Luen Nore Magic Affairs Institute Branch

In the Magic Kingdom, influenced by the power wielded by the "Five Great Institutes," the cities where the Five Institutes are located are also known as the "Five Capitals."

The so-called Five Cities are Luen Nore, where the Research Institute is located; Domlia, where the Investigation Institute is located; Vanaheim, where the Civil Governance Institute is located; Oratio, where the Finance Institute is located; and Hemvien, where the Magic Affairs Institute is located. Because of the existence of the Five Institutes, they have gained a status that is slightly higher than other cities, and therefore they have undertaken many responsibilities that other cities do not need to bear.

In the imaginations of many enthusiasts, the so-called Five Capitals and Five Institutes should theoretically be divided and ruled, with each Gem Scepter holding its own city and power, standing up to the other scepters. But in reality, due to certain needs for administrative convenience, apart from the Investigation Institute and the Research Institute, the other three academies would establish branches in other cities.

After all, whether it's civil administration, finance, or magical affairs, the management content involved is closely related to the daily administration of the Magic Kingdom. Even the headquarters of Research Institute like Luen Nore has the need to handle these matters.

Although the magical girls of the Research Institute can disregard this difference in responsibilities and overstep their bounds in the city, the other three institutes can't do anything about it. But having an extra title and saving face is always better than offending each other. So, in Luen Nore, there are actually offices belonging to the Civil Governance Institute, the Finance Institute, and the Magic Affairs Institute.

On a fine, clear day, the branch of the Luen Nore Magic Affairs Institute welcomed a group of "guests" they had been waiting for.

For these employees of the Magic Affairs Institute at the Luen Nore office, being assigned to such a place and such a position was essentially just a way to coast along. After all, they couldn't, and dared not, have any opinions on the personnel arrangements and transfers within the Research Institute. The Research Institute set up an office here, and when relevant applications and reports were sent to them, their only job was to sign them, or send documents they couldn't sign to Hemvien —that was all they were responsible for. Asking any more questions might be seen as a lack of understanding of the rules.

This group of grassroots employees, who have virtually no real power or responsibility, can be elevated to the status of "members of the Five Institutes" or "officials." But if we're not going to be polite, calling them "mascots" wouldn't be entirely wrong.

So when these mascot employees welcomed a group of "powerful figures from the Magic Affairs Institute" from Hemvien on this fine day, their dominance was instantly taken over by them.

Or perhaps, these "guests" aren't guests in the true sense; in a sense, they should be the hosts here.

To welcome these real "superiors," the branch's mascot staff went all out, giving the old mansion a thorough cleaning several days in advance.

After all, the Luen Nore branch of the Magic Affairs Institute wasn't a powerful institution, and naturally, there wasn't much to gain, so it didn't even have any servants on a regular basis. These mascot employees personally took on the role of cleaners, clearing out all the empty and useless rooms and throwing away countless pieces of meaningless clutter. Then they inventoried out the furniture that was in good condition and didn't look too old, even giving up their own desks and chairs, before finally managing to put together two decent offices.

Then, early this morning, these mascot employees, who usually slack off, skip work, and arrive late or leave early, had already gathered at the office's residence, quietly waiting for the other party's arrival.

As dawn broke, the headmistress of the Luen Nore branch, a magical girl whose rank was actually lower than that of a department head in the main branch, found herself unable to concentrate on reading any documents.

Although she appears to be sitting upright at her desk, carefully reviewing several stacks of reports and documents from the Research Institute, she is well aware that while she can see the words on the documents, she cannot understand them as sentences at all.

The coffee beside her had been replaced cup after cup, and her legs under the table were shaking so much they were almost numb. In this endless, torture-like wait, she finally heard the voice she longed to hear.

"Squeak."

The old wooden door was pushed open from the outside, and an employee in a suit walked in anxiously. Before she could speak, the director stopped her:

"You've already knocked on my door three times, bringing me news that the number of fireworks displayed at the door was wrong, the location of the banquet tonight had changed, and that clumsy newcomer had spilled tea on the rented suit again. I hope you can bring me something more useful this time."

"Yes, it's useful, absolutely useful."

The employee responsible for delivering the message nodded and stammered, "Dean, the person has arrived."

"What?" The dean opened his eyes wide and asked again as if to confirm.

"The ladies of He City have arrived, Dean."

The employee, finally managing to catch his breath, hurriedly said, "We're almost downstairs!"

"Oh, Your Majesty! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

The dean cursed under his breath, quickly pushed the documents aside, and stood up. "Aren't you going to take me there right now?"

"OK!"

At this moment, the employee had no time to feel aggrieved by the dean's words, because her feelings were actually the same as the dean's, and she was even more afraid than the dean: she dared not offend the group of ladies from Hemvien, any one of them could easily make her lose half a year's salary with just a glance.

Just as the employee and the dean hurriedly reached the entrance of the office, a group of magical girls dressed in the uniforms of the Magic Affairs Institute stepped off the carriage and walked towards the office gate not far away.

As one of the Five Institutes of the Kingdom, and also representing the authority of the Royal Court to a certain extent, the Magic Affairs Institute's uniforms are the most magnificent among the Five Institutes.

The magical girls wore black, one-shoulder robes with an asymmetrical sleeveless right shoulder and a curved hem that draped down to their ankles on the left, the bottom edge embroidered with layers of gold runes. The matte robes were lined with dark gold silk, the subtle sheen of which shimmered like gilding in the twilight as they walked.

Beneath the long robe was a pearl-white high-necked tailored shirt with exquisite embroidery on the collar and cuffs. The three-layered folds of the cuffs were positioned just below the waist belt, drawing the eye to the knee-length, rock-gray A-line skirt and the ankle boots adorned with glaze on the toes.

The leading magical girl strolled up to the headmaster, extending her right hand, gloved with a semi-transparent black veil, and offering a friendly smile, "Hello, are you the branch headmaster of Luen Nore, Miss Hydrangea?"

Yes, yes.

The dean, addressed as "Hydrangea," nodded repeatedly in response to the inquiry, looking at the other person with an almost obsequious smile, "May I ask who you are...?"

My code name is Zhe Helan.

The leading magical girl announced her code name, her long black hair tied into a ponytail swaying with her movements. She maintained her friendly smile as she looked at the headmaster and said, "Perhaps you've heard of me?"

"The Zhe Helan..."

The dean's mind raced. Her gaze fell on the silver brooch on the other person's chest, and she quickly retrieved the identity that matched the code name from her memory. Without hesitation, she extended her hands, gently shook the other person's fingertips, then withdrew them, lifted her skirt, and curtsied. "Your arrival is an honor to this branch, Your Education Selection Office."

"No need for formalities, Dean."

Zhe Helan nodded gently to the dean. "We are all just public servants serving this country and His Majesty. There is no need for any distinction of status. We have been in Luen Nore for a while to handle official business. We hope we will not cause you too much trouble."

"Of course not, it's an honor for us that you can come and guide our work."

The dean took a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and then stepped aside to make room. At this moment, the other staff members of this branch also came out of their offices and came to the door. "Please allow me to introduce you all. These are our colleagues from this branch. We all welcome you."

The new employees followed the dean's example and bowed to Zhe Helan and her group. Zhe Helan and the others did not put on airs and returned the bow in kind, which immediately eased the tense atmosphere.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries at the entrance, Zhe Helan spoke again, "Thank you all very much for your hospitality. However, due to the long journey, some of our colleagues are quite tired. I wonder if there is a place for us to rest for a while before continuing our work discussion?"

Haven't you been staying in Luen Nore for several days already? You just took a taxi all the way from the Emerald Zone today, and you're already tired?

The dean inwardly grumbled, but that didn't stop her from smiling obsequiously on the surface, "I see, I was wrong. We've already cleaned your office space, please follow me."

As she said this, she turned around and winked at the employees behind her, who obediently made way for her.

The magical girls from Hemvien Academy, carrying large and small bags, followed behind Zhe Helan and the Dean, walking together.

However, during this process, as a staff member from our hospital pushing a suitcase passed by a corner, another staff member from a branch hospital, wiping his half-damp clothes, walked out from around the corner with his head down.

The branch staff member, who was looking down, didn't notice someone in front of him and didn't slow down at all. Instead, he bumped straight into the person in front of him. The staff member of the main branch was also a beat too slow. Although he didn't let the other person hit him, he still caused the other person to collide solidly with the suitcase in his hand.

"Bump"!

A crisp, hollow echo reverberated through the corridor.

All the magical girls turned their gazes to the two. The staff member from the main branch, realizing the other had bumped into her suitcase, inexplicably turned ashen-faced. The staff member from the branch, clutching her clothes, looked up, then, realizing what she had done, turned deathly pale. "Ah... yes, I'm sorry, ma'am."

The staff member opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but after glancing at the suitcase in her hand and then at Zhe Helan walking at the head of the line not far away, and seeing that the other was shaking her head at her, she swallowed all the words she wanted to say.

"Remember to watch where you're going."

She abruptly uttered those words, then forcefully lifted the suitcase off the ground, practically carrying it away from the scene.

After this little incident, the group from our department finally followed the branch dean to their office. The office had already been furnished with desks, chairs, and cabinets, and there were even some well-maintained green plants. The environment was certainly not luxurious, but it was definitely quite refreshing.

"This is a larger office, and there are some single offices next to it. Would you like me to take you there?" The dean of the branch school asked cautiously, sensing that the atmosphere had suddenly become somewhat serious.

"No need, thank you, sir."

Zhe Helan smiled and spoke, but compared to before, her smile held a hint of coldness, "We have some things to discuss here, so we won't trouble you any further."

"... OK."

The dean subconsciously swallowed, glanced around, and noticed that these "big shots" of the academy were all staring at him for some reason. He instinctively took a few steps back. "Well then, I'll take my leave first..."

"Please go ahead," Zhe Helan said.

So the dean closed the door, and after taking a few steps, he fled through the doorway as if escaping.

Only a group of magical girls from the academy remained in the office, exchanging glances with expressions of utter dismay, as if the world had ended. Then, everyone's gaze shifted to the suitcase that had been bumped into on the street.

No one spoke.

Only the Bird of Paradise looked conflicted. After taking a deep breath, she hesitantly reached out her hand.

Then, she opened the box.

--"Cough! Cough cough cough!"

Almost the instant the box was opened, a rather short cough sounded from inside, and then a very petite magical girl sat up from inside the box, one hand holding the edge of the box and the other clutching her lower back.

She coughed several times before finally stopping, then helplessly climbed out of the box, dusted herself off, and stood up, her eyelids drooping, asking, "What happened?"

Still, no one spoke.

Everyone looked at Zhe Helan —after all, it was her idea to have their boss, Zhe Helan, hide the Sapphire Scepter in a suitcase and infiltrate the Magic Affairs Institute branch. However, she was accidentally bumped in the waist and abdomen from the outside while holding her breath.

Even Zhe Helan, a seasoned politician who is usually incredibly composed in any situation, fell into an unusual silence in this situation.

Bad news: It's too late. My apologies.

Good news: There are quite a few words.