To become a king and a magician

However, Aozaki Touko's hypothesis did indeed serve as a reminder to Natsukawa Torato that his physique was far too abnormal for a magician, especially considering that he had fused with a Heroic Spirit.

"Why don't you just not say it?" Ryougi Shiki, who had been silent until now, suddenly blurted out, "Just say that your constitution is something you were born with."

"That won't do. Advancing in rank requires research results. Innate talent is useless; you have to use what you've acquired to produce some valuable results."

"Magicians are so boring..."

"Feel the same."

Aozaki Touko downed her beer in one gulp, then stood up and stretched: "Well then, since my lovely disciple is in trouble, I, as her teacher, will do my best to help. Toratana, how about we give your initial idea a try?"

The initial idea?

Xia Chuanhu was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "Okay—no, wait, my puppetry skills are not mature enough. If I make it now, it may not meet my expected standards."

"That's why I'm here to help you. Writing a paper isn't just a student's responsibility. If students had to do it all themselves, what would be the point of having teachers?"

Reaching out and tapping Natsukawa Tora's head, Aozaki Touko smiled and said, "However, in return, you'll have to put my name on the paper you submit last."

29. My First Experience with Summoning Magic

Aozaki Touko's skill in making puppets is beyond question. Anyone who knows her would not doubt her skill level; on the contrary, they would praise her highly, believing that her skill level is enough to usher in a new era of puppet magic.

As her student, Natsukawa Torato shared this view. Therefore, he was overjoyed when Aozaki Touko offered to make him a doll. This meant that achieving his goal would be significantly easier, and she might even be able to create a doll that exceeded his expectations.

After all, no matter how much he studies and researches, he can never surpass Aozaki Touko in the field of dolls.

but--

"No, that won't work."

Three days later, looking at the sixty-second version of the doll design drawings that Natsukawa Tora showed her, Aozaki Touko sighed wearily.

"Kid, you really have absolutely no artistic talent. You dare call this elementary school-level sketch a doll design? Why don't you just start learning from the very basics of drawing?"

"I'm so sorry I can't draw!"

Because of Natsukawa Tora's dismal drawing skills, the process of making the doll is still stuck at the very first step.

Although Aozaki Touko was willing to assist, this was ultimately a research result needed for Natsukawa Torama's advancement to the priesthood, so the one in charge had to be Natsukawa Torama, and Aozaki Touko could at most play a supporting role.

Tossing the design, which looked no different from a primary school student's doodle, into the trash can, Aozaki Touko sighed helplessly: "At this rate, I don't know when we'll be able to start work... In the end, aren't you setting your expectations too high?"

"Huh? Really?"

"A personality program that can simulate any type, an artificial intelligence that can evolve on its own, a body that can change at any time according to needs... Besides doll-making technology, I think you should also learn alchemy."

"why?"

"You still ask why... Your statement, 'You can change your body's structure according to your wishes,' is clearly human transmutation, which is the realm of alchemy!"

Aozaki Touko sighed, "Speaking of which, if you actually made this doll, it would be more than enough to be used as material for advancement in color rank... This is truly an amazing idea of ​​yours."

Physical changes, self-evolution, personality simulation, advanced magical adaptability, mediumship traits...

Even for someone like Aozaki Touko, it would take a long time to create a doll that meets these requirements, not only due to technical issues but also due to material issues.

"You made this doll... You said you made dolls to satisfy men's desires, right? What exactly are those desires?"

"Well, satisfying my own desires is indeed the main reason, but another reason is because of another kind of magic I'm learning." After thinking for a moment, Natsukawa Tora decided to tell the whole story. "I killed a Dead Apostle before and inherited his legacy. In his legacy, I came into contact with a special kind of spirit summoning technique that he created. It seems to be named [Summoning Magic]."

Summoning magic?

Aozaki Touko frowned: "What kind of magic trick is that?"

"Specifically, it involves opening a rift to the inner world, which is the fairy realm, summoning the fairies there, and fusing them with a prepared magic catalyst to create a fairy mutant."

"Wow... there's such magic? Indeed, it's similar to spirit summoning in nature. But it's a fairy... the Dead Apostle who created this magic system was quite daring—can you do it?"

That's a very direct question.

After a moment of silence, Xia Chuanhu raised his hand and gestured: "I know a little bit... I have a pretty good understanding of the theoretical knowledge, but I haven't had any practical experience yet, since I haven't had many opportunities."

"How about we try it now?" Aozaki Touko suggested. "As for the location, let's choose the outskirts. There aren't many people there anyway, and if I set up a barrier, we won't be disturbed at all. Even if there are any problems, you and I can solve them immediately."

"It's possible... but magic catalyst is a problem."

Fairies are a type of Star Touch, a natural phenomenon, while fairy mutants are products of distorted forms. If not fixed with a magic catalyst, they will quickly be corrected and disappear. The longer a fairy mutant exists, the more it wears down the magic catalyst used for fixing it.

One of the most important reasons why Natsukawa Torato has never practiced summoning magic is that he cannot produce a magic catalyst that meets the required standards.

“Catalyst… Ah, so that’s why you’re planning to make dolls.”

Aozaki Touko then understood Natsukawa Tora's thoughts.

If the doll is of exceptionally high strength, it can indeed be used as a catalyst for summoning magic, since dolls themselves are made from various magical materials. Furthermore, once the doll-making method is understood, a re-enactment device can be used to create dolls that meet the requirements, regardless of cost.

Similarly, because the re-enactment device is essentially made of the Philosopher's Stone, it can immediately replicate and compensate for any wear and tear.

A perfect vessel for summoning magic.

In addition, because he designs the dolls' appearance entirely, he can create dolls that conform to all his sexual orientations.

Are you planning to create a doll wife for yourself?

"What—how did you know?!"

"You've said so much already, you can probably guess the rest with a little guessing, right?" Aozaki Touko laughed. "That explains why you've never thought about finding a girlfriend. Well, if you create one yourself, you can create a 'girlfriend' that you'll be absolutely satisfied with."

"Not entirely."

Taking out the replay device from his pocket, Natsukawa Torama stared at it and said in a deep voice, "The reason I have this idea is... well, it's just that I want to satisfy myself, like those otaku who call anime characters their wives."

"Hey~~~ So the reason you don't have a girlfriend is still—"

"I already said I didn't have that idea until Grey is independent!"

With a slightly flushed face, Natsukawa Torara interrupted Aozaki Touko's teasing and put away the re-enactment device: "So, shall we give it a try? Summoning magic, although I'm not really confident about it myself."

"Hmm. I can prepare the magic catalyst for you, but you'll have to pay me back if you break it."

"I've already been working for you for free, teacher, please have some decency."

30. Research on Summoning Magic

View the outskirts of Buzi City.

After looking around, Aozaki Touko said to Natsukawa Tora, "Alright, this should be fine. Let's begin, young man."

"Let me ask something first."

Natsukawa Tora turned to look at Ryougi Shiki and Grey.

"Grey is one thing, but why are you here too, Shiki?"

"Any objections?" Ryougi Shiki glared at him. "I'm just observing. I find it somewhat interesting. I won't bother you."

Your presence here is already bothering me.

Suppressing a strange sense of shame, Natsukawa Tora sighed softly and took out a piece of bone—the magic catalyst that Aozaki Touko had prepared for him—from his backpack.

According to Aozaki Touko, she scraped it off from an ancient species in the North Sea during her travels. Since she couldn't figure out what to do with it, and it was too small to make a doll, she had kept it unused.

(An ancient species from the North Sea...did you get it during your adventure with the Golden Wolf Lug?)

Speaking of which, that golden wolf fantasy named Beowulf seems to have stayed in Misaki City after the Witcher Night storyline ended. I wonder how it is now, ten years later.

(If I could, I'd also like to have a fantasy creature as my familiar.)

Thinking this, Natsukawa Tora took out chalk from his backpack and drew the magic circle he had memorized long ago on the ground.

"Do we need to draw a magic circle?"

"After all, this is actually a kind of ritual. But once it's made into a doll, I can engrave the magic circle into the doll's body, so I don't have to redraw it every time."

"How many functions are you planning to install on that doll?"

After making a weak comment, Aozaki Touko began to examine the magic circle of the summoning magic.

(It's basically the same type, but with some modifications... Oh, a substitution magic? The substitution between the present world and the underworld, thereby opening a narrow slit to the inner world—a pretty good idea.)

The drawing of the magic circle didn't take much time. After finishing the last stroke, Natsukawa Tiger stood in the center of the magic circle with the ancient bone in his hand and began to chant the incantation he knew by heart.

"The fairy who exists in the other world, in the name of Natsukawa Torato, once again extends an invitation to you, sincerely inviting you to come to the edge of the star."

“Element one, earth. Element two, bones. Element three, twilight.”

"Resurrected from the underground, returning from the land of the dead to the mortal world—Fairy Summoning."

The moment the last syllable of the incantation fell, the magic circle burst forth with a bewitching red light, and the solid earth instantly transformed into a crystal-clear plane, as if it were the surface of water. Multicolored light gradually spread from the other side of the plane to this side.

This is the gate through the Sea of ​​Stars.

The next moment, whether it was an illusion or something else, Aozaki Touko and the others heard a clear, bell-like laugh.

(This voice is...)

(Like a little kid...)

(A fairy?)

Just then, countless yellowish-brown specks of light rose from below the plane, wrapping around the bone in Xia Chuanhu's palm like arms, and quickly dragging it below the plane.

Then—

"Bang------!"

The earth suddenly split open, and a tan figure nimbly flipped several times in the air before landing in front of Xia Chuanhu.

It was a giant wolf, almost the same size as Natsukawa Tiger, whose entire body was made of rock and shimmered with a golden light.

"Ugh..."

Aozaki Touko's face immediately fell the moment she saw the wolf.

(Why does it look just like Beo...? Is it because Beo smashed that bone, and some of its magic remains on it...? Damn, it brings back bad memories.)

After scratching her head hard to clear her mind, Aozaki Touko finally calmed down and began to observe the stone wolf.

(This is the product of summoning magic, a fairy mutant. I see, it does indeed have similarities to Beo, possessing the characteristics of a fantasy species. Because it mutated from a fairy...)

In terms of mystical level, this stone wolf should completely surpass modern magic. Although its combat power is probably unimaginable, there is no doubt that it is a highly mysterious manifestation and the nemesis of modern magicians.

While Aozaki Touko was observing the Stone Wolf, Natsukawa Tora, as the summoner, sensed something even more.