Borg said:
I'm inclined to go for a landscape; I'm sure there's some nice views around here. (I'm also sure that they've seen a lot of paintings of those views from past candidates, but it's a test of mental inspiration, not originality.) And we may want to look for a source of color for our painting, since I'm not sure if Trailblazer has the painting experience to reach their fullest artistic potential in black and white only.

After thinking it over, you choose to take inspiration from the land instead. You bid farewell to Master Steelwind and his pupil with a shared bow, and exit the training ground for now.

As you follow the serpentine path back down the mountain, your mind revisits the places you've been to in search of a worthy vista. From the colourful skies of Taihon-Nonchan to the snowy heights of Yinshin-Pintai, or even the oceanside vale right in front of you — the Kirin Empire certainly has various options to pick from.

But before you can decide on whether to depict an entire landscape or a simple tree, you find yourself facing a slight problem: you don't think you have the skills to do much with a single colour. Curious, you ask Tsu-Ko if there is a reason behind black being the only one provided.

Tsu-Ko: "Because at the academy, everyone uses black paint to learn the fundamentals of visual arts. Colour theory comes later, but it's an optional path, so it's not included in the trial either. You can use any colour you want, though."

You figure that your casual experiences with arts and crafts may not measure up to the average Kirin's education, but still, a few primary colours wouldn't hurt. After all, you recall doing well enough on your miniature boat back at the Autumn Festival.

Moonflower: "Oh yeah! I remember that."

Tsu-Ko: "Well, if you need more paint, you can buy some at various shops in Yinshin-Pintai. Food and flower shops are your best bet if you're looking for variety; otherwise, the forge has fewer but more vibrant colours."

Honourshine: "Is there no such thing as an art supply store?"

Tsu-Ko: "Not in this trigon, there isn't. But you can find black paint at any general shop."

Honourshine: "... Hm."

Moonflower: "Ooh! But the trial says you don't gotta use the paint, right? You can use my crayons if you want. I've got all sorts'a colours!"

Tsu-Ko: "That's true; you're allowed to use anything you can think of, as long as it's on the canvas."

Anything. As you consider this, memories of younger days flash in your mind. You remember sitting on the floor while doodling with pencils, crayons, markers, or smears of charcoal; the smell of the glue as you stuck beads, pasta, fallen leaves, or copious amounts of glitter to pages; cleaning the paint off your brushes and stamps — and sometimes hooves — after making a multicoloured mess...

You soon begin to feel the burden of your artistic freedom. With so few constraints to guide you, you try asking Tsu-Ko if there is anything about Kirinese culture you should know that would help.

Tsu-Ko: "Nope! You're expected to make something that you think is beautiful. Inspiration has to come from within; that's the whole point of the trial."

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