Barbara

(Bai Ziye)

We drove south for nearly an hour.

This primeval forest in the southern suburbs is also the only remaining undeveloped area in Skyreach City.

More accurately, development is prohibited. In order to protect the ecological environment here, the government has also moved the factories in the southern suburbs to the emerging Industrial District in B2 and C3. With the loss of the Industrial District, the towns that formed around the factories have gradually become hollowed out and abandoned. In the end, only people like Jolina, who have little capital but still need an address to register a company, return here.

They cautiously lay low here, some waiting for a chance to make a comeback, while others remained forever silent.

However, this trip was not to see Halley.

"Is that magical girl who sells fake medicine in Sacred Tree Park?"

Although the E7 District is a primeval forest, it is still a natural landscape, and it is expected that it will be developed into a tourist area without damaging the environment.

"Don't say that about them. Although there are side effects, the medicine is really effective, isn't it?"

Following a dirt road that wasn't even paved with asphalt, Yin Wei led me to a pit. Inside the pit was a cave dwelling half-buried in the ground, covered with lush green grass. Around it was a deep drainage ditch to prevent water from flooding the house on rainy days.

The design is somewhat similar to a hobbit dwelling, but it's not as aesthetically pleasing as the ones in the movies.

"Yin Wei, is she a magical girl transformed from a groundhog?"

"Come inside with me first."

She knocked on the wooden door of the cave dwelling, and then a magical girl with long, emerald-green hair peeked out from behind the door, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Her green is completely different from that of the Shark Princess Witch.

The latter has a bluish tint, like the color of a shallow sea.

But the one before me is pure lush green, blending seamlessly with the surrounding nature.

Good morning Barbara.

Yin Wei greeted them and then pointed to the potions piled up in the car and to me.

"I brought the potentially problematic potion, and I also brought you the lab rat that had the problem."

Although I know I'm just a test subject, calling me a guinea pig is still going too far, isn't it?

Barbara nodded and then opened the door for us.

This petite magical girl was only wearing a white shirt, but the shirt was several sizes too big for her, with the hem covering her knees and her hands unable to come out of the sleeves.

The room was completely different from what I had imagined. It was very modern, with electricity and running water, and very bright. There was no large medicine vat with witch-like contamination as I had imagined.

"Miss Barbara, I am Miluno, a magical girl from D3 District. I was healed twice by the potions you concocted. Thank you very much."

She simply nodded, offering no further comment.

He hasn't said a word since just now, not even a single interjection; he's as silent as a gourd.

I asked in a low voice, "Miss Yin Wei, is Miss Barbara perhaps mute?"

Yin Wei shrugged.

"Yes, she doesn't have vocal cords."

No vocal cords?

No wonder she said Barbara would never, and could never, reveal my secret... because she simply couldn't speak.

Is this some kind of word game with me?

"So who exactly is she?"

Yin Wei then asked again, seemingly out of the blue, "Do you know why this place is called Sacred Tree Park? Do you know why there's a pit in the ground?"

"I don't know, this primeval forest has existed as long as I can remember."

"Because there used to be a 1,400-year-old cypress tree here, and the pit under your feet that has been converted into a cave dwelling is within the root zone of that old cypress tree."

"It's so big... wait a minute."

I looked at Barbara, the magical girl who was making potions, who had to stretch her arms to reach the flasks on the shelf even after moving a stool over.

"Could she be that 1,400-year- Ancient Tree?"

"That's right. Although the reason is unknown, she was chosen by the Star Crystal despite being a plant."

Not just Barbara, but BABA too!?

This may be the oldest magical girl in the world.

It's a pity she can't speak, otherwise we could surely learn many stories buried by history from her...

Slap slap--

Barbara gently patted the only single bed in the cave.

"You want me to lie down?"

She nodded.

I glanced at Yin Wei, obediently lay down, and then Barbara pushed me to turn over, burying my face in her pillow, but...

To be honest, this vegetative magical girl doesn't smell good at all.

The entire room was filled with a bitter smell of Chinese medicine, which was probably related to the bottles and jars on the shelves.

Because of the poor ventilation here, the medicinal smell is even stronger than in Xiyintang.

"Barbara will use magic to give you a physical exam... but it might hurt a little, don't worry about it."

After Yin Wei finished explaining, Barbara put her hand on my back.

A stinging sensation.

Sharp, fine hairs sprouted from her palms and took root on my back.

She is absorbing my "nutrients".

However, the pain was only momentary; the area she touched quickly went numb and became unable to feel anything.

This process lasted for several minutes, and judging from Barbara's flushed face, she had clearly inhaled quite a bit...

If they find nothing, then I'll have to charge you for nutrition.

She rolled up her sleeves, ran to the table, picked up her tablet, and started typing.

[Having a deep conversation with your body]

That sounds a bit odd.

[The matter of physical abnormalities is not directly related to the potion.]

"But the symptoms definitely started appearing after I drank the potion."

[Your body is correcting the mistake of "you were originally a man." The potion accelerates your metabolism, causing this process to be sped up significantly, which is why you believe the potion is to blame.]

"My body feels... that it's a mistake that I was born a man?"

That reason sounds like a joke. Am I gradually becoming a girl?

Hahaha...

There's no laughing matter in this!

As for why this happened, I actually know the answer in my heart, I just don't want to admit it.

Because, at this stage, there is simply no solution...

I have no way of removing the Star Crystal from my body.

[I can concoct a potion to stop this change for you]

"Really?"

[However, there are also unknown side effects.]

"As long as I don't die, it's fine."

Therefore, a neutralizing agent will also be prepared for you as an antidote.

"Oh! Then I'll leave it to you!"

However, the antidote may also have side effects.

"..."

Is this what they mean by "every medicine has some degree of toxicity"?

[Your body data has been collected. After the medication is finished, have Yin Wei deliver Past to you... The healing potion is very effective; please give it to the treatment facility and have them pay the remaining balance as soon as possible.]

"Okay, no problem."

Yin Wei nodded.

But it also reminded me of something.

Seeing a doctor and buying medicine both cost money.

I tentatively asked, "... Does my potion cost money?"

[In principle, drugs used in clinical trials are free of charge.]

Phew, that's good...

Are side effects the price of free services?