Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Interlude - Magical Girl and Hero
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It was more effective than I'd imagined.
I suddenly remembered that the dickhead bitch had mentioned a peanut butter allergy before, so I gave it a shot. But I never dreamed it'd work this well.
Looking back now, it was a bit of a shame. If I'd skipped the magic during our fight earlier and just smeared her with peanut butter and decked her, I could've won in a breeze.
At the time, though, all I could think about was killing the dickhead, so my judgment didn't extend that far.
Well, at least I crushed her in the end, so no harm done.
Some might still wonder about it. No matter what, could you really beat her with peanut butter?
But.
This was on a whole different level.
Didn't I say it before?
Hit a Magical Girl with her Magical allergy twice, and even she'll go down.
It's a full-blown Magical anaphylactic shock, after all.
Anyway.
Of course, the Magical beatdown ended in a one-sided affair.
It wasn't because the dickhead passed out.
This was purely my problem.
Once the peanut butter wrapped around my fist wore off and my arm was too exhausted to lift, that's when the white Magical Girl finally called off the one-sided pummeling.
After that, the dickhead was wheezing and loaded into an ambulance, carted off to Magical Capital Hospital.
Of course, there's no guarantee she'll recover well.
Wounds from Dark Moon don't heal easily.
Because they don't just devour—they corrode.
Anyway.
I'm in no better shape; I need to head to Magical Capital Hospital too, to get my missing finger fixed.
But that would have to wait.
"Siyul, so what favor did you want to ask that you skipped the Magical Capital Hospital to come here?"
I needed a private word with the white Magical Girl.
Right now, I was in the Magical Major General's private quarters.
After the Magical beatdown wrapped up, I'd mentioned I had a favor to ask. She'd said she had business to attend to and told me to come here in two hours.
The reason I'd come was obvious. Just one.
"I was wondering if you could adjust my leave."
Nothing had been resolved yet.
Sure, I'd beaten the dickhead, but all I'd gained was a shallow sense of satisfaction. Nothing was actually fixed.
On top of that, even if that bitch couldn't take leave as she'd boasted, Whitey wasn't on the leave roster either. No matter what I did, she couldn't go.
And that wasn't all. It was next to impossible, but there was a slim chance the dickhead could finish treatment and naturally take her leave.
That's why I was asking the white Magical Girl now: to adjust the leave schedule.
At that moment, the white Magical Girl gave a wry smile.
"You want me to adjust things so Magical Girl Gold Retriever can take leave this time?"
"......Yes."
I'd deliberately avoided naming names in case it caused issues, but maybe those three stars weren't for show after all. The white Magical Girl already knew the whole story.
I hadn't planned on asking for a favor at first, but now I regretted not coming sooner if she'd agree this easily.
Well, no helping it now.
Either way, I had to resolve this.
"Is that no good?"
"No."
But the white Magical Girl just smiled and shook her head firmly.
"Please. I'll give you money. Whatever you want, I'll do it."
"Wh-what?! Anything?!"
For a split second, the white Magical Girl perked up. It was brief, but her eyes seemed to glaze over with greed. Instinctively, I felt a chill of dread.
But.
She quickly composed herself and calmly shook her head again.
Meaning no.
"No."
By now, I was starting to get annoyed.
What the hell was the problem? Why keep saying no? With three stars, couldn't she tweak the leave for a rank-and-file Magical Girl however she wanted?
So why?
In a surge of frustration, I blurted it out.
"No, why do you keep say─!"
"No need to."
"......Pardon?"
What did that mean?
"S-sorry! I just heard you called for me urgently!"
Right then, someone burst through the door of the white Magical Girl's private quarters.
Caught off guard by the sudden interruption, I stared blankly as the Magical Girl caught her breath and cautiously addressed the white Magical Girl.
"I heard from Magical Dispatch that you summoned me urgently... is something wrong?"
"How's the leave roster looking this time?"
The Magical Girl pulled out a notepad and started listing off the personnel on leave.
"─And Magical Girl Mint Turtle. That's everyone on leave this time."
I still couldn't wrap my head around it.
What did she mean, no need to adjust?
Right then, the white Magical Girl gave a sly smile.
"Really? You confirmed they're all properly registered?"
"Of course."
"Then log into my computer and show me."
"Yes, one moment."
As the Magical Girl tapped away at the keyboard, the white Magical Girl nodded subtly at me. Like, come here and see for yourself.
I had no idea what was up, but I stepped over to the white Magical Girl's desk. Just as I arrived, the Magical Girl let out a sharp gasp.
"......Huh?"
I could tell why.
I'd almost let out the same sound myself.
【Magical Girl Gold Retriever.】
Whitey's Magical Girl name was right there at the bottom of the leave roster.
Why was Whitey on the list?
What the hell was going on?
I shot the white Magical Girl a look demanding an explanation.
She met my gaze with a smile and turned back to the Magical Girl.
"Doesn't look properly registered, does it?"
"Th-this is bad!"
The Magical Girl looked a bit panicked.
"What do we do? Did my early-stage Magical dementia make me forget? Leave starts soon, so I can't Magical-edit it now!"
The white Magical Girl patted the babbling Magical Girl's shoulder to calm her.
"It's fine. You didn't mess up, so leave it as is. If anyone complains, send them to me."
"Th-thank you......"
"Get checked out at Magical Capital Hospital when you have time. You said early-stage Magical dementia."
Magical dementia? Out of nowhere.
"Why don't you go with her, Major General? She's one thing, but you're getting to that risky age─"
"You wanna die, you little shit?"
I never expected the Magical Girl to swerve like that at the white Magical Girl.
"Ah, sorry. Early-stage Magical dementia—can't remember what I just said."
"......We'll talk later."
And even leveraging Magical dementia for an evasion maneuver.
Anyway.
"Ex-excuse me!"
With her business done, the Magical Girl practically fled the room.
At that moment, the white Magical Girl turned back to me, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"So, you wanted an adjustment? Nothing to adjust."
"Ah, haha. R-right."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
I'd never imagined it'd resolve in such an unexpected way. Hell, I didn't even need to try killing the dickhead in the first place.
But I got it.
That's just how the military solves problems, right?
Magical Girls probably weren't much different.
Still, it didn't feel empty. If anything, I was relieved it'd sorted itself out like this.
Now Whitey and Sora wouldn't get dragged into this mess.
In other words, it'd stay between me and the dickhead.
Plus, fighting her wasn't meaningless. You have to stomp punks like that who keep crawling up, or they'll never stop coming.
After this, even the dickhead wouldn't dare push something like that blindly again. If she did, I'd just cross the line like today.
I let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the white Magical Girl.
"Thanks, Major General."
"No need to thank me. I didn't hear any favor, didn't do anything special. Just showed you the facts, that's all. Right?"
The white Magical Girl smiled back.
"Anyway, get to Magical Capital Hospital quick and get treated. You'll get disciplined after. But don't worry too much."
"Got it. I will."
"Take care, Siyul."
With that, the white Magical Girl left me alone in her quarters.
"Wonder how far up that bitch would climb if I called her up."
Muttering vicious words that matched her murderous smile perfectly.
I silently watched the white Magical Girl's retreating figure.
Just a small back on a petite frame that suited her, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away.
I didn't know why.
But vaguely...
She just looked so cool and beautiful.
"Hey."
"Hm? Did you call me?"
After wrapping up his private chat with Jin Soa, Kim Siyul suddenly handed Ray something.
"Here."
It was Kim Siyul's card.
"Why all of a sudden?"
"You need to pay for your parents' surgery, right?"
True enough.
Ray needed to cover her father's surgery bill.
Her card was currently with the Magical Captain, so she'd been thinking of a Magical loan.
But here was Kim Siyul, offering to cover it out of the blue.
Ray hurriedly shook her head.
"N-no, it's fine! I'll get a Magical loan!"
Word was, even without Kim Siyul, she could've taken leave anyway. Still, he'd stepped up and taken the Magical hit for her sake.
She couldn't keep causing him Magical trouble. Even if Ray was dumb, she had that much Magical shame.
"You'd have to pay interest. Just take it."
But Kim Siyul wouldn't budge.
He forced the card into her hand.
"Have a good leave, anyway."
Kim Siyul waved her off casually as he prepped to head to Magical Capital Hospital.
Ray stared blankly at the card he'd given her.
"Why......?"
She couldn't make sense of it.
Why was Kim Siyul helping her this much? She was just an ordinary Magical Girl, nothing special like the others.
Her heart felt tangled. Something deep inside started to lump up.
Then, on impulse, Ray shifted her gaze.
To Kim Siyul, chatting with Taisi.
"Captain, why are you helping her this much?"
"So your folks stay alive and well, then I can ask about mine."
"You're such a bastard."
Taisi was ribbing Kim Siyul but grinning like she approved. Kim Siyul just laughed it off lightly.
Magical comrades bantering back and forth.
That was all it was.
But to Ray, it felt different.
'Something......'
She hated it.
Kim Siyul smiling at someone other than her. Closing the distance with someone else.
It grated on her more than it should.
Like a fishbone stuck in her throat.
'What the......'
Why? It hadn't been like this before.
Her chest kept tightening. Every time Kim Siyul laughed and talked with Taisi. But she couldn't pinpoint why, making it worse.
Maybe that's why. Before she knew it, Ray plopped down right next to Kim Siyul. Not even half a handspan apart.
"What're you doing?"
"Nothing, just."
She wanted to sit here. Ray mumbled the rest in her mind.
It wasn't much different from before.
Just a few steps closer.
Yet.
Her heart eased in a way that felt strangely right. The tangled knot deep in her chest unraveled smoothly. A smile crept onto her face unbidden.
"Heehee."
It was truly mysterious.
But still, something felt unsatisfied. A corner of her heart itched.
She didn't know the reason.
Even if she did, her dumb self couldn't express it.
Then, it hit her.
'Come to think of it......'
At some point, whenever, Kim Siyul always said the same word.
Hero.
A fictional figure from fairy tales.
Something the whole world mocked as fake.
But.
The back of Kim Siyul striding forward so boldly for her sake just now...
Was the very image of a hero.
Of course, she still couldn't quite believe it. Even with Magical Girls and monsters, other worlds and heroes felt weirdly off-putting.
But she decided not to dwell. It was nothing compared to the snag in her heart.
Instead, she resolved.
If everyone mocked that hero, if the whole world called him not a hero but a bastard...
Ray would stand by his side.
'He's a bastard anyway.'
Closer than anyone.
Shrinking the distance even more.
No, wait.
Closer than anyone? No, that wouldn't do. How dare she even think of letting someone else beside him.
Only Ray would be at his side.
She'd never yield that spot to anyone. She'd claim it all for herself.
So Ray declared in her heart.
To those cursing Kim Siyul even now.
Hate him, despise him, loathe him all you want. Do whatever. She didn't care.
But.
Don't you dare come near.
'This one.'
Is my hero. Ray grinned fiercely.
Honestly, even now, Ray herself didn't fully know why she'd made that resolve.
She admitted it. Her dim brain couldn't grasp the reason.
But.
Did she need a special reason?
She just wanted to.
That was enough.