Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 50: The Meaning of an Inspector

"Sounds like a massive government operation..."

Xia Liang couldn't help but glance to the side, lost in thought. "Magic Kingdom... Just from the name, I imagined it would be like a fairytale world."

"If you only look at the surface, it does seem like a fairytale."

Hong Siyu shook her finger again. "But unfortunately, Magic Kingdom isn’t just a fairytale. Managing the vast Magical Girl forces in the Material World alone requires a massive workforce. And on top of that, governing the civilians living within the Kingdom makes a structured administrative system absolutely necessary."

"In that case, being a Magical Girl sounds a lot more burdensome than I thought..."

Lin Xiaolu looked a little dejected. "To the public, they're mysterious and powerful heroes, but in reality, they can’t escape the grip of worldly power."

"That’s exactly what symbolizes the fact that Magical Girls are still 'human' and haven’t transcended beyond it."

Her words carried a child's idealistic view, but they made Hong Siyu sigh slightly. "Because they still have attachments, desires, and connections with people, the world of Magical Girls is also filled with complex human relationships."

"So, that's why there are bad Magical Girls?" Xia Liang asked.

Hong Siyu was about to continue, but as she processed her own words, she suddenly paused, her expression shifting into a look of doubt. "Who told you that?"

Xia Liang instinctively turned to Lin Xiaolu, who furrowed her brows without hesitation. "My contact told me. Why?"

"Ah, then I think I understand what's going on."

With her confusion resolved, Hong Siyu's face lit up in realization, and she nodded. "Alright, I’ll be upfront about it. Bad Magical Girls do exist. Just like in the Material World, where there are both law-abiding citizens and criminals, you can't expect everyone to be inherently good."

"But doesn’t the Seeder choose Magical Girls based on the purity of their hearts?" Lin Xiaolu glanced at Moko.

"To be precise, what the Seeder looks at is whether you have magical and spiritual talent." Hong Siyu spread her hands.

—"I can't see whatever it is you're talking about. The one that judges your inner desires is the Heartstone Seed."

Moko chimed in, adding, "But for kids whose hearts are filled with darkness, the Heartstone Seed shouldn’t react to them at all."

"Even if someone was genuinely kind when they were chosen, a Magical Girl’s term lasts a full ten years. No one can predict how their mindset will change over time."

Hong Siyu glanced at the two girls in front of her and spoke with a teasing tone. "See? Like me—ten years ago, I never would’ve imagined I’d still be single now."

No one responded.

Her example was so personal and awkward that both girls fell into silence.

"Huh? You’re not even going to laugh? I’m already using something humiliating as a joke here." Hong Siyu looked a bit surprised.

"Well, laughing at that feels a little..." Lin Xiaolu averted her gaze.

"If you retired ten years ago, that means you're already..." Xia Liang gave her a slightly sympathetic smile.

"Hey, stop it! Your reactions are making this even worse for me!"

Hong Siyu smacked the couch in frustration. "Alright, forget it! I shouldn’t have made that joke. Back to the main topic! Let's continue talking about bad Magical Girls!"

She straightened her expression and cleared her throat.

"Listen carefully! From the beginning, whenever a Magical Girl violates regulations or discipline, the Investigation Bureau dispatches a specialized team to gather evidence and arrest the offender."

"Beyond that, if there are magic-related criminals outside of Magical Girls—such as magic users—who cause significant damage, the Investigation Bureau is also responsible for investigating and apprehending them."

"You can think of the Investigation Bureau as the police of the magical world. From the lowest-ranked magic users to the highest-tier Magical Girls, even Flower Card-tier girls—anyone who breaks the rules will become a target for investigation and arrest."

"And the Countermeasure Bureau—our organization—works closely with both the Investigation Bureau and the Bureau of Magical Affairs. In fact, when it comes to Magical Girl-related matters, we essentially function as their subordinate agency."

"As for Inspectors, they are special agents within the Investigation Bureau, assigned to handle extremely severe criminal cases. Since the minimum requirement to become an Inspector is reaching Flower Card-tier, there are very few of them. Generally, when an Inspector is deployed, it means something big has happened."

At this point, Hong Siyu picked up the cup of tea that Xia Liang had brought over.

"Now, do you understand just how high-ranking an Inspector like Veronica really is?"

All that talking had left her throat dry, so she brought the cup to her lips, ready to take a sip.

"So, does that mean she’s technically one of your direct superiors?"

Right then, Xia Liang asked with an innocent expression.

"Pffft—! Cough, cough, cough!"

Hong Siyu choked and coughed violently, having just sprayed the tea she had sipped. "Where the hell did you get that idea?!"

"Well, think about it. Inspectors are big shots in the Investigation Bureau, right? And you said the Countermeasure Bureau is basically under their jurisdiction, so doesn’t that make an Inspector your superior?" Xia Liang counted on her fingers as she logically pieced it together. "Or is it that their rank is so high that they don’t bother managing you?"

"Ahem, to be precise, Inspectors don’t manage things—they just investigate cases."

Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Hong Siyu explained, "Even though they have a lot of authority, and the Countermeasure Bureau has to cooperate with them, they typically don’t have the responsibility or the obligation to interfere with our operations."

"Of course, on top of that, Veronica’s position as an Inspector is even more unique. That’s why she can stay in one place like this and leisurely act as your mentor."

At this point, Lin Xiaolu seemed to recall something. She stared at Moko in the distance, while Moko pretended not to notice, even going as far as to whistle innocently.

"Right now, you’re under Veronica’s protection, which means you don’t have to face dangerous situations or deal with the complicated power dynamics of Magic Kingdom. You can focus on training in peace. But you should be prepared—this kind of life won’t last forever."

With that, Hong Siyu concluded her speech.

She knew Lin Yun well enough to understand his personality—reserved to the extreme, the kind of person who would rather keep everything bottled up than explain things to others.

He probably thought these topics weren’t suitable for children to learn about too soon, so he chose to say nothing, shouldering it all by himself.

Ever since he reemerged as "Veronica," his actions had made it clear that he had deeper plans in motion. But even as someone who had once fought alongside him, Hong Siyu couldn’t fully decipher his intentions.

That was precisely why she had spoken so much today—even sharing information that might be too complex for them to grasp. She hoped that by knowing more, understanding more, they would take the initiative to seek out Veronica and learn the truth themselves.

And her final words had indeed left an impact on them.

Lin Xiaolu’s reaction was direct—her expression clearly showed her reluctance at the thought of Veronica leaving. Meanwhile, Xia Liang kept her emotions in check, but her thoughtful gaze revealed that she was deep in contemplation.

The clock on the living room wall continued to tick forward, past 11:30 and inching toward noon.

——"Speaking of which, Sis, I have one more question."

After thinking for a moment, Xia Liang suddenly asked, "Since you said Inspectors don’t handle administrative matters, then who in the Investigation Bureau is actually responsible for dispatching Magical Girls?"