Chapter 358: Views

Senior Cuique hadn't gleaned much from those beast-children.

After all, it was only a distant observation, and not for very long, so the information she could obtain was extremely limited. On top of that, some of the beast-children had quite sharp perception — for instance, the magical girl with the codename "Arrow Root Yam." Even though Senior Cuique had hidden her own magical fluctuations and deliberately mixed herself into the crowd, the other girl still seemed to sense the fact that "someone was watching her" and tried to find the source of that gaze.

Of course, there was no way they could discover Senior Cuique. The other's keen perception was certainly commendable, but the gap in magical power, experience, and technique decided the information asymmetry between the two sides.

"To be honest, although I can more or less sense the gap between them and the other children, I think it's probably just differences caused by the environment they came from and the education they received."

Recalling the information she had secretly observed, Senior Cuique organized her words as she spoke: "Although saying this might sound too lenient, I think, if we're really talking about their essence, they don't seem to be any different from ordinary magical girls."

"Mm."

The fairy doll shook its head: "That's normal enough."

"Normal?"

"I mean, it's normal for you to feel that way, because from merely observing their outward appearance and behavioral trajectory, the conclusion we've reached on our end is pretty much the same."

Emerald's voice remained languid: "Still, this does confirm our earlier guess, doesn't it?"

"Our guess?" Senior Cuique's face showed doubt, because she had absolutely no memory of having speculated about anything together with Emerald.

"That girl at your place, Boxue."

Emerald pointed it out: "Do you remember what I told you when you brought her to see me back then?"

"You said a lot back then." Senior Cuique nodded. "But which part specifically?"

"What I said was — she is a born beastification subject, and after she became a magical girl, she is a born 'Claw Mark.'"

Emerald cleared her throat twice, reciting as if reciting from a book: "Even purer, even more complete, even closer to a perfect form than Bai Lang — a true 'Claw Mark.'"

Senior Cuique remembered that sentence.

Without a doubt, the words Emerald had spoken back then to describe Bai Jingxuan could now also be perfectly applied to those beast-children.

"So, just like you normally can't see anything special about that little girl at your place, these beast-children are naturally all the same."

Emerald gave her conclusion: "Their existence proves that Boxue is not an isolated case; this trait is a common feature of this batch of beast-children."

"Was this within your expectations?" Senior Cuique looked at the doll.

"No."

Emerald spoke concisely: "But it's not that unexpected either. Where there's one, there are two. After seeing that little girl at your place, I had more or less guessed it in my heart — I just didn't expect to see so many examples this soon."

After hearing Emerald's analysis, Senior Cuique hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.

"What's wrong? Is there something you can't say?" Seeing Senior Cuique's reaction, the doll tilted its head, looking rather cute.

"... It's not that I can't say it."

Senior Cuique pressed her lips together: "It's just that, when I think of Boxue, I inevitably end up overthinking things when I look at these 'beast-children.'"

"Oh, so that's what you meant."

Emerald suddenly understood: "I was wondering why your attitude was so strange. Still thinking about these things? Feeling sympathy? Wanting to help them?"

"It's not to that extent."

Senior Cuique sighed: "I just can't help wondering in my heart, wanting to know if there might be a child like Boxue among them."

"Junior."

Emerald's voice suddenly became much more serious: "You shouldn't have forgotten that just yesterday I told you that merely finding a way to protect that examinee named Bohe has already made us shoulder a lot of extra risk. Don't forget — their identity is, first and foremost, our enemy, and only then 'children.' And the situation we're about to face will be incredibly chaotic. You have no need, and it's impossible, to save everyone. Even we Gem Scepters in office can't do something like that."

In fact, regarding this topic, Senior Cuique had already discussed it with Emerald yesterday.

In Emerald's view, Senior Cuique not only kept thinking about her "old comrades" in Claw Mark in her heart, but was now also inexplicably harboring benevolence toward the beast-children of Ash Dawn. If this kind of indecisive, looking-ahead-and-behind mindset wasn't straightened out, it could invite disaster in the upcoming operation.

And Senior Cuique herself also knew exactly what Emerald was thinking.

"I know, and I've already explained to you many times — I'm not so arrogant as to think I can mediate every dispute."

Senior Cuique's expression was calm: "Rather, it's precisely because I know more and more that my disgust toward Ash Dawn is growing by the day."

Disgusting. It was simply nauseating.

That was how Senior Cuique felt about Ash Dawn's actions at this moment.

Emerald had previously said that the origin of Claw Mark's unorthodox beastification technology had always been a mystery. Bai Lang herself, although a former Gem Scepter, was not a research talent skilled at technical development, so the fact that she could put together a complete system of beastification, combat, and ability development within a dozen or so years of defecting was completely unreasonable.

And if previously, in Senior Cuique's mind, Ash Dawn was only "suspected" among the candidates who might have provided this technology to Claw Mark, then now, having learned what "beast-children" are like, and that some of these beast-children could actually become magical girls, she could already be certain that among the sources of Claw Mark's technology, there were definitely people from Ash Dawn.

She couldn't help but think of Hong Siyu.

The events of the Full Moon Festival day were still vivid in her mind, and on Claw Mark's path of exploring this forbidden technology, just how many victims like Hong Siyu would there be?

Senior Cuique simply couldn't think deeply about it; even merely guessing at a number made her feel heavy-hearted.

"Claw Mark's technology currently looks very likely to be connected to them, and these 'beast-children' who became magical girls are also their handiwork. These scums not only ignore taboos and abuse residual beast magic, treating human lives like grass, but now they've even extended their hands toward magical girls — toward children who originally harbored beautiful dreams of wanting to help others...

She looked at her own palm, her hands loosely cupped: "Precisely because of this, no matter what scheme they're currently plotting, I absolutely don't want them to succeed. Not only that, I must drag out that disgusting fellow hiding in the shadows, using the magical girls as a shield while plotting schemes back there."

"Mm, sounds like you're quite fired up. Then I'll take it I was worrying over nothing."

The sound of drinking water came from inside the doll's head — probably some action on Emerald's end. She pondered for a moment, then shook her head: "Are you free tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"Let's add another meeting. Since you're so motivated, our security plan should be adjusted once more." Emerald proposed as such.

"Should be no problem. Rather, I already have some ideas right now..."

Senior Cuique nodded in acceptance, and the two of them directly began discussing a draft.

Certain positions needed to be changed, the patrol logic in certain places needed to be revisited. If they had to guard against outside enemies while also ensuring they could deal with the beast-children's sabotage, many plans had to be altered.

And just as the two were deep in heated discussion, a Magic Mirror message suddenly came in on Emerald's end.

Their conversation had to be temporarily suspended. Seeing that she had already been in the examination hall for nearly 20 minutes, and staying any longer might delay the subsequent exam, Senior Cuique took the initiative to leave.

Emerald did not stop her.

Just as Senior Cuique thought the conversation was over and briskly walked to the examination hall entrance, her hand already reaching toward the door, a somewhat startled exclamation from Emerald came from behind her:

— "You said what? The file I just adjusted the permissions for was viewed by Amethyst?"