Chapter 6: Confrontation with the Commanders

Si-yool was taken aback by the nurse’s reaction. She’d gone silent after viewing the results, her face a mask of bewilderment.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing! Everything’s normal! Let’s move on!” the nurse replied a little too quickly, trying to brush it off.

Si-yool didn’t press the issue. He had a pretty good idea why she was acting this way. According to her, everyone had magical power. But he, having lost his warrior abilities, likely registered as having none. He was less than ordinary, a non-entity in both worlds.

He felt a twinge of discomfort, but accepted it. This was the consequence of his choices, choices that had saved his life.

“Next, then,” the nurse prompted.

“Sure,” Si-yool replied.

The rest of the physical examination was uneventful. It was essentially the same as the military physical he’d taken years ago.

“Wait a minute, Mr. Kim. This is strange,” the nurse said, frowning at her screen.

“What is it?” Si-yool asked.

“You’re thirty-three, but your records stop after high school graduation. No qualifications, no work experience, not even an address,” she explained. “Something must be wrong. Even after everything that’s happened, this is impossible.”

Verifying his academic and professional history proved to be the most challenging part of the examination.

“One moment. Let me double-check—”

“It’s correct, b*tch,” Si-yool interrupted.

It was difficult for them to accept his… lack of qualifications.

“Really? This is all there is?” the nurse asked, still incredulous.

“Shut up. It’s annoying,” Si-yool snapped.

“I… I apologize,” the nurse stammered.

Only one thing remained.

“Finally, the psychological evaluation,” the nurse announced.

It was the standard mental health assessment, only now, it was for magical girls.

“You know what this is, right?” the nurse asked.

“The one with the doctor?” Si-yool replied.

“No, it’s with other magical girls,” the nurse corrected.

“Why?” Si-yool asked.

The nurse sighed. “Initially, it was with doctors, but most doctors are men. Well, technically, they were temporary civil servants, not actual doctors.”

“Right,” Si-yool said.

“There were a lot of false accusations of sexual harassment,” the nurse explained.

Si-yool wasn’t surprised. Even before he’d left Earth, false accusations against men were common. Women would report men for the slightest perceived infraction, often out of spite, boredom, or simply because they didn’t like the man’s face. The accusers faced minimal consequences, while the accused often saw their lives ruined.

“It wasn’t that there were no cases of actual misconduct,” the nurse clarified. “But most of the accusations were false.”

“So now, it’s magical girls interviewing potential magical girls, to prevent false accusations?” Si-yool asked.

“Exactly,” the nurse confirmed.

One thing bothered Si-yool. If most doctors were men, and all men were supposedly conscripted during the monster invasion…

“But weren’t all the men drafted? Were there even any doctors left?” he asked.

“Doctors were exempt. They were needed to patch up the wounded and send them back to fight,” the nurse explained.

Si-yool wasn’t surprised. South Korea had always excelled at recycling, including recycling human beings.

“Of course, the ‘treatment’ wasn’t very effective. What do you expect from temporary civil servants?” the nurse scoffed.

“True,” Si-yool agreed.

“And what was the point of saving them? They were just sent back to the front lines as cannon fodder,” the nurse added bitterly.

“Essentially killing them twice,” Si-yool remarked.

“Exactly. Back then, the best doctors were the ones who performed mercy killings,” the nurse said darkly. Even this grim practice seemed quintessentially South Korean, prioritizing efficiency even in death. Was there really any difference between this world and the one he’d left? Both seemed devoid of humanity.

“So, magical girls are conducting my evaluation?” Si-yool asked, changing the subject.

“Yes. But…” the nurse hesitated.

“But?”

“It’s high-ranking magical girls this time. Almost all of them,” the nurse explained, sounding confused.

“Is that unusual?”

“One, maybe. But the entire command? Never happened before,” the nurse replied.

This was strange. High-ranking magical girls, the commanders, were essentially generals. Why would they gather for a single recruit evaluation? Especially for a man.

Si-yool didn’t dwell on it. His situation wouldn’t change. Besides, this might be his chance.

The nurse leaned in, her expression serious. “Don’t cause any trouble in there. They’re magical girls, but they’re still…fragile. I’m worried about them.”

Si-yool frowned. “I wouldn’t hurt a magical girl.” He didn’t discriminate when it came to self-defense, but he wasn’t going to attack unprovoked.

“No, I’m worried about you,” the nurse corrected. “If you mess with high-ranking magical girls, you’ll be lucky to escape with just a few broken bones.”

“Oh,” Si-yool realized. He was the fragile one. It was a humbling thought. He was once a warrior, now a source of concern for a nurse.

“Go on in,” the nurse said.

Si-yool entered the room, his heart heavy. Just as the nurse had said, it was filled with magical girls, their hair a rainbow of colors, their animal mascots floating around them, each in a unique costume, complete with rank insignia. The reality of magical girls finally sank in.

These were the powerful elite.

Si-yool averted his gaze. The costumes were… revealing, to say the least. Had he not known better, he would have thought he’d walked into a cosplay brothel. It was a bit much, especially for a lifelong single man like himself.

He looked down, but that wasn’t any better. His discomfort only intensified.

“Damn it,” he muttered, a wave of self-deprecation washing over him.

“What the hell? Swearing already?” a voice snapped.

Si-yool looked up to see a magical girl in green, two stars on her armband, the second-highest rank in the room.

“What are you staring at? Never seen a magical girl before?” she sneered.

“Yes,” Si-yool replied, biting back a sarcastic retort.

“Bullsh*t. Whatever. Sit down,” she said, pointing to a chair.

Si-yool obeyed. He didn’t want to arouse suspicion.

As soon as he sat, the magical girl barked, “Name.”

“What?” Si-yool asked, confused.

“Your name! Are you deaf?” she snapped, her tone unnecessarily aggressive. “Did you desert because you’re an idiot? Figures.”

Si-yool understood her hostility. They knew he was a deserter, at least according to the records. And to these high-ranking magical girls, heroes who’d risked their lives fighting monsters, deserters were the scum of the earth. He knew this, he understood this, but… why was this b*tch talking down to him?

The magical girl exchanged a few words with her mascot, then plastered a fake smile on her face. “Oh, right, this must be uncomfortable for you. I understand,” she said, her eyes still filled with disdain. It was a look Si-yool knew all too well from the other world.

“You can speak casually. You’re not a magical girl yet,” she added.

“Oh, really? Thanks,” Si-yool said, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey…?” the magical girl repeated, confused.

Si-yool tilted his head, mimicking her confusion.

“What?” she asked, her bewilderment growing.

“What’s wrong?” Si-yool asked innocently.

“Hey… why are you talking down to me?” she asked, completely flustered.

“You said I could speak casually,” Si-yool replied, enjoying her reaction.