautiful. As the painting transitioned to spring, the details of the faceless passersby on the street gradually became richer and more vivid. Like a world being created from nothingness—another girl, who bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Isabel, gradually appeared on the canvas. She stood beneath the clock tower, the most prominent figure in the painting. The girl’s eyes were bright and clear, her hands clasped behind her back with a bright smile on her face. Finally, Janis’s image was outlined. Except for a more ethereal and detached demeanor at that time, she looked almost identical to present-day Janis. She stood where young Sophia had looked back, a painting easel on her back, glancing back slightly from outside the painting toward the clock tower. It was as if sixty years ago, someone had stood on this clock tower, watching Sophia below, who was happily strolling with Janis.
Sophia hadn’t actually strolled with Janis back then. She had been taken away by people from the Silver and Tin Hall not long after appearing at Janis’s exhibition. They had become friends later, but they never had the chance to stroll so leisurely. Sophia was always busy, always worrying about others. As a queen, she didn’t have the opportunity to wander. By the time she genuinely had free time, she was already old and frail, only able to sit on her bed knitting sweaters for the younger generation. Yet, this painting looked so real, as if such an event had truly happened.
“This painting is for you, consider it….” Janis peeled the now-solidified painting from the easel and handed it to Eivass. She looked at Eivass and Isabel and suddenly smiled. “Yes, consider it a gift for you. I intended to leave quietly, but who told you to find me? It’s also my fault for painting too slowly… too, too slowly. Life is short, cherish it well.” As she spoke, she casually reached out and touched Isabel’s face. As if painting, Janis “brushed” Isabel, and with just two light touches, she completely transformed into Yulia. Even Eivass would find it difficult to distinguish this “Yulia” from the real one.
“Study hard. You still have a long way to go,” Janis said with a smile, picking up her easel. She turned and waved carelessly. On the last day of the year, when families were gathered, she chose to leave alone with a flourish. No goodbyes. The traveler of the world never says goodbye.
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