At times like this, Leonard felt that magic was unbelievably convenient.
How many steps would a regular person need to build a house they could actually live in?
First, gather materials. Using what was available meant building a log cabin, which required cutting trees, drying the wood, carpentry work, then designing and assembling everything.
A wizard only needed one Transfiguration spell.
With a sweep of his wand, the ground rippled like water. The snow was pushed aside, and the earth rolled upward, rising under Leonard's control until it shaped itself into a small wooden hut.
Leonard tapped the mud-formed structure. What had looked a bit soft a moment ago immediately straightened and hardened, its material shifting into real wood.
It looked impressive, but compared to turning a mouse into a snuffbox or a turtle into a teapot, it was a little less flashy.
Still, in terms of difficulty, transforming and solidifying a house was far more challenging—the size and volume involved required much finer control of magic.
Once the simple wooden hut was finished, Leonard stepped inside and started adding furniture.
A wooden table, wooden chairs, a bed frame, a stone fireplace. After finishing everything, he pried the little Unicorn—who had been clinging to him like an octopus—off his body and set her down on the bed.
He wasn't planning anything inappropriate; he just wanted her to understand what furniture was for.
"This," Leonard said, pointing at the bed, "is a bed. You sleep on it."
There were no mattresses or blankets, but he'd made the bed big enough for a full-grown unicorn to lie on, so the little Unicorn would feel like she was resting in a familiar embrace.
"Bed?" The little Unicorn tilted her head and repeated the word clumsily.
"Right, a bed," Leonard said again, then went on to explain the rest of the furniture.
It was all quite straightforward. The little Unicorn was very smart; as long as he explained clearly, she understood.
Before long, Leonard had introduced everything in the room and even taught her how to light the fireplace.
Warmth spread from the hearth, making the wooden cabin cozy.
Leonard sat at the edge of the bed, letting the little Unicorn lean against him, and began the basics.
He pointed at himself. "I am Leonard."
"I… Leonard?" she echoed uncertainly.
"No, not you. Me. I am Leonard." He pointed at himself again for emphasis.
"You… you are Leonard." The little Unicorn nodded earnestly. "Leonard… brings tasty food… I… like!"
Her voice was soft and sweet, and hearing her say "like" in that tone was enough to make anyone melt.
As they talked, her vocabulary grew quickly. She soon picked up simple conversations with ease, and her natural gift for language nearly brought Leonard to tears.
Leonard paused for a moment, then pointed at the little unicorn. "You..."
"Me?" The little unicorn pointed a finger at herself.
"Your name will be..." Leonard thought it over. "Claudia."
"Claudia?" The little unicorn repeated, her small face full of confusion. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're very cute," Leonard said, ruffling the little unicorn's hair. The soft texture under his palm filled him with deep satisfaction.
Where else could you find such an obedient and beautiful little girl?
"Cute?" Claudia thought for a moment, then suddenly brightened. "Leonard... is cute too!"
Leonard scratched his nose uncomfortably, feeling somewhat awkward.
Well, being praised by such a lovely little girl was genuinely embarrassing, though the choice of word felt a bit strange.
After teaching her basic vocabulary, the next crucial matter was...
...getting dressed.
While every inch of Claudia's skin was flawless, she couldn't just run around naked—it was starting to affect Leonard's peace of mind.
Forget gender differences; the weather alone wouldn't permit Claudia to go about unclothed.
So Leonard had to teach her how to wear clothes.
As for where the clothes would come from, that was simple enough—the usual method, conjured directly with a Transfiguration spell.
The all-purpose Transfiguration spell was practically unbeatable, and when cast through this powerful replica wand, its effects were absurdly strong.
Leonard simply plucked two leaves from a giant Venomous Tentacula, transforming these hundred-Galleon-worth leaves into a complete outfit and a pair of shoes.
The dress was modeled after the layered, puffy princess gowns Leonard remembered from his past life, complete with a warm little cotton jacket. The color, naturally, was pure white.
Oh, and don't forget the thick white tights.
Looking at the outfit laid out before him, Leonard—who had been a bit too excited—awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Seems he got a little too carried away and revealed his particular tastes.
But having a little girl he could dress up himself was undeniably thrilling.
Leonard was absolutely certain the outfit would look stunning on her, even if it wasn't very practical for moving around.
That was intentional, of course. He wanted to restrict her mobility so Claudia wouldn't wander off unsupervised and draw unwanted attention.
Naturally, besides the outerwear, undergarments were essential. Though using Transfiguration for such items felt a bit awkward, Leonard believed this was one area that shouldn't be overlooked.
With the clothes ready, it was time for Claudia to put them on. Unexpectedly, this was where they ran into trouble—the usually obedient little unicorn suddenly turned rebellious.
"No! I don't want to wear this!" Claudia squirmed uncomfortably after Leonard managed to get the undergarments on her, clearly unhappy with the extra layer of fabric.
...
Leonard had miscalculated. He assumed that loving pretty things was innate for girls, but it appeared the little unicorn's instincts were even more stubborn.
When she first saw the white princess dress, Claudia's eyes had indeed sparkled with admiration. But when it came to actually wearing clothes, she resisted with every fiber of her being.
Finally, under Leonard's firm insistence, the little unicorn reluctantly put on the outfit. Her lips were pursed in a pout so pronounced you could've hung a oil lamp from it, her face a mask of displeasure. Her eyes welled with tears, looking so aggrieved she seemed on the verge of crying at any moment.
So is throwing tantrums also part of a girl's nature?
Leonard sighed inwardly, studying Claudia's current appearance. He had to admire both his own excellent taste and how the little unicorn was a perfect mannequin for clothing.
Her golden hair spilled over the white dress, while her light golden eyes shimmered with unshed tears of grievance.
Her well-proportioned figure and flawless features made her resemble an exquisitely dressed porcelain doll—even her sulky expression was a pleasure to behold.
Nudity might appeal to baser instincts, but true beauty is best appreciated through clothing.
Wait... something about that didn't sound quite right...
Leonard looked her over more carefully, his face darkening. "Claudia, you are not to take off your shoes."
He'd been careless. The white socks he'd prepared for the little unicorn would soil too easily, and if Claudia wouldn't even keep her undergarments on, shoes were clearly out of the question.
Walking barefoot on the ground—no socks, no matter how clean, could withstand that kind of treatment.