The Doll That Eats
The first impression of the man who suddenly barged in was simple: he was tall. Even before my body had changed, I wasn't exactly short, yet he stood a little taller than that. Probably around 190 centimeters. On top of that, whether from regular heavy lifting or not, the chest visible beneath the black shirt clinging to his frame looked incredibly solid. His abs were surely sharply defined too. The long, stretched legs and the veined forearms both carried clear traces of rigorous training. Compared to my original body, which had been slowly developing a paunch from irregular sleep and frequent drinking, his physique was truly worthy of admiration. How much effort had he poured in to build something like that? He didn't appear all that old, either. Mid-to-late thirties, perhaps? With his slightly weathered skin, a bit of whitening cream might even let him pass for mid-twenties.
If I'd encountered him during ordinary work hours, I might have thought, Handsome guy. I'm jealous. I should start exercising too. But—
“What? It’s not a child. It’s not even human.”
The way he stared straight at me through those round glasses, wearing an openly disappointed expression.
“Hey, what kind of thing is that to say to someone you’ve just met?!”
“…Daughter, after all, a child is a beautiful thing that can only exist when it possesses both a child’s body and a child’s heart. It is a precious, fleeting moment that appears only once in the flow of life.”
“───.”
Despite the sharp retort from the blonde woman—Nia Serita—who had followed him into the room, the fact that he declared all this so boldly already marked him as hopeless. His speech and behavior were nothing like what you’d expect from the father of a daughter who looked to be in her early twenties. To speak so openly about gothic lolita aesthetics, and on top of that to call me a doll right to my face. It was unpleasant.
“I’m sorry. For having a father like this… But he’s not really a bad person.”
“…It’s fine. Thank you for coming back.”
Still, I couldn’t voice any complaints. As someone temporarily relying on their hospitality, there was no reason to raise my voice at the homeowner. A proper adult shouldn’t lose their temper so easily. I simply shook my head at Nia, who was apologizing on her father’s behalf. Though our acquaintance had been brief, she was the most normal person I had met since falling into this strange world. Even including the way she defended her bizarre father, she was impossibly kind. That was why I had wanted to see her again. Even while being treated like a toy by the woman named Meida Ren, I had kept hoping Nia would return soon. Some kind of imprinting effect seemed to be at work, but it didn’t matter. Simply having someone whose voice alone could put me at ease standing before me was more reassuring than I could have imagined. At the very least, she wouldn’t suddenly strip my clothes off and douse me with scalding water. Yes. That was it.
With those thoughts in mind, I shakily rose from my seat. Strength had not yet returned to my body, so the motion required squeezing out every last ounce of energy—even the power to lift my eyelids. Meida Ren, who had been stroking my hair until then, let out a regretful sound, but I ignored it. I could feel everyone’s gazes converging on me. Especially irritating was the tall, bespectacled man’s strange “Oho” of admiration. Nevertheless, I did not stop moving. Step by step, I walked over to stand beside Nia, who looked ready to grab the man by the collar, then quietly hid my body behind her back.
“──.”
I saw Nia suddenly draw in a sharp breath. Perhaps I was being too forward with someone I barely knew. Sorry. I’ll hide here for a moment. If I had to describe it, this was pure survival instinct. Though I had only observed briefly, I had already grasped the power dynamics of this household. Nia was clearly the one in charge. And for the weak to seek shelter behind the strong was nothing to be ashamed of. Therefore I stood tall. With a hand trembling as if from low blood sugar, I reached up and clutched the hem of her clothes. Please don’t leave me alone.
“Just what did you do while I was gone for a minute?”
“Exactly what you asked. I washed her, changed her clothes, combed her hair, and dressed her up a little?”
“Ah, that was what I wanted to— No, that’s not the problem! She had no strength left in her body at all. You forced it out of her again, didn’t you!”
“Oh my, you caught me.”
“President!”
Nia possessed a voice that sounded pleasant to anyone who heard it. Her high register was also far superior to that of ordinary people. When she shouted at full volume nearby, it could leave the other person’s ears ringing. Having received such a sonic assault at point-blank range, Meida eventually closed one eye and rubbed her hands together in a pleading gesture. Even so, because her eyes and mouth were both smiling, the apology didn’t feel particularly sincere.
“Why on earth would you do that? You could have cleaned the room later. There was no need to use magic on someone who’s already unwell.”
“Oh my, are you worrying about me?”
“How could I not worry? About someone who vomited an entire basin of blood just the other day?”
“…Sorry.”
There was no trace of playfulness on Nia’s beautiful face as she frowned and grumbled. Only then did Meida realize she had gone slightly too far and consciously lowered the corners of her mouth.
“…It was a small experiment. She seemed a little suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
Following Meida’s lowered tone, Nia also softened her voice and glanced toward the door of the room that the entire household had intruded upon earlier. It had originally been her private space, but now it belonged temporarily to the girl named Berry. The girl who had staggered over to Nia moments ago had finally relaxed, leaned against her, and fallen asleep as though she had fainted. She must have been clinging to consciousness by a thread. With most of the mana in her body drained, she had probably been drifting in and out of wakefulness in a state of unease.
While everyone stood there unsure what to do, Nia’s father—who until then had been rambling about lolita aesthetics without reading the room—stepped forward and suggested they lay her down. After that, Nia had driven him into the kitchen with the words, “Ah, men should leave. And while you’re over there, why don’t you prep the chicken and vegetables!” Only a few minutes had passed since she had carried Berry to the bed. After carefully closing the door, she had come out to the living room to speak with Meida.
“The mana circuits inside her body were abnormal.”
“…Abnormal?”
“Yes. I can confidently say it’s a density that absolutely cannot be created with today’s technology. Honestly, even I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“……Pardon?”
As far as Nia knew, the woman before her—the magician named Meida Ren—almost never used the word “absolute.” She was an eccentric among eccentrics who habitually declared that nothing in the world was absolute, while possessing evenly distributed knowledge from every school of thought. Most scholars clung to their own stubborn principles, yet even among high-ranking mages she showed little of that tendency. She was flexible, adaptable, and went with the flow. That was probably why she had survived this long while still practicing magic. In any case, such a person had just used the word “absolute.” She only did so when she possessed absolute certainty that no one could refute.
“That child came from outside.”
“She did say that herself, but I assumed she was speaking indirectly about belonging to an expedition team…”
“No. Our technology isn’t advanced enough for that. Most of the autonomous dolls used by expedition teams are just refurbished units from the war. They can’t compare to that mass-produced model. There are a few exceptions, but even they remain within the bounds of common sense.”
Meida paused briefly and took a short breath.
“That child’s body contains mana circuits that condense highly advanced technology. I can’t even accurately estimate her maximum capacity.”
“…Is it dangerous?”
“If she accumulated mana to her limit and then went into overload, the entire village might be blown away?”
“……So that’s why you extracted her mana?”
“That’s part of it, but there was another reason.”
“Huh?”
“I just thought she’d be incredibly cute if I made her weak.”
“───.”
Bingo. Meida Ren raised her fingers in a playful V sign. Seeing her stick her tongue out like a little girl, Nia realized it. This person was still hopeless. She really was the same eccentric magician she had always known. After sounding serious for a moment, she had once again revealed herself to be someone who faithfully followed her own desires. At the same time, Nia Serita could not acknowledge that she had inwardly agreed with the explanation.
No. I mustn’t become a pervert too. That child is relying on me…
Honestly, the moment Berry had staggered over as soon as she saw her face and leaned against her as though seeking an embrace, Nia had experienced the strange sensation of blood rushing to her cheeks. If she hadn’t exercised mind control and restrained herself midway, she might have suffered a nosebleed. It had been that dangerous a moment.
“…Still. Is that child truly not a doll?”
The question from Meida Ren came suddenly. Unlike before, her voice and expression lacked conviction. I was curious about that too. She herself said she wasn’t. Nia chimed in and offered her own thoughts. The girl named Berry’s appearance felt very similar to the special-type autonomous dolls she had occasionally seen. A beautiful face. Extremely charming, yet somehow carrying an artificial quality that lingered. It was difficult to put into words. Above all, even when simply standing still, the aura radiating from her body was not something a human girl of the same age could produce.
“Aura? Hmm, it’s similar, but that’s probably due to the unique mana wavelength dolls possess.”
“Mana wavelength?”
When Nia looked at her with eyes that said I don’t really understand that, Meida nodded in understanding. It had already been more than three hundred years since orthodox magic had fallen into decline. Most related education had vanished. Moreover, thanks to her useless father, Nia could rarely even approach the subject of magic, so such a reaction was only natural. Setting aside the bitter taste in her mouth, Meida continued.
“Although it has degenerated due to contamination, we humans were originally all born with the aptitude to handle mana. It is an innate quality.”
“Ah, I think I’ve heard that before. Something about there being so many things to fight?”
“Correct. In the past there were many different races that looked similar. Therefore, anyone born on this planet instinctively feels it when they see a doll—that the being before their eyes is something different from themselves.”
“Then Berry really is a doll after all?”
“Nia, have you ever seen a doll that denies being a doll?”
“……No.”
The eleventh district was a backward neighborhood with few opportunities to even see dolls. The industrial zones—8, 9, and 10. The upper-class residential zone—7. And the areas containing other key facilities. The autonomous dolls were primarily used by expedition teams responsible for securing lima crystals. The technology to create new ones had disappeared over time, and even the inherited maintenance techniques barely kept the practice alive. Still, the dolls Nia occasionally encountered on the streets or in shops had always displayed behavior that fully acknowledged they were dolls. They received commands and carried them out faithfully. They did not move without orders, but the instant they received one they moved faster than anyone. They were extremely efficient, rational, and useful. One could confidently say there were few tools with such value. Therefore, there were no dolls that denied being dolls. A tool’s purpose and worth were decided by the person who wielded it. Even if someone used scissors like a knife, in the end scissors remained scissors. They could never become a blade on their own.
Then what about Berry? When she thought about it, the girl had insisted from the very beginning that she was not a doll. If those words had been sincere—
“Huh.”
Suddenly, while thinking that far, Nia recalled a problem she had overlooked—or rather, had accepted so naturally that she had simply passed over it. Knowing that, why had she thought she wanted to serve Berry dinner?
“Now that I think about it, President. Something just occurred to me.”
“Yes?”
“…Do dolls drink water?”
“What are you suddenly—?”
“───.”
Meida tilted her head at Nia’s sudden glance toward the closed bedroom door. Soon she realized something, and her expression turned intrigued as she spoke again.
“──She drank water? Then… does that child eat food as well?”
“Uh… I’m not sure…?”
In that instant, while answering absentmindedly, Nia realized something. In the not-too-distant future, a certain girl was going to be tormented by the eccentric magician before her for all sorts of trivial reasons.