...Time flies.
One month later.
Einzbern was enveloped in a blizzard. The fireplace in the castle room blazed with flames, and the firewood occasionally crackled.
At this moment, Aozaki Touko sat attentively at the table, holding a quill pen and meticulously writing lines of text on paper. The content mostly consisted of her insights into Einzbern's Homunculus technology and her conjectures on how to improve it.
In these short four months, she absorbed knowledge like a sponge, growing at an incredibly rapid pace.
Click.
The door was suddenly pushed open gently.
Einzbern's maid carefully stepped in, and Aozaki Touko seemed to sense her presence, turning her gaze to the maid who had entered.
"What's wrong?"
"There's a letter from Japan."
"Bring it here, let me see."
"Yes."
Aozaki Touko took the envelope, opened it, and seeing the familiar, elegant handwriting, a faint smile appeared on her vermilion lips as she silently read the contents of the letter.
This letter was sent by Kujou Alice, but her younger sister Aozaki Aoko was also involved. The content was not complicated, merely an update on their recent situation and a question about when she would return.
The content held no particular nutritional value, but it was extremely comforting to read.
"...It seems I need to continue working hard!"
Putting away the envelope, Aozaki Touko let out a long sigh, then turned to the maid: "Could you please get me a cup of ruby? My throat feels a bit dry..."
"Of course, Miss Touko~"
The maid turned to brew the ruby. Seeing this, Aozaki Touko leaned back in her chair, a hint of fatigue on her pretty face. High-intensity studying was not easy, and she indeed felt a bit tired now.
"Moderate rest is beneficial for research, you know..."
A steaming cup of ruby was placed on the table, and the maid's red eyes held a hint of worry. She said softly and melodiously, "Moreover, Miss Irisviel would be quite worried to see you like this!"
"...I was just a little too eager~"
Aozaki Touko picked up the teacup and took a sip, then chuckled, "Suddenly, it's as if I saw a bright path ahead, and I couldn't help but start verifying it myself..."
"...A bright path?"
"Do you know Adam and Eve?"
"Of course."
"I want to use puppetry to create the physical body of the first primeval human, and then elevate the lead-like human soul into an angelic golden soul!"
"Miss Touko... do you want to become a god?"
"Humans are gods in the making. Through self-refinement, self-elevation, and self-liberation, one can become a god."
Listening to these words, the maid remained silent for a while, then looked at Touko with resolute eyes, a gentle smile on her delicate face:
"If that person is Miss Touko, I believe you are a god in the making, and in the future, you will become the master who controls everything for us."
"Provided you win the Holy Grail War~"
Aozaki Touko tilted her head, revealing a sly smile, and the maid's red eyes twinkled with amusement as she nodded naturally and whispered,
"Isn't this your trial before becoming a god? I believe Miss Touko, you will definitely overcome this small difficulty and become our god!"
"It seems I need to work hard then!"
Aozaki Touko sighed slightly, then buried herself back in her work.
The maid smiled faintly at this, gently smoothed her silver long hair with her slender hand, and gracefully left the room, finally closing the door softly.
At the same time.
On the other side, Irisviel was holding a book, reading it very intently. The title on the cover was something that would offend feminists, like "The Complete Guide to Being a Good Wife."
It had been a month since she emerged from the cultivation tank, and during this time, to respond to her husband's desire, she had specifically read a large number of books on how to be a wife.
And in this short month, perhaps because her prototype was the Winter Saintess, Irisviel, with her extremely strong learning ability, was now no different from an ordinary person.
"...Hmm~"
Looking at the family of three depicted in the book, Irisviel frowned slightly, her slender hand unconsciously caressing her abdomen. Then she stood up, pushed open the door, and ran towards Touko's room.
Although she had often spent time with Aozaki Touko during this period, they hadn't actually cohabited as husband and wife. According to Aozaki Touko, it would take at least three years, with a maximum penalty of death, so they still needed to wait a while.
At least... she needed to be mentally ready... — — — *Knock knock*
A knock sounded.
Immediately, Irisviel pushed the door open and entered. Aozaki Touko stopped writing,
looked at Irisviel, and asked with some confusion,
"What's wrong, Irisviel?"
"There's something very important!"
Irisviel threw herself into Aozaki Touko's embrace, her elegant and princess-like face flushed, and she said in a voice like a mountain spring:
"Touko, a husband and wife should have a child after all. Let's have one?!"
"...Eh!"
Aozaki Touko's eyes widened slightly, and she suddenly became flustered. Her face gradually flushed, and her body abruptly stiffened in place.