Chapter 21: The Drawbacks of the Witchification Period
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: The Drawbacks of the Witchification Period
During this time, I had been using Sister Bai as my guinea pig. After all, it was just braiding hair; once I got past the initial awkwardness, it was actually quite easy to pick up, especially since the styles I was learning weren't that difficult.
We talked about a lot of things during the process.
For instance, she gave me some pointers on things girls need to watch out for in their daily lives. However, since you almost never see men at the Witch Academy—at least, no one who is still biologically male—the things Sister Bai mentioned were just basic precautions.
"By the way, Sister Bai, um... about that... will I eventually have to deal with... you know, a 'monthly period'?"
I had finally remembered something important and changed the subject to ask her directly.
If there was one thing about becoming a girl that seemed like a downside, this was probably it.
Bleeding every month sounded absolutely terrifying. Plus, I’d heard your mood tanks during those days and you have to be so careful about what you eat. It sounded like a total nightmare.
More importantly, I had no idea how to use a pad. I didn't even know when it would start. Was I supposed to just wait until I bled for the first time?
Just imagining that scenario was embarrassing...
"What? Starting to worry? I thought you really wanted to be a girl?" Sister Bai burst out laughing the moment she heard my question.
"Uh... well, even if it happens, I'll accept it. I'm just a little concerned right now..."
"That is indeed a significant concern," Sister Bai remarked with a sigh. "But it looks like you're worrying over nothing."
"Huh? Why?" I asked instinctively.
"Because from the moment that Mana Source was stuffed into you, you didn't become a 'girl.' You became a Witch."
"What do you mean?" I still didn't follow what she was trying to explain.
"Didn't you look closely at the data on your phone? The gender column doesn't just say 'Female'; it specifically labels you as a 'Witch.' You are undergoing Witchification, not Feminization. You need to be clear on the difference between those two concepts."
"Uh... is there a difference?" I scratched my head. Didn't they both involve turning into a girl?
"While the Witch race looks very similar to humans—and to some extent, fits the standard human definition of the female form—our essence is different. Witches don't get periods~"
"I... I see! Well, that's a huge relief!" Hearing this answer, I let out a long breath. I hadn't realized being a Witch was so convenient.
"Don't get excited too early. At this stage, you've only just come into contact with a Mana Source and undergone the initial Witchification. From a racial standpoint, you don't belong to any species right now. You're in a very peculiar state: a Prospective Witch."
"Um... so? Does that mean I'll still have a period?" My face instantly fell.
"That's not what I meant. My point is that right now, you are neither human nor Witch, but in an intermediate state of Witchification. Strictly speaking, in terms of gender, you have nothing to do with human girls. Since you are transforming from a male human into a Witch, the process doesn't transition through the 'human female' state. Your physiological structure is simply similar, that's all."
After that long explanation, Sister Bai paused, realizing she hadn't quite answered my specific question. "So, no, you won't have anything like a period."
"Oh! I didn't quite get all that, but I understood the last sentence!" I nodded excitedly. As long as I didn't have to deal with that, I was happy!
"You really are something..."
Sister Bai was a bit helpless regarding my priorities, but she didn't say anything more.
"Xiao Han, do you understand the implications of what I just said?"
"What implications? Doesn't it just mean I don't have to deal with a period?" I answered somewhat naively. At this stage, that was my only concern; I didn't have much interest in anything else.
"You still don't get it. Someone undergoing Witchification has left the scope of humanity. Their race can't be accurately defined yet, so we call them 'Prospective Witches' for the time being. Xiao Han, you know about reproductive isolation, right?"
"Reproductive isolation? Oh, I know about that... wait, why bring that up? Sister Bai, you're not saying Witches can't get pregnant, are you?" My hands froze as the realization hit me.
"Half right. Prospective Witches in this state of Witchification cannot get pregnant. In other words, they cannot bear offspring."
"But... what does that have to do with me? Sister Bai, were you actually expecting me to get pregnant?" After a moment of shock, I calmed down. Pregnancy wasn't something I was ever going to do anyway, right?
Why was I even worried?
"I suppose you're right. My concern was a bit redundant. However, once you become a Transcendent Witch, you can get pregnant normally. Keep that in mind." Bai Yu rubbed her forehead slightly. It seemed she really had overthought it. Back when she had first learned this, she had been devastated for a long time.
But she eventually accepted it. After all... everything would be fine once she became a Transcendent Witch, right?
"Got it, got it~"
I replied somewhat dismissively. Forget pregnancy—I didn't even have plans to do that sort of thing with anyone yet. I was still thinking about preserving my "first time."
Wait, what kind of mindset was that?
Some kind of twisted virgin complex?
But regardless, since that seal hadn't been broken yet, I instinctively wanted to keep it that way. To be a pure-hearted girl who was a "Succubus Master" in her mind but a "Chaste Virgin" in body—wasn't that kind of gap-moe contrast totally unfair?
I really loved talking a big game, didn't I?
The only pity was that I'd already had a girlfriend in the past. However, we had kept things strictly basic, and besides, we were broken up now.
But back then, I couldn't have foreseen my current situation, could I?
In the past, I just felt it would be a waste to live a whole life without experiencing a sweet romance. It was only after trying it that I realized "sweet" my ass.
It was time-consuming, exhausting, and the guy always had to take the initiative... So, there was a reason we broke up, and it wasn't just because of the massive gap between us.
Still, I felt a bit melancholy after the breakup. Just a little bit, of course. Just a tiny bit.
Time flew by. As expected, my new roommate didn't show up today. Even so, I had learned a lot.
Although Sister Bai had only taught me simple things, having this foundation would definitely make life much easier later on. Outside the window, the sky had turned dark and the streetlights were lit. But the darkness seemed to bring a new kind of vitality to this place.
After all, for young people, the arrival of night was just the beginning of their nightlife.
Whether it was going out to release their excess passion or staying home to indulge in their own "handiwork," the night was theirs.
I, however, felt tired early on.
I had processed far too much today. My life was about to undergo... no, it had already undergone a world-shaking transformation.
"Eh? Sister Bai, you're staying the night here?"
"That's right. After all, I said I'd teach you many things, including how to bathe, how to wash your hair, and how to care for those lovely, silky black locks of yours~"
"I guess... that makes sense~"