Chapter 173: Kazami Yuuka:???
Haruto and Kaguya stood frozen on the spot, their minds momentarily blank. It wasn't until the pale pink little meatball hopped a bit closer and chirped again in its childish voice that the words finally registered.
"Old hag, old hag~ I'm hungry, I'm hungry..."
Ah. This time, there was no mistaking it. The creature was indeed saying 'old hag'. It was definitely 'old hag'.
A spark of immense interest lit up in both their eyes. One had to understand, creatures like this possessed very little intelligence, identifying things through raw instinct. They would then use cute, endearing voices to trick people into giving them food.
Because of this, every other meatball they had encountered so far had been cloyingly sweet and impeccably behaved, all for the sake of begging for food more efficiently.
In that instant, they finally understood why the other meatballs avoided this one like the plague. It was like a pack of wolves on a hunt; just as the pack lay in wait, stealthily approaching their prey and on the verge of a successful catch, a particularly foolish-looking wolf would suddenly charge forward and let out a deafening howl.
And since it was such an interesting little meatball, Haruto naturally wanted to take it home and raise it. Kaguya, who had just been tagging along, simply took her new Gatling gun and hurried back, her part in this little adventure complete.
Before heading to find Patchouli, however, Haruto didn't forget to find a device that could continuously play sound. He placed it just inside the fence where he was keeping his new pet.
The content being played was a simple, two-word loop: [Old Hag].
The phrase 'old hag' was simply too potent, the damage too severe. Haruto was genuinely afraid a certain someone wouldn't be able to take the joke and would subject the poor creature to a cruel and unusual fate.
After completing his preparations, Haruto finally headed toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
However, about an hour and a half after he left, a figure holding a parasol strolled unhurriedly through the field of flowers. The surrounding Ghost Flowers, upon sensing her approach, retreated in a wave of terror, some even turning their backs and burying their heads in the soil as if to hide.
Just as she neared the house, Kazami Yuuka heard the repeated cries of "Old Hag," and a flicker of confusion surfaced in her crimson eyes.
Her heart filled with doubt, she followed the sound to the left side of the house.
A new wooden fence had been erected there. From a white speaker perched on a post, the cries of "Old Hag" echoed continuously. Facing the speaker was a pale pink... hairless meatball?
Kazami Yuuka's gaze was subtle, her expression unreadable. She truly couldn't comprehend the situation before her.
If it were anyone else who dared to place such a thing in her flower field, her personality dictated that she would have long ago sent them on their way with a complimentary Magic Cannon.
"Sigh..."
In the end, she only let out a helpless sigh. Just as she was about to turn and leave, a childish voice suddenly piped up from behind her.
"Old hag~ Old hag~ Can I have something to eat?"
Kazami Yuuka paused. She turned back, only to see the pink meatball repeat itself, its little body quivering with anticipation.
"Old hag~ Old hag~ Can I have something to eat?"
For a moment, time itself seemed to stand still.
After confirming that the one speaking was, in fact, this strange, hairless creature, Kazami Yuuka's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Does that guy really like raising these strange things so much...?"
A hint of helplessness flashed through her crimson eyes. She had once given Haruto a collection of beautiful, rare flowers in an attempt to correct his aesthetic sense, but unfortunately, she had failed.
Looking at the pink meatball that was waiting to be fed while incessantly calling her "Old Hag," Kazami Yuuka seemed to grasp Haruto's purpose. The willow-leaf brows that had been tightly furrowed suddenly relaxed.
"Not bad."
She spoke softly, then casually tossed over a package of snacks she had brought from the Human Village. Snapping her parasol open, she leisurely departed.
"...So you want a helmet that cannot be removed except by cracking a password, to be worn by that creature called 096?"
After listening to Haruto's description, Patchouli summarized his request from behind her desk.
Haruto nodded. "Can it be done?"
"Of course. It's not difficult." A spark of academic interest flashed in Patchouli's eyes. "But, when the time comes, can I study it for a period?"
This kind of creature, one that operated on a strict, unbreakable set of logical rules, held immense research value. Not to mention, this individual named 096 also possessed an immortal body. This meant there was no need to worry about the research subject dying due to an unforeseen accident during the process.
"It's possible..." Haruto hesitated for a moment. "But 096 is quite dangerous. When you study it, try to put on a few more layers of protection. Be careful."
One shouldn't be fooled by Patchouli's immense magical power. In terms of physical constitution, she was far weaker than even Haruto had been when he first arrived in Gensokyo.
It could be said that Patchouli was the textbook definition of a glass cannon mage; her attack power was astronomical, but her defense was practically at the minimum. A single push could probably knock her over.
Haruto was truly afraid that one wrong move would result in 096 sending Patchouli to see Komachi with a single punch, and he wasn't entirely certain he could bring her back from that.
After thinking it over, while Patchouli was crafting the magical item, Haruto sought out Sakuya Izayoi. He asked her to have Koakuma help keep an eye on things whenever Patchouli was studying 096.
Sakuya Izayoi naturally wouldn't refuse. After agreeing, she also invited Haruto to join them for lunch. Considering that Patchouli's work would take some time, he accepted.
At the long, thick dining table, besides Remilia and Flandre, there was no one else.
Throughout the entire meal, Flandre was practically glued to Haruto's side.
Remilia's face was a mask of thunder. Dark lines seemed to radiate from her as she said nothing, instead chewing her food with a vicious force, as if she were imagining it was a certain someone.
Half an hour later, Remilia set down her utensils. Just as she stood up, she was suddenly seized from behind in a tight hold by Sakuya Izayoi.
"Mistress, please calm down! Haruto-sama definitely has no such intentions; he and the Second Mistress are just having a friendly exchange!"
Haruto was stunned. He looked at Sakuya, who was desperately winking at him, and then at Remilia, who was just as stunned as he was, held fast in Sakuya's arms.
"Haruto-sama," Sakuya said, her voice strained but polite. "Lady Patchouli should have finished the item you required by now."
"...Alright."
Haruto stood up silently and left under Flandre's reluctant gaze. As he reached the door, he cast one final, subtle glance at the still-bewildered Remilia.
When he returned to the great underground library, Patchouli was flipping through a book, a newly crafted helmet sitting on the table beside her.
"This is the helmet that can lock 096?"
Patchouli closed her book. "The requirements weren't difficult to achieve. It makes others unable to see 096's face, while allowing the 096 inside to see outside, achieving one-way visibility. On that basis, I ensured its durability to make certain it cannot be removed by force."
Haruto picked up the helmet but found that he could clearly see his hand reaching inside from the outside.
Patchouli seemed to guess his question and explained, "For the sake of controllability, I set the helmet's one-way visibility to be adjustable. You only need to recite a chant to change it."
As she spoke, she recited a short string of incantations. The helmet, which had been perfectly transparent, instantly turned a solid, opaque black.
"Amazing! As expected of Mukyu!" Haruto gave her a thumbs-up.
Patchouli turned her face away slightly, but the corners of her lips curled up in an almost imperceptible arc. She then added, "Just in case, when the helmet receives damage exceeding a certain threshold, it will instantly turn black inside and out, regardless of its current state. It will then further tighten, locking itself firmly onto 096's head."
...In the Forest of Magic.
Marisa took a deep breath, using the very tip of her magic broom to gently lift a single corner of the tall, pale creature's headgear.
She wasn't taking it off... she was just lifting a tiny corner to take a little peek.
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