Intern Agent

(Bai Ziye)

After finishing the call with Ceruno, Sirius pulled me into the bedroom, leaving Halley and Zara completely bewildered.

"As you requested, I've already smoothed things Past with Ceruno- chan, so you can relax and spend time with your new boyfriend."

Hey, listen to this, what kind of talk is that?

What is a new lover?

That makes me sound like some kind of womanizing playboy.

"There's nothing between Miss Halley and me. Please don't try to make things complicated. I only did this out of sympathy and curiosity."

Opportunities to get up close to that Dark Energy and the ecology of those Monsters are rare. Halley's behavior so far has been relatively normal; she hasn't gone to extremes or committed any terrorist attacks. Even if she has come into contact with the Dark Energy, it's not appropriate to punish her severely unless she causes any trouble...

"Yes, yes, you're so pure! A modern-day Liu Xia Hui, a rootless saint, willing to abandon his young, lovely, and weak wife to help a down-on-his-luck idol Succubus Monster. What kind of spirit is that? I'm so moved I almost laugh out loud... Hurry up and take her away, it's almost time for the beautiful girl to go to sleep."

Sirius gave me a sarcastic, dismissive look, and I had a feeling she was a little annoyed with me, but it wasn't directed at Halley; it was just at me...

Besides, as the Star Crystal, why would she need to sleep?

After leaving the bedroom and briefly explaining the situation, Halley obediently followed me out of the Empire Hotel.

"Halley, Sirius has already made his offer, so that's all for tonight. I'll come to the office to see you first thing tomorrow morning..."

When I said that, she asked, "Huh? What else do you want to see me about?"

This question has stumped me.

I only said I'd connect her with Sirius, and that's already done. Now I don't seem to have a reason to continue following her. I can't exactly say I'm spying on Monster, can I?

She has absolutely no self-awareness about this.

Before I could come up with a reason, a knowing glint appeared in those gleaming eyes.

"Oh! So, you really want to be a magical girl idol?"

"Huh? Hmm."

Is that what she was thinking?

Well, I'll agree to that for now.

"No problem. It's really Past for an idol agency to only have one idol. I will take responsibility and train you to be a qualified idol."

"Then, how about I start by learning how to work as an agent?"

"You want to be my agent?"

"I want to understand this industry first, so a manager who takes care of all the trivial matters for idols is undoubtedly the best solution."

"A manager? Hmm, it's true, being both an idol and a manager requires a lot of energy and time..."

She rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment, then said, "Then you can be my assistant manager! Of course, at this stage, whether you're an idol or an assistant, I can't afford to pay you a salary or provide meals."

"Hey, how can you say something like that with such self-righteousness?"

Are succubi disguised as humans truly unable to speak human language?

Noticing my dissatisfaction, she quickly explained, "It's just a temporary payment. Once I'm back in business, I'll have the money to pay your salary."

"Okay, then I'll be interning at your place tomorrow... right?"

This does match the excuse Sirius gave Ceruno.

"Hmm, I'll explore my magic and techniques tonight."

Knowing her abilities as Monster, I can prepare countermeasures in advance to deal with her if the situation worsens. Although, based on the few examples so far, these Monsters who were transformed from humans are all... very weak.

Watching Halley board the last bus home, I realized I had nowhere to go.

They all said I went to Sirius for an internship, so if I go back now, won't the lie be exposed?

When I encountered trouble, I dialed...

Magical Girl Liaison:

Professional support staff who help magical girls solve their problems.

"In conclusion, I apologize for the inconvenience these past few days, Ms. Yin Wei."

"It's alright, after all, I promised to be your secret liaison."

He only wanted Ms. Yin Wei to help him find a hotel for the night, but she ended up personally picking him up and taking him to her home.

This is truly an unexpected path.

"Don't you live with Luer?"

"My sister lives at home with our parents, but I moved out and live here by myself."

"You twins don't get along?"

"No, it's just that I'm more used to being alone. I feel more comfortable that way. Although I don't dislike my sister, she's quite noisy."

"Oh, I understand."

Miss Luer has a childlike quality that makes her seem like she's never grown up. When you first meet her, it's easy to be charmed by her liveliness and cheerfulness, but if you spend a lot of time with her, she can become a bit "bearish." Also, unlike Miss Yin Wei, she's not very good at reading between the lines.

"It's getting late. You can make do with what I have here for now. I'll find you a better hotel tomorrow."

"Okay, sure..."

I kicked something as soon as I entered the house.

Despite giving the impression of being meticulous, the house was a bit messy, with several heavy cardboard boxes piled up in the entryway, as if she herself had just moved into the small two-bedroom apartment.

"Ah, those are potions meant for medical facilities, improved and diluted versions of the experimental ones you were given."

"... You're that magical girl who concocts medicine?"

"Of course not, it's just that she's also under my care, just like you."

The living room was small and had no television. Three soft single sofas and an oval glass coffee table formed Yin Wei's reception area. There was also a dining table next to it, which also served as her office area. Her laptop was on, indicating that she had been handling Association- related matters before I disturbed her.

Sitting down on the sofa, I asked again, "When will you take me to see her? I've been treated by her medicine twice, and I need to express my gratitude to her in person."

"Barbara doesn't like seeing people and doesn't contact anyone except me. I can pass on your thanks, but she definitely won't want to see you."

Is she a magical girl who, like me, values keeping her identity a secret?

I have something I'd like to ask the creator of the "potion".

But Yin Wei wasn't going to take me to see the magical girl, so I had no choice but to tell her what had happened to me.

"Actually, my body is acting strangely; I wonder if it's a side effect of that potion..."

I was interrupted by Yin Wei before I could finish speaking.

"Side effects? Why didn't you say so sooner? It's already in mass production, isn't it a bit late?"

Aren't you guys being too hasty?

My leg injury still hasn't fully healed.

"It wasn't noticed before, or rather, it only got so bad in the last few days that it became visible to the naked eye. It's very bad for me... It might be a bit complicated to explain, so let me show you directly."

Deactivate the transformation.

Then, in front of Yin Wei, she took off her top.