Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Suspicious Interrogation (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"It's not anything else... I sensed something strange from your assigned magical girl."
A peculiar sensation absent in other magical girls.
Twirling her bright red hair with its curled ends,
she glances sharply at Jae-hyun with half-closed eyes.
"What exactly do you mean by that peculiar sensation...?"
"A sense of heterogeneity that shouldn't exist in pure mana."
"Of course... it was just felt through the recorded footage, so it might not be accurate."
Outwardly, she doesn't look much older than Jae-hyun,
but Chae-yoon... Hestia is a veteran magical girl with over ten years of experience.
Currently in the bureau chief position, so it's safe to say she doesn't go out in the field anymore,
but her long-accumulated experience keeps her mana sensitivity razor-sharp.
Just by looking, she can tell the nature of that magical girl's mana,
and by closely observing their posture, their level of skill.
Not 100% certain, but enough to make highly probable estimates.
"Ah... maybe you without mana can't understand?"
Mana manifests only in a tiny fraction of women,
so it's natural for ordinary men not to know what that heterogeneity she felt is like.
But Jae-hyun is a being who received power from the Evil God as an apostle.
He doesn't have mana like magical girls, of course,
but he possesses the 'power' to erode and corrupt that mana.
He knows exactly how magical girls whose mana is corrupted by his power degenerate,
and what changes they undergo.
'Wait... that means the bureau chief has mana too.'
Moreover, the way she's mentioning sensations or feelings related to mana,
it's as good as saying she has mana herself.
'Then... is the bureau chief a magical girl too...?'
Having mana makes the guess that she's a magical girl perfectly reasonable.
There's no reason the head of a group managing magical girls wouldn't be one.
"It's hard to understand clearly... but I get what you mean."
But he doesn't show confidence like he understands it crystal clear.
No need to do anything that might arouse suspicion.
Instead, he decides to count it as good information gained.
"Then that makes things easier. Good thing I don't need long explanations."
She'd been a bit annoyed thinking he might not get it,
but at his response that he understands, she stops twirling her hair.
'Phew... glad it somehow went over well....'
Seeing the bureau chief's actions that don't seem suspicious,
Jae-hyun thinks he's managed to pass and lets out a sigh of relief.
Just obediently answer the questions and get out of here quick,
or boldly look for a chance to hypnotize and corrupt Chae-yoon too.
If the latter succeeds, he'd gain tremendous new power,
while the former buys him time to safely build his strength.
'What should I do...'
But Jae-hyun's relief turns to anxiety in a single instant.
- Bang—
The bureau chief Chae-yoon's expression, which had seemed relaxed, suddenly turns fierce,
and she closes in on Jae-hyun in a flash before kicking the desk hard with her foot.
"Seeing that relieved look on your face... I can finally be certain."
"Wh-what do you mean...?"
"That peculiar, heterogeneous sensation from that magical girl...,
it's awfully similar to the stench wafting off your body."
A face brimming with utter confidence... smug and seething with rage.
Her red hair, frizzy and curled before, suddenly floats up,
and begins radiating heat like gorgeous flames blazing.
"You... what the hell are you? Tell me why you approached this place."
Chae-yoon lifts Jae-hyun's chin with her fingers while radiating killing intent.
She's got the air of someone who'll kill him on the spot if he doesn't come clean.
"Why... why are you doing this?!"
However, unlike some typical villain who might reveal their identity here with a 'no choice,'
Jae-hyun intends to hide the fact that he's the Evil God's apostle thoroughly.
Then, when the opportunity arises, slip in hypnosis through the gap or make his escape.
"I'm just... a manager who worked hard...!"
Pretending utter confusion, he half-closes his eyes, furrows his brow,
trembles his lips, and responds in a choked, whimpering voice.
Just like a pitiful movie extra about to die for no reason.
Truth be told, from an ordinary person's perspective without mana,
it's only natural to be terrified by eyes like that glaring with killing intent.
"Hmm...?"
She tilts her head when the expected reaction doesn't come.
Surely at this point, he'd beg for his life promising never to do it again,
or meekly reveal his identity and put up some resistance.
But that reaction screams 'I really have no idea why I'm getting this treatment.'
His method acting on the verge of tears cracks her certainty.
"Ha...."
Her hair, which had looked ablaze, calms down again,
and the hand gripping his chin lowers for the moment.
'No matter how I think about it... the smell coming off this guy is weird....'
She still can't shake her suspicions of Jae-hyun,
but there's no solid evidence he's up to some scheme.
She'd just end up looking like she was harassing a subordinate over stress and her condition.
"I think I got too worked up... and was rude."
She calms herself first and extends a hand to him calmly as an apology.
Dragging him in during work hours and threatening to kill him,
not apologizing like this would make her the epitome of power abuse.
"Ah... no, it's fine."
He shoots to his feet, grabs her hand tight with both of his,
and bows as deeply as possible, putting on the most servile, pitiful show he can.
And this... this moment when their hands touch is what he'd been waiting for.
'Was gunning for an opportunity just like this....'
An ominous pink light seeps subtly from Jae-hyun's gripping hand.
That light flows into Chae-yoon's hand,
and her eyes, blazing just moments ago, go blankly empty in an instant.
"......"
Hypnosis on the same level as when he first received a sliver of the Evil God's power.
'Feels like it's being blocked by some overwhelming force....'
Unlike when he brainwashed and trained Flora and Athena,
it's like hitting a rigid, overpowering wall—he can't bring his full power to bear.
'Still, gotta confirm if the hypnosis took hold properly first....'
He stands and prods various spots on Chae-yoon's body with his fingers.
"Umm...."
- Poke—
No reaction from hands or arms, face or hair,
and even poking her quite modest chest yields not so much as a twitch.
Knowing she doesn't react to external stimuli,
now it's time to check if she'll carry out his commands in that state.
"Pl-please... unbutton your shirt... and show me your bra."
Just like the first time he hypnotized Flora and had her show her breasts,
he approaches very cautiously and carefully.
"Yes... under... stood...."
A flat, emotionless voice.
Right there, Chae-yoon starts unbuttoning her shirt one by one.
- Pop— click—
She shrugs off the obstructing blazer and hangs it on the chair,
undoes all the buttons, then spreads it wide open to reveal her bra.
"Pfft...."
Jae-hyun couldn't hold back his laughter at the sight of Chae-yoon's bra.
Just moments ago, she'd been radiating massive killing intent like she was about to rip him apart,
yet here she was wearing a cute white bra dotted with pink water drop patterns.
It might suit her small stature and petite frame in a way,
but the stark contrast with before made it impossible not to laugh.
"......?"
Her face subtly reddens, as if she'd heard the snicker.
Not just her face—her hazy eyes start slowly coming back into focus.
'No way... is the hypnosis wearing off...?'
He loses all mirth at the sight of it looking like the hypnosis is lifting.
"Uh... could you put your clothes back on for now?"
"Yes...."
Fortunately, Chae-yoon nods and re-buttons her shirt,
then slips the blazer back on from the chair.
"Eh...?"
Midway through donning the blazer and straightening her clothes,
the hypnosis lifts on its own, even though Jae-hyun didn't release it intentionally.
'What? Was I so tired I just zoned out for a bit?'
She clearly remembers apologizing for suspecting him wrongly,
but after that, it's like time flew by.
"Ha... let's wrap up the talk here for now.
I need to go handle other work."
She frowns and clutches her forehead, feeling dizzy.
Judging her condition at its limit for more interrogation,
she stands first and heads to the office door.
"Ah! Ye-yes, understood."
"Next time too... I hope you'll cooperate."
Leaving behind an inexplicable unease neither could name,
the two exit the office and return to their posts.