episode_0062

Of course, I have no intention of becoming lifelong friends with magical girls.

But since we are together for now, some rules were necessary to make group living easier.

I only allowed them to stay for a while, not to become slaves.

…Although Hayoon did say something similar to me, as a civilized modern person, I had no intention of fully utilizing those words.

“First, this is a radio.”

I placed the radio in front of the kids and said.

It looks like a speaker, but it has two knobs that can be turned. One is for volume control, and the other is for frequency control. There is a small screen below it, so you can see how the frequency you are currently listening to is set.

“You don’t have to worry about electricity. It can be operated with my weapon.”

Magic and electricity actually work quite differently.

In the case of electricity, there must be separate devices for generating and charging. Even if you work hard to generate electricity, if there is nowhere to store the excess power, you won’t be able to use it continuously.

But magic is different.

Once created, it remains in the vicinity to some extent. Although it is possible to hold it for much longer by creating a separate capacitor or battery and attaching it, if the circuit is always running, it can be maintained stably even without storing it separately.

So… think of it as a video game. In survival games where various constructions are possible, if there is a generator function, it is often set to operate by simply touching within a specific range without having to make and install individual wires or equipment, just like a ‘circuit.’

Since there are beings who can handle magic power in the first place, it seems that they solve it by simply deploying a large number of related personnel or using small generators to charge batteries.

Still, it is much simpler than humans generating and using electricity, but even from the perspective of aliens, just having people directly hold the circuit for ‘generation’ is quite radical.

This is also the reason why magical girls or heroes from other countries exist only on Earth, and why it is difficult to make generators. Because it has to handle a huge amount of power while being stable.

…Anyway, thanks to this, there are quite a few things that can be solved within this place once the equipment is made.

“The location of the magical girls has not yet been identified. Authorities are cooperating with the Galactic Federation—”

To summarize the story flowing from the radio, it seems that the government has not yet figured out why the magical girls ran away.

Even discussing with the Federation did not yield any results.

“You don’t usually do counseling or anything?”

I threw a sarcastic remark, but—

“Then you must have consulted with the company quite often, right?”

“…”

I was speechless at Rose’s response.

“Why do you see it that way?”

When I looked at James, he reacted as if he didn’t understand.

Oh, you did some kind of counseling too.

Ah, it’s not counseling, it’s a threat. Come to think of it, this guy is somewhat responsible for why I am in this situation now.

“I’ll tell you in advance, bones have more meat than meat. It’s impossible to get full just by eating bones.”

It really looks plump and juicy. It’s a bit soft when held and played with.

Well, it might be because of the skin or fur. Anyway, if you have to gut and bleed it to eat it, after dealing with all that, there might not be much meat left.

However, there is still a solution.

Among the food ingredients I have, nuts make up a large portion.

The reason is simple. I can eat it, and James can eat it too. I didn’t really want to bother with dried mealworms or anything like that.

So, we can fatten them up by force-feeding them nuts and then slaughter them. Maybe we can increase the quantity a bit by taking a bite with each mouth?

If that’s not the case—

“How many children do you have?”

For a moment, I almost used the word “offspring” instead of “children,” but then I remembered that James is also an alien being treated as a “person.”

The faces of the magical girls turned pale as if they were shivering at the thought of being villains.

“…Even if it’s a joke, please don’t say such harsh words.”

They trembled as if they were horrified by the idea of being villains.

Hmm.

Rodents can give birth to many offspring at once and only live for about two years. It doesn’t take long for them to become adults.

I thought that if we could secure a lot of them, we could somewhat solve the food shortage by raising them.

But then again, he’s not really a rodent. Even if he gives birth to many offspring, it might be a bit difficult for them to become adults in just two months.

“If we can’t solve the food shortage, how many days do you think it will take for them to turn on us? They’re here because of those kids.”

I said while looking at the magical girls.

They all avoided my gaze slightly. But they still seem to have a conscience, right?

“But we can’t just surrender, can we? You don’t want that either, do you?”

“Even so, surrendering is better than being eaten.”

That may be true, but—

“Um… Excuse me…!”

I shrugged my shoulders, and Dahlia raised one hand slightly.

Hair colors vary in this world, but Dahlia’s hair color wasn’t red. Well, it’s not as common to see “yellow” hair or blonde hair in magical girl or fantasy stories as one might think.

Dahlia’s hair color was orange. She’s known to be moody, but right now, that “moody” atmosphere doesn’t seem to be as pronounced.

Her hair, which falls just below her neck, wasn’t perfectly neat, and her long bangs were swept to one side behind her ear.

Her hair was a bit tangled from not being properly washed, but she still managed to tidy it up as best as she could.

Impressive. I just roughly washed my face at the riverbank in the morning. The water was still quite cold, so I gave up on washing properly.

“I, I can solve the food problem to some extent.”

“How?”

When I tilted my head, Dahlia still spoke with a slightly nervous expression.

“You’ve cleared the field in front, right?”

It seemed like she had seen the field in front of the building.

Actually, I didn’t make it like that, but it was already somewhat organized when I arrived here. It was probably originally used as a vegetable garden.

If it were midsummer, there would have been lots of unknown plants growing, but after winter, most of the plants there were dead.

Since I had plenty of time, I pulled out the roots of the plants that were there.

I didn’t actually plow the field myself, but I saw it, so I made it look like what I thought a “field” would look like. Before people left, it seemed like they had taken care of it to some extent, as there were hardly any big rocks visible.

When I nodded, Dahlia seemed a bit relieved.

“That means there are also seeds.”

“But?”

There aren’t many varieties, but there were a few things that I thought could be grown from seeds.

Cucumbers, eggplants, pumpkins. And there were also some alien vegetables. There are several planets with similar natural environments to Earth, and the plants that grow there are edible by Earthlings. It’s the same principle as James eating Earth nuts.

Honestly, I didn’t gather these things to seriously try to grow them, but rather, I thought it would be better to have them just in case.

It would take at least a few months to grow them, and as someone who has never tried growing them before, I was unsure if I could grow them until I could harvest them.

But seeing Dalia’s face light up as she heard the story, it seemed like she had something else in mind.

“If that’s the case, I’ll do whatever I can.”

“…Are you saying you can grow them?”

“No, it’s much better than that. Because it’s possible to accelerate the growth rate of plants.”

I stared at Dalia and then looked down at James.

“It’s possible. However, I’m not an expert, so I can’t guarantee it.”

Indeed, after making contact with the Galactic Federation, the prices of vegetables and fruits have dropped significantly. I thought it was because they could be grown on a vast number of planets.

“It would be even better if there were alien vegetables. There are specially bred species that can be magically grown to make it look natural.”

Dalia continued to explain.

“In a way, it’s similar to what a clinic does. After making contact with the Federation, wounds can be healed in a day. There is a technology that can increase the healing power while maintaining the lifespan of the healing area without serious side effects.”

It seems that the growth rate of humans can also be controlled. There must be places in the galaxy where such things are natural.

Well, there have been times when I’ve heard that the lifespans of aliens are overwhelmingly longer than those of humans. It’s too early to discuss their lifespan in depth, as it has only been five years since we met.

In reality, the culture of Earth may have deeply penetrated, but I may not have felt it because there is no one around me who needs to worry about death.

“…Got it.”

Feeling too lazy to think further, I nodded my head.

Well… I can do it since I said I could. I don’t think I would lie about it in this situation.

I glanced briefly at Hayoon. She was smiling brightly. It may sound a bit strange to say this, but I trusted her more because of her smiling face.

“…I’ll help too.”

Seeing Dalia get up, Delphinium also got up.

Are they not monitoring each other?

Well, that’s how it came out in the webtoon, but that doesn’t mean they’re enemies. It was mentioned that it was possible to cut off the relationship if necessary.

I eventually got up from my seat and went into the tent to take out a seed packet.

There aren’t many seeds, but if I harvest them and increase the number, I’ll manage somehow. If things don’t work out, I can always call for help when the giants come next time.

After handing over the packet and turning back, I saw Iris and James talking.

“If we can harness energy, can we make something like a heater?”

“I originally didn’t plan to stay here for long and maintained a state where I could withdraw at any time, but hearing your story, that might be a good idea.”

Are they trying to install a heater? Not a bad choice.

I have a sleeping bag, but they don’t.

When I woke up in the morning and looked around, everyone was huddled together, wrapping themselves in the remaining plastic.

I didn’t feel good seeing Hayoon squeezed in there, even though I don’t know about the others.

I had a lot of spare parts piled up in the space. I could have taken them out now, and they could have made it themselves. James had made all sorts of things on his own.

“Then let’s make a bathtub!”

Hayoon got up from her seat and said excitedly.

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable anyway.”

As Hayoon got up, Rose followed suit.

“The bathtub is all broken… but I saw a large basin. It seems like you could sit in it.”

…Was there something like that?

When I came here, my body was tired and my mental state wasn’t great, so I didn’t bother to look for a place that had become a ruin.

“I should find something like a water container and fill it up. It’s annoying to go back and forth for water every time, so I’ll just boil a lot at once and store it in a container.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea!”

“Hmm… If we can make something like a motor, we could draw water as well. I should look into it.”

Iris responded to the conversation between the two.

And I was deeply perplexed as I watched the kids moving around.

Why are they all so sincere?

I understand Ha Yoon saying she’ll stay. It’s a bit embarrassing for me to say it myself, but we’re quite close friends.

Ha Yoon has her moments of relying on me, and there are times when I rely on her. Plus, since I tend to be a bit protective of those who approach Ha Yoon, there aren’t many people around her who can be considered close friends.

Of course, those people usually have their reasons for approaching her, but… even if they approach her with such intentions, there’s no rule saying they can’t become friends.

Even if they have a bad first impression, it’s common to become close without any major issues.

So, in a way, it’s my fault that Ha Yoon doesn’t have many friends.

“….”

As I opened my mouth to say something, the kids were all busy doing their own things.

As I tried to get up from my seat—

“Jieun, take a break.”

Ha Yoon said.

“What?”

“We’ll take care of it, so it’s okay to rest for a bit.”

“….”

I looked at Ha Yoon with a slightly dazed expression.

Ha Yoon smiled at me and then left. Rose glanced at me before following her a bit later.

Inside the house, Iris, who was now outside touching something, and a hamster were left.

Naturally, they were also not paying much attention to this side as they were engrossed in their own conversation.

Interest—well, not showing it was more helpful, but…

There was a wristwatch on Iris’s wrist that was similar to the one I use. It was a modified version of the spare wristwatch James had made.

To be able to move with my energy.

James said it wouldn’t reveal the source of energy, but I don’t really know. Well, what would change just because it’s revealed now.

The situation was unfolding very differently from what I had imagined.

If we were to put it in the taste of magical girls, we could call this situation ‘hope’—

But why. The despair circuit on my wrist was still not stopping at all.

*

Ultimately, by evening, the situation had changed quite a bit from when I was alone.

First of all, plants were planted in the field. They hadn’t grown enough to harvest yet, but in just a few hours, they sprouted and grew a bit on the soil. As the kids said, it could be possible to harvest them in a while.

“If we keep managing like this every day, it won’t take even a week. At least we’ll be able to harvest before the current food runs out.”

“…If we buy cultured meat, we can add more menu options.”

Listening to Dahlia and Delphinium’s conversation, it seemed that the situation wasn’t as bleak as I had thought.

It almost felt like they were praising me for having prepared the food in advance, but I wasn’t particularly happy about it. I had just thought, ‘Wouldn’t this be okay?’ without any real plan.

If it weren’t for those kids, I might have faced a crisis before properly harvesting those plants.

Iris and James, after being busy with something, actually managed to create a stove. A stove that raised the temperature solely with environmentally friendly energy.

“If the temperature rises a bit more, we might have to make some changes to the structure.”

Iris said that as if it was nothing. Her expression truly conveyed that it was not a big deal, not just pretending to be nonchalant.

As if anyone could have done it.

But not me.

“Iris made one as a reserve, so now we can wash without worrying about running out of water. It’s not enough to boil, but we can at least wash with warm water.”

Upon hearing Hayoon’s words, I couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

I might not know much, but making a bathtub was something I could have done with a little thought.

Even though Hayoon and Rose spent a few hours scrubbing the tub, it wasn’t something I couldn’t have done alone.

…I’ve just been lounging around here. Eating canned food little by little every day.

“Jieun!”

“Yeah?”

I was trying my best not to show a gloomy atmosphere, but Hayoon suddenly called me.

“Let’s take a bath.”

“…Huh?”

I doubted my ears upon hearing Hayoon’s words.

“There’s only one tub, and it’s barely big enough for two people to fit in.”

“No, we can take turns.”

“We all have to do it together, and there’s not enough water.”

Ah, I see.

No matter how many supplies we have, everyone has to take a bath, so it’s inevitable. If two people get in, the water used to fill the tub will decrease by the amount used by one person, so it was reasonable.

There are six people here, including me. If exactly two people go in each time, it will be done in three rounds.

“That does seem reasonable.”

Rose nodded in agreement. Not just Rose, but everyone else felt the same way.

I… felt like time had stopped for a moment.

No, even if that’s the case…

Is that really how it is?

Wouldn’t these guys understand if I said I wanted to take a bath alone? It seemed like they would, but as someone who had seen them moving all day, I couldn’t bring myself to say it. No matter how I thought about it, it was efficient.

“Or do you want to take a bath with the others?”

“…”

This time, I was at a loss for words.

That… that’s how it is.

I don’t want to.

If I had to choose, it would be more comfortable to bathe with Hayoon. The others are completely strangers to me.

But still…

In the end, before I could organize my thoughts, I was led by Hayoon, and we ended up near the fireplace.

“Hayoon, have you ever bathed with someone else before?”

“…No.”

I answered absentmindedly.

In my past life, I had done it a lot. I had been to bathhouses, and when I was very young, I bathed with my parents.

But in this world, I didn’t have parents.

During school trips, we didn’t all go into one big room; we went into small rooms in groups. I was usually in the same group as Hayoon, so it wasn’t a big problem to bathe separately.

So, no.

“I haven’t either. Actually… that’s why I feel a little embarrassed. Bathing with the others.”

Magical girls must have their own facilities. They bathe there and then go home.

Was it not a group entry?

No, that’s not important right now…

“Do you not want to?”

“…”

Hayoon opened her eyes and looked at me.

I couldn’t answer for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh.