Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 97: The Gate to Kingship

Vol 2 Chapter 97: The Gate to Kingship

In Fangting City, if you stopped a random pedestrian on the street and asked, “What’s the tallest building in Fangting City?”, you’d likely get a pretty consistent answer:

— The Green Tower.

Standing 1,005 meters tall with 197 floors, the Green Tower is both a commercial and tourist landmark and has been around for several decades. At the time of its completion, it was even hailed as the “tallest building in Donghua Province.”

The original reason for its construction is no longer traceable, but what’s known is that the Fangting City government invested heavily in it under the slogan of “boosting tourism.” They even collaborated with the Countermeasure Bureau, mobilizing an enormous amount of magic-side resources to complete this architectural marvel.

Unfortunately, the tower failed to change Fangting City’s status as a remote frontier town. In fact, due to the city’s geographically disadvantaged location, the Green Tower project ended up being more of a self-congratulatory local affair. It even earned criticism at the time as being “pointlessly tall.”

Not many tourists came. Mostly, it was just locals showing up out of curiosity. A few years later, once the novelty wore off, the Green Tower became just another part of the everyday cityscape.

Decades on, it still stands tall as the city's most iconic landmark. The bottom ten floors are a commercial complex filled with various shops. From there up to the 100th floor are offices, with some scattered retail spaces. From the 100th floor upward, it's purely for sightseeing, welcoming tourists from both local and international origins.

At the very top of the tower is a massive signal light. At night, it emits a soft green neon glow visible from dozens of kilometers away.

Notably, Fangting City’s largest stadium is named the Green Tower Stadium, thanks to its location on the outskirts that visually aligns with the tower. During major sporting events or large-scale performances, the top light of the Green Tower often shines directly above the stage. Sometimes, the light even changes colors to match the show, which locals fondly talk about.

And today, this Green Tower was welcoming two rather unusual guests.

In a quiet elevator lobby on the tower’s northern side, lavishly decorated with glittering crystal chandeliers, elegant water features, and statues lining the walls, sunlight filtered in through venetian-blinded floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden dappled patterns across the marble floor.

But this gorgeous scene didn’t seem to capture the interest of the two visitors. They walked briskly past the statues and light spots, heading straight to the elevator doors.

“This is wild! Nobody stopped us on the way in—we just strolled in like we owned the place!”

Trailing behind Lin Yun’s large strides, Wood Lily looked around in amazement, her mouth slightly open. “The decorations are so fancy, I feel like I’m suddenly rich or something.”

“If you want, every Magical Girl can be rich by normal standards.”

Lin Yun pressed the elevator button, his expression calm. “If you truly wanted to be rich, no one could stop you.”

“Well sure, but I’m not gonna sell my Echo for money. I get that much at least.”

Wood Lily stopped beside a potted plant and fiddled with its green leaves. “And asking the Countermeasure Bureau for money or robbing someone is totally out of the question. If... if Sister Madoka found out, she’d beat me up.”

“You seriously considered robbing someone?” Lin Yun raised a brow.

“Of course I didn’t… I think?” She turned around with a blank look. “Probably not.”

“…Forget it, it’s not important.”

Seeing the slightly goofy innocence in her eyes, Lin Yun sighed inwardly and dropped the topic. He changed the subject naturally, “Let’s get back to what we were discussing earlier. Are you sure this ‘rumor’ you mentioned can be trusted?”

“Obviously!”

As soon as he brought it up, Wood Lily nodded vigorously. “Everyone in our circle knows about it—it’s a total open secret. ‘Gate to Kingship’ definitely exists!”

“Oh?” Lin Yun replied ambiguously. “Let’s assume that’s true.”

“Don’t brush it off like that!”

Seeing his uninterested expression, Wood Lily pouted. “I’m sharing my biggest secret with you, so you better keep it safe, okay? You can’t tell anyone else!”

“I’m not sure anyone would believe it even if I did…”

“I don’t care! You’re not allowed to tell, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I won’t tell anyone.”

Lin Yun humored her with a casual tone, while glancing at the elevator. When the floor indicator finally reached 1, he pulled a white card from his chest pocket and pressed it against the panel beside the button. With a beep, the doors slowly opened.

This was the Green Tower’s staff-only elevator—the only one that reached the very top. Lin Yun had secured the access card under the pretense of Countermeasure Bureau business.

Their destination? The very top floor of Fangting City’s iconic Green Tower.

Why they were going there, and why Lin Yun was the one accompanying her—well, it all came down to the term Wood Lily had just used:

Gate to Kingship.

It was a long-standing rumor among Magical Girls. No one remembered exactly when it started, but even back when Lin Yun was a student, the story was already circulating.

According to the rumor: somewhere in this world, there existed a gate called the “Gate to Kingship.” Those who entered and were acknowledged by the gate could become a “King.”

That single sentence summed up the entire tale. What exactly a “King” was, why someone would want to become one, or whether the rumor was blasphemous toward Her Majesty—those weren’t questions regular Magical Girls were expected to ask.

Vague, baseless, with no eyewitness accounts—calling it boring would be too kind. Although it had circulated for years, nobody ever truly took it seriously.

In fact, with each new generation, fewer even heard of it. Lin Yun himself had stuffed it somewhere deep in the back of his memory. If Wood Lily hadn’t brought it up, he’d likely never have remembered it.

That’s why, when she’d insisted on secrecy in the Countermeasure Bureau—“I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell a soul,” “I don’t trust verbal promises, write it down”—only to finally utter that term, Lin Yun couldn’t help but let suspicion show on his face despite his efforts to stay neutral.

“You’re telling me this ‘Gate to Kingship’ is in Fangting City right now?”

After mentally reorganizing her chaotic explanation, Lin Yun tried to make sense of her intent and jotted some notes in his notebook. “Who told you this?”

“My friend, of course,” she said matter-of-factly.

“And your friend is…?”

“Another Magical Girl I met online. Why?”

“Why are you so sure what they said is real?”

“Because my friend told me that her friend’s friend’s sister’s dad’s coworker knows the Great Fairy in the Garden…”

Honestly, if Wood Lily weren’t one of Margaret’s squad members—if she were just some random Magical Girl—Lin Yun would’ve left her to be picked up by her teammates.

According to her, she’d blown through her entire budget in two months chasing this absurd rumor in Fangting City, conducting a “carpet search” with zero results. To make matters worse, her teammate suddenly decided to leave the city and wanted to take her along, which pushed her into desperation. She stormed the Bureau looking for info on the Gate to Kingship.

Since she’d kept the whole thing secret and didn’t want anyone else in on it, she chose the worst possible method—sneaking into the Bureau alone.

And of course, she was caught on camera. The Security Department nabbed her, and during her attempt to flee using her Magical Armor, she nearly destroyed valuable records—hence her current situation.

It was the kind of mess that made you sigh just listening to it.

“So tell me, why do you think no one else has found this so-called ‘Gate to Kingship’ in Fangting City?” Lin Yun asked, exasperated.

“Because I’m a Magical Girl, obviously! I’m better than regular Magicians!” she answered proudly.

Whether or not she really was better… considering she got arrested by Security, Lin Yun had serious doubts.

“And those friends of yours? Aren’t they Magical Girls too? Why didn’t they come look for it?”

“Wow, you don’t get it at all! I happened to be coming to Fangting City, so they gave me this super important mission,” she said, twirling her hair. “They even pooled money together for me.”

“They funded you? Then when you said you ran out of money, what exactly did you spend it on?” Lin Yun glanced up from his notes.

“You’re so annoying, Uncle. Asking a girl all these personal questions—do you like me or something?”

“What the…?”

Lin Yun almost laughed out of frustration. “This is official questioning. I’m married with a kid. I have zero interest in little brats like you.”

“Hmph? Fine, I’ll pretend that’s true.”

With an expression like “I know the truth but won’t say it,” Wood Lily leaned her cheek on her hand. “What did I spend it on? Snacks and clothes, duh. What else?”

Whether the mission was serious, Lin Yun couldn’t tell. But those girlfriends of hers? They definitely got played.

Out of respect for her bold infiltration attempt, Lin Yun decided to help. He checked the Bureau’s archives for any mention of the Gate to Kingship in Fangting City.

Whether he’d find anything or not, at least it would give her a clear answer—and let her go home with her squad.

He wasn’t optimistic. The whole thing sounded like kids playing a game of telephone.

But the results completely blindsided him.

With Bureau Chief-level clearance, he unsealed the archives and searched through documents from decades ago. To his surprise, he did find some vague but potentially relevant records.

The source: archived files from the Fangting City Green Tower Observatory Project. They showed that the Countermeasure Bureau had been involved in part of the tower’s construction, with one goal being the search for “something.” Many sections pointed to ties with the Magic Kingdom. In fact, it seemed the Kingdom had been involved in the top floors of the Green Tower, possibly leaving something behind.

As for what that “something” was, the documents—likely due to the Kingdom’s involvement—avoided specifics. Not even a name was given. Just a codename:

“The Gate.”

And so, the two began their ascent to the top of the Green Tower.

Normally, this sort of thing wouldn’t warrant the personal attention of the Bureau Director. But since Wood Lily was a Magical Girl from another city and there were no designated liaisons in Fangting, only Lin Yun had the authority to coordinate with her.

Besides, the possible involvement of the Kingdom intrigued him enough to see it for himself.

Though the tower is technically a tourist attraction, its topmost level is not open to the public. It houses important equipment and the city-famous searchlight. The stairs to that level are sealed off, and only one staff elevator goes that high.

Of course, as the Director, such barriers didn’t apply to Lin Yun. One phone call later, and a staff member handed him an internal pass.

Now, the two of them stood quietly in the elevator, heading for the summit.

“Ah!” The silence was suddenly broken by Wood Lily’s yelp.

Lin Yun turned to look and saw her clutching her ears, leaning against the elevator wall, terrified.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, hand reaching into his pocket for his Heartstone, trying to detect any unusual magic.

“My ears… my ears!”

She pointed at her ears, panicked. “They just exploded!”

“Your ears?”

Lin Yun frowned, thinking for a moment, then sighed in relief. “Oh, that. It’s just the air pressure. Nothing’s wrong with your ears.”

“Air pressure? But it really hurts…”

Wood Lily clutched her head. “Could it be… maybe the Gate to Kingship is rejecting me?”

“Pinch your nose, close your mouth, and blow.”

He cut her off, demonstrating the maneuver himself. “Like this. Slowly let the pressure out.”

“Mmph? Mmph."

Wood Lily mimicked his movements, quietly holding her breath for a while before finally releasing her hands.

“Whoa, it really doesn’t hurt anymore! You’re amazing, Uncle!”

“It’s just some basic life knowledge. Even if I didn’t tell you, you would’ve learned it from somewhere else eventually.”

Lin Yun’s eyes remained fixed on the electronic display above the buttons. “If anyone deserves the praise, it’s the people who figured this stuff out in the first place.”

“Really?” Wood Lily blinked, lightly pressing her hands together beside her cheeks. “But the person who invented it isn’t here to help me right now. You are, Uncle. So to me, you’re the amazing one. You should be a little more proud of yourself.”

“…Where do you even get logic like that?” Lin Yun glanced sideways at her, a bit exasperated.

“Original quote by me. Plagiarism will be prosecuted,” Wood Lily said smugly.

And so, with that odd atmosphere lingering, the elevator reached the top floor.

Stepping out, Lin Yun glanced around. The space here was much smaller than the ground-level lobby and, understandably, a lot plainer in décor. Unlike the luxurious styling below, the top-level elevator area clearly hadn't been designed for tourist reception. He even spotted rust flaking on the frame of the door leading to the rooftop—probably left untouched since the Green Tower was completed decades ago.

Keeping a firm grip on the Heartstone in his pocket, Lin Yun walked out slowly. The sunlight up here was blinding, and the wind, razor-sharp. At a thousand meters above ground, the temperature was noticeably lower, and the cold seeped through even his overcoat.

“Wow, it’s so pretty!”

Before he could even take in the surroundings, Wood Lily’s excited voice rang out. She’d already run to the rooftop edge, standing by the railing and looking out. “You can see the whole city from up here!”

“Be careful.”

He instinctively warned her, then walked over to join her, squinting at the view below. Almost instantly, a wave of vertigo hit him.

From here, the entire Fangting City unfolded before his eyes. The buildings below looked like clustered blocks fitted between fine lines of road—like a sprawling chessboard. Looking farther, he could make out the city’s magical barrier stretching across the horizon, and beyond that, the dusty-yellow expanse of the wastelands.

A true “scenic tower,” indeed.

He stood in the cold wind, silently gazing down at the city beneath his feet. After a long moment, he patted Wood Lily on the shoulder and turned away. “If you’ve had enough of the view, let’s get moving. We’re not here just to sightsee.”

Right behind them stood the massive spotlight that illuminated half the city at night. It was mounted atop a steel support frame several meters high.

Just moments ago, Lin Yun had sensed a fleeting surge of magic—and it had come from the spotlight.

He’d cast a detection spell over the entire rooftop, finding nothing noteworthy—except for a faint magical fluctuation coming from the spotlight.

Without a doubt, whatever the Bureau and the Kingdom had left behind decades ago in their search for “the Gate” was there.

Climbing the creaking steps carefully, Lin Yun gripped a side rail and scaled the frame. As he moved higher, his progress began to slow.

A barrier.

He realized it instantly.

But the barrier didn’t seem designed to block intruders. There was no magical repulsion or aggression. Its presence was gentle, merely maintaining a kind of magical equilibrium.

Sensing he was close to an answer, Lin Yun quickened his pace, bounding up the final steps and circling around the back of the spotlight.

And there, exactly where he’d sensed the magic, he found it.

—A slightly yellowed sheet of white paper taped to the back of the spotlight. Each of the four corners bore black Favored Runes, and there was writing printed across its surface.

Lin Yun recognized the item instantly.

It was an Auto-Scribe, a product from the Kingdom. These blank sheets could autonomously record information dictated by the user.

Not rare, not expensive. About as valuable as an ordinary paperback in the Material World. As a “treasure” in this quest? It barely made the cut.

Perhaps the only real value lay in what was written on it.

He pulled it free and studied the densely packed text:

Queen’s Year 1955 — 0 fluctuations detected, 0 tremors, 0 resonances. Frequency: …

Queen’s Year 1956 — 0 fluctuations detected, 0 tremors, 0 resonances. Frequency: …

…

Queen’s Year 1963 — 1 fluctuation detected, 0 tremors, 1 resonance. Frequency: …

Queen’s Year 1964 — 0 fluctuations detected, 0 tremors, 1 resonance. Frequency: …

…

Queen’s Year 1978 — 0 fluctuations detected, 1 tremor, 1 resonance. Frequency: …

Queen’s Year 1979 — 0 fluctuations detected, 0 tremors, 1 resonance. Frequency: …

The records ended at Queen’s Year 1980.

According to the Kingdom’s calendar, the current year was Queen’s Year 2000—meaning this Auto-Scribe had been inactive for two decades.

Lin Yun didn’t understand the technical details of the record, nor did he need to—he knew someone else could interpret it.

After climbing down, he flipped the paper over, inspecting it thoroughly. Its material was mundane. No hidden runes. No residual circuits. No deeper secrets.

He handed it to Wood Lily without hesitation.

He’d already memorized the contents. The paper itself didn’t mean much to him.

Wood Lily’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You’re giving it to me?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s yours.” Lin Yun waved the paper. “I checked it out. Just an ordinary sheet. Not a hazardous item. You can keep it.”

“Uh… this isn’t about it being hazardous,” Wood Lily said, stunned. “This is a clue to the Gate to Kingship! It’s valuable!”

“I know. That’s why I memorized everything it said,” Lin Yun replied.

“But the paper itself might be valuable! What if it’s got, like, a hidden treasure map, or a lost spell, or a pocket grandma or something…”

“That’s your business now.”

Lin Yun remained indifferent. “You said it yourself—this is your encounter.”

“I did say that… Wait a sec! How do you know I said that? I never told you that!”

“Beats me. Maybe I’m misremembering,” he said, tightening his coat and heading back toward the elevator. “Let’s go. It’s freezing out here.”

“No way! You totally found that out somehow! You’ve been secretly following me, haven’t you?”

Realization hit her as she ran after him, clutching the paper. “It’s okay, though. I mean, for a cute girl like me, it’s normal for people to have inappropriate thoughts, right?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“But you’re making it hard not to! You’ve been so nice to me—don’t tell me you don’t want anything in return?”

“…I don’t think I’ve been all that nice. Don’t go getting carried away.”

Lin Yun sighed. “I’m with the Countermeasure Bureau. You’re a Magical Girl. I’m just doing my job.”

“But I’m not even from Fangting City.”

“Doesn’t matter. Same difference.”

“Y’know, tsundere behavior doesn’t suit you, Uncle,” Wood Lily teased as she jogged ahead and looked back, bending over to meet his gaze.

“Quit yapping,” Lin Yun muttered.

“So I guess I was wrong about you earlier. Turns out you’re actually a good guy,” she said, straightening up.

“Told you already—I’m just passing through,” he sighed.

“In that case, to make up for doubting you, I’ll treat you to lunch!”

“Do you even have money?”

“Nope.”

“Then how are you treating me?”

“Come to our Magical Girl base! I’ll have our squad leader cook for you.”

“…How generous of you.”

“Well? Coming or not?”

“No.”

“What?! But our squad leader is a beautiful Magical Girl! She’s single, super pretty, and even a big-time celebrity. You’d totally like her!”

“I’ll pass. I’ve got work to do.”

“Wow, so busy over at the Countermeasure Bureau, huh?”

“Yeah, super busy.”

“So I have to go back by myself?”

“I’ll give you a ride. It’s too cold to walk.”

“Aww! That’s so sweet, Uncle! My affection for you just went up again! But I’m still underage, so, y’know, some things are still off-limits.”

“Oh.”

…

“Uncle.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. And… sorry about what happened back in Bo’an City.”

“Mm.”