Ch.3939. Found It.

Yes, when was that…

It’s a very old memory, but it still feels so vivid.

Why I acted that way back then.

Ah, because there were orders from the Boss.

The Boss’s orders were absolute.

The Boss’s orders were always right.

So, those were the actions I took to follow those orders more effectively.

Yes… watching it like this in a dream.

It’s interesting.

To properly extract energy, I should have gradually built up tension while drawing out fear.

I didn’t know that and acted like that instead.

What did the doctor say about how that produces energy of inferior quality?

Still, it does produce a lot, so… while doing that…

After hearing Ellie say I’d get scolded by the Boss…

Ah, Ellie.

Ellie…

We lost contact, I think.

Ragnarok.

Back then, I told her to run away, to escape first.

I said her combat power wouldn’t be enough against the magical girl who invaded.

Besides, since her magical wavelength had already been analyzed, she could be caught.

There was a necklace in the doctor’s laboratory that could hide magical power.

With that, she could escape without arousing suspicion.

As for disguise, with Ellie’s abilities, she could manage it easily.

So I told her to trust me and go ahead.

I would protect the Boss…

That’s how we parted ways…

Ellie took such good care of me.

When I was sick or feeling weak, she was always there to help.

Even when the doctor was running all those tests on me, it was Ellie who looked after me when I was out of it.

Sigh, I suddenly miss Ellie.

* * *

“Is there a third-year student named Suyeon… Kim Suyeon?”

I already know she’s enrolled in this school, and I even know her class. I could just barge in and drag her out by her hair if I wanted to.

But out of respect for the school teachers.

And because barging in recklessly…

Would damage our image.

“Ah, are you referring to Kim Suyeon from Class 2? She’s the only Suyeon in that grade at our school… May I ask why…”

“We’re here on association business, and while I can’t disclose everything, we have an offer for Suyeon that isn’t bad for her.”

“If it’s association business, our school welcomes it. Suyeon is a diligent student with good grades. This is perfect timing!”

“Yes. Could we possibly see her now?”

“Hmm, could you wait here for a bit? It’s class time right now… Break starts at 50 minutes past, so just a little while…”

The homeroom teacher guides me and Seohyun to a seat in the back of the faculty office.

Is the teacher’s praise just the usual lip service they give to parents?

As the teacher serves us instant coffee, she begins to talk about Elise.

“I never expected magical girls to visit our school. Since you’re active in the Seoul area, I thought you wouldn’t come this way…”

“That’s how much we believe Suyeon can play an important role.”

“Is that so? Suyeon may be quiet, but she’s always kind to her friends and diligently serves as class president.”

“Yes. She’ll be a great help in our future activities.”

“Really? Despite being quiet, she’s always the first to help her friends, and she always greets us teachers respectfully. When I first saw her, I thought she was an elementary or middle school student playing a prank in our uniform… Now she’s the class’s cute mascot, popular among her friends. Haha…”

“Ahaha… I see. She must be doing well in class.”

“Yes. All her friends speak highly of her. Even with her family situation, she’s so mature…”

“Oh, her family situation…?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“Well, I know to some extent…”

“She lost both her parents and now lives alone. I was worried about her, so I asked a friend she’s been close with since middle school, but they said she’s actually doing better than them. She seems to eat well and everything. She’s really a mature child.”

“Ah, ahaha… I see… Independence is important when working for the association. We’re quite busy.”

“Haha, thank you for saying that, Blanc. But isn’t Garnet also a high school student…? Shouldn’t you be in school at this hour…?”

“Ahaha… Actually, my sister d-mmph! Mmph!”

“We thought bringing someone of the same age might make it easier to persuade her.”

“Come on, becoming an association employee is already difficult enough. Is persuasion really necessary?”

“Just in case. Ah, the bell rang. It’s been a while since I heard a school bell.”

“Really? Garnet must hear it every day. Hahaha.”

“I graduated a long time ago.”

“Hahaha, I see. Shall we go to the classroom now?”

“Yes, thank you.”

We followed the homeroom teacher to the classroom.

Many students recognized us as we walked, but the teacher—was she the student affairs teacher?—just said, “Go in and prepare for your next class,” and they all scurried inside. It was cute to see such obedient children.

But Seohyun beside me…

She seemed a bit startled as she followed along.

Oh right, Seohyun is also a student…

When we arrived at the classroom,

We could see many students gathered around one person.

The school hadn’t entered exam period yet, I believe.

So these students must be preparing for their regular assessments together.

Those students over there must be asking each other questions they don’t understand.

Or they might just be a group hanging out.

Judging by the books in their hands, they seem to be asking questions.

And the student answering those questions is.

Very small…

Ah, found her.

I open the front door and stand next to the teacher at the podium, waiting for her to speak.

“Everyone, quiet for a moment! Suyeon! Could you come here for a bit?”

“Yes, teacher. Why suddenly… Oh.”

She noticed me looking at her, and our eyes met.

She probably realized who I was before that, as she looks quite flustered.

“Kim… Suyeon? I’d like to have a word with you. Could we talk privately for a moment?”

I can feel the other students staring at us.

The classroom buzzes with whispers.

Most are asking her what’s happening, if she’s being scouted, if she’s going to Seoul, and so on.

After that, there were some congratulatory remarks, so she probably can’t escape from this classroom now.

“Friend? Come out for a moment. It’s not such a bad conversation.”

Hearing that, she finally comes forward, looking very frightened.

“Suyeon. We know each other, don’t we?”

As she came forward, she asked us with a trembling voice.

“D-do I have to go…?”

“Yes, it’ll only take a moment.”

We took her to the faculty office with the teacher.

If I hadn’t given her a hint before we left, she probably would have run away.

“First Brigade Deputy Commander of the Secret Society Eden, Elise of the End. If you don’t come with me now, something quite unpleasant might happen.”

* * *

Vine was holding the train with her tail while waiting for something.

The monster Ellie was supposed to send still hadn’t arrived, so she was on standby in the sky.

When she checked the screen, the battery was already full.

She replaced it with a new battery from her pocket.

The battery level on the screen dropped back to zero.

“Hmm, it’s producing a decent amount.”

She held the load she was carrying and maneuvered faster and more urgently.

She played with the train as if about to drop it, extracting fear from the people inside.

Looking at the battery she had just removed, Vine fell into thought.

‘If the monster would just arrive quickly, I could put these people down and return to headquarters comfortably. I’d rather just leave the monster here and go back before Blanc arrives.’

What interrupted Vine’s worries wasn’t the long-awaited monster from Ellie, but the appearance of a magical girl.

A massive energy approaching from far away in the sky.

An ordinary organization member might not have noticed, but Vine was different.

She sensed the approaching energy and immediately knew it was Blanc, whom she desperately wanted to avoid.

Vine ordered the combat units, who had just started capturing people on the ground, to retreat.

For the practical reason that it would be a waste to lose well-trained combat units in a place like this.

Vine notified Ellie at Eden headquarters about the full retreat order and demanded to know when the monster would be sent.

But all she heard was that the monster wasn’t ready yet, and the combat units weren’t prepared to retreat either.

“Ellie! Then at least open a warp portal to send the combat units back!”

“Five minutes. Just wait five minutes. Vine, you can hold out that long, can’t you?”

“Sigh, Blanc is coming! We’ll lose a lot of combat units. If they were artificial life combat units, it would be different, but not the ones we brought today!”

“Vine, really just five minutes! You know how long it takes to open a warp portal!”

“Fine, I understand.”

“Really… I’ll try to hold out.”