"What is your name?"

At Tie’s question, the figurine answered briskly:

[Marbas!]

"And I’m Tie!"

Tie held out one hand.

Marbas hesitated, then hopped forward, bumped his head against her palm, and bounced back.

Tie asked curiously:

"Tell me, Marr, are you really a spirit?"

[I am not Marr, I am Marb—]

The figurine flinched and glanced toward Lucarion and «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Pupu.

Then hurriedly corrected himself:

[Y-yes, Marr! That’s right! And from today on, I am not a spirit, but my lady’s servant! I will serve without any payment!]

At his disciplined posture, Pupu smiled in satisfaction.

As if approving, he tapped his nose against the floor a couple of times.

Tie stepped closer.

"I see! Then why were you in there, Marr?"

Marbas lowered his lion head and let out a heavy sigh.

[Because I was sealed when the Ivranis Dynasty fell...]

"Ibura...nis dynasty?"

"Ivranis, Tie."

Nordix approached.

He sat down beside Tie and looked at Marbas with interest.

"Ivranis was an ancient dynasty. At one time, they were the most prosperous in the world. According to records, they possessed both magic and engineering. Which is why now..."

Nordix’s eyes gleamed.

"There’s a theory that their knowledge did not come from humans."

"Not from humans...?"

Tie looked at Marbas again.

"Marr, did you give them knowledge? Is that why you were sealed?"

Marbas let out a heavy sigh.

Then said uncertainly:

[To be honest, I do not remember clearly...]

Before the conqueror sealed him into the wooden figurine—

just as Tie had guessed, he had formed contracts with members of the dynasty for generations.

To share knowledge.

[Most likely, yes. All the technology possessed by the Ivranis Dynasty was mine.]

When Marbas gave them designs, the people of Ivranis worshipped him as a god.

And he had liked that.

But one day, everything changed.

The dynasty began oppressing neighboring kingdoms.

They started creating weapons based on the knowledge they had received.

Human greed knew no bounds.

Ivranis launched unchecked wars of conquest.

Countless people died in the process.

At first, Marbas did not pay it much attention.

But over time, he realized—something had gone wrong.

And while he was thinking about how to fix it—

'Someone came, turned the dynasty to ash... and sealed me into a wooden doll.'

Too much time had passed since then.

And Marbas had forgotten everything.

He did not even remember who had sealed him.

'Human? No... not human... maybe a dragon?'

Marbas looked irritably at his body.

A wooden doll without arms or legs.

A body with feminine curves.

And a crudely carved lion head.

He muttered involuntarily:

[...How humiliating. I was even sealed into a female doll...!]

Tie’s mouth fell open.

"Marr, you were male!"

Marbas mentally wiped away tears.

He had no hands.

At that moment, he met Pupu’s gaze.

"Kkyu."

The expression clearly said, "What are you staring at?"

Marbas quickly looked away.

For some reason, just looking at that elephant made his heart pound wildly.

'Were we enemies in the past...?'

What if it was him who destroyed the dynasty and sealed him?!

But Marbas shook his head.

He already had no memories—he did not want to start imagining things too.

"Then Marr is Tie’s subordinate now, so we’ll play together?"

Marbas raised his head.

In front of him stood his savior, her green eyes shining brightly.

[V... something like that.]

And she already had strange companions—a small dragon and an elephant.

And both of them carried extremely unusual auras.

'Strong.'

His seal could not be broken by ordinary means.

Only by a greater force.

Marbas thought for a moment, then nodded to himself.

'Yes. I should stay close.'

The seal had been broken, but his body had not yet recovered.

He had been sealed for far too long.

'If I stay near her... it might help.'

Having made up his mind, he hopped forward in front of Tie.

[If you want to create, enhance, or restore anything—show it to me!]

Tie tilted her head.

Marbas continued confidently:

[I created everything—from flying ships to siege weapons and self-repairing armor! There is nothing I cannot make!]

Tie thought for a moment.

Then suddenly ran off.

Soon, she came back carrying one of the portal scrolls.

"Then, Marr! Make one hundred thousand twenty-two of these!"

The squad’s eyes widened.

But Marbas confidently positioned himself in front of the portal.

[Of course! Leave it to me!]

His eyes glowed with golden light.

Energy condensed to the size of Tie’s fingernail and shot into the portal.

But—

"Well? Did you do it?"

Just as Tie said—the energy touched the edge and dissipated.

[Huh?]

Marbas panicked.

'Why isn’t it working?'

Everything in his head was perfect.

He visualized the design again.

[I am just out of practice! I will try again!]

He gathered his power once more.

But—

bzzzz—

"Kid, that spirit we met before—the one who gave you Cleansing of Oblivion."

"Yeah! Princess Seradin!"

"Was she also... this strange?"

"Nooo! She was very pretty!"

Marbas trembled.

[I—I really can do it!]

Pff— bzzzz—

Pff— bzzzzzzz—

But even on the third and fourth attempts—nothing.

Marbas collapsed.

His wooden body rolled across the floor.

'This can’t be...'

In his prime, he could create portals effortlessly.

He had been a genius—in both magic and engineering.

He struggled back up.

Gathered his remaining strength.

And fired.

BANG—

A second portal appeared beside it.

Marbas jumped in joy.

[S-see! It worked! Even if it’s just one, I managed...!]

But he fell silent.

"Selina, what is this?"

"I don’t know. I think if you open it, music plays. Dad brought it from some island..."

No one was looking at him anymore.

Evening, after dinner.

"Alright, then let’s start the meeting!"

Tie, who had been sitting between Bale and Basto, jumped down from the sofa.

She ran to the table.

Placed her hand on the stack of portal scrolls.

And, imitating her kindergarten teacher, declared:

"Agavert! Starting tomorrow, we’re going to attack the magic crystal!"