Bai'an City
"Well, it's nothing. I'll be back in a month. When you're with your friends, be careful not to overdo it, and don't fall behind in your studies. Especially since you mentioned Larkspur is going out soon, you all need to be extra disciplined without her watching over you."
On the slowly moving Landship, a deep male voice rang out from the window seat.
"Is Aunt Hong going to take care of you over there? Can she cook? Or should I have a part-time housekeeper come to your place to cook?"
Lin Yun, holding his phone, leaned back in his seat, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You guys can handle this yourselves? Are you sure?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a girl's voice seemed to be buzzing on the other end of the phone. Lin Yun listened intently, and after a short while, he spoke again, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Alright, alright, you're not a child anymore, I understand. Dad shouldn't have questioned you like that."
After explaining some other trivial matters, he hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief.
Two days had passed since he received the notification from the Investigation Institute. At the request of his "boss," Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye, he left Fangting City and embarked on his journey to Bai'an City.
However, because he had to leave Fangting City, he faced a troublesome problem: Lin Yun and Larkspur would disappear from Fangting City together.
Considering that Lin Xiaolu might go home midway through the trip, and if she found out that her father was also inexplicably absent, it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't have some strange associations. Therefore, Lin Yun could only inform Lin Xiaolu in advance, as her father, that he had to go on a business trip.
Fortunately, just in case, he had told Lin Xiaolu that he might have to go on a business trip, and now that he had said that, it didn't arouse any further suspicion from Lin Xiaolu.
After that, he announced to the three newcomers, again under the identity of Larkspur, that he might be leaving Fangting City for a period of time.
This news naturally elicited a strong reaction from the three boys.
Lin Xiaolu was the one who couldn't hide her thoughts the most. After hearing that Larkspur would be leaving Fangting City, she immediately launched into a series of questions: Was she never coming back? Was she dissatisfied with them? Had she completed her mission in Fangting City? She practically had "Don't go" written all over her face. It took Larkspur a lot of effort to calm her down.
Xia Liang reacted relatively maturely. Her first thought was of Larkspur's identity as an "Inspector," and she asked Larkspur if she had received any new mission. After receiving an affirmative answer, she then appropriately expressed her concerns.
As for Bai Jingxuan, she appeared quite calm and obedient, easily accepting the fact that Larkspur would be leaving, but at the same time she raised her own question: how should the magic training and courses proceed?
She hadn't been in the team long, and although she had some affection for the other magical girls, their feelings weren't that deep yet. More than the fact that Larkspur herself would leave, she seemed more concerned about the team lacking a mentor after Larkspur's departure.
Her concerns were not unfounded; in fact, Larkspur had considered the matter and proposed several alternative plans:
The first option is to bring Hong Siyu over. Although Hong Siyu no longer has magic, her knowledge base is still intact. The second option is for her to leave behind a training plan for the upcoming training sessions, and then contact the new recruits by phone periodically to check on their progress and provide guidance. The last option is for the entire Fangting City Squad to go to Bai'an City.
The girls unanimously requested that the third option be adopted, but after much consideration, Larkspur still did not agree.
The city we're heading to is the one where the Investigation Institute's investigation team went missing, and we don't know what kind of enemies are lurking there. In any case, the safety of the newcomers is the most important thing.
Therefore, even though Lin Xiaolu strongly opposed the first option, the final result was that both options were implemented in parallel: Hong Siyu responsible for the girls' daily tutoring, while Larkspur would periodically assess the results.
After the matter was finalized, Lin Yun boarded Landship that left Fangting City the next day and headed to Bai'an City.
To ensure that all arrangements were in order, he also contacted Lin Xiaolu as her father to let her know he was safe and sound, and briefly inquired about her situation after he left before hanging up the phone with peace of mind.
Sitting by the window, gazing at the land-based plank road surrounded by layers of protective netting, and the endless desolate Gobi Desert beyond, Lin Yun fell silent for a moment.
Next, we will officially begin the mission assigned by the Investigation Institute.
According to the information obtained through the Magic Mirror that night, the Investigation Institute's Cat-Tail Squad lost contact about a week ago.
After bringing Sparrow back to the Kingdom and undergoing interrogation by the Investigation Institute, the Cat-Tail Squad learned that there were still traces of Claw Mark marks in the southern Eastern Hua Prefecture. Therefore, they returned to Eastern Hua Prefecture and began to investigate based on the information provided by Sparrow.
After checking out numerous cities, they finally headed to Bai'an City according to their planned itinerary.
However, this was the last message they left for the Investigation Institute.
In the following days, the Cat-Tail Squad, which was supposed to report to the Investigation Institute daily, received no further messages, even when the Investigation Institute's communications department tried to contact them.
Afterwards, the Investigation Institute questioned the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau and the Seeder in Bai'an City and learned that the Cat-Tail Squad had indeed been to Bai'an City. However, they did not request assistance from the resident magical girls there, and left after only a brief exchange.
No one knows where they went after that.
Considering the danger of this matter, the Investigation Institute dispatched two more investigation teams to Bai'an City to conduct an investigation; at the same time, it contacted the nearest Inspector and asked him to come to Bai'an City to assist in the work.
And this unfortunate Inspector who was chosen was none other than Larkspur, who lived in the southern part of Eastern Hua Prefecture.
Larkspur did not refuse this request.
The incident occurred in Eastern Hua Prefecture, near his city, meaning the danger could reach Fangting City at any moment. If he refused and waited for the Investigation Institute to Inspector, who knew what unexpected changes might occur?
More importantly, according to the report, the Cat-Tail Squad's status was "missing," a word that sparked some associations in her mind.
Because one thing that had been puzzling her was that there was still a "missing" Seeder in Fangting City.
The Seeder Nini also "disappeared" after going to Fangting City in Eastern Hua Prefecture to take over her post. Neither the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau in Fangting City nor the Royal Court knew anything about her whereabouts, and no one even knew if she had ever taken up her post.
This situation is strikingly similar to the current predicament of the Cat-Tail Squad.
Larkspur did not believe it was a coincidence, especially since Sparrow and others' previous attack on Fangting City was also shrouded in mystery. In order to thoroughly investigate the matter, she chose to take the initiative.
The scenery on both sides of the land-based walkway gradually changed as the Landship moved forward. As the ship approached its destination— Bai'an City —the desolate landscape outside the walkway disappeared, and wisps of greenery appeared in people's view.
As the ship docked at the pier, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that the journey for the Landship's passengers had ended. Lin Yun put away her phone, stood up from her seat, and, carrying her luggage, followed the flow of people off the deck.
Leaving the ship and entering the port, the bustling scene made him feel somewhat unreal for a moment.
In the spacious waiting hall, the bustling crowd was a diverse mix of people: some hurried along carrying luggage, some carefully avoided the throngs of people while holding children, and some rested on the hall's seats, idly scrolling through their phones.
After exiting the security checkpoint, you'll find yourself in a massive shopping mall, situated in the prime location between the port building and the external entrance, bustling with activity.
As Lin Yun walked through the shopping mall, he could see all sorts of travelers in the surrounding shops and restaurants. There were tourists from other places like him, as well as locals who had shopped at the mall before their trip. The bustling atmosphere dispelled the gloomy mood after traversing the vast and desolate land, allowing those who had just stepped off the ship to quickly feel the warmth and vibrancy of civilization.
This calmed Lin Yun's previously anxious mood.
After all, judging from the intelligence provided by the Investigation Institute alone, Bai'an City seemed like a gaping maw of abyss that could swallow magical girls at any moment, and the entire city was shrouded in the shadow of crisis.
Only by coming here in person and seeing the lives of ordinary people, witnessing their peaceful daily routines, could Lin Yun realize once again that the Magic Side was never the whole of this world.
However, if the hidden threat behind it is not addressed, the current prosperity will ultimately be nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
Composing himself, Lin Yun straightened his mindset and walked out of the shopping mall.
After passing through the external security passage, he arrived at the outer plaza. Work vehicles loaded with luggage and supplies were slowly driving along the road. He crossed the traffic, walked out of the parking lot, and finally officially entered Bai'an City at dusk.
He had arranged a pick-up vehicle via his mobile phone and waited expressionlessly at the parking lot outside the port. During this time, many people enthusiastically approached him, wanting to recommend tour groups and hotels, but Lin Yun's indifferent expression and cold demeanor quickly deterred them, and they wisely went to find other targets.
Lin Yun completely ignored those people, partly because he had already booked his hotel, and partly because his primary goal wasn't to go to the hotel to drop off his luggage and rest.
The situation was urgent, and even though it was already evening, it didn't stop him from immediately heading to his first destination— the Bai'an City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau.