Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 90: Return

Vol 2 Chapter 90 Return

On the morning of the first day of the new year, after the revelry of the previous night’s New Year’s Eve, all of Fangting City was still enveloped in a rare tranquility.

In the past, people of Donghua Province had a tradition of setting off fireworks during the New Year, placing their hopes of “driving away Ravagers” onto these simple explosive devices, letting their wishes echo through the streets and alleys along with the crisp cracks of the new year. Unfortunately, as times changed, some research found that such explosive sounds might actually provoke the Ravagers lurking beneath the city, leading to unnecessary losses. As a result, this tradition—originally meant to repel Ravagers—gradually faded because of their very existence.

On this rare day, Lin Yun had finally gotten a few days of an almost-complete vacation. “Almost” because he still had to occasionally visit the Countermeasure Bureau, offering greetings to the staff while ensuring the Bureau’s normal operations. But “vacation” still applied, since aside from inspections, he didn’t have any complicated work and finally had time for himself.

So, on the first day of the New Year, Director Lin—who didn’t need to go to the office—woke up early, drove across nearly empty streets, and headed to the commercial building next to the Bureau.

——“So, you’ve come to my place to seek refuge?”

Propping up her head on a research desk cluttered with pipes, Emerald asked lazily, manipulating a puppet that looked like a pure-blooded fairy.

“‘Seek refuge’? What kind of weird term is that? I’m just here to fulfill our deal.”

Looking puzzled at Emerald’s words, Veronica pulled out a purple-black crystal from her sleeve and placed it in front of her. “Here, I used this thing up. Returning it now.”

Emerald grumbled in her muffled tone. She used the puppet’s claws to tap the purple-black crystal twice, then held it upside down as if inspecting something closely. “It’s good you returned it on time, but honestly, there was no need to rush.”

“So who was the one last night who practically begged me to return it the second I used it up?”

Veronica couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. “You made such a big deal out of it that I rushed over here early on a holiday morning to bring it back. Now you’re telling me it wasn’t necessary?”

“Well… I guess I should be thanking you all.”

Emerald deflected smoothly. “At first, I only had one Beast Core, so all the experimental data had to come from that one. But since you fought that young Ravager, Claw Mark, last night, I ended up collecting plenty of data on site. It turned out to be unexpectedly useful.”

“On site? Data collection?”

The keywords made Veronica frown instinctively. “So you were there?”

“Yes and no.”

Still fiddling with the Beast Core, Emerald replied, “I’ve got a few spare puppets lying around. They’re not as good as the one I’m using now, but they’re good enough for simple tasks. I just sent one of those out to tag along when you guys went to the outskirts. If you won, great—I’d grab some data. If not, well, I couldn’t let Claw Mark kill you all, could I?”

It sounded logically sound, but Veronica still couldn’t shake the feeling something was off. Chief Emerald being this considerate?

“You’re thinking I couldn’t possibly be this kind, right?”

Emerald suddenly asked, as if reading her mind.

“How did you know?” Veronica, caught off guard, wasn’t even mad—she just asked bluntly.

“Just a guess. You always wear that ‘I don’t trust you’ look every time you see me.”

Emerald shot her a sideways glance. “I won’t bother repeating my noble qualities as a veteran Magical Girl, but I will take this opportunity to tell you I always act in good faith when initiating a deal.”

“And that means…?”

“That means I take deal-making seriously and implement various safeguards.”

She placed the Beast Core into a container on the research desk and carefully secured it. “During this process, I also highly respect my counterpart’s autonomy—I don’t do unnecessary things. For example, during these two months of our deal, have you felt me protecting you?”

“No.”

Veronica gave her a wary look. “Even putting aside whether I ‘felt’ anything, what you’re describing sounds less like ‘protection’ and more like surveillance and tracking.”

They both fell silent at the same time.

“No, that’s absolutely not acceptable, youngster.”

Breaking the pause, Emerald quickly objected. “If you ignore my good intentions and interpret my actions maliciously, then a rift will form between us that’s hard to mend.”

“In other words, if we disregard your supposed ‘good intentions’… then yes, you were tracking me?”

Veronica’s eyes widened slightly. “Your Excellency Chief, no offense, but I thought I already had a low enough opinion of your character. This… this is a whole new level.”

“What do you mean ‘whole new level’? Don’t make it sound like I’ve completely failed as a person!” Emerald protested.

“Well, I mean, we’re supposed to be trading partners—half-allies, even. But you’re tracking me behind my back, collecting data, calling it ‘deal safeguards’? That sounds like something a total scumbag would do.”

Veronica pointed at the puppet in front of her with a deadpan expression. “Now I’m just curious—what does your so-called ‘protection’ actually entail? Only when we’re on missions? Or when I’m in the Bureau too? Or maybe even…”

“Only missions! Only missions!”

Emerald frantically waved the puppet’s stubby arms. “Come on, think about it. Why would I monitor the Bureau or your Magical Girl base? There’s nothing in it for me, and I have no reason to care about your personal lives, right?”

“Really?” Veronica crossed her arms.

“Really,” Emerald nodded repeatedly.

“In that case, I have one last question on this topic,” Veronica said calmly.

“Umm… what is it?” Emerald asked nervously.

Veronica nodded slightly, still with arms crossed. Her tone remained even. “When I first got here, you said I came to ‘seek refuge.’ What did you mean by that?”

Silence.

The large laboratory was suddenly filled only with the soft hum of equipment.

“Haha… probably because I was still half-asleep when you arrived and muttered some dream talk into reality?” Emerald scratched her head and laughed awkwardly, like a broken-down machine finally rebooting.

“Oh, I see. Dream talk. That makes sense.”

Veronica clapped her hands and smiled. “So it definitely wasn’t that you overheard someone at the Magical Girl base or saw something personal at the Bureau while secretly monitoring them, right?”

“Of course not! Obviously!” Emerald took the out.

“…Let’s get back to Claw Mark.”

Apparently realizing there was no point dragging that subject out, Veronica sighed as if letting it go. “If the leader of Claw Mark is really who you said she is… Well, I don’t know much about her. In your opinion, is it likely she’ll keep sending people to Fangting City?”

“You’re worried White Wolf will just send more people after this attempt failed?” Now fully alert, Emerald spoke with the air of a seasoned protector of the city.

“Yeah.”

“From what I know about her, it’s very likely. White Wolf is someone who doesn’t give up. Once she sets her sights on something, she’ll find a way to see it through no matter how complicated or difficult.”

“That’s… admirable.” Veronica’s face remained blank. “So you’re saying Claw Mark will be back?”

“Definitely.” Emerald nodded firmly. “Of course, there could be variables—like who they send and how many. That could change the outcome.”

“Are there many others in Claw Mark like Yuan?”

“In what sense?”

“All of it—strength, personality, philosophy… I know it’s a weird question, but people like her in Claw Mark—how many?”

“You should ask that old crone at the Investigation Bureau, youngster.”

Emerald shrugged. “I don’t work for them. I only have a general idea of the backgrounds of these rogue Magical Girls, but nothing detailed like the Bureau does.”

“But proportion-wise, do you know?”

“Probably less than one percent. Total outlier.”

Emerald sighed. “Honestly, I wouldn’t count on another ‘moderate’ like that showing up next time. White Wolf knows she picked the wrong person this round. Next time, she’ll only send the most brutal ones. Instead of hoping for kindness from the enemy, it’s better to grow stronger ourselves. We should head to the Kingdom soon and get you healed.”

“I know. I was just asking—I wasn’t hoping for kindness.”

Veronica replied calmly. “Though I’m pretty sure I never told you that this last enemy was a ‘moderate.’”

The lab fell silent again—this time for even longer than the previous two times combined.

“That’s the kind of thing you don’t need to say.” Emerald finally spoke. “She stayed in Fangting City so long without doing anything bad. Clearly not an extremist, right?”

“And I had one of my puppets tailing her during her activities in Fangting. It wasn’t hard to piece it together.”

Veronica stared silently at Emerald.

“Hey, at least say something!”

Squirming under the stare, Emerald protested, “I worked hard coming up with that excuse. Can’t you cut me a little slack?”

“More than slack, I don’t even know how I should respond anymore.”

Veronica shook her head. “Even though I always had low expectations for Your Excellency Chief’s moral standards, confirming it still makes it hard to believe. Technically, I shouldn’t tolerate this behavior, but we’ve got a deal, and I don’t really have grounds to end it unilaterally. So now I don’t even know what kind of expression I should make.”

“Can I at least ask you to pretend to be considerate and say something like ‘I don’t mind’—just a little face-saving for an old woman?” the puppet tilted its head.

“I’d like to, but this concerns personal privacy and safety—I can’t let it slide.”

“Sigh, you youngster.”

Emerald sighed. “Didn’t I already say? If we keep digging into this topic, it’ll only damage our working relationship. If you insist on dragging it out, we’re all going to be really awkward.”

“Well, I do have one other option,” Veronica said.

“…What option?”

"Let’s have an honest talk. If we want to work together smoothly from here on out, I need an official statement from you."

Pulling over a small chair, Veronica sat down just like that. “I’ve made up my mind. For someone like me, whether it’s for myself, my companions, or the city, it seems like the only way to gain some stability is to find a genuine partner and ally. I want to know—do you think it’s possible for us to become allies with aligned interests?”

“Allies with aligned interests…”

The doll on the swivel chair rather humanly scratched its chin. “I see. So, what you’re really asking is whether we’re on the same side?”

“I’m not confirming—it’s a discussion.”

Veronica’s tone was firm. “If we can conclude that deeper cooperation is possible, then I’m willing to turn a blind eye to this so-called ‘protection.’ But if we find that our paths diverge, then our deal ends here. I won’t follow your plan to go to the Kingdom.”

“Now that’s just unreasonable.”

Emerald widened her eyes. “Sending you to the Kingdom is to help you heal. It’s clearly for your own good, so how did it suddenly become a bargaining chip?”

“Sure, it’s ‘healing’ for me. But for you, the Court of Research, and every interest group connected to you—is it really that simple?”

Veronica looked at her calmly. “We both know who I really am. We’re both clear on why I’m in this situation. If someone like me sets foot in the Kingdom again, the consequences will likely go far beyond what I can foresee. If I’m not wrong, healing is just the first stop. The so-called ‘assessment’ is the final destination. What’s planned in between?”

“Hmm… I surprisingly can’t find a point to argue. But I don’t think this question is even worth discussing.”

Emerald pondered. “It may be a transaction, but right now I’m the only one offering. Don’t I get the right to negotiate the price?”

“If that’s what you’re asking, then actually, you’ve got two other bidders.”

Veronica raised two fingers. “First, without a doubt—White Wolf. I don’t know the reason, but Claw Mark has clearly extended an olive branch to me. That counts as an option.”

“White Wolf? Her?”

The doll looked skeptical. “You really think you can just run off to Claw Mark at this point?”

“If I had other choices, I wouldn’t.”

Veronica closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her gaze dropped. “But for the safety of me and my companions—if I have no other options—I might consider her offer.”

“I don’t think she’s a serious competitor compared to me.”

Emerald judged. “So who’s the other bidder?”

“You don’t know?” Veronica looked puzzled.

“Why would I? Don’t tell me it’s Black Cinders Dawn.”

“Hmm… how should I put it?”

“Don’t joke with me, kid. You can’t seriously mean it’s Black Cinders Dawn?” The doll widened its eyes.

“No, of course not. Even Claw Mark is already scraping the bottom of the barrel for me. Black Cinders Dawn isn’t even on the list.”

Veronica denied it. “I was just thinking—if we ignore positions and sins, and judge solely on trustworthiness and character—between Her Excellency the Director and Black Cinders Dawn, who would be more trustworthy?”

That made Emerald pause and think too. After a while, she gave a tentative answer. “…Black Cinders Dawn?”

“Knew it.”

Veronica seemed to reach the same conclusion. “And given where I am right now, maybe it’s not such a bad bet to make.”

“That old hag never even made you an offer. I haven’t heard a word.”

Clearly, Emerald wasn’t happy with that answer. “If you think just throwing my old rival’s name around is enough to haggle with me, you really underestimate me, kid.”

“Her Excellency the Director indeed never discussed deep cooperation with me.”

Veronica admitted Emerald’s point. “But I’m certain that if I went to her right now, I’d definitely get an offer out of her.”

“Impossible.” The doll shook her head. “Absolutely impossible.”

“I don’t think so.”

Veronica stood her ground. “Her attitude may have been vague and even hostile so far, but I trust her nose for profit. I know very well the value I hold as a political asset.”

“Calling yourself a ‘political asset’ is a bit too depressing, don’t you think, kid?”

“Am I not?” Veronica replied casually.

“You—ugh.”

Emerald seemed to want to say more, but in the end, she held back. “Fine. I’ll just tell you—there’s no way that old hag will make you an offer.”

“Why not?”

“No reason. But if you really want one, it’s this: my offer is her offer.”

Emerald shook her head. “I’ve laid all my cards on the table. I won’t do it a second time. Do you understand?”

“I see… Looks like I’m even more valuable than I thought.” Veronica blinked.

“Mm-hmm.” Emerald gave a noncommittal grunt.

“So I do have the right to name my price.”

Veronica drew her conclusion. “That means I could ask you to stand up and pour me some tea right now, couldn’t I?”

“Hey, don’t push it!” Emerald protested immediately.

“No?”

“Look at these short arms and legs. Do I look like I can pour tea for you?”

The doll stretched out her round, stubby limbs for display. “Besides, I don’t even have tea in my lab!”

“Then give me some Echo.” Veronica locked eyes with her.

The doll jumped down from the swivel chair and rummaged through who knows where, eventually pulling out a little box. She returned to the lab bench and dumped a pile of Ravager Echo onto the table with a loud clatter.

“I said don’t push it!” she added for emphasis.

“If you want to sound tough, I think actions are better than words… But fine.”

Veronica finally sighed. “I get it now.”

“Any other demands, just spit them out!”

Emerald now looked totally resigned. “But just so you know, if you make any more requests, there’s no jumping ship after today!”

Veronica was about to say she understood—no need to play dumb with smart people—but before she could speak, a sudden idea struck her.

“Your Excellency Chief.”

“What?” Emerald snapped.

“Last night, something happened at our Fangting City base. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?” Veronica asked out of the blue.

“What happened? You mean which one? The two kids from Bo’an City tipping over the hotpot while cleaning up dinner? Or the tallest girl on your team accidentally washing the same plate twice while doing dishes? Or your daughter asking if she could call you mom? Or Morning Glory shouting your name in her room—?”

“My daughter!” Veronica cut her off, giving Emerald a “just as I thought” look.

“No need to stare like that. I admit I saw it, but I need to clarify—I’m not some pervert. I just wanted to check if any of you were injured from the fight with Claw Mark, and whether Bosetsu was stable.”

Emerald crossed her stubby arms. “Anyway, if you’re trying to use this against me, forget it—I won’t admit to anything.”

“I’m not naïve enough to think I can attack the character of someone who holds a Jewel Scepter with something like this.”

Veronica shook her head. “I brought it up because my next question relates to it.”

“Huh? What, you want me to give you parenting advice?”

Somehow hitting a nerve, Emerald practically sprang up from her chair. “Want to know what I think about your parent-child relationship? I’m good at that.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Veronica pressed her lips together, her gaze sharpening. “It’s just… if I really want to provide my child with both ‘mother’ and ‘father’ emotional support going forward—if I want both identities to exist in certain situations—do you have any good gear for that?”

“I’m not saying I plan to form a family with my other identity or anything. But since I really intend to let my Magical Girl identity play the role of her mother and fill that missing piece of affection, I may need to manage the occasional identity clash. So… if I need to disguise it—are you listening?”

Veronica kept speaking, but by that point, Emerald was barely paying attention.

Why? Simple.

There was only one word running through her mind:

—“Huh?”