Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 108: Wartime Old Dreams

Vol 2 Chapter 108 Wartime Old Dreams

Veronica had a dream.

In her dream, she was back in the past.

In that distant memory, she saw herself still young, still naive, still proud to be a Magical Girl, and willingly answering the Kingdom’s call to join the army.

At that time, Veronica—or rather, Cornflower—was the youngest and most promising Bud-tier Magical Girl in the Magic Kingdom. Having just earned her Badge ID, she made a name for herself during the assessment, impressing others and gaining some renown among her peers.

Because of that, when war broke out between the Magic Kingdom and the Interrealm, even though the Kingdom did not mandate participation from Magical Girls from the Material World, and most chose to stay out of it, Cornflower became the exception. Without hesitation, she rushed to the Kingdom.

Aya, or rather Sakura, went with her.

It wasn’t surprising. Aya had always been like that—her overflowing empathy meant she could never just stand by.

Asou Madoka and Su Shengzi weren’t afraid of danger either, but out of concern for city safety and under persuasion from the Seeder, they stayed behind to guard Fangting City.

It was the first time the Fangting City Squad had ever operated separately. And back then, no one could have imagined just how far-reaching the impact of that war would be.

The Kingdom’s military was mainly composed of Magical Girls, Magicians, and regular soldiers.

• Magical Girls were responsible for targeting and neutralizing high-threat units.

• Magicians provided rear-line support with spells.

• Regular soldiers used magical weapons and relied on numbers for firepower suppression.

The Interrealm Allied Forces consisted of Fairies, Magicians, and Ravagers.

• Fairies were their main combat force, directly clashing with Magical Girls.

• Magicians supported the rear and also used special techniques to control low-tier Ravagers.

• These controlled Ravagers mostly served as meat shields or heavy-assault units—complete expendables.

At the start, when the war’s intensity was still manageable, Cornflower and Aya were in the same unit. With years of fighting experience together, they performed flawlessly and repelled enemy forces multiple times in key battles. Since most of the enemy forces were fairies, the Kingdom didn’t go all-out. As a result, casualties were limited on both sides.

But that surface-level restraint, born of kindness, didn’t last long.

The first lost zone.

The first large-scale clash.

The first wave of unavoidable mass casualties.

It wasn’t just the Interrealm that stopped holding back—hatred ignited within the Kingdom's troops as well. Once that hatred began to fester in even the kindest of Magical Girls, the war’s brutality surged. With every battle, both sides suffered more and more losses.

But losses in strength were just the beginning.

No one anticipated the Interrealm’s next move: to replenish their forces, they began unleashing Ravagers onto the battlefield in droves—some barely controlled, some entirely wild. These monsters attacked any living thing on sight, throwing the entire front line into chaos.

As the casualties mounted—Magical Girls falling in droves, Magicians dying by the dozens—the Kingdom's army underwent its first major restructuring.

Cornflower and Sakura, despite still being new Badge holders, were promoted to squad captains due to their stellar performances.

They were sent to different cities under the new command structure:

• Cornflower to Luen Noray, the City of Knowledge.

• Sakura to Domlia, the City of Justice.

Each would lead their own squad in local defense.

Cornflower, though young, was driven and passionate. She protected her comrades while repelling the enemy, saving countless allies on the battlefield.

Because of her skill and character, she quickly earned the respect of her peers—and the attention of her new Legion Commander.

(Translation continues in next message...)

(continued from previous)

---

“Here’s your squad member list. If you have any questions, now’s the time to ask.”

The Magical Girl across from her tapped a few times on her Magic Mirror, and a stream of Favored Runes danced into the air, landing on Cornflower’s mirror to form a complete roster.

“Just a heads-up,” the girl said with dark circles under her eyes and an exhausted expression. “I did the initial picks, but once the list went to the legion headquarters, they changed most of it.”

She stuck a pipe in her mouth, took a long puff, and exhaled. “So even if you’re unhappy and want changes, don’t count on me being able to help. Better to save your energy and talk about something else.”

“…What do you mean?”

Cornflower flinched at the sloppiness of her new superior, but quickly composed herself and looked over the list. “You mean a lot of other captains tried to request changes too?”

“Not a lot. But not a few either.”

This unkempt Magical Girl was Spider Lily, the current Luen Noray City Defense Legion Commander. She was a Flower Card veteran transferred from the front lines after enduring two hellish, near-death battles. Overwhelmed and burnt out, she’d been reassigned to the relatively safer rear command.

Compared to those stationed at the border gates, City Defense had far less pressure.

Yes, small groups of enemies might occasionally sneak past the front using spells, but traps and patrols usually handled that easily. The rest of the job involved clearing Ravagers in nearby zones and maintaining external defense structures—backline work, essentially.

“You know as well as I do—the Second Defensive Line Campaign left a mountain of corpses. Even the Magical Girl Corps is short on personnel, so HQ pushed in a lot of newbies during this reorg.”

With those tired, lifeless eyes, Spider Lily added, “Every squad’s required to take at least one. Let’s just say… some of them vary wildly in quality.”

“You mean this one?”

Following her words, Cornflower quickly spotted a name on the list: Nym Cregios, marked at 10 years old in tiny font.

Ten was the minimum age to become a Magical Girl in the Kingdom. Anyone younger, even if qualified, had to attend the Silver Gallery first for basic training.

In other words, this girl barely met the age requirement—and she was now part of Cornflower’s squad.

“Yep, that kid just became a Magical Girl last month. Can’t even fly properly. Total rookie.”

Spider Lily tapped her pipe. “We got three 10-year-olds this time. Congrats, one’s yours.”

“So the request to change members was about her?” Cornflower narrowed her eyes, her expression complex.

“Bingo. But like I said, don’t expect miracles. Nobody wants this kind of deadweight except for the rare bleeding heart.”

She shrugged. “If no other squad takes her, she stays with you.”

“…I really feel like cursing you out, Commander.”

Cornflower saluted with mock seriousness. “We haven’t known each other long, but I’m guessing you’re the one who dumped her on me, huh?”

“Curse away.” Spider Lily exhaled smoke. “I’ve been cussed out more times than I can count. My face is basically armor by now.”

She continued, more somber now: “Look, we’re at war. Harsh things happen. Normally, kids like her wouldn’t even get to chase off a lone Ravager with a guard unit. But we’ve got no one left. If they don’t go, civilians will die instead.”

“But if they have to go… I want them to at least survive. Learn something. Grow. Not just get thrown onto the battlefield as cannon fodder. To make that happen, I have to place them with people I trust.”

“That’s why I picked you, Cornflower. I’ve read your file. You’re a natural leader—and more importantly, a good person. In just three months, you’ve saved over 20 comrades in more than 10 battles.”

“You know what your former teammates called you?”

“…What?”

Though embarrassed, Cornflower couldn’t help but be curious. “I mean, I am confident. Did they say hero? Or maybe… ace soldier?”

“Nope. They called you Nanny Scepter.”

At that, Spider Lily puffed up her cheeks and stifled a laugh. “They said if ‘nanny’ were a combat ability, you’d be promoted straight to Jewel Scepter rank.”

That was where their conversation ended.

Without sparing a glance at Cornflower’s increasingly dark expression, Spider Lily sent her off—she had other squad leaders to meet.

Cornflower mentally labeled her commander a sh*tty hag, even making a silly face toward HQ before leaving… only to be caught mid-gesture by a passing officer.

“Uh—I was just…”

She tried to come up with an excuse, but the officer smiled gently and patted her shoulder.

“It’s okay. I get it.”

He even turned his head toward Spider Lily’s office and let out a knowing click of the tongue. Clearly, the commander wasn’t exactly beloved.

According to Spider Lily herself, she really wasn’t suited for a backline role.

She hated dealing with logistics, personnel, paperwork, and combat reports. She would’ve preferred to keep fighting on the front lines. But since HQ insisted on the transfer as a gesture of goodwill, she couldn’t refuse—and so here she was, miserably handling a position she loathed.

And judging by how badly she’d burned her bridges within the legion, she wasn’t lying.

Still, Cornflower’s squad list was finalized. Like it or not, there was no going back.

Soon after, she went to meet her new teammates.

At fifteen years old, Cornflower was at a middle point for a Magical Girl—not quite a veteran, but not a rookie either.

Unfortunately, her petite height did her no favors. To ensure the squad took her seriously and didn’t treat her like a kid, she kept her face stern and her posture sharp as she greeted the eleven members of her squad.

She ran through the City Defense’s main responsibilities:

• maintaining defensive structures

• responding to surprise attacks

• eliminating stray Ravagers

• and following standard military conduct.

The Kingdom Army’s rules varied by group.

• Ordinary soldiers were held to strict standards: posture, walking form, even daily routines were regulated.

• Magical Girls, on the other hand, operated under much looser rules. As long as they obeyed orders and didn’t desert, most behaviors were tolerated.

It was obvious the rule-makers knew Magical Girls’ personalities were hard to restrain—too much pressure would just cause backlash.

So despite all of Cornflower’s effort to look dignified and assertive, after her speech ended, several older Magical Girls surrounded her and started treating her like a child—bombarding her with questions and even pinching her cheeks.

It took a lot of effort to finally send the mischief-makers off.

But Cornflower didn’t forget her real mission—meeting the 10-year-old rookie, Nym Cregios.

Unlike herself—who merely looked childlike—this girl was actually a child, and clearly not up to military standards. To avoid her becoming a liability, Cornflower planned to provide some training in advance.

But before she could even look for the girl, someone approached her.

“I’m very sorry, Captain.”

Instead of a greeting, the first thing the girl did was bow—a deep, ninety-degree apology bow.

Caught off guard, Cornflower glanced at her list to confirm the girl’s name:

Nina Cregios, 14 years old. Nym’s older sister—and also a member of her squad.

As it turned out, it was Nina who had pleaded with the Commander to be placed in the same unit as her little sister. She couldn’t stop Nym from being drafted, but she wanted at least to stay by her side.

Spider Lily had agreed. And she’d picked a “trustworthy” captain for the job—which unfortunately meant Cornflower got stuck with both of them.

Cornflower didn’t resent helping others—but she didn’t like being set up as a babysitter, either.

So even though she knew the sisters weren’t at fault, she wasn’t exactly welcoming:

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I... I just couldn’t stop worrying about my sister. So I asked the Commander to place us together.”

Nina looked small and pale in her all-black uniform, giving off a gloomy vibe. She bowed again, her thin neck trembling slightly. “I know she’s not ready. She’ll hold everyone back. I’m sorry...”

“You mean Nym Cregios?”

Cornflower pretended to consult the list, acting aloof. “Yeah, it says here she became a Magical Girl last month. Sounds like a pain.”

“I’m sorry,” Nina mumbled.

“This is the army. One apology is enough. Words alone won’t solve anything.”

Cornflower kept a stern tone. “As your commanding officer, I’m responsible for the entire squad. One weak link could get everyone killed.”

“I understand.” Nina didn’t argue.

“So? What are you planning to do about it?” Cornflower pressed.

“I... I know she’s immature, but she’s a good girl. She listens well, so I think she’ll adapt quickly. Please just don’t give up on her right away. Give her a chance.”

Nina lowered her head again. “Until then, give me all the most dangerous missions. I’ll take them.”

“You’re serious?” Cornflower raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“You sure you’re capable?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Dangerous missions usually mean important ones. Are you saying you’re strong enough to handle them?”

Nina blinked, momentarily stunned.

“I... I don’t think I can...”

After a long pause, she looked utterly defeated. “Then... then what should I do? Can I pay you? No—wait, I already gave all my Echoes to the Commander...”

“Wait—what did you say?”

Cornflower raised a hand to stop her. “You gave her your Echoes? Why?”

“She said... if I gave her money, she’d let me and Nym stay together...”

Tears welled in Nina’s eyes. “Should I have saved some for you?”

“Explain. What exactly happened?”

Cornflower’s expression darkened.

Under Cornflower’s sharp questioning, Nina finally stammered out the full story:

The sisters had lost their parents to a Ravager attack years ago and had been relying on each other ever since. Luckily, both were later discovered to have the potential to become Magical Girls.

Nina, the elder sister, awakened her powers first and took up arms, hunting Ravagers to support Nym. Because of her sister's status, Nym was able to enter the Silver Gallery early and undergo three years of foundational training.

It was thanks to this head start that Nym managed to scrape past the minimum age requirement—just barely qualifying to become a Magical Girl at ten. But she never should’ve seen the battlefield, not at that age. War changed everything.

When Nina heard her sister had been drafted, she panicked. With nowhere else to turn, she gathered every last Echo she had saved as a Magical Girl and approached Spider Lily, who was rumored to have the power to manipulate squad assignments.

She didn’t ask for special treatment. All she wanted was to stay with her sister.

In most people’s eyes, Nina was still just a 14-year-old White Badge Magical Girl. Talented, yes—possibly on track to reach Badge level by next year—but still green. A White Badge could barely be called "not cannon fodder," let alone a core combatant.

So a White Badge bringing along a 10-year-old rookie? To most squad captains, that was a hard no.

The result was what now stood before Cornflower—a bribe-slicked dump job. The two sisters, unwanted by anyone else, shoved into her squad by Spider Lily.

“…That piece of sh*t.”

Cornflower’s mind conjured an image of that smug, pipe-smoking commander. She clenched her fists, aching to run back and plant a punch in her stupid face.

Seeing Nina on the verge of tears, Cornflower sighed.

“So let me get this straight. The reason you two were placed in the same squad is because the Commander took your money?”

“Y-yes. I’m sorry. I should’ve saved some for you...” Nina sobbed.

“That’s not what I’m mad about. I don’t want your money.”

Cornflower exhaled and, with visible exasperation, pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to her.

That at least solved one mystery: why would someone like Spider Lily go out of her way to meddle with personnel assignments?

Cornflower had assumed the sisters were from some rich or powerful family, using wartime chaos to curry merit. Naturally, she’d felt some resistance.

But now it was clear—they were just clueless kids scammed out of their savings by a burnt-out old commander. That changed everything. Her attitude softened slightly.

“Thank you.”

Perhaps ashamed of her tear-streaked appearance, Nina accepted the handkerchief.

Cornflower had a temper, yes, but she wasn’t cruel. And Nina had been nothing but humble—so deferential it bordered on self-effacing. Even Cornflower couldn’t bring herself to stay mad.

While Nina wiped her eyes, Cornflower thought for a moment, then made her decision.

“...Fine. I’ll say this again—I don’t want your money. But given your situation, I can’t ignore it either.”

She coughed, straightened up, and—mimicking how she imagined adults talked—said with a mock-authoritative tone:

“Since you requested it, I’ll assign you one extremely dangerous and difficult task.”

“Yes.”

Nina straightened, eyes serious, as if preparing for death.

“—For the next month, you are responsible for training our squad’s newest Magical Girl.”

Cornflower’s chin lifted slightly as she looked up at the taller girl with commanding presence.

“Teach her the basics of battlefield survival. Make sure she doesn’t drag the team down. If you can’t, I’ll consider both of you unfit for the Kingdom Army and report it up the chain. You’ll both be discharged.”

Nina froze, clutching the handkerchief.

Seeing no immediate reply, Cornflower raised her voice:

“Can you do it?”

“Ah—yes! I can!”

Nina’s voice trembled, but her words came out firm as she wiped another tear away. “Thank you. And I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t hear that. Say it again. Loud.”

“I CAN DO IT!” Nina shouted, voice finally clear and resolute.

“Good. Then from now on, you are an official member of Cornflower Squad. I’ll refer to you only by your alias.”

Cornflower extended her hand with a small, gentler smile:

“I look forward to working with you, Ink Lotus.”

---

…

…

Veronica opened her eyes to a field of white light.

It took her a moment to realize the source—it was the overhead lamp by the treatment bed. Only then did she register where she was.

She was in the Research Institute, inside Emerald’s private lab in the Emerald District, where she had just undergone repair and healing of her Heartstone.

“You’re awake?”

Emerald noticed her stir and shifted from a reclining position to sit upright. She rolled her wheeled chair over to the bed.

“You looked like you were sleeping well, so I didn’t wake you. How do you feel?”

“I had a dream... a memory from long ago.”

Veronica rubbed her head and sat up, shaking off the fog as her eyes fell on the Heartstone placed beside her.

“Other than some dizziness, I feel okay. What about your side?”

“Perfect results. Your Heartstone is fully repaired.”

Emerald crossed her legs proudly. “Aside from the two poor Magical Armors you destroyed beyond saving, you should be able to use all your pre-injury abilities again.”

“All of them?” Veronica frowned in doubt.

She raised one hand, letting a few Threads spark to life in her palm—no pain. The soul-searing agony she once felt while using her Magical Armor had vanished.

She snapped her fingers—a silver wall rose beside her.

It was her Domain, now manifesting flawlessly. No stutters. No pain. In fact, it felt even smoother than before the Moon Festival.

Her disbelief turned to wonder.

Hands overlapping, she performed a pose she hadn’t used in twenty years. In response, her Thread-based Armor gently coiled around her fingertips.

Silvery-blue star particles flowed like living currents, forming a budding flower in her hands.

Looking at the flower, Veronica murmured:

“Grand Bloom—”

“STOPSTOPSTOP!”

Emerald practically leapt across the room. “Don’t bloom in someone else’s lab! And I wasn’t finished explaining!”

“Why not?” Veronica blinked.

“Why not?! You lived in the Material World for years. You ever see a normal person go jogging the day after abdominal surgery?”

Emerald scowled. “Your injuries are healed, but the repaired areas need time to settle. Like stitches—they’ll tear if you move too much.”

“I see.”

Veronica paused her blooming gesture. “So how long do I wait?”

“Seven to ten days. Not long. I did the surgery, remember?”

Emerald waved lazily. “Rest until the assessment begins. No fighting. Healing will be faster.”

“Understood.”

Veronica retrieved her Heartstone and hopped off the bed. “So... my True Form is completely restored?”

“In theory, yes. But practically? Not quite.”

Emerald leaned on the bed. “Think of it like a shattered stone statue. You destroyed some pieces. I glued the rest back together and filled in the gaps. But I’m not a sculptor—I can’t restore what was lost.”

“Who can?” Veronica asked.

“No one.” Emerald shook her head. “Not even Her Majesty.”

Silence fell.

“Your True Form may function fine now,” Emerald continued, “but some parts are gone forever. And they won’t survive another sacrifice.”

“If you throw away your Magical Armor again like before, next time, either you—or ‘Lin Yun’—will be gone for good.”

“...Got it.” Veronica nodded solemnly. “Thanks for the warning.”

This wasn’t politeness. Emerald had genuinely been looking out for her.

They chatted a bit longer—mostly Emerald rattling off instructions—until noon passed and Emerald claimed she needed a nap and kicked Veronica out.

“I’ll get going then.” Veronica stood at the door.

“Yeah, yeah. Just remember what I said.”

Emerald had already pulled out blankets and pillows from who-knows-where and was lazily settling in. “Go out the way you came. The people outside know what to do.”

“Got it.” Veronica stepped out and began to close the door—

“Oh, right.”

Emerald’s voice stopped her.

“One little thing I forgot to mention. There’s a teeny-tiny, completely trivial side effect from your treatment. It won’t affect your daily life or combat. You might notice it soon.”

Side effect?

By the time Veronica registered those words, the door had vanished—reabsorbed into the magic lab’s enchantments. No way to ask for clarification now.

Still pondering what that “completely trivial” side effect might be, Veronica walked through the Research Institute’s corridors.

And almost immediately, she noticed something was... off.

Not major, just... slightly.

The corridor seemed longer than she remembered. Her field of vision felt subtly altered.

Unease crept in. Before exiting, she checked a mirror. Her appearance seemed unchanged.

But to be sure, she summoned her Magical Armor and used her Threads to measure her body metrics.

Within seconds, she figured it out.

—She was two centimeters shorter. Again.