Chapter 113
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Mascot Unit (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I looked around.
Indeed, quite a few Magical Girls were attempting adoptions on their own, so it wasn't as if adoption was unfamiliar to them.
At that moment, one Magical Girl who seemed a bit odd by my standards caught my eye.
The Magical Girl herself wasn't strange. She had a distinctly monkey-like face, and her mascot—an orange monkey—was lounging nearby with an expression brimming with eager anticipation.
Just...
The fact that this Magical Girl was trying to adopt a frog as her new mascot was way too bizarre.
Why a frog, of all things?
Wouldn't a chimpanzee or gorilla have been a better fit for a monkey?
Lez had already slipped away somewhere by now, leaving me with no one to ask but the octopus.
"Octopus, mind if I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
I jerked my chin toward the strange Magical Girl.
"Does she have some reason for suddenly picking a frog as her new mascot? Their colors match a bit, sure, but the combo seems totally mismatched."
Earlier, hadn't that Magical Girl said you had to think about mascot compatibility?
In that sense, a monkey and a frog was blatantly weird.
But the octopus shook its head.
"Not at all. Monkeys and frogs actually make a surprisingly good combo."
"Why?"
"Monkeys sometimes use frogs to relieve their sexual urges, that's why. So as far as Magical compatibility goes, it's perfectly fine."
"Oh? How was it?"
At my words, the octopus chewed its lip for a moment before forcing a smile.
"Mortal, watch your mouth. As you can see, this girl isn't a Magical Monkey."
"I know that, obviously. So how was it, frog?"
"Ah, don't piss me off so much!!!"
Well, that smile didn't last long.
Soon enough, Taishi yanked my collar hard. A pair of crimson eyes blazed with fury as they glared straight through me.
"This was from the Magical education earlier! What the hell did you even learn?!"
What did I learn?
"Obviously, I was sleeping."
"Ha?! You slept through it? If you like sleeping so much, why not sleep forever?!"
"Buddhism says not to hoard, but to empty your mind. So that's what I did."
"It doesn't mean empty your damn head!"
Still, thanks to the octopus's remark, my question got answered—and I realized one more thing.
That animal education session from earlier.
I'd thought it was just to kill time, but now it was clear there was a real purpose.
Yeah. To make adoptions go more smoothly.
Of course. With knowledge, bonding with a mascot gets easier. And you can figure out the best combo that won't clash with your existing one.
Sora was right—it was useful stuff. If I'd known, staying awake and paying attention wouldn't have been a bad call.
Right then, a voice bursting with elation rang out.
"Heteros! Check this out!"
It was Lez.
Gripping the neck of a rainbow-colored snake.
Probably the mascot she planned to adopt.
"I finally caught a rainbow Magical snake! Once I complete the Magical adoption, this one's definitely gonna grant my wish!"
As expected, Lez announced she was attempting to adopt the rainbow snake.
But I figured this might be tricky.
Snake and chameleon—the worst possible combo.
Not bonding, but straight-up force.
At least the color matched Lez's rainbow perfectly, so channeling magic power wouldn't be an issue. Still, success seemed doubtful.
Especially since the snake in her grip was blatantly showing its displeasure.
[Let go of me, you bastard!!!]
The snake even hissed, baring its sharp fangs—as if ready to sink them into Lez's hand at any moment.
Of course, Lez didn't give a damn.
"Sorry, but no can do! I believe with all my heart that you're gonna grant my wish!"
[Like hell I will. I'd sooner suck your trashy tits, you fucking bitch.]
"You all heard that! It said it'll grant my wish!"
[......What?]
She really didn't care.
Anyway.
[Sorry! Please don't do this! Please!!!]
I watched the snake thrashing desperately to escape from Lez's chest area, then turned and started walking.
"Mortal, where are you headed?"
"Gonna take a stroll."
No particular destination in mind.
I just felt my mind getting restless sticking around here, so I wanted a quick mood changer.
[N-no way! Mmph! Mmph! Uuugh!]
"Oh! Ooh! Oooh!"
The blatant animal abuse playing out right in front of me was getting hard to stomach, too.
Seeming to understand, the octopus gave a troubled nod.
"Got it. I was gonna head somewhere else for a bit anyway."
"Yeah. Catch you later."
I waved it off casually and headed toward a quieter spot with fewer people.
How long had I been walking?
A strangely unfamiliar space opened up.
The previous area had felt somewhat natural, but this place was utterly raw. Beyond neglected—it was fully abandoned.
So maybe that's why. There was absolutely nothing here.
No buildings or Magical Girls, not even a single stray mascot.
Well, not bad at all.
Perfect for a breather.
I found a decent spot to sit, closed my eyes, and finally felt my mind settle a little.
Drowsiness washed over me, but I didn't fight it. Honestly, I was mentally drained.
How long did I sleep like that?
-Rustle.
A sudden presence made me crack my eyes open just a slit.
While I'd dozed off briefly, a bird had appeared beside me at some point. Right within easy grabbing distance if I stretched out my hand.
Naturally, it was a mascot. It didn't speak, but I could tell at a glance.
Pale white feathers. And three legs.
Even with my high-school-level knowledge, I knew no normal animal had three legs.
So this bird had to be a mascot.
Though I had no clue what species.
"Uh, hold on."
A thought suddenly hit me.
My magic power was white. Unless I was using a colored moon, all moons were white anyway.
And right beside me sat this bird—also white.
Pale enough to almost look colorless, but still not a totally different hue.
So.
What if I infused it with my magic power? It might actually take.
Not that I wanted to make it my mascot or anything. My heart hadn't suddenly changed.
This was pure curiosity.
Would giving it my magic make even this silent mascot speak? And if it did, what would its first words be?
I'd channeled magic into otherworld kids' bodies a few times back when I was torturing them, but I'd never tried it on a mascot-like creature.
This was basically my first go. Might as well see what happened.
"Let's try it."
Decision made in a flash.
I carefully scooped up the bird.
Was it totally devoid of caution, or just a little broken? It stayed limp in my hand, staring blankly off somewhere else.
Well, not the worst. Way better than it freaking out and flapping wildly.
Now to pour in the magic.
"Pretty sure it went like this before."
Dredging up the memory, I started channeling magic—gently, carefully. This wasn't for torture or breaking its mind. Just a pure transfer.
Soon, I felt something draining out, along with a light wave of fatigue.
"Huh. Still works fine even after all this time."
The method was surprisingly similar. First try, and the magic flowed right in smooth as silk.
Anyway, results should show any second now.
I was a little excited.
But.
"What the hell."
The bird showed zero reaction.
Something felt off, so I poured in even more than before. Still nothing. It just kept staring vacantly into the distance, same as ever.
Like a broken doll.
"Ha."
By now, I was getting stubborn about it.
The amount of magic I'd sunk into this mascot was no joke. Too much sunk cost to just walk away.
Time to see it through.
"Let's see how far this goes."
But nothing changed.
More magic. Still zilch.
Finally, after burning through about half my reserves, I threw in the towel.
"This ain't working."
At this point, it wasn't even anger anymore—just sheer absurdity. My magic pool wasn't small by any means, but no words? Not even a twitch?
"Fuck."
The sudden heavy drain hit me with dizziness. And the emptiness from all that lost magic was just icing.
"Does nothing in life ever go right?"
Muttering a self-mocking gripe, I set the bird back down where I'd found it.
That's when the bird suddenly whipped its head toward me.
"We're done. Scram."
I waved it off dismissively, shooing it away.
No point reacting now.
If it was gonna do something, why not earlier?
Honestly, I just wanted the damn thing out of my sight ASAP.
[Hero!]
Not until I heard the mascot's words.