Chapter 141: The Deviator

The one appearing here at this moment, referred to as "Chief" by Lin Yun under these circumstances, could naturally be no one else but the Emerald Scepter of the Research Institute: the Emerald.

"Eh? You say it's disgusting?"

A fluffy, round fairy doll stepped out from behind Lin Yun, its tone revealing a hint of surprise: "I saw you addressing each other like that in such a setting and thought it was some kind of fetish."

"Please do not imagine other people's relationships to be so filthy."

"Ah, sorry, I thought our... it seems your recent life has been quite colorful."

"If you are only here to amuse yourself, you could perfectly well do something more serious."

Lin Yun's tone was flat: "So, what brings you here today, Your Excellency the Chief?"

"Nothing much, just here to remind you that my private research institute is complete."

The fairy doll wriggled and jumped onto the desk in front of Lin Yun: "I have prepared some interesting little gadgets over there; would you like to come see?"

"Already finished?"

Lin Yun was slightly stunned: "I recall the location was only confirmed three days ago..."

"In fact, it was completed the day after the site was chosen. Do not doubt the technical prowess of our Research Institute's magical girls, junior."

The doll crossed its paws, its lazy electronic voice carrying a hint of pride: "Ten years ago, we had already completed iterations of material shaping and transfer technology; mere interior decoration is a piece of cake."

"Is that so? Then congratulations."

After receiving the other's reply, Lin Yun actually lost the corresponding interest. He perfunctorily responded with a sentence, then continued to lower his head and pick up the documents on the desk: "But I am very sorry, I still have work to do now; let's go after work hours."

"Hmm... this is an invitation from an elder and a superior; your attitude is simply too terrible."

The Emerald's voice paused, clearly choked by Lin Yun's attitude: "Besides, I am also against overtime. If you are off work, my side has long been in rest time."

"Then we'll talk about it later."

Regarding the other's accusation, Lin Yun remained unmoved: "I have accumulated enough work for today; I have no time to wander elsewhere."

"I see, then I respect your decision."

The doll by the desk nodded: "It is just a pity; I originally wanted to chat with you about that child on the way."

"It's fine, I actually don't really..."

Lin Yun stopped halfway, suddenly feeling something was wrong. He raised his head and looked at the doll before him: "Which child are you talking about?"

"Naturally the child who just left, that magical girl."

Extending a paw to point at the Director's office door, and also at the direction Bai Jingxuan had previously departed, the doll's voice echoed in the room containing only the two of them:

— "After all, that child carries a scent of 'Beast.' Did you not notice?"

Silence fell over the office for a moment.

"... Are you talking about Thin Snow?"

After a long pause, Lin Yun could not help but frown: "Scent of a Beast? On her? Could you be mistaken?"

"This is baseless questioning, junior. As the Gem Scepter of the Magical Realm and the Chief Researcher of the Institute, if I could not even distinguish the scent of a remnant Beast, I should have retired long ago to spend my twilight years in peace."

The round fairy doll tilted its neckless head: "The scent of a Beast is the scent of a Beast; it cannot be hidden in any form."

"... But I have never felt such a thing."

Lin Yun averted his gaze, looking toward the direction Bai Jingxuan had previously departed: "I have spent some time with that child and have never felt the remnant Beast's magic you speak of."

"The 'scent' of a Beast does not necessarily have to be manifested through a Beast's magic."

The Emerald's lazy voice was flat but somewhat profound: "Moreover, even if it is not a Beast's magic, that child's magic is special, is it not?"

"You mean her healing ability?" Lin Yun suddenly recalled his previous conversation with Tian Sheng.

Tian Sheng had once said on the train that the reason he turned a misfortune into a blessing during the Full Moon Festival incident was likely because he had come into contact with Bai Jingxuan's magic.

In fact, Bai Jingxuan's magic was indeed an existence outside Lin Yun's cognitive framework.

Previously, he had already thought he must find an opportunity to ask the Emerald about it, and now, that opportunity lay before him. The other party had even placed the truth on the table as a bargaining chip, waiting only for him to make a decision.

"What do you need this time?" he asked.

"Oh, finally tempted?"

The doll's eyes brightened slightly, looking lifelike at that moment: "It seems my effort in doing this homework in advance was not in vain. There are few people in this world for whom I would specially invest extra thought; be grateful, junior."

"Whether I am grateful depends on the price you offer."

Lin Yun stared into the doll's eyes: "Nothing is this coincidental; I am not a fool."

"If I tell you these are truly coincidences and I merely utilized them at the right moment? Misunderstanding noble and beautiful qualities like this would make me feel hurt, even if I am indifferent to fame and fortune."

The Emerald sighed as if hurt, but seeing that Lin Yun before her showed no reaction, she had the doll spread its hands: "Nothing much; I just need you to come to my institute."

"That's it?" Lin Yun raised an eyebrow.

"That's it." The Emerald was concise.

"Are you planning to trick me over there to be a test subject?"

Lin Yun was confused: "Or is there something there that you can use to threaten me?"

"There is no such thing; what exactly do you take me for?"

"Gem Scepter."

"Junior, if you use that word to attack me again, I may consider explicitly writing the clause 'Prohibition on Misinterpreting or Misusing the Term Gem Scepter' into the Realm's code."

The Emerald complained: "I came to you with sufficient goodwill; come quickly. Otherwise, I really won't tell you."

Lin Yun silently stared at the doll for several seconds, then helplessly sighed and took out his phone.

Using his phone to contact the Human Resources and General Affairs departments of the Hetero-Strategy Bureau to convey that he would be temporarily leaving the bureau, he put on his jacket and stood up from behind the desk.

"Let's go."

He said so.

One person and one fairy thus strode out of the Director's office with swagger. Since the fairy doll would not be perceived by others, in the eyes of passing employees, Lin Yun had simply left alone as usual.

Only after confirming they were far enough from the Hetero-Strategy Bureau did the voice of the Emerald re-emerge from within the fairy doll:

"Since you've agreed, then, I'll pay you part of the reward in advance, young man."

"To understand what's special about that child, you need to grasp some preliminary concepts—like, do you know what a 'Displacer' is?"

"…I only know it has to do with the nature of magic," Lin Yun said honestly.

"Yes, it has to do with the nature of magic—but do you know what 'nature' actually means?" Emerald asked.

"Nature… does it just mean literally? Fire nature, water nature, like that?" Lin Yun said uncertainly.

"What are you talking about? This is the real world, not a game. Nature isn't divided so simply."

Emerald sighed: "The term 'nature' is short for 'the base nature of magic'—it's the collective name for the source and expression of your power."

"In plain terms?"

"In plain terms, 'nature,' or 'base nature,' depends on your identity. Even more precisely, it's your 'faction' within magic."

Emerald said calmly: "The magic of a Magic Girl is the base nature of a Magic Girl; the magic of a Remnant Beast is the base nature of a Remnant Beast; even the magic of a Fairy has its own base nature. Only ordinary life in the material realm—like humans—have magic without base nature."

"Depends on identity? A 'faction' within magic?"

Lin Yun murmured: "So, the 'displacement' of a Displacer… is really…"

"Yes. A 'Displacer' is one whose base nature of magic has shifted—acquiring characteristics of another nature, different from their original one."

Emerald raised her voice: "In other words, in terms of magical nature, their identity is not pure, not singular—every Displacer belongs to more than one faction."

"Base nature… shifted?"

Lin Yun had never heard of such a thing before.

In his understanding, life in this world—whether human, Remnant Beast, or Magic Girl—was sharply divided, with clear and obvious differences.

But using this concept to explain the many unusual traits of the Displacer made perfect sense. Kanshula

"Typically, the magic of a Displacer shifts toward a relatively gentle direction."

Emerald continued explaining: "For example, shifting from the base nature of a Magic Girl toward the no-base-nature of a human; or from the base nature of a Magic Girl toward the base nature of a Fairy; even, as a human, shifting toward the Magic Girl nature, gaining extraordinary Magic Girl talent—essentially a born Magic Girl…"

At this point, Lin Yun finally understood what Emerald meant, and faintly grasped the unusual nature of Bai Jingxuan: "You mean the child's magic…"

"Yes. And the child we're referring to—the one with the codename 'Baoxue'—must have shifted toward the Remnant Beast direction. Her magic is inherently biased toward the 'Beast' faction."

Emerald's voice was calm, but when she spoke these words, that calmness felt strangely off:

—"If she hadn't become a Magic Girl, she would have been a born 'Beast-Turned' in the future."

(End of Chapter)