Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 58: Daughter's Confession

"Hurry up! The Ravager has probably already started moving—we don’t have time!" Amid the chaos, Moko urged anxiously.

The restaurant’s customers had all crowded at the entrance, and the hallway outside was so packed that a stampede nearly broke out. Just as the noise and panic peaked, Xia Liang spoke up.

"Sorry, Uncle. Sorry, Xiaolu."

She wore an apologetic expression and gave a polite smile. "I... don’t think I can just run away like this."

"Don’t be reckless! You—" Lin Yun started to persuade her, but the words got stuck in his throat because Xia Liang's next action caught him completely off guard.

Right in front of them, without any hesitation, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a round gemstone.

It glowed with a hazy amethyst light, smooth and flawless, flickering in their gazes.

And everyone present knew exactly what it was—her Heartstone Seed.

"Uncle, I’m a Magical Girl."

Xia Liang opened her palm, placing the Heartstone Seed at its center, and looked at him seriously. "If I leave now, there won’t be anyone left to fight the Ravager."

Lin Xiaolu stared at her, dumbfounded. It took her a moment to process Xia Liang's intention. The moment she did, she instinctively wanted to say something, but then she saw Xia Liang wink at her.

—It’s enough for just me to come clean.

She understood. This was what Xia Liang meant to say.

"Is this some kind of toy? This isn’t the time for jokes!"

Lin Yun kept up the act, trying to cover for her, but Xia Liang didn’t give him the chance. The next second, as light flickered around her, the Heartstone Seed in her hand floated into the air, carried by a surge of magic flow that even ordinary people could see.

She didn’t transform immediately—only because there were still too many civilians around.

"You... you’re actually a Magical Girl..."

At this, even Lin Yun didn’t know how to react. All he could do was mechanically mutter the words like a poorly written line from a script.

Given the circumstances, what Xia Liang was doing wasn’t wrong. Someone had to act immediately. Since neither Lin Xiaolu nor Lin Yun wanted to reveal their identities, she had taken the initiative.

She didn’t have to hide her identity from Lin Yun either. After all, he was Lin Xiaolu’s father—he had no deep connection with her personally. In this situation, even if she exposed herself, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

That was the logic of it. But the speed at which Xia Liang made her decision still caught Lin Yun off guard.

In reality, it was his own bias at play.

For him, revealing his true identity had always been a major issue. But he had failed to consider one thing—when it came to true identities, other Magical Girls weren’t the same as him.

They concealed their identities merely for privacy. Unlike him, they didn’t live in constant fear of being discovered by strangers.

Xia Liang had chosen to reveal herself to protect Lin Xiaolu’s secret. By stepping forward to deal with the Ravager, she ensured Lin Xiaolu could remain hidden.

Lin Yun could guess her reasoning and knew there was no point in stopping her.

So, instead, he turned to Lin Xiaolu. "Then, Xiaolu, we—"

"Dad."

She interrupted him before he could finish.

For the first time in two years, since their relationship had fractured, she called him that properly.

For Lin Yun, that one word was something he hadn’t heard in a long time.

If it had been any other day, he would have been overjoyed to hear his daughter call him "Dad" again.

Even now, he still felt a warmth in his chest.

But he also knew what it meant.

"Thank you for pretending not to know all this time," Lin Xiaolu said calmly, meeting his gaze. "But now, there’s no need to pretend anymore."

She had made her decision.

"I have to go—because I’m a Magical Girl too."

With that, she stretched out her hand and opened her palm.

A pale blue Heartstone Seed lay there, identical in shape to Xia Liang’s, differing only in color.

She had long suspected that her secret wasn’t as well-kept as she thought. The only reason she hadn’t told Lin Yun was that she wasn’t ready—she needed more time, more courage.

But now, in this moment, she had made up her mind.

Lin Yun sat back down in his chair.

The Ravager’s attack wasn’t happening right here—it was still some distance away. The evacuation order from the Countermeasure Bureau was just a precaution, and the customers’ panic was purely driven by fear.

With two Magical Girls standing right before him, even if he truly were just an ordinary person, there was no need to think about "precaution" anymore. Acting terrified now would just seem unnecessary.

His gaze swept across the two girls. The last traces of tension on his face faded, replaced by resignation.

"...You’ve made up your minds?"

Lin Xiaolu nodded firmly. "Yeah."

"There’s no other choice," Xia Liang added.

"...Sigh, you two..."

Lin Yun let out a helpless laugh. "You could’ve just followed me out and pretended we got separated. It’s not like you were completely out of options. You hid your identities for so long, and now you’re giving them up so easily. Is that really okay?"

"Oh? So you really did know all along?"

Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes and muttered, "You acted so convincingly that I went through all that trouble for nothing."

Lin Yun simply shook his head without answering.

"Do you need one of us to escort you out first?" Xia Liang suddenly asked. "It might not be safe just walking out on your own."

"You’re off to fight a monster—what could possibly happen to me?"

Lin Yun waved her off. "We adults are already relying on you girls to fight for us. Do you think we’d make you take care of us too?"

"Go on. Didn’t you say you were in a hurry?" He turned slightly, looking at Lin Xiaolu with a rare seriousness. "I have only one request."

His voice was solemn, his eyes firm.

"No matter what happens—stay safe."

For the first time, not through Veronica’s alias, but as her father, he spoke these words to Lin Xiaolu.

But compared to when he first learned she was a Magical Girl, both their mindsets had already changed.

She had been a Magical Girl for nearly two months now. In that time, he had seen firsthand the effort she put into growing stronger.

Being a Magical Girl was dangerous, but it was also the only way for an ordinary person to wield true magic—an opportunity that countless magic users could only dream of.

She had chosen this path. The only thing he could do now was help her walk it steadily and go as far as she could.

Lin Xiaolu didn’t reply.

She gave him a long look, glanced at Moko and Xia Liang, then turned and ran out of the restaurant.

Moko followed immediately. Xia Liang flashed Lin Yun a quick smile before taking off after them.

Lin Yun returned a casual wave and stayed in his seat.

He planned to wait until they were gone before finding a secluded spot to transform back into Veronica—just in case they needed backup.

But just as he was thinking this, Xia Liang suddenly stopped at the door.

"Ah, almost forgot."

She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts.

"Just in case, I should call my senior first."

She spoke lightly, but at that moment, Lin Yun’s face froze.

He had just remembered something crucial.

Veronica’s phone was in his pocket.

And...

It wasn’t turned off.

His heart sank. He instinctively reached for his coat’s inner pocket, but it was already too late.

Before his fingers could even touch the phone, Xia Liang’s eyes lifted slightly—she had found the number.

He wanted to call out, but even speaking wouldn’t stop her now.

She smiled sweetly. He could only smile bitterly in return.

Then, as she pressed the call button, a few seconds later—

A crisp ringtone rang out from his chest, echoing through the now-empty restaurant.