Chapter 146 – The Lord of Endless Evolution (6)
“…Kim Soo-jung. It’s 4 AM, you know?”
“But just in case, I need to prepare again…”
“Ugh.”
Even though it was hot summer, the sun hadn’t fully risen yet in the early dawn. I finally opened my eyes due to the rustling noise. Kim Soo-jung, excited for our departure today, was fidgeting around without much sleep.
“Most kids would react like that, though.”
“Yeah, right.”
I got out of bed after throwing a few nonsensical comments from Ren aside. I was feeling a bit restless too, but not as hyper as that.
“You’ve never been abroad, right? Aren’t you excited?”
“It’s not a matter of being excited.”
Sleep was already out of the question. I left her, who couldn’t sit still, and went outside the room. The duty teacher in the hallway was dozing off, snoring.
I passed him and stepped outside the facility. The summer morning breeze was cold. I walked straight to a small garden at the back.
“Are you leaving today?”
“Yeah. Just in case, you need to watch over things well.”
Gabi, who wasn’t visible to others, approached me. I guessed Jeon So-hyun was probably still blissfully sleeping.
“…She should have fun on her own.”
It was a top-secret matter, but I had already confirmed the information about Saint Elysia through Rene, who was cooperating with the Frontier. Even now, I could sense a faint Holy Power from afar.
It’s a tiny amount that’s hard to notice unless you’re a demon.
“Fortunately, it seems the Saint doesn’t intend to reach her hands into this world.”
“Asmael did say something significant. But fundamentally, he’s an angel. And this world isn’t governed by him. Honestly, I can’t trust that.”
I trusted Asmael. Unlike other angels, he was someone with whom I could share thoughts.
But I didn’t believe in his convictions. His top priority was the Celestial Realm and taking care of the earthly realm. He made a pact with me solely to protect that.
The problem was that Earth wasn’t included in that scope. How he would use Earth to solve problems was still a mystery.
“To prevent that, Earthlings need to get stronger.”
I clicked my tongue in genuine regret.
Some of the responsibility was mine, so I would do my best to move forward, but ultimately, Earthlings had to grow stronger to protect themselves and raise their voices in case of emergencies.
“I heard that the Saint needs to be proactive. To be honest, if she goes wild, I’m okay with it.”
“I think it would be tough. From what I’ve studied about this world, the people here have so much to lose. Their lives, property, rights… it’s foolish. They overestimate their own value.”
“You’re looking at it completely from an outside perspective, Gabi. Here, humans are it. They’re the only dominant species, and their competition is only among themselves. It’s no wonder they become arrogant.”
It seemed Gabi thought it was frustrating how everyone just argued with words while barely doing anything in reality.
She didn’t disregard Earth’s weapons, not at all.
It was just that, as a demon, she thought it was natural to lose or die fighting whether in a third world war or a nuclear conflict.
“Still, I’m not just going to keep talking it out. I promise you. Besides, they aren’t pure humans anyway.”
My understanding, which was slightly more informed about Earth than Gabi’s, was different. It would explode soon. There was no way it would just pass by without consequence.
I just hoped I wouldn’t get caught up in it when the time came.
“Where have you been?”
“I just went out for some fresh air. Get ready, the car will be here soon.”
When I parted ways with Gabi and re-entered the room, the sun was already shining brightly. It was now time for our guardian, Manager Jang Woo-seok, to come pick us up.
As we waited at the entrance, we caught envious glances from some kids passing by, especially Hong Soo-young and Kang Jin-soo.
“Please take care of things for me. I can’t go on this overseas trip…”
“Don’t worry. Other friends’ parents are going too.”
Kang Jin-soo, who got out of the car, briefly exchanged greetings with the supervising teacher, Ahn Sun-young, who was loading our luggage.
After that, we went to pick up Park Tae-jun at his place. The closer we got to the center of Seoul, or more accurately, to the Frontier headquarters, the stronger the Holy Power felt. This was partially unintentional stalking.
“It doesn’t matter if I go abroad.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
I smirked and shook my head at Kim Soo-jung.
Come to think of it, the Saint first made a scene around Southeast Asia, right? Since we were heading to Northern Vietnam, I was essentially following the path she took.
“Hey! It’s the first time seeing your face since vacation, right?”
“It’s only been a week.”
Before even thirty minutes could pass, Park Tae-jun climbed into the front seat, all dressed up to go out.
*
‘He really suits it.’
Park Tae-jun kept glancing in the rearview mirror. What he could see was obviously Lee Jin-ah, casually answering Kim Soo-jung’s endless chatter.
The outfit Lee Jin-ah wore was something he had gifted her under the pretense of a birthday present. Though it was quite forward, having almost no clothes, she ended up wearing it. There was no way she’d go to a vacation spot in her school uniform.
‘…This is complicated.’
Thanks to this, Manager Jang Woo-seok, who was driving, didn’t notice that he kept glancing over at himself. Internally, Jang Woo-seok sighed, utterly absorbed in what he was witnessing. It seemed Lee Jin-ah would gladly give anything away for Park Tae-jun.
‘I’d appreciate it if she could at least get involved…’
Jang Woo-seok, knowing a bit about Lee Jin-ah, thought that since Park Tae-jun was just a boy of the same age, he wouldn’t catch her interest, but as a fellow male, it was a bit heartbreaking.
“There’s still time before the flight and for the others to arrive… Aren’t you guys hungry?”
Finally reaching the airport, Jang Woo-seok subtly asked the kids. It was the same for everyone since they hadn’t eaten breakfast. They all moved to a spot to grab a meal.
And while Jang Woo-seok naturally asked for help from Kim Soo-jung, only Lee Jin-ah and Park Tae-jun were left at the table.
“Uh, is it okay to take this long of a break?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, that performance.”
Park Tae-jun, who had been scanning his surroundings, spoke first. However, mentioning “performance” made Lee Jin-ah’s pretty brow furrow.
“I hate working during my time off the most.”
“Oh, really? That’s a relief. I watched the video, and it seems performance is really important.”
“It is, I suppose. But in any case, I don’t want to work.”
Lee Jin-ah laughed softly, stating her true feelings. It was indeed her genuine sentiment. She thought of this entire experience as a vacation.
Thanks to that, conversations about Magical Girls continued on.
“Why did you become a Magical Girl?”
Finally, with the atmosphere going smoothly, Park Tae-jun asked something he hadn’t been able to before.
“I became a Magical Girl for freedom. To become a Magical Girl, a mental trigger is necessary. It’s about granting power to those ready.”
“A mental trigger…”
“Many reasons—wounds, hatred, desire, anything at all.”
Lee Jin-ah shared quite a profound story. In a way, it could be seen as a confidential matter, but there was no need to hide it from someone like her who had met Yggdrasil and thoroughly understood the Magical Girl System.
“What was it like back then? When all your everything was taken by the monsters? If at that moment the mascot came and offered power, would you have been able to refuse?”
“I-I am a guy.”
“Did you really think you could put something like that on the table?”
Lee Jin-ah dug into the painful memory forcefully. Park Tae-jun’s eyes wavered as he thought of the trauma associated with the past event that was just beginning to fade.
Of course, she wasn’t doing this to torment him.
“I wouldn’t have been able to. I would have said yes. If I could tear them apart and kill them myself.”
“Magical Girls must carry such feelings forever. Forgetting or escaping from them is impossible. That’s the source of their power.”
She quietly muttered, recalling Aria, who still bore the trauma entwined with her abusive father.
“Therefore, if they fall, it becomes even more troublesome. They’ve essentially shed their only restraint.”
She didn’t say the last part for Park Tae-jun to hear.
Recently, there had been cases of corrupted Magical Girls who teamed up with monsters. While there had been traitorous Magical Girls in the past, unlike before, they faced no restrictions now.
Ren averted her gaze from her.
Some fairy factions were still shielding them, citing performance as a reason, causing the fairies to be unable to act.
“Alright then. Let’s go there today and forget everything. Just play around innocently.”
Park Tae-jun laughed again, looking toward Jang Woo-seok and Kim Soo-jung, who were coming over with a tray. She didn’t deny his words either.
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