Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

Chapter 715: Chapter 270: Stage

In the year 2000 of the Queen’s Calendar, 21 years after the Two Worlds War, in Luennolay.

That night, the Black Cat sat on a slightly desolate small hill, looking at her prosthetic cat paw.

Her face was expressionless, and she didn’t say a word, making it impossible for others to deduce her inner thoughts from her outward appearance.

Having hidden in the cave for several days, three Claw Mark members finally found a gap in the search and took the opportunity to get some fresh air at night. However, as the day of the plan approached, both the Black Cat and Golden Snake became increasingly silent, making the usually talkative He Ti feel she might be stifled to death.

She glanced at the Black Cat not far away, then turned to look at the Golden Snake:

"What do you think Sister Cat is thinking about?"

"What she’s thinking has nothing to do with you, right?" replied the Golden Snake, leaning against a tree and smoking, responding to her sporadically.

"Can’t I even guess?" He Ti puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction, "Or have you two already discussed things behind my back, and now you’re just playing charades with me?"

Golden Snake glanced at her.

"What’s the point of discussing it with you?"

"I am the battle core appointed by the boss!"

He Ti became even more indignant, "Daybreak will see us on the battlefield, can’t you two give me a heads-up?"

"It’s not about the daytime battle."

Golden Snake shook his head, "Just follow the original plan when dawn comes, the Black Cat... she’s probably thinking about something else now."

"Oh, so it’s her old flame, huh?" He Ti understood.

"Don’t talk so disgustingly..."

The two bickered a bit, then simultaneously fell silent.

Except for occasionally glancing at He Ti, Golden Snake’s gaze was on Luennolay City in the distance. Meanwhile, He Ti’s gaze slowly turned toward the distant city’s phantom during their conversation.

The spot where the Black Cat was seated, due to its lower position and blocked view, couldn’t see the distant scenery.

They didn’t sit together with the Black Cat but chose a separate small hilltop because standing here afforded a more comprehensive view of Luennolay.

Though it was still nighttime, to ensure the plan proceeded smoothly, they had to set off soon.

Moreover, due to different task assignments, they wouldn’t fight together afterward.

Given the current defensive forces in Luennolay, coupled with the mission’s inherent danger, the chance for these villainous fellows to gather again afterward was questionable.

But they didn’t discuss this topic. Having stayed in the Claw Mark organization for years, many things had already been thought through.

"After hiding for so many days, it’s finally my turn to make a big scene."

He Ti’s eyes reflected the distant outline as she licked her upper lip, showing a mysterious expression mixing excitement and nervousness but dismissing everything:

"Going back home requires a grand feast."

...

...

Shortly after dawn, in the outskirts of Luennolay, thousands of magical girls gathered here.

The Queen’s Year Qualification Test, held once every twenty years, with its final segment, the simulation of the "Great Beast Disaster," was about to commence.

Not only were the candidates in the field eager to try, but the atmosphere in the observation stands was also unprecedentedly solemn. With the presence of the three great Gemstone Scepters and Her Majesty the Queen once again gracing the event, no one could act too casually on such an occasion—at least not before the Queen herself relaxed.

The Great Beast Disaster two decades ago, an ongoing tragedy, was a catastrophe mainly out of control in the Material Realm that once impaired the Kingdom’s dignity.

Though the magical girl officials present dared not publicly speculate about the Queen’s thoughts, everyone had their own scale mentally. To them, Her Majesty had likely been irked by the incident.

After all, the event occurred during the Queen’s Year, shortly after the victory of the Two Worlds War when the Kingdom urgently needed rest and recuperation. It was precisely due to the Kingdom’s military deficit at the time that the sudden disaster found a gap to exploit.

To bring up past events at the cusp of the Queen’s Year after so many years, and on such a grand scale, was undoubtedly more than just remembering hardships; it was also a statement: to never suffer the same loss again.

Therefore, the better these candidates performed in the upcoming examination, the more satisfied the Royal Court would be. The Royal Court’s satisfaction would lead to the Exam Institute gaining merit, and the Research Institute, along with the Magical Affairs Institute, could secure significant political achievements.

At the same time, candidates standing out in this examination would surely receive more attention and cultivation than those in previous ones.

With practical exams in four sessions, the first maze exam tested the candidates’ perception and thinking abilities; the second magic armor exam evaluated the candidates’ growth potential as magical girls; the third card capture battle assessed teamwork and combat skills against others. Yet this fourth session represented the most crucial and fundamental ability for a magical girl:

—the ability to battle Remnant Beasts.

Many magical girls who didn’t perform notably in the first three sessions but considered themselves competent hoped to make a comeback in the final examination.

With many candidates harboring such sentiments, the atmosphere naturally became exceptionally lively.

However, there were a handful of candidates with thoughts different from the rest.

A few Beast Children aside, Lin Xiaolu and others also wore grave expressions, as if facing a formidable enemy. Even some of the Silver Corridor Sect candidates appeared extremely tense, clearly having caught some kind of news.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the crowd, two Magical Girls were digesting the shocking facts they had just heard.

――"Black Ash Dawn is planning a terrorist attack?"

Dogtail Grass covered her mouth, yet a horrified voice still slipped through her fingers: "Really? Shouldn’t they cancel the exam altogether? Why continue?"

"Because the enemy is already here, they will surely launch the attack regardless. Canceling the exam today means they might choose another occasion tomorrow."

Tu Dinggui appeared much more rational, even taking time to analyze: "Moreover, a crisis is also an opportunity. Knowing the enemy’s target, we can leverage the intelligence advantage to organize a counterattack while they’re in the dark. Canceling the exam for fear of causing panic would instead lose the chance to uproot the enemy completely, entering a hide-and-seek with the roles reversed."

This statement made Emerald Sparrow take a second glance.

One must admit, Tu Dinggui, born of a ’noble family,’ indeed far surpassed her peers in mentality and logical thinking. This analysis was logical and well-founded, making it difficult to fault.

"You’re not wrong; that is indeed part of the reason."

Emerald Sparrow nodded but didn’t explain what the ’other part’ meant. The plans of the Research Institute and Magical Affairs Institute’s high-ups dwelled in a gray area, not suitable for children to hear.

Dogtail Grass nodded half-understanding: "Then what does Claw Mark mean? Who are they?"

"Claw Mark is a group of defected Magical Girls."

Tu Dinggui answered immediately: "Many of them relied on their power to commit acts against the Kingdom’s laws and didn’t want to get caught, so they turned traitor and harbor resentment against the Kingdom."

"Huh? There are traitors among us Magical Girls?" Dogtail Grass heard such an earthshattering inside story for the first time, feeling her worldview reshaped.

"Yes, and they colluded with Black Ash Dawn, committing numerous wicked acts in the Material Realm."

Tu Dinggui nodded: "It’s normal you haven’t heard of them in the small city you guard, but in places with more open information, the existence of Claw Mark is almost public knowledge."

Emerald Sparrow listened quietly beside them, still opting not to add anything.

What Tu Dinggui mentioned was the widely circulated ’truth’ about Claw Mark. In fact, until Emerald Sparrow heard from Emerald that Claw Mark’s leader was once associated with Gemstone Scepter and had dealings with Yuan, she didn’t differ much in understanding from what Tu Dinggui said.

Even now, her perception of Claw Mark still hadn’t escaped this ’terrorist organization’ label.

Just, when she recalled Mo He accompanying her to procure supplies for the rear, talking about that distant ’ideal’ in the car, even inviting her to join, she couldn’t help but entertain a different notion: What if?

What if there’s more to this story?

She knew she shouldn’t act impulsively based on emotions and constantly reminded herself that twenty years had passed, the black-haired Magical Girl she met was no longer ’Mo He’; she had joined Claw Mark and certainly abandoned her past alias.

But the old memories still drove her, preventing her from making straightforward judgments about everything and instead standing here, resolute on finding Mo He, to verify the truth behind it all.

"So in the upcoming exam process, you must be cautious. If you notice anything amiss, go find the patrolling examiners; they’ll assist."

Not revealing her inner thoughts, Emerald Sparrow saw the two about done processing the information, thus advised: "The Kingdom has arranged many senior members for an ambush, the moment the enemy shows up, they’ll quickly act."

"Just ’we’?" Tu Dinggui sharply caught the indication in Emerald Sparrow’s words.

"Yes, because I’ll soon have to perform my own task."

At this point, with the arrow on the string, Emerald Sparrow saw no need to hide her purpose: "I’m sorry, even if the exam proceeds without disruption and scores are awarded, I can’t help you with team points. Your scores might be impacted by me."

"I don’t care about the points; it’s you, Senior Long Dan. Even if it’s a mission... but, aren’t you just a Seed Level newbie?"

Dogtail Grass swallowed: "Why must you handle such dangerous matters?"

"Because I’m not actually Seed Level; ’Long Dan’ is a fake alias."

Emerald Sparrow spoke candidly.

She reached inside her garment, fingers retrieving another number plate, hesitating slightly before revealing it.

Her gaze drifted towards the distant Observation Platform.

If nothing else, the ruler of the Magic Kingdom was seated there now.

Standing in Emerald Sparrow’s spot, it was hard to discern the details at the top of the Observation Platform even with a Magical Girl’s vision, not to mention a throng of Royal Court Guards blocking her view.

However, since arriving at the examination site early in the morning, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Did that person really not know everything happening beneath their feet?

At this point, Emerald Sparrow could no longer be certain.

With events unfolding to this degree, the massive entanglements behind it predetermined that she couldn’t halt her steps toward the center stage.

So her hand paused just slightly before she turned over the number plate in her hand, showing it to the two girls:

"My true alias is Emerald Sparrow, with a Flower Card certification number of 41076."

"Or, long ago, known more widely as Cornflower among them..."