On a night like any other, after finishing a puppet show.
It was raining endlessly that day.
The sound of the rain pouring down was relentless.
Even the light from the streetlamp struggled to shine far due to the fierce downpour.
The raindrops seemed to be connected by threads to everything they fell upon.
Countless droplets fell in arcs, breaking apart underfoot.
It is only natural that water falls from above to below.
This world is designed that way.
Everything goes from top to bottom.
From beginning to end, from life to death.
No one knows or cares who made such a law for what purpose.
However, she could not simply let it go and live her life like everyone else.
The lonely puppeteer among countless puppets.
That was exactly who she was.
“How is it that I am alive?”
To her, all creatures were connected by threads.
This connection existed not only with humans but also with cats and fish, and even with insects and plants.
However, speaking of these threads, no one could understand, let alone empathize with her.
Only she could see them.
After that, she no longer spoke to others about the threads.
She only contemplated alone.
Where do those threads lead?
Who is the one controlling beings through those threads?
Unfortunately, this vast puppet show called the world was not prepared with answers to her questions.
How lamentable.
Without a script to peep into, perhaps even a puppeteer would never uncover it in their lifetime.
“Now, I suppose I must believe even in the god of machinery.”
That day, like any other, was a day she thought that way.
When she discovered a child, she could not help but halt her steps.
– Pitter patter.
Was the child abandoned? They rummaged through a trash can in a manner unbecoming of a human.
In the dimly lit alley where rain fell in torrents, even the light from the streetlamp was weak.
The food waste was soaked through with rainwater, emanating a nauseating stench.
Yet still, it seemed the child desired to live, searching for any scraps of food.
Moreover, the boy’s face was disfigured with burns as if he had barely escaped a fire, making him look monstrous.
It was truly an ugly sight, one that could only invoke such thoughts.
However, it was evident that the boy could evoke no emotions within her.
There were far too many broken children in this world.
Although not as much as in the past, there still existed slums in Aires, where one could easily find people living day by day without a future.
Yet, she could not tear her eyes away from the sight of him.
There was one singular, peculiar thing that caught her gaze.
The child showed no signs of any threads at all.
“…….”
“…….”
As she continued to observe, she finally locked eyes with the boy.
Simply standing still, they stared at each other, but no conversation passed between them.
In the boy’s curious eyes, a peculiar light mixed feelings of annoyance and anger.
On the other hand, strong interest bloomed in the lifeless gaze of the woman.
The boy wanted to live.
And to her, that boy appeared incredibly beautiful.
Eventually, she couldn’t help but extend her hand as if entranced by something.
That was the first meeting between the puppeteer and the puppet.
——
The Third remembered the feeling of the hands that had held him close while he suffered from his shattered soul.
As he was weary and on the brink of sleep, he also remembered the gentle lullaby that resonated in his ears.
Though most memories had become hazy and fragmented due to the restructuring of the Circle, that memory was precious enough to come to mind.
“……Is that really true, Merlin? You took me in for that reason?”
She opened her eyes quietly at the voice seeking an answer to her.
“Yes.”
When she first took in the Third, it was merely a small curiosity.
What could possibly drive this child to yearn for life, even in such a state of dismembered spirit that was unrecognizable?
Could she truly discover the reason?
“And if I can raise this child into a ‘puppet,’ what kind of result might come out then?”
That was an intriguing topic worthy of her time.
So, like a single experiment, the puppeteer taught the puppet.
How to move the body efficiently, how to use mana through the Circle, and how to take a life.
However, as days turned into weeks and emotions began to form within the Third, they were unlike any other.
To Merlin, the soul was a constraint and a script.
Everyone merely acted out their given roles within the puppet show, and they held no freedom.
But the Third was different.
He had the freedom to create a life of beauty without a script.
And somewhere along the line, Merlin had grown to love that “freedom.”
It felt as if she had become a mother for the first time.
Thus, when the child resolved to leave her and live as a “puppet,” she could not hold him back.
She could not bring herself to tarnish his free spirit.
The decision he made free of any strings, she could not dare deny.
However, after that experience, she began to consider retirement.
It was unavoidable.
The cold, cruel puppeteer who felt no emotions was no longer to exist.
No longer could she create “puppets” without mixing emotions into them.
Having feelings for children who were like expendable pawns was quite exhausting.
Thus, amidst countless farewells, Merlin could only wear down gradually.
In the end, she focused on making real dolls of fabric and cotton as a hobby.
It could be said that she had become a “puppeteer” in the truest sense of the word.
Ironically, Merlin’s puppet shop began to grow larger.
Until that day came.
Merlin looked at Luke and asked.
“So, did you say you needed a puppet?”
“I did.”
When Luke nodded, Merlin shrugged as if to express regret.
“However, if that’s the case, I’m afraid I won’t be much help. The puppets you want are no longer available.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At Luke’s question, Merlin tiredly smiled and continued.
“Most of the ‘puppets’ I had left have been lost due to ‘that.’ Now all that remains with me is this body and the ‘puppets’ of this shop.”
Even though she was merely fleeing a siege, the losses had been overwhelmingly tragic.
That spoke volumes about how formidable ‘that’ entity was.
“Really?”
Luke internally marveled at Merlin’s lamenting reply.
To his eyes, there were still plenty of puppets available, and yet she said she had lost many of them!
He couldn’t help but wonder how it would have been if he had known about Merlin’s shop earlier; deep regret lingered.
Nevertheless, as there was one puppet that he undoubtedly needed, Luke smiled gently and said.
“But it seems you still have what I want.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
With that, Merlin made a puzzled expression in response to Luke.
Luke quickly approached and grabbed the limited edition Meruru doll he had already spotted.
Although it was placed slightly higher, Luke had to tiptoe to retrieve it, but there was no one here who thought it was “cute.”
Only a general expression of confusion as to what he was doing could be seen.
And that look continued until Luke presented the ‘limited edition Meruru’ doll to Merlin.
“I’ll take this doll, puppeteer.”
The doll Luke brought was the original ‘Meruru limited edition doll’ made on behalf of a company while ‘Merlin’s Puppet Shop’ still existed.
While it was ultimately an item of little value to him…
Luke set the doll in front of Merlin.
Along with the money estimated as the price of the doll.
But as Merlin silently gazed at Luke’s neat smile, looking as if she couldn’t understand his intentions, she furrowed her brows and asked.
“What? Are you asking for that now? Why?”
On the surface, Luke appeared to merely want to buy the Meruru doll, but Merlin couldn’t take his words at face value.
This was because, to Merlin, who could see Luke’s ‘essence,’ the scene was incomprehensible.
At times like this, her soul sight always proved to be of great assistance.
She could usually discern the intentions behind an opponent’s actions just by observing.
But before a powerful being like Luke, her soul sight was too weak to even read a fragment of his intent, rendering it utterly useless.
Thus, Merlin had no choice but to speculate based on her past experiences.
Unfortunately, Luke’s actions were so unexpected that she had no comparable experiences to draw upon as a limit.
Thanks to her innate soul sight, she had always seen the intentions of all, yet ironically, she was far more vulnerable to such bewildering scenarios than others.
Seeing her confusion, Luke continued, as if it were nothing.
“Well, you see, it’s for a present. Today happens to be Spirit Day. I can’t leave here empty-handed, can I?”
“Pre… sent?”
Luke handed the money to the bewildered Merlin’s hand while packing the doll in a box.
Before she could protest that it wasn’t for sale at that price, he naturally paid the full amount as his own strategy.
Though it felt somewhat akin to robbery to finalize a deal when the other party was out of sorts, at least he had paid the right price.
‘I gave you money, so it’s not robbery, right?’
With Merlin still wearing a mute expression after receiving the payment, looking as though she had some dissatisfaction, Luke decided to slip in a compliment.
They say flattery may move even whales; indeed, it was time to make those whales dance.
“Looking closely, your skills do seem quite impressive. I hope we can do business again someday, Merlin?”
That was an implication that once he returned with some prize money, he would buy more puppets, so even if she had some discontent now, she should let it pass for the time being.
Upon hearing Luke’s words, Merlin finally seemed to realize something, nodding her head as her eyes lit up.
“So then, this is the first transaction, I suppose.”
Now she understood.
It was an initiative to establish their first relationship through a simple transaction.
Given that they were in a puppet shop, it seemed the feeling was slightly different from what he intended.
“So, does this mean we should do business like this in the future?”
“Hmm, yes. I’m glad you understand.”
Seeing Merlin appearing to understand, Luke nodded with a satisfied smile.
But Merlin shook her head.
“Did I not say? All I have left are the puppets in this place and my body. Even if I wish to make more ‘puppets’, obtaining materials will not be easy.”
Even if she became a ‘puppeteer’ again, she would no longer be able to procure materials for making puppets.
Surely, she wouldn’t be able to create what this little noble wanted.
However, Luke boldly replied as if that concern was nothing at all.
“The next doll I’m looking to buy isn’t that special. If you’re lacking materials, I could prepare them for you.”
Luke didn’t request anything particularly extraordinary; he merely needed a puppet that could handle a Golem’s core.
If the supplier was problematic due to the ending of contracts that used to provide high-quality cotton and fabric, he could directly purchase the materials and resolve that.
“……”
However, unable to read Luke’s thoughts, Merlin was emotionally affected by his unwavering requirements.
She felt her determination to no longer live as a ‘puppeteer’ slightly wavering.
Was there truly a being that needed her to this extent?
No, undoubtedly not.
Yet, could one not find joy in such a powerful being desiring her?
Eventually, Merlin could no longer hold onto her resolution to stop raising puppets.
In the presence of a sheer charisma so different from ‘that,’ she found herself wanting to try something.
They had exchanged only a few words, and yet…
“……Fine, if you desire it so much, I shall assist as a puppeteer, to the best of my ability.”
“That’s great. Then, may I ask you to process the ‘materials’ for the puppets I bring next time?”
“Of course. I’ll prepare for it.”
“Alright.”
Luke, smiling satisfactorily at Merlin’s words, lifted the box containing the doll and stood up.
Dayton would surely be waiting in the car for quite some time.
“Then, I shall excuse myself now. It’s time to return to the one waiting for me.”
Then the Third immediately stood up and spoke.
“Master. I will see you off.”
“Hmm… It’s been a while since I saw you. We should chat a little.”
“It’s fine. I can always come back later. Isn’t that alright?”
“Indeed.”
When Merlin replied with a soft smile, the Third opened the door to the puppet shop, creating a path for them to exit.
As Luke looked back at the Third holding the door open, he suddenly turned to say.
“By the way, Merlin. Keep what you saw of me today with your soul sight a secret. Otherwise…”
Luke continued with a light smile.
“It could lead to big trouble, you know.”
———-
As Luke exited the puppet shop, he casually posed a question to the Third.
“By the way, Third.”
“Yes, Master?”
“What were you talking about earlier? I overheard something about killing someone… was that about a game or a comic?”
“Oh, about that? It was merely a conversation about what you were doing.”
“What I did?”
When Luke tilted his head in confusion, the Third chuckled as if to say ‘don’t play dumb.’
“Haha, are you pretending not to know? It’s the story of how you dealt with Dayton.”
Luke was taken aback by the Third’s words.
“Ah… So that’s what it was. But is it okay to share that with her?”
“What is there to hide? She’s practically like my mother.”
“R-Right?”
Then is it safe to assume Merlin wouldn’t report anything to the police?
Ultimately, Luke could only quietly nod his head.
