391-389 Art War




 It's me.

 In the world I used to be in, the unification of humanity broke down in the wake of the Tower of Babel.
 And now, in the other world I live in, the tower I built was the catalyst for the world's reconciliation.

 Hades, the underworld god, and Poseidon, the sea god, were hurriedly called out.

''No, what?''
What is it?

 At the request of the sun god Apollo, an agreement was made on the spot that all three world gods would protect humanity without discrimination.

''Heavenly gods make decisions on the fly, even Zeus' kids, you know. Well, we have no reason to oppose it either, right? I don't care how many tenants you have, they won't change their promises, so let's get on board, okay?
"Spit up in your mouth.

 So both the god Hades and the god Poseidon were sufficiently vigilant while they swore an oath to each other for the rank of the god who would rule their respective worlds.

 In the exposition hall we were hosting.
 Originally, there were many spectators, so many people would witness the gods' pledge.

''The gods..., the gods are right in front of me...?
Is this a dream or an illusion...?
What a wondrous sight...

 Everyone is so moved that they're praying.
 That's the way it is.

 Well, it can't be helped if the main gods of all the realms, including our own god of faith (Hades), get together in one place.

'This is not an exposition event,'

 I had a hard time explaining to him.

'Saints, did you get involved again? By the way, it smells good here and there, but can we have good food at your place again?
"Hey, Poseidon. "Hey Poseidos, don't bite off too much because this event is supposed to be for humanity. It's no more pathetic for a god to steal food from people than it is for a grown man to steal a child's toy.

 Even the gods are attracted to the farm food served in each pavilion.

"G'day Y
"I'm gonna have a great day.

 Some of the things that the god Apollo had were popular.

 Well, no matter what the process is, the world is getting closer to peace, which is a good thing.
 The world's precious element of anxiety, the movement of Tenjin, is also going to be calmed down for the time being.

 Peace is best.
 Everything I do should lead to peace.

 That's what I thought, but....

    * * * *

The battle begins.

 It was suddenly disconcerting.

 The time was still in the middle of the exposition period.
 It was still in the middle of the exposition period, and the number of visitors was increasing due to the sudden advent of a god.

It was a perfect day for a picnic. Blood rain is perfect for a dry and sunny day...!
What's the scary thing about it?

 Who is responsible for this inevitable disquieting behavior?
 The elf Elon.

 He was the leader of the elves on our farm.

"What is it, Elron? I can't leave you alone when you say something so disrespectful.

 After all, his past is his background.

'What are you talking about, Saint? 'You challenged me, over there! Then I must stand tall as a proud craftsman myself.
"Who is the proudest craftsman?

 No, this guy.
 His obsession with pottery is so great these days that it's not even fair to say so.

 Originally, I made him fire the plates as a punishment for stealing into our farm.
 Now he is completely devoted to his work and pretends to be an all-out potter.
 He also exhibited a pavilion dedicated to pottery at this year's expo, which was well received.

 I don't think that his vessels are so unique that no one can follow him. However, it seems that this is not the case.

 To begin with, Aeron's wares have been in circulation in the demon kingdom for some time now, and they seem to have gained a following slowly and steadily.

''The way the glaze is applied...''
I can even sense some s*xuality in the distortions around here...

 And I witnessed the knowing narrative at the pavilion in Aileron, too.

 So far, the introduction.

"...so who are we trying to fight?
It's a dwarf!

 It's out.
 The twin peaks of this world's subspecies.

 The Elves and the Dwarves.

 In this world, they are both derived from the magical race.
 It is said that elves and dwarves are the result of a faction that was defeated in a civil war, escaped and developed on their own in the place where they escaped, and as a result they became a separate race.

 It is said that they have forgotten their old rivalry and do not hesitate to trade with each other when it is reasonable to do so.

 Here comes the war between elves and dwarves.
 Why...?

''And yet here we are, right?

 A group of dwarves rode proudly into the farm exposition hall here, just as Elon had said.

 At the head of the group was a familiar bearded man.

'Isn't that Mr. Edward?'
Saints, it's refreshing to see you away from the farm, isn't it?

 Edward-san is the king of the Dwarven Underground Empire.
 It seems that the trend among dwarves is to call him "master" instead of "king", but....

 We've invited him to our farm a few times to help us with some of the details that only dwarves can handle.

 ..........
 So, Edward, you and Elon met each other there.

You guys are good friends.
''We're not buddies!''

 He countered with a double entendre.
 Even so, this is a breath of fresh air.

'The time for dwarves and elves to understand each other will never come! Especially with this artistically-inclined elf!
'That's my line! True beauty is found in nature! Beauty does not come from deliberate artifice like yourselves!
Let me tell you the same thing! What beauty! It's born out of relentless discipline and research! Technology! Skill! That is the root of beauty!

 The sparking elves and dwarves.
 Well, these guys have this kind of relationship.

 There is no doubt that both of them have the spirit of craftsmanship, but the direction of beauty they pursue is completely opposite, and every time they meet, they argue about it.
 The confrontation had finally come to an end...?

The stage is just the right place for this. I'm going to show you your amateurism in front of the public!
'You're the one who's going to be embarrassed! I'm going to show you the moment when a craftsman race, previously overrated for being an artisanal race, is being turned into a monster!

 They were both staring at each other with more hostility than I could have imagined.

 So this is what you mean?

'You think we're going to have an art showdown between Elon vs. Mr. Edwards in this exposition hall?
''Exactly!''

 This was a showdown of fate.

 The two men had been battling each other on the farm for a long time, and now they had arrived in a black-and-white situation.

 Aileron's natural beauty?
 The beauty that is so precisely composed by Mr. Edward's technique?

 An exhibition that attracts a lot of visitors is the best way to decide which art form is better.

 It's also the perfect place to have a discerning audience to judge the event's purpose.

We are proud to present our masterpiece from the Dwarf Underground Empire. Let's compare it to your humble creation!
Very well! How about a vote count to decide the winner!  Let the visitors put their bills in whichever one they like! Now we'll finally see which side of the argument is correct, something that has been fuzzy for years!

 Aileron, you seem to be standing up to Edward's challenge.

 I didn't think that this is the one big event that would bring the farm expo to life here....

 A slingshot craft showdown between elves and dwarves.

 .........