Prada, who had traveled to the Village of the Great Tree, brought a proposal: she wanted to display a specific object near the entrance of the museum's exhibition rooms.
Apparently, placing a centerpiece there would help set the tone for visitors the moment they stepped inside. It would serve as a landmark, making them remember the location by that specific sight. I didn't think it was a bad idea at all.
However, I immediately rejected the actual plan Prada brought with her—a gold statue of me.
"Was three times your actual size still too small?" she asked.
The plan called for it to be a bit over five meters tall, but that wasn't the issue.
"Is it the budget, then?"
Since she had no intention of using mere gold plating, the project would require an astronomical budget, which was a problem in itself—but that wasn't it either. The problem was simply that it was a statue of me.
"Muu."
If the goal was to create a memorable impression for the museum, I suggested something simple—maybe a god or a dragon.
"Hmm, for the Devil Race, both of those entities come with... complicated baggage."
I could understand the dragons, but even the gods?
"From the perspective of the gods who sided with the Human Race, it seems the Devil Race was a species destined for extermination."
Is that how it was? I suppose not every god was an enemy, but Prada explained that as a member of the Devil Race, it felt a bit wrong to worship a god.
Well, it was Prada's museum. It wouldn't be right to display something she didn't like. Prada liked artwork and, if I recalled, gold coins.
"Is there anyone in the world who actually hates gold coins?" she joked.
Haha, she had a point. Speaking of gold coins, I remembered the shack I built once where gold coins rained from the ceiling, but that wouldn't suit an art museum. It put greed too far in the foreground. It might be good for a casino, but not here.
For a museum, I still felt a simple sculpture or statue was best. But if gods and dragons were out, what was left? A statue of a member of the Devil Race? I couldn't bring myself to depict Prada or her people directly, especially since I'd just rejected a statue of myself.
So, drawing on the image of a demon from my previous world, I tried whittling a sample out of wood. I kept the size small, about fifty centimeters. If there were no issues with the design, we could make it larger later—and it didn't necessarily have to be me who made the final version.
I took the sample demon statue to the museum with Prada. While she was full of praise, I wanted to hear what Kati and the others thought as well.
First up was Kati. "The waist is so thin!"
Next was Rudio. "Those horns are massive!"
Finally, Shalne gave her assessment. "The shoulder structure is excellent. Even with four arms, it doesn't look unnatural. The shoulder blades... they're independent for each arm, so the range of motion shouldn't be an issue."
Uh, how was I supposed to interpret that feedback?
"It means it's a hit," Prada summarized. "Let's go with this."
I wondered if it was really okay, but Prada insisted. "We'll provide the materials, so could we ask you to handle the production, Village Head?"
"Are you sure you want me?" I asked. "I think a professional could produce something much better."
"That's exactly why it has to be you. Please."
"All right," I relented. "I'll do it. Just don't expect me to follow any detailed instructions. I'm not dextrous enough to handle specific tweaks."
A few days later, Prada prepared the material. It was a giant black rock. It stood about eight meters tall and was roughly just as wide. It sat grandly atop a massive pedestal that had been constructed at the planned installation site.
"Inferring from your sample, I estimated this was the size we'd need," Prada explained.
Well, the size wasn't an issue. Since I'd be carving it with the Universal Farming Tool, I didn't mind how big it was. What I was curious about was how they'd managed to get this giant black rock into the museum in the first place. It was clearly larger than the loading doors, and it had to be incredibly heavy.
"It's Kati's ability," Prada said.
According to her, Kati could put objects inside a box and transport them regardless of their size. That sounded incredibly convenient. If I'd known that earlier, I would have asked her to move the small airship.
"It's handy, but there are several conditions," Prada added. For instance, things taken out of the box couldn't be put back in immediately, and items already inside other containers were a no-go.
"What about an airship?" I asked.
"I think that would be difficult. Houses and carriages are impossible, after all."
Kati didn't contradict her. I suppose there’s no such thing as a perfect solution, but it certainly worked for transporting this rock.
Production began. I set up scaffolding around the material and held the Universal Farming Tool in the form of a chisel. I didn't need to worry about the density of the stone; the tool would take care of it. Since I was just enlarging the sample, it shouldn't have been particularly difficult.
However, that would just be copying a shape. I felt that a statue needed to have a soul breathed into it—though I wondered if it was really wise to put a soul into a demon statue. I shouldn't hesitate. If I wavered, the quality would suffer. I simply had to face the material with a clear mind and give it my all.
By the time I finished, two full days had slipped by. I'd completely lost my sense of time. Thanks to the Universal Farming Tool, I didn't feel any physical fatigue, but I don't think I'd ever concentrated that intensely before.
Apparently, I'd even been eating properly. Prada and the others had been bringing me meals throughout the process. I felt bad for the trouble I'd caused them, but thanks to their support, it was done.
The final result looked a bit different from the sample... actually, it was quite different, but I hoped they'd forgive me. It had more presence than the original, and I'd added weapons, but I figured that shouldn't be a problem. It was definitely a demon statue, after all.
Even if I insisted on that, Prada and her staff were the ones managing the museum. If they didn't like it, I'd have to tear it down.
As for their reaction...
"Don't pray to it, don't pray to it," I muttered. It wasn't a statue of a god. But they seemed to have accepted it. That was a relief.
As for the title of the piece? That was already decided: The Devil Who Protects Artworks.
"I see," Prada remarked. "So it uses that greatsword to behead anyone who tries to defile the art."
"And it uses those pliers to pull out the teeth of anyone who disparages the collection," another added.
"So it uses those nails to pin down the hands of anyone who tries to steal something."
"And it uses that saw to split the heads of those who destroy the art..."
I hadn't actually thought of those specific gruesome details, but they were free to interpret it however they liked. Still, now that it was finished, I couldn't help but wonder: was it really okay to have a demon statue like this at the entrance of an art museum?
Well, it would certainly leave an impression on the visitors.
I returned to the mansion with the satisfaction of a job well done. Naturally, because I'd been focused on the sculpture for two days, a mountain of work had piled up, and it took quite a while to clear it all. I really needed to be more careful.
"Honestly, you can scold me if you want," I told Lu and Tia. Instead, they just pampered me.
I felt a bit conflicted, but I let myself be spoiled. Then Ria, Ann, Hakuren, and even Rusty joined in. I indulged in their attention without reservation.
A few days later, Gucci, Bulga, and Stifano headed to the Prada Art Museum after hearing rumors about the statue. The museum was open, but because they hadn't started a big advertising campaign yet, there weren't many customers. They were able to take their time looking at the exhibits as well as the statue.
When the three of them returned, I asked for their impressions.
"It was a true... no, it was exactly as titled: a devil who protects artworks," Gucci said.
"The museum has a very... intense atmosphere now," Bulga added.
"I was too scared to speak while I was inside," Stifano admitted.
I... I should take that as praise, right?