Araya Souren was dead.
Although he had already realized something when he heard Touko say that last year there wasn't a car accident, but a murder, Naoki was still unconsciously shocked after hearing the actual fact.
"Dead... really?"
"Hmm. Although he was a great doll maker like me, and also a powerful barrier expert, but I've confirmed it many times, he's really dead."
Araya Souren, like Aozaki Touko, could achieve a certain level of immortality through puppet techniques, but unlike Touko's reincarnation after death, Araya's method was to transplant his spinal cord into a new body.
And last year, during his autopsy, Touko was certain that the one who died was indeed him.
After lowering his head and being silent for a while, Naoki let out a small sigh, "Sorry, Master, for making you mention a deceased friend."
"It's alright, my relationship with him wasn't that good either." Touko said with a smile. "Compared to that, you said you asked this to confirm some things, has it been confirmed?"
"More or less, there are still some doubts, but I'll investigate them myself later."
"That's good then."
Throwing the bento box into the trash can, Touko stood up, "Alright, lunch is over, questions have also been asked, work... Let me think, it seems I have one unfinished order, I'll work on it now, and you can deliver it to him later."
"Deliver it where?"
"Let me check the name list..."
Rummaging through the pile of folders and items on the desk, and finding the name list book, Touko immediately opened the last page, "Ah, here it is."
"This is my last remaining order, because the size isn't large, and there were no special requests, so I kept putting it off—it has to be delivered by tomorrow at the latest? Good thing I remembered, this is bad, if I'm not on time my reputation could... wait, this could also be an opportunity."
Sighing and tapping her head, Touko walked towards the door, "Come with me, kid. I'll show you doll making directly."
"Eh? Is it okay? I don't even know the basic theory yet?"
"It's fine, this is just a very simple doll, I'll explain while making it, rather than listening to me explain the theory, watching me make it directly will definitely be faster—little sister can come too."
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The place where Touko made dolls was another empty room on the fourth floor, roughly three times the size of a regular room.
The room didn't have many light sources, appearing very dim. The only light was a few small pendant lights hanging right in the center of the room, and underneath them was a large table that was somewhat excessive in size.
The basic construction was just that. The rest of the place was filled with many chairs or all sorts of piled-up items, looking like they had been forcibly moved to the surroundings. And on top of the piles of chairs and items—this should have been a display—were all sorts of dolls.
"These dolls, are these the ones from the previous doll exhibition?" Naoki asked, looking at a somewhat familiar doll.
"That's right. Why, do you want to buy one?"
"I don't have money."
The overly honest answer made Touko chuckle, "Hehe, even if you wanted to buy one, I wouldn't sell them. Although I said that to you before, [Are there any dolls that catch your eye?], but actually I had no intention of selling these things at all."
"Eh? None of them are for sale?" Gray was a little surprised, "Then why did Miss Touko hold a doll exhibition?"
"To attract customers." Touko said with a smile. "I don't sell finished products, after all, they're all made based on my own tastes and requests, they definitely won't satisfy customers. So I exhibit dolls just to attract customers, and promote myself."
"[I have the technique to make dolls this beautiful, so if you have a doll you want, you can order it from me]—that's the meaning I want to convey. After that, I just need to receive the advance payment and make the doll."
The principle was almost the same as selling action figures.
Approaching the worktable, taking off her glasses, and looking at the doll-making request, Touko asked, "By the way, kid, do you know the raw materials for making dolls?"
"If I'm not mistaken, in the Middle Ages it was metal. It's just that it would make them excessively heavy, so nowadays various industrially processed materials that have been magically treated, silicone or something like that, are used."
"That's right. But actually, there's also a somewhat cheating way."
While saying this, Touko took out a box from under the table. Naoki approached and looked at it, "Eh? Balls of yarn?"
"Surprised?"
"Yeah... dolls made this way, their strength won't be too low?"
"Hmm, this can be said to be a doll with the lowest strength, but the doll to be made this time doesn't really need too much strength, so this material is suitable. I'll handle the lacking parts with Magecraft—watch carefully."
While speaking, Touko had already unwound the balls of yarn and spread them on the table, then took out a bottle of liquid from underneath.
"The basic material for Magecraft processing is mercury, because it's very compatible with mana. Besides doll making, it's also useful in many experiments. In addition, sulfur and salt are also important, the three holy elements of alchemy, also important points in puppet Magecraft."
"Okay."
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In the next three hours, Touko was completely immersed in doll making. Every step she took, she explained in detail to Naoki the function of that step in doll making and the opportunity for its use.
And every time Touko said something, Naoki, who was holding a notebook beside him, would write down all the important points she said. Although due to time constraints he couldn't tidy them up immediately, but this was only the first day, so there was nothing to tidy up yet.
It had to be admitted, Naoki felt he had never been this serious even when looking for game walkthroughs before.
The person who ordered the doll was a company president. Because his wife had just passed away, and he missed his late wife very much, he hoped Touko would make a doll that looked exactly like his wife, to alleviate his longing.
From the perspective of puppet Magecraft, this was just making a model, at most just slightly adjusting the external shape. Even if making it from scratch, it only took a few hours.
"Okay! Done!"
After completing the final step of coloring, Touko slightly wiped her sweat, "Hah~ not bad, it should be perfect according to the request."
"Master, actually I think it's not necessary to make all those parts?"
"This is also for the sake of that president, what if he really treats this completely lifelike doll as his wife and takes it to bed?"
Wasn't that the same as making an onahole?
Patting Naoki's sighing shoulder, Touko smiled, "Then I'll trouble you to deliver it. Do you want to borrow my car?"
"No need, I don't have a driver's license. I'll just take it."