I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 128

The air suddenly became quiet.

Looking at the Aozaki sisters who didn't seem to care about the news at all, Lydel hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Aren't you surprised? You know, Aozaki was a mage. Now that he's dead, the world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure) may change because of this. The Fifth Law may be lost, and your Aozaki family may decline because of it."

After finishing the warm water in her cup, Aoko put it down and gave a curt "Oh," while Orange continued to stare at Lydia without saying a word.

Feeling a little uncomfortable under Orange's gaze, Lydia reached up and straightened her twin ponytails, her shoulders slumped, looking somewhat dejected.

I originally thought that such explosive news would make Aozaki Touko panic or be extremely excited, but it seems that not only Aozaki Touko, but even Aozaki Aoko, who is not very familiar with her, did not have much of a reaction.

This made Lydia wonder if Aozaki Ooku held absolutely no place in the hearts of the sisters.

"It must be Wenbing Yongli."

As Lydia analyzed in her mind where the problem lay, Orange said a name with certainty.

Lydia looked at Orange in surprise, but before she could finish her surprise, she heard Aoko say, "Hey~ Did that jerk make his move first?"

These words, spoken with a drawn-out ending, made Lydia realize a fact—that the Aozaki sisters had foreseen the death of the Aozaki mage, and even knew exactly who had done it.

"Sis, what do you think will happen this time since you won't be taking the blame?" A strange excitement flashed in Qingzi's eyes, as if she wanted to stir up trouble.

Orange gave a disdainful smile. "Not so great. After all, Grandfather isn't quite dead yet. As long as he doesn't speak up, things won't be exposed. And don't forget, Wen Bing's true identity is a meritorious figure to the Holy Church. Whether it's for propaganda or to reassure people, some people won't let him die silently."

Completely out of the loop, Lydia listened to the Aozaki sisters' conversation with a bewildered expression, her mouth opening and closing a few times, but she couldn't say anything.

“Qingzi, now that Grandfather’s body has been destroyed, it’s time for you to go back and inherit the Fifth Law.” Chengzi turned her head slightly and looked at her younger sister.

However, Qingzi immediately turned her face away from her sister's gaze and closed her eyes. "Sister, I think it would be better if you went back first. After this incident, Grandfather might change his mind, since he doesn't have much time left."

"Qingzi, the Fifth Law is your responsibility," Orange said earnestly.

"Sister, there are always exceptions." Qingzi said this in an unusually resistant tone, then moved away from Chengzi.

Lydia finally couldn't hold back any longer. She tapped her index finger on the table in front of her a few times to get the two sisters' attention back to her before asking, "Don't you two want to explain anything? Also, Orange, was what you said before true? You have no intention of using the Fifth Law at all?"

Orange also felt that now was not the time to pressure Aoko. After all, she didn't yet understand why Aoko didn't want to inherit the Fifth Law. Since that was the case, it would be better to figure it out before coming up with a solution. So she shifted her attention to Lydia's question.

“We anticipated Grandfather’s death, and we know exactly who the murderer is. The specific reasons are not something you can know. Therefore, there is no need to discuss this issue. The important thing is what you and Grandfather talked about, Lydia.”

Lydia discovers that things are completely different from what she imagined. She originally thought she could support her ally, Aozaki Touko, in seizing the position of head of the Aozaki family by arguing that Aozaki Oki was dead and that the succession to the Fifth Law might be in jeopardy.

It now seems that from the very beginning, this plan was simply impossible to implement.

Putting aside the fact that the Aozaki sisters' relationship was much better than she had imagined, and that Aozaki Touko really didn't covet the Fifth Law as she had said before, the fact that the two of them seemed to know everything about Aozaki Oo's death, the murderer, and even Aozaki Oo's plans was completely unexpected and beyond Lydel's imagination.

Having come to terms with reality, Lydia had no choice but to recount in detail the conversation between herself and Aozaki Oo that she had previously thought could be used as leverage.

"So close yet untouchable, so Grandfather already noticed." Orange said with a sigh, resting her chin on her hand, while Qingzi, sitting next to her, gently bit her lower lip, lost in thought.

"Since Grandfather has said so, what are your plans, Lydia?" Orange looked at Lydia across from her. A long negotiation was about to begin, so she needed to test the other party's attitude first.

As expected, upon hearing Orange's question, Lydel's eyes flashed with a sharp light. She leaned back on the sofa without making a sound and said in an arrogant tone, "Although Aozaki's words are probably not empty talk, it is really not worth betting everything of our Archerot on a future that is futile just because of these words. So there is something I need to figure out first."

Lydia stared at the Aozaki sisters. "Who is this 'he' that the Aozaki mage was talking about? Is Alice in danger because of 'he'?"

Chapter 281 The Witch's Mansion (Part 2)

Orange was speechless at Lydia's sudden question, while Aoko, sitting next to her, became furious and spoke first: "What do you mean by that?!"

Lydia ignored Aoko, because she knew that only Orange could give her a complete and reasonable answer about the cause and course of events.

"...I can't answer that question, Lydia." Orange frowned, looking like she didn't know where to begin.

"I can only tell you that neither I nor Youzhu are in control of our own destiny. Speaking of danger, as I said on the plane, we might face the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles, and right now, we might face a mage."

Upon hearing the title "mage," Lydel's face turned slightly pale, but she still forced herself to remain calm and asked, "Can Alice extricate herself?"

Orange gave a wry smile; the answer was self-evident.

"—, I understand. Alice is in that hospital now, right?" Lydia stood up without saying anything more, seemingly intending to go directly to Yuzhu.

"No! You can't go to the hospital!" Seeing Lydia's actions, Aoko immediately stood up, blocking her way. "This has nothing to do with you! If you want to find Yuzhu, you'll have to wait here! We'll be changing shifts soon!"

Lydia glared at Aoko with a fierce look on her face, and said in a cold, deliberate voice, "Get out of my way!"

“Lydel, I don’t recommend you go to the hospital either. After all, if other magicians go there besides us, they might be exposed to the Night of Valazia. I think Grandfather wants you to stay behind the scenes and help us. If that’s the case, I advise you not to be impulsive.”

Orange calmly analyzed the situation, causing Lydia, who was almost about to attack, to turn around and look at her.

"And just like Aoko said, if you want to see Ayumi, you just have to wait—but, looking at you like this, let's just let Ayumi come back as soon as possible."

Orange glanced at Aoko, thought for a moment and said, "Originally, I was supposed to take over the shift, but I'm afraid you'll tear this place down after I leave. So Aoko, you'll have to work hard today and switch shifts with me. Go to the hospital now and let Aoko come back first. I'll come back to relieve you after Lydia leaves."

“Then today’s homework—” Upon hearing Orange’s suggestion, Aoko began to bargain.

"Let's get back to normal, but you know what the situation is like right now, so you'd better take it seriously." Orange shook her head irritably.

Aoko didn't seem to listen and quickly turned and ran away.

Three minutes later, a loud door slammed shut in the entryway, indicating that Aoko had left.

"How long do I have to wait?" Lydia asked, returning to her seat, picking up her teacup, and looking at the black tea inside.

"It takes about two hours round trip." Orange knew exactly what she was asking, so she gave the answer directly.

"Who exactly is the person in the hospital?" Although Lydel knew which hospital the Aozaki sisters and Alice had been going in and out of, she couldn't find out who they were visiting. All the information had been deliberately concealed.

“I also solemnly remind you, someone who has nothing to do with you, not to try to probe that place again. It has now become a powder keg. Now that your grandfather is dead, if this news leaks out, it will become a battlefield.”

Ever since the fluctuations of the Fifth Law were leaked in Yue Zhengling's hospital room that night, Orange has been worried.

The entire underworld's attention is now focused on Kanbuko General Hospital. In addition, there is always one of me, Aoko, and Yuzu in that hospital, which cannot be hidden. The reason why no one has made a move to test the waters is largely because Kanbuko City is within the sphere of influence of the Aozaki family.

As the highly controversial heir of the Aozaki family, his frequent visits to that hospital with Aoko would likely lead people to believe that it was Aozaki family territory and that something important to the Aozaki family was hidden there.

That is why those who had been observing patiently maintained their restraint, because no one wanted to face the wrath of a magician.

But this balance will eventually be broken, because there will always be some restless or unintelligent people in this world who will be sent out as cannon fodder. If these people find out that the hospital is not part of the Aozaki family's power as they imagine, then the allure of the [Law] will definitely be worth the risk for them to find out.

Originally, according to Orange's estimate, this process should take about half a year, and those people's methods would be relatively restrained. However, unexpectedly, Grandfather's body was destroyed by Wen Bingyongli at this critical moment.

In this way, the church will definitely receive the news immediately, and then the situation about my grandfather will no longer be a secret.

A mage with a body and a mage without a body are essentially the same, but anyone who can think knows that the latter cannot move freely.

In that case, various tests will follow. I originally thought I had plenty of time to implement my plan step by step, but judging from the current situation, time has become very tight.

Thinking about this, even Orange became a little restless. Before Lydia arrived, she had been using Yuzhu's workshop to work on something. Now that she realized there wasn't enough time, she couldn't wait to go back and finish it.

"If you have something to do, you can leave first. I'll stay here and wait for Alice." As a noblewoman, reading between the lines is an essential skill, so Lydel saw Orange's micro-expressions and, combined with the information she had just given her, knew that she must have something to do.

Orange felt relieved by Lydel's thoughtfulness, but at the same time she was a little worried. After thinking about it, she realized that this ancient temple house had many extraordinary things. Even though Lydel was Lydel's best friend, she couldn't just leave her alone here without her noticing that Lydel was away.

So after struggling for a moment, Orange stood up and said, "Lydel, come with me. I'm a little worried about leaving you here alone."

Orange's words clearly indicated that the other party did not trust her. Lydel was not unaware of Orange's concerns. If she were in Orange's position, she would also not feel comfortable leaving another magician alone in Alice's workshop.

However, despite her understanding, she still felt a little uncomfortable, because in her opinion, she was the one who had the right to say that.

With this in mind, Lydia finally followed Orange to her temporary studio.

Chapter 282 The Puppet of the Plan (Part 1)

Following Orange to the underground, Lydel sensed that they had passed through at least five layers of magical surveillance along the way. Although she already knew that Alice's house was not simple, she did not expect that even a small part of the interior space was so exaggerated.

What seemed like ordinary paintings hanging in the corridor, vases on the wall, and even the seemingly natural carpet patterns around the corner, all appeared to her like bright alarm bells.

Not to mention the other two hidden spots that she hadn't even noticed if it weren't for the fact that she knew about those two places because Orange had intentionally or unintentionally touched them or slowed down her pace when she passed by.

This is because what appears to be a cover-up, but is actually an act of complete undisguised activity, allowed Lydia to see the hidden meaning within.

Finally, they arrived at the basement. Although it was a basement, Lydia felt that it was well-ventilated and had an unusually bright light source.

When Orange opened the door, she saw a long and wide table covered with all sorts of tools, as well as some "hands and feet" that looked to be of different lengths.

Yes, Lydia was certain she wasn't mistaken; those were human limbs. Whether it was the muscle groups without skin, the pale bones exposed after some flesh had been removed, or even the tendons soaking in a glass tank, everything spoke of the fact that these were human limbs.

If an ordinary person saw this scene, they would definitely scream in fright, thinking they had entered a murder scene. But unfortunately, neither the owner of this studio nor the guests invited in were ordinary people.

"Are you working?" Lydia glanced at the neatly arranged "materials" and asked Orange with a puzzled look.

Lydel knew that Touko, as a doll maker, often received special orders, and that Aozaki Touko, who worked for Archerlot, was one of the biggest buyers, but she didn't think that Touko would still be in the mood to do business after returning to Japan.

As expected, Orange shook her head. "No, this is a very important private matter. Just find a place to sit and don't leave this room. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

After saying that, Orange walked to the other end of the long table, turned on the shadowless lamp on the top of the table, put on glasses similar to those used for gem identification, and picked up medical forceps to start working.

Lydia glanced speechlessly at Orange, who was already engrossed in her work, and then casually looked around the room.

Actually, calling this a studio is a bit of a stretcher, as most of the things here are raw materials. Lydia had witnessed how Orange made humanoid figures before, and she couldn't help but admire how specialized each person was. Things that seemed completely unrelated to the human body were transformed into various "parts" that make up the human body through magic in Orange's hands.

After watching for a while, she walked over to Orange and quietly watched Orange make it.

This is a head that is about 80% complete. It is said to be 80% complete because the head does not yet have eyes and hair. Details such as skin and eyebrows have been completed, and Orange is using small tweezers to shape the inside of the eye sockets.

Although she had no eyes, Lydia could roughly tell that Orange was going to be a very beautiful human being, but perhaps because she had no eyes, she always felt that there was something strange about the face.

This anomaly is not a simple matter of the uncanny valley effect, but something deeper, clearly involving something magical.

Lydia had a premonition that if Orange completed this humanoid form, it would likely cause unease among many people.

In fact, after Orange published several theories at the Clock Tower, a large number of people suggested that Orange be "sealed and designated for execution" because Orange's talent was simply too rare.

Even in the Creation Department, where Orange belongs, several people who know Orange's abilities have made this request. This is only a part that Orange has deliberately shown. Lydel knows that what Orange is hiding is even more amazing, just like the special dolls that suddenly started circulating in the Clock Tower, whose origins are unknown.

Those dolls are more like living people than dolls. As long as you leave your body data at a restaurant near the Clock Tower and write down the items you want to trade, if someone accepts the order, you will receive a body that is exactly the same as yours in half a month.

Whether using scientific or magical methods, as long as you disregard magical imprints—something not inherent at birth—this doll is exactly the same as you in terms of blood type, genes, and even brain development.

Some even attempted to transfer their souls to this body, and the results were undoubtedly successful. According to the test takers, this body was completely indistinguishable from the original body.

Many magicians immediately realized that they could achieve immortality using this method, and soon the doll maker became a hot topic at the Clock Tower.

However, no matter what methods they used, the identity of this doll master remained a mystery. However, Lydel already knew that the doll master's true identity was actually Aozaki Touko, because it was their Archerlot who opened up the channels for that business deal.

She also knew that it only took Aozaki Touko three days to create such a doll.

However, this was the first time she had ever seen Orange so meticulously preparing for a task she had already mastered.

Completely different from the casual and effortless attitude of Orange when she was making humanoid figures back then, Orange now looks incredibly focused and careful in both her eyes and movements.

Before long, Orange's forehead was covered in fine sweat, but her hands did not tremble at all. Although in Lydia's opinion, Orange's hands had moved less than two centimeters in the past half hour, it was precisely because of this that one could see the great effort Orange had put into this "work".

After a long while, Orange put down the pliers, picked up a needle about twelve centimeters long, and pierced the inside of her eye socket. Then, she quickly picked up the needle box beside her and inserted very fine needles into the area around her eye socket in sequence.

After completing this step, Orange breathed a sigh of relief, put down her right hand, took off her glasses, and began wiping away sweat.

"What are you going to do with this?" Lydia asked, looking at Orange who was wiping away sweat and reading from an A4 sheet of paper covered with data and graphs.

"It's used to deceive people," Orange said without looking up.

"Liar? Who are you trying to fool?" Lydia became interested and looked down at the face being made.

"Lydel, I'm asking you a favor. Use all your resources to investigate everything that happened during the Night of Valazia, preferably things from when he was still Tsbia Eltnam Oberon."

Instead of answering Lydia's question, Orange made a strange request.

Chapter 283 The Puppet of the Plan (Part 2)

"What are you planning to do now?" Lydel had no intention of refusing Touko's request. After all, according to her agreement with Aozaki Oo and the contract she signed with Aozaki Touko a year ago, she had to provide unconditional support for any reasonable request.

But that doesn't mean she wasn't curious. After all, based on Orange and Alice's strange behavior and the information she had gathered, she was pretty sure that everything they were doing was for someone in the Kanbuko Hospital.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to do some insurance." Orange rested her chin on her hand, revealing a worried expression that was completely out of character for her age.

Seeing her like this, Lydia suddenly felt irritated. Alice and Orange were both acting mysteriously, and she felt like she was being excluded.

"If we're talking about insurance, it's like you planted the Magician Killer outside that hospital. You're not exactly guarding against the Night of Wallachia, are you?"

By now, Lydia had a vague premonition that what Aozaki Touko was hiding from her was no less significant than the secret of the Aozaki family's magic.

Otherwise, given the relationship between the two, Orange would have already told her what she needed to say.

Thinking of this, Lydia took out a piece of paper from her pocket, wrote down the request Orange had just made, placed her hand on the paper to activate the magic attached to it, and finally folded it up and put it away.

This type of paper is called repeating paper. Once one party writes something on it and activates it, the same content will appear on the receiving paper prepared on the other side. This was a covert communication method used by magicians before the invention of the telephone. Ancient magician families still use it today. On the one hand, many magicians are averse to electrical appliances or do not know how to use them. On the other hand, it is convenient and safe enough.

After doing all this, Lydia felt somewhat helpless. She had become nothing more than a mouthpiece, which was completely different from what she had envisioned.

As one of the most powerful people in the Clock Tower, she should be able to solve any problem perfectly in no time if she takes action. However, after arriving in Japan, she discovered that her power seemed to be of no help in dealing with the problems she encountered.

Orange seemed to sense Lydia's low spirits and comforted her, "Don't look like that. The things that happened to Ayumi, Aoko, and me are too complicated. If I could tell you, I would have already. And from your perspective, you would want to tell you the truth, not me, right?"