Chapter 50: Chapter Fifty: The Meaning of the Inspector

"It sounds like some huge government…"

Xia Liang couldn't help but glance upward, lost in imagination: "Magic Kingdom—just hearing the name, I thought it'd be like some fairy-tale world."

"If you only look at the surface, it really is like a fairy tale."

Hong Siyu shook her finger again: "But unfortunately, the Magic Kingdom isn't just a fairy tale. Simply managing the massive force of magical girls in the material world requires countless personnel, not to mention governing the ordinary civilians living within the kingdom—structured administrative bodies are indispensable."

"Then the meaning of being a magical girl sounds even heavier now…"

Lin Xiaolu looked morose: "It feels like, in the public eye, we're mysterious, powerful heroes—but in reality, we still can't escape worldly power structures."

"That's precisely the symbol of magical girls remaining 'human,' rather than transcending beyond it."

Her words carried a childlike idealism, yet stirred a quiet sigh in Hong Siyu: "Because they still have attachments, desires, and connections to people, the world of magical girls is filled with equally complex interpersonal relationships."

"So that's why there are bad magical girls?" Xia Liang asked next.

"Yes, that's why bad ones exist…"

Hong Siyu was about to continue along her line of thought, but then paused, her expression turning puzzled: "Who told you that?"

Xia Liang glanced at Lin Xiaolu, who frowned openly: "My contact said so. What's wrong?"

"Ah, I think I know what's going on."

The confusion cleared, Hong Siyu's face lit up with realization, then she nodded: "Then I'll speak plainly—bad magical girls do exist for this reason. Just as in the material world there are law-abiding citizens and criminals, you can't guarantee everyone's nature is good."

"But don't the Sowers choose magical girls based on whether their hearts are pure?" Lin Xiaolu glanced at Mo Ke.

"More precisely, the Sowers only check whether you have magical potential and soul talent," Hong Siyu spread her hands.

——"I can't see that kind of thing at all. It's the Heart Seed that judges your inner desires."

Mo Ke chimed in: "But for children whose hearts are filled with dark thoughts, the Heart Seed shouldn't react at all."

"Even if someone is truly kind when chosen, a magical girl's term lasts a full ten years—no one knows whether her mindset will change during that time."

Hong Siyu looked at the two girls with a light tone: "Look at me—I certainly never imagined ten years ago that I'd still be single today."

No one responded.

Her example was so sensitive and painful that the two girls fell silent.

"Huh? Don't you guys laugh? I thought I was making a joke out of something really embarrassing!" Hong Siyu sounded surprised.

"It's just… laughing feels kind of…" Lin Xiaolu turned her face away.

"If you retired ten years ago, then you're already…" Xia Liang offered a faintly sympathetic smile.

"Don't look at me like that—it's making me uncomfortable!"

Hong Siyu slapped the sofa: "Fine, forget it! I shouldn't have made that joke—let's get back on topic! Let's keep talking about bad magical girls!"

"Listen carefully! Since ancient times, whenever a magical girl violates regulations or discipline, the Investigation Bureau sends a special team to gather evidence, then arrests the offending magical girl."

"In addition, if non-magical-girl offenders appear—like sorcerers—who cause major harm, the Investigation Bureau also deploys to investigate and apprehend them."

"You can think of the Investigation Bureau as the police of the magical side. From the lowest sorcerers to the highest magical girls—even the Playing Card Girls—if they break rules, they become targets for investigation and arrest."

"And the agency we interact with most is the Investigation Bureau and the Magic Affairs Bureau—so much so that, whenever magical girl matters are involved, we're essentially subordinate to these two bureaus."

"As for Inspectors, they're special envoys within the Investigation Bureau, assigned exclusively to investigate extremely grave crimes. Since the threshold for becoming an Inspector is almost always a Playing Card Girl, there are only a handful in total—and whenever one is deployed, it means something major has happened."

At this point, Hong Siyu picked up the tea Xia Liang had brought: "Now do you understand? What kind of major figure Senior Cuique is as an Inspector."

The long speech had left her throat dry, so she brought her lips close to the cup, ready to sip and moisten them.

"So… she's actually one of your superiors?" Xia Liang asked, her expression utterly innocent.

"Puh—cough cough cough!"

Hong Siyu spat out the tea she'd just swallowed and coughed violently: "How… how could you possibly reach that conclusion?"

"Well, look—the Inspector is a big shot in the Investigation Bureau, right? And you said the Strategic Bureau is subordinate to the Investigation Bureau, so isn't the Inspector also your superior?" Xia Liang counted off on her fingers, seriously tracing the logic: "Or is it that they're too high-ranking to actually manage us?"

"Cough—strictly speaking, Inspectors don't manage anything. They only investigate cases."

Pulling out two tissues, Hong Siyu wiped her lips as she explained to Xia Liang: "Though they hold great authority and the Strategic Bureau must cooperate fully during investigations, they generally don't—and aren't obligated to—interfere with the Strategic Bureau's operations."

"Of course, given Senior Cuique's unique status and circumstances as an Inspector, she's able to linger in one place, leisurely serving as your mentor."

As she spoke, Lin Xiaolu seemed to recall something, fixing her gaze on Mo Ke nearby. Mo Ke, meanwhile, pretended ignorance—even whistling to appear nonchalant.

"You're currently under Senior Cuique's protection—you can avoid dangerous matters, avoid the Magic Kingdom and its truly complex relationships, and focus on your training in peace. But you must also prepare: this kind of life won't last long."

This was Hong Siyu's final summary.

Knowing Lin Yun as she did, with his stubbornly reclusive nature, he must have remained silent as a sealed pot, never wanting to speak of these things.

He'd believe such matters were too early for children to understand, so he explained nothing, merely kept them buried inside, thinking alone, bearing them alone.

Since his return under the codename "Senior Cuique," all his actions clearly held deeper intentions—but even Hong Siyu, once his partner, could not fathom them.

The reason she'd spoken so much upon arriving—so much that might be too complex for children—was precisely to help them know more, understand more, and then take initiative to seek out Senior Cuique for further answers.

And her final words clearly stirred something in the two girls, each showing a different expression.

Lin Xiaolu's emotions were transparent—just by her face, you could clearly feel her reluctance at the thought of "Senior Cuique leaving." Xia Liang's expression was well-controlled, yet still showed deep thought.

The clock on the living room wall quietly ticked past eleven-thirty, moving toward noon.

——"By the way, sister, I have another question."

After a moment of thought, Xia Liang suddenly asked: "If you say Inspectors don't manage anything, then who in the Investigation Bureau is actually responsible for assigning magical girls?"