Already reeling from the series of shocks she had endured, Elis carefully lifted the desktop clock from its wooden box and set it upon the table.
"...Its perfection is truly breathtaking. It clearly draws inspiration from the forest, but look at the detail—even the individual feathers on the birds perched upon the branches have been intricately carved. This is no ordinary skill."
"Indeed. I have looked upon countless treasures in my time, but this would not be out of place in the National Art Museum," the Marquis agreed with a nod. Even from their perspective as high-ranking nobles accustomed to fine art, the wooden clock's craftsmanship was extraordinary.
The composition depicted forest trees and wildlife encircling the timepiece. It was exquisite and intricate, yet the design remained refined and subtle enough to serve as a desktop ornament. The sheer mastery of the creator was palpable.
"The wood itself is marvelous as well. I have never seen timber of this caliber before."
"...I suspect... this is the wood of the World Tree."
"H-Hieeh... Father? Are you certain?"
"Yes. At a party hosted by a noble of the Kingdom of Sinfonia some time ago, I was shown a wooden cup said to have been carved from the World Tree. This is almost identical. However, it looks as though two subtly different varieties have been used... It is common knowledge that Miyama Kaito-sama possesses the World Tree, but perhaps he has utilized timber from the World King-sama's World Tree as well."
The wooden cup Marquis Hamilton recalled was, in fact, an item Lilia had received from Nebula and Illness after they had deemed it a failure and attempted to discard it. She had gifted it to a noble who collected woodwork; by a strange twist of fate, both items were the work of the same hands.
Of course, no one present had the mental composure to notice such a coincidence. Elis’s face turned several shades paler upon hearing her father’s deduction.
A desktop clock made from Midnight Crystals and World Tree wood... N-No, am I really meant to just leave this on a desk? Yet, considering it was a gift from Kaito-sama, storing it away as an art piece would be disrespectful. I suppose using it as intended is the right thing to do, but...
Perhaps because she never imagined she would receive an item worthy of being a national treasure—let alone a family heirloom—Elis clutched her churning stomach, her expression one of pure agony.
"...Father, is there any possibility that Kaito-sama gave me an item intended for his own personal use by mistake?"
"It is highly unlikely. Had it been handed to you as it was, that might be one thing, but it was gift-wrapped. At the very least, it was prepared specifically to be given away. Still, one can speculate. Midnight Crystals originate from the Land of Death. Since Miyama Kaito-sama is on intimate terms with the Death King-sama, he would have no trouble procuring them. The same applies to the World Tree wood."
"For us, obtaining a single piece of such material would require monumental effort and wealth... yet for him, it is nothing. We are truly being forced to realize the magnitude of that man's influence."
The materials used for this clock were essentially the scraps left over from when Kaito had crafted music boxes and jewelry. However, as the Marquis surmised, Kaito could easily source more whenever he wished.
Just then, the Marchioness spoke up as she studied the timepiece.
"...I wonder, what is the power source for this clock? I see no place to wind it. Given its shape and size, is it... a Magic Tool?"
"I believe that is likely. However, since no Magic Crystal is visible... perhaps it is hidden in the base?"
Elis picked up the clock and examined its underside. Finding a rotating mechanism, she carefully unscrewed the base to look inside. After a brief look, she put it back together and buried her face in her hands.
"..................There is a Black Magic Crystal inside."
The Marquis Couple joined her in staring blankly at the ceiling. The mental strain on the three of them had reached its limit, and they all shared a profound, localized pain in their stomachs.
Then, a follow-up strike arrived. As the hands of the clock struck seven in the evening, a change came over the device. Elis muttered with eyes like those of a dead fish.
"...The color of the decorative flowers changed. Just what... what is this thing?"
"I... I can only assume a Magic Formula has been embedded within the Magic Crystal to alter the decorations' hue according to the time. But surely... surely it does not change for every single hour?"
Elis watched the clock with a hollow, dry laugh, her father’s astonished voice sounding as though it were miles away.
I cannot simply hand this over to the state as a National Treasure now... can I? It was a personal gift to me from Kaito-sama. But Kaito-sama... please, I beg of you, show some mercy... show some restraint...
Serious-senpai: "The real issue is that Kaito requested these for himself, so there was absolutely no self-restraint regarding materials. Then Nebula went and made them with the highest possible level of perfection. She got so carried away that she made several versions, and the 'extra' ended up being Elis's gift..."
???: "From Kaito's perspective, he probably figured it was better to give them to someone than let them rot in his Magic Box. Besides, he feels like he just handed over some leftover scraps to have it made, so he's completely forgotten that those 'scraps' are of astronomical value to everyone else."