Chapter 178
Chapter 178
Attachment Doll (2)
“Perhaps. Would you like to visit the young lady’s room?”
While I was walking aimlessly, an attendant spoke to me. I stopped in place and looked at him. Normally, an attendant wouldn’t ask an outsider something like that.
The attendant caught the meaning behind my gaze and bowed deeply.
“There is no particular intention behind it. I merely thought it might be of some help, even if only a little.”
“Hmm. Well, sure.”
What was he after? Thinking that, I followed behind the attendant. The place we arrived at somehow looked familiar.
“This is the young lady’s room.”
All the furniture was made of beautiful crystal. A black floor with blue wallpaper. And countless dolls on the bed.
Instead of responding to the attendant, I looked around the room. Photos that could serve as keepsakes were neatly arranged on the desk.
“I’m not going to kill Canis.”
I said that. There hadn’t been any grand intention behind the attendant bringing me to this room. He was trying to change my impression of Canis, even if only slightly.
And because he didn’t trust me, he had done this out of concern that I might kill Canis.
Was he showing me his human side? I chuckled and headed toward the desk.
“……Thank you. Please take care of the young lady.”
The attendant asked me to look after Canis with an apologetic expression. I gave a vague nod. Surprisingly, Canis was loved by the people of Ulbushis.
“Hmm?”
Since I had been told to look, I felt no guilt about rummaging around. Though I probably wouldn’t have felt guilty even if I hadn’t been told.
While searching through Canis’s desk, I found something strange. An old photograph. It couldn’t have looked more suspicious.
“…….”
I slowly examined the photograph and let out a hollow laugh. The person holding hands with a young Canis was a man wrapped in a Robe.
He had an imposing build, but the Robe concealed almost all of his face. The only thing visible was the white beard growing along his lower jaw.
I immediately realized that he was the old man from Magus who had come to the funeral. This could be a little controversial.
***
The next day, after seeing off the Ulbushis guests, I entered Anger. I stared at the last remaining blue sphere.
Putting strength into my legs, I leaped high and reached out as though snatching it away. Light burst forth, and it swallowed me.
‘Bleak.’
The place I arrived at was filled entirely with crystal. When I glanced around, I could see countless reflections of myself along the crystal surfaces.
This seemed like the perfect place to develop a mental illness. I realized that this was Canis’s inner world. A hemisphere made of crystal.
Right at its center was a small crystal house shaped like an igloo. I slowly turned my steps toward it.
“…….”
Canis was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. She looked more grown-up than she had at any point before. I cast my gaze around her.
Several staffs with eyes, the ones that had dragged me to the Ulbushis mansion, were huddled together in one corner.
They had appeared because I had casually called Canis’s name. I looked indifferently at Canis.
“Hey.”
Originally, in the game, Anger had existed here. And all I had to do was fight and kill it. But the Canis here had completely retained her own form.
I casually called Canis’s name. But there was no answer. Well, look at this?
“Hey. Canis.”
When I called her name, another staff with an eye appeared. I thought its rolling eyeball was a little disgusting.
Since she wouldn’t answer no matter how much I called, I had no choice but to nudge her with my foot. Only then did her emotionless eyes, which had been fixed on empty space, move.
“…….”
“…….”
She said nothing. I also stared silently at her. The silence that naturally formed between us continued for quite a while.
“I’m seeing things.”
And that was what she finally said. I let out a hollow laugh and nudged her with my foot again.
“Seeing things? What a funny girl.”
“Hm? Huh? Dabi?”
Only then did Canis sit up with startled eyes. She looked utterly disheveled.
“So what’s with this pathetic state?”
“…….”
I sneered at Canis, who had only raised her upper body. But no answer came back. I swallowed a sigh inwardly.
“I’m going to separate you from Anger.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t know what kind of turmoil you’re feeling, and I don’t care. But you’ve already become a servant of The Goddess. I won’t allow you to wander any further.”
I sat across from her. Then I spoke while looking into her unfocused eyes.
“So Anger, which has already gone completely out of control, can’t be restored. At least, not while it remains parasitic inside you. So choose. Will you die together with Anger? Or will you separate yourself from Anger and live as you always have?”
Canis worked her lips. Seeing someone who could compete with me for first or second place when it came to not caring what others thought acting like that somehow made my blood boil.
Even so, I quietly waited for her.
“……Will Dabi kill me?”
“Yeah. I can’t put that kind of burden on the Head of the Ulbushis Family.”
I answered Canis’s question with complete sincerity. I didn’t like what she was asking, but I wanted to get out of this creepy place as soon as possible.
“Do you want to die?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know who I am.”
Was that really a reason to die? I thought for a moment before nodding. Well, there were all sorts of people in the world.
“I won’t stop you if you want to die. But isn’t there anything you want to know?”
“……Who am I?”
As though she had been waiting for that, Canis asked me a question. I looked into her eyes. Her wandering focus was slowly beginning to return.
“The finest masterpiece created by Ulbushis, Duhein, and Magus. Another Canis who perfectly inherited the memories of the original Canis Ulbushis. A copy without an original. A Simulacrum. That’s what you are. You probably already know that.”
Sorry, but I had no talent for beating around the bush. Maybe Winter would have, but not me. Canis showed no reaction to my unfiltered words.
“Then the original Canis……”
“Yeah. That’s Anger. The one you love so much, and fear at the same time.”
Canis bit down on her lip.
“So I’ve been living like the real one even though I’m not real.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think that’s right.”
“Hm?”
I gave a negative answer to Canis’s words. Canis looked startled. Her face was filled with confusion, as though my reaction had been unexpected.
“A copy is called a copy because an original exists. But you’re a copy without an original. For all practical purposes, you should be considered the original. Even the Head of the Ulbushis Family, who knows that, treated you as though you were the real one.”
I said exactly what I thought. If you really got down to it, there was no difference between a normal birth and being born the way Canis had.
I thought they both fell under the category of a life being born. The same went for Bereninche and me.
“Stop wallowing in self-pity and come out. Do you know how much we have to do?”
“……But I’m a Homunculus. An illegal life-form.”
The words illegal life-form made me laugh hollowly. What kind of ridiculous term was that?
“You think you’re the only one like that? Enough. Hurry up and choose. Are you coming with me? Or are you saying goodbye?”
If she had been thinking about it for three days, I had given her plenty of time. I wanted her answer. Canis tightly closed her eyes, then slowly stood up.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
She cleared her throat.
“Then shall we go~ Dabi can’t manage without me~”
“Oh, please.”
And just like that, she returned to her usual self. Her ridiculous way of talking was exactly the same, as was her distinctive drawn-out manner of speech.
“Still the same, even after all that moping.”
I took out the crystal that the Head of the Ulbushis Family had made for me. The pure-white crystal had been dyed black because Anger was sealed inside it.
“Anger?”
“Yeah. Anger is inside here. Put the part still inside your body into it too. You’re a magician, so you can manage that much, right?”
I handed it to Canis. Canis looked it over with fascination, then tried to summon the remaining Anger inside her body.
“Hm?”
“What?”
“Anger isn’t coming out.”
Normally, Anger would have popped right out, but there was no response even after we waited. I tilted my head at Canis’s words. I hadn’t expected this.
“Mimi! Come out!”
―Mwi!
I immediately called the Dream Bird. Ripples began spreading through the air, and the Dream Bird poked its head out.
It looked like nothing more than a bird’s head sticking out of empty space, but none of us bothered pointing that out.
“Bring that kid here.”
―Mwi? Mwi! Mwi!
“I don’t know what you’re saying, but she can probably come out. This is Canis’s inner world.”
I told it to bring the young Canis from the Palace of Dreams. Normally, young Canis would disappear if she went anywhere other than the Palace of Dreams.
She was merely the memory of someone who had died in the first place. She was literally nothing more than a record, so she would naturally disappear anywhere that wasn’t a special place like the Palace of Dreams.
The Dream Bird hesitated for a moment before heading to the Palace of Dreams.
“Who are you trying to bring here~”
“You.”
“Hm?”
I gave a casual answer to Canis’s sly question. Just as Canis was about to ask again, the air rippled and a girl appeared.
“Mister!”
Young Canis spotted me and ran straight toward me. Her sea-colored hair and dark skin were exactly the same.
Canis’s mouth fell open when she saw young Canis. Although her coloring had changed quite a lot, she recognized who the girl was at once from her facial features alone.
“Look over there.”
“Hm? Huh? Hello?”
“H-Hello.”
I picked young Canis up and pointed at Canis. Only then did young Canis notice Canis and wave hello.
Young Canis also immediately recognized who Canis was. Canis awkwardly returned young Canis’s greeting.
“Th-That’s me when I was little?”
“Yeah. You were blind, though. One thing led to another, and she ended up like this.”
Explaining it was a pain. Canis looked curious, but she didn’t bother asking any further.
“Ah~ Then is this big sis what I’ll look like in the future?”
“No. I told you, you don’t have a future. You died.”
“……I hate you, Mister.”
Young Canis sulked at my unfiltered words. She pouted and buried her face against the nape of my neck.
Canis’s eyes widened until they looked ready to pop as she watched young Canis openly display her affection toward me. I couldn’t give her an explanation. I didn’t know why she liked me this much either.
“I saw my memories. In the Palace of Dreams.”
“It was more like I experienced them than saw them. It was fun!”
“Ah.”
The sharp-witted Canis understood what kind of state young Canis was in. Having already forgotten that she had been sulking, young Canis happily played with the scales on my neck.
“Anyway, maybe it’s because Anger is here. Well. I guess that more or less wraps things up.”
Something still bothered me a little. Originally, this world shattering apart should have been the final step.
But this space made of crystal showed no sign of breaking. Then did that mean the Anger outside was still there too?
“What are you going to do with this child~”
“Whether she stays in the Palace of Dreams or gets transferred into the doll. The choice is hers.”
I said that as I put young Canis down. Then I bent my knees and lowered myself to her eye level.
“Let’s go into the doll.”
“……Didn’t you just say the choice was hers~”
Canis called me out on my firm declaration. I had no intention of leaving her in the Palace of Dreams forever. It would also be a waste after I had gone to the trouble of making the doll.
“A doll? What kind?”
“A cute stuffed doll that looks like you.”
“Hmm. Should I?”
And just like that, I got her permission far too easily. There was none of that, You’re going to imprison me inside a doll! sort of reaction.
“B-But why? Wouldn’t being a doll be a little uncomfortable~”
“What do you mean, why? I’m already dead anyway. I can’t become big sis, can I?”
Young Canis answered Canis like that. Canis was struck speechless. I stroked young Canis’s head.
“Your name is Anger from now on.”
“Anger? That’s weird.”
“Then? Want something else?”
“Hmm……. No! I’ll use that.”
Young Canis, now Anger, answered brightly. I handed the crystal to Anger.
“It’ll be cramped, but stay in there. I’ll call you out soon.”
“Okay! Got it! You have to come get me!”
Anger answered energetically and tightly gripped the crystal. Keeping the smiling girl in my sight, I silently watched as the crystal began to glow.
Once Anger entered the crystal, the scenery around us began shattering apart.
“……Is it really okay for me to use the name Canis?”
“You’ve used it far longer than she did.”
“That’s true~”
“There’s no need to make it complicated. It’s not like you possessed her and stole her body.”
“That’s also true~”
“Just get ready to have your money squeezed out of you.”
And with that, we left the crystal space.