The problem Touko Aozaki was facing was simple: the dolls' autonomous behavior wasn't good enough.
If she only needed combat dolls, Touko could handle that on her own.
She had used dolls as weapons before, even to launch attacks on other Magi. And even against enemies a doll could never defeat, it could still serve as a nuisance and buy time.
But what she needed now was an autonomous service doll.
"Looks fine to me, though. The Mana furnace that powers it, and the artificial Magic Circuits, they're both extremely well made." Shiomi inspected the prototype Touko had laid out in her workshop again and again.
Touko adjusted her glasses. "The problem is the autonomy. Do you remember El-Melloi II's princess?"
Olga Marie, who had been examining the doll's internal structure alongside Shiomi, looked up. "You mean Miss Reines, Ms. Touko?"
"Right." Touko took a sip of coffee. "She has that Mystic Code called 'Volumen Hydrargyrum,' doesn't she?"
The Mystic Code Touko was referring to was a special familiar. Following El-Melloi II's advice, Reines had endowed it with artificial intelligence and then refined it into its current form.
It was an example of Reines's talent for delicate control, making practical use of and improving a former Lord's legacy.
Later, thanks to Flat, El-Melloi II's disciple, and his reckless magecraft hacking, the "Volumen Hydrargyrum" maid had picked up far more "wisdom" than it ever needed.
But at its core, it was a form born from Reines granting it personality, and it required Reines's Mana to keep it running.
Touko's dolls were the opposite. They had no intelligence, but they also did not require her Mana to maintain their activity, relying instead on something akin to an artificial Mana furnace to operate for a set period.
"So you want to push the doll to Trimmau's level?" Shiomi asked, meaning an artificial intellect equivalent to it.
"I tried," Touko said, thinking it over, "but it wasn't ideal. Reines's Mystic Code only reached that point because of El-Melloi II's disciple and his absurd, sky-high imagination."
When it came to that kind of wild inspiration, even Touko couldn't quite match Flat's talent for making things work.
"Can we see how it performs?" Olga Marie asked.
Touko considered it, then nodded. "Sure. Step back."
Shiomi and Olga Marie moved away from the doll and stood beside Touko.
Touko snapped her fingers, and the prepped doll came to life.
Its limbs moved smoothly and freely. If you ignored the obvious mechanical construction, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was comparable to a human.
"Incredible…" Olga Marie murmured, covering her mouth.
The fame of the Grand puppeteer was well known. As the Lord of the Department of Astromancy, Olga Marie had seen Touko at major Clock Tower events such as Grand deliberations.
Still, watching a doll start up from this close was a rare thrill. For a Magus, it was valuable experience.
"If it's meant to serve, what can it do?" Shiomi, already used to the spectacle, went straight to the point.
Touko said, "Make coffee. One cup with a sugar cube, and one with granulated sugar and milk. Half the usual sugar. After it pours the tea, it's supposed to sort the trash in this room."
The doll walked naturally over to the tea set and began brewing.
That part went fine. The steps were clear, and it finished quickly.
But when it came time to "clean up the trash," it started heading straight for Shiomi and Olga Marie.
Apparently, it had decided that any guest who didn't belong in the workshop counted as trash that needed to be disposed of.
While Shiomi shielded Marie and kept the doll from causing trouble, Touko stopped it.
"That's the problem. See?" Touko said with a helpless but amused smile, explaining to the slightly disheveled Shiomi.
"Understood. The personality imprint originates from you as the creator, so it's inevitably influenced by the part of your subconscious that thinks like a Magus." Shiomi pointed out the issue while helping Olga Marie smooth her hair back into place.
Touko rarely looked embarrassed, but this time she did. "You know what I'm like. When it comes to imprinting intellect, I tend to be overly meticulous. After years of doing things this way, it's not easy to change."
"So that's why Touko wanted the teacher's help?" Olga Marie looked at Shiomi. "The teacher may excel at crafting familiars, but when it comes to dolls—"
"Don't forget," Touko corrected seriously, "he's no longer just a Magus. He's a god now. For a deity, granting intellect to something like a clay or wooden doll should be entirely possible."
Especially when it involved authority over life itself.
Creating brand-new life with independent will from scratch was well within Shiomi's capabilities. He simply chose not to do such things, preferring instead to participate in the more traditional method of creating life with the opposite sex.
"It's possible," Shiomi admitted, "but I've never tried it before. I can't guarantee the results."
He motioned for Touko and Olga Marie to step back.
Each holding a cup of coffee, the two of them retreated to the doorway of the workshop.
Shiomi reached out and placed his hand on the doll's head. Mana flowed from him, wrapping around the doll before gradually seeping into its interior.
When he removed his hand and stepped back two paces, the doll began to move.
"Simulated personality generation complete. Self-awareness established. Behavioral logic constructed. Individual designation: Aozaki Unit 1."
The doll spoke in a flat yet smooth voice, mechanical but not stiff.
"Please issue instructions."
"…Why is the designation formatted like that?" Touko muttered, clearly displeased.
Shiomi raised a hand. "Maybe it figured that since it's Touko's creation and I had a hand in it, that name made sense."
"…That does sound like you." Touko looked exasperated.
"But it feels different from before, doesn't it?" Olga Marie quickly intervened, shifting the focus back to the doll.
"Hmm. Mind if I try giving it an order?" Touko asked.
"You should be able to," Shiomi replied. "I basically operated on instinct. I can't promise the quality."
Olga Marie shook her head. "It's Touko's craftsmanship combined with the teacher's power… no, divine authority. If it still fails after that—"
She looked at the doll, which stood quietly in standby mode, and after thinking for a moment, came up with an instruction.
"Then… tidy up the room? This place is… rather free-spirited?"
She phrased it as tactfully as possible when describing Touko's workshop.
The doll suddenly raised its head. Its eyes lit up red.
"Understood. Commencing cleaning operations. Please evacuate the area."
At once, its Mana output surged. Both arms began spinning rapidly.
"Wait, wait…" Touko froze.
"This feels wrong. Don't tell me—"
Shiomi's pupils shrank. In one swift motion, he shoved both of them out the door.
The door slammed shut.
From inside came a series of violent crashing sounds, followed by an explosion powerful enough to shake the entire Storm Border.