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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Sage, the Doll of the Apocalypse
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Sage knew it all too well.
Her body had belonged to someone her mother cherished,
Her name had belonged to someone her mother loved,
And her soul had been forged through forbidden magic.
She even knew that she was not human, but a magical doll.
Caroline had never told Sage these facts. Why? Because Caroline had truly raised Sage as her daughter, not as a magical doll.
But Sage, born as a magical doll, had been aware of these facts from the moment she began to exist.
In a way, this was only natural.
No matter how much Caroline had dabbled in forbidden arts,
No matter how magnificent a magical doll she had created,
A magical doll was, by its very nature, such a being.
One whose body might crumble,
Whose soul might be torn to shreds,
But who must always obey and carry out any command for their master.
A being that lived solely for its owner, its master.
Sage's master was Caroline.
She had wanted Sage to become her daughter, and Sage, the magical doll, had lived that way for her master.
She asked questions like a young child who didn't know.
She threw tantrums and acted cute, just like a child her age.
She held her hand whenever she could, and breathed in her embrace.
And she lived, as her master wished, believing herself to be Caroline's daughter, Sage. No, she *had* lived.
"Mom."
Sage murmured, gazing at a worn photograph in a small frame.
"Mom, why did you give me that command at the end?"
In the photo, her master, Caroline, who had wished to be called "Mom," was smiling happily, embracing Sage.
—Meow.
—Woof woof.
Familiar sounds reached Sage's ears as she looked at the photo.
"I'm curious, but it's okay. After all, I'm just that kind of being."
—Meow.
—Woof woof.
Perhaps it was mealtime. Or perhaps they were worried about their owner, who had been standing for a long time.
A large dog and two plump cats approached Sage, then began to rub their cheeks against her fair thighs.
Though their bodies had grown quite large,
Sage looked at the animals, who were behaving no differently than when Caroline was alive, and recalled a command her mother had once given her.
—"Ta-da! Your mom brought you some younger siblings. Sage, how did I say we should treat family?"
—"That's right, you have to take care of them and protect them. Sage, you'll do that, won't you?"
She also recalled the last command her mother had given her, just before her last breath.
—"Don't... feel... emotions..."
Her voice had faded,
Her eyes filled with tears for some reason,
Her body trembled, and her chest swelled with emotion.
Sage hadn't fully heard her master's final command.
Among them, there was only one command Sage remembered and was carrying out:
Don't feel emotions.
****
Whether in the world before I possessed this body, or in the one I inhabit now, one immutable truth remains constant.
And that is: lectures given by boring professors are, indeed, boring. The common subject, 'History of Arcadia,' my first class at Aden Academy, was no exception.
"The continent of Arcadia has, since ancient times..."
Looking ahead, I saw a stout middle-aged man with a large head and horn-rimmed glasses.
His name was Choi Big Star, I think.
That professor was ceaselessly casting a sleep spell on the freshmen, rattling off the history of the Arcadian continent.
"Slurp."
Looking beside me, Rose, one of the victims of the sleep spell, wiped away a trail of drool and shook her head.
She looked cute. But I didn't understand it.
No matter how boring the class was,
Should a freshman, who should be full of enthusiasm, be dozing off like that?
It's fine if I just go through the motions since I already know this material, but Rose doesn't.
Honestly, this is a problem. Such a lack of motivation. This won't do. I'll have to nag her a bit after class.
"Camel!"
"...Cough."
"Class is over. Get up. How can a freshman fall asleep like that already?"
Ah, so I was the one affected by the sleep spell.
I was feeling annoyed as I came to my senses, when Rose poked my arm with her finger.
"Look at them. They're at it again."
Following Rose's gaze, I saw the same scene as yesterday.
Sage leaving the classroom with an expressionless face.
The boisterous group chattering, surrounding Sage.
And even Fran, her eyes blazing, approaching Sage.
"You go on ahead, Rose."
"Huh?"
"I told you earlier, right? That I was joining the disciplinary committee."
"I told you not to do that..."
Leaving Rose's fading voice behind, I immediately headed towards Sage.
"You guys..."
"What?"
"Why?"
"Got a problem?"
Was I a little late? Fran had already reached Sage and was talking to the group.
And the conversation I overheard from where I hadn't yet reached was a sight to behold.
"Aren't you ashamed? A whole group of you ganging up on one person..."
"Bullying? We were just having a conversation."
"How is this not bullying—"
"How are we bullying her? Did we hit her? Did we throw anything? We're just talking next to her. She's not even doing anything."
"..."
The most striking thing was the brazen eloquence of the green-haired guy arguing with Fran.
"Words won't be enough, then."
Even more ridiculous was Fran's attitude, ready to resort to fisticuffs, unable to counter that brazen talk.
"What are you going to do if words aren't enough?"
I arrived a moment later and said this, standing in front of the group.
No matter what, I was in a position where I had to prevent any connection from forming between Sage and Fran.
"You..."
Perhaps she didn't like my presence.
Fran bit her lip and began to glare at me as if she wanted to kill me.
I didn't care. To defuse the situation, I called out to one of the group members behind me.
"Hey. What was your name again?"
"Me?"
"Not you, the green-haired one over there."
"It's Green."
Well, at least his name is fitting.
"You heard a rough explanation from your seniors, right?"
"Uh..."
"I'll handle her myself, so just leave it for today and go."
"Alright. Let's go, Sage."
Didn't he take my words seriously?
Green grinned scornfully and tried to move closer to Sage again. Seeing this, I furrowed my brow sharply and called out to Green again.
"Hey. Green."
"…?"
"I said, that's enough for today."
"...Oh."
Annoying, making me repeat myself.
When I glared at them, the group finally started to disperse, and Sage, who had been standing there expressionless for a moment, also began to head where she was going.
"Camel."
Fran, who had been staring blankly at the scene, completely changed her expression and called out to me.
"Are you going to keep blocking me?"
"Yes."
Of course. This is for both our sakes, you know.
"Aren't you ashamed?"
"Of what?"
"Your actions, clinging to a Duke's child and participating in the bullying of others."
Fran, looking down at me with an expression of contempt.
Watching her, I felt a surge of emotion. Does she think I *want* to be doing this?
"No. I'm not ashamed."
So I answered her immediately. Since I was already in her bad graces, I might as well solidify it. And.
"Because for me, this is the best option."
Because I wanted to make excuses to myself.
Then Fran looked down at me with endlessly cold eyes and said,
"...Right. So you're really just that kind of person, then."
"..."
Was it because I was offended by her harsh words, or was it because I myself had doubts?
For a moment, my words caught in my throat.
"Next time, I won't hold back either. Be aware of that."
Fran said that, then left.
Standing there and watching her walk away, many thoughts began to surface.
Am I really doing the right thing?
Even if I know the 'best' method,
Even if Sage currently feels no emotions,
Is it really okay to just leave her like that?
I have the justification of preventing Fran's harem, but even so, do I really have the right to do this?
After all, this world is the reality I live in, and the people I face exist undeniably before my eyes.
Is it really okay for me to act as if I'm just playing a game?
"..."
I pondered for a long time right where I stood, but it didn't take long for me to come to a conclusion.
****
"Aaaargh! You sons of bitches!"
Green was punching the wall, screaming in rage.
"Green, are you—"
"Leave him be. You know no one can stop Green when he's angry. Don't get too close and let the sparks fly onto you for nothing."
Ketil stopped Linda, who was trying to approach Green, and sighed deeply.
"Me, how dare they—"
Green found it hard to contain his fury, thinking that everyone, one after another, was disregarding him.
After all, back home, no one dared to disregard Green, who had grown up in the mercenary guild.
But those guys just now? They were different. They completely ignored him.
That guy, the next hero candidate, approached him, looking at him like an insect, and that Camel guy just treated him like an underling, completely ignoring him.
Even that Camel guy was a commoner, just like him.
Green felt that fact was unfair.
He was doing all the dirty work just to impress a Duke's child.
But that Camel guy?
Despite being the same age and of the same social standing, that guy had earned recognition from Phaze.
And not only did he act like his superior, but he also completely ignored him.
From Green's perspective, needing to impress Phaze, it was beyond troublesome – it was maddening.
No matter how he thought about it, that guy Camel wasn't going to paint him and his friends in a good light.
He had to show something, anything, to escape this cursed situation.
It was amidst this anxiety that a brilliant idea struck him.
"Why don't I just show them?"
A method Phaze would surely love,
A sight that Camel guy would never be able to show Phaze.
"Ketil."
"Hmm?"
"Where did that girl, Sage, live again?"
"She lives in the mansion near the main gate. I heard she lives alone, maybe because of her family situation. But why?"
Ketil asked with a very worried expression, and Green, whose eyes had glazed over, smiled chillingly as he replied.
"To break her."