Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter 27. Past

With a whoosh, Baek Sihyeon swung the hammer, tilting her head.

It seemed she was concentrating on her work, muttering to herself while she continued to wield the hammer.

Not wanting to disturb my student’s focus, I relayed the next action to Han Abin.

“You all go home first.”

“What about you, senior?”

“I need to hand over to the Association. Would you like to wait around in this pile of corpses for about 9 more hours?”

Han Abin glanced at the sprawled corpses of monsters and shook her head.

Right, they fought hard; it’s time to take a break. Resting after work is the best.

“If the distance is too far, you can ask Sihyeon to carry you. And also let her know there’ll be no training tomorrow.”

“Are we off on weekends too?”

Was today Friday?

That means a full 3 days of rest!

“Yeah, just tell her to relax. This is her first real battle anyway.”

The fight we had was a bit different from a real one.

“Since the Association might not return over the weekend, don’t let the place turn into a mess just because I’m not around.”

“I might look like this, but I’m an adult now.”

The tone in her voice showed some dissatisfaction; it seems she doesn’t like her youthful appearance after transforming.

Well, she had quite the difference between her transformed self and original form.

Still, saying that in front of me sounded like whining.

I might look like this, but I’ve lived double the years you have!

It wasn’t something worth bringing up, so I swallowed my words inside.

I watched Baek Sihyeon as she danced with the hammer.

It wasn’t efficient or destructive. The trajectory of the hammer created a chaotic dance.

Though it wasn’t efficient, it was enough to make me feel her growth as a student.

“You won’t stop her, will you?”

It seemed unfair to interrupt her like that, right?

“When Sihyeon finishes what she’s doing.”

“If you leave her like that, she might be at it for hours.”

It wasn’t the first time she became engrossed in swinging the hammer during training. Though it’s hard to fathom why her hammering still looks messy despite her focus.

“If she keeps at it, cut her off and head home.”

Han Abin affirmed my words but appeared to have no intention of interrupting Baek Sihyeon’s concentration.

Han Abin also looked down at her bow and began mumbling about her work.

Thirty minutes earlier than the expected arrival time.

A few jeeps raced toward a low basin that appeared in the wilderness.

“Here.”

To guide them, I lightly hissed.

The jeeps executed a stylish drift as they surrounded me.

The Association employees who got out of the jeeps nervously scanned the area and aimed their guns at me.

I raised my hands in surrender to show them I bore no ill intent.

“Secure the area!”

“Secured!”

Once the employees assured the situation was secure, the remaining personnel emerged from the jeeps.

If the employees who just got out were uniformed soldiers, then these others were dressed entirely differently.

Dressed extravagantly and flaunting their colors, if they had moved elegantly, it might have been beautiful.

The mix of colors and weapons would have looked like a painting.

But they didn’t act elegantly.

While performing official duties, they yawned with a look of boredom and dragged their feet like heroes.

Was it really wrong to demand work from them?

Even after being disappointed once, I still found myself drawn to their flamboyance.

Turning my gaze from them, I addressed the approaching Association employee.

“My registration number is 01-005-M Haram Lee. I have discovered a group in violation of the monster management law at this location. It’s deemed an emergency. I’ve initiated a lockdown.”

“Did you obtain permission?”

“I confirmed the presence of a group of B and C-Ranked monsters, and suspect an A-Ranked monster’s existence; thus, prioritizing a lockdown.”

“The measure requires a free extermination license. Do you possess one?”

“I have it.”

“Is this not a matter concerning other heroes?”

“I have verified that it’s not a group that’s part of their story.”

An endless series of questions ensued.

It didn’t carry much weight.

It was just a formality to avoid legal issues later on.

As we reached the end of the prolonged questioning.

“How do we handle the results?”

“Registered number 01-005-M, one A-Ranked monster, the rest split evenly between 30-1376-M and 26-1943-M.”

Did I also take down a B-Ranked wolf?

That shouldn’t matter.

“Will the extermination reward be distributed?”

“Divide it into exactly three.”

With the talk of distribution over, we boarded the elevator with them.

“Confirmed. It’s a master-apprentice relationship. That’s quite rare nowadays.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Lately, it seems there are no heroes seeking strength. I think it’s due to increased peace in the world.”

An unexpected reaction. It felt oddly nostalgic.

Curiosity piqued, I took a good look at his face. Armed with a firearm, muscularly trained, and a rugged expression.

Somehow, his face looked familiar.

Where had I seen him?

“An Awakener, huh?”

“Yes, Awakener. It’s been a while since I’ve heard that term. No, I’m just a lowly defense member working at the Association.”

His manner of speaking was oddly familiar too…?

At that moment, I spotted a light blonde hair peeking from under his helmet.

A blonde that didn’t quite match an Asian face.

“Henry.”

“Finally realized it, Captain.”

“I hadn’t thought anyone would still be toiling away at the Association after all those struggles in the assassination team.”

“I’m working diligently now. Though the workload isn’t too tight, that helps.”

Diligent work.

I glanced at the rowdy youngsters behind him talking animatedly.

Even though we were inside the enemy base, these fools were yammering on.

“Is taking care of those idiots over there really fulfilling?”

“They’ll be retiring in a year or two anyway. The fact that they’re bored from not getting recognition as heroes reminds me of rookie days; isn’t it cute?”

“Cute, my foot.”

If you think those blockheads are cute, you must be either blind or a little crazy.

“When you were a rookie, you were better than those chickens. Those were just a bunch of fledglings.”

I rolled my eyes; there was no way I wouldn’t know.

“I don’t think there’s much of a difference, though.”

Henry burst into laughter just as the elevator doors opened, and the Association employees began to sort through the corpses after ensuring safety in the surroundings.

Everyone, including Captain Henry, participated in the task. The only exceptions were the heroes sitting at the back.

Even I was helping by dragging and sorting through the corpses, yet they merely watched as if it had nothing to do with them.

To the employees of the Association, such behavior seemed standard, as they didn’t even turn their gaze towards them. At least it was a relief that they didn’t interfere in our work.

As long as the employees didn’t voice any complaints, I had no intention of showing discomfort; thus, the checking of the secret base continued smoothly without major issues.

And by the time we arrived at the laboratory filled with scientists they’d loaded up…

A deliberately cute scream rang in my ears.

Was there still a monster left? But judging by their voice, it didn’t sound urgent.

Dragging the hammer while feeling a bit lethargic, I saw scientists twisted in a mess, followed by a woman sitting in daze.

She bore no injuries. She looked fine. So what?

I needed to ask.

“What’s going on? Did a monster appear?”

There might be monsters that can deceive the senses like a monster cheetah, even though I felt nothing in my detection range.

“People… people…”

“What about people?”

Be clear about it.

“People’s limbs…”

So it was something like that.

“That’s my doing, so don’t worry about it. It’s nothing to stir such a fuss over.”

“Excuse me? People’s limbs…?”

“Are you surprised? There’s a shortage of humans, and if a criminal is about to escape, it’s the most appropriate course of action.”

“Still, isn’t that a bit much?”

Had my words revived some spirit in her? Her voice became sharp in response.

“If treated at the Association, injuries like that heal completely, so it’s not a big issue, right? But? Despite how she looks, no one’s dead, so stop worrying.”

If they get dragged to the Association, they’ll be treated just fine. It was unnecessary concern.

“As a human, I’d say…”

“Before you’re a human, you’re an enemy.”

What kind of mercy do you wish to show the enemy? This naive hero girl.

“Even so, isn’t it wrong for a hero to act like that?”

Does she even realize in front of whom she’s discussing ‘heroism’?

Unscrupulously, I confronted the naive hero clad in green tights.

“If they escape and create monsters that attack humanity, will you take responsibility?”

The face of the female hero who received my hostility twisted in horror.

“Do you have any idea how many civilians would die due to the monsters they create? Did you forget there’s a monster right here capable of tearing you apart?”

I pointed at the corpse of a leopard whose stomach was burst open, innards spilling out.

The woman distanced herself from me.

Did the ‘humanity’ she spoke of slip her mind? Crawling backward, she trampled the scientists, getting her hands dirty with the leopard’s entrails as she withdrew further.

“Tell me. Can you bear that responsibility?”

“Ugh… Aaaah… Argh…”

While I continued pressing her.

Someone grabbed my arm.

“Captain. That’s enough.”

…Is this also too much, from your perspective?

With a hand inserted between my armpits, Henry lifted me and I posed my question.

Henry smirked at the question, glanced around, and replied.

“For us, this is rather mild. But, don’t be too hard on the kids.”

“Because for these kids, being a hero is merely a fleeting dream. Not many plunge deep into it.”

Those words made me somewhat unpleasant.

“Am I free to go home?”

I pushed Henry away from my embrace and leaped into the air.

“Rule states you’re to remain until the exploration is over, but…”

Henry exaggeratedly posed and whispered to me while covering his mouth.

“If any problems arise, I’ll deal with them, so just go home and rest a bit.”

“Sorry about that.”

I slowly left the room.

The intricate workings of my mind tightened around me.

“Please contact me! Everyone will be happy when they know Captain is back!”

Henry’s farewell came from behind.

I waved my hammer absently in response.

…Every little incident. This was it.

“Indeed, it was a disaster. Haram.”

While downing a beer, I unloaded my day’s experiences onto the octopus head.

Today, Al’Shel was unusually responsive. Thanks to that, I managed to unpack this whole story.

Did I want to share my tale with someone? The more excited I got, the more tipsy I felt like.

However, I wouldn’t get drunk; perhaps it was just my mood.

“Oh right.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t come to tell a story.

Clink.

I dived into the opened top of the hammer, pulled out what I had sealed inside, and tossed it to Al’Shel, then added the second reason for my visit to my mouth.

“Catch.”

“What is it?”

“Seeds from an A-Ranked monster.”

“That’s quite a rare item.”

Al’Shel caught it with her tentacles on her head and examined it curiously.

High purity, structured in a lattice form, and expertly cut.

What even is that structure falling apart…

“Since that’s not your specialty, you wouldn’t understand what I’m saying.”

Excited, she began to vibrate, and I rudely interrupted her.

“Ahem. I apologize. It’s just my area of expertise… So, how do you plan to use this? A trade, perhaps? It could be paid for in cash right now…”

“Give it to Linshua. Tell her I’m sorry for being late with her birthday present.”

I didn’t expect those words to come out of my mouth.

Al’Shel’s eyes widened in surprise, blinking slowly.

I wasn’t sure about how octopus-kind expressed emotions, but surely that was either shock or some sort of warm surprise.

“Well, I know I messed up.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to directly speak with her?”

“With what face?”

I closed my eyes and raised my head.

“It’s been years since I saw her face. And that’s entirely my fault.”

“Linshua doesn’t seem to think that…”

“That’s for her to know alone.”

I somehow felt the alcohol evaporating from me. Probably due to the broken mood.

“More importantly… Have you prepared for the genetic extraction?”

“Yes. But even for us, such a large-scale production is a costly expense. There was debate among the higher-ups, but permission was granted under conditions.”

“What conditions?”

“You’ll have to visit the headquarters personally.”

Flash.

A magic circle appeared beneath my feet. Like a sign that we were using the powers of the Otherworld, a black magic circle absorbed the light.

I immediately attempted to escape the magic circle, but a transparent barrier halted me.

“It’s just a simple teleportation spell. Have a pleasant trip.”

“What are you even trying to say now?”

“While you present the gift and apologize, isn’t that all that’s needed? Everyone does it. I’ll take this in return.”

I reflexively caught the black seed that flew into the air, but that wasn’t important right now.

What mattered was escaping this magic circle. I immediately tried to pull out my hammer and swing it.

But my body…?

Suddenly, my body wouldn’t move as I wished. A tingling sensation spread to my fingertips.

As a result, the speed at which I could swing the hammer slightly decreased compared to usual.

The magic circle might have shattered, but the spell itself didn’t stop.

Am I too late?

“What in the world? How are you moving after drinking the magical poison Linshua brewed? You’re always impressive.”

Today seemed unusually quiet; had I been served poisoned beer?

I yelled the name of the octopus head and swung my hammer once again.

Just before the hammer touched the cracked magic circle.

My vision, the air, information sensed by all my senses began to shift.

A feeling of movement to somewhere far away.

The destination was a spacious workshop somewhere.

Countless black statues existed in someone’s workshop.

Right now, I wanted nothing more than to return and turn the octopus head into a squid head, but there was something that took priority.

What words should I say to her?

What should I say to her after abandoning everything and running away?

Squish. Squish.

The sound of something sticky echoed as I turned my head towards the source.

Next to her lay numerous golden seeds scattered around.

Art that she performed based on her instincts.

The seeds that touched her hands turned into mud and then became jewels.

A girl with black long hair.

She was diligently making what looked like someone’s statue.

No, saying it was someone’s statue was too clear in appearance.

It was my statue.

The statue of me being created by the 0-Ranked monster herself.

Let’s stop running away now.

Let’s accept my past.

Thud.

The sound of my boots echoed in the workshop.

Squelch.

The girl’s crafting motion stopped.

Detecting the intruder that broke the silence of the workshop, the girl turned her head, her long black hair flying in the air.

A pale girl with still some youthful energy met my gaze.

My past had seized me.

---