Taking on the Investigation

(Ceruno)

By the time I got up and finished washing up, Miluno and Mono had already disappeared without a trace, and they wouldn't tell me what they were doing...

"Good morning, my sweet daughter!"

The mother was in the kitchen... watching Xiaoling prepare breakfast.

Wearing an apron, Xiaoling skillfully cracked eggs with one hand in front of the stove, the eggs crackling and spreading in the pan. The round yolks remained intact, while the egg whites, under the heat of the oil, gradually turned white and then golden brown.

Before it had completely solidified, fine salt was sprinkled on it.

"It smells so good!"

My mother just watched, then stood with her hands on her hips and scolded me:

"This young lady is very good at managing a household! Yao'er, you should learn from her!"

"Yes, yes, yes..."

I gave a perfunctory answer.

Xiaoling is indeed very good at managing the household, but when it comes to studying, her mother should also learn more.

I even think that my inability to cook is a genetic issue.

I looked back at the living room.

Golden curled up in its doghouse on the living room balcony. Its meticulously groomed fur was tinged golden by the morning sun, and its lazy tail slowly swept the floor. It squinted its eyes, enjoying the peaceful life of a dog.

But noticing my approach, it sprang to its feet like a spring.

"Master Ceruno."

Why are you so nervous?

"I... I'll become human right now!"

Sigh, does she already think that if she acts like a dog, I'll discipline her?

No wonder Miluno told me to be gentle with her...

"For now, you only need to maintain human form for half the time each day. Take your time to adjust. I was too strict with you before."

Hearing me say that, the Doggy, which had started to glow, turned back halfway through its transformation and started pawing at my leg, wanting to play with me.

"Woof! Then I'll be the dog this morning!"

It really does prefer being a dog, huh?

That won't do!

"Would you like dog food and canned meat, or a homemade sandwich from Xiaoling?"

"I want to eat Xiaoling!"

You can't eat the Xiaoling, you mean the sandwich?

"If you want a sandwich, turn into a human and sit down at the table... Did you brush your teeth?"

When asked about this, the Doggy guiltily looked away.

"Ugh! Ugh--"

The beautiful, golden-haired girl was retching tearfully in my arms.

I pinched her fair little face and relentlessly poked the toothbrush back and forth in her mouth, scrubbing her clean teeth. But her reaction was too strong. Tears and snot were minor issues; white foam mixed with saliva flowed from her mouth and even ran down the toothbrush onto my hand.

It's a little nauseating.

Miluno is always the one making sure she brushes her teeth, but since Miluno isn't here today, I'm forced to participate in this teeth-brushing game too...

"If I have the chance, I'll take you to buy an electric toothbrush."

I wiped the Doggy's smeared face twice with a hot towel before sending her off to eat breakfast.

But they found an unexpected guest in the living room.

"Sister Luer, what brings you here?"

In my memory, she was always a smiling girl next door. The uniform and suit that should have highlighted her seriousness and formality didn't make her look like a serious person. She was also very active, even when riding an elevator, she would wander around in the small elevator.

"Ceruno, I'm kind of your liaison! You can't categorize me as a disposable tool just because I don't appear often! You finally come back to Skyreach City, and you don't even come to see your sister?"

As she spoke, she cupped my cheeks and pinched them.

"I haven't had breakfast yet, so don't use me as a pillow!"

"Perfect, you keep eating, I'll tell you what the Association says."

My mother pulled up a chair for Luer, and she sat down behind me, taking her tablet out of her bag.

I picked up a sandwich and asked:

"What exactly happened?"

"About that Fake Magical Girl you reported yesterday."

"Oh, Dantai Xue."

The store manager was outgoing, friendly, and even claimed to be a member of the underworld.

But what kind of underworld is there these days? In the end, these gangs are just illegal violent groups, but no violent group can withstand a magical girl's solo attack. Without the deterrent power of force, they naturally decline.

"Actually, the Association had been keeping an eye on her for a while, but she hadn't done anything illegal or disorderly. The transformation experience service she provided was limited to her private room and wouldn't have any impact on the outside world. Compared to other troublemakers, she wasn't a high priority to deal with."

Dantai Xue herself was aware that the Association was keeping an eye on her, which is why she mistook us for people sent by the Association.

I nodded in agreement.

"Yes, she knows her limits and knows where the red lines are."

"So what the Association is saying now is... since you've already made contact with her, then please continue to investigate along this lead. It would be best if you could catch the mastermind behind it, but it's okay if you can't, after all, it's not a very important lead, and there's a high chance you'll just be wasting your time."

The Association must have caught quite a few Fake Magical Girl like that, but they still can't figure out their trading network. Their whereabouts are mysterious, and even Aunt Lin Xi's "Memory Tracking" can't find them.

Therefore, it is clear that even if we follow the line of Dantai Xue's father upwards, we will most likely not find anything, which is why they entrusted it to us to try without much hope.

"Are you asking me and Miluno to go?"

"Yes, you can also ask someone else for help."

Miluno has other things to do, and she's been exhausted lately. It would be too much for me to investigate alone...

"Gurgle~"

Xiaoling's head rolled over from the Other Side of the table.

"We'll go with my sister!"

"Huh?!"

Startled by the speaking head, Sister Luer's face changed color, and she almost jumped off her chair.

"Xiaoling! Don't use that trick to scare people all the time!"

After giving Xiaoling a scolding, I cradled her head and introduced her:

"This child is Xiaoling, a magical girl from the Imperial City. You can't tell from her appearance; she's actually only fourteen years old, and she's also my roommate at the City School... As you can see, her magic allows her to easily separate herself from her enemies."

"... Does such magic even exist?"

Sister Luer still seems a little shaken...

"Xiaojie, tell Sister Luer not to be so scared."

The dark-skinned girl was licking the egg yolk off her plate. When she heard what I said, she reached out her hand to Sister Luer, radiating a warm, gentle light.

This caused the latter to let out a comfortable groan.

"Hmm, oh~ this child's magic is amazing! I feel like I'm taking a bath in Hawaii volcanic hot spring."

"Sister Luer has been to Hawaii too?"

"Of course I... have never been there."

She hung her head in frustration, but was quickly comforted by Xiaojie.

"But my sister went with you guys, right? She always brags about her hot spring experience to me, so I've always wanted to try a volcanic hot spring too. But before I could even have the vacation to fulfill my plans, a series of troubles came crashing down on me like a tidal wave. I'm so busy every day that even taking a shower has become a luxury, let alone soaking in a hot spring!"

After returning from Hawaii, my dad's side...

The liaison officers were indeed working very hard.

I patted my chest and guaranteed it.

"The investigation into the Dantai Society will be handled by me and Xiaoling, but I'd also appreciate it if Sister Luer could take Xiaojie back to the branch so she can use the Wormhole Device to get back to the City School."

Sister Luer ran to Xiaojie's side, hugged her, and replied:

"No problem, I was going back to the branch anyway."

Staying away for one night isn't a problem, but if they're away for too long, both the child and Miss Anjie will become weak.

It would be best to send her back as soon as possible.