The Meaning of an Inspector

"It sounds like a pretty big government..."

Xia Liang could not help glancing upward, lost in imagination. "Magic Kingdom... hearing that name, I thought it would be like a fairy-tale world."

"If you only look at its exterior, it really is like a fairy tale."

Hong Siyu raised a finger again. "But unfortunately, the Magic Kingdom is not just a fairy tale. Managing the enormous Magical Girl force in the Material Realm alone requires a great deal of manpower. Add to that the civilians living in the Kingdom, and formal administrative institutions are indispensable."

"In that case, the meaning of being a Magical Girl sounds much heavier..."

Lin Xiaolu looked somewhat dejected. "It feels like they are mysterious, powerful heroes in the public eye, but in reality, they still cannot escape worldly power."

"That is precisely the symbol of Magical Girls still being 'human,' rather than transcending humanity."

Her words were full of childish idealism, yet they made Hong Siyu sigh a little. "It is because they still have attachments, desires, and connections to other people that the world of Magical Girls is likewise filled with complicated interpersonal relationships."

"So that is why there are bad Magical Girls?" Xia Liang asked.

"Yes, that is why there are bad..."

Hong Siyu had been about to continue along that line, but after realizing what she had said, she stopped, a puzzled expression appearing on her face. "Who told you that?"

Xia Liang turned to look at Lin Xiaolu, while Lin Xiaolu frankly furrowed her brows. "My contact told me. What is it?"

"Ah, then I can probably guess what happened."

With her confusion resolved, Hong Siyu looked enlightened, then nodded. "Then I will be frank as well. Bad Magical Girls do indeed exist for that reason. Just as our Material Realm has both law-abiding citizens and criminals, you cannot guarantee that everyone has a kind nature."

"Doesn't the Seeder choose Magical Girls based on whether their hearts are pure?" Lin Xiaolu glanced at Moko.

"To be precise, the Seeder only looks at whether you have talent for magic and the soul." Hong Siyu spread her hands.

"I cannot see the sort of thing you are talking about. It is the Heart Seed that judges the wishes in your hearts."

Moko chimed in as well. "However, the Heart Seed should not react to children whose hearts are filled with dark thoughts."

"Even if they were truly kind-hearted when they were chosen, a Magical Girl's term lasts a full ten years. No one knows whether their mentality will change during that time."

Hong Siyu looked at the two girls before her, her tone frivolous. "Look, take me for example. Ten years ago, I definitely never imagined that I would still be single now."

No one responded to her.

The example she had given was so sensitive and painful that the two girls fell silent for a moment.

"Huh? Aren't you going to laugh? I thought I had used something pretty embarrassing as a joke." Hong Siyu looked slightly surprised.

"How should I put it... laughing feels a little..." Lin Xiaolu turned her face away.

"If you retired ten years ago, then this year you are already..." Xia Liang also revealed a faintly sympathetic smile.

"Don't be like that! Your reactions are making me so embarrassed!"

Hong Siyu could not help smacking the sofa. "Fine, forget it! I should not have made that kind of joke. Back to the point! Let's continue talking about bad Magical Girls!"

"Listen carefully! Ever since long ago, whenever a Magical Girl violates regulations or discipline, the Investigation Institute sends out a specialized investigation team to gather evidence, then arrests the offending Magical Girl."

"Besides that, if magical-side criminals other than Magical Girls appear, such as mages, and they cause serious, harmful consequences, the Investigation Institute will likewise be dispatched to investigate and apprehend them."

"You can think of the Investigation Institute as the police of the magical side. From the lowest-ranking mages to the highest-ranking Magical Girls, even Flower Card Girls, anyone who breaks the rules becomes a target for investigation and arrest."

"The Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau deals most often with the Investigation Institute and the Magic Affairs Institute. You could even say that whenever something involves Magical Girls, we are subordinate agencies of those two institutes."

"As for Inspectors, they are specially dispatched personnel within the Investigation Institute, dedicated to investigating exceptionally severe criminal cases. Since the threshold for becoming an Inspector is basically Flower Card, there are not many of them in total. Generally speaking, whenever one is deployed, something major has happened."

At that, Hong Siyu casually took the tea Xia Liang had brought over. "Now you understand, right? Just what kind of important figure Larkspur is as an Inspector."

The lengthy explanation had made her throat a little dry, so she brought the cup to her lips, intending to take a sip of tea to moisten her throat.

"So, she is actually one of your direct superiors?" Xia Liang asked innocently at that moment.

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

Hong Siyu sprayed out the tea she had just drunk and coughed violently. "How... did you reach that conclusion?"

"Well, look, Inspectors are important figures in the Investigation Institute, right? And you said the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau is subordinate to the Investigation Institute, so aren't Inspectors your superiors too?" Xia Liang counted on her fingers, seriously sorting through the logic. "Or is it that because they are too high-ranking, they cannot manage you?"

"Cough. To be exact, Inspectors do not handle administrative affairs. They only investigate cases."

Pulling out two tissues and wiping the corner of her mouth, Hong Siyu explained to Xia Liang, "Although they have great authority, and the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau must cooperate with them as much as possible during investigations, they generally will not, nor are they obligated to, interfere with the bureau's operations."

"Of course, on top of that, Larkspur's identity and circumstances as an Inspector are even more special. That is why she can stay in one place like this and leisurely serve as your introductory mentor."

As she said this, Lin Xiaolu seemed to remember something and stared at Moko in the distance. Moko, meanwhile, played dumb. To look as though nothing was wrong, it even started whistling.

"You are currently under Larkspur's protection. You can avoid dangerous matters, avoid the Magic Kingdom and truly complicated interpersonal relationships, and train in peace. But you must also be prepared. This kind of life will not last very long."

In the end, that was how Hong Siyu summed it up.

From what she knew of Lin Yun, with his thoroughly awkward personality, he was surely like a silent, stuffy gourd, never willing to speak of such things.

He believed these matters were unsuitable for children to learn about too early, so he explained nothing. He merely kept them in his heart, thinking alone and bearing them alone.

And ever since he had returned under the codename "Larkspur," the many actions she had taken clearly carried deeper intentions. Yet even Hong Siyu, who had once been her companion, had been unable to see through those intentions.

The reason she had said so much as soon as she arrived today, even things that might be too complicated for children, was actually because she hoped they would know more, understand more, and then take action to seek Larkspur out and learn more from her.

And her final words had clearly touched the two children, who each revealed different expressions.

Lin Xiaolu's emotions were obvious. Just from her expression, it was clear how reluctant she was at the thought of "Larkspur leaving." Xia Liang controlled her expression well, but she too looked thoughtful.

The clock on the living room wall ticked quietly onward, passing eleven-thirty and moving toward twelve noon.

"Come to think of it, Sister, I have one more question."

After thinking for a while, Xia Liang suddenly asked, "Since you said Inspectors do not actually handle affairs, then who in the Investigation Institute is responsible for dispatching Magical Girls?"