A proposal came from Prada, who had come to Big Tree Village, she wanted to place a decorative sculpture near the entrance of the art museum’s exhibit hall.

The idea was that displaying an object there would leave a lasting impression on visitors when they first step inside.

By associating a specific sculpture with the museum, people would be able to recall it clearly.

I don’t think it’s a bad idea.

However, I reject Prada’s proposed sculpture: a golden statue of me.

[Was tripling the size still too small?]

The plan called for it to be just over five meters tall, but that’s not the issue.

[Then is it the budget?]

The statue wasn’t going to be gold-plated but made entirely of solid gold, so yes, the budget would’ve been enormous, but that’s not the issue either.

[Hmm]

If the goal is to leave a strong impression of the museum, then although it’s a bit obvious, I think using a god or a dragon as the subject would work just fine.

[Hmm, for us devils, both are a bit… complicated]

I get the issue with dragons, but even gods?

[To the gods who sided with humans, devils were a race that needed to be eradicated]

I see. So it’s like that.

Still, not all gods were your enemies, right?

[That’s true, but even so, it doesn’t quite feel right to venerate gods as a devil.]

Hmm.

Well, it is Prada’s museum.

It wouldn’t be right to display something she doesn’t like.

What Prada likes is art… and gold coins, right?

[Is there even anyone who doesn’t like gold coins?]

Hahaha, you’ve got a point.

Speaking of gold coins, it reminds me of that small hut we made before where gold coins would rain down.

But that wouldn’t really suit a museum.

It’s too blatantly greedy.

Might work for a casino or something, though.

For an art museum…

I still think simple sculptures or statues are the way to go.

But if gods and dragons are off the table, what does that leave?

A devil statue?

Directly depicting Prada and her kind feels wrong, considering I didn’t want a statue of myself.

So maybe something based on devil imagery from my previous world…

I whittled something out of wood to test the idea.

It’s on the smaller side, around fifty centimeters.

If there’s no issue with it, we can make a larger version.

No need for me to be the one to make it, either.

-0-

I brought the sample devil statue I had made to the art museum with Prada.

She praised it highly, but I wanted to hear what Kati and the others thought as well.

First was Kati.

[Waist, so slim!]

Next was Rudio.

[Horns, so big!]

And finally, Sharune.

[The size of the shoulders is just right. Even with four arms, it doesn’t feel unnatural. The shoulder blades… each one is independently connected to its respective arm, and the range of motion is good]

Uhh… how exactly am I supposed to interpret all that?

[They like it. Let’s go with this]

Prada summed it up like that.

Is this really okay?

[We’ll prepare the materials, so would you handle the actual crafting, Village Chief?]

Am I the right person for this?

Wouldn’t it turn out better if you hired a professional?

[That’s exactly why I want you to make it, Village Chief. Please]

All right.

I’ll take it on.

Just know, I can’t accept any detailed custom requests.

I’m not skilled enough to handle that level of precision.

-0-

A few days later.

Prada had prepared the material.

It was a massive black stone.

Height… about eight meters?

Roughly the same in width as well.

It sat with a heavy presence atop the enormous pedestal that had been constructed at the intended installation site.

[Judging from the sample, I figured this size would be necessary]

Well, that’s fine.

Since I’ll be carving it with the AFT, the size doesn’t matter much.

What I’m more curious about is how they managed to get this gigantic black rock into the museum.

It’s clearly too big for the cargo doors.

And it must weigh a ton.

[We used Kati’s ability]

According to Prada’s explanation, Kati can put anything into a box and carry it, no matter how large it is.

That’s incredibly useful.

If I’d known that, I would’ve asked her to help transport the small airship.

[It’s convenient, but there are conditions]

For example, you can’t immediately re-store something once it’s been taken out.

Or you can’t put things inside if they’re already packed with other items.

What about the airship?

[That would be difficult. She can’t handle things like houses or carriages]

Kati didn’t deny Prada’s explanation.

So, there’s no such thing as a perfect solution.

Still, it depends on how you use it.

And for transporting this kind of material, it was definitely helpful.

-0-

The carving began.

I assembled scaffolding around the material and took hold of the AFT, shaped like a chisel.

There was no need to worry about the difference in material from the sample.

The AFT would take care of that.

Since I was simply scaling up the sample and carving it, the process itself wasn’t that difficult.

However, that would only produce the form.

If it’s going to be a statue, then I feel like it needs a soul, but is it really okay to place a soul into a devil statue?

No, don’t hesitate.

Hesitation ruins the quality.

I should simply face the material with a clear mind and give it everything I have.

That should be enough.

-0-

By the time I came back to myself, two days had passed.

It seemed I had completely lost track of time.

Thanks to the AFT, I didn’t feel any fatigue…

But I think this might be the first time I’ve ever been so deeply focused on something.

Apparently, I had been eating properly.

It looks like Prada and the others had been bringing me meals.

Sorry for the trouble.

But thanks to that, I finished it.

The final statue ended up looking a bit different from the sample… no, quite a bit different, actually, but I hope they’ll let it slide.

Like how it has more presence than the sample, or how it’s holding a weapon, small details like that shouldn’t matter too much.

It’s still a devil statue, after all.

Yeah.

…

Even if I insisted that, it’s Prada and her people who manage the museum.

If they say no, then the statue has to go.

As for their reaction…

Don’t pray to it! Don’t pray!

It’s not a statue of a god.

Still, it seems they accepted it.

I’m glad.

The statue’s title?

That’s already decided.

The Devil Who Guards Art.

[I see. So that greatsword is for cutting down those who defile artwork]

[And the pliers are for pulling out the teeth of anyone who mocks it]

[The nail is to pierce the hands of anyone who tries to steal it]

[And the saw is to split the skull of anyone who tries to destroy it…]

I-I didn’t come up with those details, but… well, they can interpret it however they like.

That said, now that it’s finished…

Is it really okay to have a devil statue standing at the entrance of an art museum?

W-Well… at the very least, it’s sure to leave an impression on visitors.

-0-

I returned to my mansion with a sense of satisfaction after completing my task.

Naturally, since I had spent two whole days focused solely on the statue, various duties had piled up, and it took some time to catch up on everything.

I regret that.

Ah, feel free to scold me.

When I said that to Loo and Tier, they spoiled me instead.

Hmmm.

I struggled with it for a moment, but in the end, I let myself be pampered.

Then Ria, Ann, Hakuren, and even Rasuti joined in and spoiled me too.

I accepted it all without restraint.

-0-

A few days later.

After hearing rumors about the devil statue I carved, Gucci, Bulga, and Stifano headed to the Prada Museum.

The Prada Museum is open, but since it hasn’t been widely advertised, there aren’t many visitors.

They should be able to take their time and enjoy not just the statue, but the other exhibits as well.

When the three of them returned, I asked for their impressions.

[It was a real, no, it truly was a devil that guards art]

[The museum has a tense atmosphere]

[It was so scary I couldn’t speak while inside]

Uhh… does that mean it was well received?