“Within a month, we need at least 15 dolls.”
“……”
Merlin fell silent at Luke’s words.
The timeframe suggested by Luke seemed impossibly tight. However, she appeared not to think for a moment that he was being unreasonable.
Although Merlin hadn’t known her for long, she couldn’t believe that someone as skilled as her could be completely oblivious to whether her demands were unreasonable or simply feasible.
Merlin pondered.
“Or perhaps the ‘materials’ are that exceptional….”
Merlin said, trying to gauge the situation.
“Making such strong claims, I suppose the prepared materials must be quite extraordinary, if this tight schedule is anything to go by.”
Luke replied with a confident smile.
“Ah, of course. I can confidently say that the quality is truly top-notch.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Merlin’s expression began to relax slightly at Luke’s assurance. Well, if she was so sure about it, there had to be a good reason for it.
“By the way, when do you plan to bring in the materials? If you have them, we can start working right away, but right now, you’re empty-handed.”
Pointing to Luke’s hand, she asked, and Luke placed a hand on the blue gemstone that adorned his neck.
“Ah, you needn’t worry about that. Let me see….”
Merlin looked perplexed. If that wasn’t empty-handed, then what could it be?
Luke stood up and glanced around the doll shop a few times before reaching out into the air again, opening his mouth once more.
“Alright, this should do.”
With a light smile, Luke waved his hand in the air with extreme elegance and restraint, like a conductor leading an orchestra.
In his hand, there was a long, black rod that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
And with Luke’s gesture, something astonishing unfolded right before Merlin’s eyes.
“……?”
– Ku-gu-gu-gu—.
Space began to tear apart.
—-
“Impossible!”
Merlin gasped in shock.
To cut through empty space?
Are you telling me that he can create this without any special tools, just with hand gestures right in front of my eyes? Even someone as accustomed to various phenomena as Merlin couldn’t help but be astounded.
However, Luke remained unfazed.
“Why are you so surprised? This is just a primitive void space.”
“What?”
Merlin was stunned by that response.
Void space.
Even in modern times where all sorts of magic are processed and circulated as commodities, the magic of void space required quite advanced technical skills.
As a result, the prices of void space bags from famous brands didn’t even start at a million or so.
Thus, having a personal void space wasn’t easy even in modern times.
However, even so, it was merely a trick that enlarged the space allocated to an object using magic.
Therefore, tearing the space itself apart was something that could only be done in well-controlled laboratories.
But to simply create it using an artifact like that, it was a sight she had never seen before.
“Is this the void space?”
How could cutting and hiding objects in the space itself be claiming the same magic as simply increasing the storage space of the void? This is much closer to magic that involves gates or portals!
However, from Luke’s perspective, there wasn’t a significant difference between the two.
From a class perspective, they were clearly distinguished, but from the Circle’s perspective, they shared the same principles and powers.
Well, at this point, he was just undertaking a task that required relying on the ‘computer’ for calculations due to his lack of authority.
“That’s not the important part.”
However, there wasn’t time to explain the similarities between void space and portals, the expansibility of Circle magic, or the principles of the shadow of the moon.
He didn’t particularly want to make it a tedious explanation either.
Thus, Luke merely pointed toward that void space and opened his mouth.
“The materials are inside here.”
“……”
Indeed…….
If something like that exists, he wouldn’t be empty-handed wherever he went.
How wide a space could possibly be unfolded beyond this gap?
Once again, this girl was not to be underestimated; her abilities were worthy of her powerful soul that could not be read by spiritual divination.
And to face ‘that’, one would need at least this level of capability.
With her heart gradually calming down, Merlin spoke.
“Ha ha ha! Seeing this makes me excited! Alright, then, will you show me the materials?”
“Well, if you wish, then I shall.”
– Snap!
Luke flicked his finger toward the black gap.
What poured out from that opening was none other than…….
“……cotton and fabric?”
Merlin was utterly baffled.
Cotton and fabric?
Cotton and fabric, you say?
Holding onto a glimmer of hope that something else might descend from the void, she watched as the cotton and fabric piled up on the floor, only to realize that was all there was.
“Wait a minute, Luke. Is this really it?”
Are you telling me that after opening such a shocking void space, what you bring out is actually just cotton and fabric?
Her mind went into disarray.
“Hm? Well, are cotton and fabric not needed to make dolls? This is top-quality stuff.”
Cotton grown using the energy of Arinseia, and expensive fabric that he had saved up whenever he had the chance.
Undoubtedly, making dolls from these materials would yield excellent results.
But why was she reacting so strongly?
Luke couldn’t understand.
If she suddenly backed out now, it would be troublesome.
“Didn’t you say you’d make a doll if I provided the materials? What’s the problem now?”
But no matter how much Luke frowned at her, Merlin’s shock only intensified.
“Wait a minute, so everything you’ve been talking about until now… was merely a request for me to make you a ‘doll’? Made out of cotton and fabric, a plush toy?”
Merlin’s head turned completely blank.
Luke muttered grumpily.
“Of course I call that a doll; isn’t that common sense? Or has another word come to replace ‘doll’ while I wasn’t looking?”
“……No, wait a minute.”
Are you seriously telling me that the terms used until now were not slang for enhanced assassins like the Third?
No way, then what on earth have I been…….
Suddenly, Merlin began to doubt all the reactions Luke had shown until now.
Could it be that everything else had also been greatly exaggerated by her misunderstanding?
That would be mortifying!
But then, what on earth were all the things they had talked about?
Sorting through her confused thoughts, Merlin hesitantly chose her words.
Where exactly did their perceptions begin to diverge? She had no idea how to even approach the topic.
While Merlin was in this state of confusion, Luke spoke first.
“Ah, come to think of it, we also need a sample to use as a standard.”
“What?”
As Merlin reflexively asked, Luke murmured that showing would be best and flicked his finger once again toward the still-open space.
– Snap.
“Liv, would you come out for a moment?”
Then, she felt a presence moving within the gap in space.
Yes, seeing that sample might help her understand his intentions.
Merlin focused on the gap in the space.
“…….”
But.
—
“Well, it seems this will do.”
Seeing it, Merlin finally covered her face with her hands.
Wasn’t that a truly small teddy bear?
What was happening? She still didn’t understand anything.
—–
“Wait, the ‘doll’ I was talking about all along was referring to assassins, one like the Third, right?”
“Um, no, not at all.”
Luke shook his head.
So, the term ‘doll’ was indeed used to refer to enhanced assassins.
What an odd coincidence.
However, since Merlin seemed to be quite deeply entrenched in the underworld, it wouldn’t be unusual if it were indeed related to an assassin organization.
And it was beneficial to have reliable personnel, so if they had prepared assassins, employing them additionally wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Luke spoke with a somewhat hopeful tone.
“Then, how many of those ‘dolls’ you mentioned are ready? If the price is reasonable, I would be willing to hire them as well.”
“Ah, no. I don’t have any ‘dolls’ to show you right now… As I mentioned before, I used up most of them while fleeing from ‘that’….”
Did what she said then lead to this?
She had surely thought it was only a simple reference to dolls, but one misunderstanding had led to all this confusion.
“……Hah. I had unnecessary hopes.”
Luke clicked his tongue for a moment before opening his mouth again.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. After all, this ‘doll’ will be more efficient than those kinds of people.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Merlin frowned and raised her voice.
That doll called ‘Liv’ moving and making decisions on its own was indeed fascinating, but it didn’t appear to be anything more than a toy.
How could he say this was far more efficient than her ‘dolls’?
However, Luke nonchalantly gestured toward Liv, who was sitting quietly on the table, as if explaining was too much trouble.
Then, moments later, the doll suddenly disappeared from Merlin’s sight.
“……!”
‘There didn’t seem to be any magical prelude to this; how can this be happening…….’
Just as Merlin was about to rise in surprise, she suddenly found herself rigid.
Because she felt the sensation of the doll having climbed onto her shoulder and aiming a sharp object at her neck.
While controlling battle dolls to attack the enemy was a method of magic she often practiced, this was an entirely different type.
This was a doll that thought and moved on its own like a living being, rather than being controlled by someone.
As such, this doll could judge and act much faster than she could control it.
…Just like a highly skilled assassin.
Luke leaned back in his chair and spoke indifferently.
“What do you think? Isn’t this sufficiently efficient?”
“……Indeed….”
Eventually, Merlin could only swallow hard and nod her head quietly.
