Chapter 72 – Age

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I was clutching my head, feeling utterly defeated by the sudden two-step downgrade in completion level, when Yuika asked with a puzzled voice.

“Mari? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“Well, that’s…”

I explained the whole story, filled with unfairness, and Yuika stroked my hair, saying.

“The judgment is too harsh. It’s not like you made it with the help of a skill.”

“That’s what I’m saying…!”

Besides, crafting a ball-jointed doll was a skill that only unlocked at Handicraft Level 3.

I completed it without using such a skill, shouldn’t I get bonus points instead of a penalty?

As I grumbled with dissatisfaction, Miao asked with a playful voice.

“By the way, there’s even a skill called Handicraft?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. Just level 1 though…”

“That’s amazing. I’ve made so many clothes for people, but I never got a Handicraft skill. Is it because you’re a Doll Master?”

“Um… maybe that’s it? I’ve had it from the start…”

It wasn’t a unique skill, but having it from the beginning as a general skill meant it was closely related to a unique skill. In fact, the doll-making skills available varied depending on the Handicraft level.

“Is it like the Mana Sense skill that mages get by default? It’s a bit intriguing. Would I get it if I made dolls too?”

“I-I’m not sure about that.”

“Then, what’s changed since you got the Handicraft skill?”

Changed? I crossed my arms and fell into thought.

What was I like before I got the Handicraft skill, before I was summoned here? I was just holed up in my room playing games, so all I could think of was running dungeons.

Thinking back to when I was facing boss monsters… I had perfectly memorized the patterns in my head, but I often died due to control mistakes.

I had plenty of time, so I kept trying until I beat them, but if you called that control skill handicraft, it was pretty hopeless.

So, if I had the Handicraft skill now and tried those boss battles again… ah.

“I don’t know.”

Even if I wanted to simulate it, I couldn’t remember what the boss battle patterns were like. It’s been two months since I quit gaming, so it’d be weird if I remembered.

As I scratched my cheek and answered, Miao burst into laughter.

“Well, I figured that’d be the case since you were thinking so long. But since most people with skills feel at least a little change from before, you’ve definitely gotten better at handicraft than before.”

“…Is this what ‘better’ looks like, though?”

“Haha…”

Muttering as I glanced at the halved Doll 505, Miao, feeling guilty, gave an awkward laugh and avoided my gaze. Yuika, who was also giving a soulless laugh, said in a slightly urgent voice.

“Ha-haha… well, now that you’ve finished a new doll, why don’t you try moving it around?”

“Yeah, yeah! It’s a completely new type of doll. You’ve made it, so now it’s time to move it!”

“Okay.”

It was obvious that they were both trying to change the subject, but I obediently followed along. I still felt a bit resentful, but I wasn’t one to be harsh on someone who felt sorry.

I took out the other Doll 505 from my inventory, extracted the core, and put it back in. Then, I separated the body of the ball-jointed doll, or rather, the one that would become the new Doll 505.

I placed the core in the empty space at the top of the joint sphere that served as the spine, reassembled it, and took a long breath.

“…Okay, I’ll activate it.”

I said in a serious voice, devoid of any laughter, and both of them nodded with serious expressions.

As I poured mana into the slightly outstretched hand, a bluish thread burrowed into Doll 505’s body.

“…!”

The moment it connected to the core, I felt that it was different from usual. And that feeling grew stronger as the mana threads, spewing out from the activated core, spread throughout the doll.

I held my breath and raised the doll. Instead of supporting itself on the ground like usual, it pulled its knees to its chest as far as possible from a lying position, then sprang up like a spring.

“Oh…”

Miao let out a sigh of admiration at the dynamic awakening. But I was the most surprised of all.

It can stand up without even using its hands? And so smoothly without a single creak?!

I couldn’t believe it, so I moved Doll 505 a bit more.

Throwing jabs with a balled fist, jumping in place, even doing a somersault.

“Wow. It really moves like a person.”

“More than that, it doesn’t have joint spheres in its hands, so how does it make a fist…?”

The two of them admired Doll 505’s movements, which were executed very smoothly.

And I was no different from them. No, I was even more surprised because I was directly experiencing the change.

When I controlled the (old) Doll 505, there was a frustrating aspect to it. Since its appearance was what it was, it couldn’t perform a variety of movements, and because of that, it felt like I was controlling it with a stiff joystick. But the (new) Doll 505 was completely different.

It was like a brand-new joystick that had been well-oiled and moved smoothly. I couldn’t believe it even as I was controlling it, so I kept controlling it to see how far it could go, but there were almost no impossible movements.

Seeing the (new) Doll 505 effortlessly pull off poses that felt acrobatic to the extent that I knew, a sigh of admiration finally escaped me.

“Wow…”

All I could think was that what I had been controlling until now wasn’t a doll, but just a piece of wood.

“You have a really satisfied expression on your face. Do you like it that much?”

“Yes! Thank you, Miao!”

Did I like it? That was obvious.

Feeling the lingering resentment wash away, I expressed my gratitude, and Miao smiled contentedly.

“Then, while you’re thanking me, why don’t you call me ‘Unnie’ once?”

“Huh? Ah, that, that’s…”

Unnie. I could call her Noona, but Unnie felt a bit…

But when I thought about it carefully, it wasn’t that difficult. It was even easier when I thought about what I was able to do thanks to Miao.

Besides, it wasn’t like I had to keep calling her that, she was just asking me to do it once, so there was no reason I couldn’t.

I just had to endure the embarrassment for a moment. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened my mouth.

“U, U, U-Unnie…”

“…Could you say it with my name in front?”

“Huh? Ah, um, Miao, Miao Unnie…!”

My face was burning up. As I was cooling my hot cheeks with the back of my hand, Miao nodded.

“Mmm, hearing ‘Miao Unnie’ from Mari isn’t bad. Keep calling me that from now on.”

“Wh, what?! But you said just once…”

“Once a Unnie, always a Unnie. So, from now on, call me Unnie, Mari, my little sister.”

“Where does that even come from, Yuika—!?”

I was about to protest against the absurd tyranny, but Yuika’s arm wrapped around my body.

I tilted my head with a puzzled expression to look at Yuika, but somehow I felt like there was a shadow cast over the smile she was giving me.

“Mari.”

“Ye-Yes…?”

What, what is it? Did I do something wrong? Why is she calling my name in the voice she uses when she’s angry…?

As I was panicking, Yuika pointed to herself and said,

“Yuika, Unnie.”

“Huh?”

“Yuika, U-nnie.”

“Y-Yuika Unnie…”

Pressed by an unknown sense of pressure, I obediently answered, and Yuika gave me an even deeper smile and stroked my head.

“Good job.”

Good girl, good girl—I was stiff as a board from the hand stroking my head, and Miao chuckled and said.

“Aren’t you being too hard on the kid? Look, Mari’s scared.”

“You’re the one being too hard, Miao. I haven’t even been called ‘Unnie’ by Mari yet, but you just had to…!”

“What’s wrong with that? I’m probably older than both of you. Why don’t you call me ‘Unnie’ too, Yuika?”

“Eh?”

Yuika, who had been indignant, widened her eyes as if she hadn’t even thought of that. Regardless, Miao moved closer and wagged her tail.

“Come on, try it. Say, ‘Miao Unnie’—and.”

“W-Wait a minute! You’ve never even told us how old you are, Miao! How can you be so sure that you’re older than me… huh? Wait, you want me to put my ear close?”

Yuika, with a puzzled expression at Miao’s gesture, slowly brought her ear closer.

She heard a whispering sound, and Yuika, with trembling eyes, asked after hearing the age.

“Excuse me, if it’s not too rude, how old is the younger sibling you were talking about earlier…?”

“I think she was 10 years old?”

“…She must have been a very late child. Unnie…”

“Hehe.”

I tilted my head, seeing Yuika with an expression that understood why she was fond of her, and Miao with a meaningful smile.

I had no idea how old Miao was to elicit such a reaction.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading today!

A woman’s age… is her biggest secret…!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
In case you don’t know:
Noona = the way a male refers to an older sister
Unnie = the way a female refers to an older sister

As for why this isn’t a footnote, well I got too lazy, and it fattens up the notes.

Oh yeah, in the noob cat’s case, a Christmas cake in reality.

Google the meaning if you need to, who knows, maybe you’re one too!

Because Kat sure is one.

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