Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy-Chapter 627: Wish (13)

After the doll was restored, the prince spent much of his time with her.

He introduced her to the world she didn’t know, modernized her old-fashioned way of speaking, bought her clothes, and adorned her with jewelry. It almost seemed as if he had fallen in love with the doll.

Though Duke Kurten was aware that this could later become a big issue, he didn’t stop the prince. Even if he hadn’t, the prince’s love would have likely ended up as nothing more than a bittersweet memory.

The problem was twofold.

First, the understanding of magical tools possessed by both the prince and the Duke was far from that of the genius Erginus.

The second problem was that the doll was too old and damaged to be fully restored with their skills.

The doll, which had accidentally been reactivated, was only temporarily functioning. The gears inside the doll were slowly growing larger.

Every time the prince met with the Duke, he showed his anxiety about the doll's eventual breakdown. But in front of the doll, he always smiled brightly.

Perhaps because of the precariousness of their daily life, which could collapse at any moment, the prince, insisting on creating a happier experience, made a bold plan: the three of them would sneak out on festival day and enjoy themselves.

Considering their positions, this was something that should never have happened, but the prince insisted.

"Seiji, this might be the last chance for her!"

Though he knew he shouldn't indulge the prince's whims, the Duke couldn’t bring himself to refuse his request.

Perhaps it was because the Duke had also grown attached to the doll during the restoration process.

Thus, on the day of the festival, at the appointed time, the three of them gathered, wearing masks, and roamed the streets.

"If His Majesty finds out about this, I will be in great trouble."

"When I become king, I’ll make sure to repay everyone!"

"I’ve got a ton of such promises piled up."

"...Really?"

"Duke Kurten’s words are true. The prince has made 46..."

"No, let’s not go into such detail. We’re doing this for fun, after all."

The three of them, disguised with masks, blended into the crowd, enjoying their time together.

They all knew they’d be scolded when they returned and were asked why they suddenly disappeared, but at that moment, they didn’t want to worry about such things.

"Soldiers."

"It doesn’t look like they’re on patrol."

"Knights are with them, too. You two."

Their happy time didn’t last long. The search party appeared much sooner than they had expected.

While it was inevitable that they would be scolded, they couldn’t let the doll’s existence be discovered, so the three of them hastily moved their feet.

In order to shake off the pursuers, they chose a shabby house.

Initially, they planned to use their status to intimidate and then offer a future reward, but surprisingly, the person staying in the house wasn’t a commoner—they were someone who could be troublesome even for their positions.

"We never expected to meet such esteemed guests."

The bishop of the Soladin Church's local branch.

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"I suppose I should pretend not to know, judging by the expressions on your faces."

Before he ascended to the papacy, the current pope, who could have been a cardinal, was stationed in the capital of Soladin. When he saw the three of them, he let out a light laugh.

"How did you end up here?"

"Originally, I solved my lodging at the church, but even I need some personal space."

As the three exchanged looks in embarrassment, someone knocked on the door. The pope gestured for them to go inside, and after confirming they were hidden, he opened the door.

"Has anyone visited here?"

"Well, I didn’t see anyone suspicious."

"I see! Thank you for your cooperation!"

After the soldiers gave a proper salute and left, the three of them sighed in relief as the pope smiled warmly.

"Really, thank you. If it weren’t for you, we would have been in a real bind."

"Even those in high positions need rest. Why don’t you stay a little longer until the soldiers disperse?"

"We thank you again for your consideration."

Soon, the pope brought them tea and, as he looked over their faces, he gave special attention to the doll’s face.

"I’m sorry to ask, but... isn’t this woman... not human?"

"...How did you know?"

It was impossible to distinguish the doll from a human by simply looking at it. Both the prince and the Duke were shocked to discover that the doll was Erginus’s work, but the pope merely chuckled.

"With age, you tend to see a lot of things."

"Excuse me, if I’m not being too rude..."

"Yes, I’ll keep this a secret as well."

"Sorry to trouble you."

"Haha, not at all. But, may I take a quick look at the lady?"

"...What do you mean?"

"I’m fine with it. Prince."

"...I see."

At the prince’s reluctant response, the pope reassured him, saying he would only inspect the magic, and then closely examined the doll before nodding.

"Erginus’s work, you say? Hm. I never imagined the Watcher would still be around."

At the pope’s words, the prince hurriedly spoke up.

"You know about the Watcher?"

"The church in the capital is a witness to the succession."

"Can I access the church’s records?! I’ll offer a reward!"

"I’m sorry, but the church’s confidential information is not available, even to you, Prince."

"Just once! Just once, please!"

The prince, hoping to view records that had long been lost to the royal family, desperately pleaded with the pope, but the pope’s answer remained the same.

No matter what promise he made, the church’s rules could not be broken, and as the prince refused to give up, the pope asked what the issue was. Finally, after much inner conflict in front of the doll, the prince told the truth.

"So, you knew?"

"You knew?!"

"It happened to me. It would be strange not to know."

The doll’s reaction was indifferent. The prince’s cry over not being able to see her ascend to the throne seemed to reflect a reversal of positions, almost as if they were opposites now.

"In such a case, I believe I can help."

"Help...?"

"It’s only a possibility. As you know, Erginus was a great man who fused magic and divinity. If this doll was made with such care by the great mage, then perhaps divine magic could have an effect on it."

At that time, the prince and the Duke were desperate to grab hold of any small possibility.

So, the three of them nodded as if it were only natural, and the miracle the pope was about to perform touched the doll’s body.

 "I can still never forget the sight. The soul entering the doll’s body was like a story from the Bible brought to life—beautiful beyond words."

Could such a thing be possible with divine magic? I furrowed my brow as I reviewed every divine magic I knew, but the only conclusion I could reach was that it was impossible.

<If the dead were resurrected, that would be more plausible. If the soul hadn’t left completely, it could be possible. But to put a soul into something that has no soul? That’s impossible.>

"Did Duke Kurten misunderstand something?"

<He’s not lying, so that must be it. This isn’t something a priest using the god’s power can accomplish.>

Even my grandfather, who lived in times with the gods, says it’s impossible—there’s no room for doubt.

He must have made some mistake. Even if Duke Kurten is an excellent knight and magician, he’s not familiar with divine magic.

<What trick did he pull to deceive even Erginus himself?>

"We’re just talking between ourselves, but isn’t Erginus a bit incompetent? He keeps making mistakes at crucial moments!"

Does being a great mage mean you have to be a bit of a fool?!

Does the title "genius" come with the penalty of messing up at the most critical times?!

Why is he so incompetent, and why does he keep making mistakes when it matters most?!

<Like master, like disciple, I suppose.>

"Master and disciple have been like that even before they met."

<...It’s true that Erginus made frequent mistakes.>

While my grandfather and I happily gossiped about Erginus, Duke Kurten continued with a pleased smile.

"The doll is no longer a doll, so there’s no reason to hide it. We gave her the opportunity to face the world on her own. After all, we’re the prince and the Duke. Creating a new identity for her was nothing."

The doll, having gained noble status, entered the academy and began living a human life.

Born from Erginus’s magic, she naturally showed her excellence to the world, and with the prince’s strong desire and the Duke’s support, she succeeded in becoming a queen.

"If the prince had been insistent, I would have firmly put an end to it. But no, it wasn’t. It was the prince’s devotion that melted even the doll’s heart."

...Wait. The 1st Queen loved the king!? Really?!

Did a woman obsessed with the kingdom’s prosperity actually have human feelings!?

While I was unable to contain my shock, the people around us nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"They had a good relationship."

"She was the only one who ever showed private emotions."

"They were always holding hands in public."

"Well, there’s no doubt about that."

Even Karia nodded!?

This is insane.

Realizing that what I had thought of as a monster actually had emotions was a huge shock.

"If everything you’re saying is true, then why did the 1st Queen preserve her love in a jar?"

Even the clueless fox seemed to find this baffling, and when she frowned, Duke Kurten stood up.

"She’s trying to bring him back."

"Bring him back?"

"Yes. You see, for the doll, there is only one perfect king. She’s trying to bring back the only king she had, under the pretext of doing it for the kingdom."

As usual, the 1st Queen visited the royal bedroom and gently held the dried-up hand of the king.

"It seems our reunion is approaching, great king."

The image of the king in the doll’s eyes was not the mummified figure barely holding its shape but the shining king who had once sat on the throne.

"Everything is for Soladin."

And forever, for you who will rule this land.