Dantai Society

(Ceruno)

We arrived at our destination just as ten o'clock.

The North Suburbs of Skyreach City are the Old District; a dozen years ago, this was the city center.

The main courtyard of the Dantai Society family is located in this area, which shows that it was indeed a small but powerful underworld organization in the Past.

Unfortunately, with the advent of the magical girl era, these traditional "evil forces" completely lost their breeding ground.

The reason for this is that there is an overabundance of magical girls. There aren't enough Monster to go around among the more than 10,000 magical girls who have been thrown onto Earth. So many magical girls have taken alternative routes and have set their sights on the various... wanted posters issued by the police.

In an instant, the problem of insufficient police force was solved, and all sorts of criminals who had been escaping justice found themselves in deep trouble. For money or justice, magical girls were like hunting dogs that could sniff out the scent, finding them no matter where they were hiding and turning them over to the police station to collect the reward.

Stepping through the hanging flower gate, I looked around the spacious courtyard. This courtyard house showed signs of repeated renovations, but the heavy sense of age still seeped through the white paint and the cracks in the brick walls. It was simple and rustic, but also seemed somewhat dilapidated.

The courtyard was paved with neat blue bricks, exuding an antique charm with a hint of dampness—the smell of earth and moss, a scent rarely found in the city, which felt quite novel to me.

Crossing the courtyard.

There are two trees in front of the main gate of the house. I don't know what kind of tree it is, and I don't know what kind of tree it is either.

"Your house looks quite deserted."

The courtyard scenery is actually quite nice, but I still can't help but tease it:

"I thought there would be a lot of hunky men in suits lining up on both sides, waiting for the young lady to come home."

"Ceruno, have you been watching too many novels, movies, and TV dramas?"

Dantai Xue wasn't angry at all; she even reached out and pinched my cheek.

"Even gangsters need to make money to cover their expenses. Are all those henchmen just there to keep up appearances? Of course, they're there to make money! Of course, none of them can make as much money as I can, the boss of the Dantai Society! Do you know how unforgivable it is to get in my way of making money?"

Hey, didn't you become the boss by stealing your dad's Crystal?

"So your father..."

"Come with me."

I took off my shoes and went into the main room, but there was no one in the living room. Dantai Xue led me into the bedroom.

There were two people in the bedroom, an elderly man wearing a Zhongshan suit and arm sleeves;

The other was a thin man with a sickly pale face.

The man on the bed looked to be in his thirties or forties, but his temples were already graying. He turned his head to gaze at the courtyard outside the window, making no reaction to our sudden intrusion... Was this the perverted old man who wanted to transform into a JK uniform?

It doesn't seem like it at all.

"Young Miss, what are you doing...?"

"Grandpa Gong! You should go and rest first. I'll take care of Dad here!"

Before the old man could ask anything else, Dantai Xue pushed him out the door.

The man on the bed nodded to me and Xiaoling before sternly scolding his daughter.

"Ah Xue, how many times have I told you not to bring guests into the bedroom so casually? Don't I have any dignity?"

"But you can't get up, so where can I take them?"

After saying that, he pushed us to the bedside and introduced us:

"This is Xiaoling, and this is Ceruno, a well-known magical girl in our Skyreach City. She's here on behalf of the Association to ask you about the Contaminated Crystal."

"A magical girl?"

The men looked at us with more envy.

"Um, this is my father..."

Dantai Xue was interrupted by the man.

"No need for your introduction, I can do it myself."

The man's face was pale and bloodless, and his body was as thin as a withered husk.

He threw off the blanket, struggled to turn over, and tried to sit down while holding onto the edge of the bed.

Dantai Xue was about to step forward to help.

"I'll do it myself."

But she stubbornly refused.

"My name is Dantai Zhengchu, the current president of the Dantai Society, but as you can see, I am also someone whose days are numbered... So, what do you want to know from me?"

Although he was extremely weak, his speech was very clear.

"Hello Uncle, I apologize for the abrupt visit and for not having prepared any gifts for you."

As someone with social anxiety disorder, Xiaoling's negotiation and communication skills are far superior to mine; she greets everyone first before explaining her purpose.

"We want to know where you got this Crystal. Did you use some secret channel? Or did the other party contact you on their own initiative?"

"Little girl, you're really direct... cough cough... but I'm afraid it'll be difficult to get the information you want from me."

Xiaoling continued, "Uncle, these Contaminated Crystal have become a hidden danger to human society. Not everyone is as law-abiding as Snow Sis. With your many years of experience, you should know this better than anyone else, right?"

Dantai Zhengchu could only manage a bitter smile.

"If I can still contact those people, why should I lie here in bed waiting to die?"

I vaguely understood the meaning behind those words.

He then asked, "Did you buy the Crystal inside Snow Sis's body to prolong your life?"

Even if the Fake Magical Girl lacks strength, she still possesses a healthy, immortal body, which is incredibly attractive to the man before her.

"Well."

Dantai Zhengchu sighed, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Dantai Xue whispered behind me:

"I had no idea this stuff would be absorbed so easily... so I can make even more money! And send you abroad for better treatment!"

"I don't blame you, maybe this is just my fate."

The Contaminated Crystal cannot be removed; since there is no way to undo it, we can only accept it silently.

"That's why you should cooperate with them and actively support the Association's work. Maybe in the end... you can even get another Crystal."

I was wondering why she suddenly changed her mind yesterday and was willing to cooperate with our investigation; it turns out she was planning this all along.

"Snow Sis, Uncle Zhengchu."

I thought for a moment and suggested, "If you're willing to assist with the investigation, I can't guarantee anything from the Association, but if you find any Contaminated Crystal along the way, you can secretly keep one... Xiaoling and I won't tell anyone, right?"

When I said that, Xiaoling nodded in agreement.

"Of course, saving a life is more important."

Dantai Xue also chimed in, "Father, Ceruno has already said so, so just say whatever comes to mind."

"I genuinely do not have the other party's contact information; that's not a lie."

Looking down at his withered hands, Dantai Zhengchu asked, "Besides that, what else do you want me to do?"

Using Crystal to persuade them was indeed very effective.

For a dying person, even a tainted Crystal can be a glimmer of hope for survival.

"Anyway, could you tell us about the transaction process first? By the way, how much do they sell each of these Crystal for?"

"No, those people don't want money."

Dantai Zhengchu raised his head, his deep gaze revealing shrewdness.

"Young lady, the flow of funds is the easiest to track. If this were just a monetary transaction, the Association would have investigated it long ago."