Chapter 20: Starting to Dig a Pit
“Ah…”
“Don’t you feel happy, Master Dark Butterfly? Is it because of that useless Rosemary again?” The black-haired catgirl pushed a glass of bubbly transparent drink towards Luo Shuangyue, asking with a bit of concern.
Luo Shuangyue took the drink and gulped it down, “It has nothing to do with her.”
“Oh.” Jiuye blinked.
Glancing at the catgirl, Luo Shuangyue suddenly felt an urge to confide. After all, this little silly cat was of no use elsewhere, so she might as well use her as a sounding board.
“I have a friend whose friend is doing something very dangerous recently. My friend wants her friend to give it up, but doesn’t know how to say it.” She rubbed her fingers on the empty cup, speaking with a troubled expression.
Jiuye sat obediently in her chair. Although she had never won a fight, she was still quite clever.
Luo Shuangyue’s words seamlessly translated in Jiuye’s ears to, “I have a friend who is doing something dangerous, and I don’t know how to advise her.”
“Is Master Dark Butterfly’s friend doing the right thing?”
“It’s my friend’s friend, not my friend.” Luo Shuangyue corrected Jiuye and nodded.
What Xia Mo was doing was indeed the right thing; as a magical girl, protecting this world was never a wrong act, no matter what.
“The wrong person is not her, but my… friend. She’s too selfish and doesn’t want to see her friend living in danger, uncertain of her future.”
“She has thought of many ways to make her friend give up, but every time she’s on the verge of success, seeing her friend’s disappointed expression, she just can’t bring herself to continue.”
“Ah…”
Master Dark Butterfly is exposing her true feelings, Jiuye’s cat ears perked up, feeling like she had just taken a huge sweet bite of gossip.
And she had basically pieced together the context of the situation.
Master Dark Butterfly’s friend is doing a dangerous job, and Master Dark Butterfly wants her friend to give up, but that friend really enjoys that job, which puts Master Dark Butterfly in a dilemma.
Not wanting her friend to encounter danger, yet not wanting her friend to feel sad, Master Dark Butterfly is trapped in a difficult position.
“Jiuye, how do your family and friends view you now?”
Unlike Luo Shuangyue, who could transform, Jiuye’s cat ears and tail were not a transformation but rather body modifications, with those body parts originating from defeated magical beasts, carrying a heavy magical beast aura.
This led to Jiuye being almost unable to walk under sunlight, and she couldn’t even go back home.
Luo Shuangyue was curious about how Jiuye’s family and friends viewed her current self.
This question caused Jiuye’s ears to droop. Looking down at the counter, she quietly replied, “I have no family or friends.”
“?
“It was Lady Monise who rescued the almost dead me from the ruins; my parents were killed by magical beasts.” Jiuye lightly scratched the tabletop with her sharp nails, “I don’t have the talent to become a magical girl, but I also want to fight magical beasts, so I asked Lady Monise to grant me the power to fight them.”
“Up until today, I have killed eleven soldier-grade magical beasts. I’m sure my parents would be proud of who I am now.”
“I’m sorry for bringing up unhappy things.” Although Luo Shuangyue knew that most members of Polar Night were orphans, she didn’t expect there to be such a sad story behind it.
Jiuye shook her head vigorously; she had long overcome her initial shadow. One cannot remain stagnant forever.
“Those magical girls have such good resources, yet what they do is so crude; they’re just a bunch of useless fish!” Jiuye switched topics to critique the magical girls.
Although everyone’s goal is to fight magical beasts, the pain and danger faced by the members of Polar Night far exceed that of the magical girls, causing many members of Polar Night to harbor dissatisfaction towards them.
Why do we suffer so much while those magical girls can live so happily? Is our determination less than theirs?
Jiuye was one of those people, and even her attitude towards the magical girls could be regarded as relatively good.
“No, no, we’re clearly talking about Master Dark Butterfly’s friend, how did it come back to me?” Jiuye realized the topic had shifted sharply and quickly redirected it.
“Anyway, Master Dark Butterfly’s friend just can’t bring herself to let her friend give up, right?”
Luo Shuangyue nodded.
“And we can’t just ignore it, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Since she can’t bear to see her friend give up and can’t ignore it, then we can only try to make that friend’s situation a bit less dangerous.” Jiuye rubbed her chin and said to Luo Shuangyue.
Luo Shuangyue had already blocked her own path, leaving her few choices.
“But danger can arise at any moment. My friend can’t always be there to protect that person.”
“Master Dark Butterfly, you must have heard the saying ‘relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself,’ right?” Jiuye noticed Master Dark Butterfly’s thinking seemed a bit rigid.
Since eliminating danger isn’t feasible, let’s minimize the harm that danger can cause.
“Since Master Dark Butterfly can’t be by that friend’s side all the time, then let’s make that friend capable of dealing with danger on her own!”
“In other words, make her stronger, so Master Dark Butterfly doesn’t have to worry anymore, right?”
Jiuye posed with her hands on her hips, displaying a confident expression.
She believed her solution was excellent, perfectly addressing Master Dark Butterfly’s problem.
Danger, after all, stems from one’s lack of strength; as long as one has enough strength, danger ceases to exist!
“What you mean is… make her stronger?”
“Yes, yes! Since Master Dark Butterfly can’t make her give up or stay with her all the time, then the best solution is to give her the power to protect herself, right?”
Luo Shuangyue fell silent for a moment, then slammed the glass cup down on the counter. Jiuye was spot on!
The biggest issue now was Xia Mo’s insufficient strength. As long as Xia Mo became stronger, she wouldn’t have to constantly worry about her anymore, right?
“Thank you, Jiuye, I understand completely now!” Luo Shuangyue stood up abruptly and walked toward the exit of the Polar Night base without looking back. “I’m leaving now!”
Watching Luo Shuangyue’s figure disappear into the mechanical-looking passage, Jiuye’s ears moved, and she lay on the table with a satisfied expression, purring.
“Master Dark Butterfly praised me, hehehe…”
