Chapter 21: The Price of Freedom and the Weight of Choice

The two and a half hours of morning training flew by as Baoyu actively practiced using her magic armor, and she still felt a lingering reluctance when Xirang, riding atop a clay golem, urged them to leave.

Employing immense power, unimaginable in everyday life, through a new identity, everything she attempted felt like exploring an entirely unknown domain.

This profound sense of novelty had the young girl completely captivated, leaving her yearning for more.

However, the mental exhaustion was equally palpable; during the training, she had engaged in a brief skirmish with the clay golem in the training ground and, predictably, ended up fleeing in a frantic scramble.

With virtually no real combat experience, facing an opponent whose defenses she could barely breach even with full effort proved far too challenging.

Despite understanding the golem’s weaknesses from Polaris’s earlier demonstration, striking a rapidly moving ‘live target’ that posed a significant threat in actual combat remained anything but easy.

Finally, when Baoyu soared into the air, aiming for the white crystal on the golem’s back, the creature decisively crushed her hopes of victory by refusing to expose its back to her again.

The golem’s hardness surpassed even that of the surrounding walls, rendering a frontal breakthrough nearly impossible.

Baoyu’s magic was almost depleted, yet Xirang, appearing entirely unconcerned, continued to prod the two of them to leave.

No sooner had Polaris stepped out of the training ground than Xirang swiftly manipulated the colossal structure, transforming it back into a flat expanse of earth.

“Must you be in such a rush, Xirang? There’s still some time before noon, isn’t there?”

“Taking care of rookies is your job, not mine. No discussion.”

With that, Xirang shook her head, which was shrouded by a mask.

“A few more heavy-handed individuals are coming today. You two should leave quickly. I’d rather not have this place turn into a chirping fan meeting.”

“That… surely it won’t be that bad?”

Polaris found Xirang’s description a bit exaggerated, but Xirang clearly disagreed.

“Heh, you’re still the same, Polaris, utterly clueless about your own affairs.”

The magic girl, clad in a heavy protective suit, sat in the palm of the giant clay golem, looking down disdainfully at the person who, in her eyes, should not have returned.

“The once-glorious Rainbow Ring squad disintegrated overnight. Mandela returned to her country, Muxue applied for retirement, Shattered Diamond went missing, and you, Polaris, abandoned Asherah, who knew nothing, to the Magic Supervision Department and simply walked away.

Polaris, what do you think the other squads would make of that?”

“…”

“Most people don’t know what you experienced, and the true reason for your team’s disbandment is known only to you, the individuals involved.

Polaris, at this point, I’m not interested in your team’s affairs; I’m simply puzzled by your return now.

Polaris, without that shield, why did you come back? What is the meaning of your return?”

Faced with Xirang’s pointed questions, Polaris’s faint smile gradually faded.

Regarding the things Xirang mentioned, she could only lower her gaze, responding with silence.

‘Indeed, when it comes to Senior Polaris, this topic is inescapable within the magic girl community.’

The Rainbow Ring squad, a four-member team composed of Jingping City’s popular magic girls Shattered Diamond, Muxue, Mandela, and Polaris.

Baoyu had once received merchandise related to this squad as a birthday gift from a friend.

Polaris, the youngest in appearance but stable in character, always the pillar of the team; Shattered Diamond, aggressive and flamboyant, always the first to charge to the front lines; Mandela, elegant, tall, and always creating opportunities for her teammates, an exotic beauty from another country; and Muxue, the captain, who transformed these magic girls of vastly different personalities into a highly coordinated team—these were the impressions the Rainbow Ring squad conveyed to the public.

Therefore, when Asherah mentioned she also belonged to the Rainbow Ring squad, Baoyu was initially skeptical.

In her memory, the Rainbow Ring squad had always consisted of four members, and based on what she had heard from Asherah, combined with current information, she surmised that the Rainbow Ring squad had encountered trouble precisely during the period when Asherah was being accepted as a new member.

“Anyway, thank you for today, Xirang.”

Polaris looked down at the horrifying cracks on her breastplate.

The torn constellations signified a deeply ingrained defeat, as well as an irreparable rift.

Baoyu recalled Polaris once telling her that a magic girl’s magic armor could be repaired with magic.

This tattered armor was likely in such a state due to another reason, perhaps what Xirang had mentioned… magic armor corruption.

After bowing to Xirang in gratitude, Baoyu followed Polaris, departing amidst the somewhat awkward and somber atmosphere.

Watching their receding figures, Xirang stood rooted to the spot, like a stone statue.

“Polaris.”

From behind, Xirang heard a voice just loud enough to be clear.

“That guy has appeared again, hasn’t they?”

The girl’s retreating back stiffened for a moment, then she resumed her steps, walking further into the distance.

No one knew what expression Polaris wore on her face at that moment.

****

After leaving Xirang’s second training ground, the two magic girls walked through the suburban woods.

As noon approached, the temperature gradually grew muggy, but fortunately, the dense foliage provided them with a verdant shade, protecting them from the sun’s intrusion.

Breathing the fresh air, far from the city, Baoyu felt her heart gradually calm.

The branches rustled in the wind, and the dappled tree shadows shifted with them.

Compared to the sounds of nature, gunfire was indeed too harsh, too prone to make one’s nerves taut.

Although the final conversation with Xirang hadn’t been amicable, Polaris seemed utterly unaffected by the earlier atmosphere.

She walked beside Baoyu, occasionally discussing the latter’s experiences and feelings while using her magic armor today, patiently answering all of Baoyu’s questions.

She offered full recognition and affirmation for the young girl’s overall performance today.

“As a rookie, Baoyu, you’ve done exceptionally well today, so there’s no need to feel anxious about it.”

Perhaps accustomed to being a top student, accustomed to always solving academic problems with ease, Baoyu was still somewhat dissatisfied with her many attempts today.

Polaris, noticing this, comforted her.

“This isn’t school.

Just adapt and advance at your own pace and in your own way.

As a magic girl, no one will force you to respond to anything, Baoyu.”

Indeed, at this moment, no one regarded her as Jin Shiling.

In people’s eyes, she was merely a somewhat unfamiliar magic girl, and to other magic girls, she was nothing more than a ‘newcomer’ just starting her ‘career’.

Her obsessions, her regrets, everything about her as Jin Shiling, seemed to lose significance in the existence of ‘Magic Girl Baoyu’.

Whenever she realized this, Baoyu felt a slight irritation, as if some persistent part of her being was being negated.

Yet, at the same time, she also understood a profound truth: she could let Baoyu become whoever she wanted to be, not as someone’s child, someone’s friend, or someone’s student.

Baoyu was unrestrained; she could cry for herself, laugh for herself, and the path beneath her feet could only be decided by her alone.

This was a temptation she hadn’t felt in a long time, a temptation called ‘freedom’.

…No, that wasn’t right.

She shouldn’t think that way.

She couldn’t think that way.

If she accepted that idea, wouldn’t it be akin to tacitly admitting that her current self was not free?

Shaking her head, Baoyu cast aside the irritating thoughts in her mind.

The conversation shifted from magic girls’ magic armor to the abilities and threats posed by Corroded Ones, then circled back to Baoyu’s first mission.

As the investigation deepened, the detailed causes of that case gradually became clear.

Ye Xiaoshuang, the central figure in the incident, was both the perpetrator, having transformed into a Corroded One, and a victim of school bullying.

She had been targeted by bullies after helping another bullied student.

Due to the bullies’ direct blood ties to high-ranking school leaders, some informed students and teachers chose to ignore the situation.

Even more chillingly, the student Ye Xiaoshuang had helped would occasionally join the bullies, further deepening the harm inflicted upon her.

At school, she was isolated and helpless.

At home, her family was a single-parent household, not uncommon nowadays.

Her mother, too busy with work and making a living, failed to notice her daughter’s distress, and Ye Xiaoshuang, not wanting to disappoint her mother’s expectations, swallowed all her grievances and sorrows alone.

For Corroded Ones, born from negative emotions, such an environment was arguably an ideal breeding ground.

Polaris offered no opinion on the matter from beginning to end.

She merely recounted these events in a very soft voice, telling the story of how a Corroded One was born in silent tears.

Beside her, Baoyu still detected a faint trace of helplessness in her words.

Aside from the story itself, Polaris also mentioned the unique attributes displayed by the Corroded One that Ye Xiaoshuang had become: a lack of aggression, a mental influence that induced sadness, and a peculiar mental space generated within its core.

These were not characteristics a typical Corroded One could exhibit.

“If you encounter a situation you can’t handle next time, you can request support and temporarily withdraw from the scene.

Absolutely do not recklessly engage with a Corroded One like Asherah did; that’s very dangerous.”

“I understand, Senior.”

“You absolutely must prioritize your own safety.

Don’t put yourself in danger out of concern for your teammates.

It’s a promise, okay?”

When discussing safety, Polaris uncharacteristically adopted a serious demeanor.

However, due to her adorable, childlike face and underdeveloped physique, the effect was admittedly poor, conveying more cuteness than authority.

“Mmm, it’s a promise.”

‘It seems Asherah’s name has been coming up as a negative example quite often lately.’

‘However, this is understandable; perhaps Asherah was eager to save lives, but her attempts, in the eyes of many, including Baoyu, seemed overly reckless.’

‘One person’s rash actions often trigger many uncontrollable accidents.’

‘After all, if you want to do the right thing, you must first know what is right, and second, doing the right thing doesn’t mean there’s no price to pay.’

“So, Ye Xiaoshuang’s situation was very special?”

“Yes, the higher-ups in the Magic Supervision Department have been paying close attention to this case these past few days, and interrogations and investigations of relevant personnel have been more frequent than usual.”

Baoyu and Asherah had seen a striking, strange key in Ye Xiaoshuang’s mental space, and Polaris had also mentioned the key during her conversation with Ye Xiaoshuang.

It seemed to be another contributing factor to the incident.

At present, Polaris didn’t bring it up, and Baoyu didn’t ask either—both tacitly avoiding the topic out of their own unspoken understanding.

“What happened to her, to Ye Xiaoshuang, afterwards?”

“Currently, she is still staying at the Magic Supervision Department.

Considering public opinion, her personal mental state, and the fact that she’s about to take her high school entrance exam, the Magic Supervision Department, after communicating with her mother and relevant departments, ultimately decided to let her remain there to take the exam.”

“Is such a thing even possible?”

“Of course.

The Magic Supervision Department is a special agency with unique privileges.

After weighing various pros and cons, this is considered an acceptable proposal.

The Magic Supervision Department will dispatch magic girls whose usual profession is teaching to tutor Ye Xiaoshuang in her studies, and there are also dedicated psychological counselors there.

Her parents will also be staying there recently, so there should be no need to worry about her falling behind in her studies.

I believe everyone will work hard to help her face the exam in the best possible state.”

Amidst such a tense period, causing such a disturbance, a girl like Ye Xiaoshuang, who had become a Corroded One, would clearly find it difficult to return to a normal life.

Without the Magic Supervision Department’s proper handling, she would likely have to face the pressure of public opinion and comments from society, the internet, and school.

Baoyu couldn’t imagine how oppressive and suffocating such an atmosphere would be.

Overt curses, covert slanders and ostracization, casual judgment, arbitrarily labeling someone they knew nothing about according to their own subjective will… In the first few years after Corroded Ones appeared, those who became them were considered by some experts in society to be suffering from a strange illness.

Yet, it was not merely an illness; it was more like a brand of humiliation etched upon their spirits, easily distinguishing them from ordinary people, making it impossible for them to ever hold their heads high in front of others.

For these ‘guilty ones,’ people used contemptuous and hateful gazes to crush them, and a self-righteous attitude to bully and accuse them, blaming them for everything.

The result of this was a vicious cycle.

Ye Xiaoshuang should indeed pay a price for the trouble she caused, but such a price… seemed too cruel.

Baoyu wasn’t sure if she should concern herself with Ye Xiaoshuang’s fate.

She understood that sometimes, investing too much emotion wouldn’t bring her any benefit; it would make it difficult to disengage at the appropriate time.

After all, Ye Xiaoshuang’s incident offered no reference points.

Magic girls and Corroded Ones remained irreconcilable mortal enemies; both sides would use all available power to annihilate each other.

Under such circumstances, it was clear that Asherah’s choice and attempt were extremely bold and reckless.

From a rational and procedural standpoint, her actions were undoubtedly wrong.

However, under the sunset that day, when she and Asherah high-fived to celebrate that victory, filled with coincidences and surprises, she had indeed felt genuine joy for that moment, and solace for Ye Xiaoshuang’s rescue.

Perhaps every magic girl goes through this stage.

Some make a choice, some choose to ignore it, and some are still trapped in this seemingly unsolvable problem.