After we finished in the pottery room, we moved to the next area—a gallery filled with paintings. These, too, were arranged meticulously along the walls, reinforcing my impression of just how organized Rosmiel-san was.
To be honest, I felt like I had a better grasp of paintings than I did pottery. Not that I understood the technical details, of course; it was purely intuitive.
Still, I assumed the pieces in this room cost a fortune, and I couldn't help but wonder what the total value of the collection added up to.
"The sheer volume of work here is... incredible."
"This is actually the largest room in the basement," she explained.
"It's certainly large enough to be an art museum, and the layout is lovely. Is every frame unique as well?"
"Yes. I chose frames that suit each individual piece."
I was impressed by her attention to detail as I scanned the room. Even with my limited knowledge, I felt like I could pick out the ones that were worth a fortune. The ones in ornate, antique frames or those hung in the most prominent spots were surely the most valuable.
"This might be a strange question, but is that the most expensive painting in the room?"
"Hmm... probably that one over there. It was painted in the Demon Realm ten thousand years ago. It's part of a set of seven called 'Seven Planets' that depicts the landscapes and starry skies from seven different locations. What makes it so incredible is that it was made with an entirely unknown paint."
"Unknown paint?"
"Yes. It has a mysterious luster that's never been found anywhere else. There's a legend that many people tried to reproduce it over the years, but no one ever managed to create anything like it."
Looking at the painting again after her explanation, I could see the unique sheen. It was hauntingly beautiful, possessing an almost ominous quality that drew me in... It felt distinctly otherworldly. It definitely possessed an intensity that the other pieces lacked.
"It really is a powerful piece."
"Yes. The painting contains a faint trace of magic power, but the wavelength is so strange and alien. One theory claims it was made with pigments from another world entirely."
"That would certainly make it rare."
"Well, it's one of only seven in the world. I just happened to pass by when it first went up for sale and bought it because I liked it. If I had to try and buy it now... honestly, it's priceless. It would cost several billion R at the very least."
Several billion R... In my world's currency, that would be hundreds of billions, maybe even trillions of yen. That was staggering.
"But the strange thing is... it was sold at a street stall."
"What? A stall?"
"Yes. The owner was this odd person in a dog kigurumi wearing a beret. I mean, plenty of artists are eccentric, but still..."
"...I see."
Alice? That had to be Alice. She probably just whipped those up to earn some pocket money. Even the mysterious paint didn't surprise me; it wouldn't be the first time she'd produced something impossible from weird materials and even weirder methods.
Accepting that conclusion, I continued browsing until a certain painting caught my eye.
"Oh, I really like this one. The colors and the atmosphere are so... gentle."
It was a landscape of a flower field. The soft colors and brushstrokes were incredibly soothing. Even though I didn't know the first thing about art, just looking at it made me feel happy. It was tucked away near the edge of the room, but personally, it was my favorite out of everything I’d seen so far.
When I turned back toward Rosmiel-san, I saw she was blushing furiously, her head bowed.
"Ah... um... I see. Th-thank you."
"...Excuse me?"
"Well... it's because... I painted that one myself."
"What?! Really?"
I never expected she was the artist. She was incredibly talented; this wasn't the kind of thing a mere amateur could pull off.
"I'm stunned. You're a wonderful artist, Rosmiel-san."
"N-no, not really. That's just the best thing I've ever done. I don't usually paint that well..."
"No, seriously, being able to paint this at all is amazing. I could never do anything like it. I think it's truly wonderful."
"Auuu... it's so embarrassing. But... I'm happy you said that. Thank you, Kaito-kun."
Her bashful, blushing smile was so incredibly cute that I felt my own face heating up in response.
Serious-senpai: "Look at them flirting... Dammit, this is painful..."
???: "Serious-senpai, I'm thirsty. Don't you have any cola or something back here?"
Serious-senpai: "Of course I don't! What on earth do you take me for!?"
???: "A strange beast with a curious ecology... I guess?"
Serious-senpai: "Isn't that a bit cruel?"