Although Duanmu Huai had long known that magic was miraculous, still…
"Wow! Wow! Wow!!!"
Watching the little figure bouncing around the room, he was utterly speechless.
It wasn't just Duanmu Huai. Even Anne and Guleya were quite astonished at the sight.
"Magic… it can actually do something like this…?"
"This is my first time seeing it…"
No wonder everyone was surprised. Right now, standing before them were a green-haired little girl and a blonde little girl who looked about eight years old… To put it plainly, they were child versions of Shizuka and Nagi.
"Sir Knight, what exactly is going on?"
"You're asking me? I don't know either. I only know that Shizuka cast a spell, and then they turned into this."
Facing Anne's question, Duanmu Huai spread his hands helplessly. He was somewhat familiar with Manaria's magic, but he wasn't very knowledgeable about the magic of this world. He had thought it was more or less the same—but Shizuka had truly surprised him.
There's actually a spell like this?
"It's nothing much, really."
Compared to Nagi, Shizuka herself hadn't changed much. She sat in front of Duanmu Huai and explained calmly.
"I just tried using a splitting spell."
"A splitting spell?"
"That's right. At that time, Nagi's body had already collapsed. Not just because of your attack, but also due to the rejection reaction from forcibly transplanting a monster's body part. The only thing I could do then was to contain Nagi's soul within my body. But I only have one body, and it couldn't house two souls, so I took a gamble and used the splitting spell. It seems… I succeeded."
"There's actually a spell like that?"
Duanmu Huai was stunned.
"Wait, according to what you're saying, once you reach a certain age, couldn't you just absorb Nagi's soul again and split once more, turning back into children? Wouldn't that make you immortal?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Shizuka rolled her eyes at him helplessly.
"Magic involving souls is extremely dangerous. I only dared to try it as a gamble… If I had failed, the consequences would've been unimaginable. Being able to use it once is already a miracle. How could it possibly be used a second time?"
"But Nagi now is completely different from before."
Looking at Nagi, who was jumping around energetically, Duanmu Huai couldn't help sighing. He had only met her twice before, and she had always seemed burdened by deep hatred. Now she was completely like a child.
"Since she's using my body, she doesn't retain her previous memories…"
At this point, Shizuka looked at Nagi with a gentle expression. Seeing her like that, Duanmu Huai reached out and patted her head.
"Well, no matter what, it's a success. Starting over isn't bad. She's let go—so you should too."
"Mm…"
Shizuka nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She widened her eyes and stared at Duanmu Huai.
"Just to be clear, what Nagi said before was complete nonsense. I do not see you as a romantic interest!"
"With the way you look right now, even if you did say that, I couldn't agree."
Duanmu Huai chuckled. Shizuka puffed up angrily, turned around, and ran toward Nagi. Duanmu Huai then turned his head and noticed Olgis sitting beside him, gazing at the two with a contemplative look.
Then she seemed to realize something.
"I understand now."
"You understand? What do you understand?"
"As long as a younger sister loses her unpleasant memories, the sisters can get along harmoniously."
"…I think that only works in this specific case…"
"But I want to try."
With that, Olgis seemed to make up her mind and looked at Duanmu Huai.
"May I speak with Javia?"
"…For safety's sake, can I ask how you plan to 'speak'?"
"Although I cannot use magic, according to Miss Maria, if one applies sufficient physical force to the opponent's brain, it should cause memory loss."
"...…"
Well, since the unlucky one isn't me, let's give it a try.
So Duanmu Huai brought Olgis to a room. Anne and Guleya followed curiously. Duanmu Huai took out a Soul Card. A flash of light appeared, and in the next moment, Javia materialized before them.
"???"
Javia was stunned at being summoned. But when she saw Olgis, her face twisted with madness.
"It's you! I'll kill you!!!"
She lunged at Olgis. But prepared in advance, Olgis merely flicked her right hand lightly. Puppet troops emerged from all directions and pinned Javia to the ground.
Olgis raised her hand. Threads intertwined and formed into a massive wooden club.
"W-What are you planning to do?"
"Don't worry. It will only hurt at first."
Looking at Javia calmly, Olgis raised the club and smashed it down directly onto Javia's head!
Thunk!
Nice sound? Nice head.
The next moment, Javia passed out.
"Hiss—"
Anne and Guleya sucked in cold breaths. Duanmu Huai rolled his eyes. Olgis, however, remained expressionless. After examining the unconscious Javia, she turned to Anne.
"Please wake her up."
"Ah, okay…"
Anne nervously summoned a water sphere and splashed Javia awake.
"Pfft…! Wh-What happened?"
Javia looked around angrily. Olgis stepped forward.
"Do you remember who I am?"
"Of course! Olgis! I won't let you go! I will kill you and become the most perfect doll in your place!"
"...…"
Hearing that answer, Olgis' expression didn't change. She silently raised the club again and brought it down hard onto Javia's head.
Thunk!
Javia fainted again.
"Please, Miss Anne."
"Ah… okay…"
Splash!
"Olgis! Don't think I'll let you off! I'll—"
Thunk!!
"Olgis! I'll kill you!!!"
Thunk!!!
"Olgis, you—!!"
Thunk!!!!
Watching Olgis repeatedly knock Javia unconscious without changing expression, Anne and Guleya turned pale. Even Duanmu Huai was speechless.
"Sir Knight, this is basically torture…"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask…"
"You—what exactly are you trying to do?!"
Finally, when Javia was awakened once more, she snapped and shouted at Olgis.
Olgis thought for a moment.
"I just want… to get along with you amicably? Like real sisters?"
"Why is that a question?! And why are you torturing me for it?!"
"Don't worry, Javia."
Olgis calmly reassured her.
"As long as you lose your memories and forget the past, we can become good sisters. Now…"
She raised the club once more. Javia trembled in fear.
"N-No, don't, don't—ahhhhh!!!"
Thunk!!!
As Olgis brought the club down again, the world—became peaceful.
Watching Olgis, who now resembled a deranged serial killer, Anne and Guleya huddled together trembling in the corner.
"I say, Olgis…"
Duanmu Huai finally couldn't stand it anymore.
"Humans lose memories after head trauma because they use their brains to think… You dolls don't think with your heads, do you…"
After all, doll heads are hollow.
"Is that so?"
Olgis tilted her head thoughtfully, then put away the club.
"What a pity. I thought this would be a good method."
"Don't use this method casually in the future."
Duanmu Huai warned her while storing Javia away again. To be honest, he was starting to pity Javia.
That scene just now really did look like a psychopath torturing a victim…
Now he was just worried Olgis might treat this as common sense and, in the future, see sisters not getting along and immediately go for physical memory erasure with a club…
Even though I appreciate her concern for her sister… for Javia, that concern is probably way too heavy.
Knock knock knock.
Fortunately, just then, someone knocked on the door. Kilty's voice came from outside.
"Lord Inquisitor, Lady Urze requests your presence. She says there is urgent intelligence."
"Oh?"
Thanks to Kilty's message, Duanmu Huai finally left that awkward room. When he arrived at the command center, he found not only Urze but also Krim, Kriorev, and Rolex present. All of them wore grave expressions.
"What happened?"
Duanmu Huai looked at them and asked. Urze stepped forward to explain.
"Lord Inquisitor, we have lost contact with our spies infiltrated in the Royal City."
"They were captured?"
"It seems more complicated than that."
Urze shook her head.
"The last piece of intelligence we received was sent urgently via carrier pigeon…"
As she spoke, she handed Duanmu Huai a slip of paper. He opened it and saw a crooked line of writing.
[The Council has gone mad they are killing people!]
There were bloodstains on the paper. Perhaps it had been too small to write details, or perhaps the situation had been too urgent. The handwriting was so messy that unless the writer hadn't even finished elementary school, they must have been facing a life-or-death crisis and had no time to write more.
"Have you sent people to investigate?"
"Yes, but after entering the Royal City, there was no further response. We're worried something may have happened…"
"This is definitely not good news."
Duanmu Huai set down the slip of paper and tapped the table.
"It seems we need to prepare in advance."
(End of Chapter)