Chapter: 115
A transfer student has arrived!
The entire class buzzed at the appearance of a cool-looking transfer student.
Her skin was so pale it almost seemed unearthly, and her long hair flowed down like a waterfall. With her calm, deep-set eyes and tightly closed lips, she gave off an intimidating aura that made approach difficult… but…
Her shy demeanor, as she hesitantly avoided eye contact, the blush lightly blooming on her cheeks, and her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt completely melted away the invisible barrier created by her looks. That chemical reaction gave rise to a cute gap-moe.
It was a disaster for Roderus.
If she had kept her lips sealed and glared, the commoners would have dared not meet her gaze, but they all accepted Roderus as a “classmate” rather than as an “elevated being”!
Before coming to school, Roderus had gone through a brief training. Everyone was equal at school, there were no aristocratic speech patterns, and if her identity was revealed to the Evil Organization, it could be dangerous—so standing out could put her life at stake.
In other words,
“What are you eating to be so pretty?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
She couldn’t yell back, “I’ve been licking mold off the wall, you commoner brat!” Such a battle cry would draw attention.
“You, just shut your mouth!”
“Transfer student! Don’t mind him; he’s just a bit weird!”
Fortunately, the cringe-worthy flirting that sounded like someone had consumed three heaping tablespoons of butter was suppressed by the class. Those who dared to speak openly received a barrage of Indian give-and-take.
“What are your hobbies?”
“⋯⋯Um, fencing, I guess.”
“Wow, fencing?! Can you show us?!”
If I show you, your eyebrows might get pierced. Asking to see swords like this is practically a duel invitation, isn’t it?
Roderus glanced at Oh Hye-in, who sat by the window. Hye-in made an “X” with her hands as a sign: Not a duel invitation. Very well, then.
“You can’t force anything on me… Ah, no. I’ll show you when I get the chance.”
“Ah, alright.”
She managed to slide past it. Roderus couldn’t help but smile at the subtle sense of pride she felt.
It was easier than expected. It’s not like she was fooling people far older; just inexperienced kids. Feeling confident.
Now, any questions…
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Shut—”
Roderus’s soul-crushing command, “Shut up, you commoner!” was cut off by Oh Hye-in, who had seized the perfect explosive moment to cover her mouth.
“Ugh—!!”
“Dae-su is my cousin; we both have the Oh surname. Right? He gets embarrassed easily, so let’s stop the questions here! That’s enough! End of discussion!”
Oh Hye-in pulled the flailing Oh Dae-su to a vacant seat, bringing the chaotic first day of school’s introduction to a close.
“Hmm.”
In the back row, a girl with red hair was intently watching this unfold…
===============================================================
On the school rooftop, the mysterious transfer student Oh Dae-su glared at Oh Hye-in with crossed arms and a defiant posture. He was quite irritated over the earlier question about having a “boyfriend.”
“Why… do I have to partake in such ridiculous antics?”
“You don’t have any immediate way to get back, right? Then you need to blend into this world naturally.”
“And the school is indeed an important base for Magical Girls!”
“I never agreed to become a Magical Girl or anything…!!”
Roderus shot up like a spring and pointed at Oh Hye-in, exasperated. His sharpness could have made any normal boy shrink back in fear.
However, professional Magical Girl Oh Hye-in (at least on the outside) wasn’t fazed by the attitude of someone her age; instead, she joined forces with the mascot Mungae for a fierce retort.
“Then what, is there another way? If there were, I’d be saying goodbye right now!”
“Yeah, right? What do you plan to do, thrown into this cruel society with a girl’s body and a total lack of resources?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”
What on earth can you do?
The cold fact bombardment struck down on the novice Magical Girl Oh Dae-su, clutching his chest, wobbling like jelly. The problem doubled in that he’d accidentally touched an area he shouldn’t have.
Roderus was left with no choice but to fully commit to being a Magical Girl as the elite “Beautiful Girl Oh Dae-su.”
Oh Hye-in hugged the dejected Roderus tightly.
“Being a Magical Girl isn’t so bad once you get the hang of it, Dae-su.”
“⋯⋯Don’t!!”
Feeling someone else’s warmth was annoyingly soothing.
===============================================================
What is a Magical Girl?
“They’re heroes who protect the dreams and hopes of children, defeating the Evil Organization that seeks to plunge people into despair to gain impure energy.”
“Magical Girls are physically resilient, which means they can’t be caught by bullets, so they collaborate with the police to take down the baddies. They get benefits like health insurance, pensions, and even extra credit for civil service exams.”
What do Magical Girls do?
“Protect people’s valuable emotions from the Evil Organization!”
“Eliminating monsters; it’s similar to catching pickpockets.”
Roderus nodded, understanding.
“So, Magical Girls are like vigilantes.”
“That’s not wrong.”
“If I change my clothes, I can help too, right? This… transformation outfit, I mean.”
Roderus recalled that awful memory of an outfit stuffed with frills, ribbons, and all things feminine.
How about wearing a hood or mask to cover the entire body? If layered with armor, it would increase practicality and also hide his face.
That would be much better. Just as Roderus was picturing his stylish new look, the mascot Mungae cut in sharply.
“Ah~ You can’t change that.”
“Why not?”
“The Transformation Device (Dreaming Mirror) transforms you into the form your heart deeply desires. But you aren’t properly connected, and the device is broken, right?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
In the end, the device’s fault was the issue.
It was a nonsensical regret, but what if they hadn’t used that farce back then? What if they had just caught the hunting dog with pure physicality?!!
As Roderus pulled his hair in frustration over the past, Mungae added in.
“And the flashy outfit has its meaning. As I’ve mentioned, Magical Girls rely on positive emotions—pure energy—to function.”
“Younger people tend to have more emotions than adults, right, Dae-su?”
“The flashy attire of a Magical Girl is designed to draw out pure energy from children, who have the strongest emotions.”
“So, a bit of showmanship is necessary!”
Oh Hye-in stood up and began spinning in twirls like a ballet dancer. Without hesitation, she drew heart shapes with her hands and spread her arms wide, or placed a “V” by her eye while winking.
It suited her.
The performance exuding from the lively girl could easily execute somewhat exaggerated motions. However, those movements… were deadly for any man!
The embarrassment levels could spike dangerously, risking an acute embarrassment overdose.
Roderus had to refuse for his own safety.
“Absolutely not.”
“Who’s asking you to? Just… it’s necessary in situations when there’s a lack of pure energy!”
“⋯⋯Then I’ll just die with dignity. Performing such… movements in front of others is ‘utterly absurd’ and not noble.”
“What does it mean to be noble?”
That was…
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Roderus inhaled and froze for a moment, shaking his head and diverting the topic.
“As a commoner, you can’t possibly know what it means to be noble. It’s just something that feels natural.”
“Yeah, yeah. It must be nice to be noble, Miss Pretty Girl Oh Dae-su.”
“⋯⋯Shut up, commoner!”
“Oh, why are you sulking already? Dae-su~!”
Roderus turned on her heel and stomped away, vowing to show that unruly commoner what true nobility truly was.
Though even as he thought that, he couldn’t define exactly what ‘nobility’ was. Even when opening a box, only vague anxieties filled his mind.
In the end, what he clutched was merely a façade adorned with the life of a hunting dog.
===============================================================
In the heat of battle, one could forget everything. Focusing solely on the single command to kill the enemy, all the trivial thoughts that aren’t worth worrying about would sink into silence.
She danced. Avoiding incoming attacks, thrusting into exposed gaps. Failing at this was not an option. Wasn’t this the purpose of her existence?
I am Duke Redburn’s right hand—
“It’s the end.”
“Keyeeeeeeek—!!”
Bwang.
The monster, punctured through the wind, crumbled into ashes. Roderus shook off the blade that showed no signs of getting dirty and sheathed it.
Clap clap clap. Oh Hye-in applauded beside her like a seal.
“Wow… it felt like watching a movie, right?”
“An astonishing display of combat prowess…! You finished off the monster in an instant without gathering pure energy!”
“Hmph… Well, this is basic stuff. I didn’t even use my real power. You can sing my praises all you want, commoner.”
Roderus’s nose lifted high. Oh Hye-in made a face as if biting into something sour and repeated her lines.
“Wow, geez… it felt like watching a movie, didn’t it?”
“Impressive confidence…!”
“Go on and make a fuss. I’ll forgive rudeness. Transform back.”
Biiiiing~
The Magical Girl outfit shattered into light and scattered into the sky. Roderus tucked the Transformation Device (Dreaming Mirror) into her skirt pocket and walked ahead.
Oh Hye-in and Mungae followed behind her. They had just simply dealt with the monstrous creature that had suddenly appeared during the after-school outing.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Roderus felt this world was overly complacent.
There was no need to struggle for survival, so everyone was living in a daze, relaxed. No traps laid in homes, no honing skills to kill.
Some, like Roderus, underwent rigorous training to kill; however, that spoke to a baseline issue.
Even a farmer in the country must be prepared to kill someone. Bandits wanting to burn their village down, goblin raiders hunting for plunder, etc.
The need to spill blood was alarmingly close. Those who turn away or quiver with fear are the first to perish. Thus, everyone harbors a trace of poison in their hearts.
But here? Life was a distant matter. People lived in ignorance, laughing and playing without a care.
Neighbors, friends…
These “innocent” peoplеs were potential threats that could easily turn into enemies if circumstances shifted. Family, yep, even family. Yet…
“Back home, should I make rice for dinner? Oh Dae-su’s real name sounds foreign, so maybe…?”
“I don’t know which world he’s from. Is it possible he’s from an Eastern-style world with a foreign-sounding name?”
“The worst that could happen is being told to starve if the food doesn’t suit you!”
How could they be so blissfully unaware? You lot.
Fools. Roderus, muttering silently within, came to a halt as he turned a corner.
A girl standing about 10 cm shorter than him boldly blocked his path with her hands on her hips.
Her slightly pinkish-reddish hair, sparkling ruby-red eyes, and her tightly pressed lips exuded a defiant energy. This girl radiated a terrifying drive, stepping forward and pointing directly at Roderus.
“You’re the new Magical Girl!!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”
“The class… ugh!!”
A follow-up move.
She wedged her thigh between his legs, advancing close, and swiftly covered Roderus’s mouth with her hand.
She threw her legs to trip him off balance, pushing down on his neck, and effortlessly made him fall.
The girl heaped an expression of horror as her neck was cut off and her mouth closed.
“O-oh, Dae-su!!”
“I think my identity has been exposed, commoner. I have to deal with witnesses here…”
“Wait, wait! She’s a Magical Girl like us! She’s a friend! And thinking of burying someone upon being seen is a little extreme, don’t you think?!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Roderus cautiously removed his hand. The girl coughed for a while, her eyes brimming with tears as she stood up. Then,
“Ahh-byo—!!”
Slap!
“⋯⋯Ugh!”
She landed a fist squarely on Roderus’s solar plexus. Normally, he would’ve retaliated, but the instant he was hit, all strength drained from his body and his upper body bent instinctively. His legs trembled.
It wasn’t even that powerful of a hit…!
Roderus collapsed, gasping as the red-haired girl cheerfully patted his back and said,
“I hit you once, so we’re even now. I’m Kim Lulu! The Magical Girl, ‘Pure Rodeo!’ Nice to meet you—!!”
A new Magical Girl had emerged.
