The Life of Aozaki Touko

With a gentle, polite smile, Irisviel bowed to the Aozaki Grandfather and presented a portion of the wrapped gifts.

"..."

The Aozaki Grandfather silently accepted the gifts, then observed Irisviel for a moment before turning to retrieve a jet-black bottle from a nearby bookshelf. He handed it to Irisviel, saying coldly, "This is an Elixir I found in China when I was young. While it won't grant immortality, it should be the most suitable thing for your current physical condition."

"...Thank you, Grandfather~"

Irisviel accepted the black bottle containing the Elixir and bowed politely again.

Then, the grandfather turned his gaze to Altrouge. His cold eyes showed no fluctuation as he waited for Altrouge's response.

Altrouge's face grew even redder, but she remained silent, frozen in place.

"Hello, Grandfather! I'm Touko's future wife, my name is Mei Lidell Archalot!"

Just then, Lidell suddenly raised her hand, looking expectantly at the Aozaki Grandfather.

Regarding a grandfather who could produce Elixirs, she declared herself Touko's future wife. As for when this future would arrive, that depended entirely on her mood.

"..."

"..."

The Aozaki Grandfather's gaze shifted to Lidell. His cold eyes remained unblinking as he simply turned and walked towards the bookshelf. The others stared at Lidell in astonishment, never expecting her to be so shameless, so brazenly throwing her dignity aside just to get some gifts.

"This is also an Elixir I found in China. Like the other, it cannot grant immortality, but it has very good effects for healing."

The grandfather took out another black bottle and walked towards everyone. Lidell's excited gaze was practically shining; she never imagined she would actually receive an Elixir.

Then, the next moment.

The grandfather bypassed Lidell and handed the Elixir to Altrouge, stating coldly, "This Elixir should have significant healing effects even for you, the Dead Apostle Princess."

Regarding Altrouge's injuries, he, as a Magic User, knew a thing or two. Her wounds, sustained during a fierce battle with the White Princess Arcueid and her sister, had remained unhealed for over eight hundred years. Thus, he had specifically selected an Elixir capable of healing Altrouge's injuries.

"Ah... I..."

Altrouge's pretty face flushed even more. Looking at the Elixir before her, capable of healing her wounds, the scales within her heart continuously tilted. Finally, she felt as if she had lost something.

"...Thank you... Grandfather~"

She murmured softly, taking the Fifth Magic User's Elixir. She then handed a magic clock, which she always carried, to the Fifth Magic User.

Chapter 89: The Magic User's End

"..."

"..."

Accepting the clock from the Dead Apostle Princess, the Aozaki Grandfather nodded slightly with a cold expression. He then swept his gaze over everyone present, before his eyes shifted, crossing space to the Kuzuki Western Mansion on the distant hill.

He stood there, lost in thought, then turned and took out more gifts, presenting them to everyone present.

Although these were not Elixirs of immeasurable value, they were still considered precious.

"This... please give this to Kuonji Azu for me!"

Finally, the Aozaki Grandfather approached Touko and handed her a strangely shaped sword. After Aozaki Touko accepted it, the grandfather coldly explained, "This is the Magecraft Mystic Code of the Fifth Magic. Consider it an early gift, and compensation for you not inheriting the Fifth Magic."

"...Grandfather is surprisingly sentimental today."

Aozaki Touko said with some surprise after receiving the Magecraft Mystic Code.

To be honest, this was the first time she had seen her grandfather act so sentimentally. In the past, human emotions seemed extremely faint in him, giving people a chilling feeling.

"Since I'm about to die, these things are meaningless to me now!"

The Aozaki Grandfather explained coldly, then continued, "If you want anything in the Mage's Workshop, Touko, you can take it all as you please. As for the Aozaki family's spiritual veins, you can take those too if you wish."

"If I take it all, what inheritance will Aoko have left?"

Aozaki Touko asked somewhat strangely. If her grandfather gave all of this to her, then Aoko would truly only inherit the Magic Crest, with all the other valuable family possessions going to her.

"...Do you think Aoko can use these things well?"

The grandfather retorted coldly.

He saw Aozaki Aoko very clearly. While she had great talent in destruction, she wasn't very suited for using intricate and complex magecraft.

If Aoko were to manage the Aozaki family's spiritual veins, it would likely be unrealistic, and she would need assistants to help manage them.

Therefore, it would be better to entrust them to Aozaki Touko, who was skilled in such matters.

Moreover, with Touko, the elder sister, inheriting these things, it wouldn't be a bad thing for Aozaki Aoko. Given Touko's personality, she would absolutely not mistreat her sister Aoko in any way.

In short, apart from the Magic Crest, it was more appropriate to give everything else to Aozaki Touko.

"Hmm... If I teach her patiently, she should be able to become a qualified magus~"

Aozaki Touko said with some uncertainty.

"——Is that so~"

The grandfather smiled coldly. Then, as if tired, he sat down on a stool nearby. He closed his eyes and said indifferently, "Since I've seen everyone I needed to see, this is where it ends."

"...Yes, Grandfather, what do you mean by that?"

Aozaki Touko unconsciously frowned, a bad premonition stirring in her heart. The others present also seemed to sense something, and their gazes all turned towards Aozaki Grandfather.

Under their collective gaze, Aozaki Grandfather's breathing grew weaker, and soon, his heart completely stopped beating.

"Touko, what happened to Grandpa?"

Irisviel instinctively clutched Touko's arm. She already understood what this meant: this grandfather, who was both distant and kind, had now passed away.

"Illyasviel… what happened to Grandpa Magic User?"

Beside them, Kohaku and Hisui tugged at Illyasviel's sleeve, asking in soft, cautious voices. They didn't quite grasp the current situation but felt the heavy atmosphere, so they turned to their head maid for an explanation.

"Grandpa Magic User has fallen asleep~"

Illyasviel nodded, her gaze lowered. "Kohaku, Hisui, you must be quiet. Don't disturb Grandpa Magic User, okay?"

"Understood *2"

Kohaku and Hisui replied obediently.

Listening to the two young girls' conversation, Altrouge smiled faintly. Then, she looked at Aozaki Grandfather's corpse and said with a sigh, "As expected of a Magic User, to face death so calmly."

Death was the greatest terror in the mortal world; even heroes and great warriors could not treat it lightly. Truly few people in this world could see through life and death.

And someone like Aozaki Grandfather, who would simply cease to exist the moment he decided to, was, to be frank, something Altrouge had never witnessed in all her years.

"...I haven't even asked you what kind of funeral you wanted, Grandfather."

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko let out a helpless sigh.

"Keep it simple."

Suddenly, Grandfather's voice echoed again. Misty fog swirled within the dim cave, and as the mist coalesced, Grandfather's form reappeared in reality. Though his appearance was blurred and translucent, his voice was clear.

"I have no specific requests for these things. Just complete the burial."

The scene was incredibly bizarre: Grandfather's spiritual body appeared in reality, right beside his lifeless physical body.

"Ah… I understand~"

Aozaki Touko twitched the corner of her mouth and finally nodded expressionlessly.

Honestly, she suspected that if her grandfather wanted to, he could probably rise from the dead right then and there, fully revived.

How to describe this feeling… she couldn't muster any genuine sadness.

"That's all for today."

Grandfather spoke coldly. "This body will remain here for now. It's fine even if it's left for a few more days; it won't decay in the magecraft workshop. Deal with it when you have the time."

With that, Grandfather dissipated like smoke.

"...Let's go~"

Aozaki Touko shook her head, took Irisviel's hand, and led everyone away from Grandfather's magecraft workshop, heading towards the long-unvisited Aozaki residence.

"Touko, do I still have a chance to turn your grandfather into a Dead Apostle now?"

Along the way, Altrouge suddenly spoke.

"If Grandpa didn't want to die, he could have just taken the Elixir I gave you all."

Aozaki Touko shook her head, then glanced back at the cave.

She had a premonition that this departure would be the last time she saw Aozaki Grandfather. Although she could still sense his presence in the cave, he would no longer come out to see her.

For her grandfather, who had severed his human emotions, all tasks for this period were complete, and there was no longer any need for him to appear in the world.

Night.

The bright moonlight cast its glow upon the land.

In front of the silent cave, Aozaki Grandfather's spiritual body slowly emerged. He gazed in the direction of the Aozaki residence, watching the people chatting inside. He kept watching them quietly until the Aozaki house lights went out and everyone went to sleep. Only then did he turn and re-enter the cave.

"...It's over~"

Chapter 90: Let me introduce you, this is my wife.

The scene shifted.

Now, back at the Aozaki residence after a long absence, Aozaki Touko wore her usual gentle smile. However, both Aozaki Parents and Aozaki Aoko were somewhat silent, and a tense atmosphere filled the house.

No words were needed. The Aozaki family generally had a basic understanding of the world of magecraft and could comprehend how much Touko had sacrificed to inherit the Magic Crest.

At this point, if Touko, as the eldest daughter, were to reveal the cold and cruel side of a magus, it wouldn't be impossible. Even though they trusted Touko and were confident she wouldn't harm her sister over such matters, the inevitable worry still arose in their hearts, especially when Touko returned with a group of individuals who looked quite formidable.

"...Mom, Dad, let me introduce you~"

In the living room, Aozaki Touko smiled, then took Irisviel's hand beside her and introduced her to Aozaki Parents and Aoko:

"This is my wife, Illyasviel von Einzbern."

"?!?!?!"

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Listening to their eldest daughter's introduction, the Aozaki Parents forgot even their nervousness. As parents, their instincts kicked in, and they began to scrutinize the woman named Irisviel.

Her face was exquisite, neat, and perfect. Her eyes sparkled like rubies, and her long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders. She possessed both the elegance of a noblewoman and the youthful innocence of a child.

This was a true lady of high society, not a socialite mingling in the world of fame and fortune, but a noblewoman genuinely raised in the upper class, carrying an innate nobility.

"Touko... you say this is your wife?!"

At this moment, the father nervously lit a cigarette, took a deep drag to calm himself, and said with a solemn tone, "If this is a joke, Mom and I are genuinely quite shocked..."

He understood his daughter quite well. The idea of her marrying a woman actually felt surprisingly natural to him, because his eldest daughter, Aozaki Touko, was precisely the kind of person who could do something like this.

Although he didn't mind his daughter having a wife, as long as the Aozaki family bloodline could continue.

However, the woman named Irisviel opposite them had too perfect a demeanor and figure.

Having a woman of high society like this become Touko's wife made him suspect if Touko had "stolen" her.

After all, his eldest daughter, Aozaki Touko, truly had the capability for it.

It wouldn't be impossible for her to even bring back a princess.

"...I'm not joking. Irisviel really is my wife~"

Aozaki Touko nodded slightly, appearing very composed and showing no intention of hiding anything.

The strange looks of this world were something ordinary people couldn't accept. Such things held no meaning for her.

If anyone dared to spout nonsense in front of her, she would beat them to death on the spot and then turn them into living dolls, letting them experience true cruelty.

"But if that's the case... what about Azu?"

Suddenly, the Aozaki mother asked.