Chapter 268: Emergency Notice

During the second half of the patrol, Knapweed did not continue discussing with Nina the right or wrong of her earlier actions.

In her view, once she had said something once and the other person had truly listened, there was no need to repeat it. Better to give the other person time to think than to endlessly debate.

Thus, during the second half, both women focused solely on patrol and inspection, occasionally exchanging casual words, without mentioning anything else.

After recording patrol conditions for each zone and recovering a total of seven malfunctioning landmines, just as the task neared completion and Knapweed began considering which route to take out of the minefield, her personal magic mirror suddenly reacted.

"Wait, the mirror just lit up." She informed Nina, then pulled out the mirror and activated the call.

——"Hello, this is the City Defense Command. Are you Knapweed?"

From the mirror's surface emerged a stranger magic girl wearing a military cap, who immediately asked this question.

"Yes." In the military, hierarchy was clearly defined; it was normal for unfamiliar superiors to issue orders, so Knapweed asked no questions, simply replying: "What is the directive?"

"Confirmed contact with Knapweed's squad."

The stranger magic girl in the mirror lowered her head, as if jotting notes on her desk, then raised it again, her expression grave:

"The command just received a report from a fairy sensing the presence of a Remnant Beast in the southern district of the city—specifically within your squad's assigned zone. Based on magical energy readings, this Remnant Beast has reached at least the pupa stage or higher. You must dispatch experienced magic girls immediately to handle it."

To Knapweed, such an order was not unfamiliar.

Remnant Beasts were never solely a nightmare of the material world; in the magical realm, they remained a persistent, unpredictable disaster.

Just as in the material world, these monsters infiltrated everywhere—even with elaborate nets laid to prevent them from entering the city, they still appeared intermittently, like data refreshing, within urban zones. Even Luennore, a core city, could not avoid such incidents.

During the war, all magic girl units across the nation were temporarily reorganized; Luennore now had no permanent stationed magic girls. The City Defense Force was the primary force handling these Remnant Beasts.

Or rather, for Luennore, still not on the front lines, these intermittent Remnant Beasts were currently the greatest enemy facing the City Defense Force.

Though this was routine work, several keywords in the commander's message triggered Knapweed's alertness.

"Pupa?"

She frowned slightly: "Why would a pupa-stage Remnant Beast suddenly appear in the district?"

It was no wonder she reacted this way—this news was essentially slapping the label "incompetent" onto her face.

Knapweed's squad was stationed in the southern city district and responsible for its entire security. As squad leader, she was the primary person accountable.

To ensure no lapses in her assigned zone, Knapweed had spared no effort over the past month to eliminate Remnant Beasts—every single Remnant Beast appearing in the southern district was destroyed immediately, even underground areas, potential hiding spots, had been thoroughly cleared by her squad. In her mind, the district under her command was not just among the safest in Luennore—it was top-tier.

And now the command told her a pupa had appeared in her own territory?

Remember, a Remnant Beast's evolution never occurred from nothing. To reach pupa stage, it must have consumed heavily—devouring humans, fairies, or even its own kind. In southern Luennore, where Remnant Beasts were hunted down the moment they appeared, there was no room for such a creature to develop undisturbed.

Then where did this pupa come from?

The vast majority of Remnant Beasts began as eggs; a few might emerge as larvae, but pupa-stage birth was nearly impossible. Across the history of both the magical realm and the material world, cases of Remnant Beasts being born directly as pupae were exceedingly rare—events a normal person would never encounter in a lifetime.

Had she just struck the jackpot—this once-in-a-lifetime event happening precisely in her squad's zone?

Knapweed's thoughts churned unpredictably.

"The command has marked the Remnant Beast's location. City-wide sealing spells have been activated, restricting the Remnant Beast's movement. Emergency evacuation notices have been sent to local residents."

On the other end of the mirror, the command's magic girl showed no awareness of Knapweed's emotions, continuing her report: "We are lifting magical energy restrictions on the corresponding streets. Proceed quickly to the designated non-magical zone. In five minutes, the Remnant Beast will regain full mobility."

"... Understood."

Regardless of her feelings, Knapweed now had to accept this reality.

Time was precious—that was the shared understanding between her and the command. Even if someone in command suspected her of negligence, they merely informed her of the Remnant Beast's appearance, saying nothing more. Likewise, even if she harbored doubts about the situation, she would not waste precious rescue time questioning the information's validity.

Even if a pupa truly existed, questions about how it arrived and who was responsible would be settled only after it was eliminated.

"Let's go."

After sorting through these thoughts, Knapweed ended the mirror call and turned to Nina: "We're going to see this so-called pupa."

"Ah, yes, but… wait, pupa?"

Nina nodded blankly at first, then, upon realizing what Knapweed meant, froze in alarm: "I have to go too?"

"Correct." Knapweed merely nodded: "Our current task is nearly complete. We leave immediately."

"No, no, no, that's not the issue—I've never dealt with a pupa before!"

Nina shook her head vigorously, then pulled her shoulders in: "What if I mess up and become a liability?"

"Mohe."

Knapweed did not directly answer Nina's words but asked instead: "You're a Leaf-rank, right?"

"Y-yes?"

"How many basic spells have you mastered? How many reserve runes have you stored?"

"Uh… I've learned all seven, and I've stored four sets of reserve runes, per standard." Nina's voice wavered.

"That's enough."

Knapweed nodded: "For handling a pupa, your skill level won't be a liability—even if you're not the main force. Come with me."

"Huh? Really? But I heard many pupae have pupal shells—I'm not even sure my magic can pierce their defense…" Nina whispered.

"That doesn't matter. I'm here."

Knapweed swung her magic wand like a club, a faint smile on her face—but her eyes held no amusement:

"Daring to cause trouble in my territory? I'll crack open that turtle shell."