Chapter 684 Today Lanqi has the final say
It’s the end of August in the Flower City of Parië, and it’s also the fourth Sunday of August.
As autumn approaches, the sky becomes cloudy.
Thick clouds covered the entire flower city, as if a heavy rain was just around the corner.
Therefore, today the Holy Silver Vine Arena did not open its open-air dome, but adopted a closed mode.
"So this is how the Holy Silver Vine Arena's vault is closed on rainy days."
In the seat that Baptiste's family had reserved for three consecutive shows in Tianyu Hall, Christina placed her hands on the back of the sofa and looked up at the sky.
The top of the entire venue is almost invisible. Its dome is a huge semicircular arch that projects the distant starry sky. With a dark blue background, the stars are inlaid in it like bright gems, flowing slowly in the air. Occasionally, a wisp of illusory white cloud floats by, like a mist covering the starry sky.
"Christina, please sit properly."
Sitting on the sofa on the other side, Kyle, the eldest son of Count Baptiste, looked at his sister and gave her advice helplessly.
Although my sister had grown up doing whatever she wanted, she sat there like an old man in such an occasion, which looked too undignified for a countess.
“Ahh.”
Christina responded casually with a few words and sat up straighter.
He looked towards his brother Kyle.
Since Butler Lodge's working hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and today is Sunday, Butler Lodge did not come with the Earl's family.
Christina suddenly felt like someone was missing.
And if she had to say who she was most afraid of, it would be Rocky. When Rocky was not around, she subconsciously relaxed.
"Miss, let's go home early today."
Inoan whispered to Christina.
"Oh, yes. The weather is not very good. It is said that there will be a heavy rainstorm tonight."
Just as Christina was about to ask why, she figured it out.
I don't feel it indoors, but I can roughly guess the weather outside.
From time to time, there were bursts of rumbling thunder on the corridor at the entrance, which echoed slightly in the empty lounge of the arena.
During the time that Christina spent with Yinoan, she discovered that Yinoan didn't like humid weather very much. She really didn't like being caught in the rain or getting wet.
Although Inoan's injuries had been mostly healed by the best medicines Christina could buy at the Earl's house, she still looked timid from time to time.
According to other maids in the house, they could no longer feel Inoan's magic power, and even Christina couldn't judge how strong Inoan was.
I can only ask the housekeeper again next Monday.
wrong.
If the Tata lottery ticket she bought today won, she could open the Lodge Butler on Monday.
By then, there will be no evil god Rocky in this house, only her Inoan will accompany her every day. Christina feels dreamy just thinking about it.
"Can you please not fire Butler Rocky..."
Yinuoan seemed to see what Christina was thinking and asked in a mosquito-like voice.
"You can't always rely on him or count on him to protect you. He has basically taught you everything he should teach you, and you may be stronger than him now."
Christina said to Inoan with confidence.
The Yinoan she hired was not necessarily weaker than the Rocky hired by her brother, it was just that Yinoan had been in a state of battle damage for a long time.
“…”
Kyle glanced at his sister.
Although he found it a little ridiculous to hear his sister loudly plotting to fire the housekeeper he hired.
But if Christina really wanted to do this, he wouldn't stop her too much.
As long as Rocky agrees, he doesn't care.
After all, Kyle had already discovered that someone like Rocky was not the kind of butler that could be hired for five years at a cost of 50,000 pounds.
Meeting Rocky can only be said to be the fate between the Baptiste family and Rocky.
It might as well be a good thing to give freedom back to Lodge.
"This housekeeper is so mysterious. Could it be that he deliberately doesn't want to stay with us today?"
Christina looked at the entire Holy Silver Vine Hall.
She suspected that Rocky was here today because he asked her to help look after the little black cat for a day.
"Meow, meow."
The cat owner sat aside, pretending to be an ordinary cat.
In the first round of assessment, Lanci gave it to Countess Rosalinda for entrustment.
It waited until Tata finished the exam and then went to find Tata.
Later, when Lanqi was working, he brought it to Tianyu Hall for the second round of assessment, and it fell in love with this luxurious branch.
So today, at the request of the cat owner, it was placed by Lanqi in the Baptiste family.
The final round of the Platinum Card Creator Examination, [Artistic Skills], has already been completed for the most part.
All the candidates were taking exams in the film world, and gradually some candidates completed and submitted their works.
This round of questions is very concise and clear -
After completing a portrait of a work of art, apart from the basic score assessed by the artificial image world, the remaining score will be assessed by the examiner.
Christina looked at the screen.
Today is the final assessment and it is quieter than any previous one.
On the holographic projection screen, each candidate in the Platinum Palace simulated by the artificial shadow world belonged to a different area, and they carried out their own creations without interfering with each other.
The scene moves and switches in the Platinum Palace from time to time.
In the spacious central hall, the first thing you see is the huge stalactite vault. The extremely gorgeous plaster reliefs shine under the light, and the angel reliefs on it dance as if they are about to fly out of the plaster. The stained glass mosaic painting in the center of the dome is like a dazzling pearl, imprinting colorful beams of light on the marble floor.
On both sides stand two seven-meter-high sphinxes fighting each other mercilessly. They are the epic statues "The Fighting Lion" and "The Lion of Victory".
Going up the stone steps, the majestic Corridor of Reason and the Corridor of Prosperity unfold.
On the left wing, in the Place du Palais, a fountain with a statue of the god of will and love stands in the center of the square. Drops of water sparkle on the statue, as if it were inlaid with countless expensive gems.
In every open space, there are candidates sitting quietly, surrounded by flat-headed, round-headed, and flat paintbrushes, completing their own paintings.
This round of test questions turned into ancient characters that appeared on the walls of the gallery.
【Theme: Self-portrait】
[Each candidate can freely use the mirror in the artificial shadow world]
[Once completed, you can submit your work to the examiner. ]
[The venue and prism themselves are not the subject and do not need to be processed]
【……】
Everything you see jumps out before your eyes with strong outlines.
Many gold-level card makers frowned.
Outside the artificial shadow world.
“Isn’t the self-portrait question the easiest one?”
Christina asked Kyle from the audience.
Her brother Kyle is a man who knows a little about art. After all, he was a failed student at Parriere Art University. Butler Rocky is even more amazing. He should have been a successful student.
“The self-portrait is both pure and difficult because it involves both a technical challenge and a deep level of self-exploration.”
Kyle looked carefully at the works of the gold-level card makers that were constantly changing on the giant screen, and tilted his head to explain to Christina, "The first is the most basic technical challenge."
On a technical level, self-portraits require the artist to be able to accurately capture and reproduce their own facial features, requiring not only superb painting skills but also a deep understanding of light, shadow, proportion and composition.
Unlike painting other people, when an artist paints a self-portrait, the subject he observes is his own face, and the perspective often changes during painting, which makes the creation much more difficult.
"Then there are issues of emotional honesty and self-reflection, choices about self-presentation, the tension between public and private, etc. Strictly speaking, self-portraits are probably more difficult than painting other people."
Kyle explained to Christina why many experienced gold-level card makers in the artificial shadow world fell into deep thought.
Since ancient times, many painters have created self-portraits. Among these portraits, there are works that symbolize the authority of the painters, and there are also painters who cannot afford to hire models and simply paint themselves.
Regardless, many works have been created.
It can also be said that it reflects the artist himself at the moment of painting.
soon.
There was a burst of discussion in Tianyu Hall.
It seems that a gold-level card maker went to the examiner's room to submit a painting.
In the picture.
In the conference room where the two examiners and the assistant of the Card Creator Association were, a tall and straight young magic craftsman with firm features and long hair tied into a ponytail came into the room with a painting.
Eskar, a new star magic craftsman from a small country, was wearing simple black craftsman clothes, a tool belt around his waist, and his right arm was an intelligent prosthetic arm he invented. He was standing in front of the long table waiting.
The examiner, wearing a silver mask, was sitting in the main seat, appreciating the work with his chin in his hand.
The deputy examiner, Countess Rosalinda, also watched quietly.
Although she was also painting, she was in a very leisurely state and could stop at any time.
This self-portrait of Eskar is made up of a collage of various irregular geometric shapes with bright colors and strong contrast.
In the collage of geometric shapes, you can see the outlines of some parts, as if depicting a mechanized figure.
The overall effect gives the reviewer a visual impact of bursting power and vitality, and one can feel the magic craftsman's passion for technology and innovation.
【Portrait·Broken Outline】
【Type: Artwork】
[Grade: Sacred (damaged)]
[Rank: 1]
[The creatures who appreciate this painting have a chance to lose a small amount of physical strength and gain certain mechanical property enhancements within 12 hours. ]
“It uses Cubism and Futurism painting techniques, which is pretty good.”
The mysterious examiner commented and entered his scores for each item.
In the first round of examinations, he was sweating profusely as the deputy examiner. Now in the third round of examinations, he seemed particularly calm as the chief examiner.
The total score of this exam is calculated based on six dimensions: technical ability, creativity and originality, expressiveness and fit with the theme, overall completion of the work, divine gifts, and magical foundation.
The basis is the Loggins self-portrait given by the question-setting group of the Western Hub Card Makers Association headquarters.
His work was scored 95 points and used as a reference for scoring other candidates' works.
Countess Rosalinda glanced at Lanci's score.
The final average was 82.
Her eyelids twitched twice.
Rosalinda watched the whole thing and felt that Lanqi's scores were all too high.
According to Rosalinda, she could only give 70 at most.
Although the final passing score of the candidates will be determined by the score that Lanqi plans to give to Rosalinda's painting, those who exceed the score of the deputy examiner will be considered qualified.
But every student scored high, which showed that Lanqi gave Loggins no face at all.
Because the better Loggins' work is relative to the reference, the higher the score will be.
This in turn shows that Loggins' paintings are not very good.
Rosalinda felt that Loggins did have a bit of the quality of a rich second-generation who liked to show off his works and demand praise from others, but most people would not offend Loggins.
Rosalinda was very happy that Lanqi did this, but she was also a little worried that Loggins would get angry.
"..."
Loggins didn't speak for a long time.
Rosalinda could feel the anger between Loggins' brows even through the screen.
Loggins' paintings themselves are not bad, and can be considered acceptable among the sacred grades.
The picture was of a blurry study room. Outside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows was a vast ice field. The sky and the earth were covered with bright white snow. Loggins' figure seemed to be in this room, but also blended into the vast snow. His eyes were like frozen ice, and there was a bit of arrogance in his coldness, which made him look like aloof and arrogant.
【Image: Icefield】
【Type: Artwork】
[Grade: Sacred]
[Rank: 1]
[The creatures who appreciate this painting have a chance to feel awe for the man in the painting, and consume some status to gain artistic insights.]
Unlike the paintings that were made on the spot in a few hours, this one by Loggins was one that he prepared and worked on for a period of time before the exam and submitted to the examination committee.
The degree of completion will be much higher than the limit that most candidates can achieve in the examination room.
And in those few hours on the scene, it is almost impossible to create a painting that is better than the one created in advance by the current platinum-level card makers.
Therefore, according to past practice, there will basically be no scores above 95 in the four examination areas.
Of course, you don’t need to reach such a high level to be qualified.
You only need to score higher than the work created on the spot by the deputy examiner, Countess Rosalinda, under this question to pass.
"How come this examiner is better than Mi Gai Yato?"
"He is really too gentle. In the first round of assessment, several candidates tortured him like that, but he still gave high scores."
"In the first round, a large number of candidates passed the recommendation, and a few even received GPA. In the third round, this guy was the examiner and he started giving the candidates such high artistic scores again."
"And he really isn't afraid of being attacked by Loggins' fans. If he keeps giving scores like this, Loggins will have a black spot under his forehead."
The audience members talked about this year's mysterious examiner from time to time.
He had his own show effect since the first round, and sure enough, he was still very unique in the third round.
Highlight a person who is tolerant to others while being upright and incorruptible.
"I feel like this mysterious examiner has a good relationship with Countess Rosalinda. Loggins didn't give Rosalinda face, and as the branch president, Countess Rosalinda had to consider the overall situation and couldn't say anything. But this guy obviously doesn't care about anything and came directly to discipline Loggins."
All I can say is that some newcomers really don't care about things like seniority, relationships, and social etiquette.
Just do things as they should be done.
"Be quiet, this is not the place for you to gossip."
When Loggins' voice came, the Holy Silver Vine Arena suddenly became quiet for a moment.
The common people of Parië were not very afraid of him, but some powerful people were unwilling to say anything more because it might involve conflicts of interest.
After all, Loggins is a platinum-level card maker at the management level of the Card Creators Association headquarters.
"Hahaha, this mysterious examiner is really interesting. Brother, can you invite him to our house for dinner? I want to treat him to a feast."
Christina kicked her legs happily. She was very unhappy about being warned by Loggins during the second round of exam a few days ago.
This guy is a bit sick. He controls the audience through the screen and doesn't allow people to talk about him.
"Although my father knows Countess Rosalinda, it is impossible for the Countess to reveal the identity of the examiner."
Kyle shook his head.
"Useless brother! Think of a solution!"
Christina criticized without hesitation.
"Meow……"
Boss Cat couldn't tell her that the examiner was her housekeeper.
And she disliked him.
More than ten minutes passed.
New candidates came into the conference hall on the giant holographic screen and submitted their works to the judging panel.
"Hey, Karen-senpai finally finished drawing."
Christina looked excited and asked Yinuoan beside her to look at the senior students in their school.
"She is the most famous genius magic craftsman in our Alolan Royal Academy in recent years. She may even be comparable to Duke Migaiya in his youth!"
Christina felt that she had a good eye for people.
For example, he got a perfect personal maid and good friend like Yinuoan.
"She... Mi Gaiya..."
Yinuoan seemed to see something flash across his vision and pressed his forehead.
"You must have heard of Duke Migaia before?"
When Christina saw Yinuoan's condition, she immediately held her shoulders and asked with concern.
If, by chance, Yinoan had even met Duke Migaiya before, it might be an opportunity to awaken some of her memories.
"He was really handsome when he was shining in the Person Kingdom. Even the platinum-level card maker exam seemed easy to him."
Christina added information, hoping to provide some help to Inoan.
"Mi Gaiya...he? Isn't he a girl with black hair?"
Yinoan murmured in a daze, as if his memory was confused.
"well."
Christina could only sigh.
It seems that Yinoan really can't recover his memory for a while. In Yinoan's eyes, Mi Gaiya is actually a woman.
Yinoan also shook his head in confusion, no longer bothering with this vague clue.
Christina looked toward the artificial shadow world again.
By this time Kallen’s work had been revealed.
Her self-portrait stands against a very simple background, with only a pure white wall, and her own image is also mainly in light colors, as if tearing a dazzling hole in the plain picture.
Her long hair fell softly on her shoulders without any artificial hairstyle. She was wearing a plain dress, but the smooth fabric was supported by her straight back and confident posture, outlining her petite and graceful figure.
The most attractive thing is the expression on Karen's face. She has a beautiful face, and her emerald green eyes seem to have a small sun, warm, hot and dazzling.
She seemed to be looking down on everyone, exuding an innate, restrained pride and vitality.
“This painting is full of modernist colors. It uses the simplest realistic techniques to create a fantasy effect.”
Lanqi held the magic device tablet and commented on the painting with the corner of his mouth.
[Portrait: Pure White]
【Type: Artwork】
[Grade: Sacred]
[Rank: 1]
[The creatures who appreciate this painting have a chance to recover a small amount of mana and reduce a small amount of mental magic resistance, and there is a small chance that they will fall in love with the woman in the painting. ]
The audience was quite surprised when they saw the identification results on the screen.
Being able to create a sacred-level painting on the spot meant that it was possible to be comparable to the demonstration work [Portrait of Icefield].
The specific multi-dimensional scoring still needs to be judged by the examiner.
Generally speaking, being able to create a painting of damaged sacred quality that meets the proposition within a limited time and temporary conditions is already quite impressive, and being able to create a painting of intact sacred quality is even more incredible.
But going any higher is almost impossible.
There is a huge gap between the sacred and epic levels.
Even a famous painter in history will only leave behind a handful of epic works of art throughout his lifetime.
It is not a work that can be completed on the spot or with good planning and preparation. It often requires chance and coincidence to create a natural beauty.
In the end, the examiner gave her a score of 88.
"Crazy, too crazy."
"He really dares to give points."
There was another round of sounds of watching the fun from the audience.
According to the craftsmen outside the venue who know how to appreciate this, Karen's paintings are indeed good, and giving them a score between 75 and 85 is actually quite reasonable.
Above 85, it means that Loggins is not treated as a human being.
When the live-connected examiner Loggins saw the score, the pen in his hand made a slight cracking sound.
"..."
Loggins now felt that this guy named Lanqi might really be a little ignorant of his own life. He actually dared to give a score close to the score of his carefully prepared painting to the impromptu work of a mere gold-level card maker candidate.
"Examiner, could you please tell me what you think of my painting?"
Kallen asked, smiling at the examiner.
Although this examiner was a bit silly and unskilled in the first round, the score he gave her showed that he had no prejudice against her and was even much higher than she expected.
“…If the essence of avant-garde art lies in using the simplest shapes and brushstrokes to break through conventional visual presentation, then this work can undoubtedly be included in the hall of contemporary masterpieces.”
The examiner praised.
But I didn't exaggerate too much.
So Kallen bowed to him and turned away.
There was a smile in her eyes.
Whether it's exams, gambling, or men, it's all easy.
She was now convinced that this examiner was a real loser. As expected, he knew nothing. It would have been fine if he had just gotten by in the first round, but he continued to do so in the third round.
But as long as she gets a high score, she has no objection.
…
The Shadow World Conference Hall was quiet for a moment.
Lanqi, who was sitting on the main seat, had not put down his writing board for long when he found that Countess Rosalinda next to him was motioning him to look at the painting.
Countess Rosalinda has finally completed the painting of the deputy examiner.
"Please help me grade it, Mr. Examiner."
Rosalinda deliberately imitated the humble tone of the examinee and said to Lanqi.
"OK."
Lanci smiled.
Even Countess Rosalinda's girly attire was more natural than that.
Today is the Eastern Region's Platinum-level card maker assessment. The score given to her by the examiner will determine the passing score for this exam, so it is also the most critical review.
Whether in the conference hall or in the auditorium outside the film world, many audience members sat up straighter and paid attention to the work brought by the deputy examiner.
The painting depicts a window sill. Behind the glass is a female figure holding a wine glass. She is raising her other hand and gently pressing the glass window. The dripping rain falls on the glass, as if covering her face, making it difficult to tell whether it is rain on the glass or tears on her face.
Although her image was a little blurry in the rain and fog, it was obvious that she had a mixed expression of sadness and joy, which made her look both lovable and full of energy.
[Portrait: Rainy Night in the Mirror]
【Type: Artwork】
[Grade: Sacred]
[Rank: 1]
[The creatures who appreciate this painting have a chance to deepen their understanding of "wine" and gain some improvement in winemaking and wine tasting skills. ]
Lanqi took a look and scored 97 points without hesitation.
Suddenly.
The attention of the entire Holy Silver Vine venue shifted from the painting to the examiner.
The reference works given by the headquarters were only 95 points. If Countess Rosalinda's casual paintings all scored 97 points, it meant that the reference works were just so-so.
More importantly, even if the examiner makes an adaptive adjustment and reduces the score by 10 points, the passing score is still 87 points.
This will also mean that there will be almost no qualified candidates in the third round of assessment in the eastern region. Only Kallen, who scored 88 points from the Alolan Kingdom, can barely pass.
"Don't make it difficult for everyone."
Rosalinda was also a little panicked.
She didn't expect Lanqi to be so optimistic about her work.
And to some extent it also shows that it is not that the previous candidates performed well, but that the scores he gave to everyone were too high.
"It's okay. I will use the examiner's adaptability authority to lower the passing score by 10 points, because you are too good to be a deputy examiner, and your performance is exceptionally good."
Lanci replied.
"I think her score is too high, examiner. Please explain your opinion."
This time Loggins finally couldn't bear it anymore.
Now all that’s left is to ask directly “Why are you giving random scores?”
But the more he acted restless at this moment, the more he seemed to have lost his composure, so he had to suppress his anger and pretend that nothing had happened when communicating with the examiner.
"Well, then do as you wish."
Lanqi agreed without arguing or arguing.
"How much?"
Lanci asked him.
"Let's change it to 92."
This made Loggins very unhappy.
Because Lanqi's attitude was like taking care of him, which was like hitting cotton.
To some extent, Lanqi's way of speaking is more like a leader treating his subordinates.
"Okay, I'll listen to you. If you change it to 92, I only need to adjust it down by 5 points later."
Lanci put down the scoreboard.
When Loggins heard this, he felt that Lanqi seemed to be treating him as a fool.
Originally, Lanci had planned to lower the passing score from 97 to 87 using the examiner's adaptive authority over scores.
After following Loggins' changes, he still dropped to 87.
It was just a formality to comfort Loggins.
The nature of the insult has not changed.
"Examiner, I warn you. From your performance in the first round, I can tell that your card-making skills are seriously flawed. If any examinee questions or challenges your scoring later, I will deal with it strictly. I will never tolerate an examiner who lacks any professional qualities, professional ethics, or professional ability to just sit here and do nothing."
Loggins' words were like sharp icicles cutting through the silence on a winter night.
Rosalinda's breath suddenly became a little panicked after hearing this.
If the headquarters deals with him severely, there is a high possibility that Ranchi’s platinum level qualification will be revoked.
“…”
Lanqi just smiled at her helplessly with his hands spread out.
Rosalinda thought about it and breathed a sigh of relief.
She had only seen this kind of wealth of a strong person in Mi Gaiya.
Even this Lanqi is a little bit more excessive.
The most insulting thing is that the integrity registration system in the artificial film world determines that if the examiner gives random scores, it will be detected, which can only mean that the examiner really thinks that the example painting used as a reference is very ordinary.
However.
After Loggins made this suggestion, no candidate wanted to challenge.
Because the examiners were really nice to these candidates.
The first round would have been fine, but in the third round they even repaid evil with kindness by giving them high scores, which made the candidates feel a little embarrassed.
If you can't pass it, even if you try again, you won't really get a score that can exceed the passing line.
Even if some people fail, they still get GPA because of their high scores, so there is no need to say anything more.
…
Holy Silver Vine Arena.
Kallen, who had already arrived outside the artificial film world, sat in the audience with her arms folded, looking at the giant screen with great satisfaction.
In the first two rounds, her score was slightly higher than that of the old woman named Tata. As long as her score continues to be higher than hers, or is similar to hers in this round, she will win.
However, it is obvious that even this examiner would not give Tata an unreasonable score.
Soon she will be able to persuade this woman to stay away from Lanqi, and then have some fun with this little cutie Lanqi. If Lanqi can really become an eighth-level strongest person one day, it is not impossible to consider him.
Now is almost the time when most candidates finish their paintings.
Not long after a candidate submitted his painting in the conference room, a figure with gray hair and golden eyes came in with the painting.
The examiner also seemed to have been looking forward to it for a long time.
The moment he saw the gray-haired girl, he became more alert.
“…”
Countess Rosalinda looked at Lanci speechlessly.
She is the only one who knows the relationship between Ranchi and Tata. They seem to be a candidate and an examiner, but in fact they are senior and junior sisters with an unclear relationship.
From Ranchi's subtle reactions, it can be seen that he interacts with Tata too much in his daily life.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
If she had to describe their relationship, Rosalinda remembered a story the talking black cat told her - there was once a biologist named Pavlov who did a conditioned reflex experiment. As long as he rang a bell, the puppy would drool, knowing that it was time for lunch.
The little black cat also heard this story from Lanqi, who used it to vividly describe "what Lanqi thinks of his relationship with Tata."
But in fact, Countess Rosalinda discovered that besides the puppy, Pavlov himself was also tamed. "Tata, a candidate recommended by the Kingdom of Hutton, unmarried, 25 years old."
The examiner picked up the writing pad, looked through the registration information on it, and confirmed it with the examiner.
"……?"
Talia believed that other candidates should not have to go through this process, but Lanqi insisted on reading out the information about her at the beginning. It was hard to describe what exactly he wanted to emphasize.
Her eyes began to grow colder, as if she couldn't wait to capture Lanqi for the sixth time.
Lanqi's eyes suddenly looked a little scared, as if telling her not to hit the examiner.
And Tata's eyes seemed to be telling him that if he had the ability, he should not go back with me today.
“Ahem.”
Countess Rosalinda could only cough twice.
In fact, even if the two people did not interact like this, many viewers outside the venue could guess that the two people knew each other.
Because in the platinum card maker exam, it is not uncommon for the examiner and the candidate to know each other, not to mention that both of them are from the Hutton Kingdom. It can be seen from the first round of exams that Tata is very good to the examiner and would rather get fewer points than torture the examiner.
Lanqi came back to his senses and shifted his gaze from Talia to Talia's painting.
To be honest, this was the first time he saw Talia's painting.
She chose a very unique perspective and portrayed her back on the canvas.
In the painting, she looks back with a slightly pale face, her cheeks have sharp and strong lines, her gray hair is scattered behind her, and her faint golden eyes seem to be examining everything in the world, and also seem to be saying goodbye.
No one knows what she saw, maybe it was her hometown, maybe it was old friends, maybe it was obsession, maybe it was letting go.
【Portrait·Looking Back】
【Type: Artwork】
[Grade: Sacred]
[Rank: 1]
[People who appreciate this painting will recover a small amount of mana, and have a chance to permanently increase the upper limit of a small amount of spiritual attributes, only once.]
“Still as beautiful as ever.”
The moment Lanqi saw the painting, he smiled with relief and gave her the same score of 97 on the scoreboard as Countess Rosalinda.
Off the court.
"Do you really dare to give such a score? Aren't you afraid that Loggins will transfer all his hatred for Migaiya to him?"
“Although they are indeed beautiful, I don’t quite understand the difference between these sacred-grade paintings.”
"Maybe you can just give it according to your mood? Anyway, as long as it is not detected as illegal, it will be fine."
If the examiner really doesn't know much about painting, even the integrity registration system of the artificial photography world will not be able to detect any problems.
"That's enough, examiner. Get out of here and I'll grade you."
Loggins said this without any mercy.
"Wait, Mr. Loggins..."
Just as Countess Rosalinda was about to smooth things over, Lanqi raised his hand to stop her.
Talia sighed.
She felt that there was no need to give Lanqi a score above 95. In fact, giving her a score of 93 would allow her to beat Kallen.
However, she was quite happy that Lanqi liked her painting so much and was willing to give her a high score despite offending the people at the Card Creators Association headquarters, so she decided to make breakfast for him for a few more days.
"No, brother, what's wrong with my fight?"
Lanci looked in the direction of the off-field voice coming from Loggins.
"Artistic exams are not a place for you to play around with your subjective preferences. They should be handled by more professional people. From now on, you no longer have to be responsible for the platinum-level card maker exams. In other words, you may even lose your status as a platinum-level card maker."
Loggins declared coldly.
"I actually wanted to give her 100 points subjectively, because she is really beautiful, but out of the absolute objectivity of the examiner, I only gave her a technical score of 97. Am I not objective enough?"
Lanci did not compromise this time and refused to accept the score adjustment. He looked at Loggins' connection screen and asked.
Such straightforward praise immediately caused a surge of noise in the audience seats of the Holy Silver Vine Arena.
And Talia turned her head uncomfortably.
She didn't know whether Lanqi was sincerely praising her or deliberately saying such things in this situation to embarrass her and think it was fun to tease her.
But when she met Lanqi's gaze, she knew the answer -
Both.
"Are you clearly trying to expose your ignorance and deception?"
Loggins questioned.
"Then what do you think is the difference between knowing and being truthful? I can give you face and lie to you that this painting is only 90 points compared to your 95-point painting, or I can tell you the truth and tell you your true level."
Lanqi also didn't want to pamper this kind of master who grew up in the most privileged place in the Kingdom of Canberra. Others didn't dare to teach him a lesson. He was realistic and spoke his mind.
Just when the chief examiner and the examiner were arguing with each other, the spectators in the entire Holy Silver Vine Arena were all saying that their tickets were worth it.
Suddenly, Examiner Loggins, Chief Examiner Lanci, and Deputy Examiner Countess Rosalinda all seemed to have received the news.
Information soon appeared on the projection screen.
Some candidates reported the examiner and launched a challenge to the examiner.
Even if it was anonymous, Ranchi and Tata knew who it was.
It must be Kallen.
Because although Karen can qualify, she cannot win the bet with Tata, and she will definitely not accept the fact that she lost to Tata.
Obviously, reporting the examiner at this time would naturally help Loggins. Once Loggins defeated the examiner and gave Tata a lower score, she would be able to turn defeat into victory.
And at this time.
In a lounge of the Holy Silver Vine Arena.
With a smile on her face, Karin controlled the examinee's terminal magic device and reported the examiner to the Card Creators Association.
Then when she came out, her face suddenly became much gloomier.
"Stupid examiner, I thought you were a good person."
She muttered to herself with trembling lips.
On the one hand, she never thought that Tata was so powerful. On the other hand, she never thought that the examiner, whose identity was a mystery, actually knew Tata and took such good care of this gray-haired woman.
But it doesn't matter.
With Loggins around, it’s even a question whether this gray-haired woman can pass.
Just thinking about it, a smile broke out on her cheeks, until it gradually faded away, returning to her usual pleasant smile, and she walked back to her own audience seat.
…
Artificial shadow world, simulating the conference room of Platinum Palace.
"Very good. According to the rules, Rosalinda, you and the examiner will switch places. If his ability does not exceed the minimum passing score of 87 set by him, then I will be qualified to assert that the examiner's actual skills are insufficient and he is not qualified to be the examiner. He is also disrupting the order of the exam."
Loggins has already started the process after his intervention as an examiner. "In addition, since there is an examiner involved, my opinion will be higher than that of the temporary examiner in the review, so your final score will be drawn up by me."
Loggins added sternly.
"But you don't even have access to the credit registration system. Even if he draws a good enough painting, you can only give him 70 points."
Countess Rosalinda could no longer sit still and raised her objection.
Even though Loggins was the censor, he could have done something really outrageous and shameless.
According to historical verification, as long as it is an intact pink sacred, the minimum will be above 70. If Loggins is a little more shameless, it is possible to hit 69. Even if it causes public outrage at that time, others can't say anything to him, because not everyone can understand the painting.
"Oh? Are you doubting me, Chapter President Rosalinda?"
Loggins' expression remained as cold as ever.
"It's okay, I'll show you my skills."
Instead, Lanqi smiled brightly and waved to Countess Rosalinda, "Since it is not convenient for me to draw a self-portrait, I will draw a self-portrait of any candidate instead, right?"
Lanci asked.
This was a decision agreed upon by both the Card Creators Association Headquarters and the Senate of the Person Kingdom due to the situation in the southern continent - Lanqi did not need to show his face, and his identity information was the highest priority.
"That's right."
Loggins didn't care who Lanci was going to draw. According to the association's charter, it had been noted in advance that if the examiner whose identity was kept secret was challenged, he would be asked to draw the candidate, which would also allow for a better comparison of the levels of the candidate and the examiner.
But it doesn't matter who you draw.
"But……"
Rosalinda was very panicked. She had never expected that any candidate would report Lanqi at this time.
In fact, as long as the examiner is reported, there are ways for the examiner to check the candidate's information if he wants to. Generally, no candidate will do such a thing unless the examiner is in the wrong.
"I did not handle the first round of assessment very well. Although I felt a little sad because my assistant was gone for some special reasons, this is not an excuse."
Lanqi said to Countess Rosalinda with some guilt, and then smiled and became particularly calm.
"But the third round is the same with or without her. I think my score is correct, and I will not allow any unfairness in this exam. If you, Loggins, want to give a lower score after seeing my painting, that's fine."
As long as Loggins dares to withstand the pressure of public opinion.
Lanci looked up at Loggins on the screen and said.
"Who do you think you are?"
Loggins sneered disdainfully.
Even if Hutton produced a second Miaiya, he would not dare to show such a confident expression.
All he wanted now was to see the examiner turn into a defeated clown.
No matter what, he would not give more than 70 points today, just to humiliate this Eastern country bumpkin to the extreme.
Lanci said nothing more.
Outside the shadow world.
"Wait, no matter what this guy draws, Censor Loggins will lie with his eyes open."
"Does he still agree to accept Loggins's examination?"
"So what if he doesn't agree?"
"It's actually better not to agree to the review. If we give in now, at least we can get a more impartial reviewer from the headquarters to review him again."
Under the watchful eyes of the audience at the Holy Silver Vine Arena, Lanqi began painting on one side of the conference room in the picture without even having to prepare.
"Can you help me?"
Lanqi looked up at Tata who was still in the conference room and gestured slightly for her to come closer to him.
“…”
Talia nodded.
It seems that Ranchi chose her as a model.
She didn't mind Lanci drawing her.
And Lanqi listened to her very well and did not draw her secretly this time.
"call."
Lanqi looked at Talia who was sitting not far away, and couldn't help but feel amazed and smiled freely.
More than a year ago, he never thought that one day Talia would sit so quietly in front of him, becoming his model for him to paint.
In the Tianyu Hall outside the venue, Boss Cat in the Baptiste family audience seats was already very nervous.
It was a little scared when it saw Lanqi holding a paintbrush.
When it remembered that Lanqi was going to paint instead of making cards, it realized that it was a little too extreme.
This guy's paintings won't explode for now.
Lanqi finally chose a brush with a reddish body from a row of brushes.
"A tribute to the legendary painter, the tenth ancestor Ulises."
Lanqi stared at the paintbrush in his hand and recalled an old friend.
This was the second unforgettable enemy for him after Lao Sang.
“…”
Talia thought Lanqi's habit was very bad.
The opponents he defeated will from now on be paid endless tribute by him.
On the other side, Lanqi skillfully composed the picture and started drawing.
His eyes could not hide his smile and joy as he looked at the figure in the distance.
Drawing Talia made him very happy.
I have drawn Talia so many times.
But I always feel that this time when I painted her, it was the most realistic one.
Maybe when they first met her near the temple, they didn't notice each other, but from then on, the story began.
Whenever he counts the experiences and changes he has experienced over the past year, and gets closer to his retirement goal, it is easy for him to recall the moment when he first set the goal.
It was like waking up from a dream or waking up from drunkenness. Zhu Mei's memory was more like a dream given to him by the goddess of fate, illusory and vague.
On the contrary, the memory of being Ranchi is more real and has never changed from beginning to end.
The timer on the conference room wall kept ticking.
Outside the film world, one could only watch the examiner and the audience behind the easel, whispering and talking to each other with full of anticipation.
How today's turbulent exam will end will probably be revealed soon.
It was not until the sky outside the Holy Silver Vine Arena darkened a little more, and it was probably entering sunset, that Lanqi's painting was finally completed.
He stood up and turned the easel to face the audience.
I saw a gray-haired woman in the painting.
A flying pigeon blocked her face.
But if you look closely, you can still see her faint golden pupils.
The more this happens, the more curious people become about what she looks like.
Until you get closer, you can see clearly——
She is watching you too.
Just this glimpse is enough to make you never forget it.
[Portrait·Mysterious Beauty]
【Type: Artwork】
[Grade: Epic]
[Rank: 1]
[The living beings who appreciate this painting will feel better to a certain extent, and have a chance to gain a small amount of spiritual magic within 24 hours. ]
"?"
At this moment, Tata, who was sitting opposite as a model without moving, could not hide a hint of emotion in her eyes.
Although she had seen Lanci's epic paintings and was not too surprised, this painting still made her heart beat a little.
Only she knew that this painting was somewhat similar to the one Lanqi had painted of her at the beginning.
It’s like their encounter, two sides from different perspectives.
The person standing across the painting and looking at her is undoubtedly Lanqi.
Countess Rosalinda's heart was at ease the moment she saw the painting.
"Examiner, do you have the guts to give him a score other than 100?"
She smiled with relief and looked at Loggins, whose image was not still on the connected screen.
Rosalinda finally understood why Lanqi was so confident!
Rather, because the score is capped at 100, only a limited, crude rating can be given to this epic painting.
However, the Card Creators Association's assessment of Ranci's artistry is actually not accurate. It is not right to say that he is an ordinary compass warrior. He should be called an exceptional compass type player.
Holy Silver Vine Arena, various venues.
After the painting was revealed, the entire arena fell into an eerie silence. Everyone seemed to be so shocked by the scene before them that even their breathing paused.
Finally, an inspiring cheer suddenly broke out from a corner.
This sound gradually ignited the atmosphere in the entire venue, and soon more audience members stood up.
The atmosphere became tense with cheers and arguments from each other.
“The concept of this painting is not on the same level as previous works. It is full of surrealist romance and challenges the viewer’s conventional understanding of reality through unusual visual elements.”
“The examiner may want to explore themes between hiding and revealing, seeing and being seen, and provoke thoughts about identity, existence and metaphor.”
Many people in the audience could no longer sit still and began to talk excitedly.
"Perhaps it is...symbolic in its reflections on the role of the individual in society and the human tendency to hide our true self?"
"Who exactly is this examiner? Could it be Mi Gaiya in disguise?"
"No, no, that's impossible. Mi Gaiya is an all-rounder. Even her painting skills are not as amazing as this guy's!"
Loggins' face immediately darkened, and he said nothing. After a moment's silence, he cut off the live connection.
Rosalinda also smiled and signaled to Lanqi that his seat as examiner was back.
There was indeed no problem with the score he scored today.
And today it can be said that he is the authority.
On the contrary, Loggins has become the clown among clowns today, and the joke about Loggins may spread throughout the Western Hub Area in the future.
This Sunday night, not only did the Platinum Card Creator Examination come to an end, but there were at least 10,000 people in the Holy Silver Vine Arena shouting, clapping and cheering, and the ticket price was well worth it. For a time, there was an unprecedented boiling scene.
After witnessing the miracle, everyone naturally couldn't hide their excitement, and generous praises echoed in the venue for a long time.
…
A few minutes later on the other side.
The corridor leading to the outside of the Holy Silver Vine Arena.
Kallen was walking quickly on the road.
Her eyes began to become bloodshot, filled with resentment and anger.
But then his steps became a little hurried, and he turned back and quickened his pace.
But suddenly, she seemed to have hit a mountain and fell to the ground.
At some point, a gray-haired woman was standing in front of him, and next to her was a man wearing a silver mask.
"You're not trying to escape, are you?"
Tata bent down and stared at Kallen's evasive eyes and asked.
"Tata, don't scare her."
The silver-masked man patted Tata's shoulder with some concern, and also cast an apologetic look at Kallen.
"Master, examiner?"
Kallen asked somewhat unsurely.
Compared to Tata who appeared here, she couldn't understand why the examiner was also brought out by Tata.
even.
Tata grabbed the examiner's tie, as if forcing him to obey her.
This familiar feeling reminded Karin of the easy-going man who was also grabbed by the collar and walked away by Tata at the Card Creators Association that day.
"No, you're not. You can't be him..."
Kallen opened her eyes wide, smiled a little tremblingly, and shook her head slightly.
In an instant, many clues flashed through her mind, and terrible thoughts began to appear, which would cause her cognition to collapse.
"I am not."
The examiner could only comfort her and hope that she would not be frustrated.
But this tone of coaxing a child made Karen even more mentally broken.
“No, no…!!”
Kallen began to shake her head desperately, as if she couldn't accept this fact.
Her face no longer had the vitality of the past, and instead, she seemed to doubt that the whole world was fake.
Every ridicule she had said to Lanqi at Ikerita Academy, and every gentle response from Lanqi, lingered in her ears like a spell.
She tried hard to find a way out of reality, but she couldn't find any direction!
"So do you still remember our bet?"
Talia showed no mercy to Kallen and continued to ask.
“You, what are you talking about?”
Kallen looked at her absentmindedly.
Talia nodded.
Seeing Karen's state, she probably really wanted to default on her debt.
However, Talia never thought that Kallen would honestly fulfill this verbal bet.
Agreements are extremely important to Talia.
What's more, for a demon royal family like Talia.
"If you want to deny your debt, I will make public what you said to him, the words you mocked him in the Sage Academy Ancient Tower Library, and the fact that you secretly reported him. I think you don't want to fall from the seat of the Queen of Heaven in the Alolan Royal Academy and become a despicable clown, right?"
Talia lowered her voice and whispered in Kallen's ear with her magic voice.
Her voice had become somewhat hallucinatory, causing Kallen to begin to feel dizzy and her head spinning.
"No, don't do that."
Kallen quickly grabbed Talia's legs and looked up at her crying.
"Well, then keep your promise."
Talia said, her voice slowing down a little.
Only at this moment, seeing those golden eyes, Kallen felt a chill all over her body, and her tears were about to freeze.
Fear filled her heart. She felt that this woman named Tata had a dangerous magic that could destroy her at any time.
It's simply a devil.
But Karin couldn't accept it. She had just become a platinum-level card maker, and if she did something shameless like that, she would not be able to live like this!
"Out of pity for you, I allow you to wear the mask."
Talia squatted down, looked at Kallen, and spoke gently.
Kallen was trembling all over, as if she was in the snow without any clothes on. She felt pain all over when being looked at by the woman with gray hair and golden eyes. She struggled for a long time.
"I promise."
The fragmented voice floated out from Kallen's mouth with difficulty.
"Hmm? What should I call you?"
Talia asked again.
"Master Tata..."
Kallen's voice was so weak that it was about to evaporate.
"Very good, then let's choose the day of the Fireworks Festival. Report to the entrance of the Card Creators Association in the morning and I will arrange your outfit."
Kallen suppressed her fear and tears, nodded, and ran away with all her strength.
Until Kallen disappeared.
"Tata, do you have a bad taste?"
Lanqi said in confusion.
He now felt that Tata really looked a bit like a demon queen.
Kallen has not yet realized a serious problem.
Tata's concession actually gave Karin some room to accept it, forcing her to comply with Tata's conditions step by step.
Lanqi seemed to have read Tata's mind. She wanted Karen to wear a men's swimsuit.
At that time, Kallen can only desperately hold on to the sign that says "Lord Tata, I was wrong" to cover up her last bit of self-esteem.
But he believed that Karen had already compromised in the first step, and would compromise with Tata in the second and third steps in the future, until she was completely trained by Tata.
"Oh, that kind of green tea with bad intentions should be trained to be a lowly sow."
Talia spread her hands, looking satisfied.
"You're so scary. Have you learned a little bit of Lanfu's personality?"
Lanqi felt that the great love poet's abilities seemed to have been completely absorbed by Talia. Generally, such sadistic ideas were the preferences of the great love poet.
"Don't worry, Lanqi, I won't treat you like this."
Talia actually imitated the voice of the great poet and spoke to Lanqi.
For a moment, Lanqi couldn't tell whether the person in front of him was Laofu who had returned or Talia in disguise.
Having said that.
As a first-level poet of great love, Lanqi never considered that she could turn against him.
But now.
The eighth-level Crazy Love Demon King made Lanqi feel this possibility for the first time.
The more Lanqi thought about it, the more exciting it became!
"No, are you sick?"
Talia had thought she could scare Lanky, but when she saw him start to tremble she wanted to laugh.
But after reading this guy's brain waves, she wanted to punch him again! "Tata, the more you do this, the more excited he will be. This guy will only be obsessed with you who might kill him. If you are gentle to him, he will not be interested in messing with you anymore."
The cat boss who emerged from the shadows finally complained.
“Ahh…”
Talia clenched her fists unwillingly.
She understood a little.
good……
Next time she finds a chance, she will treat Lanqi gently for the whole day, and see if she doesn't disgust Lanqi to death! I worked hard to finish the exams, and the evening was burned out...
ps: I recommend a friend's book ~ "Help! My Wife is a Follower of the Evil God!"
(End of this chapter)