Chapter 101: Why Are They All Girls

Uriel followed Lumina out of the alley and onto one of the capital's main thoroughfares.

He'd only been gone two days. It felt like clearing a dungeon only to get dragged straight into the next main quest.

The streets looked like they always did. Foot traffic, carriages, vendors calling prices. Everything peaceful as though nothing had happened anywhere.

Lumina's stride was as brisk and efficient as ever, her expression blank enough to pass for a maid escorting her employer — except the pressure radiating off her made oncoming pedestrians instinctively give her a little extra room without conscious thought.

Uriel had been walking for half a block and his mind had already run through half a dozen scenarios. His mother relocating the base on short notice was not a good sign. Either they'd been exposed, the kingdom had started watching them, or the Cult was making a move.

Under normal circumstances he would have grabbed Lumina by the shoulder and demanded answers immediately. But not here. Not in front of the fanatics. He had to keep up the Scribe's flawless image. One slip, and the whole act would fall apart.

He adjusted his breathing, smoothed his face into neutrality, and kept his voice casual.

"Any movement from the kingdom? What about the Cult?"

Lumina's spine went rigid. Her legs almost snapped into parade rest on reflex in the middle of the street.

She scanned the crowded avenue, forced the salute back down, and raised one hand instead. Her fingers traced a few quick shapes in the air.

A faint ripple of mana brushed past his ear, and then her voice was inside his head — same tone she used for in-person reports, except her lips hadn't moved at all.

"Kingdom side: Estella forced her way into Knight Order headquarters. She appears to have picked up traces of the Curse Cult."

A pause. She chose her next phrase with visible care.

"However, the kingdom's official response to the Cult's infiltration remains... painfully slow."

"As for the Cult itself, no new activity in the capital. The only ones left in the capital are low-level fringe followers who don't even understand the core doctrine. No intelligence value. Estella seems interested in them. She's maintaining active surveillance."

Uriel rubbed his chin.

So nothing urgent, then. Kingdom hasn't traced anything back to us yet. Cult's pulled back. What's left are bottom-feeders.

If it wasn't an emergency, the base relocation had to be for a different reason. He'd see his mother in a minute anyway. Asking her directly would be faster than speculating in circles. His pace picked up slightly.

A few minutes later they stopped in front of an imposing structure. The sign above the entrance was solid gold: Golden Iris Hotel.

Inside, expensive marble flooring stretched across the entire lobby. Overhead hung a chandelier large enough to qualify as a structural hazard.

Uriel looked up at it and mentally calculated the room rates for this kind of location and decor.

Did Mom go all-out?

He glanced at Lumina. She had already pushed the door open and gone inside.

The receptionist behind the front desk took one look at Lumina, gave a stiff nod, and instantly buried her face in her ledger with the deliberate, desperate focus of someone who knew exactly who owned this building now.

He followed Lumina up the main staircase. They climbed floor after floor until they reached the top level. Lumina stopped in front of a set of heavy double doors and pushed them open.

The moment the doors swung wide, a perfectly synchronized sound erupted from within, sharp enough to peel paint off the ceiling.

"HAIL, SCRIBE!"

Uriel's foot froze mid-step.

Two neat rows of girls lined the corridor. At least two dozen of them, ranging from mid-teens to early twenties, all wearing immaculate matching uniforms with silver badges pinned to their collars. Every single one was staring directly at him with the fervent, shining-eyed intensity of a fanatic meeting their god.

Uriel stood perfectly still.

He turned his head very slowly toward Lumina and forced words out between his teeth.

"...What is this."

"The Magical Girl Brigade. Full standby roster." Lumina's voice had returned to normal volume, flat tone carrying a thread of barely-detectable pride. "Twenty-four present. Another dozen currently on field assignments. All have passed entry evaluations. Loyalty is absolute."

Uriel looked back at the twenty-four faces radiating youthful enthusiasm.

When exactly did my throwaway suggestion about magical girls turn into a full organizational chart?

"Where's the Witch?"

The door at the far end of the hall opened.

Galatina stepped out holding a baking tray, still wearing her slightly-dated home clothes, apron dusted with flour.

Her gaze landed on him.

"Little Uri, you're back!" She set the tray down on a side table, opened her arms, and started forward. "Are you tired? Do you need to rest? I saved you fresh cookies —"

Uriel took half a step back and braced both hands against her shoulders. "Mom. There are people watching. You're the Witch right now. Maintain the image."

Galatina tilted her head like a kindergartener who'd been reminded of a rule she didn't entirely understand.

"It's fine, though? I made everyone pastries this morning and they were all very happy."

Uriel's expression froze.

He turned his head slowly toward Lumina, eyes communicating please tell me this isn't real.

Lumina met his gaze and nodded with complete sincerity.

"The Witch is the cruelest and most merciful existence. This morning she personally baked butter cookies, lemon cake, and huge platter of chicken fried rice for the Brigade members. Cruelty and compassion in perfect balance. The Magical Girls have witnessed it firsthand."

Wait. The last one. Why does this world have huge platter of chicken fried rice? Mom, what else have you been hiding from me?

Uriel gave up. His hands dropped. Galatina pulled him into a full hug immediately, trapping him against her.

While she was squeezing him, he glanced past her shoulder at the girls lining the corridor.

Their expressions had evolved into something more complex. The rough translation was probably Is he like the Witch too? Combined with the parade-ground posture, the whole thing was starting to crack his composure.

He patted Galatina's back lightly, signaling for release. She stepped back half a pace. Uriel straightened his collar, took a long breath, cleared his throat, and adjusted his tone.

He faced the twenty-four expectant faces.

He could feel control of the situation slipping. He reached for the most theoretically-cool line he could assemble on short notice.

"The Brigade expects diligence from every member."

The air in the hall solidified.

The moment the words landed, every girl in the room — even Lumina, normally unshakable — reacted with a visible surge of light in her eyes.

He added a second line, slightly softer.

"You don't need to stand here anymore. Go rest."

"Yes, sir!"

Twenty-four voices in perfect sync, followed by a rapid patter of light, disciplined footsteps as the Magical Girls quick-marched in formation to the sitting area on one side of the hall and seated themselves in a neat row on the couches. The movement was so rehearsed it looked choreographed. Even sitting, they maintained flawless posture — though their eyes kept sneaking glances his direction.

"Wow, little Uri, you looked so cool!" Galatina clapped her hands together, completely unbothered by atmosphere or context.

Uriel rubbed his temple. A thought that had been buried under the cascading chaos suddenly resurfaced. He turned to Lumina and asked the question that had been quietly nagging at him since he walked through the door.

"Why does it look like they're all girls? Haven't you rescued any men?"

Lumina's ear twitched slightly.

"We have."

"So where are they?"

"They also requested to join. However, if we accepted male members, they would be classified as Magical Boys. This conflicts severely with the Brigade's official designation. To preserve organizational consistency, I rejected all male applicants."

Lumina's tone was firm and matter-of-fact. But the moment she finished speaking, her confidence deflated slightly and she looked at Uriel as though worried she'd made a mistake.

Uriel stood frozen in place.

He looked at the twenty-four girls gathered around the sitting area. At Fenria, who had somehow snuck out of a side room and was chewing on a strip of jerky in the corner. At the absent Kira. At his mother, who was already preparing to hug him again from behind.

He took two steps backward until his shoulders hit the wall.

Female dominance. Absolute and overwhelming.

The phrase surfaced in his mind with a specific and oppressive weight.