Chapter 50
The atmosphere at the Belgian airport where Park Saebyeok and I arrived was calm.
Since we were entering the country directly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aides from the Korean and Japanese embassies who came rushing without going through separate procedures guided us.
‘…It’s quiet.’
Although the only airports I had been to in both my past and current life were Narita Airport in Japan and Incheon Airport in Korea, I remember airports being noisier places than this.
Brussels Airport had a sense of orderliness to the noise and vitality that people usually make.
Armed police were standing guard in each corridor and passage, and soldiers were patrolling the airport exterior.
“The atmosphere in Europe after the terrorist attack is not very good.”
“This is already much better as they are implementing gradual return to daily life.”
The Korean and Japanese aides guiding us to where the car was prepared continued explaining the current atmosphere in Europe in their respective languages as we walked.
“Since supernatural ability users appeared in each country, the sense of loss among citizens is very great, as much as the respect and attention the magical girls gathered in the European Union received.”
“People who received help from various places are gathering, having heard rumors that this joint memorial service will be held in Brussels.”
Park Saebyeok could understand all the explanations given in different languages from both sides because she was wearing the interpreter made by Kang Dorim.
“Mr. Yamada, which gate number was it that the European Union prepared?”
“It was number 4, Mr. Kim.”
The Korean and Japanese embassy aides often exchanged words in English as they were acquaintances who frequently saw each other.
“Regarding the domain matter, they asked to proceed at the location designated by the EU Parliament as per the content sent to the magical girl of [Beginning] in advance.”
“Yes, I can’t interfere with the event while the memorial service is in progress, so I’ll just make preparations and take measures for it to be completed immediately tomorrow.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
The Japanese embassy side seemed to have decided to focus solely on the role of guiding me, putting aside all curiosities and minor confirmations, as there wasn’t really anything to cooperate on regarding me, who was treated as a kind of supernatural phenomenon totem.
In the first place, there was nothing to negotiate as the European Union side had already informed me of the optimal location considering the intentions of the 42 surviving magical girls, after carefully examining facilities located in areas to be included in the domain, including Brussels, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
‘Their attitude is more straightforward than I thought.’
I thought the Japanese government would be uncomfortable with me because of Fujimoto or corporate alliance matters, or that there would be a war of words about my current position, but they were dealing with it swiftly in a manner of handling the work first.
‘Is it because I’m an existence too detached to be tied to a country, or is it something Sumire handled separately?’
Europe’s attitude also seemed to hope that the issue of protection organizations for magical girls would be resolved as soon as the memorial service ended, perhaps due to their sense of crisis.
Even China, where half of the state-recognized magical girls survived, rushed into the domain without putting any conditions other than establishing a self-governing body.
Given the situation in Europe, where supernatural ability users are virtually annihilated, there’s practically no choice.
‘Rather, this dry totem treatment isn’t bad.’
Since Park Saebyeok and I were essentially treated as a set of guests who came along from Korea, we rode in the van prepared by the European Union side along with the Korean and Japanese aides and accompanied them to the European Union Parliament.
“We’ve arrived.”
“There are many people.”
“We’ll enter through the back over there.”
After entering inconspicuously through the back door of the parliament building, a very tall, brown-haired girl entered the room where we were waiting.
It was Laura Müller, the born 2-star magical girl of [Unity], who would conduct the memorial service as the representative of European Union magical girl survivors.
Laura was touching the hem of her black dress changed for the memorial service with a tired expression, then interlaced her fingers and emitted a bright brown light reminiscent of a wheat field all over her body, and exchanged greetings with us.
Whether she used some kind of interpretation or communication magic, her words were understandable even without going through the interpreter.
“…”
“…”
We had already shared detailed talks with the Supernatural Ability Countermeasures Team and Korean-Japanese working-level officials.
Now, just before the memorial service, we just came to say hello, so the three of us shared an awkward silence.
“…Then I’ll be going.”
“Yes, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.”
“…”
Laura suddenly looked at me and asked before leaving with weak steps.
“…If the domain is spread, will the remaining magical girls be safe…?”
“If you just think of the domain inside when a dangerous situation comes, you can escape to a place where no one in this world can touch you.”
“…I see, thank you.”
“Let’s talk about the details after you gather your thoughts and through the self-governing body you’ll establish after the domain declaration.”
“…Yes.”
Laura walked away again with blank steps.
“…She still seems to be in great shock.”
“It’s unavoidable because losing colleagues you saved lives and lived with right before your eyes is sad.”
European magical girls were particularly heavily damaged in this terrorist attack because they formed a multinational community within the European Union institution.
“…”
Park Saebyeok seemed to feel something about the situation of losing comrades, as she couldn’t say anything while looking at the calm atmosphere spread over Brussels.
* * *
“Therefore, we will not yield to enemies who threaten our daily lives and with a dignified attitude…”
Laura was calmly reading the prepared text at the Grand Place, the central square in Brussels.
Mourners placed candles and bouquets they were each holding on chairs inscribed with the names of the 200 dead.
As she read with the magical power of the magical girl of [Unity] radiating, tens of thousands of people gathered in the beautiful square filled with 15th-century European-style architecture listened attentively to Laura’s recitation.
“The more darkness tries to swallow us, the more we become one as light…”
Even as she read the recitation written by various European Union spokespersons with sentences refined with literary vocabulary about the unwavering strength of Europeans, Laura didn’t feel it.
-Laura! Come visit our hometown this winter! Uncle said he’ll specially serve pizza baked with oak firewood!
-Laura, we were too busy to go on a proper vacation this year. Let’s go south together next summer!
-Ahaha, my sister’s husband is American, so we can rent a car, how about going to America?
-Shh! Shh! Wait! I think I hear the nun’s footsteps! Turn off the light!
-How old are we to still have lights-out checks?
-No matter how much you grumble, we can’t help it while we’re staying at the convent.
-Ow, Marie, don’t push so suddenly!
“Become one…”
The dreamlike memories of girls who spent hot summer days traveling all over Europe together clearly remained in this heart.
Though their homes, races, and languages were different, they became friends who shared their true hearts based on Laura’s ability.
The memory of saving dying people in the ICU together and hugging friends crying with overwhelming pride is vivid.
“Become one…”
Laura, who spilled nasty french fries in England and got surrounded by seagulls.
Sophie, who secretly spent a night in her hometown when they stopped in the Netherlands and got scolded by the guide.
Elena, who boasted about her hometown at the convent in Italy.
Marie from Paris, who said she would study abroad in America like her sister when she became an adult.
And…
“…”
When Laura fell completely silent, the people at the scene began to murmur in confusion.
“…Even so.”
As Laura quietly folded the oath she was holding and reading, the European Union parliamentary officials watching from behind began to stand up to see what was happening.
“…Nevertheless.”
Laura opened her mouth, remembering the 11 members of Rescue Team D who all died by the terrorist except for herself.
“The girls who gathered together on a bright summer day.”
“Those who gave miraculous memories when the wheat fields turned golden.”
“Friends who disappeared with the start of a lonely winter.”
Laura finally realized the death of her friends.
The death of friends who were chattering in anticipation of next year in the moonlight of a dark night.
“Please remember, at least for today.”
Pop
A spark rose from a candle held by someone in the crowd and floated up to the sky.
Pop
Sparks rose one by one from candles placed on chairs inscribed with the girls’ names.
“This is…”
“Amazing…”
The crowd murmured as they watched the small lights floating above their heads.
But as they continued one by one and finally, tens of thousands of lights floating over the square where the memorial service was held gathered to form a miniature Milky Way, people quietly watched or prayed, drawn by its beauty.
Remembering the salvation they received from them with one candle.
Remembering the girls who disappeared too quickly with one candle…
Under the Milky Way engraved with memories, people prayed and remembered.
* * *
After the memorial service ended and the crowd was dispersing from the square, a brown-haired girl wearing glasses was placing a flower on each of the 200 chairs one by one.
The sight of the girl taking out white flowers from a large basket and placing them one by one on top of the 200 chairs looked solemn yet mechanical at a glance.
“…You must have received great kindness from the girls who were here? Were your father or mother very ill?”
An old man, surprised by the girl’s sincere questions, asked while clicking his tongue.
“Huh? No.”
“Then why are you putting in so much effort?”
“Because defeat should be respected as much as victory as the ending of a story.”
“What?”
“I was respecting them.”
“…I don’t understand.”
The old man left the place as if running away, scared by the face of the bespectacled girl illuminated by the flickering light of candles placed on the ground.
“Hehe, it wasn’t something I said to be understood.”
The bespectacled girl gently watched the old man run away, then began placing flowers on the chairs again.
“…Don’t talk like that.”
“Hm?”
When the bespectacled girl turned around.
A silver-haired girl in a black women’s suit was coldly looking at her.
“Don’t talk about these children in terms of defeat or victory like that.”
“…But if there’s no winning or losing, there’s no valuable distinction in this world.”
“You probably just don’t understand values other than winning and losing.”
“Hm? How beautiful are victory and defeat?”
The bespectacled girl tilted her head as if she had heard something strange and said.
“Isn’t humanity starting to move forward, realizing the preciousness of victory through these children’s noble defeat?”
“I don’t know how great you think you are to arbitrarily judge people like that.”
“Hah, I don’t know how great you think you are to say such arrogant words affirming everyone.”
The two girls watched each other for a moment, illuminated by the flickering candlelight.
The bespectacled girl felt a sense of kinship with the silver-haired girl.
The silver-haired girl felt disgust toward the bespectacled girl.
“…Emily.”
“What?”
“My name.”
“…”
“Aren’t you going to tell me your name?”
“…Hikari.”
“Oh! A name meaning light in Japanese! It suits you!”
Hehe
Emily, who smiled brightly, soon turned her back and started placing flowers on the chairs again.
Hikari watched that for a moment, then shook her head and disappeared somewhere.
As Emily was humming, thinking about the naughty ones who had all gone somewhere in Russia after waiting in vain for magical girls evacuating to America, someone living deep in her soul muttered.
[…I’ll be watching.]
[O apostle resembling the first goddess.]
