Chapter 22

Previous Summary:

Teacher Traumatized by Overworking!

4 ～Rose's Perspective～

For me, creation is almost equivalent to the meaning of my existence.

As usual, I picked up my favorite knife and started carving a piece of wood to a suitable size.

This magical knife, which every Magical Puppet possesses, can shape wood as I please.

Of course, the skill of the creator is important, however.

While ordinary Magical Puppets only create tools when necessary, I, following my Master's orders, create new tools every day. Perhaps because of this, I've recently noticed a significant improvement in my skill at making magical tools.

If I could make things better,

I could be of more use to my Master.

This time spent carving wood is a moment of bliss for me.

I have a definite sense of being useful.

I am alive now.

Even though I am just a lifeless doll, I can't help but think such grand thoughts.

＊＊＊

For me, who was given the name Rose, there are two moments of birth.

One is the emergence as a monster called a Magical Puppet.

Monsters of the same kind as me, the mother, wander through this deep forest, gradually gathering magic from the air to create their own duplicates.

One of those creations is me.

And the other, of course, is the moment I met my Master.

At that instant, the nameless Magical Puppet gained a personality named Rose.

Since then, I have been given the important task of creating various items, from weapons and armor to everyday necessities, by my Master.

Sometimes it was the creation of enchanted weapons, and other times it was daily necessities or simple furniture.

And now, in the Arachne's nest, I am making weapons that were destroyed.

"..."

There was a gaze quietly watching my work.

It wasn't my Master.

He had gone to explore the forest, despite my objections. ...No, that's fine.

It's fine now.

Now, it's about this gaze in front of me.

"Is it enjoyable to watch?"

"Yes."

In response to my question, Kato, wrapped in a sheet, nodded with a slight smile on her lips.

"It's quite interesting. I find it mysterious."

Saying that, Kato picked up the round shield I had made.

A smooth, black shield.

"Just from plain wood, it looks like metal when it's finished."

Saying that, she tapped the black surface of the shield with her slightly extended nails.

A dull sound echoed.

Most of my recent works have changed to this dark color.

The change is not just in appearance; the material has become hard and resilient, completely different from the original texture of the wood.

But why is it 'mysterious'?

I was puzzled by this.

What I create becomes an enchanted item.

I am a Magical Puppet, and this is a characteristic of the monster, so there is nothing mysterious about it.

I couldn't understand what Kato found puzzling.

"Mysterious, you say?"

"Yes. ...Wait, isn't this something mysterious to you, Rose?"

Seeing me nod, Kato looked a bit perplexed.

"Oh, right. You haven't learned about atoms and such from textbooks like we have. ...Come to think of it, in the past, people on Earth believed that swallows or something burrowed into the beach and turned into clams, as Senpai Mizushima once mentioned."

Muttering to herself, Kato continued, while I mostly worked silently, carving the wood.

Recently, such scenes have become common.

By the way, Lily is resting a bit away for recovery and is not part of this conversation. Although she could move around soon, my overly cautious Master ordered her to rest until she fully recovered.

Because of this, I have been the one to converse with Kato.

"Creating magical tools"

Kato stroked the black shield with her fingertips.

"It might be ordinary for you, Rose, but to me, it's amazing. Magic is incredible, isn't it?"

"My creations use magic, but strictly speaking, they are not magic."

"If it's not magic, then it's your skill that's amazing. You can create such things."

"Thank you."

"Senpai Mizushima would think the same, I'm sure."

I couldn't help but look up from my work, and Kato had a slight smile on her face.

"..."

She seems to know very well what would make me happiest.

"If there's anything I can help with, please let me know."

"..."

How much does she understand?

While thinking about this, I handed her the round shield I had been shaping until just now.

"Could you take this to the disposal area?"

"Huh? You're going to throw this away too?"

"It's tainted with impurities."

I handed the shield, which was only roughly completed, to Kato. She took it with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Did I disturb you?"

"No, it's a separate issue."

"Okay. ...I've been thinking for a while, but you do make a lot of failed pieces, don't you?"

Kato glanced at a pile of wood chips a bit away. They were all failed pieces I had created and discarded over the past few days.

Although resources are abundant, the time spent seems a bit wasteful.

However, I was not willing to compromise on my work.

"My weapons are a matter of life and death for everyone. I cannot provide anything that I am not completely satisfied with."

"Ah, I see. So, you're a craftsman, Rose."

Saying this in an admiring tone, Kato went to dispose of the failed piece I had given her.

During this time, I selected new wood and cut it into a rough shape.

Each piece of wood has its own characteristics. To process it, one must understand these characteristics, even when infusing magic into the work, which is no different for me.

By touching it, the best shape naturally becomes clear.

I shaped the piece of wood in my hand into a long, thin form. The final product is intended to be a sword. The image is already clear in my mind. All that remains is to bring it closer to that image.

While doing this, Kato returned and sat in front of me again.

Pulling the sheet up to her shoulders, her lips curved slightly in satisfaction. I had learned in passing that she feels secure when wrapped in a sheet. The metaphor of a baby feeling calm with its own towel, which I had no experience of, was difficult for me to understand.

Thus, Kato, wrapped in a sheet as usual, opened her mouth.

"Is the cause of your distraction about Gerbera?"

With a snap, the piece of wood in my hand split in two.

"..."

I was momentarily stunned.

My time resumed moving only after Kato, looking apologetic, bowed her head.

"I'm sorry. I disturbed you again, didn't I?"

"..."

The cause was Kato, but the mistake was mine.

Shaking my head, I set aside the wood that was no longer usable.

I picked up a new piece. While carving it, I asked.

"Why do you think it's about Gerbera?"

"I'm sorry. I overheard a conversation between Senpai Mizushima and you a few days ago."

That would be the conversation three days ago in the morning, when I expressed my distrust of Gerbera to my Master.

It seems she had overheard that.

If so, there's no point in hiding it now.

"You're right, Kato."

The 'distraction' that was interfering with my work was indeed about Gerbera.

I couldn't help but be preoccupied with Gerbera.

My Master has forgiven Gerbera.

If I consider myself one of his followers, I should also forgive her.

I understand this intellectually.

However, my emotions cannot keep up.

I am my Master's shield.

I want to shoulder all the misfortunes that befall him with my body, even if it means I will be reduced to rubble.

I don't mind at all.

For me, who has resolved to do this, the events of that night when I failed to protect my Master are a bitter memory.

The despair I felt when my Master was taken from me that night.

The rage I felt when I reached the Arachne's nest and saw my injured Master.

Both emotions still smolder within me, carrying an unpleasant heat.

This alone makes it extremely difficult for me to forgive her.

Moreover, I think this is perhaps fatal for both of us... I couldn't understand at all why Gerbera had committed such a heinous act.

"I want to make Master mine alone."

The motive for Gerbera's rampage lies in her innate impulse.

The desire to make something precious one's own might be something everyone, to some extent, can feel.

However, I had no such emotions at all.

This is not a matter of what is right or wrong.

What is certain is that due to this inherent difference in nature, I cannot understand her.

It is difficult to forgive someone without understanding them.

That is what is fatal.

I do want to accept her, as my Master has forgiven her.

...I do, but this is the stumbling block.

I can't help but feel that I can't forgive her.

Even though I know my Master doesn't want this...

"..."

I am ashamed of myself.

As a follower of my Master, it is shameful not to align with his wishes.

"I don't think you should be ashamed."

However, Kato shook her head at me.

"You tend to suppress yourself too much, Rose."

"Suppress myself too much?"

"Your attitude of putting Senpai Mizushima first and trying to please others is understandable and virtuous... but if you take it too far, you lose yourself."

"Is that bad?"

Kato's words didn't quite resonate with me.

"My Master has decided to accept Gerbera and forgave her. Therefore, I should align with his wishes. We exist to fulfill his desires. For that, my will doesn't matter, does it?"

"I thought you would say that, Rose..."

Kato's tone had a hint of a wry smile.

"But if you suppress yourself, wouldn't Senpai Mizushima be unhappy?"

"..."

It was hard to refute her point.

My Master cares for us, his followers, deeply.

Sometimes it seems he values us more than himself.

"Then, what do you think I should do about Gerbera?"

This time, I asked Kato.

Currently, I am at a loss with myself.

I don't know how to handle Gerbera.

So, this opportunity to talk to Kato was not bad for me.

The image of Kato, who didn't even carry a knife, facing her own battle that night, is still vivid in my mind.

She understands human hearts far better than we do.

She might be able to show me a way out of the impasse in my heart.

The girl named Kato Makoto had something that could inspire such hope.

"You should forgive her when you feel ready to do so."

After a brief pause, Kato spoke.

"You shouldn't suppress your feelings. It's not what Senpai Mizushima wants, and it will likely cause some distortion."

"Distortion?"

"For example, by suppressing your feelings towards Gerbera, you might be robbing her of a chance to atone. If that happens, she will never be accepted by you."

"..."

Kato's perspective was intriguing to me.

Unconsciously, I had stopped working and faced Kato.

Our conversation had that much value.

"Ultimately, it depends on mutual effort. As for Gerbera... I believe Senpai will handle it somehow."

Kato looked at something that wasn't here.

Her gaze was dim but steady.

The world she sees must be different from mine...

"Do you want to accept Gerbera, Rose?"

"Yes, of course. But I can't help but feel I can't forgive her."

"I see. ...That's understandable, in a way."

Understandable.

Kato expressed my current state as such.

"You don't have desires, Rose."

"Desires...?"

"That might sound negative, but..."

Kato smiled slightly.

"But, for example, Senpai Mizushima also wants to be with the people who love him. You, as a follower, know best that Senpai wishes to love such people and be sincere with them. This is a kind of desire. I think it's a Senpai-like thing."

"Desire..."

"If you find it hard to accept as a desire, you can call it a wish. It's a minor difference in rhetoric. What's important is that it is part of his 'humanity.' The same applies to Lily and Gerbera."

For example, Lily might wish to be loved by Master.

Or, Gerbera might wish to be accepted by the other followers.

"Your desires seem skewed. 'Wanting to do something,' 'wanting something done for you,' and 'wanting to do something for others.' ...There are various forms of desire, but it seems you are heavily skewed towards the last one."

"Does that mean my personality is flawed?"

"No, it's not."

Kato firmly denied my question.

"It's just underdeveloped. It's not a flaw at all."

"Can you say that so confidently...?"

"I can. I can say it confidently. After all, it's only been a few months since you gained a heart, right? It's natural that your heart hasn't fully developed yet."

Pointed out like that, I felt caught off guard.

Indeed, that was true.

I have two moments of birth.

One is the emergence as a Magical Puppet, and the other is the birth as an individual named Rose.

However, if we consider which one is more fundamentally a 'birth,' it must be the latter.

The life of a doll without will is nothing more than a stack of thin paper, no matter how many layers it has.

In contrast, the days of serving my Master and working for him are so vivid.

As a Magical Puppet, I don't have a childhood.

But in terms of emotions, I am like a newborn baby now.

My emotions are underdeveloped and immature.

Compared to Lily, who has the memories of Mizushima Mihono, and even Gerbera, I fall short.

I want to exist for my Master. I want to work for him. I want to do everything that can be of use to him. That has been everything for me so far, and being underdeveloped means just that.

That's why I can't understand Gerbera's rampage, which stems from the impulse to 'want something' for my Master.

Perhaps, my inability to understand the nuances of the human heart is due to this.

"But, do I even have such desires?"

If this is a manifestation of 'humanity,' it seems reasonable that a doll like me wouldn't have fully developed emotions.

However, Kato shook her head and denied my concern.

"You do. Senpai Mizushima doesn't want a convenient doll. He wants someone with a solid personality. That's why the relationship between you and Gerbera is complicated now. So, you must have your own desires."

"But I can't think of anything."

Seeing my distress, Kato showed a thoughtful expression.

After a moment of contemplation, the wrinkles on her furrowed brow disappeared.

"Have you ever felt happy, Rose?"

At Kato's question, I tilted my head.

"Happy, you say?"

"Yes."

Kato nodded.

"If you can think of a time when you felt happy, that could be your desire, couldn't it?"

"I see."

With this clear suggestion, I pondered for a while.

Happy.

Happy.

Serving my Master now is indeed a happy time for me, but...

"That's not what I mean. I'm