Chapter 60
Those Who Choose Flowers
Translated by LyraDhani
Edited by LyraDhani
“–I can’t do anything. Interference with non-contractors is basically forbidden.”
“Is that so… The rules are troublesome.”
After school was over, Tsugumi came straight home and explained to Bell what had happened this morning. In the course of the conversation, he asked if there was anything that could be done about Suzune’s unique ability, but he was told it was impossible to remove it at present.
According to Bell, there were strict rules for the Gods who had descended to the lower realms, and it was strictly forbidden to use their powers on people other than their contractors. There were exceptions to this rule, but in Suzune’s case, the exception did not seem to apply.
“In the first place, the woman must have an acquaintance in Rokka, right? Since the problem is still unresolved despite such connections, it must be something quite deep-rooted. If you try to remove it by force, it will affect the soul in the worst-case scenario. Unless the God is good at that kind of treatment, even the woman’s life may be in danger.”
“God is not all-powerful, huh?”
When Tsugumi said that, Bell lifted her eyes and yelled.
“You fool, our power is limited in the lower realms! Had I been here in my perfect body, I would have been able to change the terrain with ease!!”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
Hushing the indignant Bell, Tsugumi smiled bitterly.
–Thinking about it calmly, it was reasonable that God’s power was limited. If all the Gods performed miracles as they pleased, the value of miracles would decrease. Miracles were precious because they did not occur frequently.
It was a bad habit of Japanese people to immediately ask for help from God whenever they were in trouble. No matter how close God, Bell, was, it was not good to rely on her too much.
“Your evil eye is more important than that insignificant woman. Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?”
“Well, the timing was bad…”
At Bell’s reprimand, Tsugumi turned his face away.
It could be said that he didn’t have time to talk because of Chidori and the white rabbit, but it was certainly his fault for not telling her about his unique ability.
“Hmmm. I guess I had a glimpse of the ability from the beginning, but it’s a little strange.”
Bell looked into the Tsugumi’s eyes and frowned.
“What is it? Is it affecting my soul again?”
“No, it’s not. –It’s strange how nothing is affected.”
Tsugumi tilted his head at Bell’s words. Isn’t it good that there is no effect?
Perhaps reading the question from Tsugumi’s expression, Bell sighed and shook her head.
“A unique ability-It is a mutation of some part of the soul. Therefore, the more powerful a person is, the more they deviate from the rules of human nature. When this happens, their power often rebounds and they become unqualified to be the vessel of a Miko. You are fortunate that your contract with me was not forcibly terminated.”
“…Now I’m starting to break out in a cold sweat.”
Tsugumi shuddered lightly and gave a faraway look. He didn’t think he was crossing such a dangerous bridge. But Bell’s explanation finally convinced him of something.
–I knew it, this unique ability is not my own.
Just as he felt at the Amusement Park, this evil eye that led to death must have belonged to the white girl who lived in Tsugumi’s soul.
Who exactly was that girl? The key to her identity must be the disaster of ten years ago. But all this information was hidden by the government.
The current Tsugumi had no way to get that information. –Yes, unless he belonged to the government.
Tsugumi looked up, stared straight at Bell, and opened his mouth.
“By the way, Bell-sama, has the government approached you about joining “Jukka” yet?”
“Hmm? Oh. I was contacted yesterday. I haven’t responded so far, but do you have any wish to join? This request is not important to me, and you can decide what you want to do.”
Bell said as if it didn’t matter, and threw the decision to Tsugumi. Apparently, for Bell, the “Jukka” seat, which was an addition to Rikka, was not important. …It would have been easier if he was forced to decide.
–Truthfully, he had been at loss. Considering the situation, Tsugumi knew it was better to decline. Not only he wasn’t sure how much time he would have to devote to his activities as Juka, but there was also a risk that the more he got exposed, the easier for his true identity to be discovered. But if he missed this opportunity, he would never get another chance to infiltrate the government.
…If he had good grades and good behavior, like Chidori, he could have gone straight to work for the government, but with his current grades, it was just not going to happen.
“What should I do?”
The white girl. And the desire to reveal the disaster of ten years ago. But more than that, he was afraid that his daily life would be shattered by the revelation of Hagakure Sakura. Even Bell would want to avoid the revelation that her contractor was a man.
When Tsugumi expressed such weakness, Bell laughed in disgust.
“You are so weak for a man who can do such a reckless thing for his people. –Don’t worry about it. Anyone who complains about a man who has achieved so much is not a proper God, but just a piece of trash.”
Then Bell put her small hand on Tsugumi’s head and brought her face close to his.
“Don’t break. Never compromise. I do not want a coward to be my honored contractor. –Therefore, make a choice without regret. If you are rejected by the world, you can throw away all the ungrateful people. At that time, I will stay with you until I get tired of you.”
Bell laughed, saying she had plenty of money.
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Tsugumi opened his mouth and began to laugh, as he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Hmm, it sounds like a proposal.”
“Huh? It’s a mere hundred years or so and you’re exaggerating. Don’t get carried away. I’m just too lazy to let go of my handy servant.”
Bell said, turning her face away. She probably meant exactly what she said, but to Tsugumi, it looked like she was trying to hide her embarrassment, and he couldn’t stop laughing.
–Ah, but only Bell will stay with me no matter what.
He didn’t know how Chidori and the others would react when his true identity was revealed, but only Bell would always be with him. That was all the support he needed to know that he wasn’t alone.
“No, thank you. –Thanks to that, I’ve made up my mind.”
Whichever choice he picked, he would regret it and it wouldn’t necessarily work out. But when he remembered the sad face of that white girl, his emotions were stirred beyond his control.
Painful nostalgia and unbearable sadness. A love so vivid that it made him want to resent the missing memory. It was too painful to remain ignorant of the girl.
“I-Hagakure Sakura wants to belong to Juka. I really want to know about the disaster that happened ten years ago. I think the only way to do that is to get inside the government and gain their trust.”
“…The man-made disaster, huh? That’s not going to work.”
“I’m not going to overstep my bounds, and I know when to back off. …I don’t think I can get information out of the government on my own. If it comes to that, I need Bell-sama to help me as a negotiator.”
…He knew he was only talking out of convenience. But even the government might be willing to make a few concessions if they thought they had gotten a Magical Girl who could move freely in a time of emergency.
And, if Bell, a powerful God, said anything, he was sure the government wouldn’t be able to ignore it. It was like a fox borrowing the authority of a tiger, but if Bell was willing to cooperate, it would be very reassuring.
Saying that, Tsugumi bowed his head. Bell squinted and pulled on his hair.
“T-that hurts! Eh, what?”
“Hmm. You are always so auspicious at times like this.”
Then Bell let go of his hair with a poof and laughed abruptly.
“I have some interest in that man-made disaster. –Well, if I feel up to it, I will help.”
“Bell-sama… Thank you so much.”
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“I told you, if I feel up to it.”
Bell said so, but that was enough for Tsugumi.
–In truth, maybe he just wanted a push. The fear of having his daily routine disrupted hadn’t gone away. But he had already received the courage to step forward. If this precious God watched over him, there was no reason to hesitate anymore. He sincerely thought so.
“–Bell-sama is amazing, after all.”
“What are you saying. Don’t say the obvious.”
Belle laughed proudly. She acted like usual that even Tsugumi laughed along with her. Does she know what she’s doing, or is she just a natural? Either way, Tsugumi was grateful.
For the time being, the direction for the future had been decided, so he just had to move accordingly.
It would be several months before he could start working as Jukka, but in the meantime, “Hagakure Sakura” must work harder than ever. At the very least, he would need to be able to slaughter B-class Demonic Beasts with ease. If possible, he would like to grow strong enough to be able to challenge the A-class. If he didn’t do that, it would be a little tough to join the ranks of the talented Magical Girls.
While they were talking about this, Chidori came home, so the discussion with Bell was over.
–The clock then advanced forward to midnight.
◆ ◆ ◆
Beep, beep, beep, Tsugumi stopped the modest cell phone alarm and got up from his bed. The time was 10:45 p.m., fifteen minutes before the appointment with Yukitaka.
“Anyway, I’ll just go and if he’s not there, I’ll come back…”
When leaving the house, it would be better to slip out with Transportation so that Chidori would not find out. It would be pitiful if the sound of the door opening woke her up.
“Hah. –Just what in the world do you want to talk about?”
Tsugumi changed his clothes and mumbled in annoyance. He then put on the shoes he had prepared in his room beforehand and flew outside using Transportation.
–23:00 midnight. An empty, dark park. The person who called and the person who went to the park were both crazy. He thought so, but somehow he couldn’t refuse and came here.
Tsugumi entered the park, which was surrounded by wooden walls, and looked for Yukitaka. Then, he saw a figure on a swing in the distance. It was probably Yukitaka.
Yukitaka noticed him and waved his hand widely as he gently swung around. …No matter how good he looked, it was quite disconcerting to see a high school boy playing on a swing.
With his hands in his pockets, Tsugumi approached the direction where Yukitaka was waiting and called out to him.
“At your age, you’re just a kid on a swing set.”
“It’s fine, right. It’s pretty fun, you know?”
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Then Yukitaka motioned for Tsugumi to sit on the swing next to him, and he smiled happily.
–It was a really childish, pure, joyful smile.