Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

And the reason it is considered special is because Emerald Sparrow knows, these pastries have an unusual purpose in the Kingdom—they are generally not meant for consumption, but are taken to memorialize the deceased, especially to commemorate the Magical Girls who have passed away.

The origin of this tradition is now obscure, but the prevailing explanation is that because the magic cloud cakes completely lack color and have a blurry shape, they resemble soul-like cakes and are thus called "Soul Cakes." Additionally, since cakes are one of the most popular foods among Magical Girls, it is customary to use the favorite food of the deceased when commemorating Magical Girls, especially considering that the deceased Magical Girls no longer have physical bodies, and so the offering naturally becomes a Soul Cake.

Under this somewhat far-fetched logic, magic cloud cakes, originally a pleasant dessert, have become an exclusive offering for the deceased, and over time, regular sweet shops have ceased to sell such items.

"Hello, sorry to bother you, but why do you have magic cloud cakes in your store?"

Emerald Sparrow did not intend to keep this question to herself, and with the doubt in mind, she went back to the counter and asked directly.

"Uh? Magic cloud cake?"

The clerk, who was comparing wrapping papers for chocolate boxes, looked up and blinked, "Ah, is this your first time in our neighborhood?"

"Yes," admitted Emerald Sparrow honestly.

"Then it's no wonder you're curious, because our shop is situated quite uniquely. Just turn 500 meters up the road beside, and you'll find the cemetery."

"Cemetery?"

"Yes, it is the previous warriors who sacrificed themselves in the wars between realms, especially those soldiers during the Garden Defense Battle."

The pastry clerk spoke with a calm demeanor, apparently speaking about something that was common knowledge to her: "The Kingdom built a Memorial Cemetery for them; they are all buried there. Every year many people go there to pay tribute to them, so our shop also sells magic cloud cakes to make a little offering money."

Emerald Sparrow was stunned.

She stood there like a statue, pondering something unknown, staring blankly at the clerk as she wrapped the chocolates, twirling the ribbon into a beautiful bow, and neatly packing them into a brown paper bag.

"Um, your chocolate is all packed, little miss, be careful, it's a bit heavy..."

As the clerk picked up the chocolate and turned towards Emerald Sparrow, she noticed the complex expression on Emerald Sparrow's face and stopped mid-sentence: "Uh, what's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

Shaking her head slightly, Emerald Sparrow regained her composed demeanor, as if nothing had happened, and accepted the chocolate handed over by the clerk. Then, as if speaking casually, she asked: "By the way, the memorial cemetery you just mentioned, which direction is it exactly?"

"Um, just continue along this alley, pass through and head north, you will see a mountain…"

"On the mountain?"

"At the base of the mountain."

"Okay, I understand. Then, please do me another favor."

"…What is it?" Unconsciously, the dessert clerk felt a certain undeniable presence from the young girl in front of her, noting that she probably wasn't just "a little sister" as she initially thought, so she changed how she addressed the young girl.

"Pack a few magic cloud cakes for me."

Emerald Sparrow did not know what expression she wore when she spoke those words.

She hoped she did not unintentionally reveal any inappropriate expressions due to slight emotional fluctuations because she did not want to frighten this kind clerk. She could only apologetically say sorry to signify that her request was not meant to be trouble, although the clerk clearly did not understand why she was apologizing.

Afterward, unable to wait, Emerald Sparrow took the magic cloud cakes handed to her by the clerk, thanked her in the slightly worried gaze of the clerk, and left the pastry shop.

Carrying the magic cloud cakes, Emerald Sparrow followed the path described by the clerk to find the location of the Memorial Cemetery.

The clerk was right; it was a grand cemetery decorated with stateliness and solemnity. Seven life-sized bronze soldier statues stood behind the gate gazing outwards; from their attires, one could roughly distinguish that among them were three Magical Girls, one Fairy, and three ordinary humans.

The bronze statues were located in a plaza, with a monument standing behind them. The edges of this granite monument were blurred into curves by twenty years of rainfall. Three bouquets of lilies in plastic wraps leaned against the base, a thin layer of dust accumulated between petals and the plastic, seemingly acting as an hourglass counting the progress of some things being forgotten.

Looking far ahead, one could also see a circular memorial wall around the plaza, with over a thousand Heart's Gems relief carved on it. After twenty years, some of the carvings were damaged. Next to them, it seemed something was engraved with Favo Runes, but it was too far for Emerald Sparrow to see clearly.

This was the place.

Some intuition clearly indicated so to Emerald Sparrow.

She had never heard of this cemetery before, nor had she ever visited this place, but as she stood at the gate, uncontrolled memories from the past began to churn. She could even smell the pungent odor of corpses mixed with the scent of Remnant Beasts.

Perhaps it was because she had just had a dream about the past, these memories that should have been dormant became exceptionally active and almost pulled her back to the past. She could only raise her hand to cover her nose, to hide those long-gone scents.

Garden Defense Battle.

This was a battle legendary and splendid in rumors, celebrated by future generations as a miracle of love, a hymn of courage, and an epic of Magical Girls. Cornflower, who became a hero in the war, was still adored by countless people as an idol even today.