Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

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"They've become unrecognizable."

"Heh heh, aren't you impressed?"

"A little bit," Xiangzi said, rubbing his still-dizzy brain as he carefully recalled what Miaomeng had just said. "But you seemed to have mentioned a word, 'organ.' Medion thinks language is an 'organ'?"

“That’s right.” Miao Meng picked up her water glass to moisten her throat and licked her lips. “Language is an organ; this is the core idea in Medien’s paper.”

The Tale of Reincarnation: The Path of Fall, the Path of No Return: Chapter 590 Language is an Organ

"organ?"

Xiangzi was taken aback when he heard Miaomeng's explanation.

"You mean, an 'organ' like the kidneys, intestines, arms, or eyes?"

“That’s right.” Miao Meng nodded. “Remember when we talked about this topic before? I thought language was some kind of tangible object. Medine’s view was clearer than mine. She clearly pointed out that language is one of the ‘organs’ of the human body.”

"But isn't language an abstract concept unique to humankind?" Xiangzi asked.

Her tone now sounds more like that of a student humbly seeking knowledge than one of questioning.

Miao Meng's words seemed to possess some kind of magic, or perhaps she knew what Xiangzi most desired right now. Xiangzi felt himself gradually entering Miao Meng's rhythm, and his tone changed from initial impatience to much more relaxed.

“Abstract concepts don’t arise from entities, or—by analogy, what is the soul?” Miao Meng took out her Soul Gem and placed it between Xiangzi and herself. “The Soul Gem is the embodiment of the soul. After obtaining such a degree of evidence, can this also prove that it is actually one of our ‘organs’?”

"If the Soul Stone is an organ of a magical girl... then that is indeed the case."

"A very interesting idea."

Delete jumped onto the table and joined the chat, which can be interpreted as agreeing with Meow Dream's point of view.

Xiangzi glanced at it, seemingly quite annoyed by its elusive nature and eavesdropping. But Delete, always so willful, was certainly "afraid to do it again."

“Right?” Miao Meng retrieved her Soul Gem, a slightly smug look on her face. “Doesn’t that make it much easier to understand?”

After all, the concept of the soul, which is extremely abstract to normal humans, becomes a tangible substance after becoming a magical girl—that is, their Soul Gem.

If we put language and it together...

Xiangzi was beginning to understand Medien's thoughts a little better.

Miao Meng smiled when she saw the understanding look in Xiangzi's eyes.

"Do those different languages ​​represent different organs?"

“No, actually she’s referring to the entire concept of ‘language,’ which is one of the human organs.” Miao Meng crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees, calmly and rationally explaining to Xiangzi, “Organs have innate adaptability, and language is no exception. Within this organ lies the ability to adapt and evolve.”

She tilted her head, seemingly pondering how to explain this long passage.

Finally, as if he had finally thought of something, he raised his finger:

“Let me explain with a little-known fact. Xiangzi, you should know that the triangular trade was about…” Miaomeng lowered her voice when she mentioned this word, glancing around furtively before lowering her voice again, “…it was about transporting Black people to America as commodities, right?”

After all, they are in Africa now. Although Morocco is a country where French and Arabic are the official languages, the presence of black people is still undeniable. The reason why there are so many black people in France today is because countries like Morocco have served as a "backyard" for immigrants.

There were quite a few dark-skinned customers in the restaurant.

So it's best to be careful when saying these kinds of things.

Xiangzi twitched the corner of his mouth and nodded.

"But do you know that the slaves captured during the slave hunts might not actually belong to the same tribe and might speak completely different languages? Unable to communicate with each other, the slaves in the Americas listened to the language used by the white people, which was English, and gradually learned to communicate using short words."

"These dialogues are grammatically chaotic and completely devoid of rhetoric. This fragmented and incoherent language is called 'Pitchin.' When the first generation of Pitchin speakers passed it on as their mother tongue to the next generation, Pitchin became less rigid and naturally developed a vibrant grammar. Children acquired a complex grammar that their parents did not possess."

"...Evolution?" Xiangzi responded almost subconsciously.

“Language is an evolutionary product that humans acquired in the process of adapting to survival. In order to survive, individuals compare and imitate other beings with themselves, and the evolution of the human race made this kind of thinking possible.” Meow Dream nodded. “In order to compare information between individuals, the ‘self’ was born. Originally, without the ‘self,’ there was no ‘other,’ and without the distinction between each other, there was no comparison, right? As a Kyubey who was expelled from Gestalt, you should feel this more deeply.”

Miaomeng turned her gaze to Delete, the only non-human social construct present.

“…Indeed, our race does not need the concept of ‘language’ to communicate; language does not exist in us. There are also many races in the universe that do not have the concept of language. Their communication relies on certain special organs…In order to exchange information generated by individual individuals, communication organs were born and gradually evolved, in order to build a database that they have not personally experienced, and in order to improve their survival adaptability,” Delete said, shaking his head.

"So, language is purely a product of adaptation for survival?"

“It’s not fundamentally different from how other organs look now.” Miao Meng nodded. “Humans have some kind of organ that can give rise to language. If you put it that way, it’s easier to understand, right?”

"..." Xiangzi suddenly fell silent.

Miao Meng didn't know why she was silent, so she stretched out her hand, made a "two" sign, and waved it in front of her.

"How much is this?"

"Ah..." Xiangzi's wandering gaze finally returned to reality, "Two."

"Being able to recognize numbers means you haven't been controlled by a UFO or Medea."

"Well."

For some reason, Xiangzi was speechless after hearing that.

She was always worried that she was being influenced by Medine. Was Meow Dream telling her not to worry?

"What are you thinking about?" Miaomeng asked again.

Xiangzi rested her chin on her hand, looking around at the other customers who, like them, had a leisurely and carefree attitude.

Arabic, French, English, and Japanese, which Xiangzi and Miaomeng use to communicate, mean that no fewer than four languages ​​are being spoken simultaneously in this restaurant.

“I’m wondering what kind of person Medine is,” Xiangzi said. “Someone who can delve into this kind of knowledge doesn’t seem like the type to instigate a massacre.”

Miaomeng followed Xiangzi's gaze and looked around.

The peaceful restaurant seemed to transform into a scene of carnage filled with blood and violence in an instant, but when she came to her senses, everything around her was normal again.

In any case, it sounds like a very ordinary language researcher, right?

But why did it turn into such a hellish scene?

Miaomeng pouted and said sullenly.

"Who knows."

The Tale of Reincarnation: The Path of Fall, the Road of No Return: Chapter 591 As Time Goes By

The topic has been temporarily put to rest, but it seems that Miaomeng's initial attempt to divert attention failed, and she even ended up getting herself tangled up in the mess.

The two remained silent for a while, and the packed food still hadn't been served.

In order to find something to distract Xiangzi and prevent him from easily falling into a state of anxiety, Miaomeng pointed to the upright piano not far away.

"So, are you interested?"

"Is it okay?" Xiangzi's eyes lit up instantly, but then dimmed again. "But the piano is surrounded by walls. It shouldn't be one of those public pianos that anyone can just use."

"Hmm, let me ask."

Miao Meng waved to a waiter and asked him questions about using the piano in fluent French. The waiter nodded and turned to walk towards the bar.

“He said he would ask the manager,” Miaomeng said.

But soon, Miaomeng stood up again.

"Never mind, I'll go ask myself."

As she spoke, she walked toward the bar, where a middle-aged man with many white hairs at his temples, dressed in an elegant butler's uniform, was standing. The waiter who had said he was going to ask the manager had just exchanged a few words with the middle-aged man when Miaomeng walked over.

Xiangzi sat in his seat, watching Miaomeng talk animatedly to the other person, her face displaying the obsequious expression he often saw in videos, an expression that made Xiangzi feel uncomfortable.

She didn't know much about MeowDream before.

Although they have been cooperating, and Mujica's intelligence is all provided and resolved by her, she doesn't understand how Miaomeng works or how she obtains intelligence, let alone what kind of person she is.

Xiangzi knew that Miaomeng's usual carefree demeanor was an act, but he had no idea what kind of person Miaomeng was hidden beneath that facade.

Judging solely from the occasional serious expression revealed is far from sufficient.

It wasn't until this trip abroad that I felt like a corner of her veil had been lifted, and I gained a slightly better understanding of her.

There was absolutely no pressure to communicate in a foreign country. She was so fluent in the local language that it sounded like her mother tongue. She could always provide a lot of reliable information and find more accurate and useful content with the same amount of information. Miao Meng's ability seemed to have nothing to do with magical girls, but it gave Xiangzi a sense of security.

In comparison, Meow Dream's weakness in combat power is negligible.

Well......

Xiangzi admired Miaomeng, but also admired himself a little; he thought his judgment in choosing people was pretty good after all.

She rested her chin on her hand, watching Miao Meng ramble on and on about something, before walking back with a smug look on her face.

"Hehe." She put her hands on her hips, as if seeking praise.

"What are you doing?" Xiangzi asked knowingly.

Judging from that expression, it's definitely done.

“They initially disagreed,” Meow Dream said, “but—”

"but?"

“But after I vividly described your ExPlus α Pro Max Ultra’s piano skills to the manager, he agreed.” Miao Meng twisted her waist, her lips pursed into a W shape, and her eyes looked like inverted crescent moons. “Go quickly, that piano is yearning for your favor.”

"Thank you so much." Xiangzi was amused by her description, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Xiangzi stood up, intending to walk towards the piano.

"Oh, right, there's one more request. They want to request a song." Miao Meng called out to Xiangzi, "Of course, I want to request one too."

She lowered her voice.

"I told them I could play, and the manager finally nodded in agreement."

Xiangzi's shoulders slumped. He'd already blown all that blatant lies before even considering whether he was capable; all the trustworthy image he'd painstakingly built up had crumbled in an instant.

"What would you like to order?" Xiangzi asked, his eyebrows drooping.

"As time goes by, let time fly by."

"Lisa Ono's songs? I've heard them."

"It's not just a song by Lisa Ono, it's also the theme song of Casablanca. When it appears in the movie, it's right when the famous line, 'Of all the towns and restaurants in the world, she walked into mine,' comes out," Miao Meng said, pointing to her finger and enthusiastically explaining.

"Okay, okay, I know it's a song related to the movie." Xiangzi shrugged. "Otherwise, why would the manager use it as a condition?"

"Then... is that okay?"

"You shouldn't ask me if I can; it's just a matter of whether I want to or not."

Xiangzi swept her hair behind her back, turned around, and her long hair danced in the air with her body. Before turning her back to Miaomeng, she exuded unparalleled pride and confidence.

"Hey~ Do you want to or not?" Miao Meng chuckled as she watched her walk toward the piano. "It's been a long time since I've seen her with such a confident expression."

......

Xiangzi sat on the piano bench and adjusted the height of the chair.

She took out her phone, placed it on the music stand, and the screen displayed the music score she had just searched for.

The piano was in the best-lit spot in the hotel, and even though the light was rather dim today, Xiangzi, sitting upright at the piano, looked as if she were under a spotlight, particularly eye-catching. Many people noticed the young girl who had suddenly walked up, and while chatting and laughing, they lowered their voices slightly, as if hoping to hear some melody from that direction.

He placed his fingers on the black and white keyboard and took a deep breath.

The world seemed to quiet down for a brief moment.

Then, as the fingers pressed the keys, the hammers struck the strings, and the sound traveled through the air to everyone's ears.

Xiangzi sat on the piano bench in the most standard posture, her skirt lightly covering her legs, revealing only her feet on the pedals and a small section of her calves above. As her fingers danced, notes combined to form a highly representative melody. "As I Lin Yi Qi Si Wu Jiu Si 9 Time Goes By" is the most widely known melody from the film, and no customer visiting the restaurant could possibly miss it. Therefore, after the first few notes, the entire restaurant fell silent.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of bread and the slight bitterness of coffee; the afternoon blues were soothing.

Not to mention, this was music that was highly relevant to the restaurant. Many customers put down their cutlery and focused their attention entirely on the performer. Some even quietly turned on their phones to record videos, zooming in with two fingers to focus on the girl playing the music.

Miaomeng held a small spoon and twirled it inside the coffee cup, quietly watching Xiangzi's performance.

She suddenly remembered the most famous line from the movie, the line she had just mentioned to Xiangzi, and she also thought of their less-than-pleasant first meeting.

"There are so many towns and so many restaurants in the world, but she just had to walk into mine, hmph."

There are so many scammers and scammed people in the world, and you just happened to walk into my trap.

Miaomeng sighed.

"Fate."