19 Magical Girl Talks with Sarche

Author: Kumanano
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7313mj/19/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

I decided to live in this world, but I have to earn money.
There’s a wallet in the Extra-dimensional Box, but it’s only a few thousand-yen bills and some change.
And when I put the things from my room in the Extra-dimensional Box, there’s also a bankbook where I deposited New Year’s money, but there’s no way I can withdraw it here.
And more than anything, in this world you can’t use Japan’s money.
I don’t have money that can be used in this world.

“Are there jobs even a kid can do?”
“I think there are if you look. Don’t tell me you mean to work?”
“People can’t live unless they work and earn money.”

Until now Dad worked and brought home a salary.
But that Dad is gone.
No matter the era, no matter the world, even a kid understands you can’t live without money.
After I think that, I remember the magical girl who hated her father.
That magical girl didn’t seem to know, though.

“For now I can cook and do laundry, so if there’s work around that, that would be good.”
“It’s true, Yuna, you’re good at tidying rooms, and your cooking is delicious.”

Sarche thinks it over.

“…If you’re all right with it, Yuna, why not live in this house? The work would be cleaning and cooking. I’ll pay for anything to do with food, clothing, and shelter. I’ll give you wages on top of that too.”
“Is that all right? I say it myself, but I’m a pretty suspicious kid.”
“I know. To be honest, I’ve never seen a child like you. The way you handle magic is good enough to call genius.”
“Is it?”

I don’t know about that.
There weren’t many magical girls, so there aren’t many people to compare with.
But the Cat God said I have a lot of mana.

“There aren’t that many children your age who can use that much magic.”

I see.
I’m a little glad.
It was worth the trouble of learning from the Cat God.

“And I’m more scared of turning you out when you don’t know anything about this world.”
“Don’t tell me you think I’m dangerous?”

Sarche shakes her head.

“I’m worried someone will trick you. If you really came from another world, you don’t know anything about here, do you. Your knowledge might be misused too.”
“I’m a kid.”

Unlike the people who transfer in isekai manga, I don’t have special powers or knowledge.
I can use magic, but in this world that seems to be ordinary.

“But you believe I came from another world?”
“There was a chance it was nonsense, but bears don’t get small.”

Sarche looks at Kumayuru and Kumakyuu.

“In your world, can bears get small?”
“No. These kids are special. Other bears can’t get small.”
“That’s a relief. And what made me believe you came from another world was your clothes. I’ve never seen clothes with bears like that drawn on them.”

My outfit is a navy skirt that goes to about my thighs, and a shirt with cute bears printed on it.
It’s called Kuma-chan, a popular bear character that’s a small version of an animal.
It’s true, I’ve never seen a character in another-world manga wearing a printed shirt.

“Even if you aren’t a person from another world, it’s certain you aren’t a resident of this country. So I believe your words. So, what will you do about my proposal?”

I have nowhere to go.
Even if I leave, I don’t have knowledge of this world, so I might get tricked, just as Sarche says.
I can’t judge what’s right and what’s wrong.
I wish Dad and Mom had taught me about this world properly.
I look at Sarche.
We only met today, but I don’t think she’s a bad person.
Kumayuru and Kumakyuu are pressing against Sarche.
I’ve already decided to trust Sarche.

“Before I impose on you, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Teach me this country’s? This world’s common sense.”

What I need is knowledge to live in this world.
For a kid to live alone, there’s a lot that’s missing.

“All right. That’s a deal, then.”

I ended up imposing on Sarche’s house.
Right away, I have her teach me about this world—or rather, this country.

“This is inside a forest west of Arulari.”

Of course, it’s a country name I’ve never heard.

“Inside a forest—Sarche, why are you in this forest?”

At first I thought there might even be a village in the forest, but there’s only Sarche’s house.
And I don’t understand the reason she lives alone in the forest.
I was curious while cleaning too.

“That’s…”
“Don’t tell me you’re hated and got driven out of town, or you’re a terrible criminal hiding out!”

That would be a reason to live alone in a forest.
In manga and novels too, hated witches and such sometimes hide deep in the forest.

“That’s not it. There are various reasons. It isn’t what you’re thinking, so don’t worry.”
“Those reasons—”
“I just ran a little, because of work.”
“Because of work? Don’t tell me you embezzled money…”

I’ve seen dramas and movies where someone embezzles company money.

“You know difficult words. Hm? This is late, but are the words of this world and the other world the same?”
“I think they’re probably different. I don’t know the details either, but a magic power? I suppose you’d say. There seems to be magic that lets you understand words in a different language, and speak them.”
“What is that convenient magic.”

It’s a power the Cat God gave me so I could meet magical girls from other countries.

“And I seem to understand writing too.”

I looked at a book briefly, but I could read it.
I haven’t checked if I can write, but I could read English, and I could write it too.

“The magic of your world is amazing.”

Whether this is thanks to mana, I don’t know the details either.
But I didn’t think it would apply to another world’s words and languages too.
If we couldn’t communicate, I’d have been completely stuck.
What I’m grateful to that Cat God for is that he taught me how to handle magic.
Stretching the mana lines in my body hurt, though.
That, I never want to do again.

“So, you ran from work?”

I bring the talk back.
If she’s a bad person, I can’t stay here.
Sarche opens her mouth, looking like she doesn’t want to say it.

“I am excellent, I’ll have you know. So I get asked to do all kinds of work.”
“In other words, you hated the work, and that’s why you live alone this deep in the forest?”
“This isn’t a place people can enter easily, so no one comes barging in. That’s why I was surprised when I saw you in this forest. And I thought you were being attacked by bears, too.”

I’ve heard online about companies that work you to death, and having no days off.
I’ve actually wondered if Dad’s work was that kind of black job.
He worked late into the night, and worked even on days off.
Even though he was that tired, on days off he still went out with me.
Thinking about it now, I wish I’d let him rest.
I was just glad I could be with Dad, and going out together was fun.

“That’s true. Working too much isn’t good.”
“You understand?”

I’ve seen Dad’s tired face, so I can understand.
I asked “Can’t you rest?” a few times, but he said “I can’t rest.”
It isn’t Sarche, but maybe you have to do something like run into a forest or you can’t take time off work.

“But if you ran from work and have time, I think you should tidy the house properly.”

Sarche panics at my words.

“It isn’t that I don’t do it. I was just putting it off because work was busy.”
“But you said you ran from work.”
“Even so, there is still work.”

She starts making excuses, but the actual truth is something I’ll understand if we live together from now on.

“What are you smiling at?”

Apparently I was smiling.
How many days has it been since I smiled.
I have no memory of smiling since Dad died.
I was only angry, or crying.
I see. I could smile.

“Sarche, I’ll be in your care.”
“Yes. And I’ll be in yours.”

When I ask it with a smile, Sarche smiles too.