I am Zanoba Shirone.
Right, the beginning of this incident was on a certain night.
Shishou was single-mindedly teaching Julie earth magic.
Shishou had said "This is an experiment." and started some strange training. At first he had made her practice chanted magic only once, but after that he had her do nothing but create earth bullets chantlessly. At first I had thought that there was no way she'd be able to use such a spell without chanting.
However, it only took one month. Right, in just one month Julie succeeded in using the earth bullet spell. It was chantless. It was something to be amazed about.
According to Shishou, Julie was still far off from our desired level. Certainly, though Julie had tried to use earth bullet many times, she only succeeded once. She also ran out of mana quickly. On some days she wouldn't succeed even after practising the whole day. However, compared to I who had no talent... I expect that it would be best if I increase my abilities in another area.
Nevertheless, a young child like this could use chantless magic. Shishou had said "I was just following Fitts-senpai's advice" and didn't say anything else. But the one who taught Julie was Shishou. As expected of Shishou.
I had not made a mistake in becoming Shishou's disciple.
At the same time as doing this, Shishou also teaches Julie the Human Language. Surprisingly, she can understand it as long as it's just some basic words. Thinking about it, since she had spent a number of years in the Central Continent with her parents, this much is natural. It might be because of this that teaching her is really simple it seems. That merchant lied. No, since he had no reason to lie, it might be that Julie simply hadn't spoken it in their presence.
I think that Julie is a great purchase as well. Julie is a really sharp child. If I tell her to bring me this, she'll bring it to me. If I tell her to bring that, she'll bring it. She's good at guessing what I mean. She's almost like Ginger.
Normally so that they won't run away, a slave will be branded using a special magic seal. However, Shishou doesn't like those sorts of things. When we bought Julie, we didn't do that either. In the end he treated her as a disciple rather than a slave. Because of that, I decided to treat Julie as a young disciple. Thinking of her as a younger disciple rather than a slave, she mysteriously became more adorable.
Now then. That incident happened after class on a certain day.
When Shishou finishes his lessons with Julie, I tell Julie about the magnificence of dolls. It's an important time. One can't achieve great things without passion. Julie who has become the core of Shishou's grand plan must come to understand the magnificence of dolls.
Right, on that day. Today using the 『Ruijerd Doll』 as an example, I was going to talk about the greatness of Shishou's doll creating. Thinking that, I took out the doll from the locked box.
While Shishou was preparing to return to his room, he suddenly said something.
"Speaking of which, what happened to the one of Roxy?"
Because it was this topic, I ran a cold sweat. What I had thought he wouldn't ask, definitely wouldn't ask up until now, he asked. I was unconsciously going to tell him that I had left it in the Shirone Kingdom. However, I bit my lip and resisted. I won't lie. To Shishou, I'll definitely never lie.
"The truth is... it's, I have it here but..."
I can't speak smoothly. My hands are shaking. If Shishou knows about this, he might excommunicate me. Thinking this, my body feels like lead and I become unable to move.
"It's here? Since it's been a long time I want to see it. Could you please bring it out?"
Shishou's excited voice. My chest hurts.
After much effort, I finally bring out a single locked box from under the bed. My shaking hands undo the lock, and I produce the contents.
The moment he saw this, Shishou's gaze stopped moving.
"Oi, what is this...?"
Shishou's voice is trembling. His flat, monotone voice is trembling. I wanted to cry. It wasn't anything that scary.
Shishou's number one masterpiece. The 『1/10 Roxy Figure』 was... cruelly broken into pieces, after all.
The head was removed, the parts for dressing her were broken, the arms were broken from the elbow, and the legs were twisted in unnatural directions. It was a miserable corpse. Only the cane was strong, so it wasn't broken.
"What's the meaning of this Zanoba? You, I, oi, just what the hell happened, hah...?"
Shishou was mad. Shishou who normally would speak uninterestedly in honorifics. His speech was strange and off tone.
"Haven't I told you how much I respect, and am grateful to her? Didn't you know just how much of my thoughts for Sensei were put into this figure?"
I clearly understood that Shishou was truly mad. Shishou who abased himself and praised Rinia and Pursena, who was just downhearted after being attacked by Cliff, who just made a troubled face when he was made fun of by Luke was truly mad.
He let off killing intent. Julie had become scared, and was now hiding behind me. I'm the one who wants to hide.
"You, could it be that you're ridiculing Roxy? Hey, could it be that you're an enemy?"
"T-, t-, t-, that's not the case!"
I shook my head in a panic. I always hear Shishou talk about Roxy. Shishou would always talk about how she was a wonderful person, or how she was someone who should be respected. It wasn't just admiration; you could feel some kind of fanaticism from it. Right, it's the same type of feeling that you'd get from the Order of the Temple in Milis.
Honestly speaking I don't particularly care about Roxy. However, if I say that plainly right now, Shishou will probably use his magic. If Shishou uses his magic in seriousness... I won't even leave behind ashes. Though I am said to be a miko with superhuman strength, this body of mine isn't that strong against magic.
"You're mistaken! This is something that I bet in a duel against Rinia and Pursena; it's something that is extremely important to me! When I lost the duel it was cruelly destroyed and stepped on, but I'd never, never think of ridiculing Roxy-dono!"
"Duel?"
I continued my explanation. I spoke single-mindedly. About how in my first year, I was challenged by Rinia and Pursena to a duel. About how at the time we wagered what was important to us. About how I brought the '1/10 Roxy Doll'. As a miko, I've never lost in the Shirone Kingdom. That's why I had no doubts about my victory. Even if they used advanced level magic, I was resolved to bear with it and swing my fists. However, they suddenly used a strange technique. Because of that, my free will was snatched away. After that they harassed and made fun of me. Losing without being able to do anything, I let go of the doll in tears. It couldn't be helped. I had lost after all. It couldn't be helped that that wonderful doll was taken from me. It was something that anyone would want. Thinking this, I resigned myself. However those two bitches[2] who don't know the value of things... They'd say things like "What is this?" and "It's gross nya" and dropped the doll, kicked and trampled it, and broke it into pieces.
Shishou's killing intent lessened.
"I see, you've suffered as well."
He pats me on the shoulder. He understood. Thinking this, I raise my voice and let out a miserable "Hii".
"If something like that happened, you should have told me from the start. Had I known, I wouldn't have smiled at them so frivolously."
Those kind words are said with a colourless face. His tone is different from usual. Somehow Shishou has gone past anger. Shishou doesn't talk about dolls often. Lately I had been thinking that perhaps he didn't love dolls that much. However I was wrong. The passion that Shishou hides deep down burns hotter than anyone's.
"Let's teach those girls a lesson." [3]
Tonight, those two girls are going to die. I had confidence in this. I started to tremble in fear.
However, after a few seconds, that fearful trembling stopped and changed into trembles of joy. I realised that I had gained a powerful ally and would be able to take revenge for the doll.
"Yes, Shishou!