The Last Painting (1)
It's been a few more days since the trio had drawn water, and in order to speed up, the boys and girls were preparing to make their way through a dangerous section of road that resembled a viaduct built on a foundation that had long since collapsed. Although the three of them were very careful to pay attention to the situation around them, Chiho was still crushed by the collapsed steel frame above. Because he had to quickly pass through this place, which could collapse further at any time, the boy could only do a simple bandage for Qianhe, and then help the black-haired girl to the half-track body, and Yuri drove away quickly.
After a short and thrilling journey, the three finally came to a relatively safe place.
"Chinohe, let me see your feet............," the boy said to Chiho, who was sitting on a pipe, with a changing bandage.
"Hmm!" Chido carefully pulled up his trouser leg to reveal his bandaged right ankle.
After Chido was ready, the boy carefully untied the bandage around her ankle and exposed the bruised wound to the air.
"Fortunately, the injury is not as serious as I thought, and in this case, I will be able to walk normally in a few days!" The boy said after looking at the recovery from his injuries.
"Really?" Qianhu asked happily.
"Really! After all, it was only a soft tissue contusion, and the key bones were not injured. The boy nodded.
"Great! Chi-chan! Yuri said happily on the side.
"That's right! Now you don't have to let Yuri drive the car! Qianhu also said with a sigh of relief.
"Huh~~~~ I think I'm pretty good at it!" Yuri said reluctantly.
"That's it! Give it up. For the first time, I felt that riding in a car was more tiring than driving............" Chito said mercilessly.
"But Chi-chan didn't sweat............"
“………… I'm tired! I always feel that if I am not careful, the car will be destroyed and people will die! Qianhu said speechlessly.
“…… Sorry! Because I can't drive a car............" the boy apologized as he sprayed Chido's ankle with trauma spray.
"It's okay! Who is called Fubo, how can you not learn it............" Qianhu also had a headache.
"Strange to say............ Why can't Ukiba-chan learn to drive a vehicle no matter what? Obviously, other things can be done quickly............" Yuri asked curiously.
"Well! ………… I don't know much about this, after all, I've had this problem for a long time! The boy said after rebandaging Chino's injured part with a bandage.
"You~~ Fubo is at least much more powerful than you except for driving and shooting!"
"Hey! That's right! Yuri graciously admitted.
"That's it! As long as you don't exercise vigorously for the next few days, you shouldn't have a big problem! The boy said after pulling Chino's trouser leg down again.
"Thank you, Fubo!"
"It's fine!"
The boy put the medical supplies in his backpack and threw them back into his personal space, and then helped Chito to his feet.
"That's it! I'll just walk on my own now............" Chido waved his hand at the boy after standing up, and limped to the driver's seat of the half-track.
"Na! Chi-chan, don't you really need me to drive for you? Yuri asked with some concern as she looked at Chiho's gait.
“…… Never mind! It's still a little painful, but it's much better than before. Chiho said after slowly sitting in the driver's seat.
"If you really can't let Yuri drive, although there are still some minor problems, it's actually a good drive!" The boy asked.
"It's really okay! ………… I've already learned Yuli's driving skills! Qianhu said in a cold sweat.
"Alright then!" Faced with Qianhe, who had already made up his mind to drive by himself, the boy had no choice but to sit obediently on the car body with Yuri and wait for the car to start.
"Suck ............ Whew~~ Then let's go! Chiho took a deep breath before starting the car and leaving the frightening danger zone.
The car continued to move forward for several hours under the guidance of the old driver Chino, and the street lights on the side of the road showed that the time was 5:40 in the evening.
"Sen-chan...... Can you see that? Yuri said, pointing to a building on the left side of the car.
"Hmm............" Senhu replied and turned the car around and headed towards the building.
“………… It's a huge building............ And it's cylindrical! The boy said as he looked at the exterior of the building after the car stopped.
"Hmmm! It's huge............" Yuri nodded as well.
"What kind of building is it?"
"You'll understand when you go inside! Sen-chan. Yuri said after coming to the driver's seat and helping Chito get out of the car.
"Hmmm! That's right! Chito nodded.
The boy carefully picked up Nuko, who was sleeping in the car, and put it in the backpack behind him, before following the two girls down the door of the building.
The three of them walked down the circular corridor for a while to a door............
"It looks like there's someone inside!" Yuri said in surprise as she looked at the vague figures reflected in the ground-glass window on the door.
"But what about the motionless! What the hell is going on? Qianhu was also puzzled and looked at the figures in a fixed posture and said.
"Well! Let's go and see! Yuri said and pushed the door open.
"Excuse me............ Yes! Yuri, who pushed the door open, was startled by what she saw.
“………… What! It's a sculpture............" The boy said, glancing at the crack in Yuri's open door.
“………… Isn't it human............ "Senhu asked after the two of them because it was difficult to walk.
"Sculpture? Oh! Isn't this just a stone statue............" Yuri suddenly realized.
"That's amazing! It's like a real person.................." Chito walked into the room and sighed as he looked at the lifelike statues in front of him.
"I thought it was a tall person............ Yuri said disappointedly.
"That's too tall to say!" Qianhu complained.
"I think there are stone statues in the temple we've seen before!"
"But I don't think this place is compatible with the temple............" Chinohe said distressedly.
"Na! Does Fukiba-chan know what this place is for? ”
“………… I think it's an art museum! The boy looked at the stone statues around him and the explanatory text written on the side.
"............ artwork?"
"...... museum?"
"It's a place where beautiful things created by humans in the past are preserved and exhibited............ the boy explains.
"So these things were made by ancient people?" Yuri asked.
"Yes!" The boy nodded.
"Na! Ukiba-chan, I remember when you were at the temple before, you used the energy on those stone statues to conjure food, didn't you? Yuri asked excitedly.
"Hmm............ That's right! ”
"So there are so many stone statues here............" Yuri's emotions became even more agitated!
"If that's ............"
The boy activated his ability to observe the stone statues around him, and then nodded to Yuri.
"Can ............"
"Is it all right?"
"Only a handful of stone statues can transform energy............ the boy said, shaking his head.
"Huh? Is there only a part of the few? ”
"You~~ It's also good that some of them can be converted!" Chiho comforted.
“………… That's right! ”
"Then let's come back here after visiting this place!" The boy pointed to a staircase at the exit of the statue room.
The three of them followed the stairs to the second floor of the museum......
"Is this floor for paintings?" Chiho said, looking at the paintings hanging on the walls on both sides of the corridor.
"Oh~~~ It's a painting!" Yuri walked over to a painting and said.
The first thing that caught the trio's eye was an oil painting of Aphrodite, the goddess of love......
"It looks very old............ Chi-chan said, looking at the mottled marks on the surface of the painting.
"Were all the people in the past naked?" Yuri is concerned about why the people in the painting are not wearing clothes.
"No, no, no! I don't think it's naked............" Chinohe denied.
She pointed to a picture next to her
"Look! Let's get dressed here! ”
"Really! But what are they doing? Yuri asked, looking at the people in the painting who were doing farm work.
"Probably harvesting crops in the field!" The teenager explained.
"Is that what it means to plow?" Qianhu asked.
"Huh? Farming is ............"
"You ............ The word of farming is .................."
After Chiho explained to Yuri for a while............
"Huh!? Can this still be the case? ”
"Yes! Just plant the seeds in the ground and you'll be able to harvest the grain! ”
"Wouldn't we be able to do that thing called farming, then?" Yuri then asked.
"I'm afraid not!"
"Why! Sen-chan. ”
"Because we have neither seeds nor land, and more importantly, we don't have time to wait until the day of harvest............ "Senho replied.
"Well! Let's keep reading! The boy said to the two girls who were beginning to lose themselves.
The three of them continued to stroll, and the pictures they skimmed in front of them gradually changed from landscape to portrait, from realistic to freehand, from concrete to abstract, and the last picture was painted on a rock wall that had been torn down.
"Is this also a painting?" Yuri said, pointing to the animals drawn in lines on the rock face.
"This is the oldest painting of mankind!" The boy smiled as he pointed to the commentary on the side.
"Huh.................. Chi-chan! Give me a pen and paper............" Yuri thought for a moment and said to Chito on the side.
"Yes............ But what are you going to do? Qianhu took out a pen and paper from the space and handed it to the other party.
"I seem to understand something!"
"What?"
"If you use a camera, you can understand the shape of things, and if you can express your mood with lines and colors, you can draw!" Yuri said as she scribbled.
"What are you painting now?" Qianhu asked.
"I'm in ...... mood right now," Yuri said without looking up.
"Mood.................." Chido muttered to himself.