Aozaki Touko's Life

Clock Tower.

In the exclusive room of the Monarch within the Celestial Mechanics Department.

A man named "Marisbury Animusphere" stood before the window, gazing outside with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

On the nearby desk lay information regarding Aozaki Touko's impending arrival at the Clock Tower.

"Aozaki Touko, is she coming?"

He had never interacted with Aozaki Touko before, but he had heard that this young woman was a formidable individual who had defeated a True Ancestor, her strength undoubtedly immense.

Of course, if that were all, he wouldn't be paying so much attention to Aozaki Touko. After all, no matter how much of a genius she was, what did it have to do with them?

However, this young woman possessed a quality that greatly attracted him.

That quality was immense wealth, extraordinary wealth, super wealth, and the potential for even greater wealth in the future, wielding financial power on an astronomical scale.

That's right, this young woman commanded terrifying financial power. Although most people hadn't realized it yet, those who required vast sums of money for research could easily discern it.

Moreover, this young woman wasn't just capable of earning money herself; she could also leverage her connections to mobilize the financial power of other factions. The Einzbern family was one such example, and even the financial overlord of the Dead Apostle world could be influenced by her.

There were also many other large and small factions. If she wished, the amount of money she could gather in a short period would likely be enough to purchase a small country.

Such a wealthy woman... was precisely the kind of investment target their 'Animusphere' needed to secure.

Chapter 48: The Hearts of Men

Einzbern Castle.

The roar of a helicopter once again echoed through the sky. This silent castle, far from human habitation, suddenly became somewhat bustling and lively.

At this moment, no words were needed.

Hearing the familiar sound of the propeller, all the homunculi knew that Aozaki Touko, who had been away for some time, had returned to the Einzbern.

Like a precisely operating gear, the family experienced a slight stir. The homunculi, who were supposed to mechanically execute their tasks, now all turned their attention to the descending helicopter.

The long-closed doors and windows were opened in unison.

The homunculi poked their heads out, gazing at Aozaki Touko on the helicopter. It was as if ordinary people were watching a star, citizens were watching their king, or humans were watching a god they believed in.

In short... in their eyes.

The existence known as "Aozaki Touko" was special. She was the savior who would fulfill the Einzbern's long-cherished wish, and more importantly, she was a human who held a different attitude towards homunculi.

Aozaki Touko treated them as equals.

And she granted homunculi their own happiness.

Although the recipient of this happiness wasn't them, but rather the being named Irisviel, who served as the vessel for the Lesser Grail.

Even so, this was enough to change their perception.

The helicopter slowly descended, its spinning rotors stirring the air and blowing away the accumulated snow, revealing a clean, flat surface.

Then, the helicopter door opened.

As Aozaki Touko stepped out, a streak of golden light shot into her arms. It hugged her tightly, nuzzling against her, and a young, pleasant female voice spoke.

"Master, welcome back."

Beo nuzzled her head against Touko, breathing in her pleasant scent.

"Yes, I'm back."

Patting Beo in her arms, Aozaki Touko walked down from the helicopter and saw Irisviel and Illyasviel approaching. She offered them a gentle smile.

"I'm back~"

"Welcome home, Touko."

Hearing this, Irisviel smiled elegantly, like a noblewoman, and walked closer, embracing her husband. She gave her husband, who had returned home after a long absence, a warm hug.

This was what she considered her duty as a wife.

"Well, let me introduce you."

After a brief embrace, Aozaki Touko turned to the Miyokage twins who had followed her, and said with a smile, "Their names are Kohaku and Hisui. They are from the Miyokage family, one of Japan's four great exorcist families, and they will be my exclusive maids from now on."

As she spoke, Illyasviel, who had been standing by, pursed her lips, a look of dejection on her face. She felt disappointed that Aozaki Touko had found other maids and began to worry if Touko would abandon her.

Just then, Aozaki Touko turned to the tearful Illyasviel and couldn't help but smile playfully.

"Illyasviel, as my head maid, I'll be entrusting you with training Hisui and Kohaku."

"...Eh?"

Illyasviel was startled, then quickly said, "I will definitely train them to be fully capable maids, please rest assured, Miss Touko."

Her dejected mood vanished instantly.

As expected, she was the most suitable maid for Miss Touko.

Now, she had simply been promoted to head maid.

At the castle's summit.

"..."

Hadon leaned on his staff, silent. He had no intention of greeting Aozaki Touko, nor any reason to welcome her return. In fact, if he were to greet her, it would only make the atmosphere awkward.

He was quite self-aware of this fact.

"...To be so popular. If this were any other country, I'd be sent to the gallows by now. Aozaki Touko, I've had to raise my evaluation of you once again."

He stated this fact with such coldness, showing no emotion, nor any intention to stop this trend. This was his judgment of Aozaki Touko's talent.

Standing at the castle's summit, watching everything, he could feel the unrest throughout the Einzbern castle. The moment Aozaki Touko, in the front courtyard, waved towards the castle, he clearly felt how many homunculi responded.

Almost all the homunculi had responded.

This was completely beyond his expectations. Even as the clan head, he couldn't elicit such a response without using his authority.

This was enough to illustrate how special Aozaki Touko was.

"...If you can win the Holy Grail War, then I don't mind handing over the Einzberns to you. After all, dolls like me, who can't improve, aren't really suited to controlling a family."

Finally, Hadon said coldly, then turned away from the castle's summit.

For him, completing the Third Magic was the entire meaning of his existence. If Aozaki Touko could achieve it, then even if their entire doll family were sent away, there would be no need for regret.

""

Chapter 49: Looking Cool is Enough

Ryougi Residence.

At this moment, in the main hall on the second floor.

"..."

Ryougi Shiki, dressed in a kimono, knelt before a low table. A photograph of a young girl was placed on the table. She gazed at the photo, a feeling of irritation welling up inside her.

The photograph showed a beautiful girl with waist-length orange hair and eyes that sparkled with a brilliant will. She was like a condensed form of confidence, a character who seemed to know no such thing as failure, shining like the sun.

This was someone who stood at the pinnacle of social circles. No matter the environment, she would naturally command everyone's attention.

This wasn't because the girl was skilled at socializing.

It was because her overwhelming presence overshadowed everyone else.

She was like the moon, with the stars serving as a backdrop.

"...Shiki, do you want to go see her?"

Across from her, a gentle woman in a dark blue kimono spoke softly, "This is the first time I've seen you so concerned about someone."

That night, after her daughter returned from the park, she had become somewhat distracted, showing great interest in the information reported by Akirou.

She immediately began investigating the woman who had appeared that night.

Almost without fail, she obtained the relevant information: the heir to the prestigious magical family, the Aozaki family, from Misaki City. She was one of the strongest in the magical world, owned a pharmaceutical company worth tens of billions of dollars, and had a considerable number of strong individuals serving under her.

Her strength was definitely far greater than the Ryougi family's.

"Didn't she already leave Japan?"

Ryougi Shiki asked calmly, "Besides... it's not wise to go looking for her so rashly. I'll think about it for a while longer."

She didn't feel that the girl named Aozaki Touko posed any danger, nor was her reason for not seeking her out a matter of self-interest. If anything, it was perhaps a matter of the girl's stubbornness.

It felt as though two unknown chess players were calculating her fate step by step, and she, in her confusion, was acting according to their plans.

This feeling was very uncomfortable.

That girl probably understood her better than she understood herself, and she herself understood herself better than she did. Only she herself was clueless, merely acting according to their plans.

She had a premonition that if she went to find Aozaki Touko, it would feel like being a puppet.

With such a petulant mindset, she made this statement.

"I understand~"

Shiki's mother nodded gently.

"...Mother, I'll take my leave now."

Saying this, Ryougi Shiki left the main hall and headed towards the kendo dojo.

"..."

Watching her daughter leave, Mrs. Ryougi pursed her lips slightly and looked down at the photograph on the table. To be honest, based on the surface information gathered, the girl Aozaki Touko possessed immense power.

If she harbored any ill intentions towards the Ryougi family, it was possible she could erase them from Japan in just one night.

With such power, she wouldn't need to employ any other strategies.

In other words, what happened that night was likely entirely true. Her daughter possessed an unknown personality, and she had a good relationship with that girl named Aozaki Touko.

However, if it were just this, it would still be within an acceptable range...

But they had mentioned that 'Ori' would die in the future, and that girl would create a body to house 'Ori's' soul.

The simple conversation revealed terrifying information.

They likely possessed the ability to observe the future, and at the same time, the secret art of resurrecting humans.

This was practically like being a god.

Einzbern Castle.

Aozaki Touko was in her magic workshop, adjusting a doll on the experimental table. This doll wasn't created as a perfect imitation of a human.

It was a puppet in the common understanding of the word, made from wood and iron.

This was another series she planned to develop, a secret art called "Hundred Puppet Maneuvers," a combat technique that allowed her to control hundreds of puppets simultaneously.

According to her projections, it could easily conquer a small country. Each puppet possessed significant combat capabilities, mastered the use of various weapons and hidden tools, and would be coated in potent poison.

This was a puppet army created entirely for battle!

...Well, okay.

Actually, this was just her indulging a whim to cosplay as Akasuna no Sasori.

She probably just thought it would look cool to pull out hundreds of puppets while fighting and watch the enemy's surprised expression with a cold demeanor.

If that wasn't intimidating enough, she'd reveal her true form, a puppet body she'd disguised herself as. That would surely be very intimidating!

While their combat ability alone couldn't surpass her meticulously crafted Rose Maidens...

...it was still cool!

Chapter 50: King Arthur Can't Possibly Be a Girl