At that moment, Illyasviel von Einzbern gave Aozaki Grandfather a polite bow with a gentle smile, then presented him with some of the wrapped gifts.
"..."
Aozaki Grandfather silently accepted the gifts, studied Illyasviel for a while, then turned and took a pitch-black bottle from the bookshelf beside him. He handed it to Illyasviel and said coldly:
"This is an elixir of immortality I found in China when I was young. Although it cannot make someone immortal, it should be the most suitable thing for your current physical condition."
"...Thank you, Grandfather~"
Illyasviel accepted the black bottle containing the elixir and politely bowed again.
Then Grandfather turned his gaze toward Altrouge. His cold eyes showed no fluctuation as he simply waited for Altrouge's answer.
Altrouge's face grew increasingly red, but she made no sound. Her entire body had gone stiff.
"Hello, Grandfather. I'm Touko's future wife. My name is Mel-Lydele Archleot!"
At that moment, Lidell suddenly raised her hand and looked at Aozaki Grandfather expectantly.
Faced with a grandfather who could produce elixirs of immortality, she had decided that she was going to become Aozaki Touko's future wife. As for exactly when this future would arrive, that depended on her mood.
"..."
"..."
Aozaki Grandfather shifted his gaze to Lidell. His cold eyes remained completely unmoved. He merely turned and walked toward the bookshelf, while everyone else stared at Lidell in astonishment. No one had expected her to be so shameless—to throw away all dignity just to get a gift.
"This is another elixir of immortality I found in China. Although it likewise cannot make someone immortal, it has an excellent healing effect."
Grandfather took down another black bottle and walked toward them. Lidell's excited eyes practically shone with light. She had never expected that she would really be able to get an elixir.
Then, in the next moment.
Grandfather walked past Lidell and handed the elixir to Altrouge, saying coldly, "Even for you, as the Dead Apostle Princess, this elixir should have a considerable healing effect."
As a Magic User, he knew a little about Altrouge's injuries. She had fought White Princess Arcueid years ago and suffered wounds that had remained unhealed for more than eight hundred years. That was why he had specially chosen an elixir capable of healing Altrouge's injuries.
"Ah... I..."
Altrouge's lovely face flushed even more deeply. As she looked at the elixir before her that could heal her injuries, the scales in her heart kept tipping. In the end, she felt as though she had lost something.
"...Thank you... Grandfather~"
She murmured softly, accepted the elixir from the Fifth Magic User, and handed him a magical clock she carried with her at all times.
The End of the Magic User
"..."
"..."
After accepting the clock from the Dead Apostle Princess, Aozaki Grandfather gave a cold, slight nod. He then swept his gaze over everyone before shifting it again. His vision crossed space and reached the Kuzuki Western Mansion on the distant hill.
He stood there as though deep in thought, then turned around and took out several more gifts, presenting one to each person present.
Although these were not priceless elixirs of immortality, they were still quite valuable.
"This... Please give this to Kuonji Alice on my behalf."
Finally, Aozaki Grandfather walked up to Touko and handed her a strangely shaped sword. After Aozaki Touko accepted it, Grandfather explained coldly, "This is a Mystic Code of the Fifth Magic. Consider it a gift to you in advance, and compensation for not inheriting the Fifth Magic."
"...Grandfather is surprisingly warm-hearted today."
Aozaki Touko accepted the Mystic Code and spoke with some surprise.
To be honest, this was the first time she had seen Grandfather show such warmth. Human emotions had always seemed extremely faint in him, to the point that simply looking at him made people feel cold inside.
"Since I'm going to die anyway, these things have no meaning to me anymore."
Aozaki Grandfather gave a cold explanation, then continued, "As for everything in the Magic Workshop, Touko, take whatever you want. And if you want the Aozaki Household's spiritual veins, you may take those as well."
"If I take everything, what property will Aoko have left to inherit?"
Aozaki Touko asked with a strange expression. If Grandfather gave all of this to her, then Aoko would truly inherit nothing but the Magic Crest. Every other valuable thing in the household would belong to her.
"...Do you think Aoko can make good use of these things?"
Grandfather countered coldly.
He understood Aozaki Aoko very well. Although she was extraordinarily talented at destruction, she was not very suited to using intricate and complicated magecraft.
If Aoko were put in charge of managing the Aozaki Household's spiritual veins, it would probably be unrealistic. They would need to find assistants to help her manage them.
So instead, it would be better to entrust them to Aozaki Touko, who excelled at such things.
Besides, there was nothing bad about Touko, as the elder sister, inheriting these possessions. Given Aozaki Touko's personality, she would absolutely never mistreat her younger sister Aoko.
In short, aside from the Magic Crest, everything else would be better left to Aozaki Touko.
"Hmm... If I patiently teach her, she should be able to become a qualified mage~"
Aozaki Touko spoke with some uncertainty.
"—Is that so~"
Grandfather gave a cold smile. Then, as if he were tired, he sat down on a nearby stool, closed his eyes, and said indifferently, "Since I've met everyone I needed to meet, let's bring this to an end."
"...Hmm, Grandfather, what do you mean?"
Aozaki Touko frowned unconsciously, an ominous premonition rising in her heart. The others present seemed to sense something as well, and they turned their gazes toward Aozaki Grandfather in unison.
Under everyone's gaze, Aozaki Grandfather's breathing gradually weakened. Soon, it stopped completely.
"Touko, what happened to Grandfather?"
Illyasviel instinctively clutched Touko's arm. She already understood what this meant. That cold yet kindly grandfather had now passed away.
"Illyasviel... what happened to Magic User Grandfather?"
Nearby, Kohaku and Hisui tugged at Illyasviel's sleeve and asked in soft, cautious voices. They did not really understand the situation, but they could feel the heavy atmosphere, so they questioned the maid who taught them.
"Magic User Grandfather has fallen asleep~"
Illyasviel lowered her head and her gaze. "Kohaku, Hisui, you must be quiet. Don't wake Magic User Grandfather."
"We know. *2"
Kohaku and Hisui answered obediently.
Hearing the two little girls' conversation, Altrouge smiled. She then looked at Aozaki Grandfather's corpse and sighed. "As expected of a mage. He can actually face death so calmly."
Death was the greatest terror in the world. Even heroes and exceptional men could not regard it as nothing. There were very few people in this world who could truly see beyond life and death.
As for someone like Aozaki Grandfather, who could speak of annihilation and then enter it without hesitation, Altrouge had lived for so many years, yet this was the first time she had ever seen it.
"...I hadn't even asked what kind of funeral you wanted, Grandfather."
Seeing this, Aozaki Touko sighed helplessly.
"Keep it simple."
Suddenly, Grandfather's voice rang out again. A hazy mist filled the dark cave, and as the mist swirled and gathered, Grandfather's figure appeared in reality once more. His form was blurry and translucent, but his voice was perfectly clear.
"I have no requirements. Just bury me when the time comes."
The scene was extremely eerie. Grandfather's spirit had appeared in reality, while beside him lay the body whose vital functions had ceased.
"Ah... I understand~"
Aozaki Touko twitched the corner of her mouth, then nodded expressionlessly.
To be honest, she was beginning to wonder whether Grandfather could rise from the dead on the spot and revive at full health if he wanted to.
How should she put it... she could no longer summon the grief she ought to feel.
"That's all for today."
Grandfather said coldly, "Leave this body here for now. It will be fine even if it remains for a few days. It will not decay inside the Magic Workshop. Deal with everything when you have time."
With that, Grandfather dispersed like smoke.
"...Let's go~"
Aozaki Touko shook her head, took Illyasviel's hand, and led everyone away from Grandfather's Magic Workshop toward the long-absent Aozaki Household.
"Touko, does the Princess still have a chance to turn your grandfather into a Dead Apostle?"
On the way, Altrouge suddenly spoke.
"If Grandfather doesn't want to die, wouldn't he just need to take the elixir you were given?"
Aozaki Touko shook her head, then glanced back at the cave.
She had a feeling that this departure would be the last time she saw Aozaki Grandfather. Although she could still sense that he was inside the cave, he would never come out to see her again.
For Grandfather, who had severed his human emotions, all the tasks of this period had been completed. There was no longer any need for him to appear in the world again.
Night fell.
The clear moonlight spilled across the earth.
In front of the silent cave, Aozaki Grandfather's spirit slowly emerged. He gazed toward the Aozaki Household and watched the people chatting inside. He stood there silently, watching until the lights in the household went out and everyone went to sleep. Only then did he turn and walk back into the cave.
"...It's over~"
Introducing My Wife
The scene shifted.
They had now returned to the long-absent Aozaki Household. Aozaki Touko wore her usual gentle smile, but both Aozaki Parents and Aoko were somewhat silent. The house was filled with tension.
No words were necessary. Everyone in the Aozaki Household had at least a basic understanding of the magecraft world, and they could understand how much Aozaki Touko had paid to inherit the Magic Crest.
If Touko, as the eldest daughter, revealed the cold and ruthless side of a mage at this point, it would not actually be impossible. Although they trusted Aozaki Touko and believed she would not kill her younger sister over something like this, they could not avoid feeling worried.
Especially when Aozaki Touko had returned with a group of people who looked extremely formidable.
"...Mom, Dad, let me introduce someone to you~"
Inside the living room, Aozaki Touko smiled, took Illyasviel's hand, and introduced her to Aozaki Parents and Aoko:
"This is my wife, Illyasviel von Einzbern."
"?!?!?!"
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Hearing the eldest daughter's introduction, Aozaki Parents forgot their nervousness. Their instincts as parents made them begin examining the woman named Illyasviel.
She had exquisite, immaculate features, eyes that glittered like rubies, and silver hair cascading over her shoulders. She possessed both the elegance of a noblewoman and the innocence of a child.
She was a true noblewoman of the upper class—not a socialite who moved through circles of fame and wealth, but a noblewoman genuinely raised as part of the upper class, carrying innate nobility.
"Touko... you said she was your wife?!"
At that moment, Father nervously lit a cigarette. He took a hard drag to calm himself, then said solemnly, "If this is a joke, your mother and I are honestly a little shocked..."
He understood his daughter fairly well. If she had married a woman, that would actually seem strangely natural to him, because his eldest daughter, Aozaki Touko, was exactly the sort of person who could do such a thing.
He did not mind his daughter finding a wife, as long as the Aozaki Household's bloodline could be continued.
However, the woman named Illyasviel had far too impressive a bearing and figure.
Seeing such an upper-class woman become Touko's wife made him suspect that Aozaki Touko had kidnapped her.
After all, his eldest daughter, Aozaki Touko, really did have the ability to do that.
Even kidnapping a princess would not be impossible for her.
"...I'm not joking. Illyasviel really is my wife~"
Aozaki Touko nodded slightly, looking completely composed. She had no intention of hiding anything.
The strange looks of the world and the inability of ordinary people to accept such things held no meaning for her.
If someone actually came before her and spouted nonsense, she would simply beat him to death on the spot, then turn him into a living puppet so he could experience what cruelty meant.
"But then... what will happen to Azu?"
Aozaki's Mother suddenly asked.
Before you continue