"Mm, it’s nothing. I’ll be back in a month. Just don’t go overboard when you’re out with your friends, and don’t slack off on your studies. Especially since you said Veronica is going to be away too—without her around, you all need to be extra disciplined."
A deep male voice echoed from a window seat aboard a slow-moving landship.
"Aunt Hong is coming over to look after you guys? Can she even cook? Or should I send a housekeeper to make als for you?"
Leaning back in his seat, Lin Yun raised an eyebrow as he held his phone. "You sure you guys can manage? Positive?"
On the other end of the call, a girl’s voice buzzed in response. Lin Yun tilted his head, listening before exhaling a sigh with a trace of helplessness.
"Alright, alright, you’re not a little kid anymore. Got it. Dad shouldn’t doubt you like that."
After going over a few more everyday matters, he ended the call and let out a long breath.
It had been two days since he received the Investigation Bureau’s notice. Following the request of his direct superior—Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye, Lin Yun had left Fangting City and was now en route to Bai’an City.
Covering for Both Identities
Since he was leaving, he faced a logistical problem—both Lin Yun and Veronica would be absent from Fangting City at the sa ti.
If Lin Xiaolu happened to co ho and found her father mysteriously gone, she might start having… inconvenient suspicions. So Lin Yun had preemptively inford her in his role as her father—saying that he was going on a business trip.
Thankfully, he had already hinted at a possible work trip before, so this didn’t raise any alarms with her.
After that, as Veronica, he had announced to the three rookie Magical Girls that he might be leaving Fangting City for a while.
This naturally caused an uproar among the girls.
Lin Xiaolu, the most expressive one, imdiately bombarded Veronica with rapid-fire questions—
"Are you never coming back? Are we not good enough? Is your mission in Fangting City over?"
She practically had "Don’t go!" written across her face. It took Veronica quite so effort to calm her down.
Xia Liang, being more composed, imdiately thought of Veronica’s role as an Inspector and asked if she had received a new assignnt. Upon getting a yes, she expressed her concerns.
As for Bai Jingxuan, she was the calst and most well-behaved—accepting Veronica’s departure easily. However, she raised a practical question—
"What about our magic training and lessons?"
Unlike the others, Bai Jingxuan hadn’t been in the squad long enough to form deep attachnts. She cared more about the structural impact of Veronica’s absence than the absence itself.
And she wasn’t wrong to worry.
Veronica had already considered this issue and proposed several backup plans:
Bringing in Hong Siyu – While Hong Siyu no longer had magic, her knowledge remained sound, making her a suitable instructor.Leaving behind a detailed training plan – Veronica would periodically check in via phone and guide them remotely.Having the entire squad relocate to Bai’an City – This was what the girls unanimously wanted.
However, after careful consideration, Veronica refused the third option.
Bai’an City was where an Investigation Bureau team had vanished. The enemy lurking there was unknown. No matter what, keeping the rookies safe took priority.
Despite Lin Xiaolu’s strong resistance to the first option, the final decision was to implent both the first and second options—Hong Siyu would oversee their daily training, while Veronica would periodically evaluate their progress.
With everything settled, Lin Yun had boarded the landship the next day, departing Fangting City for Bai’an City.
Before completely shifting his focus to the mission, he had made sure to check in with Lin Xiaolu once more, ensuring everything was running smoothly at ho before hanging up.
Approaching Bai’an City
Sitting by the window, Lin Yun gazed at the landship’s protective network and the barren wasteland beyond.
Now, the real mission was about to begin.
According to the intelligence gathered via Magic Mirror, the Investigation Bureau’s Cat Tail Squad had gone missing about a week ago.
Previously, after capturing Sparrow and bringing her back to The Kingdom, the Investigation Bureau had interrogated her. Through this, they learned that Claw Scar remnants were still active in the southern regions of Donghua Province.
With that intel, Cat Tail Squad returned to Donghua Province, following the provided leads.
After investigating multiple cities, they finally arrived in Bai’an City—
And that was the last anyone heard from them.
They were supposed to submit daily reports, but after reaching Bai’an City, they went completely silent. Even when the Investigation Bureau tried contacting them, there was no response.
In the days that followed, the Bureau reached out to Bai’an City’s Counterasure Bureau and local Seeder operatives. They confird that Cat Tail Squad had indeed been there—
But only briefly.
They had spoken with the local Magical Girls, but didn’t request any assistance.
No one knew where they went after that.
Given the escalating danger, the Bureau sent two more investigative teams to Bai’an City. They also requested the help of the closest available Inspector—
And the unlucky one selected for the job was none other than Veronica, stationed in the southern region of Donghua Province.
Why Veronica Accepted the Mission
Veronica had no reason to refuse.
This was happening in her ho province.
If things escalated, Fangting City might beco the next target. If she declined, the Bureau would have to reassign soone else, which could delay the investigation and create more unknown variables.
But more than that—
There was sothing about the term "missing" that unsettled her.
Fangting City still had one missing Seeder.
A Seeder nad Nini had been sent to replace a predecessor in Fangting City—but she had vanished before even taking up her post.
Neither the local Counterasure Bureau nor The Royal Court had any clue about her whereabouts.
Nobody even knew if she had ever arrived at all.
Now, an entire squad of Magical Girls had gone missing in Bai’an City—in almost the exact sa manner.
Veronica didn’t believe in coincidences.
Especially not after the mysterious attack on Fangting City by Sparrow and her forces.
Sothing bigger was at play, and she needed to find out what it was.
Arrival in Bai’an City
As the landship neared its destination, the desolate barren wastelands outside gradually gave way to strands of greenery.
When the ship finally docked, a broadcast announced the end of the journey.
Lin Yun put his phone away, stood up, and grabbed his bag, stepping off the deck and into the city’s port terminal.
The bustling scene before him felt almost surreal.
The spacious waiting hall was filled with travelers of all kinds—so hurrying with luggage, others carefully navigating the crowd with children in their arms, and many simply sitting idly, scrolling through their phones.
Beyond the security checkpoint lay a massive shopping center, packed with travelers and locals alike. The energy of the place starkly contrasted with the eerie silence of the wastelands outside.
Seeing this vibrant normalcy eased so of Lin Yun’s tension.
The way the Bureau’s reports described it, Bai’an City sounded like a predatory abyss, a place that devoured Magical Girls.
But standing here, seeing ordinary people living their daily lives, he was reminded of sothing important—
The Magical World isn’t everything.
However—
If the threat lurking beneath the surface isn’t dealt with…
Then this fragile peace was nothing more than an illusion—a bubble that could burst at any mont.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yun centered himself and strode forward.
First Destination: The Counterasure Bureau
He had already arranged for a car to pick him up.
As he waited outside the port, a few enthusiastic locals approached him, trying to sell him tour packages or hotel deals.
But one look at his cold expression and unapproachable deanor was enough to make them back off.
Ignoring them, Lin Yun kept his focus.
His first priority wasn’t checking into a hotel.
Even though night was falling, his mission couldn’t wait.
His first stop—
Bai’an City Counterasure Bureau.
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