The magical girl seems to be a genius.
On snowy days, hot pot is good.
Personally, I like kimchi hot pot, but when I make it at home, the smell fills the entire room, so I hesitate to cook it.
“When I was leaving, I received some cabbage from someone at the Magic Bureau. Since Fūru is here too, I decided to make a hot pot.”
“Hot pot, huh? I prefer sukiyaki.”
I see, I see.
But since you can’t eat it anyway, you should stay quiet.
Just before Tamake returned, I was awakened by a Demon. Since it was a good opportunity, I greeted her at the entrance, and she came back carrying a large head of cabbage. Her complexion had improved since she left, and it seemed like she had somewhat sorted out her thoughts.
After coming home with the cabbage, Tamake immediately went to the Fairy Realm and bought the rest of the ingredients. She purchased cod and chicken meatballs, along with other vegetables, and we decided to make a hot pot.
Well, when I say “make,” I was banished to the living room and just drank warm tea while watching TV.
It’s the same in the morning; even if I offer to help, they stubbornly refuse.
“Would you call this a winter vegetable and cod hot pot?”
“There’s no particular name for it. Let’s eat then.”
“Let’s eat.”
Indeed. The flaky cod and cabbage bring out great flavors.
My body is warming up.
“How is it, is it delicious?”
“Yes. It’s warm and tasty.”
“In that case, I’m glad. There’s plenty, so please eat as much as you want.”
Even though it was supposed to be just me and Tamake eating, the amount of food served was quite substantial.
This must be enough for five people?
Even if we can’t finish it all, let’s try to eat as much as possible.
“I’ve obtained new information while you were eating.”
(New information? What is it?)
“Starting around this afternoon, irregularities have increased, and most of the top-ranked individuals, including those in Japan, are fully occupied.”
Irregularities…
No matter how you look at it, a Witch must be behind this. What could they possibly be planning? If I had to guess, they might launch something either at the end of the year or the beginning of the next one.
The moment the Witch began their serious actions, things turned out this way—something we already knew, but they’re clearly several steps ahead of us.
Ideally, I’d like to act immediately, but today I’ll rest properly and start acting tomorrow.
The forecast says the snow will stop tomorrow, and my condition has significantly improved.
“So, Marin-chan… wait, are you listening to me?”
“Yes, I am. Isn’t Marin the magical girl who worries about you? She’s an excellent junior, isn’t she?”
“Yeah. Marin is incredible. Her rank is higher than mine, and above all, her fighting stance is cool.”
As Japanese, there’s something captivating about battling with a sword and bow.
Recently, her personality has become “that way,” but from an outside perspective, there’s no issue.
Really, how did she end up like that?
“Will you be on duty all day starting tomorrow?”
“Yes. I probably won’t be back tomorrow, so I’ll prepare a bento again.”
It’s very kind of her, but if I had the materials, I could make it myself… Besides, I intend to move quietly tomorrow.
Food is trivial, but if she wants to make it, I’ll let her…
Even if I decline, she’ll likely insist.
“Understood. Thank you.”
“I’m doing what I want to do. No need to thank me.”
These past two days have allowed me to rest considerably, but this idle time has gradually dried up my heart.
Already, returning to days without battles is impossible for me.
Battles are fine. That’s all I need…
—In any case, I should eat this hot pot now.
“Fufu, I ate, I ate. Let’s add udon noodles to the leftovers tomorrow morning.”
“Given the amount for just two people, it was definitely too much.”
Despite our best efforts, about a third remained.
Well, if we’re having it tomorrow morning, this might be just right.
By the way, tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.
Last year, I spent it at home, but now things are like this…
I’d like to pray for a good year, but I already know it won’t be a good one.
“I’m going to take a bath. Would you like to join?”
“Oh, no thank you. I’m not comfortable showing my skin to others.”
“Hmm, then I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll go in first then.”
It’s not about showing, but rather seeing that I dislike…
Although I no longer have male desires, as an adult, it feels inappropriate to see a woman naked.
Since the Demon is considered a pet, it’s acceptable, but I don’t want to share a bath with anyone else.
(Have we gotten any new information since then?)
“Not particularly important stuff. Just that the number of monsters is increasing day by day.”
Day by day…
We don’t know what the Witch is planning, but it seems we don’t have much time left.
If they made a big move somewhere, we could notice it immediately, but this gradual attack is troublesome.
(Has the Witch ever gone all-out from the start?)
“Yes. Once they realized we were present, the Witch started a massacre alone. They wiped everyone out in no time.”
I see, so there’s variation in the Witches’ thinking even though they’re referred to as one entity…
From what I’ve heard, I thought they were identical beings, but perhaps they’re more like clones…
(I understand. Do you know why this Witch is taking such roundabout actions this time?)
“Not something I want to talk about, but I have a rough idea. Probably, there are two reasons.”
I can sort of guess one, but two…
(What are these two reasons?)
“The first reason is that the Witch likely considers this battle against Arcana to be their final one. Therefore, they’re slowly enjoying their last battle.”
That’s a reasonable reason.
I also believe that’s the reason. After all, if the Witch were serious, they would have killed me when we met.
(What’s the second reason?)
“The second reason is—I think they’re thoroughly cornering me and Haruna.”
Cornering…
If things continue like this, it’s normal for someone like Tamake to fall into mental illness.
However, despite appearing as a young girl, inside she’s an adult. This level of injustice is something she’s accustomed to…
How many times have I redrawn plans according to customers’ requests…
Anyway, if we keep being chased by the Magic Bureau and the Fairy Bureau, allies won’t appear, and it’s as if all magical girls have become enemies.
Fortunately, I’ve encountered high-ranking individuals like Kaede-san and Thalagong, but if I hadn’t, the situation would have been dire.
(If I were just an ordinary girl, it might have been effective, but actually, it’s no damage at all.)
Whether I win or lose, the final outcome will be separation.
Being alone is more convenient.
“We really should unite everyone, but the Magic Bureau is cozying up to the Witch, and the high-rankers are preoccupied with the monsters summoned by the Witch. Only we can move properly…”
(There’s nothing we can do about that. But as long as the Witch is playing around, we still have a chance. Let’s keep doing what we can.)
“That’s right…”
“I’m done with the bath!”
Tamake seems to have finished her bath, so I’ll go in now.
Though locking the door isn’t possible, the bathroom has frosted glass, so no one can see inside.
(As usual, I’ll leave it to you.)
“Ho ho, understood. Then I’ll start washing your hair~”
Come to think of it, since becoming this body, I haven’t washed myself once…
Whenever I try, the Demon complains, so I haven’t managed to wash myself properly.
Having my hair washed and then my body…
Then, soaking in the bathtub…
Why does bathing on a cold day feel so good…?
I’d like to stay in forever, but long baths are bad for your health, so I’ll get out early.
By the way, before getting out, I’ll check to ensure none of the Demon’s hair is left behind.
If there’s any hair other than mine, it would be strange…
The Demon’s blonde hair is quite noticeable, so collecting it isn’t too troublesome.
“I’m done.”
Returning to the living room, Tamake was writing something.
Is it homework for winter break?
“Oh, you’re out. Would you like something to drink?”
“I’m fine, I’ll do it myself. Is that homework?”
“Yeah. School homework. I should do it while I can remember.”
That’s commendable.
I used to do all my homework on the last day.
“I see. Good luck with that.”
“Does Fūru have any homework?”
……What should I answer?
To be honest, no matter what excuse I give, it’s bound to cause trouble.
Besides, would anyone think a person found unconscious in the park attends school?
“I’m fine.”
“—Ah, sorry… I’ll go make some tea!”
Well, it ended up like this.
There’s no helping it, so I’ll sit and wait.
Even though I said I’d do it myself, it ended up with Tamake doing it after all.
“All options lead to failure. What a terrible game!”
(If this were an actual game, there’d surely be complaints.)
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Yesterday, it was cocoa, but today it’s roasted tea… Why do we have roasted tea?
Isn’t it a bit too mature for a young girl to drink?
Tamake continued working on her homework but kept glancing over at me.
“What is it?”
“Um, does Fūru understand this problem?”
Let me see…
Tamake is supposedly 13 years old, so this must be a middle school-level problem.
I’ve solved many linear equations recently, so I remember them well.
This level can probably be calculated mentally.
The answer is…
“It’s five.”
“Five, right?”
“Eh! You can solve it! …And yes, it really is five. Fūru is 11 years old, right?”
“……I’m a genius.”
Now that I think about it, the setting was 11 years old.
Elementary students don’t learn linear equations.
Even a monkey would realize it’s impossible for an average person to solve it.
I blurted out the answer.
“That’s true. Fūru definitely has an atmosphere different from ordinary people. It would have been great if you were a magical girl.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot become a magical girl.”
That’s right, I cannot become a magical girl.
It’s because of this body that one can become a magical girl.
So, I’m not lying.
“If Fūru were a magical girl, she would surely be amazing.”
“Not at all. I could only become an ordinary magical girl like the ones you see around.”
“Hmm, I think you would have become an incredible magical girl.”
“If we have time to talk, shouldn’t you focus more on your homework?”
My situation doesn’t matter at all.
For about 30 minutes, Tamake continued her homework and decided to sleep after finishing a section.
I’d prefer to sleep separately, but since there doesn’t seem to be another futon, I tried to sleep on the sofa, but she insisted, so I reluctantly agreed to sleep together.
