Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 132: The Search

Vol 2 Chapter 132: The Search

With Mohe's help, Veronica was soon able to drive out of the Colorful Cloud Wetlands.

What struck her the most during this process was how Mohe’s toy-like little car wasn’t just equipped with fingerprint verification—it also had a magical wave detector as a backup ignition method.

Veronica’s sense of “how odd” didn’t escape Mohe’s notice. But rather than recognizing it as mere curiosity, Mohe seemed to interpret it as genuine interest in the vehicle. So, while helping Veronica register her ignition info, she couldn’t resist launching into a full-on rundown of the car’s extra features—like wipers that could swipe cat-shaped patterns on the windows, or a cigarette lighter that not only lit up and charged devices but could even recharge magic power...

She really seemed to think this little car of hers was super cool.

And once again, Veronica got a full taste of just how much she believed that.

But while Mohe still had time to talk, Veronica had no time left to listen. After saying goodbye to the still-eager Mohe, she stepped on the gas and sped out of the Emerald District without hesitation.

Per Mohe’s earlier instructions, Veronica channeled a bit of magic and pulled the control lever to switch to flight mode. The toy-like little car instantly took on a gliding posture and soared toward the ground.

In the Magic Kingdom, flying vehicles weren’t exactly rare. Still, personally piloting a flying car brought Veronica a strange sense of crisp, refreshing exhilaration.

If only she’d had something like this back when she used to commute to work—she’d never have had to suffer through traffic jams.

Lost in those idle thoughts, Veronica located the nearest launch point, landed the car, and began heading into the city.

Night had already fallen, and most of the residential buildings along the way had gone dark. While the public lighting was bright enough, a subtle, hard-to-express sense of loneliness still lingered. Veronica scanned left and right, making sure she kept every building on either side in view, but didn’t immediately find anything suitable.

As she had expected, most of the regular shops were already closed. The only ones still open were either Magic Kingdom-style magic item stores or nightlife joints like bars and clubs—none of which fit her needs. Rune Noray didn’t seem to have much of a late-night snack culture either, so the small restaurants she passed were all closed as well.

It looked like a hotel would have to be her target.

With that thought, Veronica clarified her goal and continued searching. Unfortunately, although she eventually found a few hotels with more modest decor—ones that didn’t look so overtly like Kingdom architecture—most were already full.

“Sorry, Miss. It’s the Queen’s Year, and today’s exam site happens to be around here too.”

At one hotel’s front desk, the clerk offered a polite explanation with an apologetic smile. “Especially in these eastern districts, we’re closer to the test site, so it’s really hard to find a vacancy at this time. You might have better luck checking the western side of town.”

The explanation was perfectly clear, and the clerk’s attitude was fine, so all Veronica could do was thank her and leave. But heading to the western side wasn’t an option anymore—the clock was running out.

With every block she passed, the remaining time grew shorter, and her nerves started to fray. Twenty-five minutes had passed since she’d left Lin Xiaolu, and the pressure was piling on. Dangerous ideas began to creep into her mind—she even started wondering if she should just break into one of the closed shops.

But that thought flashed by and was immediately discarded. Not only would it be illegal, but even if she did break in, all she’d find was a pitch-black, deserted shop. And if she turned on the lights and some passerby thought it was open and came in... then what?

Thirty minutes after leaving, Veronica finally felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

With a heavy heart, she pulled it out. She’d never wanted more than now for the caller to be someone from the Bureau of Anomalous Attack Countermeasures or another government agency—heck, she’d even take a spam call.

But the name on the screen crushed every last fantasy:

【Lulu】.

It’s here.

She couldn’t even tell if she felt relief or dread anymore. Veronica slammed on the brakes and sighed.

She had stopped right in front of a bar with a more traditional look. She’d already been considering whether to compromise and find a proper-looking night venue, knowing she was out of time. And now, with Lin Xiaolu’s call coming through, it was settled—this would be her final stop.

She didn’t answer the call immediately. First, she parked the car by the side of the road. Then, taking advantage of the darkness, she ducked into a nearby alley without surveillance. In the shadows, she lightly tapped the Heartstone Flower and released her transformation.

The moment Lin Yun’s real body stepped into the Magic Kingdom, an overwhelming wave of discomfort nearly made him throw up. The Material Realm and the Kingdom were two entirely different worlds, governed by totally different laws of existence. For an ordinary person to enter the Kingdom environment unprepared, nausea and dizziness were the least of the symptoms. Not suffering from instant vascular rupture was considered lucky.

Thankfully, Lin Yun hadn’t come in unprepared. Earlier, he’d crossed the realm bridge using Veronica’s identity, and had spent two days in this world in her body. Though it was his first time entering in his original body, the side effects weren’t too severe.

This was also why Magical Girls had to transform when passing through the realm gate—and why ordinary people entering the Kingdom had to undergo longer adjustment periods at the immigration stations. Magical Girl bodies adapted much better to inter-world transitions, while regular humans were far more vulnerable, even with realm bridge assistance.

In fact, the three junior Magical Girls who came to the Kingdom had already tried undoing their transformations that very first night—and all experienced significant discomfort.

But right now, Lin Yun had no time to adjust.

Bracing himself against the wall, he staggered out of the alley, holding back his nausea. Clutching his phone, he headed for the bar just ahead.

The moment he walked in, he could see the decor was classically elegant. The warm golden glow of the sconces cast soft, rippling shadows on the oak-paneled walls. The brass lamp fixtures held glass covers etched with grapevine designs. The amber light gave the entire space a cozy vibe.

Behind the bar stood a middle-aged woman drying glasses—presumably the bartender. The wall behind her was completely covered by a walnut liquor shelf, carved into diamond-shaped cubbies, each filled with bottles Lin Yun didn’t recognize at all.

“Welcome.”

Noticing Lin Yun’s arrival, the bartender set down the cleaned glass and looked over. “What can I get you?”

“It’s my first time here. Got any recommendations?”

Squeezing the now-silent phone in his hand, Lin Yun knew he’d intentionally missed his daughter’s first call. But without a doubt, the next one would come soon. So, he kept it short: “Nothing too strong—I just want to try something new. Not looking to get drunk.”

“First-timer, but not looking to get drunk? Got it. You should try the Silver Moon Spring Butterfly.”

The bartender raised her brow slightly. “It’s one of our specialties.”

“I’ll have one.”

No time to be picky. Hearing that she understood his request, Lin Yun nodded. “And give me a quiet booth—somewhere away from people. I like peace and quiet.”