"...Director Liu."
Seeing that Liu Wenqin's topic of conversation had begun to stray, Erald Sparrow had to interject, "This is not part of the prearranged discussion content."
"Oh, sorry, it's just that this is my first ti seeing a Magical Girl up close, so I talked a little too much about my extra thoughts," Liu Wenqin stopped, smiling apologetically, "I've asked everything I wanted to ask, so let's get back to the main topic."
She quieted her excess enthusiasm and shuffled through a stack of papers on the desk. The aging director pulled out a dozen or so forms that were bound together and handed them to Erald Sparrow.
With so confusion, Erald Sparrow took the small stack of docunts and briefly skimd through them, only to realize: these were Bai Jingxuan's dical reports and many docunts and proofs from before she was received by the welfare center.
Inside, Bai Jingxuan's experiences were described in detail and officially: the reasons she was admitted into the welfare center and her current status.
Gently pinching the paper, Erald Sparrow didn't speak, simply flipping through the docunts in silence.
From the papers, she saw many things, learned about the peculiar illness with which Bai Jingxuan was born; knew she had lost her parents and her eyes in a Remnant Beast attack; and likewise knew she had waited three years in the welfare center without being adopted.
Erald Sparrow didn't consider herself soone overflowing with sympathy, but she did possess the basic empathy of an adult. Holding such docunts, she only felt a great heaviness in her palms.
The attacks by Remnant Beasts were never just flimsy numbers. Even though Magical Girls and the Abnormal Strategy Bureau were responsible for maintaining the security of the city, casualties were still inevitable.
Each casualty, rely a count of black letters on white paper in the archives, often ant the shattering of a family behind them.
"Xiaoxuan is a child I've always watched with concern, and I've often heard the caregivers talk about her. All I can say is that her situation is indeed very... special."
Seeing Erald Sparrow looking down at the docunts, Liu Wenqin added from behind her desk, "Her parents died in a Remnant Beast attack accident, and her life afterwards beca very inconvenient. Although her behavior is usually quite normal, we aren't sure if what she shows is truly how she feels."
"If we said before, such things were unforeseen disasters that we common people couldn't even imagine; but now, having beco a Magical Girl, possessing the ability to defeat and kill Remnant Beasts, I'm very concerned about what kind of emotions she might harbor."
"She's always been quiet and sensible, and it's precisely because of this that everyone's even more worried. The severity of the hatred she might hold towards the Remnant Beasts, and how this hatred might affect her, are things I can neither predict nor control."
"In a place like ours, the care the caregivers can provide her is ultimately limited; with no one willing to adopt her, she might always lack a proper ntor to guide her in her life ahead."
"But Miss Cornflower, if it's you, who has once saved this city... I believe you can set her on the right path."
"Not only to beco a Magical Girl like you but more importantly, to guide her out of her own emotions and gain a new perspective on the world." Discover stories at empire
Director Liu spoke these words with great sincerity.
Not just as the head of the welfare center but also as an elder, these were her genuine concerns for the child Bai Jingxuan.
"...I will," Erald Sparrow lifted her head from the docunts, looked at Liu Wenqin, and replied calmly and earnestly.
Bai Jingxuan had already beco a Magical Girl with Moke's help and thus was a mber of the Fangting City Magical Girl Squad, as well as Lin Xiaolu's current and future companion. Whether it was out of compassionate concern or due to the sense of responsibility as a Magical Girl senior, she had no reason not to properly nurture her.
Having learned about her experiences and condition from Liu Wenqin, it would facilitate to teach her according to her aptitudes and help her grow properly.
With this, the purpose of the conversation had been achieved.
And when Erald Sparrow had finished reviewing the materials and expressed her gratitude, Liu Wenqin suddenly lowered her voice as if whispering, and said:
"I heard from the staff at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that after this incident, I will gradually forget these things without any negative effects."
"So, I suppose I'll also forget that Xiaoxuan beca a Magical Girl, and I'll forget that I have t you, right?"
"That's why I still need to say a very serious thank you. I would like to express gratitude on behalf of everyone at the orphanage, and I wish you success in your future endeavors."
As she spoke, she hesitated slightly and then, with an apologetic smile, flipped open the notebook on her desk, took out a bookmark, and handed it to Cornflower:
"Though it was ant for my daughter, could I ask for your autograph?"
Looking at the bookmark she handed over, Erald Sparrow picked up a pen. There wasn't much she could reply with, all she could say was "Thank you."
With mixed emotions, she wrote down "Cornflower" on the bookmark and bid farewell to Liu Wenqin, who was behind the desk. After leaving the office, she looked back to see Liu Wenqin sitting there, waving calmly and smiling at her.
Liu Wenqin appeared very open-minded about the impending erasure of her mories. But both Erald Sparrow and she knew that even if they t again, they would only be strangers.
Perhaps for most ordinary people, returning to tranquility by forgetting these events was the most secure choice.
On the way ho, Lin Yun sat in the light rail train, gazing out at the streetscape through the window, lost in thought.
The Abnormal Strategy Bureau had acted quickly, in just a single day the neighborhood around the orphanage had been mostly repaired, leaving only so peripheral areas still fenced off for safety.
Although he hadn't been back to the company to see it, he was also aware that the office building's repair wouldn't take long. The spell techniques of Magicians were far superior for these kinds of tasks compared to ordinary construction crews.
There had been too many incidents in the past few days, so he had been maintaining a taut ntal state. Now, with the conclusion of the incident and follow-ups winding down, he needed to relax and make plans for the future.
He had officially resigned from Gaoseng Company, which explained why he could afford to visit the orphanage leisurely on a workday morning. However, after resigning, he wasn't sure if he should just "take it easy" at ho.
Although he would be active as Erald Sparrow during the day, Lin Yun, as a father, felt he shouldn't tell Lin Xiaolu that he had quit his job. After all, being jobless was sothing that could significantly impact a middle-aged man's image.
He was still deciding whether to keep his resignation a secret or to find a nominal job with no real substance or inco.
And with his resignation, Xiaolu's sumr vacation was still ongoing. How to train them after he started supervising them formally also needed consideration.
Bai Jingxuan, orphan, disabled, outsider.
These keywords flickered in Lin Yun's mind, compelling him to seriously consider the educational issues ahead.
"Anyway, let's talk to her first."
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