Does a Doll Deserve to Live a Happy Life? (Patreon)

Chapter 42: The Beginning of the Grand Order

I waited patiently as Mash let out a small gasp and held her chin as if thinking about how to answer.

“Let’s see… I was indeed looking for him. He got my attention earlier and led me here, you see.” Mash said softly with a demure expression before looking down at the ground.

“As for who I am… not someone whose name is worth mentioning… or something.” She continued somewhat awkwardly.

“You don’t have a name?” I asked curiously, tilting my head.

Of course, I knew for a fact that she did, but judging by her mannerisms, she seemed to have extremely low self-esteem for some reason.

‘Just like I did when I was a homunculus and lying sick in a hospital bed,’ I thought silently, my gaze softening as I felt a strange sense of kinship with the girl despite only just meeting her.

“I-I mean, I have a name. But I don’t often get the chance to say it, which means I don’t get to make an impressive self-introduction.” Mash rambled somewhat cutely with a hand on her chin.

“Well, Miss Stranger, if it’s not too much trouble, I would very much like to know your name, if you don’t mind. As I said earlier, my name is Sieg, one of the new Master candidates.” I said with a calm smile, pointing to myself before extending my hand in greeting.

Mash hesitated for a second.

That was when Fou chose that exact moment to hop off my lap, jump onto Mash’s shoulder, and lick her cheek as if encouraging her.

Mash blinked in surprise and looked at Fou for a moment before fidgeting slightly. Then, slowly, she extended her hand toward mine.

I quickly shook it before she could lose her nerve. Her grip was gentle, but firm.

“I-I’m Mash. Mash Kyrielight.” She finally said shyly.

When I let go of her hand, she stared down at it for a moment, almost as if wondering about the sensation.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mash. You wouldn’t happen to know your way around this building, would you? I’m afraid I might be a bit lost if I’m being honest. I’d really appreciate it if you could show me where I can get something to drink. I’m feeling a bit parched.” I said as I stretched my arms, hearing my back pop in satisfaction.

Right at that moment, my stomach let out a small but very noticeable grumble.

“…Hehe. Seems I might need a snack too. I didn’t eat much on the plane, and the staff didn’t really let me eat anything before they ran all those tests.” I admitted sheepishly while scratching the back of my head.

Mash blinked at me before nodding, her nervous demeanor relaxing slightly.

“Yes. Please follow me.” She said politely as she gestured down the corridor.

I nodded gratefully and stood up, only to flinch slightly as Fou suddenly leaped from Mash’s shoulder and landed squarely on my head, settling there comfortably and using my nose as a stepping stone.

“It seems Fou has taken a liking to you, Senpai. He rarely approaches anyone except for me. Congratulations, you’ve just become Fou’s second attendant in Chaldea.” Mash said as she looked at me while we walked side by side.

“Thank you… and Senpai?” I asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

“Everyone is a Senpai to me.” Mash replied while waving her hand slightly.

And just like that, the ice between us was broken.

We talked on the way to a break room about Chaldea and various other things.

For the most part, I stayed quiet and only made a few comments here and there, content to let Mash take the lead. While listening, I couldn’t help but notice something about her.

She seemed… lonely.

Like someone who rarely had the chance to talk to anyone. If anything, it only reaffirmed my decision about protecting her and making sure she lived a full life.

Before we knew it, about half an hour had passed. During that time we had reached the break room, where I finally had the chance to satisfy my thirst and hunger for a while. We hadn’t stopped talking during it either, which I didn’t mind, Mash was a pleasure to talk to.

Eventually, however, I realized that if I didn’t hurry, I would be late for the briefing on the Master candidates. I turned toward Mash.

“Mash, I’m sorry to cut our conversation short, but could I trouble you again to guide me to the briefing for the Master candidates? I was having so much fun talking with you that I almost forgot.” I said with a nervous smile.

Mash seemed to blush slightly at my words, though she quickly recovered and nodded.

“Of course, Senpai. As a matter of fact, I’m also supposed to attend that meeting. Please follow me.”

“Thanks again. You’re a lifesaver.” I smiled as we stood up.

Just as we were about to leave the break room, the automatic door slid open and a man dressed in green with long brown hair and a top hat walked in.

The moment I saw him, I almost froze.

It took everything in my willpower to remain calm and not immediately summon Balmung and take his head off. It was only thanks to Stress Defense that I managed to keep myself under control.

“Mash. So this is where you were. The briefing on the Master candidates is about to begin. Come quickly to the control room,” he said as he approached us before stopping in front of us.

“Oh? Who are you?”

Lev Lainur Flauros, otherwise known as Demon God Flauros, looked at me curiously with his eyes closed before fiddling with a device on his wrist that pulled up my information.

“Number 48… Sieg Schneider. Oh, one of the common recruits.” He said casually, though his body language made it clear he had instantly lost interest in me.

“Please don’t be disappointed. All of you are necessary for this mission,” Lev added calmly, as if reassuring me that being a commoner wasn’t a problem.

I simply nodded politely, preferring to remain silent while mentally relaxing.

It seemed my defenses and disguise were working. At the very least, I didn’t currently have a Demon God trying to kill me so soon after arriving.

Since I didn’t have a last name, the girls and I had come up with one. We eventually settled on Schneider since it fit my first name well and rolled off the tongue nicely. Because red eyes were uncommon among humans and mages, and more often associated with homunculi, which I had once been, I had also changed them to a bright green for the time being with the use of my Appearance Change perk.

Even so, my instincts as a Campione were screaming at me to slay the abomination standing before me, which I was thankfully able to rein in after spending so much time with Tamamo who had a high rank in Divinity.

Mash’s presence also helped immensely in keeping my cool. I didn’t want to put her in danger.

“I’m Lev Lainur. One of the engineers here.” Lev introduced himself, tipping his top hat slightly.

“Hello, sir.” I replied respectfully, nodding my head and saying nothing more.

“By the way, shouldn’t you be going as well?” Lev asked, still playing the role of the friendly professor.

“Yes. Mash was just about to show me the way actually.” I nodded, gesturing toward Mash beside me, who confirmed it with a small nod.

“Good. If you’re late, the director will glare at you for an entire year,” Lev said in an attempt at humor.

“Thanks for the warning.” I nodded again before turning to Mash. “Well, Mash, should we hurry? I’d rather not get on the director’s bad side.”

Mash nodded quickly and grabbed my wrist before breaking into a light run, with me keeping pace beside her.

Just as I was about to relax after leaving that thing behind…

…it decided to follow us, quickly catching up.

Damn it… there goes my plan to have as little contact with him as possible.

After running for a bit, Mash eventually led me to an elevator. We all stepped inside, where the thing behind us, whom I was trying my best to ignore, decided to make his presence known again.

“It’s unusual for you to become involved with someone, Mash,” Lev commented lightly as he looked at her from the corner of his closed eyes. “What do you find so appealing about him?”

Mash turned to look at me silently for a moment before lowering her gaze again and answering while I watched her curiously.

“Senpai is… human,” Mash said softly.

Lev let out a curious sound while I raised an eyebrow.

“Let me revise that. To be exact, he seems human. I have a feeling that all the people here are a little different,” Mash continued, explaining herself further.

Unknowingly, she struck a soft spot within me.

‘Human, huh?’ I thought silently.

That assumption was objectively wrong. At the moment, I was a dragon capable of taking human shape. Even in my previous lives, my only experience of being human had been limited to spending most of my life confined to a hospital bed before dying and being given a second chance. I didn’t even want to mention my time as a homunculus for obvious reasons.

For Mash to call me human… it hit a sore spot.

It was the first time someone had called me that since I reincarnated.

It told me that even after I had left humanity behind and became so strong that it was unfathomable for my past selves to even comprehend, this innocent girl still saw something human in me.

…I was right. I must protect this girl at all costs.

My resolve hardened as I silently looked back at her beautiful violet eyes.

I was so distracted by her words that I completely missed whatever that thing behind us said. I only snapped out of it when the elevator opened up and I caught my first glimpse of a massive machine in the distance.

After that, no more conversation followed.

We soon reached the control room, and after finding my assigned seat, I finally saw Olga Marie Animusphere for the first time.

She was beautiful, like most of the women I had encountered in the Nasuverse really, with long white hair, golden-amber eyes and a curvy figure.

I listened calmly with my eyes closed as she explained why we were here and other important details. At the same time, I did my best to remain perfectly still.

Ever since the briefing began, I had felt Lev’s gaze on my back.

Since I had never played or watched the Grand Order timeline and only knew key events thanks to the Refresh Your Brain perk, I had no idea that sitting there with my eyes closed, as if asleep, would draw Olga’s attention.

Hearing rapid footsteps approaching, I finally opened my eyes.

Standing in front of me was a furious Olga Marie, holding the same device Lev had used earlier with my information already displayed.

I blinked at her curiously as she muttered my data.

“Number 48… Commoner’s block.”

After finishing her inspection, Olga suddenly leaned forward and forcefully grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of my seat.

“W-What’s going on? Did I do something wrong, Director?” I asked, genuinely confused.

My question only seemed to infuriate her further.

Without another word, she all but shoved me out of the room before slamming the door in my face.

I stood there in stunned silence.

“…What the hell just happened?” I muttered in disbelief.

A moment later, the doors slid open again. I looked up, hoping to see the Director again.

Instead, Mash stepped out with a sympathetic smile.

“Senpai, you’ve been excluded from the first mission. I’ll take you to your room,” Mash explained patiently.

“B-But what did I do wrong?” I asked, still completely confused.

Even so, I followed her as she led me down the hallway toward what was presumably my room.

As we walked, Mash and I continued talking. I eventually explained my point of view to her, and she listened with understanding before going into some detail about Olga and all the pressure she was under.

As we passed one of the large windows overlooking the outside, we both slowed to a stop.

Mash looked out through the glass and commented about how even though we were so high up in the air, the blue sky was not visible from here, her voice carrying a melancholic tone as if it were something distant and unreachable.

I quietly stored that small detail away in the back of my mind.

After that, we continued walking.

When Mash asked if I would be staying in Chaldea, I immediately gave a positive answer, earning a surprised blink and a small smile from her.

Before long, we finally reached the dormitories and stopped in front of what would now be my room.

“This is your room, Senpai,” Mash said softly.

“Thank you for everything, Mash. I mean it,” I replied with a small smile, holding back the urge to pat her on the head for the moment.

“Not at all,” Mash said humbly.

“Well, I’m guessing you’ll be participating in the mission, right?” I asked, feeling a faint knot of worry form in my stomach.

“Yes.”

Based on my limited knowledge, this would be the moment when Lev finally revealed himself and sabotaged Chaldea.

Mash would be fatally injured during the incident and would have died if Galahad hadn’t intervened.

Olga’s body would also be destroyed, her soul somehow Rayshifting into the Singularity… where only a cruel fate awaited her.

My fists tightened silently.

Finally giving in to the urge, I reached out and gently patted Mash on the head.

She immediately blushed and let out a small squeak.

“S-Senpai?” she asked, looking up at me with an embarrassed expression.

Grinning at her reaction, I spoke clearly.

“Please be careful, Mash. Let’s talk again over some snacks when you return, alright?”

“Y-Yes… I-If you’ll excuse me.” Mash replied shyly, still blushing as she hurried off down the hallway.

I watched her retreating figure until she disappeared around the corner before letting out a quiet sigh.

Don’t worry, Mash. You won’t be dying today. Not you… or the Director, even if she didn’t give me the best first impression.

With that thought, I finally opened the door to my room—

—and blinked.

Standing inside was the human reincarnation of King Solomon himself: Romani Archaman, who stared at me in surprise while halfway through taking a bite of cake.

Smiling pleasantly at the man, I closed the door behind me and stepped inside, raising a hand in greeting.

“Hello there. My name is Sieg.”

=====

After he recovered from the surprise of finding me in the room, Romani and I began chatting.

We quickly bonded over our shared experience of crossing the Director’s temper, and he even shared some of his cake with me while serving a cup of coffee.

He was an interesting man, and I found myself enjoying his presence. He seemed like a genuinely relaxed and friendly person.

While we were talking, Romani suddenly received a call on his communicator.

It was Lev.

He told Romani to head toward the mission area before ending the call.

Knowing it was nothing more than a ploy to lure him into danger, I kept the conversation going, successfully distracting him for a while longer.

But sooner or later…

…the moment finally arrived.

A distant explosion shook the facility.

The lights flickered and went out for a few seconds before returning as alarms began blaring throughout Chaldea.

The disaster had begun.

The instant it happened, I was already sprinting out the door, barely hearing what Romani tried to say behind me.

Hang in there, Mash…

I’m coming.