Published at 5th of August 2023 5:42 pm

Chapter 343: To Take A Step Forward

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

The day after Viscount Dole arrived.

「Well then, I will continue writing」

After eating a healthier breakfast than last night, Viscount Dole said that and left the dining room together with Bastian.

After the two of them left, the dining room now only consists of the usual Slowlett family members.

「……somehow I don’t feel like entertaining a noble guest at all」

「Right, it feels like there is another Al here」

「Wait a minute. What do you mean by that?」

I was bothered by Elna-kaasan’s words while sipping on my tea, so I reflexively asks.

To say that I’m the same as Viscount Dole, that’s strange, isn’t it?

「Aah, I think I know. They are exactly alike since they like to shut themselves inside their room and immersed in their strange hobby」

「Calling it ‘strange hobby’ is rude toward Viscount Dole and me」

I retort to Eleonora-neesan as she said that while putting her elbows on the table.

We are just enjoying our daily lives. It doesn’t matter whether we’re alone or inside our room. Don’t say that we’re like those weird shut-ins.

「They are the same in single-mindedly focusing on their hobbies. That’s probably why the two of them can be on good terms with each other」

Certainly, there is some truth in what Elna-kaasan said. There are differences in the scale compared with his love for dolls, my conversations with Viscount Dole are surprisingly harmonious.

It may come from our personality where we are enthusiastic about our hobbies.

「But, I wonder if it’s alright if we don’t show him around despite coming here from a long way?」

「It’s fine, isn’t it? And it looks like the person himself is doing what he likes anyway」

Eleonora-neesan resolutely cut off Sylvio-niisan’s question.

Well, if you saw his enthusiastic appearance yesterday, it will be better to let him do what he wants the most instead of forcing and taking him outside.

Aah, I wonder if I should behave like Viscount Dole back when we were at Eric’s mansion? I might have been able to avoid doing the troublesome training if I were to do that.

「It looks like he will be immersed in writing the script for the puppet show today, so let’s leave him alone for now. We can just take him outside when he wants to relax or after he’s done with his work」

「It is just as Nord says」

Since Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan have decided like that then there will be no problem. Let’s watch over Viscount Dole warmly.

Because of that, despite there being a guest in our mansion, our strange morning started normally.

I think I’m going to sort out the dolls Viscount Dole gave me again, I headed for the vacant room on the second floor.

There are a lot of adorable dolls inside the room as before.

The space really looks like a fairytale, but no one lives here. It will be a waste to just leave them all here, so I’ll sort some of them. Elna-kaasan also looks like she took a liking to the cushion-like softness of the dolls so she might take some.

Mina and Sara also have a brother and sister back in their parent’s house so I can also give them some of these dolls.

And after distributing them like that I can store the rest little by little with my Space magic.

Viscount Dole might ask about it if he notices that the dolls disappear while he stays in our mansion. I will store the dolls after he returned.

For now, let’s choose the dolls I want to put in my room.

There are a lot of familiar dolls such as pigs, horses, bears, and cows. There is also a Magic Beetle monster-like doll among them but, it was made a bit too real.

Maybe it’s because its legs are carefully made that the doll looks like an insect.

I guess this is also because of Viscount Dole’s love for dolls but, I wish he made this type of doll a little more deformed and cute.

As expected, I don’t think I’m gonna put this in my room.

Although, I can use this to place it next to someone who sleeps to surprise them.

Let’s store this with Space magic.

While I was looking for dolls and wondering if I can put them in my room, I found a mushroom-shaped doll.

This is certainly an Alkinoko (アルキノコ), a monster that moves by moving its legs.

They are not particularly dangerous, they will just release sneezing spores when they were about to be caught.

They taste light, but they are really large mushroom so it is often used as an edible ingredient for soup.

「Hmm, this guy is cute so it’s going to become a nice addition in decorating my room」

I’ll bring the Alkinoko doll to my room, so I’ll put this on the table so I can find it easily later.

As I continue sorting dolls that I liked like that, the door was suddenly knocked.

「U, um Alfried-sama! This is Tickle! May I come in?」

「Un, it’s fine」

After giving my permission, Tickle politely opens the door and enters the room.

「What is it? Did something happen to Viscount Dole?」

「No, umm that is, I would like for Alfried-sama to see how I control the doll.......」

Tickle timidly says when I asked her what happened.

I thought that it’s gonna be terrible if Viscount Dole were to start shouting or not coming out from the room again, but it looks like it was just my needless worry.

「Aah, manipulating the dolls, huh. Sure. I’ll show you so try moving them」

「Yes!」

「Though I said that, this place is filled with dolls, let’s go to my room」

There is a large number of dolls in this room, so there is too little space to walk around, so I move to my room with Tickle while bringing some of the dolls I sorted.

「Now then, I will borrow a doll for a while」

Saying that, I picked up a doll with the same shape as Knight but with a different color that I had taken from the vacant room before.

「Ah other than that, you should use Knight you trained with yesterday」

「Right. I have also become used to moving the same doll」

「There’s that, but Knight was adjusted so that it will be easier to move using Psychic」

「Adjusted?」

I strongly flick the bottom of Knight’s foot to show Tickle as she titled her head in confusion.

Then, a high-pitched sound of metal resounded.

「To make Knight able to stand without the help of Psychic and maintain its center of gravity, I equipped Knight with metal plates. It was heavier than other dolls, doesn’t it?」

「Aaah! No wonder it makes a heavy sound when it fell!」

It was my fault for modifying the doll Viscount Dole made as I please but, he would forgive me for doing that since it is to practice moving the doll......probably.

I was too scared to say anything about that yesterday.

「For now, why don’t you try moving it with that in mind」

「Yes, I will move it!」

Tickle then uses Psychic on Knight while I keep an eye on her.

Immediately after that, Knight - that was sitting on the floor - stood up as if it was being pulled.

I was surprised that there were no preliminary movements before the doll moved, but as expected, it is still impossible for the doll to stand up like a human with their feet on the ground, huh?

However, the doll is properly standing even despite the metal plates inside it. Compared to the sight of her being unable to make the doll stand yesterday, it’s definite progress.

「Then, try making it walk」

「Ye, yes」

After I tell her that, Tickle seriously nodded and use her magic power to move Knight.

Immediately after that, Knight tipped over as though his right leg had slipped and then he fell.

「Aahh!」

A complete failure.

「Uuhー, I can make it stand up, but I just can not make it take a step forward......」

「That’s right. You only paid too much attention to the doll’s legs when you try to make it walk, you didn’t keep the center of gravity in mind at all」

「Ah……」

The fall just now was because the magic power suddenly moved toward Knight’s right leg all at once, so the magic power that controlled the center of gravity in Knight’s body was gone.

It’s obvious he will fall if Knight lost his center of gravity and you made his right leg move at such a time.

「As I said a bit yesterday, it’s important to pay attention to controlling your magic power in multiple places when you manipulate the doll and you can’t just focus on a single part. You have to be conscious when you move its hands, feet, or its body to maintain its center of gravity」

「Al, all three of them at once!? I, I can only manipulate one at a single time with Psychic......」

「If it’s just a doll’s limbs, they have a small mass so it’s not that difficult to move them. So first, let us practice by accurately manipulating several things」

After explaining that to her, I take out wooden utensils like spoons and forks from the table drawer.

「Are they Alfried-sama’s?」

「Un, this is how you practice controlling things with Psychics」

I use Psychic on the tens of spoons and forks on both of my hands and make them float in midair.

I’ve done it so much that I can’t count how many times it’s been, so making these numbers float is no longer a problem for me. If it’s floating them like this then I guess would be able to make around a thousand of them float? Though I never tried them before so I’m not sure.

「A, amazing. You move tens of them at the same time」

「The first step to making a doll move is the most difficult. But, as long as you can cross over that hurdle, after that all you have to do is to do it again and again and then it will not be difficult to make the doll walk straight. That’s why for now, let’s practice how to take that first step, shall we?」

「Yes! Alfried-sama!」

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