Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 53: New Residents

Vol 2 Chapter 53 New Residents

Outskirts of Fangting City, Villa District.

As the girls pushed open the front doors and stepped into the entryway, the first to speak was the one leading the group—Wood Lily.

“What the—this place is huge!”

Though it was a meaningless exclamation, it accurately captured what the team from Bo’an City was feeling.

A four-story standalone villa—compared to the second floor of a music shop where Bo’an City's Magical Girls usually gathered, this place was significantly more spacious.

“Why is your secret base so massive? Bribes?”

Wood Lily stepped inside, glancing all around, and finally couldn’t hold back her curiosity. She turned and asked Lin Xiaolu:

“Or is this your family’s property?”

“How could it possibly be from bribery?” Lin Xiaolu responded with a bit of helplessness. “Veronica coordinated with the Countermeasure Bureau to secure this place.”

“The Inspector handled it? Ah, that makes sense. Now it doesn’t seem so strange.”

Wood Lily nodded as if enlightened.

“But seriously, your teacher pulled off this whole lavish base setup, and we’re still stuck huddling in that music shop after school like some indie girl band. Looking at it now, our teacher really is so—mmph!”

Before she could finish, Bai Ji, standing nearby, quickly covered her mouth.

—Don’t say stupid stuff in front of outsiders.

Though she didn’t say it aloud, Bai Ji’s gaze conveyed the message clearly.

Truthfully, blaming Asou Madoka for not securing a place like this—or accusing the Bo’an City Countermeasure Bureau of inaction—wasn’t entirely fair.

While it was true she’d never tried negotiating for such a facility, the Bo’an Countermeasure Bureau operated very differently from Fangting City’s. For Fangting, acquiring a property like this was practically effortless. For Bo’an, while not impossible, it would’ve involved far more complications.

Each city’s bureau functioned differently. Some, like Fangting, operated openly as official government agencies. Others disguised themselves. In Bo’an’s case, the Countermeasure Bureau was literally an underground organization—physically underground.

Their personnel and headquarters were all located below ground, and while they operated in Bo’an, they erased all traces of their activities in the city. Because of this secrecy, no one even noticed when Black Cinders Dawn nearly wiped them out. In a way, it was a case of hoisting their own petard.

Given the bureau’s operational style, setting up a large Magical Girl base in the city—while hiding all traces—would’ve been far more difficult. That’s why neither Asou Madoka nor Deng Zhan ever requested it.

So now, even though the Bo’an squad had far more experience with Magical Girl matters, they found themselves gawking at Fangting’s luxurious base like country bumpkins visiting a palace.

The villa had ample space. With so many rooms, it wasn’t a problem to accommodate a few more residents. Soon, the girls from Bo’an City picked their rooms and moved in with their luggage.

They’d likely be staying for a while.

Bai Jingxuan went to the Underground Training Room to set up training areas. Xia Liang dragged Moko along to start preparing dinner. That left Lin Xiaolu in charge of giving the Bo’an squad a tour.

Still, her expression remained gloomy.

Bai Ji was the last of her squad to pick a room. After the others went off to do their own things, only she and Lin Xiaolu were left standing in front of an empty room.

“Then I’ll take this one. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Always carrying herself like a leader, Bai Ji was still perfectly courteous as she thanked Lin Xiaolu:

“We’ll probably be taking up some of your space for a while. If it causes any trouble, I apologize in advance.”

“Hm? Oh, it’s fine. There’s plenty of room anyway.”

Lin Xiaolu replied disinterestedly.

“But you guys—your whole team coming to Fangting, is that really okay? What about the Ravagers in your city?”

“No need to worry about that.” Bai Ji explained calmly. “Though I’m ashamed to say it, we still have a certified senior stationed there.”

“Besides, something happened in our city recently. For the time being, the appearance rate of Ravagers is very low. We don’t need that many Magical Girls right now.”

“Black Cinders Dawn?”

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Lin Xiaolu pieced it together.

“Ah… yes, you guys ran into them too, didn’t you?”

Bai Ji nodded, a bit caught off guard by how direct she was.

“I’m terribly sorry. I instinctively treated it as something that shouldn’t be shared—it wasn’t intentional.”

“So, did you fight them?”

Lin Xiaolu’s next question came rather suddenly.

“Fight?” Bai Ji blinked.

“Black Cinders Dawn. Did your team engage them?”

Lin Xiaolu looked at her seriously.

“How far did you get in the battle?”

“…Unfortunately, we never fought any of their officers directly.”

Bai Ji lowered her eyes slightly.

“After the Inspector arrived in our city, she located the enemy we hadn’t been able to find for so long—and according to our senior, she basically one-shotted a Cinder Guard. We didn’t contribute anything. We weren’t even bystanders—just people who found out afterward.”

“So you didn’t fight at all?”

Murmuring the words, Lin Xiaolu’s gaze sharpened.

“…Well, I did.”

“Huh?” Bai Ji was confused by her words.

“I fought Moth—that old hag.”

Lin Xiaolu stared at her.

“Even though I was no match for her, even though I got completely wrecked, even though I felt like a burden to Veronica on the battlefield—I still fought.”

“From the moment I became a Magical Girl, I’ve faced death. I know fear, I know the pain of failure. If you’re talking about resolve—I’ve had it from the start.”

“So tell me, what qualifications do you have to be our ‘pre-exam evaluators’?”

“Why can’t we take the Certification Test next year just because we didn’t beat you?”

Her words rang out powerfully.

With no one else around, the corridor echoed faintly with her voice.

They stood on the south end of the fourth-floor hallway. Slanting sunlight cast shadows across Lin Xiaolu’s face. Combined with her serious expression, the tension between them suddenly thickened.

Bai Ji loosened her grip on her suitcase slightly.

“Are you referring to what our teacher said after the concert?”

She kept a neutral expression, seemingly unfazed by Lin Xiaolu’s challenge.

“If those words upset you, I apologize. She is blunt by nature, and not always tactful.”

“Do I sound like I’m asking for an apology?” Lin Xiaolu frowned.

“Sorry, I don’t really understand,” Bai Ji shook her head. “Maybe I missed your point.”

“What I want is an explanation.”

Lin Xiaolu stepped forward, hands on hips.

“That woman—your teacher—why did she say what she did?”

“You mean the part about not being allowed to take the test unless you beat us?”

Bai Ji stood up straight, letting go of her suitcase.

“Or the part where she said your team couldn’t beat ours?”

Lin Xiaolu snorted.

“Both.”

“Well, the first one is complicated. That kind of inside information can only come from her.”

She glanced at Lin Xiaolu and explained in an even tone:

“Next year’s Certification Test might be different from previous years. If you're not strong enough, it could actually be life-threatening.”

“Our team has taken the test before. We all hold White Badges. We’ve been through it. Fighting us would help you gauge your level. If you can’t win, it might be smarter to wait another year.”

“…So stopping us from taking the test is actually for our own good?”

Lin Xiaolu asked.

“Because it’s dangerous, and if you’re not strong enough, you might die—is that it?”

“That’s my interpretation, yes.”

Bai Ji clarified:

“It’s a conclusion based on what she told me. If you want the real reason, you should ask her directly.”

“‘For our own good’ is just your guess…”

Lin Xiaolu lifted her chin slightly.

“Then what about the claim that our team couldn’t beat yours?”

“That’s her exact wording.”

Bai Ji smiled politely.

“Of course, that excludes our teacher and seniors. She was only talking about us newbies.”

“Exact wording?”

Lin Xiaolu’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I don’t know your strength, but I trust her judgment.”

Bai Ji added.

“I already told you, didn’t I? Everyone in the Fangting City squad has fought with Black Cinders Dawn officers.”

Lin Xiaolu said quietly.

“I’m sure it was a harsh and brutal battle. I respect that.”

Bai Ji replied.

“That day, even though I was totally outmatched, I stood in front of that enemy for the sake of this city. And I never once regretted it—even knowing I might die.”

“I understand.”

“If you understand, then let me ask you—your team couldn’t even find your enemies when your city was in its worst crisis. You didn’t fight. You didn’t protect it. So tell me—”

Lin Xiaolu stepped forward again.

“Where the h**l do you get off looking down on us?”

Silence fell over the corridor.

Lin Xiaolu stared fiercely at Bai Ji, whose calm gaze remained steady—except the polite smile had faded.

“You really are blunt, Miss White Rose,” Bai Ji finally said. “You know, even if what you said is true, it wasn’t exactly the right time to say it.”

“Just call me Lin Xiaolu.”

She scowled.

“Veronica said Magical Girl aliases are for teammates to use with each other.”

“…Then I apologize, Lin Xiaolu. You’re quite the interesting person.”

Bai Ji didn’t flinch at the harshness in her words. She simply nodded again.

“I wonder what I did to offend you, for you to be this hostile.”

“I don’t know.”

Lin Xiaolu admitted.

“I just feel annoyed whenever I talk to you—like you’re secretly calling me names in your head.”

Bai Ji was momentarily speechless.

After a pause, she gave a small smile and returned to her usual calm:

“I see. I apologize. Maybe it’s because our teacher said on the way here that you’re the leader of Fangting’s new generation. I might’ve had some preconceived notions.”

“If it really felt like I looked down on you, then I’ll apologize again—truly.”

“And to show my sincerity, allow me to offer a form of compensation. Something to help clear the air between us. What do you think?”

That proposal caught Lin Xiaolu off guard.

“…What kind of compensation?”

“You doubt our teacher’s judgment and believe you won’t lose to us. I believe in her—but I’d also like to verify that.”

Bai Ji placed a hand over her Heartstone, which glimmered faintly.

“So why not have a little private duel right here?”

“A duel?” For the first time since they met, Lin Xiaolu smiled—but there was no friendliness in it.

“What kind of duel?”

“Something simple.”

The glow from Bai Ji’s Heartstone flared, covering her whole body. She transformed right there in front of Lin Xiaolu, then extended her right hand.

“No spells. This is a sphere composed solely of my Magic.”

As she spoke, a small magic orb floated into her palm.

“It’s basic. Just concentrated magic formed into a sphere—no tricks. A plain, honest Magic Ball.”

“And then?” Lin Xiaolu touched her own Heartstone without hesitation.

“Then, create your own magic ball. Use it to destroy mine.”

Bai Ji’s expression remained calm, but her words were anything but:

“Or… be destroyed by mine.”