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Chapter 39
Chapter 2 — Expand, my world! • Episode 2-2 • New Team ③
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
Having finished defeating the Earl-class Diest thanks to the efforts of Tyrant Sylph, the four had come to a restaurant where they could enjoy sweet treats, just as they had talked about before the battle.
Press, who was the one who initiated the idea, had initially planned to explore a new restaurant, but ended up heading to her favorite coffee shop. She said that they had a bout with Diests and it became somewhat troublesome.
「Yo, what a coincidence.」
When the four entered the restaurant, such words were heard after the businesslike, inflectionless welcome. Blade looked in the direction of the voice and saw Knuckle waving her hand in the air. Samurai Peach and Extend are also present.
Blade waved back in the same manner, greeting them and looking sideways at Tyrant Sylph, who took a half step back and hid behind Elephant.
This is what she thinks she is trying to hide, which makes Blade’s cheeks almost loose.
She seems to have a composure that is inappropriate for her age, but there are glimpses of childishness in her behavior. Blade smiled inwardly, thinking that no matter how tall she act like an adult, children are still children.
To put it bluntly, it was obvious from the outside that Elephant and Tyrant Sylph were developing a friendship.
This is evident in the way Tyrant Sylph looks so relieved when petted by Elephant, and in the way she does not hesitate to call Elephant for help when she was clawed by Press.
Blade and her team have heard about the situation from Elephant to some extent beforehand, and they know that she is currently the only one who is open to her.
Blade have not heard why Sylph has missed Elephant, or what problems Sylph has, but she was careful to refrain from asking that from Elephant, as it would be contrary to human reason. Elephant would not answer the question if asked in the first place.
The reason why they are ostensibly just teammates, even though it is obvious, is that Blade and Press also want to develop friendships.
Sylph is so open only to Elephant that it is doubtful that she really intends to keep it a secret, but if she insists that they are just teammates, then it would be okay for Blade and Press, who are also just teammates, to do the same.
An example would be Press’s attempt to stroke Sylph’s head. In the end, Sylph escaped from Press and was at a loss for excuses, but Elephant, unable to see her, gave her a helping hand.
「Oh! Oh my, oh my! There she is, my dear fellow! Isn’t that Wind Witch-dono!?」
Apparently, Blade was not the only one who saw Sylph hiding. From Extend’s position, the small Sylph should not be visible, covered by Elephant’s figure, but Extend is convinced that the Wind Witch is there and approaches excitedly.
「W–What can I do for you?」
Sylph seemed bewildered by Extend, who went out of her way to come up behind Elephant and close the distance in a very friendly manner.
「This is the first time we’ve met in person. I’m Extend Traveler, the 13th Witch in the pecking order.」
「Then, nice meeting you. As you know, I’m Tyrant Sylph.」
Sylph takes the hand that Extend offers and shakes it.
Samurai Peach and Knuckle, who were watching, beckoned a little bit and called Blade and Press over.
「Wasn’t she the lone Magical Girl?」
「She look very different from the last time I saw her.」
In contrast to the friendly attitude of Extend, Sylph’s response appears very curt. Still, it was far more meek than the atmosphere of Tyrant Sylph they had seen on the battlefield.
The impression they had when they saw Tyrant Sylph for the first time was that she was a mass of inorganic violence. A girl like a machine who cannot read emotions and only wields her mighty power.
But the girl conversing with Extend in front of her looks like a normal girl who is just a little clumsy.
「It seems that Elephant did something about her after that. We don’t know the details either, but it seems that people have changed since then.」
「However, she’s only affectionate with Ele-chan～ Well, just being able to talk normally is a step forward. Ah, shall we order now?」
When Blade and Press sat at the four-person table that Extend had left out, Extend and the others naturally took the three-person seat at the next table.
Seeing Knuckle eating cheesecake and Samurai Peach eating pancakes, Press also got a craving for something sweet and called the waiter while looking at the menu as if she was devouring it.
She just tell her the usual, leave Press to order, and Blade sneaks a peek at the seat next to them. Although she could not clearly hear the conversation down to the content, she could tell that Extend was actively talking to Sylph and that Sylph seemed to be being curt and salty. Elephant seemed to be the lubricant between the two, holding the conversation together.
Blade turned her gaze back to Samurai Peach and the others, thinking that they would not have to worry so much if Elephant was there.
「I thought it was unusual for you to be playing in the Magical World, but I see why.」
「Nhn? What do you mean?」
While Knuckle nodded in agreement after hearing Blade and the others’ explanation, Samurai Peach seemed unable to understand the connection between the stories.
Samurai Peach knows that the Blade are not very fond of activities in the Magical World and interact more often in reality. But that doesn’t mean that everyone has nothing to do within the Magical World. She had no special doubts about running into Blade and her friends at their favorite coffee shop in the Magical World. At best, in the corner of her mind, she self-contained that she just happened to be in the mood to play in the Magical World today.
Of course, Blade and others may visit the Magical World depending on their mood or urgent business that day, so Samurai Peach’s idea is not entirely wrong, but if she had to pick a winner, she would have to go with Knuckle this time.
「It’s hard to meet in real life to play with a Magical Girl you’re about to be friends with.」
「Ohh!! If you ask me, that’s also true.」
With a clap of her hands, Samurai Peach gave a small shake of her head.
Due to the effects of cognitive inhibition, most people in the real world cannot see or hear Magical Girls after their transformation.
In such a situation, there is no way to play properly, so the idea is to play in one’s true form before transformation, but it is risky to expose one’s pre-transformation form to Magical Girls who are not on good terms with each other.
The criteria for deciding whether or not to show one’s pre-transformation form vary from person to person, with some Magical Girls saying it is OK to show their pre-transformation form to teammates, while others say they will only show it to Magical Girls who have grown close enough to call them their best friends.
Knuckle did not know whether Blade and others had voluntarily taken this into consideration or whether Sylph had told them not to meet with her in her pre-transformed form, but she understood that they were probably in the Magical World for such reasons.
「Knuckle-paisen is very perceptive～ That’s amazing!」
「If anything, I think Peach is being a bit dull.」
「Muh, I don’t think so. Knuckle is very sensitive to the subtleties of the situation. I am normal.」
「It’s true that Knuckle-san is witty.」
Blade had some sense that Samurai Peach was slow on the subtleties of human interaction, but she couldn’t bring herself to mention it to her, so she only referred to Knuckle.
In fact, Knuckle is a witty and facetious Magical Girl with a keen sense of the subtleties of human interaction.
Blade and other Magical Girls from Sakira Town have some friendships only with Knuckle and other Magical Girls from Junkoi Town, and they are acquainted with other Magical Girls from neighboring areas at best.
If there is a rescue notice, she will go to help, and if they run into each other, she will say hello, but they are not close enough to talk to each other in private like this.
On the other hand, Knuckle has a much wider circle of friends.
She is close enough to the Magical Girls in the surrounding areas of Junkoi Town to meet them in their pre-transformation forms, and even hang out in the Magical World with friends of those Magical Girls, or friends of friends.
She has many friends on social networking sites dedicated to Magical Girls, and moreover, she has gone to see them in person once or twice, not just to settle an online relationship. Since they can easily meet up in the Magical World by indicating the date and time to each other, it is much easier to meet in person than it is to meet offline in reality.
Many of them have quickly become friends, even those who have never met in person before, and many of them have grown close enough to call themselves friends as Magical Girls, rather than online friends.
Extend was also known as an influential Phase 2 Magical Girl, and while many Magical Girls would like to have a friendship with her if possible, there are not that many Magical Girls who have developed a close enough relationship to call her a friend.
Knuckle is a Magical Girl with many friends, not only with the Blade and others, but also in comparison to Extend and Samurai Peach. This is partly due to her personal virtue, but also because she has a keen sense of human relations and the capacity to make the most of it.
「Please stop, I’m too shy to talk about myself. Let’s talk about the newcomer instead of me.」
Despite her words, Knuckle’s cheeks did not turn red, and she smiled with an air of reserve.
「Hmm, but then, I guess we’ll have more to match here.」
「You’re right! It’s Paisen’s treat!」
「Nobody said anything about buying you a drink.」
「Elephant seems to be planning to invite her to play once in real life. They’ll go out together first, and depending on Sylph-chan’s reaction, we’ll eventually go out together.」
「That’s nice. One of these days I’d like to date a newbie in real life too.」
「I think it’s pretty hard to be alone with her without Elephant, don’t you think?」
「Then let’s make it a double date. Eleph-chan and Blade-chan, come with me.」
「Eh! I’m not part of the group!?」
「No choice then, I’ll go with you.」
「Alright! It’s a Triple Date!」
「Dear customers, please refrain from speaking loudly in the restaurant.」
Even though there are no other guests, that is no reason to make a fuss.
Reverently warned by the fairy waitress who brought their orders at an inopportune time, Press poked at her parfait, a little embarrassed.