So This Is What a Doll Feels Like
"Super Strong Sword is so cool...!"
"Don't swing it around by accident until we get back. We have no idea what might happen."
"I'll remember that! Thank you so much, Mister, and Julia too!!!"
"Yeah..."
Charlotte let out a gleeful giggle and dashed ahead, clutching the scabbard tightly to her chest. Julia, on the other hand, wore a thoroughly displeased expression. She was currently slung over Aslan's back, unable to move a muscle.
"This is so annoying. Having to be carried by you like this..."
"We don't have much choice. Silvia's arms are full, and Charlotte's hugging that massive greatsword. If you hate it that much, I'll put you down. Think you can walk on your own?"
"N-no, this is fine. ...yo."
Julia clamped her mouth shut, pride thoroughly wounded. The textbooks never mentioned that mana exhaustion would hurt this badly. She'd assumed it would just leave her a little tired and weak. Instead, the moment she tried to move her muscles, excruciating pain shot through her body, leaving her unable to so much as twitch a finger.
Why do I keep having to rely on this man?
It was absurd. She'd always managed just fine on her own. She'd always been the one others relied on, not the other way around. So why did situations keep arising where she had no choice but to depend on him?
It was infuriating. Having to go to him just to fall asleep was infuriating. Unconsciously seeking him out whenever she felt scared was infuriating. Being unable to resist even while being carried like this was infuriating. But most of all, what infuriated her was herself—for finding this broad back strangely comfortable.
"Stop squirming. You're in a state of mana exhaustion. Moving around will only make it worse."
"How would you know that? You can't even use mana."
"..."
"Ah! I-I wasn't trying to be sarcastic! I was just... genuinely curious. ...yo."
Julia flustered at her own unintentionally sharp tone. Aslan secretly gritted his teeth to swallow his laughter.
"No, it's just really strange... Honestly, I used to look down on you a little. I thought you couldn't handle mana and didn't know anything. But you actually know quite a lot. ...yo."
"Someone has to know these things. If all of you are complete beginners and there's no adult around to teach you, you'll just flail around and make mistakes. That's the only reason. Don't overthink it and focus on growing quickly so you can earn your keep."
"..."
Did this man truly only want them to grow? With no other ulterior motives whatsoever? Julia felt a little foolish for how she'd behaved until now.
Ah. The doll shop. They're closing...
As Aslan and his group passed through the streets, Julia's gaze fixed on the doll shop. The lights flickered off one by one as the shop prepared to close for the day. When her eyes met those of the dolls sleeping in the display case, memories from the past replayed in her mind.
A clear spring day. Following the director's instructions, she'd been sewing eyes onto dolls, resenting the beautiful weather for no reason. That day, one child had been called out. Outside the window, a man and woman had been waiting with a large teddy bear in their arms. They'd come to retrieve a child they'd lost in an accident long ago. It was the first time Julia had ever seen it—parents coming to claim their child, not an adoption. She still vividly remembered the child's face, sobbing as they were embraced by their parents on both sides. And that happy expression as they left the orphanage clutching the teddy bear.
It was the happiest face Julia had ever seen in her life, and it had remained etched in her mind, refusing to fade.
"I was wondering why you looked so sulky. Now I understand. Speak up. Use your words."
"What do you mean. ...yo."
"You accomplished something, so you wanted praise, didn't you? Talk to me. If you keep bottling everything up like that, no one will ever like you no matter where you go."
"Huh? Haaah!? T-that's not true! What kind of ridiculous assumption is that...! You're annoying too! Put me down! Put me down! Put me down right now! Aaaargh!"
"See? You're throwing a fit and now it hurts again. Stay still. If you're that desperate for praise, I'll reward you. How about a doll from that shop over there?"
"...Do you think I'm a child?"
"Your reaction says otherwise."
"..."
What? How does he know? This is annoying. So irritating. Julia's lips jutted out in a pout.
"Shopkeeper."
"We're closed for the— Ah, Lord Aslan!?"
"Delay closing for a bit. This won't take long."
"Of course, sir. Please take your time looking around."
"Pick one. Which one do you like?"
"...The teddy bear."
Julia muttered in a voice barely above a whisper. She didn't like any of this, but if she had to choose, she had to choose. She liked teddy bears. A proper teddy bear, not one missing its eyes...
"Oh dear. I'm afraid we've sold out of all our teddy bears."
"Not a single one left? How is that possible?"
"W-well, they're an extremely popular item..."
A chilling aura began to emanate from Aslan, and the shopkeeper froze in place.
"Shouldn't you keep at least one teddy bear in stock for emergencies like this?"
"W-what kind of emergency are we talking about here?"
"The emergency where the young master must reward his slave with a teddy bear. You should have anticipated this."
"Pardon...?"
"Tsk. When's the next shipment arriving?"
"At the earliest, next month..."
"Then I'll pick something else. How about that shark doll over there?"
"...I wanted the teddy bear."
"Can't be helped. Take it properly. I'll drop it if you don't."
"..."
Squeeze. Julia tucked the large shark doll between herself and Aslan's back, then hugged it tightly. It was a blue shark with a somewhat dopey expression. She didn't like it. The shape and color were completely different from a teddy bear.
"A doll!? Can I get one too?"
"What did you do to deserve one? That sword you're holding was obtained thanks to Julia in the first place. Accumulate achievements like she did, and I'll reward you as well. The Belmont household operates on a strict merit-based system."
"So if I accomplish something, you'll buy me a doll! That's what you mean, right!"
Charlotte's eyes sparkled as she dashed over to Silvia, begging her to teach her "the most awesome sword techniques ever!" Meanwhile, Julia quietly closed her eyes.
Fluffy, fluffy. So this is what hugging a doll feels like. She hadn't been able to do it at the orphanage for fear of getting scolded. With her eyes closed, she thought a teddy bear might feel something like this.
"I'll buy you a teddy bear when the next shipment arrives."
"...It's fine. This is enough. Now that the annoying voices are gone, I can just hug this instead of you when I sleep."
Looking at it again, the shark doll seemed rather cute after all.
***
What a mess this has become...
A necromancer who could see ghosts. And now a Dark Knight who wielded a magic sword. How had things ended up like this? Just thinking about it made his temples throb.
This makes me look like some kind of Demon King.
It was strange. He'd clearly brought the hero's companions. But when he unpacked them, out came these dark, villainous-looking figures who seemed like Demon King executives. Though, were they truly that dark? Not exactly. One was a necromancer afraid of ghosts, and the other was...
"Hyah! Hyah! Strong downward slash! Kwaang! Kwaaang!"
"...She's going to keep this up all night."
Despite giving her magic sword—rather, holy sword—an absurd name, she was training with more dedication than anyone. No matter how he looked at it, her nature wasn't villainous. It just felt like her talents had been optimized for villainy. And of course, the one responsible for that change was none other than himself, Aslan Belmont.
What would Yuri say if she saw them?
A sudden chill ran down his spine, and his entire body broke out in goosebumps. He'd planned to raise and teach these two properly before returning them to Yuri someday. But in their current state, that was impossible. Anyone would think they'd been remodeled by the Belmonts and turned into villains. Of course, they were good-natured at heart. But this world was full of trash who judged solely by appearances. If left alone, they'd become terrifying necromancers and Dark Knights serving the wicked Belmont family.
I need to change our image.
The answer was an image overhaul. If the Belmont family's image was the problem, then changing that was the solution. While he'd already implemented many changes in the territory—ending tyrannical rule, drastically cutting taxes—this wasn't enough. Ruining a reputation took an instant, but restoring one required hundreds of times the effort. Transforming the Belmont family's public image would be an arduous and difficult path.
The most immediate approach was...
"Silvia."
"..."
"I know you're in the shadows over there. I think I can see you now. Come out before I seal you away."
"Did you call for me, Young Master? At this late hour, no less. I was just about to retire for the night."
"Go to the document archive right now and gather every document related to the imperial family— no, every document that contains the words 'imperial family.' Bring them to me."
"..."
Growing closer to the imperial family. In this empire where absolute imperial authority reigned supreme, there was no better path to success. Of course, the Belmonts had effectively been at odds with the imperial family until now. But today's enemy could become tomorrow's ally. One never knew how things would turn out. Only by earning the Emperor's favor could the Belmont territory truly prosper.
"I have a great deal of work to do."
"I know."
"I have quite a lot of work."
"I said I know."
"And yet you're giving me another task...?"
"You claim to be busy, yet you spend all your time hiding in other people's shadows. I assumed you weren't busy at all. Fine. If you're truly busy, I'll cancel this assignment. However, if you're caught resting even for a moment from now on, your pay will be docked immediately—"
"I'll begin at once."
Good. That was the right response. He couldn't understand why a slacker who lounged around all day would complain about being busy. He was the one working even while they slept.
After adding, "Pick up Charlotte on your way and put her to bed," he sent Silvia off.
"Ugh. I should rest my eyes for a bit."
He didn't sleep, but keeping his eyes open for too long made them dry and painful. Just as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, the door creaked open cautiously.
"What is it?"
"Lend me your hand. ...yo."
"...?"
It was Julia, tightly hugging the shark doll to her chest. Why again? Hadn't the voices that kept her awake after awakening as a necromancer all disappeared? Well, more accurately, she'd gained the ability to control them unconsciously.
"Didn't you say the voices were gone? Is there some other problem?"
"It's not that, I just can't sleep... It seems I can't fall asleep without your hand anymore. ...yo."
This was driving him insane.