Chapter 2: I got caught

As I swam aimlessly through the water and emerged, a city filled with dazzling neon signs came into view.

Where exactly was this place?

Out of curiosity, I glanced at a sign in the distance and read the letters written on it.

“Hangul?”

Of all places, I had arrived in a country whose language made me frown every time I saw or heard it.

For someone like me, who wished for the world’s destruction, South Korea was the most troublesome country to deal with.

Of course, the country itself wasn’t particularly strong.

Compared to the United States, the world’s most powerful military force, South Korea’s defensive capabilities were pathetic at best.

If my organization, Darkmoon, moved in full force, this country would vanish from the map in just two days.

It wasn’t exactly a weak nation, but it certainly wasn’t a superpower either.

However—things were different when it came to this country being the birthplace of Magical Girl Happy.

Due to her unique ability, which allowed her to grow stronger each time she overcame sorrow, the destruction of South Korea would trigger her most violent rage.

At first, I didn’t realize this—which led to me dying countless times at the hands of a suddenly overpowered Magical Girl Happy.

A country so fragile, yet so annoyingly problematic—where else could I find something this frustrating?

A sigh escaped my lips at the thought.

Because of this, my initial plan—to settle down in the first city I encountered after emerging from the water—was ruined from the start.

I considered fleeing to Japan, South Korea’s neighboring country.

But then I stopped myself.

“No, let’s not do that.”

Like the old saying goes—“The darkest place is under the lamp.”

Perhaps settling here was the better option.

It wasn’t as if I planned to reveal myself as Yeres, Queen of Darkmoon.

Would Magical Girl Happy really bother hunting down someone just living a normal life?

With that determined resolution, I stepped onto the land of my nightmare.

From that moment on, I had no concrete plans, and my situation was terrible.

I had no money, and since I had destroyed the Quest Jewel, I was no longer immortal.

I still had my water-based magic, but I decided never to use it.

Once again—this was Magical Girl Happy’s birthplace.

If I had chosen to live a normal life, then it was only natural to seal away my powers.

So, what should I do now?

I almost reached for my necklace out of habit, but I forcibly clenched my hand into a fist, stopping myself.

After spending my life following objectives dictated by the Quest Jewel, I had developed a habit—one I needed to break immediately.

This is your life now, Yeres.

You need to think for yourself.

You need to make your own choices.

If you make mistakes, you should regret them.

If things go well, you should feel happy.

So—what will you do now?

Surprisingly, deciding a goal wasn’t as difficult as I thought.

I quickly realized that I needed a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat.

And to solve all of those problems?

I needed money.

I had no cash, but fortunately, I had plenty of valuable items on me.

The rings on my fingers, the ornate earrings, and the jewels embedded in my outfit all looked expensive enough to sell for a fortune.

And, as luck would have it—

Right ahead of me was a shop with a sign that read “Pawnshop.”

I walked in immediately and placed all of my valuables on the counter before the employee.

“I want to sell these.”

I spoke politely, using formal language.

Partly because the shopkeeper was an elderly man, with white hair and a beard.

But mostly—because I was no longer Queen Yeres.

“This is… a lot. Bracelets, earrings, gemstones… Hmm.”

Though surprised by my sudden visit, the old man examined the items under a microscope before speaking again.

“Miss, you didn’t steal these, did you?”

“No. They’re all mine.”

“Then show me the certificates of authenticity.”

“…Certificates of authenticity? What’s that?”

“Hah. So you did steal them.”

Lifting his gaze from the microscope, the old man smirked mockingly.

“Just be honest with me. I’ll buy them for 30% of their value.”

“…And what exactly is their full value?”

“I haven’t checked precisely, but if they’re real, they’re worth about 30 million won.”

My mind quickly did the calculations.

30% of 30 million won…

“You’re trying to buy all of this for just 9 million won? That’s absurd.”

“This is a generous offer, Miss. And let’s be honest—you look like a thief. If you refuse my deal, I’ll just call the police.”

As I tried to retrieve my valuables, the old man lifted a device and showed me the screen.

It displayed the numbers 112.

Even I knew that was the emergency number for the police.

“Don’t even think about running.

The CCTV cameras have already captured your face.”

His threats continued.

The old man even pointed toward the security camera installed on the ceiling.

“And by the look of it, even your clothes seem stolen.

Take the money and walk away quietly.

Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

A deep sigh escaped me.

The old man must have thought I was finally giving up, because his smirk grew even wider.

How utterly pathetic.

Looks like I’ll have to be Queen Yeres again—just for a moment.

I glanced around the shop and spotted a 500mL plastic water bottle.

I unscrewed the cap.

“That’s right. Take a sip of water, then speak honestly—”

Before the old man could finish his sentence, I splashed the water onto my hand—

And cast a spell of mind control.

“Obey my command.”

“…Understood, my Queen.”

The spell worked perfectly.

The old man’s eyes changed color, and his attitude shifted completely, becoming submissive instead of mocking.

“Not 30%, give me 200%. That should be 60 million won, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Put it all in the bag next to you. And erase the CCTV footage of me.”

“I will follow your orders.”

From then on, he moved exactly as I commanded.

The old man grabbed the bag, opened the safe, and stuffed it full of money before handing it to me.

It was hefty.

Then, I watched as he used the computer to delete the CCTV footage of my visit.

Only after confirming this did I turn toward the door—

Still holding the plastic water bottle and the bag of cash.

“I’ll pay back the 30 million won later.”

“Would I dare refuse?”

The moment I stepped outside, I let out a long sigh.

Not even five minutes had passed since I swore to stop using magic.

Yet, here I was, using it again.

But it couldn’t be helped, right?

No.

I couldn’t allow myself to think that way.

Never use magic again.

No matter the circumstances, you must live as an ordinary person…

“Hey, look at that person’s outfit. Is that cosplay?”

“And why are they so soaking wet?”

…An ordinary person shouldn’t draw attention.

I splashed water from my plastic bottle onto my hand—

And cast a concealment spell.

“Oh my! That outfit looks absolutely stunning on you.

I’ve never seen anyone wear it so well!”

Good.

Then, please—forget me.

After changing into modern clothing, the clerk showered me with compliments.

I cast a memory-altering spell to ensure they wouldn’t remember me.

“With that much money, you should rent a place.

This is the cheapest room available.

What do you think?

If you want to sign a contract, I’ll need to see your ID.”

“…Are you kidding me?!”

By the time I finally collapsed onto the floor of my cramped new room,

I had used magic three more times.

As a result, I had completely drained the 500mL plastic water bottle I took from the pawnshop.

And yet, I still had so many more things to do.

I needed to get an ID, open a bank account, obtain a credit card, and buy a smartphone.

All things necessary to live an ordinary life.

“What if… Magical Girl Happy finds me?”

That thought crossed my mind for a brief second—

Before I shook my head violently, dismissing it.

If she could track me down over just 500mL of magic water,

then she would’ve found Darkmoon’s headquarters long ago.

From my experience fighting her,

as long as I didn’t exceed 5L per day, she wouldn’t notice.

So I made a decision—

I would only use magic until I finished preparing for my new life.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!

Suddenly, the doorbell rang repeatedly.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone was pounding on my door relentlessly.

I shot up from the floor, my face tense, and stared at the entrance.

Had Darkmoon already found me?

Just in case, I filled my plastic bottle with tap water.

Then, I peered through the peephole.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocking continued.

But through the peephole, I saw… nothing.

I needed to see beyond the door.

I lifted my hand to cast a spell—

…No.

I was about to cast a spell.

“There you are.”

BOOM!

“Ahh!!”

The doorbell and pounding fists stopped all at once.

A deafening explosion shook the entrance.

The old, rusted hinges and lock snapped apart, flung away with a scream.

I scrambled backward, desperately trying to distance myself from the door.

At the same time, I poured water onto my hands, attempting to cast a defensive spell.

But once again, I failed.

The intruder who had blown apart my door knew exactly who I was.

A blazing light—hotter than the sun—shot toward me.

The water on my hands instantly evaporated.

The water inside the plastic bottle vanished into steam.

Wait.

Hotter than the sun?

Could it be…?

“You promised you’d keep looking at me next time.”

The moment I realized who had come for me—

I froze in place.

“Why… did you disappear without telling me?”

Magical Girl Happy

stared at me,

her bloodshot eyes brimming with fury.