Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl

Book 2: Chapter 201: Probing from the Shadows

Vol 2 Chapter 201: Probing from the Shadows"I apologize for being late. Is it still possible to enter and observe the ceremony now?" As evening approached, a fashionable blonde girl stood at the southern gate of Silver Gallery, explaining to the guards: "I had an urgent family matter this afternoon that required my attention. But since my student is participating in this examination, I'd still like to see the results. Here's my invitation, could you please..."

"Normally this wouldn't be allowed, miss. Her Majesty has already entered, and allowing other guests in after the Queen would be disrespectful." The examination court staff member at the gate carefully inspected the invitation the girl handed over. "However, I understand your feelings. If you truly just want to observe your student's performance, as long as you don't enter the observation seating area after entering, you can watch from elsewhere without violating regulations."

"Really? That's wonderful!" The blonde girl's eyebrows lifted, her tired eyes with heavy dark circles showing delight. "Thank you so much, I was wondering what to do in this situation..."

"Haha, it is the Queen's Year after all. We can be more flexible when possible." The guarding Magical Girl waved her hand with a "it's nothing" attitude. "However, our superiors require more than just checking invitations - we must verify identification badges and personal magical resonance. Though I think it's a bit overprotective... let's go through the procedure. Did you bring your identification badge?"

"Ah... the identification badge?" The blonde girl paused slightly before rummaging through her shoulder bag. As her search continued, her expression gradually became uneasy - clearly things weren't going well.

"That's strange, I distinctly remember putting it in when I left home..." She muttered in frustration, her movements slowing until she finally gave up searching. "I'm sorry, I can't find it. Maybe I left it at home."

"Are you sure you forgot it? Or did you lose it accidentally?" The gatekeeping Magical Girl asked seriously. "If it's lost, you should quickly sense its location and retrieve it. The city hasn't been very peaceful recently."

"Ah, no... I remember not using it since leaving home, so..." The blonde girl closed her eyes as if concentrating on sensing something, then opened them with a helpless expression. "According to the direction and distance, it really must be at home."

"I see. That's good then." The guard relaxed and nodded. "But please understand our rules - even with an invitation, we can't let you in without showing your identification badge."

"Oh... but my home is quite far from Silver Gallery. If I go back and forth, I might miss seeing the examination results." The blonde girl pleaded. "Is there really no flexibility at all?"

"Unfortunately not, miss." The guard could only shake her head.

Clearly unwilling to go home and return with the badge, the blonde girl continued begging until the guard firmly stated "identification badge is absolutely required," after which she left dejectedly.

The blonde girl flew away from Silver Gallery's gate with a sorrowful expression, lingering around the academy district before reluctantly heading toward Emerald District. However, she seemed to change her mind and turned back toward the non-magic zone. Minutes later, she crossed into the non-magic zone boundary, retracted all her magical energy, and walked along the street like an ordinary passerby for a while before suddenly ducking into an alley with her head lowered.

After that, no one saw the girl emerge from that alley again.

Meanwhile, several blocks away in another small alley, a capable-looking woman with loose golden hair, wearing a gray-white trench coat and sunglasses strode out confidently before entering a nearby café.

She waved in greeting to the owner at the counter, then walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor before entering a private booth.

"It's no good. Just an invitation isn't enough to get in. Their checks are strict - they require the identification badge and verification of your magical resonance." After closing the door behind her, she immediately explained her experience without any extra words, then sat in the only vacant seat, picking up a half-finished but still warm cup of coffee from the table.

"Honestly, the inspection intensity these past few days feels unusually strong. Whether leaving or entering Silver Gallery, I sensed multiple hidden scans. When I left, someone even followed and observed me for quite a while - I thought I'd been exposed."

"Did you lose them?" asked the person sitting across from her.

"Yeah, I used several magical decoys. They took the bait and lost me." The blonde girl set down her coffee, lifting her sunglasses to reveal dead-fish eyes that seemed to contain a rotten soul. "But this was only because they didn't take me seriously enough. If a Flower Card had come after me next time, I wouldn't have returned so smoothly."

"Well, there won't be a next time anyway. One probe is enough." Another girl to her left spoke flippantly while poking at a dessert with her fork, grinning. "Who would've thought the nation would implement such intense security just for an exam... Cat Sis, I think your old flame might have sold you out."

The one called "Cat Sis" - the first to ask about the situation - remained expressionless, sitting quietly as if contemplating something.

"It might not necessarily be Black Cat's fault," the blonde girl argued. "My personal judgment is that the Royal Court might want to make a show of force, hence the excessive security. Though that doesn't explain why someone followed me, as if they were genuinely looking for someone specific."

"It doesn't matter. Their motivation for increasing security is irrelevant to us, because from the very beginning, we've prepared for the worst scenario." Just as the three girls had each expressed their views, a fourth voice suddenly emerged in the small booth.

The three girls reacted differently to this new voice. The blonde girl looked annoyed, the cake-eating girl beside her seemed intrigued, while the one called "Cat Sis" remained expressionless, her beast-like pupils quietly focusing on the speaker's location.

Without doubt, these three were the Claw Marks members that the Magical Affairs Court had been searching for nearly half a month without success - the girl called "Cat Sis" being Mohe, who had many past interactions with Veronica.

As for the one who suddenly spoke up and attracted their attention - it was someone who seemed completely out of place in this setting.

A man in a gray suit wearing a mask.

He had neatly combed black short hair, and the hands visible beyond his sleeves showed slight wrinkles indicating he wasn't young. Yet his upright posture and magnetic voice that showed no signs of aging proved he wasn't that old either.

Undoubtedly, this was a middle-aged man around fifty years old, gradually entering his senior years.