Olga Marie jolted awake from a nightmare, staring up at the ceiling of Chaldea's infirmary.
As her consciousness returned, she turned her gaze and saw Caren sitting by the bedside, reviewing a dical report.
"Oh, you're awake. Much earlier than expected," Caren said, marking sothing on the clipboard with a pen, as if updating the report.
Still groggy, Olga Marie sat up. The lingering fatigue made it hard to get a grasp on the situation.
"How do you feel? Do you rember who you are? Know where you are?" Caren asked, eyes on her.
"…Olga Marie Animusphere, head of the Animusphere line, Director of the Human Order Protection Agency, Finis Chaldea. This is… Chaldea's infirmary."
She glanced down at the patient gown she was wearing and answered slowly.
"Good. You know who you are and where you are. Seems like there's nothing abnormal," Caren nodded.
But for Olga Marie, everything felt off.
mories of Singularity F slowly returned, along with other fragnts of truth. She looked at her arms and hands exposed outside the sleeves, and asked, confused,
"Wasn't I… already dead?"
"Technically, your body did die. But your soul and consciousness survived thanks to the Spiritron Transfer to the Singularity," Caren corrected her.
"Then…" Olga Marie looked at her uncertainly.
She rembered Professor Lev—who had transford into a strange enemy—saying that once she returned to Chaldea, she would disappear for good.
"It's a bit complicated, but to put it simply, we prepared a brand new body for you and transferred your soul and mind into it," Caren said after a brief mont of thought, trying to simplify the explanation.
Olga Marie froze. "That's impossible! Chaldea doesn't have the facilities to create spare bodies…"
Mid-sentence, sothing clicked.
Touko Aozaki.
The Grand Puppeteer closely associated with Tenkei Shiomi.
Rumor had it she could craft bodies nearly indistinguishable from the real thing—so even said Touko's own body was a puppet.
"As expected of Lord Animusphere, quick on the uptake," Caren said with a half-joking tone, a faint smile on her face. "That's right. Dad had a blank puppet, a backup gifted to him by Ms. Touko, just in case."
"So… he gave his puppet?" Olga Marie clenched her fist and activated her Magic Circuits.
The circuits activated smoothly, mana flowing freely through her body.
Even knowing this was a puppet, she couldn't tell the difference.
"It's a puppet crafted by a Magus—so it functions perfectly as a Magus's body. But since it was a universal blank, it couldn't fully replicate the level of your original Magic Circuits," Caren said, flipping through the report. "According to previous records, your Magic Circuits ranked E- in quantity, but their quality was off the charts—EX. That was standard."
"What about now?"
"The quantity has increased to D , but the quality dropped to A-. Whether that's a good thing or not… even Dad couldn't say. That's for you to decide," Caren said matter-of-factly.
Olga Marie gripped the sheets, unable to tell whether she should feel relieved or disappointed.
She was human—but also a Magus.
After surviving, there were other things to consider.
"What happened to my original body?" she asked.
"Though declared clinically dead, it still bears the Magic Crest passed down through generations of the Animusphere line. Under Dr. Roman's orders, it was placed in cryogenic storage, just like the other Masters whose status is unknown," Caren said, leaning back in her chair, speaking slowly and clearly. "But Chaldea currently lacks the necessary conditions for transplanting a Crest, so—"
So, while Olga Marie could still function as a skilled Magus, she couldn't access the magic stored in her family's Crest.
But the Crest remained intact. Once the right conditions for transplantation were t, the problem could be resolved.
Olga Marie covered her face and silently wept. Tears slipped through the gaps in her fingers.
She had thought her life had ended with the collapse of Singularity F. Her question to Shiomi had rely been a way to seek comfort.
But Shiomi had truly brought her back.
Watching her cry, Caren decided there was no need to bring up the mysterious origins of the Third Magic anymore.
Let's wait until the Director fully regains her mory.
Caren stood up, walked to the corner of the ward, and used the communication device there to inform the others that Olga Marie had awakened.
Before long, Ritsuka and Mash ca running in.
"She's awake! Director, are you feeling okay?" Ritsuka leaned over the bed anxiously.
Mash placed a hand over her chest and spoke gently. "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask, Director."
Catching the scent of food on Ritsuka, Olga Marie realized the two had likely been eating when the ssage ca in and rushed over imdiately.
Though she hadn't expected much from this last-minute recruit—Chaldea's forty-eighth Master—after the battle at Singularity F, Olga Marie had seen Ritsuka's resilience and courage firsthand.
This girl might even surpass as a Master, the Director thought to herself.
"You're both overreacting. And didn't I say I'd settle the score with you?" Olga Marie frowned playfully as she reached out and pinched Ritsuka's cheek. "If you dare fall asleep during another of my strategy etings, I won't let you off so easily."
"I-I get it, I get it..."
Olga Marie wasn't using much strength, so Ritsuka only felt a mild sting as she laughed and pleaded for rcy.
"So? Where are the others?" Olga Marie asked with a hint of awkwardness, deliberately putting on airs.
Caren simply shrugged. "I've been here the whole ti watching over you while you were unconscious. I haven't had the chance to check in with the others. Maybe they're all resting."
Ritsuka, having escaped Olga Marie's grip, rubbed her cheek and answered seriously.
"About that—Mr. Shiomi and Dr. Roman are currently discussing our next steps with the others. They said once the Director wakes up, everything will be decided by you."
"What happened?"
All Olga Marie knew was the limited intel Lev had ntioned beneath the Great Pit.
"After Singularity F was repaired, Chaldeas detected seven new Singularities. The situation is even more severe than what we faced in Fuyuki," Mash replied.
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