When Erald Sparrow returned to Colorful Cloud Wetland, perhaps because her own return was earlier than expected, or perhaps because Lin Xiaolu and her companions were doing sothing else, in any case, the observation cottage belonging to the Fangting City team was still empty.
However, in fact, at this mont, she had no ti to pay attention to these matters, because there was an even more troubleso issue that she needed to contend with.
——Mo He was also living here.
Not only living here, but the cottage where Mo He resided was only a few hundred ters away from the one that Erald Sparrow and the others were staying in.
Only when Erald Sparrow further verified the information with Mo He did she realize that the group of Magical Girls she had encountered near the hot springs the previous night included Mo He herself, whom she felt familiar with.
Except, even at that ti, Mo He was wearing a mask, so Erald Sparrow didn't recognize her.
"So why wear a mask?"
As the conversation reached this point, even though Erald Sparrow had previously tried to suppress her unnecessary curiosity, she still couldn't help but ask.
"To disguise identity," Mo He gave such a reply.
"Why do you need to disguise?" Erald Sparrow still thought it was strange.
"On a task," Mo He continued to elaborate.
"A task for the Kingdom?"
"A task for the Kingdom."
"Oh, I see."
"Mhm."
Although Erald Sparrow still felt sothing was off, she judged from Mo He's tone and deanor that she didn't seem to be lying. And according to her experience in reading people, Mo He was not soone who was good at lying.
"Speaking of which, how did you recognize ?" After a mont of thought, she decided to resolve another question first.
"How could I recognize you?" Mo He asked sowhat puzzled: "The Captain is the Captain, aren't they?"
Taken aback by her words, Erald Sparrow paused, then reorganized her language: "Like you, I have also disguised myself for a task."
"Disguised?" Mo He looked at Erald Sparrow with confusion, her gaze and body pausing for a few seconds, then asking with even more bewildernt: "Where?"
"Hairstyle, clothes, and then... perhaps makeup?"
Erald Sparrow listed her disguises with a tone of uncertainty: "I feel like, at the very least, I would look sowhat different from myself twenty years ago, right?"
"Ah, seems like it."
It was only then that Mo He, who was belatedly aware, nodded: "The Captain no longer has long hair."
"...That's it?" Not knowing what else to express, Erald Sparrow was left blinking.
"Yes, because the Captain is the Captain, although you say you've changed, I feel that you haven't," Mo He said.
During this exchange of conversation, Mo He had already walked up to her own cottage, raised her hand to manipulate a magic technique, and in an instant of brilliance, unlocked the door.
"Would you like to co in and sit for a while?" She turned her head, as if to ask in a calm manner.
"No need."
Erald Sparrow politely declined through social niceties: "Your companions should be there, right? It would be odd for to barge in so abruptly."
Upon hearing this, Mo He walked a few steps into the observation room, seemingly taking a look inside.
Afterward, she walked out again and dissolved her own visibility-blocking magic technique, showing the interior to Erald Sparrow:
"It's fine, they are not here."
"...Anyway, let's not bother you, let's leave it like this for today."
Erald Sparrow continued to politely refuse: "It's getting late; it's better to go back and rest."
She wasn't clear about who Mo He's companions were, and although she was in disguise now, considering that Mo He ignored her fake identity as "Long Dan," she too started to lose so confidence and began to worry whether his companions might be able to do sothing similar.
She had a sufficient understanding of "Cornflower's" fa in the Magic Kingdom. It wasn't out of sheer arrogance, but rather a fact: in the past, she was indeed very well-known. Therefore, she had to minimize contact with those who might recognize her, even though her injuries had begun to improve.
"Understood."
Mo He clearly wasn't going to speculate about what Erald Sparrow was thinking; knowing Erald Sparrow was unwilling, she didn't bring it up again but instead asked, "So, tomorrow..."
"Yes, let's et tomorrow," Erald Sparrow agreed.
She had accepted Mo He's invitation to have a al together tomorrow.
It wasn't just out of social nicety, but also with so genuine sincerity. After all, upon her return to the Kingdom, the past she had intentionally put aside inevitably began to resurface. She didn't want to be indifferent towards her old comrades-in-arms, especially towards Mo He, who held a special place among them.
And after spending the afternoon together, she could determine with clarity that Mo He's condition was not very good, to say the least—not an adequately positive and ambitious state of mind, which was quite worrying. So perhaps, she really ought to understand more about the situation, and consider what she might be able to do?
However, as the two had lost contact for so long, Erald Sparrow did not want to delve too deeply into conversation without a mutual openness of hearts. Before delving into Mo He's past experiences, accepting Mo He's kindness to dine together and taking the ti to rekindle their past camaraderie seed very necessary.
"Tomorrow, we can et again."
After receiving Erald Sparrow's affirmation, Mo He nodded slightly, lowered her gaze, and retreated two steps into the house. Standing by the door, she softly muttered sothing along the lines of "success." Then, as if sothing sprang to mind, she looked up:
"Do you need to drive you there?"
"...I have to go out for errands tomorrow morning," Erald Sparrow said, her gaze shifting aside upon this subject.
"Where to? I can co to pick up the Captain at noon."
"It's quite far away, and I believe vehicles aren't allowed there, so there's no need. We can just arrange a eting place."
Erald Sparrow's intuition told her that if she continued to stay here, Mo He would definitely do everything possible to show off her "convertible car," therefore she decisively ended the conversation:
"Well, let's leave it at that, then. I won't bother you any longer."
Having said that, she was ready to turn and leave.
"...Rosam ducat, Luna servet."
Almost at the sa ti, as Erald Sparrow made an escape-like attempt to leave, Mo He suddenly uttered this phrase from behind her, seemingly out of nowhere.
It was a phrase with no connection to their prior conversation, but Erald Sparrow knew what it ant.
The Rose guides, the Moon watches over the return — these were oath phrases exchanged by soldiers during wars twenty years ago as greetings and farewells. The Rose signified the Rose Palace, and in the traditional writings of the Magic Kingdom, the moon was often associated with death, eternal rest, and similar elents. This oath was a promise among soldiers: to guard the honor of the Magic Kingdom with their lives.
Turning around, she noticed that Mo He, at so point, had raised her hand, palm facing outwards, performing a quite standard Magic Kingdom military salute.
Erald Sparrow suddenly felt as if she glimpsed sothing, and perhaps that sothing was the reason why Mo He looked the way she did now.
"The Rose guides, the Moon watches over the return," she responded.
But she did not delve into these topics at that mont.
Instead, like Mo He, she replied with the oath phrase and then raised her hand to attempt the military salute that had beco unfamiliar yet sohow still known.
But she couldn't do it.
Her hand lifted halfway but simply couldn't reach her temple. Erald Sparrow's motion seed to get stuck in midair, abruptly halting.
Then she lowered her hand.
"See you tomorrow,"
She said this to Mo He and then made her way toward her own small house.
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