Aozaki Aoko Case File

Credits: daxterdaxter

The object in Aoko's hand was none other than the renowned Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion—the spellcasting material for it, to be precise.

Previously, Aoko had been highly anticipating a powerful seventh-circle spell, only to end up with something that was neither here nor there and lacked any combat capability. She had always thought it would be completely useless in modern society unless she and her companions went deep into the mountains on an adventure.

"Isn't this the thing from last time...?" Touko pointed at the model of Kuonji Mansion in Aoko's hand, hesitating to finish her sentence.

"This is the one I had you carve for me before," Aoko waved her hand dismissively and said, "We'll be staying here tonight!"

Arcueid, knowing little about modern human society (most of what she knew came from Merem's teachings), was brimming with enthusiasm. After all, in her eyes, magicians were powerful beings capable of battling her parents, so it wasn't surprising they could pull off something like this. Touko, however, stared thoughtfully at her sister, as if something had just occurred to her.

In a nearby inconspicuous spot within the greenbelt of the woods, Aoko used her left hand to hold up the model of Kuonji Mansion while making a series of strange gestures with her right hand. She chanted in Latin (it could also have been Draconic or Elvish).

In a matter of moments, the carved model in Aoko's hand began to melt as if dissolving. First, it softened, then gradually disappeared into the air bit by bit, the entire process taking about a minute.

But this wasn't for nothing. A glowing doorframe, five feet wide and ten feet tall, materialized out of thin air in front of Aoko.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and opened the door. Then, she stepped aside, motioning for Touko and Arcueid to go through.

Touko hesitated for a moment, but naturally, she was the first to step through the door, which appeared opaque from the outside. After all, Aoko had no reason to harm her.

As for Arcueid, she was even less concerned. She rarely encountered such interesting contraptions and wasn't about to miss out! Without a second thought, she followed Touko through the door.

Aoko was the last to step inside, shutting the door behind her. If anyone had been in the woods at that moment, they would have noticed that the ten-foot-tall glowing doorframe had vanished completely, leaving no trace.

In reality, the entrance didn't disappear entirely—it simply became invisible when closed. If someone were to wave their hand around the area, they could still feel the door, though it wouldn't open.

...

"Wow, this house is pretty nice!" Arcueid exclaimed, swapping her shoes for fluffy slippers at the entrance. She looked around with great interest at Aoko's magic mansion. "Has human magecraft become this convenient? Or is this a form of true magic?"

Touko was also surprised. She realized that the house looked exactly like Kuonji Mansion, down to the smallest detail.

"Is this the kind of spatial transfer magic you usually use?" Touko asked while running her hand along the walls, noting the intricate details of the mansion. "It doesn't seem like it..."

"Heh, I've prepared this magic for quite some time, but I just never had the chance to use it," Aoko waved her hand dismissively and took off her coat, handing it to a translucent maid who approached her. "This is a replica—or rather, it mimics the layout of Kuonji Mansion. At its core, it's still just a form of magic."

Touko pondered for a moment, observing the series of elegantly dressed maid-like figures emerging from various rooms to greet the three of them. Their movements were uniform and coordinated, resembling those of some kind of automaton.

What intrigued Touko the most was that these automatons bore faces that were eerily similar to Kuonji Alice's.

"Hehe, what do you think Alice would say if she knew you put her face on a bunch of maids?" Touko teased Aoko, lightly nudging her with her elbow.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Aoko rolled her eyes. "Didn't you slap my face onto those cheap dolls of yours back then? I didn't make a fuss about it, did I?"

Touko was silenced by Aoko's retort, remembering how Aoko had beaten her up over a previous dispute. There was no need to provoke her further.

"This house can last for 24 hours," Aoko explained. "After 24 hours, if we're still inside, we'll automatically be ejected, and both the house and the entrance will disappear."

Touko and Arcueid found this reasonable. After all, even bounded fields had limitations. For a spell that turned a model into a real mansion, a 24-hour duration was already impressive.

Who would've thought the Witch of Destruction had such a trick up her sleeve?

The Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion was well-stocked with ingredients, though the dishes it could produce were limited because the maids' cooking skills were pre-programmed. Aoko hadn't yet had the chance to adjust this part, so cooking anything to one's taste required doing it manually.

As Touko and Arcueid sat in the hall enjoying tea and chatting, Arcueid—strangely fond of Touko—seemed to be having a lively conversation with her, much to Aoko's bemusement. The golden-haired princess's preferences were truly peculiar.

Meanwhile, Aoko busied herself in the kitchen, directing over ten translucent maids. It felt as if ten versions of Alice were bustling around her, which gave her a strange sense of amusement.

Instead of fancy dishes, Aoko opted to prepare hearty and delicious meals that would immediately make one's mouth water.

Being a fan of Russian cuisine, Aoko decided to make some Russian dishes to share with Touko and Arcueid.

First on the menu was cheesy beef patties. She spread fried minced beef on a thin layer of dough and topped it with cheese slices, fries, onions, tomatoes, and diced pickles. Mixing mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup, she drizzled the sauce over the filling before wrapping it all in a golden-brown cheese crust. Perfect!

Next was dessert: Russian apple pie. She fried apple chunks in olive oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon before evenly spreading them over rectangular sheets of puff pastry. After cutting slits into the pastry to expose some of the fillings, she brushed them with egg wash, sprinkled brown sugar on top, and baked them at 180°C for 25 minutes. The result? A fragrant, delicious apple pie!

The highlight of the meal was, of course, Russian baked potatoes. Aoko chose a classic recipe: she coated clean potatoes in a mixture of cornmeal, black pepper, sea salt, and chili powder, then baked them at 200°C for 25 minutes. Afterward, she mixed shredded radish with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and sea salt, creating a flavorful paste to fill the halved potatoes. Perfect!

Finally, there was the universally popular borscht—a hearty soup made with beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, celery, tomatoes, and the essential ingredient: slices of smoked red sausage. Delicious!

The three dishes and a soup combo were more than enough for the three of them. Aoko also prepared freshly baked bread for dipping into the borscht and chilled watermelon juice (cooled using her ice magic) to complete the meal.

When Aoko wheeled the food into the dining room, even Arcueid, who rarely needed to eat, exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, oh, oh!" as she eagerly watched the maids serve the dishes.

Normally composed, Touko couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva upon seeing the spread. While she had grown up eating Aoko's cooking, this was her first time trying Russian cuisine.

Of course, Aoko didn't forget about her magical pet, Stark. She set aside a portion of each dish in a food box and summoned Stark to join the feast.

Seeing Stark eating happily, Touko's suitcase began to tremble. A puddle of inky black liquid oozed out, coalescing into a sleek, shiny, and fluffy fat cat. The creature clung to Touko's side, gazing at her with pitiful, watery eyes.

Even the usually cold and unyielding Touko couldn't resist the puppy-dog eyes of her Cheshire-like cat. She reluctantly prepared a food box for her pet, just as Aoko had done.

PS: Guys, I will not be enrolling this school year for 1st year college instead I will devote myself on translation hehe. Also I will replace my potato laptop with pc, I feel like the lagging problem slow down my updates.