The day after Viscount Dorr arrived.

'Then I'll go and write.'

　After eating a healthier breakfast than last night, Viscount Doll said that and disappeared from the dining room with Bastian.

　Once the two of them disappeared, the dining room was left with only the usual Throwlett family.

''........It doesn't feel like we're entertaining a nobleman at all.

Yeah, it's kind of like having another Al.

Wait a minute. What does that mean?

　I couldn't help but ask because of what Mother Erna said while sipping my tea.

　Isn't it strange that me and Viscount Doll are together?

Yeah, I know what you mean. Just like when you're alone in your room and you're into weird hobbies.

It's disrespectful to me and Viscount Doll to have weird interests.

　I shove my elbows on the table and say to Sister Elinora.

　We're just enjoying our daily lives. It doesn't matter if you're alone or in a room. I don't want to sound like a suspicious recluse.

We're both committed to our hobbies, aren't we? Maybe that's why you two get along so well, though.

　Surely, Mother Erna has a point. Although there is a difference in temperature in our love for dolls, me and Viscount Doll's conversations are surprisingly in line with each other.

　Maybe it's because we are both passionate about our hobbies.

''But do you think it's okay if I don't have to show you around the territory when you've come all this way?

It's okay.　It sounds like he's doing what he loves to do.

　Sister Elinora slashes off Brother Silvio's words with a bang.

　Well, looking at yesterday's enthusiasm, it would be better to let her do what she wants to do most rather than forcing her out.

　Oh, should I have acted like Viscount Doll in Eric's mansion, too? Maybe then I would have been able to get away from the tedious rehearsals.

'He seems to be engrossed in writing the script now, so let's leave him alone. We can take him out when he's done, or when he's distracted.

Nord was right.

　If Father Nord and Mother Erna have decided to do so, it's no problem. Viscount Dor shall watch over them warmly.

　So the strange morning of normalcy started despite the fact that we have guests coming over.

　Today, I decided to organize the dolls Viscount Doll gave me once again, so I moved upstairs to an empty room.

　The room is still filled with a large number of cute dolls.

　What a fairy tale space, but no one is living here. It would be a shame to just leave them here forever, so let's sort through some of them. Mother Erna seemed to like the cushioning of the dolls before, so maybe she'll take some of them in.

　Meena and Saara have a sister and brother at home, so I can give them some of them to her.

　After dispersing them like that, I'll use spatial magic to store them a bit later.

　If the dolls disappear while Viscount Dorr is staying, he might ask where I did it. I'll store them after he leaves.

　In the meantime, let's sort out the dolls you want to put in your room.

　Many of the dolls are familiar to us, such as pigs, horses, bears and cows. Some of them are demon types, such as demon beetles, but demon beetles are a bit too realistic.

　The legs are carefully crafted so that each one of them looks like an insect.

　This may be because of the love of Viscount Doll, but I would like to see these types deformed a bit more to make them look more cute.

　I don't think I'd like to keep it in my room.

　However, it's nice to be able to surprise people who are sleeping with it.

　I'll store it away for a bit of spatial magic.

　As I was looking for something I could put in my room, I came across a mushroom-shaped doll.

　As I recall, this one is called an alkynoko, a monster that moves on its own legs.

　It's not particularly dangerous, it only emits sneezing spores when it's about to be caught.

　The taste is light, but since they are very large mushrooms, they are often used as an edible ingredient in soups.

'Hmm, this one is pretty and would make a nice color scheme for the room.

　I take the Al Mushroom doll with me to my room so I can take it back to my room and put it on a table where I can easily see it.

　As I was sorting through my favorite dolls like that, there was an unexpected knock on the door.

''Ah, that Alfried-sama!　This is Tickle!　May I come in?

Yeah, sure.

　When I allow it, Tickle politely opens the door and walks in.

'What's wrong?　What's going on with Viscount Dorr?

'No, I mean, I just wanted to show Master Alfried how to manipulate the doll...'

　I ask, and Tickle says with trepidation.

　I thought it would be bad if Viscount Doll didn't come out again or barked at me, but that seemed to be a no-brainer.

''Ah, doll control. Okay, I'll look at it for you, and you can move it around.

Yes!

'Although, this place is full of dolls, and we can do it in my room.

　There are too many dolls in this room and not enough space to walk around, so I take the few dolls I selected and move to my room with Tickle with some of the dolls I selected.

''Then I'll need to borrow a few of the dolls.

　Saying that, I picked up a doll that was a different color from the Knight I had taken from the room I had just left.

''Oh, better use the Knight you were practicing yesterday than that.

'Yes. And I'm more used to the same doll.

'That's part of it, but the Knight has been crafted to be psychic and easy to move.

"Crafted?

　Tickle tilts his head, and I play the sole of Knight's foot hard with my fingers.

　Then the high-pitched sound of a metal plate is heard.

'We've put a metal plate in Knight so that he can stand up without much psychic assistance in maintaining his center of gravity. It was heavy compared to the other dolls, wasn't it?

'Oh!　No wonder it sounded so heavy when you fell!

　I'm sorry for altering the doll that Viscount Doll made for me without permission, but he'll forgive me if it's for training to move the doll... maybe.

　That was the part that scared me, so I couldn't say anything yesterday.

'For now, just try to keep that in mind.

Okay, here we go!

　As I watched, Tickle applied a psychic to Knight.

　Then Knight, who was sitting on the floor, stands up as if he were being pulled.

　I'm surprised at the movement without a preliminary motion, but as expected, it's still impossible to get up on your feet like a human.

　But even with a metal plate, the doll is still standing up properly. That's certainly an improvement from yesterday, when she couldn't stand up.

Well, let me try walking.

Yes, sir.

　When I said that, Tickle nodded with a serious expression and moved Knight's magic.

　Then, Knight flipped over as if he had slipped on his right foot and fell over.

''Ah!''

　It's a spectacular failure.

'Ugh, I can make him stand, but I just can't get him to take the first step...'

'Yes. Tickle was so busy trying to walk that he only paid attention to his legs and not to his center of gravity at all.

Oh....

　The reason for the fall earlier was because the magic power within the Knight moved to his right leg at once and the magic power used to control the center of gravity was gone.

　With the center of gravity gone, it was only natural for him to fall down if he moved his right leg significantly at that time.

As I said yesterday, it is important to control multiple magical powers to control the doll, so you can't just focus on one of them. You have to be aware of the feet you are moving, the hands you are balancing, and the body you are maintaining your center of gravity on.

'Three at once!　I can only control one thing with my psychic...

'If it's just the arms and legs of a doll, it has less mass and isn't that difficult to move. Let's start by practicing the precise manipulation of multiple objects.

　I explain, and I take a wooden spoon and fork from the table drawer.

'Are those from Master Alfried?'

'Yeah, this is how you practice manipulation with a psychic.

　I psychic the ten spoons and forks held in both hands and lift them into the air.

　I've already manipulated them more times than I can count, so it's not hard to move this many. If I'm just levitating them, I can probably afford to do a thousand of them.　I don't know, I've never tried it before.

'Soooo great. Move ten of them at once.

The first step is the most difficult to make a doll walk. But, on the other hand, it's not difficult to make the doll walk in a straight line because once you get past that, all you have to do is repeat it endlessly. So, the first step is to get them to take the first step.
Shall we practice?

'Yes!　Master Alfried!