Chapter 59
‘This is a magic doll…?’
I stared at the doll—Rena—so openly it bordered on rude.
Looking closer, her skin did lack any real color, but otherwise she was astonishingly lifelike.
To someone who didn’t know better, she’d simply look like a person with a slightly pale complexion.
More shocking than anything else, though, was her face.
‘It’s modeled after Dante’s dead sister…?’
In that instant, I understood one hundred percent why Lycian had called it bad taste.
Whatever circumstances Dante might have had… no one in their right mind would create a doll in the likeness of a deceased family member.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Muriel. My name is Rena.”
“Ah… uh. N-Nice to meet you.”
Still dazed, I accepted her greeting.
Her pronunciation was flawless. Her voice sounded like that of a living, breathing person.
Clear and refined, yet touched with maturity—an incredibly captivating voice. Pleasant to the ear.
If she had been an actual person, I might have found myself drawn to her easily.
But she was a doll. The knowledge alone stirred a visceral sense of discomfort.
Rena’s calm, even voice continued.
“I am primarily assigned to dungeon exploration. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask at any time.”
“Mm, thank you….”
She tilted her head slightly and smiled.
For a fleeting moment, she felt like a being with a soul.
‘But… that smile, that tone of voice—it’s all learned behavior.’
The thought only made the feeling stranger.
Rena extended her hand for a handshake. I took it and gave it a light shake.
There was no warmth. No human body heat.
As she released my hand and stepped back, Dante spoke.
“You’ve finished your report, so go and rest now, Rena.”
“Yes, Lord Dante. Then I shall take my leave.”
With a polite bow, Rena turned and walked toward the door in the very picture of proper composure.
Click.
Once the door shut behind her, an odd silence settled over the office.
“……”
I felt an obligation to say something—some impression, some comment—but honestly, I had no idea what to say.
As if sensing my hesitation, Dante offered a faint smile and broke the silence.
“Please, have a seat. Would you like some coffee?”
“Ah… I’d appreciate that.”
I did want the coffee, at least, so I obediently sat down.
Soon, Dante returned with fragrant cups. Lycian and I sat side by side, sipping quietly.
‘I came to tell him today’s schedule, but…’
Over the rim of my cup, I stole a glance at Dante.
Maybe it was because I was still shaken from meeting Rena.
Questions about magic dolls kept surfacing, one after another.
‘…If I’m curious, I’ll just have to ask!’
Making up my mind, I set down my cup and spoke.
“Um, Lord Dante….”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Are magic dolls usually… made to look like people?”
A faint smile tugged at Dante’s lips.
He took a sip of his coffee before answering in a gentle tone.
“That depends on their intended purpose. Some are made to resemble animals.”
“I’ve heard that in the Grastea Empire, magic dolls are sometimes used in place of servants.”
“That’s correct. In those cases, they’re made in human form. Of course, magic dolls aren’t widely distributed. The maintenance costs are considerable, and they’re not easy to create.”
“Maintenance costs… does that involve magic stones?”
“Indeed. Strictly speaking, a magic doll is a type of magic tool. An extremely intricate one.”
“How many magic stones does a magic doll require?”
“Hmm. To operate for roughly ninety-eight hours, it takes about one hundred ninety-six high-grade magic stones.”
“O-One hundred ninety-six…?!”
I gaped in shock.
Magic stones mined from deep within mines or dungeon depths were expensive resources.
Low-grade magic stones, used to power a lamp for about six hours, were obtainable by ordinary people—though even those weren’t cheap.
‘High-grade stones cost about six times that… and top-grade jumps to ten times.’
I muttered in pure admiration.
“Lord Dante… you’re far wealthier than I imagined….”
Instead of answering, Dante merely shrugged.
Then he cast a sideways glance at Lycian, as if he had something to say.
But it was Lycian who spoke first.
“There are plenty of magic dolls designed to walk on two legs and use both hands freely. But cases where they’re made to look completely human are rare.”
Though he spoke casually, almost to himself, there was nothing friendly in his tone.
The look he fixed on Dante was much the same.
After several seconds of silence, Lycian tossed out bluntly,
“You’re haunted.”
“……”
Dante stared back at him—cold, unflinching.
The air turned dangerous. I was the only one caught in the middle, fidgeting in my seat.
What if they actually start throwing punches—?!
Just as I opened my mouth to change the subject—
“Um—”
Tap, tap!
Something rapped against the glass.
All three of us turned our heads at nearly the same time.
A crow was pecking furiously at the balcony door.
Tap tap!
Tap-tap-tap!
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
As if demanding to know what was taking so long.
I blinked rapidly, staring at the mysterious bird in disbelief.
‘What is that crow…?’
At that moment, Dante let out a quiet sigh.
He dragged a hand down his face as if smoothing away his emotions, then rose and walked to the balcony.
The glass door slid open.
With a flutter of wings, the crow flew inside.
And then—
It spoke.
“Master! Urgent news! Very urgent news!”
That’s right.
It spoke.
The crow spoke.
‘How is a crow talking…?!’
As I stared, wide-eyed in horror, Dante shot me a brief sideways glance and—
“Cough!”
Suddenly started sneezing.
“Cough, cough!!”
And quite violently at that.
The crow, which had been about to fly to his side, instead landed on the floor and shuffled back, unsure what to do.
“Master, need allergy medicine!”
“Cough, y-yes… It’s worse than usual today….”
Staggering slightly, Dante made his way to the desk and pulled open a drawer.
Presumably for medicine.
Watching the scene unfold, a condition surfaced in my mind.
‘A bird allergy…?’
A little later.
After taking the allergy medicine, Dante’s condition stabilized considerably.
Though he still sniffled, pressing a handkerchief to his nose.
“Forgive the late introduction. This is Nigel, the crow I raise.”
At Dante’s gesture, the crow perched beside him spread one black wing in greeting.
“Nice to meet you! Name’s Nigel! As you can see, I’m a crow—but I talk! Amazing, right?”
My jaw fell open in silent shock.
‘He’s not just mimicking human speech—he’s processing thoughts and responding…!!’
Is that really a crow?
Suspicion bubbling up, I glanced at the bird and asked Dante,
“Lord Dante, is this crow… is Nigel also a magic doll?”
With his nose still plugged, Dante answered in a somewhat nasal voice.
“Nigel is not a magic doll. He’s just a crow.”
“Just a crow…?”
“Yes. Not a monster, either. Without a doubt, an ordinary crow.”
“But he talks?!”
“Parrots talk too, don’t they?”
“Parrots imitate human speech! Th-This one! He sounds like he actually has human intelligence!”
At that moment, Nigel cut in, laughing just like a person.
“Hahaha! I’m amazing! Super smart, right? Dante says I’m a once-in-a-millennium genius crow!”
By this point, my mouth refused to close.
Blinking blankly, I asked,
“You’re really not a monster…?”
“No!!”
The crow squawked indignantly and huffed.
Only his body was a crow. In every other way, he was practically human.
Feeling as though I’d offended him, I fumbled out an apology.
“Sorry… I was just so surprised. You said your name was Nigel, right? I’m Muriel.”
“I know!”
“As an apology, here—have this cookie.”
When I slid the plate toward him, Nigel bounced excitedly on the sofa.
“Really? I can eat all of it?”
“Yeah, all of it.”
“Muriel nice!”
He hopped onto the table and began devouring the cookie at lightning speed.
Crunch crunch!
Watching him, Dante let out a heavy sigh.
“Nigel, not too much.”
I cut in.
“Why? It’s not even that much.”
“That’s not all fluff.”
“…?”
I looked at Nigel more closely.
His round body wrapped in thick, abundant feathers…
‘…It’s not fluff?’
And then—
The image of those chubby K-pigeons that wander through city buildings overlapped perfectly with Nigel.
The kind that don’t even bother flying anymore, just waddling around all round and plump!
Enlightenment struck. I slapped my knee.
‘He’s not fluffy… he’s fat!’