Vol 2 Chapter 13: Deviant
The one appearing here at this mont, and being called “Your Excellency Chief” by Lin Yun under these circumstances, could naturally be no one else—of course, it was the Counterasure Bureau’s Erald Scepter from the Court of Research—Erald.
“Eh? You said it’s disgusting?”
The fluffy, round Toy Fairy stepped out from behind Lin Yun, its tone carrying a hint of surprise: “I saw the way you two addressed each other in that setting and thought it was so kind of kink.”
“Please don’t imagine other people’s relationships to be so filthy.”
“Ah, sorry. I thought we had... Looks like your life’s been pretty colorful lately.”
“If you’re just here to ss with , you could really find sothing more proper to do.”
Lin Yun’s voice was emotionless: “So, what brings you here today, Your Excellency Chief?”
“Nothing much, just ca to remind you that my private lab is finally finished.”
The Toy Fairy twisted its body and jumped onto the desk in front of Lin Yun: “I’ve already got so fun little gadgets set up over there. Want to co have a look?”
“It’s done already?”
Lin Yun was slightly stunned: “I thought the address was only finalized three days ago…”
“In fact, it was finished the day after we picked the location. Please don’t doubt the technical prowess of us magical girls from the Court of Research, junior.”
The toy hugged its little paws, its lazy electronic voice tinged with a trace of pride: “We had already iterated the technology for material shaping and transference ten years ago. Sothing like interior decor is child’s play.”
“Is that so? Congratulations, then.”
After hearing the response, Lin Yun actually lost interest. He replied perfunctorily and then lowered his head again to pick up the file on the desk: “But sorry, I’ve got work to do right now. I’ll co by after I’m off duty.”
“Hmm… that’s an invitation from a superior and an elder, you know. Isn’t your attitude a bit too rude?”
Erald’s voice paused, clearly choked by Lin Yun’s response: “And I’m a strong believer in no overti. If you’re off duty, I’ve been resting for a while.”
“Then let’s talk about it another ti.”
Unfazed by the reproach, Lin Yun replied calmly: “I’ve got more than enough work piled up today. No ti to wander off elsewhere.”
“I see. Then I’ll respect your decision.”
The toy by the desk nodded: “It’s just a sha. I had wanted to chat with you a bit about that kid on the way.”
“It’s fine. I’m not really…”
Lin Yun stopped halfway, sensing sothing was off. He looked up at the toy in front of him: “Which kid are you talking about?”
“Why, the one who just left, of course—that magical girl.”
The toy pointed its paw toward the Director's Office door, also indicating the direction Bai Jingxuan had left. Its voice echoed in the room, where only the two of them remained:
—“After all, that kid has the scent of a ‘Beast’ on her. Didn’t you notice?”
The office fell silent.
“…You an Bosetsu?”
After a long mont, Lin Yun frowned: “The scent of a Beast? On her? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“That would be baseless doubt, junior. As the Erald Scepter of the Magic Kingdom, the Chief Researcher of the Court of Research—if I couldn’t even tell the scent of a Ravager, then I might as well retire and enjoy my twilight years.”
The round Toy Fairy tilted its neckless head: “The scent of a Beast is the scent of a Beast. No matter the form, it can’t be hidden.”
“…But I’ve never sensed anything like that.”
Lin Yun averted his eyes, glancing in the direction Bai Jingxuan had left: “I’ve spent a good amount of ti with that kid. I’ve never once sensed the Ravager magic you’re talking about.”
“The scent of a ‘Beast’ doesn’t have to manifest as Beast magic.”
Erald’s lazy voice was flat, but carried sothing deeper: “Besides, even if it’s not Beast magic, that child’s magic is special, isn’t it?”
“You an her healing ability?” Lin Yun suddenly recalled his earlier conversation with Tian Sheng.
Tian Sheng had once said on the light rail that he might’ve co out of the Moon Festival incident better off thanks to being exposed to Bai Jingxuan’s magic.
In fact, Bai Jingxuan’s magic was indeed sothing outside of Lin Yun’s usual understanding.
He had previously thought about finding an opportunity to ask Erald. And now, that opportunity was right in front of him. The other party had even laid the truth out as a bargaining chip—just waiting for him to take the deal.
“What do you want this ti?” he asked.
“Oh, finally intrigued?”
The toy’s eyes lit up, suddenly seeming very lifelike: “Looks like my prep work wasn’t in vain. There aren’t many people in this world worth going the extra mile for—you should be grateful, junior.”
“Whether I’m grateful depends on the price you na.”
Lin Yun stared into the toy’s eyes: “Nothing happens this coincidentally. I’m not an idiot.”
“What if I told you it really was just a coincidence, and I rely took advantage of the timing? If such noble and beautiful character gets misunderstood like this, even soone as detached as can feel a little heartbroken.”
Erald let out a sorrowful sigh, but seeing that Lin Yun didn’t react at all, she had no choice but to make the toy spread its little arms: “It’s nothing major. I just want you to visit my lab.”
“That’s it?” Lin Yun raised an eyebrow.
“That’s it,” Erald said crisply.
“So you’re planning to lure over and use as a test subject?”
Lin Yun asked, confused: “Or is there sothing over there you can use to threaten ?”
“Nothing like that. What kind of person do you think I am?”
“Erald Scepter.”
“Junior, if you call that as an insult one more ti, I might seriously consider having ‘Misuse of the title Erald Scepter is prohibited’ written explicitly into the national law.”
Erald grumbled: “I ca to you in good faith—hurry up and co with . Otherwise, I really won’t tell you.”
Lin Yun silently stared down the toy for a few seconds before finally letting out a helpless sigh and taking out his phone.
He contacted the Counterasure Bureau’s HR and General Affairs departnts, informing them of his temporary leave. Then he put on his coat and stood up from behind the desk.
“Let’s go.”
He said.
And so, a man and a Toy Fairy swaggered out of the Director’s Office. Since Toy Fairies couldn’t be perceived by others, to the passing staff, it simply looked like Lin Yun was leaving alone as usual.
Once they had confird they were far enough from the Counterasure Bureau, Erald’s voice ca from the toy again:
“Well then, since you’ve agreed, let pay part of the reward in advance, junior.”
“If you want to understand what’s special about that child, you need to grasp so basic concepts first. For example, do you know what a ‘Deviant’ actually is?”
“…All I know is that it has sothing to do with the nature of one’s magic,” Lin Yun answered honestly.
“Yes, it’s related to magical attributes. But do you know what ‘attributes’ really are?” Erald pressed.
“Attributes… like literally? Fire, water, that sort of thing?” Lin Yun replied uncertainly.
“What are you talking about? This is the real world, not a ga. It’s not that simple.”
Erald sighed: “So-called ‘attributes’ are actually short for ‘magic base-color attributes’—they’re a general term for the source and form of your power.”
“In simpler terms?”
“In simple terms: your ‘attribute,’ or your ‘base color,’ depends on your identity. It’s essentially your ‘faction’ in terms of magic.”
Erald said leisurely: “A Magical Girl’s magic has a Magical Girl base color; a Ravager’s magic has a Ravager base color; even Fairies have their own base color. Only ordinary beings in the Material World, like humans, have no base color at all.”
“Based on identity… a faction of magic?”
Lin Yun murmured: “Then, the ‘deviation’ of a Deviant is actually…”
“Exactly. The so-called ‘Deviants’ are those whose base-color attribute has shifted. Compared to their original attribute, they now show characteristics of another.”
Erald raised her voice: “In other words, their magical identity isn’t singular or pure. Every Deviant belongs to more than one faction.”
“Base color attribute… shifted?”
It was the first ti Lin Yun had heard such a concept.
In his understanding, beings in this world—humans, Ravagers, Magical Girls—were clearly distinct, separated by very definite lines.
But this idea, when applied to explain the anomalies seen in Deviants, made perfect sense.
“The Deviants we usually define tend to shift in a milder direction.”
Erald continued explaining: “For instance, from a Magical Girl’s base color shifting toward the colorless human state; or from a Magical Girl’s base color shifting toward a Fairy’s; or even humans who were already inclined toward the Magical Girl base color—thus possessing exceptional talent and being essentially born as Magical Girls…”
At this point, Lin Yun finally understood what Erald had been trying to express. And he also started to vaguely grasp what made Bai Jingxuan so unusual: “You’re saying that child’s magic…”
“Yes. And that child we’re talking about, the one codenad Bosetsu, I believe has deviated toward the Ravager side. Her magic is naturally aligned with the ‘Beast’ faction.”
Erald’s voice was calm, but that calmness beca oddly chilling as she spoke the next words:
—“If she hadn’t beco a Magical Girl, she would’ve naturally beco a ‘Beastkin.’”
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