LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 89
February 27, 2012
“So, we installed Warp Gates at the temporary offices set up in Los Angeles and Washington. We’ve agreed that Magical Girls can freely go back and forth between the two cities.”
swish
Kang Dorim flipped through a stack of documents. The chair in the Elysion central conference hall was so high that she kept swinging her legs throughout the meeting.
“…And we’ve modified the speed vessel Pollux to be small enough for a regular Magical Girl to operate it.”
The high-speed vessel Pollux, built after the massive Sirius, was stationed at the top of the Elysion lighthouse.
“There’s a lot to create lately, and with more internet surveillance, it’s been noisy trying to finish everything quickly. But I asked Iris to tell the villagers below the lighthouse to evacuate for a bit, so it should be fine.”
“It’s smaller than Sirius, so maintenance was wrapped up quickly. It really seems like a practical and good airship!”
Natalia, the Navigation Magical Girl, grinned and listed the advantages of Pollux. She mentioned wanting to modify it further later on.
I chuckled a bit at her enthusiasm.
The Goddess, who had been busy declaring domains between the USA and Russia for the past two weeks, was laid up inside the lighthouse. She had been hearing the sounds of Pollux being built and seemed like she’d have to endure a few more days.
“I don’t have much to report.”
Kang Dorim placed her documents down decisively, signaling that her reports were done.
“Yeah. You’ve worked hard. It’s been busy with the Warp Gates, after all.”
“Honestly, making a Warp Gate is as simple as crafting a door and using [Transmission] magic, so it’s not particularly difficult.”
“But there’s still a lot to do. Everyone here feels the same, right?”
“Eh? I don’t have much to do!”
Ichika, with her excellent combat prowess, had decided to handle defense by alternating between China and Japan, so she was technically the least busy person among us.
“Having Ichika around lets us work without worry.”
“Hey, no need to hype me up like that.”
“Anyway, is there anyone else with a report?”
I slowly glanced around at the council members in the meeting room, including Cheonrihwa, Iris, and Natalia.
“Huh? What’s wrong with her?”
Sumire was fidgeting, looking quite apologetic.
“Fujimoto-san. Do you have something to say…?”
“Uh, about the previously permitted merchandise sales…”
Ah.
That talkative girl.
I hadn’t imagined what she was trying to make because she used fancy words unnecessarily. When I first saw that proposal, I pictured figures or bromides, so I approved it coolly. But most of the items produced as a result were somewhat steeped in intense desires.
“I thought it was just a joke about breasts, but you were serious.”
The 1:1 scale dolls boasted a level of detail that was truly shocking. After seeing them, I couldn’t shake the unease for a moment but soon gave up.
“Hmm. Well, what can I do now that I’ve granted permission?”
“…But I didn’t expect such provocative items to be made. I truly apologize.”
Sumire muttered about potential legal actions with a genuinely disgusted expression. Everyone gathered at the scene wore uneasy faces and glanced at me.
“Thinking about it, they’re still all kids.”
Though they had grown independence by wielding the power of fate and starlight, their feelings were closer to that of typical schoolgirls. Thus, they reacted sharply even when it wasn’t directly their problem.
“If it happens out of my sight, I don’t care, but if you say it in front of me, I’ll act.”
From my experience of living both as a man and a woman for 30 years, I felt bewildered by others’ sexual desires, but that didn’t mean I loathed them, so I didn’t want to escalate the situation.
“I’m not really bothered by it, so don’t take it too hard.”
“…Yes. I’ll ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Although I said it was fine, I directed one more request to the talkative girl before concluding the morning meeting.
As Sumire walked toward the Japan side Warp Gate, Ichika fluttered her silver petticoat and said, “Whenever I see the surname Fujimoto, I get hungry. Let’s grab sushi!” slinging her arm around Sumire’s shoulder. Sumire nodded slightly, looking a bit scared.
I felt an absurd sensation while watching that, then sighed, thinking of the talkative girl.
What I conveyed to the talkative girl was…
[I’m fine, but leave the other Magical Girls out of this.]
I was merely unique in that others had the delicate emotions that matched their own ages. Therefore, I prohibited any pressure to present similar agreements to the other Magical Girls.
It was disgraceful for such absurd incidents to happen just as the invasion of monsters was imminent.
“What can you do? That’s just how life goes.”
Even while weeping loudly over a family member’s death at a funeral home, people scramble to eat to survive. They even think of smoking a cigarette while trudging out of a hospital to stay alive.
Isn’t that how everyone lives?
With those thoughts in mind, as I exited the meeting room and walked across the plaza, the Magical Girls arranging groceries in front of the warehouse greeted me.
“Hello! Your Majesty!”
“Hello. Just call me by my name.”
“Yes! Understood! Your Majesty!”
“….”
“Uh, I’m sorry, but could you move up the grocery supply schedule a bit for next week?”
“Eh? Has it already run out?”
“Yes… It seems that the population on Elysion Island has quickly increased due to the Magical Girls deciding to live with their families.”
Since they could magically solve their basic needs of sustenance, more people were rapidly choosing to move in.
‘Even though just over two thousand isn’t a large population for the size of the island.’
I quietly took out the Glass Star hanging from my belt and imagined a shop window.
Magical
Merchandise
Words floated above my Glass Star as starlight was consumed.
“How much do you need?”
“Well… We’re running low on flour, meat, and salt.”
Flour.
Meat.
Salt.
Just as much as you can get.
As I thought about the items I needed, starlight evaporated in an instant. A level of starlight that would be hard for the other 2-Star or blooming Magical Girls to cope with.
crash boom bang
The plaza erupted with an enormous sound as a mound of groceries took shape.
“Wow! Whoa!”
“Amazing!”
Sacks of salt and flour were piled like a small fortress, and the fresh meat looked like a butcher shop had been ransacked.
“Whoa?! It really came out like a mountain?!”
“Is this enough?”
“Yes! This is enough for a week!”
“Call me anytime if you need more.”
“Thank you! Your Majesty!”
I walked away from the Magical Girls chatting excitedly by the groceries stacked in the plaza.
“…”
Even as a Born 3-Star, creating enough food for the thousands that would need it meant I would have to suffer from a temporary shortage of starlight. But my Glass Star had already replenished itself long ago.
‘It’s like plugging in a fast charger to my phone.’
Once I revealed my face and name and stepped truly forward in front of many people, the rate at which my starlight charges increased phenomenally.
[The heir likely possesses the most goddess-like attributes.]
[Goddess attributes?]
[Leading humanity, alleviating ignorance, and becoming an idol.]
[….]
The Goddess said it was because I began to walk the fate closest to the Goddess. Just as she proclaimed, my Glass Star had been growing stronger and evolving since I stepped onto the true path of salvation.
‘Perhaps this is a kind of deception too.’
The one closest to the Goddess seeing oneself as human.
*
In an old hospital in Moscow, included within the domain by the Goddess, active volunteer work by Magical Girls had been underway for a while.
The Dream Magical Girl Jo Yeon-seo looked at the small girl asleep in front of her with a sad expression.
“She’s been sleeping since birth?”
“It’s rare for cases like this. Her parents searched everywhere for a solution, but…”
The doctor shook his head.
“…Eventually, they went to meet a physician in Europe who had handled a similar patient, but went missing nearby.”
“So this girl has been sleeping her whole life without family.”
Jo Yeon-seo’s purple eyes were filled with sorrow.
When she collapsed grieving her parents’ death, her maternal grandfather had been beside her. But this girl had never seen anyone since she was born.
A life filled with endless sleep.
Can that even be called life?
Living from nothing to nothing and returning to nothing was no different from death.
Jo Yeon-seo firmly vowed to save her, saying, “I’m a Magical Girl, so I can enter this girl… Alisa’s consciousness.”
“But this girl has received no stimulation since birth. She has no identity, no dreams.”
“Well, we won’t know until we see it ourselves.”
Human dreams are infinite.
Having glimpsed the vast world of dreams unfolding beneath the curtain of consciousness, Jo Yeon-seo thought that this girl might be trapped in her own world.
“I’ll look for clues in this girl’s dreams.”
“…Understood.”
The doctor left, wearing an expression as if he couldn’t argue.
The sound of the hospital door closing echoed, and the only sound in the rundown room, where cold winter wind sneaked in, was the breathing of Alisa, who was lost in sleep.
“…”
I pray that this girl can step out into the bright world with herself.
Jo Yeon-seo offered that prayer.