Jackson King gave a gloomy smile, "At first they don't obey, but after a few lashes, they work obediently." He pointed to a workstation with his whip, "Look there, she's pretty skillful with her hands and her painting is quite good."
With the help of the silver coin, Mr. Malvin could see an old woman at the workstation, holding a paintbrush tremblingly in her hand, carefully painting an Artifact Embryo.
That woman turned out to be the mother of Sophia, the Malvin family's old neighbor.
Sophia's parents were both painters, highly skilled but unable to attain divinity, leading to their meager income and the inability to support the family. The mother's skill, however, was considered superior to the father's.
"Humph!" Mr. Malvin snorted, "Just behave and obey!" He then told Jackson King that he was going to check on the Ceramic Kiln, and left.
