OCOB 35

Chapter : 35

“…A mannequin?”

Rather, it was closer to a ball-jointed doll.

Its height was similar to mine, but there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about its appearance.
If anything stood out… the outside was semi-transparent while the inside was completely clear?
And yet its surface looked extremely smooth. Judging by how the light refracted inside the doll, the material was definitely different from the outer layer.

I carefully poked the doll.

“…Oh.”

It felt like touching a slime filled with water. Moist and squishy. Soft, too.

Everything Hugh said was true!

Fascinated, I started touching the ball-jointed doll openly, like a child playing with sensory toys, kneading its arms over and over.
I really liked the cool, soft texture.

After playing with it for quite a while, I turned toward Millun.

“Millun, what is this? Did you make this too?”

“Who else would have made it?”

“Wow…! I didn’t know you could make something like this!”

“There is nothing impossible for me. If I have the materials, I can make anything.”

Millun lifted his nose proudly. He even looked quite satisfied with my reaction.

He stretched his arm between me and the doll, separating us.

“That’s enough touching. Now listen to the explanation.”

“Oh, you’re actually explaining this one?”

“You absolutely cannot use it without instructions.”

“Ahh.”

He gave me a brief rundown of how to use the doll.

First, invisibility.
He said if I tapped its head a couple of times, it would transform on its own.

And then came the important part.

“This thing learns behavior. Once you input actions, it moves accordingly.”

“How do you input them?”

“The user demonstrates the actions. As those behaviors accumulate, it will eventually move on its own.”

So basically, it was a robot.

A robot with its own kind of free will.

It was amazing that technology like this even existed in this era. Even in modern times, robots still struggle to make coffee properly. Sure, there are those robot coffee stands at highway rest stops…

‘But those things are never reliable.’
They spill everything.

Compared to that, this ball-jointed doll looked incredibly delicate.
It even had fully articulated fingers.

As I examined it closely, Millun held out his hand. I instinctively took it.

“…I’ll register you as the user.”

“Yes!”

He pulled my hand toward the doll. My hand sank right into it.
It felt like cold slime wrapping around part of my arm.

Goosebumps rose on my skin, but Millun didn’t care.

He murmured something under his breath.

Flash! Light burst from my hand, and the doll activated.

—Vwoooong!

Its head moved, and its arms clattered.
When my hand slipped free, it began moving properly.

Yes—it was acting exactly like me.

‘Wow… it feels like I gained another body.’

Even when I struck weird poses, it copied me perfectly.

“This is fascinating.”

“It’s only just been activated. You’re getting impressed too early. Now, let’s go to the kitchen.”

I followed Millun into the kitchen, the doll trailing right behind me.

“When you want to input actions, place your hand on its chest.
It will stop moving, and from that moment it records the user’s actions. Think of it as learning automatically.
When you’re finished inputting, place your hand on its chest again, just like before. You can input actions as many times as you like.”

He explained everything in detail.

It was the first time Millun had ever given such a thorough explanation—but this really was a doll you couldn’t use without instructions.

I nodded and placed my hand on its chest like he said.

Vwoooong!
The doll stopped moving.

Instead, eyes appeared on its previously blank head.
Those eyes stared at me intently.

“Well then…”

‘Let’s see if this works properly.’

I went straight to the coffee machine and pulled a shot of espresso.
After pouring it into a cup, I placed my hand back on the doll’s chest.

The eyes disappeared. With another vwoooong, the doll began moving again.

It repeated every action I had just performed to make the espresso.
Not only that—it even developed its own optimized method.

It was incredible.

I looked at Millun in awe.

“This is seriously amazing.”

“Of course it is.”

“Are there more like this?”

“That’s the only one for now. I barely managed to get the materials.”

“That’s a shame…”

‘If there were another one, it could even handle the front hall…’

I was so satisfied that a question suddenly came to mind.

“By the way… why is it transparent?”

“Oh, that was Vasha’s request.”

“…What?”

“She said it would be annoying if a doll moved around on its own. So I made it invisible.”

Ahh.

Well, Vasha said she used to work alone with Hugh. Something moving around behind her would definitely be distracting.

But…

‘Wouldn’t being invisible be even creepier?’
It felt like dealing with a ghost.

Personally, I liked it much better the way it was now—partially visible.
Seeing things clearly is best. Adults always say you should keep things tangible, after all.
Well… maybe that’s not quite the same situation.

Anyway.

I smiled contentedly, then remembered something important and spoke.

“This has a price too, right?”

“Of course. Calling this merely a tool would be… inaccurate. I’ll charge a monthly rental fee in gold.”

“…How much?”

“Forty percent of your monthly net profit.”

‘…Excuse me?’

For a moment, I almost lost my composure.

Forty percent of monthly net profit? What kind of insane rental fee was that? How was I supposed to make any money?!

Even if I saved on rent and electricity…

‘Once you consider ingredient costs and wages, there’ll be nothing left!’

And on top of that—forty percent?!

I slumped my shoulders in despair. I couldn’t give up such an incredible worker, but forty percent was brutal.

Millun crossed his arms as he watched my expression change every second.

“That’s cheap.”

“…What?”

“Vasha paid me monthly rental fees in diamonds. Layla, can you do that too?”

Nope.
Even if I worked myself to the bone, I couldn’t manage that.

Just how had Grandma Vasha paid Millun in diamonds…? I felt both baffled and resentful.
With that precedent, I couldn’t even negotiate properly.

Look at that arrogant face… Millun was already grinning like he’d won.

I was so irritated I nearly swore.

I glared at him and tried negotiating anyway.

“Thirty-five percent!”

“Forty-five percent.”

“Thirty-seven percent!”

“Would you like to make it fifty percent?”

‘Grrr!’

My fists trembled. This was tyranny—Millun’s tyranny!
He knew I couldn’t easily find workers!

As if aware of that, his expression grew even more smug.

But I was afraid if I kept pushing, he really would raise it to fifty percent.

“…Fine. Forty percent.”

“Thank you for your business, dear customer.”

“Aaaargh!”

…and that’s how I ended up with a transparently overpriced part-timer who takes forty percent of my monthly net profit.

The next day.

Illyana froze on the spot when she saw the new worker.

“…What is that?”

“Our new employee.”

“I mean….”

I had said I’d find someone to hire—but she probably never imagined I’d bring back something like that.

Illyana couldn’t hide her confusion.

No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like a living creature. Even stranger, Hugh, Layla, and Millun all acted like nothing was unusual.

Meanwhile, Illyana felt like she was about to faint.

Layla smiled brightly and said,

“I’m planning to be away from the café today.
So you’ll be working with the new employee, Illyana!”

“Ah….”

Illyana suddenly found herself missing Frisia very, very much.