Rested Magical Girl (2)
"Why, did you think I couldn't track you down?"
Kim Doa sat sprawled on my precious sofa, legs crossed, glaring down at me. Her eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
The vibe screamed that even the slightest misstep would spell disaster.
"How'd you even get my address..."
I muttered that while half-forced to my knees.
"From the Management Bureau, obviously. You think we'd miss the address of one of the magical girls we're managing?"
"...Isn't that a privacy violation?"
"What?"
"Ah, no, just slipped out."
Only then did Kim Doa seem satisfied, pulling a sheet of paper from her bag and tossing it at me.
"What's this?"
"Read it."
The paper detailed the CCTV camera I'd wrecked at the entrance to that erosion zone last time, along with the bill.
It was a demand for payment of the fine for damaging facilities under Management Bureau jurisdiction.
"Got it. I'll pay the fine, no problem."
I was a bit shocked that one CCTV cost over ten million won.
What the hell kind of CCTV costs that much?
Still, I did smash it, so I could let this slide. Money wasn't an issue anyway—I had plenty.
"Separate from that."
"What now... I said I'd pay the fine."
"You keep pulling this crap."
Kim Doa sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Awakeners are already giving me enough headaches these days. What am I supposed to do if you start acting up too?"
She looked genuinely exhausted, shadows under her eyes.
"Sorry. I'll keep a low profile. But..."
I said that, but honestly, I felt a little wronged too.
"You guys missed that summoning point, so I stopped a 1st-grade doll from rampaging all over Incheon. Isn't chewing me out a bit much?"
"You could've just called me."
"Then the subjugation request goes to some random awakener instead of you."
I could trust Kim Doa with a 1st-grade doll. She was a comrade who'd fought on the front lines with me.
I respected her skills plenty.
But modern awakeners? Zero faith.
"I don't trust awakeners."
Even the so-called S-rank ones looked like they'd fly off with one poke from me.
Sending those kids after a 1st-grade doll in a high-erosion zone? Get real.
"We can't keep fighting forever. Awakeners need to grow up sometime."
"Grow? They're not even in our league from the start."
Fundamentally, awakeners were scraps from otherworldization.
They couldn't match the raw output of magical girls who'd contracted directly with mascots.
"You ditched the Guidance too because you couldn't trust them..."
"Hey."
Kim Doa pressed her fingers to her forehead like her head was throbbing.
Right on cue, Keter approached and handed her a glass.
"A refreshing drink. Please continue your conversation."
"Ah, thanks."
Kim Doa smiled brightly and sipped the beverage Keter offered.
"If only you had even half of Keter's personality."
"How, when we're not even blood-related."
"I mean your attitude. You can't let a single word slide, can you?"
Kim Doa set down the glass and fixed her gaze back on me.
"For starters, you're officially under subjugation ban. You know that, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then lay low for a bit. That's how you get the suspension lifted. I have to answer to the higher-ups if you keep causing incidents."
"Sorry."
Kim Doa managed the Execution Department, the Management Bureau's top enforcement arm.
It wasn't just about issuing subjugation requests to guilds—they oversaw all awakeners and magical girls.
The light punishment I'd gotten for my antics, the fact I could still subjugate on the down-low—it was all thanks to Kim Doa's backing, strictly speaking.
"You still haven't forgiven yourself for that?"
"..."
I averted my eyes.
The reason I'd been slapped with the subjugation ban.
Back then, I wasn't some justice-driven magical girl—I was more like a vengeful ghost.
Fueled by rage, smashing everything in sight without a care.
But I didn't regret it.
If I'd held back then. If I'd forgiven that too.
I probably couldn't have kept living as a magical girl.
The memories from that day resurfaced after so long, leaving me glum.
"If you're done, get out."
I stood, dragging Kim Doa off the sofa.
Obviously, I won in raw strength.
I took the scoldings without complaint because I figured I owed her for the trouble I caused.
"Wait. I haven't gotten to the main point."
Kim Doa urgently stopped me.
"What is it?"
"I'm giving you a chance."
She pulled a business card from her wallet.
It had the name of a guild I'd never heard of.
"Banwol? What's that?"
"A new guild. Just three members, total small-scale operation."
Three people? That's more like a club than a guild.
Still, Kim Doa handing over a newbie guild's card?
"You finally quit the Bureau?"
"Like it'd be my guild."
"Eek."
She chopped the side of my head with her hand.
Ow.
"It's one of the kids from the orphanage I support."
So that's it.
Kim Doa was an orphanage alum herself, so she didn't just donate—she visited the kids often. Seemed like she was close to them.
Yelling at me nonstop, but sweet to orphanage kids. Figures.
"Why'd she start a guild? Everyone's joining established ones these days."
Guilds made bank, sure, but running one was brutal.
Recruiting members was the first hurdle.
Top-tier awakeners got scouted by big guilds.
Leftovers banded together, flailed around, failed a single subjugation, and folded. New guilds rarely survived.
"The kid insisted on being a guild master..."
"Why? Thought it looked cool?"
These days, there were even "shorts-style" guilds editing fights with dramatic BGM.
Pause mid-battle for a cool shot, skull graphic pops up, that kinda thing. Kids raised on that might buy the hype.
"Nah, probably not... So, can you help?"
"How?"
"Join as a temp mercenary."
Mercenary? Me specifically?
"Wouldn't Gwangwon be better?"
Over an outdated relic like me.
Sending someone from powerhouse Gwangwon would reassure the clients more.
"Gwangwon mercs would just make things worse."
Kim Doa waved off the idea.
"Really?"
"Obviously. Especially Gwangwon—they're all about pure skill. I can't stand our kids getting looked down on."
Fair point. Gwangwon scooped up most elite awakeners.
Mercs from there dispatched to a newbie guild? Yeah, they'd be useless—or worse.
Come to think of it, Seoyeon herself looked down on anyone weaker.
"Plus, Seoyeon's been worried lately. Too many idiots sneaking into high-erosion zones without clearance."
"That happened in our day too."
"Yeah. Cocky fools charging in blind, ending up as shadows."
Magical girls and their knockoffs, awakeners, had the power to fight dolls.
But it came with a deadly risk.
Get eaten by a doll, and you'd live on as a shadow—its puppet.
Shadows were neither alive nor dead.
Stripped of powers, zombie-like, suffering eternally in erosion zones.
Until someone subjugated the doll.
"So, you in or not?"
"Won't they hate it?"
If some unknown kid showed up as merc, I'd be annoyed too.
"I'll smooth it over with the guild. Don't worry."
"I'm still under subjugation ban. How do I even merc?"
"Ah... I'll lift the suspension."
What.
I grabbed both her hands.
"You sure that's okay?"
"It's fine. It's been long enough. Actually, that was my main reason for coming today. But someone caused a scene."
"Sorry."
"Just don't forget. This is provisional. Finish this gig responsibly, and I'll make it official."
I nodded.
Isn't this abuse of power? Lifting suspension this easy?
Eh, if the Execution manager says it's cool, it's cool.
"But bail if the kids are in real danger. No heroics smashing dolls."
"Got it."
I'd protect them top priority anyway, since they mattered to Kim Doa.
Love 'em or hate 'em, Great Subjugation comrades were family.
If they needed muscle, I'd provide.
"Then I'm counting on you."
With that, she patted my head and left.
What am I, a kid?
Still, it didn't feel half bad.
"Milady, I've received data on Banwol Guild from Doa. Shall I pull it up?"
Keter handed me a tablet.
"Oho, let's see~"
Banwol Guild: B-rank guild master Kim Dohee, everyone else C-rank.
They'd stuck to easy requests until now, first doll subjugation this time.
Seoul's low-erosion anyway; I could cover three no problem.
Nice. Escaped NEET life.
Time to spam Magigal.
└ ㅇㅇ: (Then it can't just be for my eyes kek)
└ MagicalPunch: If magigirl's super strong that's the weakness lol
└ ㅇㅇ: Ffs
"Ah, feels good."
"Milady, now that you're officially cleared to act, perhaps moderate your community activity?"
"Nah."
Why quit something this fun?