Ch.113113. Two Villains in Black and White (3)

“Nom.”

This shop.

I remember coming here with the Association President before.

“How is it?”

“Hmm… not bad.”

“Suyeon? Where did you learn such bad manners, speaking informally to your superior?”

“Oh, so slaves get treated like employees now?”

Ellie snaps at Blanc.

“Well… I’m not even touching that issue right now.”

“Still, a slave contract is a slave contract, right, Master?”

“Urgh.”

Blanc looks around nervously when Ellie calls him “Master,” worried that others might hear.

Well.

Actually, she’s right.

Blanc is the one who completely holds her life, her soul.

She should be wagging her tail and calling him “Master”…?

But Blanc says he has no intention of that at all.

“Come on. Maybe I should put a leash on you. Oh, should I eat on the floor, Master? Hmm? Ah, pet slaves don’t have human rights, do they?”

“Okay, okay, geez, really.”

“Yeah. You old fogey.”

“Hey.”

“You’re not actually treating the kids like this, are you? They seemed scared last time we went. Don’t tell me… you’re using your magical girl seniority to intimidate Association members?”

“I did not.”

…

It is more serious than I thought.

Why aren’t those two taking it seriously?

Instead, they’re just joking about it.

If Blanc were to have bad intentions.

You could really get in big trouble, Ellie.

“This old fogey senior! Woo~ Totally… mmph.”

Blanc stabs a piece of steak with his fork and stuffs it into Ellie’s mouth to shut her up.

“Sigh. Really, you’re so noisy. What old fogey? I buy you food, let you live, ah. Suyeon, want to go look at clothes for Bine?”

“Munch munch… what…? Clothes? I have plenty.”

“Wouldn’t there be something you want? This time, just window shopping.”

“No, too bothersome. Don’t want to walk. Besides, you’re planning to dress me up too! Giving me all sorts of orders!”

“What are you talking about…”

Blanc looks at Ellie with an incredulous expression.

“…Excuse me? What about my opinion, Blanc?”

“Ah. Right. Then… shall we come here tomorrow?”

“What?”

This is bad.

In just one week, what’s with all these clothes…

Is she crazy, making me change clothes all the time?

At this rate, she might fill an entire room with clothes.

“Well, tomorrow’s my day to do whatever I want, right?”

“Are you crazy, buying more clothes? And for me? With that money, you could rather…”

“Children’s clothes are cheaper than our clothes.”

“Blanc… that’s not what I meant…”

Even if they are actually cheaper in comparison.

No, seriously. I might end up buried alive under clothes.

“Alright. Hmm… let’s think about that later. Suyeon. Is there anything you want to do?”

“It’s such a hassle…”

“It would be a waste to go back home after getting ready and coming out.”

“I guess.”

“Well… should we visit the Association?”

Is she thinking of the Association as some place to hang out?

Ellie… why are you interested in that place…

“The Association…? Hmm… will the Association President mister play with me?”

“The President should be off today.”

“What…? Then there’s no point going to the Association. Darn.”

…Ellie.

Are you thinking of the Association as some playground or arcade…

“El… I mean, Suyeon. The Association isn’t a place to play…”

“Bine. Still. I haven’t settled the score with that mister yet.”

“…Blanc, is this really okay…?”

I asked Blanc because it seemed so strange no matter how I thought about it.

“…The President enjoys it too, so I think it’s fine? Well, last time we visited, the President brought it out because he said there was nothing to do while waiting.”

That mister, really.

Is he a maverick or what?

“…Is the Association just a workplace where people zone out…? Aren’t there still villains and monsters left…?”

“The important thing is, there’s definitely less work than a few years ago.”

…

To think Eden’s downfall reduced the Association’s workload.

It’s obvious when you think about it, but.

Thinking about two days from now makes me feel bitter.

Those people will be working hard again.

I’ll be making things difficult for them. But what can I do?

“Well… they still look busy though.”

“Yeah. It’s not just combat support that keeps them busy. Various administrative and information tasks… sigh. But they get paid well for civil servants, so they hang in there. Otherwise, they would have all quit long ago.”

“…You mean when we were around?”

“No? After we disappeared. It was worse when we were around. Now there aren’t many people who desert. Back then, dozens would flee every day… there was even a dedicated team for it.”

“An Eden task force? Well, that makes sense.”

“No. A deserter task force.”

“…Oh.”

“Eden was just… all teams of the Magical Girl Association mobilized… no. It’s fair to say the Association was established for that reason. Honestly, you and I were fighting even before the Association existed, right?”

“Come on. The Association must have existed back then too. There were people you called your seniors, weren’t there?”

“Seniors…? Ah, the older girls. Most of them worked individually… ah, it was one of the government departments. It wasn’t separated as the Association yet. The President was quite young back then.”

Blanc seemed lost in reminiscence of the old days.

“Whatever. Want me to increase their workload? Should I call some villains I know?”

“We both know you don’t have those connections.”

Ellie threatened Blanc as if she didn’t want to see her reminiscing.

“Ugh… are you calling me a loner…”

“You don’t have any connections except Bine… Did you ever step forward and interact with other villains in the first place?”

“No. Those villains. We would never associate with people who have no ideals and commit evil acts just for the sake of evil.”

“Well… there is evidence that Eden interacted with other villains.”

“That was merely obtaining by-products of their filthy evil deeds. For it to be interaction, we should have given something in return.”

“…You must have funded them in exchange.”

“At that time, well… money was just ‘a thing’ to us. I mean.”

If Eden’s ideals were realized, that currency would return.

It was just temporarily relocated, and Eden’s recovery team was supposed to retrieve it all later.

Well, the new Eden will probably be similar.

Sigh. It will take quite some effort to build up that much power again.

“Yeah… back then, it was really, really a huge organization. If that operation had failed, it could have been the end.”

“Ragnarok, you mean.”

“Yes.”

Sigh.

If I go back anyway.

If I go back, could I realize Eden’s ideals again?

This time, with a more proper organization.

“Ragnarok. Truly… it’s the worst memory for me.”

“…It was the worst for me too.”

“Wasn’t it the best for you?”

“…It was the worst.”

Talk of those times.

That’s the problem with being around Blanc.

It keeps making me think about the past.

…

Based on the mistakes of that time.

With the determination to never repeat those mistakes.

Then, Ellie seemed to read our mood.

“Come on, why are you two digging some weird tunnel into the past? We came here to eat something delicious.”

“Well… El- I mean, Suyeon, it’s not a good memory for you either.”

“Bad memories should be covered with good ones.”

“…I see.”

“…Yeah. Well… if Suyeon says so, then that’s that.”

The two of us.

Well, I’m here because it’s Ellie’s day.

Blanc… whether she has some trust in the girl she owns.

She listened to her words, and we decided to stop thinking about such things.

“So, Suyeon. What do you want to do? Today is your day.”

“That’s right. Suyeon. Since this sister brought you out, shall we play together?”

“What sister? If we’re being technical, I’m Bine’s older sister. By that logic, you’re my younger sister, you know?”

“So what grade is Suyeon in now?”

“…Second year of high school.”

“That’s right. Who’s your older sister?”

“…Should I call you Master again instead?”

“Eek!”

While it’s nice to see them getting along.

What is this not-so-nice feeling?

…

Is it a feeling of being ignored?

Or a feeling that they’re not paying attention to me?

Whatever it is.

A slight displeasure doesn’t go away.

Slightly.

Is it jealousy?

With this indescribable feeling.

I grumbled a bit to Ellie.

I’m here too, you know.

“…Hey. So what are we going to do?”

“Is there anything to do…?”

Blanc answered first.

…Though I wasn’t asking her.

“Yeah. Hmm… I really don’t have anything I want to do.”

“Isn’t that a shame?”

“…You keep treating me and Bine like mannequins.”

“Well… I should be able to do what I want with Suyeon at least…”

“Hey.”

“I said I get it… Then… want to go to a karaoke place? Or… maybe take some photo booth pictures?”

“Photo booth? Ah, that… is there one here?”

“Yeah. This mall is big. It should be on the 4th floor or something. Well, there are curtains there, so I’ll specially transform for you.”

“Well, that would make us look weird. It’s not like fishermen taking pictures with their big catch. Are you showing off trophies or something?”

“Why? These days people cosplay as transformed forms too.”

“Could you not do that in front of me and Bine?”

…

Again, they’re giggling together.

…

I give them a look.

Blanc.

Ellie.

Both of you.

Won’t you pay attention to me?

I’m here too.

Finally, the two of them look at me.

“…Bine? Is there a problem?”

“Um… why is she angry…?”

“…I don’t know.”

“…No way.”

“Suyeon. Could it be…?”

The two of them are fidgeting anxiously.

Yes.

It’s because both of you did something wrong.

“…Hmph.”

I can be a little angry, right?

“Bine…?”

“Did I do something wrong…?”

“Both of you, hmph.”

“…Oh.”

“We’re… doomed, right…?”

“Seems like it.”

I only forgave them after receiving profuse apologies from both of them.

* * *

“…Sorry.”

“You felt left out… I thought I was listening well.”

“…Honestly, that little bit… ow?! Blanc!”

“Be quiet. When you’ve done something wrong, just stay quiet.”

“Y-yes. Master.”

“Damn it.”

…

To be honest.

Hmm, I don’t remember why I was angry.

As we were going through this, I forgot.

Well, anyway.

…Whatever emotion it stemmed from.

“If you’re all done eating, let’s get going, Blanc.”

“…Are you forgiving me?”

“Should I get angry again?”

“No! Okay, I’ll pay. Come on, let’s take those pictures we talked about, go to the arcade nearby. Yes, let’s do it all.”

“I’ll go wherever Ellie wants to go. You seem to be forgetting, but today is a day for me and Ellie together… you intruder.”

“Tch…”

“That’s right. You bad villain. Getting all the benefits between me and Bine, woo~ such a magical girl~”

Well.

As long as I’m not angry anymore, it’s fine, right?

Actually.

Without realizing it, I was a little jealous of both of them.

Afraid of losing Blanc to Ellie.

Afraid of losing Ellie to Blanc.

I didn’t know it at the time.