Becoming Aozaki Touko

Absolutely not a single grain was fake.

"...Is that so~"

Aozaki Mom gave a slight nod, rewrapped the gift box, then picked it up and walked toward her own bedroom.

For now... she needed to stash this thing away first, otherwise just looking at it would irritate her.

"..." "..."

The atmosphere in the room fell silent for a moment.

On the other side, Aozaki Father seemed to have recovered, returning to the living room to sit back down.

"...Sis, what's my gift?"

At this moment, Aozaki Aoko spoke up in a small voice. As her beloved younger sister, surely Touko's gift would be even more unimaginable.

"Didn't I say? It's a doll."

Aozaki Touko smiled, took a wooden box from her bag, and handed it to Aozaki Aoko.

"...Is that so."

Aozaki Aoko felt a bit disappointed, but still opened the wooden box.

Inside was a young girl doll, wearing a black kimono, looking incredibly cute. If not for its tiny size, one might almost mistake it for a real human.

"This child is called Yaya... I crafted her with great care."

Aozaki Touko's voice was gentle, carrying a note of pride.

Hearing this, Aozaki Aoko looked at her sister. Touko's slender hand propped up her chin, her orange hair sliding down her shoulder, and her gaze toward Aoko was tender and intellectual, like the most understanding big sister.

Suddenly, Aoko's cheeks flushed slightly.

"I really like her. Thank you, Touko."

"Well, that's—"

Aozaki Touko didn't finish her sentence, but her expression suddenly turned cold and sharp as she turned to look at the person who had appeared in the house. That person was none other than Aozaki Touko's grandfather.

"Long time no see, Touko!"

Grandfather said coldly and mercilessly, "Come. I have some things I want to discuss with you. Of course, if you'd rather talk here, that's fine too."

"...You couldn't have picked a worse time."

Aozaki Touko sighed softly, raised a hand to ruffle Aoko's head, then turned and walked out the door. Seeing this, Grandfather understood Touko's choice and vanished from the room by some unknown means.

The warm home suddenly grew cold.

Probably a draft leaking in through the house.

Aoko.jpg

Chapter 31: Yaya, Somewhat One-Sided

The night grew deep.

(...Grandfather really has no sense of timing.)

Lying on her bed, Aozaki Aoko stared at the ceiling and let out a disappointed sigh.

Though Grandfather was part of the family and coming home was only natural—she had no objection to that at all—

Still, disregarding others' feelings like that and calling Touko away was hardly appropriate timing.

Yet, even as she grumbled inwardly, she knew there was nothing to be done. This family could not defy Grandfather's will.

The only person in the household who could truly speak to Grandfather on equal terms was Touko, the heir to the Magic User.

But even that was merely having the right to speak.

"...What a cranky old man."

Muttering softly to herself, she turned her head to look at the exquisite wooden box by her bedside. Inside was the doll named Yaya, made by her sister's own hands.

This was the most precious gift.

Not even diamonds or luxury cars could compare.

She was certain of that.

The doll in the wooden box was almost indistinguishable from a human. If not for its overly small body, one might wonder if it was a doll made from a living person.

After all, even the finest details of its pupils had been replicated.

"...Yaya's that pretty? Staring at her for so long?"

Suddenly, the doll in the box blinked, a mischievous smile spreading across its face as it propped itself up, trying to look startling.

Then.

—Thump.

Aozaki Aoko instinctively slammed the wooden box shut and promptly locked it, the motion completed in an instant, too fast for anyone to react.

"—That hurts!"

Before she could even stand, Yaya was struck in the face by the wooden box lid, knocked flat by the sudden force, and then her vision plunged into darkness.

"Hey hey, don't lock me up in here! I haven't finished talking yet, and it's so dark and scary in here."

Knocking sounds came from inside the ornate wooden box, accompanied by the aggrieved cries of a young girl.

Ignoring the box's protests, Aozaki Aoko wore a thoughtful, probing expression, and quickly sorted the whole matter out in her mind.

This doll was a gift specially sent to her by her older sister. And as a mage who wielded mysteries, creating a talking doll was something like that.

It was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?

"...You're a doll my sister made?"

"That's right."

"Did Sister Touko leave any instructions for you?"

Opening the box, Aozaki Aoko looked at Yaya, who was rubbing her slightly reddened cheek, curiosity coloring her face. What exactly was Sister Touko's intention in sending this doll?

After all, she was the second daughter, with no connection to the magical path. To send a creation of the magical arts to her side now—what kind of thought lay behind it? Was it to draw her into the world of magecraft, or to use this doll to provide protection?

Either way, it was an answer worth rejoicing over.

"...Ahem."

Lowering her hand from her small face, Yaya leaped out of the wooden box in one bound, her body gradually growing larger until she took the form of a normal young girl.

"Lady Touko ordered me to serve you and to be responsible for protecting your safety!"

She sat by the bedside in a kiza posture, her fair, slender hand pressed against her chest, her delicate face taking on a devout, saintly expression, like a nun who believed in a deity.

"...Serve me? Yaya, what skills do you have?"

Aozaki Aoko looked at the girl so close to her and asked with an expectant expression.

Was this doll girl perfect, like the ones shown on TV, handling everything with flawless order?

"Mm, Yaya's service skills are very comprehensive."

The doll girl proudly patted her flat chest, her red eyes brimming with absolute confidence. She had been input with a vast amount of knowledge before leaving the factory, and her knowledge in the area of service was essentially maxed out.

"Is that so!"

Hearing this, Aozaki Aoko's eyes sparkled, and she began to fantasize about her future life. From now on, she could probably experience life like a young lady, right?

"Well... Aoko, would you like to test Yaya's skills right now?"

Seeing her charge so delighted, Yaya showed a bright smile, eager to demonstrate her abilities and make this little mistress understand how impressive she was.

"Right now? ...Do what?"

Aozaki Aoko was slightly taken aback, unsure what could be served at this moment.

"Now is the time to show off Yaya's true skills!"

Yaya bit her red lips lightly, then lifted the hem of her skirt with one hand while the other began to undo her top. Dazzling, pale skin slowly began to reveal itself, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned ambiguous.

"—Stop right there!"

Before any clothing was removed, Aozaki Aoko halted Yaya's actions, her cheeks flushing red as she hastily pulled Yaya's clothes back up, then fixed Yaya with a piercing stare.

"This is your service?"

"That's right!"

"Isn't it supposed to be things like cooking and cleaning?"

"I can't do any of that stuff at all!"

Yaya declared with utter confidence: "My service skills are all maxed out for the bed. As for other unrelated skills, Yaya doesn't know a single one."

"...Looks like life is going to be interesting from now on~"

Hearing this answer, Aozaki Aoko's eyes seemed to lose their luster. She had now personally experienced just how unreliable this doll was, and could foresee just how much of a headache the future would be.

"Aoko, do you want to continue the service?"

"No, let's sleep..."

Chapter 32: The Mage's Logic

Let's rewind time a little.

In the deep, silent forest, the trees stood unusually tall, the air crisp and cold. Aozaki Touko trod through the snow, leaving a trail of footprints behind her. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappling her body.

She had walked this path countless times before, and traveling at night was nothing unusual.

Back then, because she wanted to balance her magecraft research with time spent with Aoko, she would sometimes choose to finish her studies at night and brave the darkness to return to the Aozaki Household to be with Aoko.

So, walking this road was second nature to her.

Before long.

She arrived in front of her grandfather's Magic Workshop.

It was a cave hollowed into the mountain, with lamps lit inside. Through the dim light, she could vaguely see many bookshelves inside, lined with a vast number of books in different languages.

It was as if a library had been carved out inside a mountain cave.

"...Still as gloomy as ever, I see."

Murmuring softly to herself, she stepped into the Magic User's workshop and walked over to the table where she once read grimoires. Her Grandfather stood there waiting with perfect synchronicity, just as he had when he was about to teach her in the old days.

The Magic User's workshop was silent.

"..."

Aozaki Touko did not speak first. Instead, she picked up the grimoire on the table, sat down patiently, and began to read—just as she had once trained here.

This grimoire in her hands was the one she had left behind when she departed.

It was as if time had been frozen for that book; not a single page had been turned before her return, preserving the exact state in which she had left it.

Like a severed timeline finally reconnecting.

"..."

He paid no heed to Aozaki Touko's discourtesy.

Her Grandfather's gaze held no trace of emotion, as if he had transcended the realm of humanity. He stared at Aozaki Touko coldly, like an observer appraising a lifeless object, judging her from the most purely utilitarian perspective.

After a long while, her Grandfather finally spoke.

"Aozaki Touko, do you wish to inherit the Fifth Magic?"

His words carried a hint of gravity, tinged with a faint emotional color.

His address had also shifted from 'Touko' to her full name, 'Aozaki Touko.'

This was a rare display of his emotional state.