Chapter 237: War-Time Old Dreams

Cuique had a dream.

In the dream, she felt as if she had returned to the past.

In that past, she saw herself young, innocent, proud to be a Magic Girl, and answering her nation's call by joining the army.

At that time, Cuique—or Cornflower—was the youngest and most promising bud-level Magic Girl in the Magic Nation. Having just received her Character Token certification, she shone in her evaluation and had already begun to stand out among other Magic Girls.

Precisely because of this, when war broke out between the Magic Nation and the Interrealm, even though the nation did not compel Magic Girls from the Material Realm to enlist, most of them refused to fight—yet Cornflower chose to be the exception, resolutely heading for the nation.

Anya—or Sakura—went with her.

This was not surprising, for Anaya was always like that; her overflowing empathy made it inevitable that she would never stand idly by. Masao Yuanxiang and Su Shengzi were also unafraid of danger, but considering the need to secure the city, they ultimately stayed behind in Fang Ting at the Sower's urging.

This was the first time the Fang Ting Squad had operated separately since its formation, and at that time, no one could have imagined how far-reaching the war's impact would be.

The Nation's army consisted primarily of three components: Magic Girls, Magicians, and regular soldiers. Magic Girls handled targeted elimination of high-threat units; Magicians provided rear-line support through spellcraft; regular soldiers relied on operating magical weapons to create fire suppression through numerical superiority.

The Interrealm Coalition Army was composed of Fairies, Magicians, and Remnant Beasts. Fairies served as the main combat force, directly clashing with Magic Girls on the front lines; Magicians provided rear support and used special techniques to control low-rank Remnant Beasts; the controlled Remnant Beasts themselves functioned entirely as meat shields and heavy frontline units—purely expendable.

At first, when the war's intensity remained manageable, Cornflower and Sakura served in the same company, leveraging their long-standing battlefield synergy to achieve constant victories, repelling the Interrealm Coalition Army in multiple localized engagements. Since the Coalition's main force consisted of Fairies, the Nation held back significantly, and neither side suffered heavy casualties.

But soon, this superficial, kindness-based truce was torn apart.

From the first territorial loss, to the first large-scale clash, to the first unavoidable mass casualties, not only did the Interrealm Coalition cease holding back, but the Nation's army was also fully ignited by hatred. When the seed of hatred took root in the hearts of once-kind Magic Girls, the war's intensity inevitably escalated. Both the Interrealm Coalition and the Nation lost increasing numbers of troops in each successive battle.

And if mere troop losses were bad enough, no one anticipated that the Interrealm Coalition, to replenish their forces, began recklessly deploying even more Remnant Beasts onto the battlefield. Some of these Remnant Beasts were still under control, while others were outright wild—attacking any living thing they encountered, turning the entire battlefield into chaos.

As news of Magic Girl casualties poured in from the front, and Magician losses mounted, the Nation's army underwent its first large-scale reorganization.

Cornflower and Sakura, though still newly certified and technically Newcomer Magic Girls, were promoted to Squad Leaders due to their outstanding battlefield performance. Under the new structure, they were assigned to different city defense forces: Cornflower to the City of Knowledge, Luennore; Sakura to the City of Justice, Domlia—each leading separate squads to their posts.

At that time, Cornflower, if not exuberant, was certainly fiery and driven; she not only repelled enemies but also skillfully protected her comrades, rescuing fellow soldiers from the battlefield multiple times. Thus, she was not only renowned for her combat record but also held high esteem among her peers. This reputation eventually caught the attention of the new Army Commander.

—"Here is your squad roster. If you have any questions, ask now."

With two swipes across the magic mirror before her, the Magic Girl before Cornflower sent a string of Fav runes into the air; the runes danced as if alive, finally settling onto Cornflower's own mirror, forming a list.

"Let me clarify: although I originally selected these names, after submission to the Army Headquarters, this roster has changed drastically."

The Magic Girl handing out the list looked exhausted, her heavy dark circles making her appear worn down. She shoved a pipe into her mouth, drew a deep breath, then squinted as she exhaled smoke: "So even if you're dissatisfied, curse me, or demand a swap—I can't guarantee I'll help you. I suggest you pick another topic; we'll both save energy."

"... What do you mean?"

Though startled by her new commander's slovenly demeanor, Cornflower quickly regained her composure and stared at the list in her hands: "Has many squad leaders been dissatisfied with their rosters and requested swaps?"

"Not many, but not few."

The Magic Girl, indifferent to her appearance and puffing smoke in front of her subordinate, was Cornflower's current City Defense Army Commander, codenamed Daffodil. She was said to be a frontline-redeployed Flower Token powerhouse who, a month ago, endured two hellish Death-Class battles, her body broken beyond endurance, forcing her transfer to the City Defense Army.

Compared to regions directly bordering Interrealm Gates, City Defense Army combat pressure was undoubtedly lighter. Though small enemy units occasionally breached the front via spellcraft to approach cities, their scale was minor and easily handled with pre-set traps. Beyond that, the City Defense Army's duties were merely clearing nearby Remnant Beasts and maintaining outer defenses—truly a "rear" position.

"You know, the Second Defense Line Battle claimed too many lives; even the Magic Girl units are critically short-handed. So this reorganization, the higher-ups hastily drafted many Newcomers."

With dark circles under her eyes and a vacant stare, Daffodil looked at Cornflower: "I won't lie—filling the ranks with these Newcomers was a hard mandate. Every squad must have at least one. And, how to put it... this batch of 'Newcomers'... their quality varies wildly."

"You mean this one?"

Following her words, Cornflower quickly spotted a name on her roster: "Nim Cregeos," followed by a tiny font noting the bearer's age—10.

Ten was the minimum age to become a Magic Girl in the Magic Nation; any younger child, even if detected with Magic Girl potential, must first be sent to the Silver Corridor for basic education.

In other words, this child was already nearly at the Magic Girl age threshold—yet here she was on Cornflower's roster, meaning—

"Ah, yes. That girl became a Magic Girl last month. She can't even fly properly. In short, she's a rookie."

Daffodil shook her pipe: "Our army got three 10-year-old girls this time—complete novices. Congratulations. Your squad got one."

"So that's what you meant by 'requesting a swap'?" Cornflower narrowed her eyes at the roster, her expression peculiar.

"Exactly. But I already told you—I can't guarantee a swap. Aside from a few bleeding-heart saints, no squad wants such a burden."

Daffodil shrugged matter-of-factly: "If no other squad will take this 10-year-old, she stays with you."

"I really might want to curse you right now, Commander."

Cornflower saluted solemnly, then said seriously: "Though we've known each other briefly, I doubt anyone else would've dumped her into my squad first, right?"

"Go ahead and curse. I've had my face pointed at more times than I can count. My thickest skin is my face."

Daffodil exhaled smoke: "I won't use my rank to pressure you. We're at war. Many things that seem cruel in peacetime are unavoidable. A girl this young, normally, wouldn't even join a guard patrol to hunt a Remnant Beast—she'd stand at the very back. But now we're truly out of people. If they don't take the battlefield, it'll be weaker, helpless civilians facing the enemy."

"But since they're on the battlefield, I at least hope they learn something, grow, even survive this war—not be thrown out as ignorant cannon fodder."

"That's why I chose you, Cornflower. I've read your file. You're a genius, a natural leader, and more importantly, you have integrity. In just three months since joining, you've saved over twenty comrades' lives in more than ten battles. Do you know what your former squadmates called you?"

"What?"

Clearly, Daffodil's praise had softened Cornflower's resistance; her usually emotionless face showed a flicker of curiosity: "I'm somewhat confident in this area. Knowing someone praised me behind my back—was it 'Savior'? Or 'Warrior King'?"

"No. They called you 'Nanny's Staff.'"

At this, Daffodil puffed her cheeks, flared her nostrils, clearly fighting back a laugh: "They said if 'Nanny' were a power, you could already carry it and march off to become a Gem Staff."

The conversation ended there.

Ignoring Cornflower's face, dark as a soot-covered pot, Daffodil had other squad leaders to meet that day, so she quickly dismissed Cornflower to get acquainted with her squad.

Bitch.

Cornflower mentally labeled her commander with a highly unflattering tag, and before leaving, made a face at headquarters when no one was looking.

But the scene was caught by a Military Order Officer passing the corner.

"Ah, I was just—"

Cornflower stammered to explain, but before she could finish, the Officer smiled warmly and patted her shoulder.

"It's fine. I understand."

The Officer said this, then turned his head, glancing toward Daffodil's direction and clicking his tongue.

Clearly, this Commander's reputation and authority within the ranks were poor.

According to Daffodil herself, she truly disliked and was unsuited for rear duties. She'd rather be fighting on the front lines than handling logistics, paperwork, and battle reports—but her transfer was ordered as a favor, and she couldn't refuse, so she reluctantly took the position.

So far, her words proved true; otherwise, she wouldn't have poisoned internal relations so thoroughly.

But regardless, Cornflower's combat squad roster was final. Whether she liked it or not, the matter was settled—and soon, she met her squad members as scheduled.

At fifteen, Cornflower is at an age that is neither young nor old for a magical girl, but her height simply lacks authority. To maintain some presence in the team and avoid being treated like a child, she forced her expression into sternness and solemnly greeted all eleven team members, reiterating the city defense force's duties and the squad's discipline.

The content was nothing but routine: how to maintain defensive fortifications, how to respond to enemies who might appear at any moment, and how to handle the occasional random Remnant Beast, along with basic soldierly conduct.

The national army's discipline varied in strictness depending on the subject. For ordinary soldiers, discipline was unbearably harsh—posture, gait, daily habits—all strictly regulated to ensure absolute obedience. But for magical girls, discipline was overly lax, limited mostly to basic bottom lines: subordinates must obey officers, and no one may flee in battle.

Those who drafted the discipline likely knew magical girls' strong personalities could not be easily restrained; suppressing them only provoked stronger backlash, hence the lenient rules.

Indeed, even after Cornflower stressed she was captain, an officer, and that soldiers must obey and respect their superiors, her speech ended and several older magical girls surrounded her, asking questions as if to a child, even one pinching her cheeks.

After much effort, she finally rid herself of these unruly team members. But she did not forget her true purpose: to meet the ten-year-old team member—Nim Cregeos.

She herself only looked like a child in appearance as a magical girl; her actual strength and combat experience were fine. But this recruit was truly a child, her overall qualities clearly failing national army standards. To prevent her from becoming a weakness in future battles, Cornflower must guide her in advance.

Yet what surprised her was that before she could seek out the child, someone else came to her.

"I'm terribly sorry, Captain."

The newcomer's first act was not a greeting, but an apology—not polite formality, but a deep bow, lowering her head nearly to her waist.

Cornflower, new here, did not know who this person was until she cross-referenced the roster and learned the magical girl's identity:

——Nina Cregeos, fourteen, sister of the ten-year-old recruit Nim, and also a member of her squad.

The reason both sisters were in the same squad was Nina's own request to the Legion Commander: her sister was too young; if conscription was unavoidable, at least let them be assigned to the same squad.

In the end, Legion Commander Garlic did approve this request—and even personally selected personnel to ensure the squad's captain was someone she deemed trustworthy. This entire process left Cornflower as the sole unfortunate choice.

It was impossible not to feel resentment. Cornflower did not refuse helping others, but she disliked being forced into a nanny role—these were not the same thing. So she admitted: even though she knew the fault lay not with Nina but with the military high command that conscripted immature fighters, her attitude toward Nina upon first meeting was far from warm:

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I… I couldn't bear to leave my sister behind, so I asked the Legion Commander to assign her to the same squad as me."

The girl named Nina was thin and small. Though transformed into a magical girl, her all-black attire gave off a gloomy impression. She bowed deeply to Cornflower, then raised her head, instinctively shrinking her slender neck, her expression uneasy: "I know my sister is immature—she'll drag everyone down. I'm sorry…"

"You mean Nim Cregeos?"

Cornflower feigned checking the roster, adopting a haughty posture as if she'd never cared before and now needed to verify: "Hmm. Indeed, records show she only became a magical girl last month? Sounds troublesome."

"I'm sorry." Nina bit her lip.

"This is an army. One apology is enough—because apologizing alone solves nothing."

Cornflower's face remained stern: "You must understand, as your officer, I am responsible for the entire squad. Sometimes, lacking a usable combatant can plunge everyone into peril."

"... I understand." Nina offered no rebuttal.

"So? What are your plans?" Cornflower scrutinized her.

"I know my sister is immature, but she's always been a good child, obedient. She'll adapt quickly… but please, Captain, don't abandon her before then. Give her a chance."

Nina bowed again: "Until then, in exchange, assign me all the most dangerous tasks in the squad."

"Are you serious?" Cornflower frowned.

"... Yes."

"Do you truly have such capability?"

Cornflower pressed again: "Dangerous tasks often mean critical ones. Are you telling me your strength guarantees you'll complete them without failing?"

Nina blinked, her expression dazed.

"I… I don't think I can…"

After a long pause, she wore a look of despair: "Then… what should I do? Can you take money? No, no—I gave all my Resonance to the Legion Commander already. I have none left…"

"Stop. Wait a minute. What did you just say?"

Cornflower raised her hand to halt her: "You gave all your Resonance to the Legion Commander? Why?"

"She… she said if I gave her money, she'd let Nim and me stay together…"

Tears began pooling in Nina's eyes: "So I gave it all… Was I supposed to keep some?"

"Explain clearly. What exactly happened?" Hearing this, Cornflower's brow tightened.

Under her pressure, Nina finally stammered out the full story:

The sisters' parents died years ago in a Remnant Beast attack, leaving them to rely on each other. Fortunately, both tested positive for magical girl potential. The elder sister became the pillar, becoming a magical girl early and hunting Remnant Beasts to raise her sibling.

As for Nim, because her sister was a magical girl, she was sent to Silver Corridor School at a young age and had received three years of training, acquiring basic theoretical knowledge. But precisely because of this, she barely met the minimum age requirement for selection, becoming a magical girl at ten. Then, at an age where battlefield deployment was unthinkable, she was sent here due to the war's spread.

By then, Nina had already enlisted for some time. When she heard the news, it felt like the world collapsed. That night, she withdrew all the Resonance she'd accumulated over years as a magical girl, sought out Legion Commander Garlic—who supposedly controlled Luennore City Defense Force personnel assignments—and begged that even if her sister couldn't be kept from battle, at least let them serve in the same squad.

In most magical girls' eyes, even Nina was only fourteen—most magical girls at that age were still Newcomers. Though Nina had strong talent, earning a White Badge at thirteen and with a real chance to achieve the Character Badge next year at fifteen, matching Cornflower's legendary record, she was still only a White Badge.

In this war, a White Badge magical girl was merely "not cannon fodder," yet far from "capable of being frontline." To truly decide local battle outcomes, one needed at least a Character Badge like Cornflower.

A White Badge magical girl dragging along a one-month-old Newcomer was despised by every squad captain seeking to bolster their ranks. The end result was this: the two were bundled into Cornflower's squad by Garlic, who had taken Nina's bribe.

"... That rotten person."

Cornflower's mind conjured Garlic's face—pale, smug, puffing a pipe—and she clenched her fist, wanting to storm back to headquarters and punch it. But seeing Nina's tearful expression, she sighed helplessly: "So you got your sister assigned to the same squad because the Legion Commander took your money?"

"Yes. I'm sorry—I should've kept some for you." Nina sniffled.

"I'm not talking about that. I don't want your money."

Cornflower sighed, pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve and handing it to Nina: "Enough. Wipe your tears."

This answered one of her questions: what kind of person could persuade the City Defense Force's Legion Commander to alter personnel assignments?

She'd assumed the sisters came from a powerful family, using the war as an excuse to come here for prestige—and she'd been resistant. Now she saw: they were naive children tricked out of their money by that rotten Legion Commander. The situation was nothing like she'd imagined, and her attitude softened slightly.

"Thank you." Perhaps feeling her sobbing made her look unseemly, Nina accepted Cornflower's handkerchief.

As the saying goes, you can't strike someone who smiles. Though Nina's face had been grim from start to finish, her attitude was low enough—even humble—and Cornflower could not continue to speak harshly. While Nina wiped her tears, Cornflower weighed her options, then offered a proposal that sounded reasonable:

"... Fine. Let me say it again: I don't want your money. But given your and your sister's special circumstances, I can't make no arrangements."

Forcing a serious expression, Cornflower cleared her throat twice and adopted the tone she remembered adults using: "Since you asked for it yourself, I'll grant your wish—I'll assign you a task that is extremely dangerous and difficult."

"Yes." Nina, having dried her tears, stiffened her expression, adopting a look of grim resolve.

"—For the next month, you will train our Newcomer magical girl. Teach her basic battlefield skills, and ensure she doesn't drag the squad down."

Slightly lifting her chin, Cornflower looked down from a height shorter than Nina's: "If you fail, I will judge both of you unfit for the National Army. I will petition the Company Commander to have you removed from the force."

Nina held the handkerchief offered by Cornflower, her expression momentarily stunned.

Seeing her slow response, Cornflower raised her voice slightly: "Can you do it?"

"Ah, yes, yes, I can."

Whispering her reply as if in a daze, Nina instinctively lifted the handkerchief and wiped away tears that had nearly spilled again: "Thank you so much. I'm sorry."

"Too quiet. I can't hear your determination. Tell me—can you do it?" Cornflower raised her voice again.

"I can!" This time, Nina finally shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Good. From now on, you are a full member of my, Cornflower Squad. Henceforth, I will address you only by your codename."

Extending her hand, Cornflower slightly curled her lips into a relatively gentler smile:

"I look forward to your performance, Mohe."

……

……

Cuique opened her eyes amid a white glow.

It took her a long while to realize the source of the light—the lamp above the treatment bed—and then to recognize where she was.

She was in the Institute, in Emerald's private laboratory, having just undergone repair and treatment for her Heart Gem.

"Awake?"

Emerald's eyes had not missed Cuique's reaction; she shifted from her half-reclined chair posture to sitting upright, then maneuvered her wheeled chair to the side of the treatment bed: "I saw you sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you. How do you feel?"

"I had a dream. I remembered some things from the past."

Cuique sat up on the treatment bed, rubbing her head, her gaze falling on the Heart Gem placed beside it: "Besides a bit of dizziness, I feel fine. How about your matter?"

"The surgery went perfectly. Your Heart Gem now has no issues."

Crossing her legs, Emerald wore a look of pride: "Apart from those two miserable magical armaments you completely destroyed, you should now be able to use all your abilities as before your injury."

"All abilities?"

Cuique frowned in suspicion, then opened one hand slightly—several threads flickered to life in her palm. Only then did she realize the soul-pain that had clung to her like a parasite during magical armament use had vanished; now, she no longer felt discomfort when using magical armaments.

Thinking this, she snapped her fingers—a silver-white wall materialized beside her—this time testing her own Mirage Realm. The entire activation was utterly smooth, without a single hesitation or hint of discomfort, even better than before her Moon Festival.

At this moment, Cuique's expression had shifted from doubt to astonishment.

Her movements showed no pause; realizing her injuries had truly healed, she crossed her hands into a posture she had not made in twenty years. As she formed it, the thread magical armaments around her instantly obeyed, winding tightly around her fingertips, silver-blue starlight flowing like living things along the threads, finally forming a silver-blue bud of thread at her palms.

Staring at the bud, Cuique grew momentarily dazed, then slowly spoke:

"Great Flourishing Bloom—"

—"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Emerald nearly lunged onto her to halt Cuique's next move: "Don't Flourish in someone else's lab! And I hadn't finished speaking—yes, you can use all your abilities, but hold off on Flourishing for a few days!"

"Why?"

"Why? You've lived in the Material Realm for years—how could you ask such a stupid question? Have you ever seen a regular person in the Material Realm get up and run after abdominal surgery?"

Emerald frowned: "I said your injuries are healed, but the repaired parts need time to fully stabilize. Like surgical sutures on flesh, if you move recklessly, you'll tear the wound apart."

"I see."

Hearing this, Cuique halted her Flourishing stance: "How long exactly?"

"Seven days? Ten days? Doesn't take long—it's my surgery, after all."

Emerald waved her hand: "For safety, wait until the evaluation begins. Rest as much as possible, avoid combat—your wound will heal faster."

"I understand."

Cuique took her Heart Gem, flipped off the treatment bed: "In short, my true form is fully restored?"

"Theoretically, yes—but practically, it's different. Let me put it this way: have you ever seen statues?"

Emerald spoke casually: "You smashed a stone statue, then picked out a few shards, destroyed those shards completely, and then glued the remaining shards back together into a pile of broken rocks. That's what you did."

"Sounds brutal," Cuique commented.

"Who says otherwise? Only the young dare wreck their own bodies like this."

Emerald sighed: "What I did in the Material Realm was wash off your cheap glue, then reposition your remaining shards exactly where they belonged. Here, I used the Source of Love to replace the shards you completely lost, ensuring the remaining fragments stayed in their proper places—but this repair isn't perfect."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a craftsman, not a sculptor."

Emerald spread her hands: "I can fill the gaps with new stone, but I can't carve. These added stones are just stone—they're not part of the sculpture."

"Who can carve?" Cuique asked again.

"No one."

Emerald shook her head: "Not now. Not even Your Majesty can."

Cuique fell silent.

"So what I'm telling you is: your true form appears functional, but some lost things will never return—and they cannot withstand another injury."

Emerald rested one hand on the edge of the treatment bed, her expression grave: "If you sacrifice your magical armaments like before again, next time, you—or rather, Lin Yun—will vanish from this world."

"... I understand."

After a long pause, Cuique nodded: "Thank you for the warning."

This was not an agreement—no matter what, Emerald had genuinely considered her welfare and offered this advice out of kindness.

They chatted a while longer, mostly Emerald giving instructions, then, since it was past noon, Emerald dismissed Cuique with the excuse of "needing a nap."

"Then I'll go," Cuique said, standing at the doorway.

"Go, go. Just remember what I said."

Emerald had already dragged out a mattress and pillow from somewhere, lazily replying: "Exit the same way you came. The guard at the door knows what to do—I've already instructed them."

"Understood," Cuique said, and reached to close the door.

"Oh, right."

Just before she closed the door, the Emerald in the lab spoke up again: "There's one small thing I forgot to tell you earlier. This treatment has a tiny, very minor, insignificant side effect. Overall, it's not important; it won't affect your life or combat. You might notice it in a moment."

Side effect?

By the time she understood the term, Senior Cuique had already shut the lab door. Once closed, the door dissolved into nothingness, so she could no longer go back to question the Emerald.

Pondering what this "insignificant" side effect might be, Senior Cuique stepped toward the exit of the Research Institute. But very quickly, she felt something was off.

Though not very obvious, she had the feeling that the corridor she passed through while leaving was a tiny bit longer than the one she had taken when arriving.

Moreover, her field of vision while walking seemed to have some subtle difference.

This difference soon turned into an ominous premonition. Before leaving the Research Institute, Senior Cuique found a mirror and confirmed that her current appearance was no different from before. Then she took out her Demon Armor and used the length of its threads to measure her body data.

Very quickly, she knew exactly what was wrong.

— Her height seemed to have shrunk by two centimeters again.