A Fruitless Search

(Ceruno)

In the empty bathroom, the showerhead was still spraying hot water, which dripped onto the floor tiles with a soft, pattering sound.

Miluno couldn't stand Past, so after fixing the door, she casually turned off the faucet.

However, it simply disappeared on the spot...

"Could it be another invisibility spell?"

Although her mother's magic was also invisible, similar spells were not uncommon. For example, Miss Melissa's Flowing Fire and Heat Haze's Fire Phosphor. Fire magic was visually very similar, but in reality, there were some differences.

"Do you really think Gong Ling has also disappeared?"

"Um."

Although Miluno couldn't see it, I still nodded.

He replied, "Otherwise, what other way is there to disappear on the spot?"

If she's invisible, and can't leave this bathroom, then she's still inside...

I groped around in the bathroom, trying to find the invisible Gong Ling with my hands, but I ended up touching Miluno instead, and she even hit me on the head.

That chop was so precise, it was like he could see right through me.

"No, think about it again."

Miluno refuted my conclusion.

"There are many possibilities for disappearing on the spot, but it's definitely not invisibility. Mom's 'Memory Tracking' magic tracks the electrical signals left behind when the brain is thinking. Even if she could become invisible, as long as her brain doesn't shut down, she can't hide the traces of her thoughts."

"What does this mean?" I pressed.

"While we were talking, Mono kept scouting around the main house, but found no trace of them. Although we don't know what kind of magic they use, our operation today has come up empty-handed."

Realizing the implication in her words, I quickly pressed for an answer:

"Wait, are we just going back like this?"

I finally found out who the Dantai Society's inside man is, and I'm not going to give up now.

"The trail has gone cold. What else can we do if we don't go back? But this informant is so vigilant, it's almost like she knew we were coming to investigate her today..."

Miluno quietly pondered her words, then asked again in a serious tone:

"Ceruno, who else knows about our infiltration and investigation operation tonight besides us?"

She suspects that we still have Dad's informants among us.

I thought for a moment and replied, "There's Xiaoling, Xiaojie, and... Miss Metal and Aunt Hefi who make the combat suits... Oh, and Mom and Sister Luer... They probably aren't the inside agents, right?"

"I don't think any of these are my dad's inside contacts," Miluno muttered to herself.

"Hmm, Xiaoling..."

"Wait, are you doubting Xiaoling?"

Seeing that Miluno did not deny it, I objected on reason.

"That child is so innocent and naive, and he's so troubled and guilty about Sister Extinction's matter. He couldn't possibly be Dad's informant!"

If Xiaoling's performance has always been considered acting, then her acting skills are simply too good...

I don't want to doubt her, neither emotionally nor logically.

"I understand how you feel, but if no one leaks information, are all informants like Gong Ling, running away at the slightest sign of trouble? That's impossible. Intelligence personnel need to be vigilant, but being too sensitive makes them like frightened birds, unable to carry out any intelligence work..."

"To suspect those around us without reason is tantamount to throwing ourselves into chaos. We can test them purposefully from now on, instead of letting our imaginations run wild."

Miluno has already opened the teleportation portal home, and asked again:

"Well, what's your plan?"

"We can start by examining her identity."

I thought about it and came up with a new approach.

"When we get back, could you ask your uncle to investigate Grandpa Gong's identity?"

Drinking for nothing!

Instead of returning to the City School, he went back to his home in Skyreach City.

It was already 11 p. m., the city lights had dimmed, and the night sky appeared especially dark.

Within that, something indescribable darkness seemed to be surging...

So Mom has already gone to sleep, and I don't plan to disturb her.

Miluno and I, having deactivated our Ghost Combat Suit, are now huddled together in front of the computer, preparing to contact my uncle and aunt via internet phone as soon as possible to find out "Gong Ling's" identity...

"Ah, it's working."

Miluno's words brought me back to my senses.

A video window popped up on the computer screen, and Aunt Lin Xi's large face blocked the entire view.

"Hey! What brings you two kids here so late?"

"Mom, we have something to discuss here... Let Ceruno talk to you."

Because I was close to the camera, Miluno asked me to explain the situation:

"Auntie, we've just identified an informant and would like Uncle to help us find out her identity, and ideally, confirm her current location."

"Oh? It's an identified informant?"

"Yes, we have ample evidence that the target is the criminal, but... we failed to catch her; the criminal has escaped."

Just like last time, it ran away right in front of me...

These two failed investigations have made me somewhat insecure.

"Didn't catch them? That's a real shame."

He said that, but there was little regret in his words; he only asked:

"So, what's the name of the informant you found?"

After gathering my thoughts, I replied, "Gong Ling, her official identity is the caregiver of the current head of the Dantai Society,' but in reality, she is an informant who has infiltrated the Dantai Society to carry out a surveillance mission."

"Yun Zhi, wake up, time to get to work."

After instructing her uncle, Aunt Lin Xi rolled her eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly realized:

"The Dantai Society, I remember it's that 'local group' in the North Suburbs Old Town, right?"

She phrased it very subtly.

I nodded and replied, "Yes, in order to create panic and fear, and to increase the Corruption Rate, those insiders will hand over the Contaminated Crystal to former gangsters, terrorists, antisocial personalities, and other villains who use magic to commit crimes."

"We know that, so those people have also set their sights on the Dantai Society?"

"Although Gong Ling prepared the Contaminated Crystal for the head of the Dantai Society, it was mistakenly absorbed by the head of the family's daughter, causing the plan to fail."

Even if she really did become a magical girl, Uncle Dantai's personality doesn't seem like he'd cause any trouble...

"So, this Gong Ling is your father's Proxy?"

"No, I'm afraid not... she's just an inside agent."

The Flower Magical Girl who entrusted the Crystal to Duan Yin is the "Proxy".

The facial features beneath her cloak were noticeably different from Gong Ling's...

One is cute, the other is cool and aloof.

"This incident is not your fault."

Aunt Lin Xi advised:

"Ceruno- chan, although Director SpiCa is carrying out sweeping reforms, your father's informants are still lurking within the Association, and even the Prosecutorate isn't necessarily clean... Therefore, it's common for the Prosecutorate to find no one there when making arrests."

"I know..."

The voice of her uncle came from behind Aunt Lin Xi.

"No results can be found. Among the people associated with the Dantai Society, there is only one elderly man named Gong Zhenglong."

"That must be Grandpa Gong; Gong Ling is his granddaughter."

"This old gentleman left the Dantai Society two years ago to retire to his hometown. Besides, he has no children, let alone granddaughters... Gong Ling's identity is fake; she is a non-existent person."