Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 4: Emerald

Vol 2 Chapter 4 Emerald

“‘Hello there’—what’s that supposed to mean? If I’m not mistaken, this should be my office.”

With a casual motion, Lin Yun swung the double doors shut behind him and frowned at the fairy-like puppet behind the desk. “You broke into someone else’s space. Shouldn’t you first prove you’re not hostile?”

“Don’t be impulsive, young man. There’s no need to waste your already dwindling magic on this feeble puppet. We actually have many overlapping interests—we could have a nice, peaceful chat.”

The puppet wore a vivid expression. Combined with its slow, lazy tone and languid demeanor, it surprisingly gave off a rather relaxed vibe. “This might sound sudden, but I came here with goodwill.”

“Goodwill?”

Lin Yun didn’t loosen his grip on the Heartstone in his hand. “If you really came with goodwill, you’d be upfront. Not hiding behind some puppet.”

He was certain—the puppet wasn’t the speaker’s true body. Though it was the one talking to him, someone else was behind it.

“I absolutely agree with you. But before you escalate this with more hostility, why don’t we explore another possibility—what if you actually know me?”

The puppet leaned lazily on the office chair. “We’ve met before, young man. And I don’t believe you’d have any reason to forget who I am.”

As she spoke, she deliberately stretched out the word young man, clearly emphasizing that it was a key clue to her identity. The implication clicked with Lin Yun—there were very few people who called him that.

Taking into account the puppet’s appearance and mannerisms, the person behind it became evident.

“…Chief? Why are you here?”

The so-called “Chief” referred to one of the Gem Scepters of the Magic Kingdom, specifically the holder of the Emerald Scepter and head of the Research Institute—Emerald.

There was an old saying in the Magic Kingdom. Translated into the Donghua Province dialect, it went something like: Better to be a research mutt for ten lifetimes than spend a day in the Investigation Bureau.

Put simply: a Magical Girl would rather slave away in the Research Institute until retirement than spend a single day working in the Investigation Bureau.

No one really knew where the saying came from—perhaps the ever-stern Director of the Investigation Bureau herself quietly made the original author vanish—but the fact it endured and spread said everything. It was a sentiment shared by many Magical Girls.

Among the Five Grand Courts of the Kingdom, if one were to ask which wielded the most power, most would hesitate between the Court of Finance and the Investigation Bureau. But if you asked which offered the best work-life balance, everyone pointed to the Research Institute.

Even the Court of Magic, a near power vacuum, was no match in terms of workplace comfort. Magical Girls at the Court of Magic were famously relaxed—seen gathering in small groups sipping tea, nibbling desserts, holding casual chats like noble ladies at a private garden, rather than functioning as a pillar of national governance.

For the Research Institute to outmatch even that level of ease, the credit went entirely to Emerald.

Emerald—Director of the Research Institute, Chief Researcher, Chief Advisor of the Royal Laboratory, Lead Designer of the Garden Project. Her original alias had long been lost to time. Much like the Investigation Bureau’s mysterious Director, no one knew how long Emerald had held the Emerald Scepter. Magical Girls often gossiped behind their backs, referring to the pair as the “Old Duo of Yellow and Green.”

Unlike the reclusive Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye, Emerald’s persona was far more public and familiar. She was well-known in the Kingdom—partly because she loved being in the spotlight, and partly because of her famously outrageous remarks.

One of the most infamous: at a Queen’s birthday banquet decades ago—also the inauguration of the Pigeon Blood Ruby as the new Ruby Scepter. After the Queen had spared no expense on an open-air garden venue and asked for Emerald’s opinion, her reply had been:

“To be honest, Your Majesty, an open and flat venue with no throne or elevation in the center means shorter guests won’t be able to see a thing.”

That night, it was said, every guest had a dainty cake placed at their seat—except Emerald, whose plate was conspicuously empty.

Another legendary example: her slogan as Director—“Laziness is the ladder of research advancement.”

She didn’t mind slacking. In fact, she encouraged it. She led by example—roaming the building with a pillow, napping wherever and whenever she pleased during work hours.

According to her: Laziness breeds creativity. The urge to slack off drives new inventions and discoveries.

A bold claim, perhaps—but the truth backed her up. Despite her “intense rest schedule,” Emerald still maintained the fastest innovation rate in the Kingdom, whether for magical machinery or complex ritual spells. She was the undisputed leader in her field.

So, though she carried a dozen glowing titles, the one she preferred most—and the one most people used—was simply: Chief.

Now, the puppet in front of Lin Yun clearly used highly advanced magical tech. Its mimicry of a pure-blood fairy was nearly flawless. Ignore the mechanical elements and it looked like a real creature.

Only someone of Emerald’s level could operate something this advanced, and call him young man so casually.

And the puppet confirmed it.

“A correct deduction—but I didn’t come here by choice. You needed me to show up, young man.”

The puppet shook its head, looking even more comical without a visible neck. “Of course, as your equipment provider, I had to check on how my products are doing.”

“Products?” Lin Yun echoed.

“Yes, products.”

The puppet replied lazily, “Your magical armament requisitioned from the Investigation Bureau; the disguised surveillance system you’ve installed; even the treatment administered to that girl called Morning Glory—all of it came from our Research Institute. Who else could’ve made it? That old lady with tea-steeped brains from the Bureau?”

“I’d remind you that you’re speaking to an Inspector.”

Lin Yun interjected coldly, “The Director might not appreciate that kind of wording.”

“No one cares what she thinks. She can’t even remember her own age and lives for scheming and bureaucratic nonsense. I sincerely hope mammalian biology catches up to her someday and puts an end to her emotionally barren, hormone-fueled existence, young man.”

There was open disdain in the puppet’s voice, despite its calm tone. Half-lidded eyes peered lazily at him. “Let’s drop the unpleasant topics. What do you think of our products so far?”

“The magical armament still needs more field data,” Lin Yun replied flatly, expression unreadable. “But the special surveillance system has proven useful—both hidden and easy to operate.”

“Hmm… Can I take that as ‘satisfactory’?”

“You can,” he said without emotion.

“Good, then let’s be candid.”

The puppet struggled upright on the chair, looking like a fuzzy little ball. “Would you be interested in some premium services?”

“…Premium services?” Lin Yun raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

The puppet raised its stubby paws in a sort of “offering” gesture. “I can supply more products. Useful ones. Want to hear more?”

“You’re proposing an off-the-record deal, separate from the Investigation Bureau?”

Lin Yun narrowed his eyes. “Why? I doubt I could afford your price.”

“Oh, you can afford it. I only want one thing.”

The puppet leaned forward, its emerald eyes deep and piercing. “The Beast Core left behind by Mors, former royal retainer of Black Cinders Dawn—you have it, don’t you?”

“Beast Core?”

The unfamiliar term threw Lin Yun for a moment, but he quickly realized what she meant—that purplish-black crystal Mors used to mutate Ravagers.

Emerald was right. He had it.

Knowing the crystal had ties to artificial Ravager creation, Veronica had sealed it with a ritual in a hidden room, assigning Moko to monitor it. Since falling into their hands, the crystal had been stable—if not for faint magical pulses, one might assume it was a dead object.

“I can’t offer something like that in a trade, Chief,” Lin Yun said cautiously, eyes narrowing. “Especially when I don’t know what you’d use it for.”

The atrocities Mors committed with that crystal were horrifying. And now, the Research Institute’s director wanted it?

Lin Yun wasn’t paranoid, but he wasn’t naive either. He trusted most Magical Girls were good-hearted—but the Gem Scepters, perched atop the Kingdom’s hierarchy, were another matter entirely.

Just because she represented the Kingdom didn’t mean she could be blindly trusted.

“…You clearly don’t know me well. That stings, just a little.”

The puppet delivered Emerald’s words crisply, but her flat voice betrayed no hint of actual hurt. “But fine. You’ve got the Core. Whether to trade it is your choice. Just listen to what I’m offering. You might change your mind.”

“Go ahead,” Lin Yun said, cautiously easing up.

“Now then… where should I start? Where did I put my memo…”

As she muttered and rustled, Emerald’s voice finally resumed: “Ah, yes. Probably the most important thing for you… is your current condition, right?”

“Even without me saying it, you should feel it. Your Heartstone—it’s on the verge of total collapse.”

“Magic is leaking. Your True Form is unstable. Even from this distance, I can sense how strained it is.”

“Right now, even if you go all out, what level of combat ability do you have left? Leaf-tier? Bud-tier? Keep this up and your power will keep degrading until it drops into Seed-tier territory.”

She wasn’t wrong.

His Magical Armor was shattered. His True Form damaged. His Heartstone constantly malfunctioned, sometimes making him unable to transform. His power was dropping.

Before the fight with Mors, Veronica’s strength in normal state reached the Bud-tier. Now, even at full force, she couldn’t reach that.

Most of her Magical Armor, Weave of Life, was gone—two-thirds destroyed. What was left was like a wall full of holes.

At this point, even fighting a Chrysalis-stage Ravager would be a challenge.

“And because your magic is leaking, the boundary between True Form and real body is breaking down. Your Magical Girl magic is starting to backflow into your body. You’ve noticed it, haven’t you? Using magic even without transforming?”

“…Yes.” Lin Yun nodded lightly.

“There you go. It might seem convenient now, but long-term? It’s a disaster. A male body can’t handle Magical Girl magic. In the end, it’ll shorten your lifespan.”

The puppet patted the table twice, lifting its head. A ridiculous-looking face somehow bore a serious expression:

“When that time comes, forget using magic—you might not even be alive.”