I Became a New Magical Girl Priest

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I stared at the photo for quite a while, feeling uncertain.

If it looked like me, then it did.

But isn’t it more unusual for a child not to resemble someone? I mean, unless their skin color is completely different, most newborns tend to have some similar features. Hence, mix-ups sometimes happen.

The problem is, I wasn’t just abandoned when I got a bit older.

If I had at least been one year old, I might have started to recognize my parents’ faces, but I was just born and then discarded.

Besides, I didn’t even have a proper birth registration. I could have been born at home or somewhere else. At least, it wasn’t a hospital.

My birthday was just the day I entered that church. It didn’t really matter to me, so I left it as is.

For the record, Ji-hye was in the same boat.

I looked back at the teacher.

The teacher, without stepping in between us, was still looking at us with a serious expression.

“So… if someone claiming to be my parents appears, can we meet right away?”

When I asked that, the teacher thought for a moment before replying.

“I think that photo is probably genuine.”

However, that statement seemed to come with caution.

“……”

I pondered for a bit.

Well, it’s not that complicated. It’s a story that can be concluded with a paternity test.

This isn’t something that requires the technology of the universe; it’s something commonly done on Earth.

If the reason this person came to find me is for money and is a fake mother… then that’s just plain foolish, right?

If they were just going to deceive me with words, they should have already spilled the beans on everything.

The way they were holding their head low looked truly guilty.

“Well then…”

Should I suggest we draw blood? That thought suddenly popped into my head.

If they really believe I’m their daughter, then what could have brought them to show up now?

“What did you want to talk about by meeting like this?”

Unintentionally, my speech became a bit rough.

In any case—even if they truly are my blood-related mother, appearing now is really weird.

I didn’t have any desire to find my parents. I had just begun to like myself a little, and after a few years, I would be able to go out and settle somewhere.

But now, what’s the reason making me anxious by showing up now?

In any case, this person couldn’t be called my mother.

“…That is, um.”

The woman claiming to be my mother stammered.

I guess my direct questioning silenced her.

Could that also be an act? I’m not sure.

“The image on TV, and the story…”

Is she referring to a story she knew?

I briefly closed my mouth.

“……”

After quietly gazing at the woman for a while, I spoke.

“Let’s do a blood test.”

On my words, the woman lifted her head.

“I can’t even believe if this is real or not, and the person who was abandoned at that church wasn’t alone either. There could have been a misunderstanding.”

Yeah. Thinking that it might really be a misunderstanding calmed my mind a bit.

If that’s the case, then this person might not be completely in the wrong. They could really be doing their best to find me. Everyone has a story. Whether one can understand the weight of that story depends on the eyes of the person hearing it.

So, that’s what I said.

If it’s a mistake, it’s best to clarify it quickly.

For both of us.

*

With Earthly technology, a blood test can definitely be done.

However, it takes a bit of time for the results to come out. It’s not extremely long, but if everything goes well, it might be just a few hours after the test, at worst, one to two days later. It seems to depend on the volume of tests being performed at the hospital that day rather than how long the test itself takes.

I and the woman are on different sides with different thoughts, but because of that, we opted for a quick resolution.

If it’s an Earth test, we might have to wait until tomorrow or the day after, but alien technology is a different story.

Well, even if we wanted to do a traditional Earth test now, it would be harder to find whoever we were looking for.

The reason combatants can fight in the next battle even if their arms and legs get broken in a fight with a magical girl is that they can heal immediately with the magic brought by aliens.

Since the encounter between the Eun-ha Federation and Earth, it wasn’t just space navigation technology that advanced.

The genetic testing results using that alien technology take less than five minutes to come out.

And—

“……”

I accepted the results sheet and reading the words written there left me utterly deflated.

[Probability of being biological: 99.999%]

Not being 100% doesn’t mean there’s a possibility of not being biological. It’s closer to a sort of ceremonial expression.

So… what it meant was that I was this woman’s daughter.

“……”

The woman who had undergone the test with me wore an expression that was hard to express in words.

It wasn’t a look of joy but rather a face filled with uncertainty. She had come looking for me, and here we were, having undergone a test as well.

The three of us, including the teacher who followed us this far, remained silent for a long time.

The first to speak up was me.

“So, do I just pack my things and head to your house?”

At my question, the woman flinched her shoulders.

“Ah… no. Well, I need to clean up.”

“Clean?”

Is she trying to push it off? Or is she genuinely keen to make a good impression? Or maybe she’s just flustered by the results?

I had planned to dash out as soon as I became an adult, but could it be that even that short time was daunting for her?

“That is…”

“We have plenty of time.”

The teacher quickly interjected.

“You both can take a little more time to think it over. Just because your parents have come looking for you, it doesn’t mean you must leave right away.”

Hearing that, we both nodded our heads.

After that, we remained silent.

*

“……”

And that silence, the silence between Ji-hye and me was far heavier.

I… right.

I hadn’t seriously thought about this until now. Did I dislike the orphanage, or did I like it?

If I had to pinpoint it, it wasn’t as cozy as a home. I didn’t have my own personal space, and sometimes, when I genuinely want time alone, there’s no room for that. Younger kids would ask to play with me or need help with homework, and having Ji-hye in the same room meant I had to be a little cautious.

But that didn’t mean I disliked it. If I had to choose, I liked it.

Whether it’s fond or unfriendly, it’s still a place where connections are formed. A place that’s old and shabby but overly familiar. Now, I realized I didn’t want to leave this place. I was just like a stubborn frog.

“Um…”

Normally, it would be right to congratulate. If we were just five years younger, Ji-hye would have jubilantly declared it was cause for celebration. For us, finding family was a wonderful thing.

Of course, not every adopted child lives happily ever after. There can be various hurdles, and sometimes the people who adopt might not be the best individuals. Even after going through such a strict evaluation.

Moreover, thinking of reuniting families that had been separated for various reasons, that would indeed be nothing short of a miracle.

All of this, if only I had been a bit younger.

Had I genuinely lost my way, that might have been okay.

“Hey, Ji-eun.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”

Surprisingly, aside from being a bit anxious, it wasn’t all that confusing.

“So… this means she’s your biological mother, right?”

“Yeah, for now.”

“For now?”

Ji-hye seemed taken aback by the phrase ‘for now.’

“Yeah, I mean.”

I contemplated.

Though my head was surprisingly clear, the prominent thought nagging me was, ‘Isn’t this a wrong result?’ which indicates my mind isn’t as clear as I thought it was.

Why? Because I…

I’m an entity that crossed over from another world.

Since I was so young, I assumed that’s how I appeared in this world, and that I was discovered in a baby box.

I was so curious that I had once asked the teacher. How did I even end up here?

After much pestering for her to finally tell me, the information was that my parents were never found.

Was it just my luck that the CCTV happened to be broken that day? Calling the police would mean they would hunt down the person who put the baby in that baby box, so that would be problematic.

Could it be true? Did I really have a mother in this world?

No matter how hard I think, it doesn’t seem easy to accept.

*

“So, what about being a magical girl?”

“Ah.”

I was slightly taken aback by Yeon-woo’s question.

“Well, we’re still minors. Even if being a magical girl isn’t super dangerous…”

It involves wielding weapons and fighting.

To be frank, it’s somewhat illegal. The nation just turns a blind eye.

“Don’t we need to receive consent again or something?”

At Yeon-woo’s concerned words—soon, the expressions of the other kids mirrored that sentiment.

Of course, I felt the same.

…What’s going on? Everything feels so off suddenly.

 

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