The Puppet and the Puppet Master

Flames rose from the charred firewood, their scarlet tongues greedily licking at the succulent meat dripping above.

Under the intense heat, the crimson veins of life faded, transforming into lifeless grey, yet simultaneously, an enticing aroma wafted forth, permeating the nostrils of those waiting.

A delicate shower of salt descended, blending into the roasting meat where oils already began to seep from the branches, imparting a golden hue.

“Ah… what a wonderful scent, wouldn’t you agree, Rao?”

Hiss-whinny!

“Don’t rush, don’t rush… it’s still raw inside. You’ll eat later, alright? Be a good boy, just a little longer…”

Her pale face flushed crimson in the firelight, the doll offered a gentle smile to the dark creature beside her, soothing his impatience.

Hiss-whinny-whinny…

Rao snorted, then settled down beside the cloaked figure, tilting his head to fix his large equine eyes on the tender rabbit meat, rotating on the branch above the flames.

“You, a horse, should be content with grass, yet you’ve developed a taste for meat…”

Neigh!

“I know, I know. You’re a descendant of noble nightmare steeds, a bloodthirsty berserker mount.”

A cool hand stroked the warhorse’s long cheek, the doll praising the proud, head-raised Rao with a smile.

“Oh, the meat’s ready so soon? This is yours.”

With a flick of her empty hand, the doll produced two exquisite porcelain plates, one large and one small.

She removed the rabbit meat from the branch, cut a small piece for her own plate with a knife, and placed the rest onto Rao’s large platter.

“Eat slowly, there’s no rush…”

A small silver fork carried a tender strip of meat to her equally small mouth.

Sally chewed leisurely as she spoke, urging the clumsily eating black horse to slow down, lest its sensitive tongue get burned.

‘Ha, a creature whose ancestors were wreathed in flames now has a sensitive tongue? One truly has to marvel at the strangeness of evolution…’

Shaking her head to suppress an inexplicable smile, the doll watched the dancing flames, her scattered thoughts drifting to the mansion deep within the Yoiz Deep Forest.

‘Adolf mentioned three new wolf pups have joined the pack…’

‘Frida said humans have been appearing more frequently in the deep forest recently…’

‘Ahen reported that some of the younger wolves are restless again, eager to explore the outside world…’

‘Hegel said… he misses my small cakes again?’

‘Alas, that glutton certainly follows his heart with unusual devotion.’

‘Perhaps I should go back and visit? After all, there’s a reception teleportation array in the mansion. And my recent plan to have my main body descend hasn’t made much progress. In fact, it even burdened me with this troublesome ‘Face of Allure’ status…’

The thought of this body’s constant ‘Face of Allure’ status brought a wry smile to Sally’s lips.

This status stemmed from the previous failed attempt to forcibly descend using “Requiem” and “Nightmare Domain.”

The original intention was to use the doll’s body as a vessel.

That way, even if the attempt failed, it wouldn’t harm the doll, which was already devoid of consciousness and exceptionally robust.

Furthermore, a slight assimilation would even strengthen the doll’s body, explaining why favored ones who repeatedly received divine power were universally powerful when gods still existed.

However, what Sally hadn’t anticipated was that, although the doll’s magical power had increased significantly after the failed attempt, and she could even access her main body’s imaginary space, the expected ‘Demonic Might’ had subtly transformed into the charm-boosting ‘Face of Allure.’

Worse, it was a permanent version—impossible to cancel!

This rendered her already exquisite face even more inseparable from her hood.

‘Am I truly destined to wear a mask from now on? How troublesome…’

The doll, troubled, smoothed a stray wisp of hair at her temple, ruffled by the night breeze.

As she recalled the fervent human males, the meat in her mouth suddenly lost its appeal.

‘Heh… I, known for slaughter, never imagined a day would come when I’d be subjected to others’ desires because of my appearance.’

‘Hmm? This feeling is…’

Swiftly finishing the meat on her plate, the doll put away the dishes, which despite having held food, were as clean as new.

“Rao, eat quickly. It seems we’ll have a guest soon.”

The black warhorse rolled its eyes in a human-like gesture, as if silently protesting its master’s contradictory and unreasonable demands.

Yet, ultimately, it obeyed, accelerating its meal.

Moments after putting away the large platter, Sally gracefully rose, her gaze fixed on a spot in the darkness.

In her palms, magical energy began to ripple and intertwine, silently sketching one miniature magic array after another, each with distinct colors and ring patterns.

From beneath the black robe, its hem fluttering with the surge of magic, a clear and ethereal voice emerged.

“You’ve been following us all day, haven’t you, esteemed guest? Why the late-night visit now? Disrupting someone’s meal, you know, is quite impolite…”

“So I’ve been discovered… My apologies for the intrusion.”

From the deep darkness of the night, a young man slowly emerged.

Dressed in a linen robe, he had slightly curly golden hair and a slender physique, and he was smiling warmly at Sally.

Sally frowned. “Cease your intrusive spells, unknown mage. While they pose no harm to me, they are nonetheless unpleasant.”

“My deepest apologies, but you understand that encountering an ancient being like yourself, proper scrutiny is a form of self-preservation when one is unfamiliar. Are your own spells not similar?”

The young man shrugged, still smiling, and dispelled the magic that had annoyed Sally.

Concurrently, the glowing magical radiance in the doll’s hands gradually subsided.

The doll raised an eyebrow.

“I also didn’t expect to encounter someone from a millennium ago here. Won’t you introduce yourself, mage?”

“Well… alright. You may call me Luo Zhen. I am not quite a mage, merely a puppeteer who studies alchemy.”

Having spoken, Luo Zhen, who claimed to be a puppeteer, bent his knees slightly, leaned forward, and crossed his arms over his chest, performing a stiff yet standard mage’s bow.

‘A puppeteer? No wonder I felt a slight unease… and beneath that outwardly warm appearance, weathered by a thousand years, lies a soul brimming with fanaticism…’

“Luo Zhen? I haven’t heard the name…”

“I am but a humble, unknown individual engrossed in the art of puppetry. It’s only natural you haven’t heard of me.”

“Heh, my name is Sally. I suppose I’m a Magic Swordsman? Unfortunately, I am also an unknown.”

Beneath her hood, her delicate face revealed a smile devoid of warmth.

“It seems I was presumptuous… My apologies. However, I refuse to believe someone capable of wielding Pale Calamity Flames is an unknown. And there’s that corrupted, yet sweet, aura about you…”

“Then what exactly are you trying to say?”

The smile on the doll’s face grew even colder.

“The fusion of incredibly profound alchemical techniques with Purgatorial Revival theory, the perfect combination of flesh and demonic sacred wood… and that meticulous craftsmanship, the exceptional magical conductivity. Most perfect of all is the soul, completely harmonious with the body! It’s simply too, too perfect!”

The smiling golden-haired youth suddenly dropped his gentle facade, revealing a somewhat deranged grin.

He abruptly spread his arms as if embracing the doll not far opposite him, his face displaying a look of utter intoxication.

“Am I not right? Miss Alchemical Doll with self-awareness!”

The doll took a step sideways, evading the puppeteer’s obsessive, fervent gaze.

“Mind your words, Puppeteer Luo Zhen.”

“Oh, my apologies, my apologies. I am truly sorry, I lost my composure. It’s just that you are so incredibly perfect… I couldn’t help myself…”

Luo Zhen shook his head, and the clarity returned to his gaze as he looked at Sally.

“I once yearned to create the most perfect doll… Alice. In my imagination, she possessed the most exceptional body, the most flawless countenance, the purest soul… She was so perfect; she would undoubtedly be the most outstanding doll in history! She would surely shatter the perceptions of all puppeteers! …But in the end, I failed.”

The golden-haired youth’s eyes were empty, like an abyss after all hope had been shattered.

“But I never imagined that in such a crude tavern, fate would lead me to you—the most perfect Doll Princess I have ever seen.”

“So?”

Raising an eyebrow, Sally questioned, once again avoiding his overly elaborate bow.

‘To think that after finally encountering someone who, like myself, has traversed the long river of time, they would turn out to be a fanatical zealot. What’s worse is that he’s a doll-lover! While this might be due to a human’s fragile soul gradually deteriorating over a thousand years… ah… I should just send him away quickly and continue my journey!’

“Therefore, please accept my fervent love! Marry me!”

A flash of light in Luo Zhen’s hand instantly produced a large bouquet of crimson roses, which he then presented, kneeling, to the utterly stunned doll.

“Huh?!”