Chapter 157

Zerda’s Magic Toy Shop deserves to be called a children’s paradise. The entrance was shaped like a lion’s mouth, and it had a structure that went into the tunnel on a slide.

As if exploring a cave, the inside of the rainbow-colored tunnel shimmered.

“So fun!”

“Right, Luciel?”

Claudia and Luciel, who felt the thrill, said so with a smile. But Kizef seemed to not be very impressed with it while murmuring a small dissatisfaction.

“The entrance is unusual.”

This place, which has a fixed opening season per year, normally does not receive customers, but Princess Claudia and the Bellstein family were the exceptions.

When they entered the store, all the toys they saw were moving.

Butterflies, birds, fish mobiles, balloons flying in the air, wooden horses, and stuffed animals on the floor moved alone as if brought to life. Even large ships and wagons made noises, and dolls with the faces of rabbits, squirrels, cats, and dogs roamed the forest village where the dollhouses were located.

Luciel remembered the dolls in the rabbit’s castle, bent her knees, looked inside, and smiled.

“Cute.”

At that time, a large white teddy bear that had toddled from somewhere hugged Luciel’s legs. Its black eyes were cute. Luciel picked up the fluffy doll and hugged it. It felt warm, cozy, and comforting.

“Hi.”

At Luciel’s words, the polar bear raised his head and hugged her again without a word.

“Oh, you got a hug from Wilson. It’s a doll called Hug Bear, and he will embrace his master to comfort him.”

“It’s a doll that has some resemblance to ‘The Worried Teddy Bear’.”

Luciel recalled the teddy bear, an idea behind Claudia’s training program for depression.

“Oh, come to think of it, where is Mr. Zerda?…. He is here, right?”

A slender man approached. He was a man with asymmetrical purple hair, one part being long and the other a bobbed cut. He had blue eyes and a strangely cat-like impression.

He was wearing a purple robe of shiny material, more like a magician doing a show rather than a wizard.

“Wilson is a kid who was created earlier than those. For example, a doll that can embrace children as a father. That’s why he’s nicknamed Hug Bear.”

Kizef, who had been frantically looking around, glanced at the owner when Zerda appeared.

“It’s the first time I’m meeting the children of Bellstein. I’m Zerda. You seem a really warm-hearted person.”

Contrary to his cold impression, Zerda showed a gentle smile.

“Hello, I’m Luciel. The rabbit castle is my favorite toy.”

Zerda nodded his head as he looked at Luciel.

“Thank you for taking care of the toys. I could tell from the way you hugged Wilson face to face. You are a very sweet little lady.”

Claudia, who was watching by her side, also helped.

“Zerda is especially kind to children who value toys.”

“That makes sense as a toymaker. I want these kids that are like my own children to be loved even after they are adopted.”

He smiled brightly.

“I see. That’s a wonderful idea.”

Wilson, who was in Luciel’s arms, opened his arms to hug Kizef. As Luciel puts Wilson on his shoulder, the wriggling doll hugged him tightly with a greater movement. He patted Kizef with his round and short arms.

“…….”

“I think Kizef needs more consolation.”

Kizef asked Jerda as he was comforted by the doll.

“Are these toys powered by magic crystals?”

“Some are, but not all. The magic dolls I create are as if they were alive. My heart is in them.”

“The principle is the same, isn’t it.”

“You are a Prince who lacks a child’s heart.”

“I’m too old for childlike innocence….”

“Wilson says no.” (Luciel)

Seeing him say that while being patted by the doll, even Luciel could not agree with Kizef’s words.

No matter how much Kizef pretends to be an adult, it’s true that he’s still young, even if sometimes he seemed to be more mature than Luciel, who lived to adulthood.

“Well, let’s get down to business, Mr. Zerda, the number of ‘worried teddy bears’ is very small.”

At Claudia’s urging, Zerda had a troubled face for a moment but replied.

“Well, how much more do you need?”

“About thirty more.”

“That’s too much.”

Claudia said again with a troubled face at his firm words.

“Well, then twenty-five? I plan to use the teddy bears as helpers for the depression treatment trainer. I plan to send them to the orphanage in the capital. When will a production date be possible?”

“……Princess, I repeat, it takes at least a month for each child to be completed. Even if I want to make it quick, it takes a long time to construct the minds of these kids with my mana. I have to blow breath into each cotton and each piece of cloth. And the smaller the kids, the more difficult it is to make.”

“……Uhm, can’t it be a little faster?”

“If you make it faster, the kids won’t be able to move properly.”

Claudia’s impatience was understandable, but Luciel could also understand the feelings of Zerda who was making the dolls, and she cautiously asked.

“Can’t you hire another craftsman to make dolls?”

“A man of my caliber in the Empire…… I don’t think I saw another.”

In his confident words, Luciel said.

“Princess Claudia, can’t we reduce the quantity further or proceed slowly?”

“……It’s difficult too. I plan to run a treatment center as a pilot within this year. And when I researched it, more children than I expected were having a hard time. For children, a cute doll may be more comforting than an unfamiliar counselor.”

“I see, you are very kind Princess Claudia.”

“Then if it takes a long time to make a small doll, wouldn’t it be more efficient to make this big one instead?”

Kizef said, pointing to Wilson.

“It is, but……a kid that size will need more mana to craft. To reduce the consumption of magic crystals, I had to make small dolls.”

Then, Luciel smiled broadly as if she had found a solution.

“Well……If it’s a magical stone problem, I think I can help.”

“Is that really true?”

“Yes, before that I think we will have to sign a contract with a non-disclosure clause. When the documents are ready, I will send someone from my side.”

Claudia admired Luciel’s words.

“Oh, it seems to be true that Bellstein produces the highest quality magic crystals.”

At Claudia’s words, Luciel only smiled.

“I’m sorry, Princess Claudia, but I promise to show you later.”

“My my, I see. I wanted to see it too.”

Claudia regretfully muttered, and Zerda was still confused because Luciel’s words could not be easily digested.

“But I don’t really understand what you’re saying.”

Luciel was thinking of showing the jewels after signing the contract with a clause that he couldn’t tell anyone about the details.

It’s already difficult to explain more. Luciel, pondering for a moment remembered something she could do.

‘Oh, there was that.’

A quill pen that Eva gave her, one that can only be used when writing the truth. It was now in Luciel’s bag.

“Mr. Zerda, can I see you for a moment?”

“Yes.”

After moving with Zerda, Luciel took a quill from her bag and handed it to him. She also tore up a page from her notebook.

“Write down with this pen.”

“…….”

As he was handed the paper and quill, he nodded as if he finally understood.

“From now on, I will never tell anyone anything I see.”

Squik. Squik. 

He scribbled it down on a piece of paper, and after seeing what he had written down, Luciel continued.

“In case of violation, I will donate one hundred ‘Worried Teddy Bears’ to children.”

“……What?”

“I feel reassured when I put this kind of restriction on.”

Luciel thought for a moment that she had gone too far with this condition, but she never said she would fix it.

Then Zerda trembled with his hands as he finished writing his promissory note.

Luciel handed one of the topaz from the pocket of her bag. When he received the jewel that wasn’t the magic crystal he expected and Zerda’s eyes widened.

“Th-this isn’t a magic stone.”

“Shh, just check the mana and return it.”

“Isn’t it just a jewel?”

“Trust me and check it out first.”

Luciel said with twinkling eyes. Then, Zerda cleared his doubts, measured the mana with a magic sphere, and he was surprised.

Although he was talented, he always took a long time to make dolls due to the low mana he had on his body.

As a magic puppeteer, mana is like fuel for making puppets.

However, even though he has been buying and using the highest quality magic crystals all the time, he used up mana quickly every time he made a doll.

Of course, the better he made them, the more devotion it took, but he was also tired that much.

Since a large amount of mana was required throughout the time concentrating on making the doll, there were a few instances where his mana ran out and he stopped.

However, this was enough to continue faithfully making dolls without running out of mana. Besides, it was surprising that something that looked just like a shining jewel could hold such a large amount of mana.

His hands trembled because he had no idea how much it was worth.

Tuk. Dukong.

When he dropped the jewel in surprise and couldn’t speak, Luciel picked up the jewel instead.

“……How about it, would you like to make a deal?”

“Yes, but a magic crystal with such high magical power……. How much do you want?”

“Can I trade something other than money?”

Luciel’s eyes lit up.

‘For example, a coveted skill.’

Looking at Zerda doll making skills, Luciel didn’t want to stop at only trading jewels with him.