Chapter 27: A General’s Worries and a Futa’s Desire

Jin So-a sighed heavily.

“So-a, stop sighing,” Lee Seo-bin chided, but Jin So-a’s worried expression remained unchanged.

“But…I’m worried about everyone,” she said.

“Because you couldn’t go?”

“Yes! Why did they schedule the meeting for today, of all days?” An urgent meeting had forced Jin So-a to miss the mission.

“And it wasn’t even important…”

“I know. They could’ve postponed it. Did they tell you what it was about?”

“No, it was sprung on me at the last minute.”

The meeting had been utterly pointless, leaving Jin So-a anxious and restless.

“Maybe I should go after them,” she suggested.

“Relax. They’ll be fine. I sent extra personnel this time,” Lee Seo-bin reassured her.

“But I wanted to catch those bastards myself.” She had a personal vendetta against the Magical Felons.

Lee Seo-bin smiled. “Love really changes a person. I’ve never seen you this worried about anyone before.”

“Wh-wh-what are you talking about?! I’m not worried about Si-yool! I’m worried about the other magical girls!” Jin So-a stammered.

“Oh? I didn’t mention Si-yool,” Lee Seo-bin said, feigning hurt.

“Uh…I…never mind!” Jin So-a gave up, her face flushed. Lee Seo-bin grinned.

“So, you’re not worried about Si-yool at all? You sent him to the back lines just to get rid of him? Poor Si-yool.”

“Th-that’s not…!”

Jin So-a’s flustered reaction amused Lee Seo-bin.

“Who knew you’d be so concerned about someone you initially despised?”

“Well, that’s…” Jin So-a admitted grudgingly. Their first meeting had been disastrous. Jin So-a had been furious with Si-yool for claiming he’d seen an old woman having s*x. She’d been ready to kill him if he’d admitted to sleeping with one of them – the elderly magical girls who preyed on their younger counterparts – the very people Jin So-a loathed most.

“I understand. It’s understandable to be angry if you think someone’s been involved with those a**holes,” Lee Seo-bin said.

“You’re cursing too, Seo-bin.”

“I’m a victim too, you know.”

Lee Seo-bin shared Jin So-a’s hatred for the Magical Felons.

“It’s not always a good thing that every woman becomes a magical girl,” she said.

Jin So-a nodded. “True.”

Becoming a magical girl granted eternal youth and immunity to disease. It was a miracle. But only as long as they remained active magical girls. Upon retirement, these benefits vanished. The official reason was to prevent the misuse of magical powers, but the real reason was to discourage retirement. The system forced them to choose between aging and continuing their magical girl duties.

“Seo-bin, the rule about surrendering our staves upon retirement isn’t just about preventing misuse, right?” Jin So-a asked.

“Of course not. But don’t tell anyone. I’m only telling you this because it’s you,” Lee Seo-bin replied.

“I figured. I heard from some friends that retired magical girls revert back to their original age, even if their bodies remain unchanged.”

“I’ve been trying to change the regulations, but it’s too complicated,” Lee Seo-bin admitted.

“I know you’ve been working hard. Don’t worry about it.”

Retired magical girls had only three options to avoid aging: wait for mandatory retirement, which no one had ever reached; achieve legendary status, which was incredibly rare; or desert with their staves. The last option was often chosen by older magical girls desperate to cling to their youth. It was a gamble: death if caught, eternal youth if successful.

“They should age gracefully, the bastards,” Jin So-a grumbled.

“Agreed.”

That’s how Magical Felons were born. The subsequent attempts to apprehend them had resulted in many magical girl casualties.

“Are you okay from your injuries back then?” Jin So-a asked.

“Fine. Healed completely,” Lee Seo-bin replied dismissively, but Jin So-a knew her friend had suffered severe injuries, even nearly miscarrying during childbirth due to complications.

“It’s a shame we didn’t catch them all,” Jin So-a said.

“I’m sorry, Seo-bin. I should’ve done better.”

“It wasn’t your fault, you idiot. It’s over now,” Lee Seo-bin said, cutting her off.

The Magical Association had taken action, freezing the felons’ assets and blocking their access to welfare and pensions. To survive, they were forced into prostitution or selling explicit content online. That’s what truly angered Jin So-a – that there were people who fueled their survival.

“This will be the last time, right?” Lee Seo-bin asked.

“I hope so,” Jin So-a replied.

Of course, these rules didn’t apply to someone as powerful as Jin So-a. No one would dare take her staff.

“Aren’t you eligible for honorary retirement?” Lee Seo-bin asked.

“Yes. They’ve asked me several times.”

“Then why haven’t you retired yet?”

“Well…” Two reasons kept Jin So-a from retiring: her sense of duty…

“Are you afraid the others will struggle without you?”

“That’s…part of it…”

…and her unresolved quest for revenge.

“You’re still looking for that unusual Kaijin who attacked your sister, aren’t you?”

“…Yes.” While the state was responsible for her sister’s initial predicament, the Kaijin had left her a living corpse. Jin So-a needed to remain a magical girl to have any chance of finding it and avenging her sister.

“I’ll kill it…” she muttered darkly.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Lee Seo-bin clapped her hands, trying to lighten the mood.

“Anyway, I’m glad things worked out between you and Si-yool. I thought it was going to end badly.”

But Jin So-a wasn’t amused.

“That still bothers me. Who looks for pictures of a random old woman naked? He’s insane!”

“Well…he said he didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Who would show someone something like that on purpose? And where would you even find something like that? Is it a garbage dump? Or actual hell?”

Neither of them understood modern technology.

“I just hope everyone’s safe. Especially Si-yool,” Jin So-a said.

“Is that all?” Lee Seo-bin asked.

“If I had to say one more thing…” Jin So-a hesitated. “I hope Si-yool doesn’t sleep with one of those bastards.”

“Don’t worry. That’ll never happen.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course, I do.”

The two magical girls smiled, relieved.

But they didn’t know how justified Jin So-a’s worry truly was. Si-yool was about to be violated by a Magical Felon.

Only…

“Oh, f*ck…”

…he was on the receiving end.