Taking Sieg-san’s advice to heart, I began thinking about what to give Lilia-san for her birthday.
Since she rarely wore accessories, jewelry was an option, but since I actually had some time to prepare, I decided to try for something a bit more involved. The only question was whether I could actually pull off what I had in mind.
"A music box magic tool?"
"Yeah. Is that something I could make?"
In my time of need, I did what I always did: I turned to Kuro.
As was our routine, Kuro dropped by my room that evening. I briefly explained the situation and asked her my question.
"Sure. In fact, my trading company handles them because they're a popular choice for high-end gifts. Ordinary music boxes exist, of course, but the magic tool versions are more popular. They’re compact, and you can load them with all sorts of extra gimmicks."
"I see."
That was crucial information. I’d learned my lesson with the calculator; trying to replicate Earth machinery with magic tended to cause more shock than joy, not to mention the headaches involving patents and other red tape. It was better to stick with something well-known in this world.
"I think a music box is a great idea," Kuro said with a smile. "If you want it to have some fancy gimmicks, would you like me to make it for you?"
"Ah, no... That’s the thing. Is it a magic tool I could make myself?"
"You, Kaito-kun?"
If I asked Kuro, I was certain she could create one of the finest music boxes in the world. But this was supposed to be a token of my personal gratitude to Lilia-san. Letting Kuro do all the work and just handing it over felt wrong.
"I want to do as much as possible with my own hands. I don't really know the first thing about building one, so I’ll definitely need to borrow your and Alice's help..."
"Hmm. Let’s see... The magic formula for a music box is actually quite simple. You’ve been getting better at basic scribing lately, Kaito-kun, so... yeah, I think it’ll be fine. I’ll teach you the tricky parts."
"Oh, that's a huge help. Thank you."
My magic lessons with Kuro were still ongoing, and thanks to her, I had made considerable progress. While I still couldn't create a magic tool from scratch, I had become capable of adding simple functions to existing formulas. According to Kuro, a music box was just the right level of difficulty for a beginner.
"Then let's have you consult with Shaltier about the casing design, and we'll start on the formula bit by bit. Oh, by the way, Kaito-kun—what song are you going to use?"
"...Eh?"
I froze. Song? A song?
"...Ah."
"Don't tell me you hadn't thought about that part yet?"
"...Ugh."
"Kaito-kun... you can't build it if you don't at least have the sheet music."
"You’re absolutely right..."
I was completely defeated by her logic. Who plans to build a music box without a single melody in mind? I felt like a total idiot.
Seeing me with my shoulders slumped, Kuro gave a sympathetic smile and spoke in a soothing voice. "Well, let's just focus on the basic formula for today. You can look for a song tomorrow, okay?"
"Y-Yeah... thanks."
"I'll do everything I can to help, so let's work hard!"
"...Right!"
She was so encouraging. Between Sieg-san and Kuro, I really had been blessed with wonderful partners.
The next morning, the 26th of the Month of Earth, I visited Alice’s General Store. Once I explained the situation to Alice, she looked at me with pure exasperation.
"To try and make a music box by hand without even thinking of a song... You really can be quite the space cadet, Kaito-san."
"Ugh... I have no defense."
"Ahaha. Still, picking the right song is going to be tough. Duchess Lilia has a very refined ear."
"She does?"
"Of course. She’s former royalty. The Court Orchestra’s performances are her baseline for quality."
"Man... I’m in trouble. I only know two or three songs from this world."
"Now, now. That’s why you have Alice-chan here, a girl with an established reputation in the musical arts."
"...This is the first I've heard of this reputation."
Alice struck a smug pose with a faint smirk. It felt incredibly suspicious. She ducked behind the counter and started rummaging around.
"Let's see, where did I put it... I haven't used it in forever... Ah! Here it is!"
She pulled out what looked like a violin and inspected it from several angles. She must have had it under status preservation magic, because after a few quick finger movements to release the spell, she tucked the instrument under her chin.
"I suppose a romantic theme with a pop-style melody would be best."
"Alice? What—!?"
Before I could finish my question, I was silenced. As soon as she began to play, I was overwhelmed. Even to a musical layman like me, the notes resonating from that violin were incredible. The melody was gentle and peaceful, shifting between moments of melancholy and bright joy. It reached deep into my heart, drawing me in. I felt my tension melting away, and I found myself closing my eyes to listen more intently.
When the song ended a few minutes later, I broke into spontaneous applause.
"That was incredible! What was that song called?"
"Eh? I just wrote it now, so I haven't given it a title yet."
"...What? You... just now? On the spot!?"
I was floored. Just how was this girl's brain wired? While I stood there in shock, Alice produced a piece of paper and began scribbling sheet music by hand with terrifying speed. She was a monster.
"Alice... can you compose music, too?"
"Hmm? Oh, sure. I can do most things. I can play every instrument, and I've probably written about two thousand songs over the years..."
"..."
Her specs were getting ridiculous. If she actually tried, she could probably make a fortune. But as that thought crossed my mind, Alice looked away, her voice dropping to a lonely whisper.
"I've mastered pretty much everything... I've had an appalling amount of time on my hands, after all..."
"Alice?"
"It's nothing! Come on, let's get to work on that design. Since you're building this yourself, Kaito-san, we should keep it from getting too complex while still leaving room for some good gimmicks."
"A-Ah... right."
Alice was still a mystery to me. Even knowing she was the Phantasm King, I felt like there were even deeper layers to her. But now wasn't the time to pry; I was sure she didn't want me to. Someday, when she was ready, I hoped I would hear her story from her own lips.
Dear Mother, Father—I’ve decided to make a music box as a birthday gift for Lilia-san. Honestly, I’m a total novice at everything involved, but with everyone’s advice to guide me, I’m going to do my best to see this project through.