[Take care of yourself too, Mother!]
Artasha gently touched her face. The sweet sensation of her daughter’s lips still warmly enveloped her cheek.
Tina, believing her mother was unwell, had accompanied her to the hospital. But unfortunately for her daughter, there was nothing significantly wrong with her body.
The headaches were something she had experienced before and were nothing to worry about. However, the reason she had lied and come to the hospital was clear.
Tina’s condition had noticeably worsened after visiting the ducal family. Especially the symptoms she showed that night had reached a serious level.
Even though she denied it, cutting one’s own wrist is not something one does unless pushed to the brink mentally.
“Tina…”
Artasha wiped her face and called her daughter’s name.
Outwardly, she tried to maintain composure, but inside, her heart felt like it was being torn apart. Every time she thought her daughter might have a serious illness, her heart sank.
If Tina had an incurable disease, she felt like she would collapse on the spot.
“Baroness.”
A low female voice came from behind.
A middle-aged woman with short black hair bowed respectfully in front of her.
Her name was Phirsi Librium, the top administrator of the Librium Grand Hospital.
She was a descendant of the Librium Count Family, known for their advanced medical technology in the Empire, and someone a lowly baron like herself wouldn’t normally meet easily.
The reason she was being so courteous was solely because of one person.
[I, I will help you, Mother.]
Viviana Merdelia.
It was due to the strong influence of the Merdelia Ducal Family.
She never wanted to speak to the woman who had driven her daughter to self-harm again. Even if her limbs were torn off, she would never contact the Merdelia Ducal Family.
But when it came to Tina, she couldn’t help it.
How could she ignore it when Tina was sick?
Upon hearing about Tina’s poor condition, Viviana immediately contacted Librium Hospital to ensure she received all possible benefits.
“…Thank you for helping our baronet family.”
As she bowed to her, Phirsi waved her hand and helped Artasha up.
“Healing patients is our job, so please don’t worry.”
With a few kind words, she led her to her office. Indeed, it was a grand hospital, with an atmosphere several times more elegant than her own office as the head of the Blanchard family.
Sitting on a luxurious black leather sofa, Phirsi took out a document from her clothes and handed it to Artasha.
“This is your daughter’s examination result.”
Her heart began to race.
The anxiety that had been simmering before now raged uncontrollably. She swallowed nervously.
“Physically, there’s no issue. She has a slighter build than other women her age, but it doesn’t seem to pose a significant health risk. However…”
Her heart sank at the next word. Clutching her own hand tightly, Phirsi continued cautiously.
“There are faint scars on her wrist. They appear to be from self-harm. Could it be…”
“Ah, that…”
It was hardly a relief that her daughter had self-harmed, but at least it was something she already knew about.
“There was a bit of an incident. Is there anything else?”
In response to her words, Phirsi, with an extremely serious expression, flipped to the next page of the document. On the paper were two attached photos.
“This is the result of the brain examination. Since we used a magical tool, there should be no side effects.”
She had no professional knowledge of medicine, but she had heard of tools that used mana to create images of the brain.
Seeing it in person was fascinating, but her attention was solely focused on the shape of the brain in the photo.
To her, it looked normal. But from a medical perspective, was there something different?
“Baroness, this isn’t good news.”
At Phirsi’s unusual gaze, the anxiety that had somewhat subsided surged through her body again.
If someone as renowned as her in the Empire’s medical field said that, it surely meant something.
“…Please tell me.”
She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
She had to hear it. Even if it would bring despair, knowing Tina’s condition was the priority.
“Your daughter’s brain is anything but normal.”
“Ah, is it bad…?”
Phirsi pointed to one of the photos. It was a grayscale image that revealed contours under the light, a normal-looking photo.
“Physically, there’s no issue. No damage, and the neural network shows a brain structure superior to the average person. Your daughter must be quite intelligent.”
“Ah, is that so…”
“But the photo we need to pay attention to is this one.”
Phirsi pointed to the second photo with an even more serious expression. At first glance, it looked normal, but unlike the first photo, faint glowing lines were intertwined.
“It’s mana.”
“…Mana.”
She knew what mana was. Described in books as an invisible flow of power, a force that encompasses the essence of life and nature.
Natural mana flows everywhere in daily life. Usually, it appears as transparent threads, but its color changes depending on the ‘mana user.’
But those who can manipulate mana are extremely rare. About one in a hundred thousand, and neither she nor Tina had any connection to mana.
So she had never studied it in depth.
“Unless someone is mana-incompatible, everyone’s body flows with mana. In muscles, in the brain.”
Phirsi continued her explanation in a calm voice.
“And the flow of mana is always in one constant direction. Whether from top to bottom, right to left, or in a circular motion, it only flows in one direction.”
Phirsi’s finger pointed to the center of the photo.
“Can you see what’s wrong, Baroness?”
“…I’m not sure.”
To her eyes, it just looked like lines intertwined on a brain photo.
It didn’t look different anywhere…
“…Huh?”
Something strange began to appear.
Phirsi had said that mana flows only in one direction.
But was it just her imagination?
The threads in the photo didn’t seem consistent.
She might not know much, but the photo she was seeing…
It felt like the outer threads were protecting the inner ones like a fortress.
“It’s a dual flow. The outer and inner mana are flowing in opposite directions, forming an ellipse.”
“Didn’t you say it only flows in one direction…?”
“In all my years of medical practice, I’ve only seen this once before.”
With that, Phirsi suddenly began to explain about a past mage.
It was about a mad mage who researched forbidden magic in the Empire.
He firmly believed in the existence of demons and, using the blood of a hundred children and elders as a sacrifice, succeeded in summoning a demon into his body.
Of course, the Empire couldn’t let him be, and he was eventually captured and publicly executed a few days later.
His claim of harboring a demon was dismissed as the ramblings of a madman.
“…Why are you telling me this?”
“Because that mage’s brain had the same dual flow as your daughter’s.”
For a moment, she was speechless.
She couldn’t even breathe.
She didn’t want to hear that her daughter was on the same level as a madman who sacrificed people to summon a demon.
“Before the Empire executed him, scholars curious about whether demons truly existed dissected his body. I happened to be in charge of the mental aspects.”
“…”
“The structure I saw then matches this photo.”
For a moment, her mind went blank, and she felt like she was losing consciousness. Phirsi hurriedly came over to support her, but the tearing pain in her chest remained.
“Don’t worry too much, Baroness.”
“…Don’t worry?”
“Nothing has been confirmed yet. It could just be a coincidence. Just because it’s unusual doesn’t mean it’s necessarily wrong.”
“…”
“We have a specialist in mental magic examining her, so we’ll soon be able to determine your daughter’s mental state.”
“Mental… state…”
“Yes, she will be able to quickly determine if your daughter has any emotional issues.”
“…Who is she?”
In response to her question, Phirsi soon raised a finger and answered.
“She’s one of the Empire’s top hypnotists.”
※
“You’ve worked hard, Miss. Just one last examination, and you can go home!”
With a mature smile, the red-haired woman stroked my head. She was Reina Hildensiborg. I had forgotten her name at first, but luckily, I had a chance to learn it during the examination.
The place I came to for the last examination was quite monotonous. A cozy space with a comfortable single sofa. It was hard to guess what would happen here.
Would they give me an injection?
It didn’t matter. If this was the last one, I’d just get it over with.
The nurse had been very diligent throughout the many examinations, and though I found it annoying at first, I started to follow Reina’s instructions seriously.
Vision, hearing, body, blood pressure, urine, and numerous other tests.
It was quite different from the modern era I had lived in before, and I found it intriguing.
Since this was the last examination, I guess the results were out.
“How is it, Nurse? Everything’s normal, right?”
I confidently straightened my shoulders and faced Reina. At my confidence, Reina gave me a strange smile, took my hand, and sat me on the sofa.
“We’ll know after the last examination. It’ll be over quickly, so just relax.”
“Okay~.”
So inflexible. I couldn’t understand why she was so passionate when no one would appreciate her hard work.
But there was no need to oppose her, so I sat comfortably on the sofa and waited for Reina’s next words.
“Now, can you look here, Miss?”
The nurse suddenly held out a strange pendulum in front of me. The pendulum, hanging from a thin thread on the nurse’s finger, swung left and right in front of me.
“…What is this?”
“Just focus on it.”
Following her words, I stared at the swinging pendulum for a while, and a familiar feeling made me open my eyes wide in surprise.
Huh, I think I’ve seen this before.
Hmm…
Ah, right.
This is how they usually do hypnosis-.
※
A lovely girl was sound asleep on the sofa. Reina stroked her cheek for a while and smiled faintly.
“Hehe, she really is a pet lady. I want to take her home and raise her.”
It was clear who she was. Anyone involved in the social circle would know.
As the rumors said, this girl was painted with a lively and lovely charm.
Honestly, if this weren’t a hospital, I’d want to play some naughty tricks on this pet lady right here, right now. She had a talent for enchanting people.
“Work, work.”
But she couldn’t do that.
This examination was directly requested by the Merdelia Ducal Family. If she took it lightly and got on the bad side of the Merdelia Ducal Family, her hospital career would be over.
“Now, let’s wake up slowly.”
Reina gently tapped the girl’s shoulder and whispered softly in her ear. The girl’s lovely breathing stopped, and only a quiet breath escaped.
And then.
The girl’s eyes, which had been slowly closing, opened.
Eyes that seemed dazed and unfocused.
Looking at those eyes, Reina nodded in satisfaction.
‘The hypnosis worked.’
Now, she had to uncover the girl’s mental state one by one.
It wouldn’t be difficult.
It was something she had done countless times before.
Like extending branches, she would ask questions one by one to explore her subconscious.
“Can you see me?”
She whispered softly in the girl’s ear.
A hypnotized person could only nod or shake their head. She had to determine the girl’s mental state with simple yes or no answers.
“If you can see me, please answer~.”
When she asked again, the girl’s eyes turned towards her.
Eyes as clear and blue as the ocean.
But was it just her imagination?
In those clear blue eyes, there was a faint, ominous black cross.
‘…Was it always like that?’
Before she could be startled, the girl in front of her smiled brightly.
Seeing that smile, Reina felt an inexplicable chill run through her body.
“…Huh?”
That’s strange.
In a hypnotized state, one can only move their head.
She had never seen anyone smile.
As Reina stared blankly.
The girl’s tightly closed lips parted.
“Wow~ You’re pretty, sister.”
A dreamy voice pierced her ears.
With just that one strange voice.
Reina’s eyes lost focus.
As if enchanted by something.
No reason remained in her red eyes.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
