Chapter 62

I haven’t lived a perfectly good life, but I pride myself on not having lived an outright bad one either. I suppose I could rationalize and make excuses by saying things like, “I regularly donate a few hundred dollars to UNICEF,” but since I haven’t done anything like that, there’s nothing more for me to add. Honestly, with all the taxes I already pay, I don’t see why I should bother with such donations.

I tend to avoid troublesome or inconvenient situations, so even though Yumina sometimes says I’m cold or indifferent, it’s not really how I feel inside. People may seem simple on the surface, but everyone is more complex than they appear, and that goes for me as well.

Take, for instance, Laplace who kept muttering about dying and then asked me to pretend I hadn’t heard. Still, I had my reasons for sharing this with Yumina. It wasn’t because I’m heartless; I just wanted to spare her the pain of losing a friend unexpectedly. Really, it has nothing to do with being cold-blooded.

And sure, people might say I’m a bit aloof and detached. But isn’t it strange to criticize someone just for that? Criticizing someone’s personality is irrational and inefficient. Community decisions require diverse perspectives to minimize mistakes, so everyone’s traits are needed. It’s wrong to complain about someone else’s personality simply because it doesn’t suit your liking. People should develop civic awareness.

Additionally, I care a lot about others and am quite considerate. Sure, I act on impulse sometimes, but I still try to be mindful of my surroundings. You can’t detach yourself from a situation unless you understand it first, and that requires paying attention. Even if it seems like I ignore things, it’s not true. If I didn’t care, would I even have friends to hang out with?

It’s so frustrating that people don’t recognize my efforts. Is it an image problem?

Not that I don’t manage my image—it’s practically second nature to me. Let’s say, I’m cold to strangers but warm to my friends, something like that.

But did I somehow end up being stereotyped as the type of person who’d joke, “Oh, your friend’s about to die, hahaha”? That’s not who I am. My life isn’t that reckless, and even if it were, I wouldn’t act that way.

“Why don’t you believe me? Do you have any issues with me?”

Of course, there might be something bothering you, but are you telling me it’s so bad that you can’t trust me anymore? This is awkward. Did I overstep somewhere? Was there something I missed? Is it because you’re closer to Laplace than me? I doubt it.

Yumina just kept walking silently, clicking her flashlight on and off as the alley flickered with light.

“What’s wrong?”

The reply came later. Yumina turned off her flashlight, looked up at the stars for a moment, then turned to me.

“Chalna.”

It was an unfamiliar way to address me.

“I don’t like these kinds of jokes. It’s annoying. Stop it.”

Even though the starlight made her face unclear, I could hear the emotion in her voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe me; she didn’t want to believe it. I see. People tend to first deny or avoid the truth when they hear something like that about their best friend.

A smile crossed my face, but it was probably too dark for her to notice. Thankfully. I approached and hugged her tightly, despite the height difference. In moments like this, warmth is all that matters.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. That was a nasty joke. Are you willing to accept my apology?”

“… Yeah.”

Yumina hesitated but then hugged me back. I patted her on the back. Poor thing. If she said she wanted to quit, I could cover her expenses or living costs, but I hesitated to offer help outright. I know suggesting it would likely get her to refuse, but if I don’t say anything, it must seem complicated.

Could it be a sense of responsibility? A promise to herself or perhaps a bond with other Magical Girls? Somehow, I can’t be sure, sigh.

Even though I didn’t mean for this conversation to unfold this way, I couldn’t help but say a few more words.

“I don’t like being pushed too hard; it can lead to burnout. Should I teach you some skills on how to relax?”

Yumina took a few deep breaths.

“I don’t want to be like Ms. Young Lady.”

“This way would be easier, wouldn’t it?”

“That will eventually lead to karma.”

“You’re cursing someone else’s life?”

After clinging tightly together for a while, we slowly separated. The height difference was noticeable.

“Ms. Young Lady probably should get some sleep by now. Let’s head back quickly.”

Yumina moved ahead again. She was right; I was getting sleepy.

“I don’t strictly go to bed by ten. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I toss and turn.”

“Still, going to bed late doesn’t help you grow taller, right?”

Even though I could have said it’s fine to take my time, I didn’t have much else to say.

After hesitating for a bit, I gave up trying to respond and changed the subject instead.

“By the way, what’s the bag for?”

Yumina, unlike her usual self, had a small bag slung over her shoulder. It wasn’t there at school, but she had it ever since leaving to do Magical Girl work.

“What’s this?”

Yumina tapped the bag and inserted her hand. The zipper was already open. She pulled out something metallic.

“It’s a handgun.”

It was literally a handgun.

I don’t know how I’m supposed to react to this. Seriously, I shouldn’t have asked. I could’ve just said that height doesn’t matter and we can walk slowly. Now, what strange situation is this?

Yumina briefly flashed the gun with her flashlight. It gleamed. She was signaling for me to ask.

“…Why?”

“It was Laplace’s suggestion to deal with government intervention.”

Where do I even start with the critique?

“Normally, you’d see guns floating around, and if you pick one up, most people other than certain Magical Girls hand them over to Schrödinger.”

Yumina aimed the gun at the wall. Judging by her grip, it wasn’t great.

“But this time, Laplace exerted his authority, recalled them in the middle, and redistributed them to all. He overexerted himself with spatial transportation to do it quickly. Thanks to that, Ms. Young Lady had to work today.”

Yumina turned the flashlight towards me, assessing my reaction, and then giggled. She aimed the gun at the wall and pulled the trigger. It didn’t fire.

“There’s no bullet. It’s just for intimidation purposes.”

Sounds like a lie. The trust was already damaged when she pulled out the gun. Feeling the magic in the air, I checked her bag—there were bullets.

Technically, it’s not a lie. There aren’t bullets in the handgun she showed me. Either Yumina didn’t think I’d sense her magic, or she just didn’t care.

“Lately, the police have been causing trouble, saying they’re going to send Magical Girls back home. They’re trying to persuade us if they meet us, and if not, they’ll try to subdue us. Using magic in response could result in bloodshed, so they’ve given us these for intimidation. If you point a gun and run away, they usually don’t follow.”

There’s doubt whether it’s purely for intimidation. There’s also the risk of accidental discharge.

Yumina put the gun back in the bag and kept walking.

“Most Magical Girls are furious about this, but I understand the current situation to some extent. It’s concerning if street-smart teens grow into mafia-like groups without proper guidance.”

Now that you mention it, that’s true. Calling them Magical Girls aside, they are basically a militarized group of minors.

“Nevertheless, why now after letting it slide so far? Who are they to start making all these rules and regulations… ahem. Let’s put it nicely.”

“Your language’s gotten harsh. You’ve been influenced.”

“I’m aware.”

Yumina suddenly turned around.

“Anyway, Ms. Young Lady, have you noticed anything?”

“Like what? That being a police officer is a tough job…?”

“Pity me! In situations like these, you should be leveraging your government connections! Shouldn’t you call the police commissioner right away?”

“Leverage government connections? Aren’t we past that era? Let’s call it lobbying for respectability.”

“Will you do it?”

The tone was high-pitched.

“No way. Our company upholds a rational management spirit based on respecting the rule of law.”

Yumina tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment.

“Shortcut respect?”

That stung.

“…Do I have such a bad image?”

“I thought Ms. Young Lady would say that shortcuts are just another form of legality.”

Reputation… it isn’t great, honest. I haven’t lived particularly well, but I haven’t lived poorly either.

“…I respect judicial discretion.”

“An incapable Ms. Young Lady feels touched; I’m worried about the reality.”

“Reality is often better than imagination, and imagination is often more painful than reality.”

“I’ll trust you a little.”

Believing “a little” makes life hard.

*

After seeing Yumina carry a gun, a warning bell rang. Are we heading towards a society where everyone carries guns? In that case, walking around and getting randomly shot isn’t an exaggerated worry.

If that happens, we’ll have real difficulties. Though my healing magic is improving to the point where I can reattach severed body parts, I still can’t regenerate brain damage. Whether my magical force barrier can stop bullets is questionable. Guns may seem familiar, but their power isn’t.

I could imagine the results of testing my magical barrier against a gun, but I wanted to confirm. So, I went to one of our subsidiaries—a place less prominent than our main pharmaceutical and biotech headquarters but just as important. This company specializes in security and exploration services and is directly supported by the group. What’s more, it’s overseen by my father, the group’s designated successor.

My grandfather once casually mentioned that this company’s purpose is to develop methods to maintain the rule of law even if public authority collapses. It sounds like plotting a rebellion, but it’s meant seriously. The ultimate goal is always grand laws. Most companies aim for total market dominance for shareholders, right?

Similarly, now that the laws have loosened, they’re aiming to become a private military enterprise that can replace public authority in emergencies… though that still feels strange. Maybe dreams are just that. The ultimate goal of any enterprise is typically unachievable.

I briefly greeted my busy father and entered the company’s shooting range. After listening to the safety instructions and donning protective gear, I was handed a handgun. I don’t know what this is—it’s a different parallel universe from my previous life, and truthfully, I’ve never been into guns.

In front of the target, I cast a magical force barrier opposite my usual method. I aimed and fired, and with a heavy recoil, the bullet pierced the barrier and hit the target. So much for that.

Next, I took my time to make the barrier stronger, stretching my limits to complete it. When I fired at the enhanced barrier, the bullet stopped midway and fell. It’s possible, but the gun I tested is a low-powered handgun. Given the unpredictability of gunfights, it’s impractical to rely on a barrier that requires time to construct.

Alternative solutions are necessary. Something with different mechanics and practical convenience from a magical barrier. Nothing immediately comes to mind. I don’t know when my job update will come or whether my secondary skills will stop bullets. If I meet a monster in a rift that uses magic, it’d be nice, but if that monster’s magic blocks bullets too, that’d be bad luck. In that case, I’d have to prioritize my life first.

If it doesn’t exist, I’ll create it. I received a “Marpyna” cloak from the security guard.

“This Marpyna can stop handguns, but what else can it handle?”

“It stops even existing super sniper rifles. Back during the experiments, it blocked all attacks from C-grade weapons the company had.”

Something doesn’t add up. If you open the Marpyna, it’s obviously just a wizard’s robe, not heavy armor but clothing.

“A C-grade weapon?”

“Yes, a C-grade weapon. Furthermore, it’s the top-tier among C-grade defenses.”

If this is C-grade, what’s above it? Nations obsessed with item gambling are probably trying to assemble B-grade pieces to get B-grade items anytime now. The B-grade staff Schrödinger once gave me caused unlimited rain over kilometers, so the future is worrying.

I draped the Marpyna over the target carelessly and returned to take aim. The bullet hit and fell off the cloak. Based on experience, the Marpyna absorbed the bullet’s impact.

I prayed for continued success for the employee who managed to acquire this amazing item.

I intend to study the mechanics of the Marpyna. My goal is to decipher it, copy the magic circle, and apply it generously to all the clothes in my wardrobe.

That way, I can freely embrace modern fashion, and since this item isn’t officially registered, it won’t look like one, allowing me to stay safe without drawing attention. Robbers would be harder to deter. Although wearing hoods or robes to cover my face for safety restricts fashion options slightly, it works fine.

If mass production planning succeeds, other possibilities will arise, though that’s less important.

Despite appearances, I have experience successfully mass-producing magic books, so my confidence isn’t baseless. Starting with lower-grade defensive items, I’ll systematically research and aim towards the Marpyna. Probably doable.

The short-term goal is to make walking through a firefight as safe as walking through the park.

With determination, I prepared to start.

But doing this in a place where dedicated R&D people work full-time is slightly embarrassing.

I lowered my hand slightly.

I should head home.

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