Off Work, Then Transform into a Magical Girl

That was the day of An Ya's funeral.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, cold winds gusted, and a fine drizzle fell continuously.

Lin Yun held a black umbrella, staring straight ahead, oblivious to the puddles beneath his feet. The solitary umbrella fluttered in the wind, resembling a black mandrake flower.

Water splashed under his leather shoes, scattering everywhere. He looked ahead and saw a woman waiting for him.

She stood in the rain without an umbrella, the fine rain and slanting wind beating against her, streaming down her hair.

The woman appeared to be in her twenties. Given the funeral setting, she wore a black women's suit. Her facial features had a certain sharpness, giving her a rather heroic look.

Seeing Lin Yun approach, she lifted her head, pale face still marked by streaks of rain.

"I'm sorry."

She mumbled, her voice hoarse, "We were too late."

Lin Yun said nothing.

He didn't know what to say, or perhaps, what he wanted to hear was not "I'm sorry."

Everyone who knew An Ya began their conversations with an apology, as if they all took the blame for her death upon themselves. More importantly, their sorrow was genuine.

But if An Ya's death was their fault, then who was the real culprit? And what was he, facing this void, only able to offer powerless apologies?

Meeting like this and apologizing, who could he confide his unvented emotions to?

At sixteen, he might have cried. At twenty-six, he might have shed tears. But now, over thirty, as the last remaining head of the family, in front of his daughter and the guests, there was no room left for tears.

All that remained was silence, and it could only be silence. After all, even one more word might choke him up. How could he speak?

Just because he didn't speak didn't mean the woman in front of him wouldn't continue.

"We trusted and relied on Senior Ying too much... or rather, we underestimated the enemy, leading to our complacency."

The woman clenched her fists, her face full of regret. "She said, as usual, 'I can handle it alone,' and told us not to get involved. We all thought that someone as powerful as her couldn't possibly have any accidents, but in the end..."

Stop talking.

Lin Yun wanted to tell her that he didn't want to hear how An Ya died, but he knew that was impossible.

"When we arrived, Senior Ying was already... and the enemy escaped right in front of us."

Her voice grew softer, her mood sinking. "I'm sorry, we couldn't do anything. We were completely useless. As her companions, we are sinners."

The rain continued to fall.

Lin Yun took a step forward, walking towards the woman.

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The woman stood still, but her hands clenched tighter, her eyes closed.

As a comrade who let her companion, especially a senior who had always taken care of her, die alone, it was normal to expect violence from the family. She was prepared for it.

But Lin Yun didn't do that.

He simply extended the umbrella over her head, gently hugged her, and patted her shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself. You all did your best, Tu Mi."

He spoke, his voice dry, his expression indifferent, but there was a hint of gentleness. "Just do what you need to do next."

The woman called Tu Mi stood under the umbrella, her eyes widening in surprise for a moment. Then, tears streamed down her face. "Cornflower..."

"Don't say it."

Lin Yun shook his head, interrupting her. "I don't like that code name."

"...Then, Senior Cui Que."

Tu Mi tried to hold back her sobs, covering her mouth and remaining silent for a while. After a long breath, she looked at Lin Yun, trying to keep her voice steady. "No, Mr. Lin Yun."

"We plan to leave Fangting City."

Clearly, this was what she truly wanted to convey.

Lin Yun's fingers twitched, but his face remained expressionless. He just nodded. "When?"

"Probably within this week."

Tears still streamed down Tu Mi's face, so she reached out to wipe them away. "Although we let the enemy escape, we have deduced from their appearance and behavior that the one who killed Senior Ying was not a Brutal Beast, or at least not just a Brutal Beast."

Not just a Brutal Beast.

This caught Lin Yun's attention.

"This matter seems to be related to a mysterious organization that the Kingdom has been investigating. They seem to have some means of collaborating with Brutal Beasts."

Tu Mi sniffed, determination gradually appearing in her reddened eyes. "So we will join the special investigation team organized by the Bureau of Special Tactics, follow the trail of the culprits, and root them out."

"...Very dangerous?" Lin Yun asked, sensing something hidden in her words.

"Seems so. It appears to be the team with the highest casualty rate in the Bureau."

Tu Mi forced a bitter smile. "But if we don't do this, we might never be able to face ourselves again."@@novelbin@@

"After we leave, a new Seeder will come to Fangting City. It will choose a new Magical Girl to protect this city. It's time for us old-timers to make way."

"And Senior Chao Yan... she's been retired for many years. Her real name is Hong Siyu. As a staff member of the Bureau of Special Tactics, she will also be transferred to Fangting City."

She rambled on, listing everything she knew.

Lin Yun listened for a long time, neither expressing his opinion nor interrupting her.

"Good luck."

When she finished, Lin Yun nodded and handed the umbrella to Tu Mi. "Take it with you."

Tu Mi didn't take it.

She looked at Lin Yun, gave a bitter smile, and shook her head.

After a long moment of eye contact, Lin Yun understood her meaning. He silently put away the umbrella, gave Tu Mi a deep look, and turned to leave.

"...Mr. Lin Yun, you don't need to respond to what I'm about to say next."

But after he took two steps, Tu Mi's voice came from behind.

This time, her voice carried a hint of hesitation. "After I applied to join the special investigation team, someone approached me, claiming to be an officer of Lord Golden Green Cat's Eye."

Hearing that name, Lin Yun's pupils contracted.

But Tu Mi had said there was no need to respond, so he didn't turn around, just listened quietly with his back to her.

"She told me that this matter is now very far-reaching. In fact, just this week, a Flower Card-certified lord went missing during the investigation. So she asked me to convey a message from Lord Golden Green Cat's Eye to you:"

——"‘Think carefully about what you're carrying now, and don't do anything impulsive.’"

After this sentence, there was no more sound behind him.

Realizing this was the end, Lin Yun paused for a long time, ultimately following Tu Mi's advice, making no response, and simply walked away.

After he left, a faint yellow magic power erupted from an empty corner, and a weak rainbow light shot into the sky, hidden by the rain.

A year later, Tu Mi's investigation team encountered an unknown enemy and the entire team perished in Binhai City.

But Lin Yun was not yet aware of this.