Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 49: Unexpected Visitor

Hong Siyu laughed even harder at the awkward reaction. “Relax, I was just joking! No need to be so tense.”

As she spoke, she leaned back slightly, increasing the distance between them to show her friendly intentions.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaolu finally relaxed a little, though her expression still carried a trace of wariness. She didn’t sit down next to Hong Siyu but remained standing in place, asking, “So, what is Veronica’s contact doing at my house?”

“I’m not just Veronica’s contact—I’m also a former Magical Girl.”

Hong Siyu wagged her finger, correcting her. “There’s a big difference!”

“Specifically?” Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Once a Magical Girl retires, isn’t she just an ordinary person?”

“In terms of magic, yes. Right now, I’m just a physically fit, weak woman.”

Hong Siyu remained completely unfazed by Lin Xiaolu’s skepticism, even showing confidence at the term “ordinary person.” “However, my knowledge and understanding of the magical world far exceed yours.”

“Not more than Veronica’s, though,” Lin Xiaolu said in a quiet, pointed tone.

“Ahem… Don’t say things like that—it makes you sound less cute.”

Momentarily caught off guard, Hong Siyu clapped her hands together in slight embarrassment. “Anyway, I happened to take a sick day today, so I volunteered to come check in on you two. I heard you’re training under the Seeder?”

“Training under it? It’s nothing more than a lackey riding on someone else’s power,” Lin Xiaolu scoffed.

—“I’m a fairy! And even in appearance, I’m clearly a cat! Calling me a lackey is pure slander!” protested Moko indignantly from the side.

“Oh please, you’ve been strutting around like a proud little puppy these past few days!” Lin Xiaolu glared at it.

“What’s wrong with barking? Some people would love to be a lackey but don’t even get the chance.”

Moko’s whiskers twitched as it shot back a retort, baring its teeth in satisfaction. It was currently riding high on success, completely unbothered by Lin Xiaolu’s jabs. “At the rate you’re progressing, you’ll always just be a junior—first a junior in training, then a retired junior. That’s the extent of your career.”

“What did you just say?!” Lin Xiaolu bristled, about to explode, but then she caught a glimpse of Hong Siyu sitting nearby. The words that had been on the tip of her tongue were forcefully swallowed back down.

From an active junior to a retired one, with no real change in status—that’s exactly what Hong Siyu seemed to represent.

With such a living, breathing “case study” sitting right in front of her, Lin Xiaolu suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Fortunately, since ordinary people with little magic couldn’t see fairies, Hong Siyu naturally hadn’t heard any of Moko’s comments. Instead, she simply tilted her head, curious.

“Your Seeder is here? Were you two arguing just now?”

“Ah… uh, no, nothing important.” Lin Xiaolu awkwardly brushed the topic aside.

Moments later, Xia Liang returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray with several cups of tea. Seeing the two deep in conversation, she set the cups down and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Just chatting, just chatting.”

Hong Siyu lifted the satchel from her lap, setting it aside before gesturing for Xia Liang to sit closer. “I just wanted to check in on you both. I heard from Veronica that you’re planning to take the certification test next year?”

“That’s right. Do you have any advice?”

Understanding what Hong Siyu was getting at, Xia Liang obediently took a seat beside her. “Also, you mentioned you retired as a Magical Girl ten years ago. How do you prove that?”

“With this, of course!”

Hong Siyu rummaged through her bag for a moment before pulling something out and holding it up for them to see.

It was an ornamented badge with a deep purple-red base, the number “41422” inscribed in the center. Surrounding the number were countless intricate, nearly indecipherable Favored Runes. Above the numbers, another set of runes spelled out a name—though neither Lin Xiaolu nor Xia Liang could read it.

They had seen Veronica’s certification badge before, and at first glance, this one was nearly identical. However, aside from lacking some of the elaborate decorations on Veronica’s, there was one striking difference: Hong Siyu’s badge was dull and lusterless, a stark contrast to Veronica’s, which shimmered with flowing magic energy.

“This was my certification badge back when I was a Magical Girl. Even if I’m retired, it’s still an official badge! Though, since my retirement, it’s been deactivated—now it’s just a decoration.”

Casually, Hong Siyu shoved the badge into Xia Liang’s hands. “Here, take a look!”

The two girls immediately leaned in, studying it intently.

This was the closest they had ever been to a certification badge. Veronica had shown them hers before, but she had never let them examine it too closely.

Xia Liang poked the badge curiously with her index finger. “They say a certification badge represents a Magical Girl’s strength. How does that compare to the Blooming Rank system?”

“If you reach Blooming’s Flower-tier, do you automatically get a Flower Card?” Lin Xiaolu added.

—“Of course you do!”

“That’s not actually true.”

Two voices answered simultaneously—but their answers were completely opposite.

The one who blurted out “of course” was Moko. Meanwhile, Hong Siyu’s response was a firm denial.

Realizing her mistake, Moko immediately slapped a paw over her mouth as if she had just made a terrible blunder. But since Hong Siyu, as an ordinary person, couldn’t hear Moko’s voice, she continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

“To put it simply, Flower Cards are for the elite fighters among Flower-tier Magical Girls—and for a handful of those who haven’t reached Flower-tier but have made significant contributions.”

“The selection process is subjective. It depends on how much recognition the Royal Court gives a particular Magical Girl. That’s why you’ll sometimes see incredibly powerful girls who only have Name Cards. That, my friends, is what we call political corruption.”

Hong Siyu, still in the mood to chat, tossed the certification badge aside after Xia Liang returned it. “But in general, you can think of Flower Card holders as the top echelon of Magical Girls. They’re the ‘big shots.’”

“Wait… so that means…”

A realization dawned on Lin Xiaolu, and she turned to Xia Liang—only to see that Xia Liang looked completely unfazed. That left Lin Xiaolu to gasp in shock on her own.

“Veronica is actually a big shot?”

“Haha, you’re only figuring that out now?” Xia Liang chuckled helplessly.

“Veronica must have told you she’s an ‘Inspector,’ right? That’s her official position as a big shot. In fact, most Flower Card Magical Girls hold titles within the Five Grand Courts.”

Hong Siyu spoke about it as if she knew the system like the back of her hand. “The Five Grand Courts are the main governing bodies under the Royal Court: the Investigation Bureau, the Treasury, the Research Institute, the Civil Administration, and the Court of Magic. Together, they keep the entire Magic Kingdom running.”