Chapter Seventy-Three: The Former Director / Chapter Seventy-Four: Treatment ...

"Mm... everything we own."

Seeing the boy nod in confirmation, the woman felt as though her heart had stopped. She immediately wanted to beat this spendthrift son of hers, but when she saw his pitiful expression, she could only sigh helplessly. After all, he had sold off the family assets to save her.

"Looks like we'll have to beg for food by the roadside."

In the end, the woman smiled helplessly and made a self-deprecating joke.

"Mother, you don't have to beg. Miss Aozaki is willing to wait until you've recovered and let you manage the family business. The compensation is very generous."

The boy added in a low voice.

"...Really?"

The woman glared at her son, feeling both exasperated and amused, but she did not refuse. After all, she had to work to support the family.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Former Director

Inside the Western Mansion.

The living room.

Aozaki Touko sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, taking small sips from a cup of black tea as she studied the man who had come to visit her.

He was an exceptionally handsome and gentle-looking man, with silver hair tied into a ponytail on one side. He possessed an unmistakable aristocratic air and was exactly the type generally adored by women.

But that was only on the surface.

His true identity was Marisbury Animusphere, the current Lord of the Celestial Mechanics Department of the Clock Tower—a magus who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"The Lord of the Celestial Mechanics Department has suddenly come to visit. I feel rather flattered,"

Aozaki Touko set down her cup and looked at the Lord of the Celestial Mechanics Department. "But I'm also quite curious why you specifically came to find me, and why you chose to do so at such a crucial moment in my research into magecraft."

"Since Miss Aozaki is busy, I'll get straight to the point."

Marisbury nodded slightly and handed Touko a folder. "This contains the cooperation proposal I wish to discuss—the project to establish the Human Order Incineration Foundation, Chaldea."

"...That sounds impressive. It feels like a publicly listed company trying to swindle investors."

After taking the documents, Aozaki Touko chuckled, but she read through them with extreme care, even more seriously than she read grimoires.

"..."

Marisbury did not refute her. He simply waited quietly for Aozaki Touko to finish reading. His fingers were unconsciously clasped tightly together, making him look like a criminal awaiting judgment or a student waiting to learn whether he had failed the examination. He had no way to completely suppress his nervousness.

The success or failure of this cooperation concerned the Animusphere family's centuries-old aspiration.

If Aozaki Touko was willing to invest in them and provide them with her full support, the astronomical funding problem would essentially be solved.

That was because the most profitable industry in this world was... medicine.

Humanity would ultimately face death. If there was a chance of being saved, people would be willing to pay any price. Even if it meant their entire life's savings, they would not hesitate in the slightest.

And the girl sitting opposite him possessed technology that could absolutely cure them.

This would allow Aozaki Touko to earn an astronomical amount of money with ease.

This had already been confirmed by the people who had recently come to seek medical treatment.

It showed just how crazy people could become in order to survive.

"...How should I put this? The more I read, the more it feels like you're trying to swindle investors."

Aozaki Touko placed the documents on the table, her gaze turning serious. "The only thing I need to do here is provide money—and enough money to make even me shudder!"

"If you don't believe me, Miss Touko, you may verify it by any means you wish. You can even use an experimental potion to make me speak the truth."

Marisbury's tone was utterly serious, without the slightest hesitation.

So long as he could fulfill the Animusphere family's aspiration, even sacrificing his own life would be within what he could bear. Success was already within reach. All that remained was for Aozaki Touko to provide the money.

"Why come to me? There are clearly so many investors you could recruit."

Aozaki Touko frowned, her tone full of doubt.

In theory, if Marisbury wanted to attract investment, he should have plenty of potential targets. The Mage's Association had so many aristocrats, and society had so many capitalists. All of them could be approached for investment.

But the documents showed that she was actually the only investor they were trying to recruit.

"In truth, we have been silently observing you since you came to the Clock Tower. Our conclusion was that you aren't a person with a strong desire for power. You also possess an excellent moral compass and won't interfere excessively with Chaldea."

Marisbury answered honestly. "But the other aristocrats of the Clock Tower are not like that. They may not be interested in the Animusphere family's aspiration, and the Clock Tower is rife with political struggles. They would only seriously interfere with its operation."

"Besides... those people at the Clock Tower can't actually produce that much money."

In truth, they had considered approaching the Clock Tower's aristocrats. Although those nobles had accumulated astonishing wealth, most of it consisted of fixed assets such as Mystic Eyes, Magic Crests, and Magecraft Mystic Codes.

If he told those nobles, "Sell your assets and support our establishment of Chaldea,"

they would probably look at him as if he were an idiot and throw him out without a second thought. Yet if they did not sell those assets, their cash flow simply could not support Chaldea's establishment.

In short... their family's dream had been strangled by money.

"...I see. I really am easy to observe."

Hearing his answer, Aozaki Touko smiled helplessly before saying solemnly, "To be honest, it still feels somewhat like a scam to me. But I am quite interested in Human Order."

"Does that mean you've agreed?"

Marisbury asked with a light laugh.

"Don't rush... At the very least, wait until I've verified it a little first."

Aozaki Touko shook her head instead of agreeing immediately.

Chapter Seventy-Four: Treatment

At this moment, inside the magecraft workshop.

Aozaki Touko held Altrouge by her slender waist, while Altrouge buried her head in Touko's neck and slowly drank her blood, savoring it with the patience and enjoyment of someone tasting fine wine.

Altrouge was not feeding. She was undergoing treatment, using Aozaki Touko's blood to heal herself.

Indeed, after gaining a certain understanding of her injuries, Aozaki Touko had spent some time studying blood samples. She had screened for blood suitable for Altrouge, then developed and refined it specifically for her, making it more effective at healing her wounds.

Naturally, the blood developed specially for her was incredibly delicious. Every time Altrouge came to drink Aozaki Touko's blood, she took her time savoring it, stretching what should have taken two or three minutes into half an hour.

This scene had been repeated for half a year.

"—Mmnh."

Altrouge let out a muffled moan and suddenly tightened her arms around Aozaki Touko. She rose onto her toes, her toes curling tightly together as if she had been struck by electricity.

She remained in that state for two or three minutes before finally collapsing limply into Aozaki Touko's arms. She was as harmless as a spoiled kitten, and the dignified, proud bearing of the Princess had vanished completely.

"I'm always worried you'll drink me dry, Altrouge."

Aozaki Touko gently stroked Altrouge's smooth black hair and spoke with an amused smile.

"I would never let you die. I will cherish you like my most precious treasure, Touko. Even if I desire to drain you completely, I can restrain myself."

Altrouge rubbed against Aozaki Touko as she spoke with firm conviction, without the slightest hint of joking.

Indeed, to her, Aozaki Touko was her most precious treasure—a treasure she had obtained at tremendous cost. Touko was not only her hope of healing her injuries, but also the blood source she could not bear to give up.

Of course, this was not the attitude one would have toward a mere blood bag. In fact, Altrouge had no reason to treat Aozaki Touko as one, because Touko possessed enough strength to earn her respect. Their relationship was one of equals.

Moreover, Aozaki Touko was the first person with whom she had communicated on the deepest level. Their physical and spiritual contact had both surpassed all reason, a treatment even her two Dead Apostle subordinates had never received.

For all these reasons, Altrouge's feelings toward Aozaki Touko were extremely complicated.

They lay somewhere between friendship, familial affection, and love. But the friendship was not especially deep, while love was separated by a thin membrane. Nor did it truly qualify as familial affection.

It was like a constantly spinning wheel. When it would stop, and where the pointer would ultimately land, was impossible to determine.

"Does this count as a confession?"

Aozaki Touko asked with a faint smile as she placed Altrouge on the bed inside the magecraft workshop and carefully covered her with a blanket.

After drinking her blood, Altrouge would enter a brief period of weakness and grow drowsy.

This was because her injured body would spontaneously enter dormancy to heal after receiving a massive supply of magical energy. During this time, Altrouge became extremely sleepy.

At the same time, several of the sharper edges of her personality would be worn away.

"...Well."

Altrouge yawned and said drowsily, "Perhaps it is. But if I accept a confession, I have no intention of sharing that person with anyone. You should know that my possessiveness is very strong."

"Is there really no way around that?"

Aozaki Touko smiled wryly, though her tone sounded somewhat troubled.

She looked as though she were worrying about how to handle married life after the wedding.

"Mm... about that."

Altrouge let out a soft hum before saying, "Well, if the person who wants to marry me is stronger than my father, then I suppose I can't do anything about it."

"That really is a difficulty straight out of hell."

Aozaki Touko smiled faintly.

"After all, I am a Princess. Since the other party made an unreasonable demand first, isn't it only natural that I make a slightly unreasonable demand as well?"

Altrouge spoke as if it were self-evident, and Aozaki Touko nodded in considerable agreement.

"True enough. But Ryougi, aren't you afraid that will discourage your suitors?"

Though she said that, she was actually confident she could surpass Crimson Moon. Once she completed the Genetic Lock, defeating Crimson Moon would be within her grasp.

"I am a long-lived species. I have plenty of time in the future."

Altrouge said this proudly, then asked seemingly offhandedly, "Touko, if I remember correctly, you're a short-lived species, aren't you? Have you really never considered becoming a Dead Apostle?"

"Mm... let's not rush that matter."

Aozaki Touko smiled slightly. "Go to sleep. I still have some magecraft research to do."

With that, she turned and walked away from the bed.

Not long after Touko left, the drowsy Altrouge suddenly seemed completely awake. An inexplicable emotion flashed through her crimson eyes, after which she hugged the blanket and turned over to sleep.

"..."

Chapter Seventy-Five: You Have My Bloodline in Your Belly

"—Mmm~"

Altrouge opened her sleepy eyes. After scanning the surroundings, she propped up her delicate body and lazily stretched, letting out a comfortable hum.

How should she describe her current feeling? It was probably like someone who had worked hard all day finally getting enough sleep. Every inch of her body radiated comfort, and she felt completely renewed.

This was also why she had been able to come to Aozaki Touko for treatment for half a year without making any complaints. It was not merely because the quality of Aozaki Touko's blood kept improving.

The increasingly comfortable experience was another factor. The pressure accumulated in her heart would temporarily vanish. She did not have to think about Crimson Lord, that traitorous subject, or worry about possessing half Dead Apostle blood.

In short... to be honest, she had become somewhat unable to leave this woman, Aozaki Touko.

She wanted to turn Aozaki Touko into her own Dead Apostle and keep her by her side forever. Unfortunately, Aozaki Touko seemed strangely attached to her identity as a human.

"—I slept rather longer than usual this time."

Aozaki Touko approached from nearby in a white coat. After leaning down slightly to observe Altrouge for a moment, she smiled and said,

"Mm... it seems you had a pretty good sleep this time."

"That is thanks to the ever-improving quality of your blood, Touko."

Altrouge got out of bed and leaned close to Aozaki Touko's neck, sniffing lightly before saying, "Although I can confirm that your blood is absolutely human—and that no one's blood could be more human than yours—perhaps that is precisely why it possesses a unique divinity. I've even wondered whether you might be the reincarnation of the legendary Lilith."

She was not speaking falsely. Because she often drank Aozaki Touko's blood, she had a direct impression of how it was changing. The humanity within this girl was becoming increasingly pronounced.

It was as though she were... the original form of all human beings.

"Is that so... It seems I've taken another step toward creating the perfect human."

Aozaki Touko swept back her long hair and revealed a confident smile.

She was not merely pursuing Rune Sorcery anymore. In truth, aside from the initial period after she came to the Clock Tower, she had gradually devoted most of her energy once again to Dollcraft.

"The perfect human?"