The call Erald Sparrow received was ant for Lin Yun, luckily, the person on the other side of the call was not another employee, but Hong Siyu.
The reason for making this call at this ti was because a construction project near the suburbs noticed indications of Remnant Beasts' activity but did not find any Remnant Beasts, so they hoped the Abnormal Strategy Bureau would send soone to stand guard.
This kind of guard duty, if given to a Magical Girl, would seem like an overuse of talents, even though Hong Siyu herself is a Magical Girl, but recently she has been incredibly busy in the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, spinning like a top, and certainly couldn't afford to waste ti on a yet-to-appear Remnant Beast; Asou Haruka has recently taken on almost the entire defense of the city area by herself, and Hong Siyu also felt it wouldn't be right to add to her burden.
After so analysis, the best solution for this guard mission seed to be dispatching a team equipped with Magic Weapons from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, after all, such teams also have the capability to confront low-level Remnant Beasts, and they have more hands available than a Magical Girl.
And when it cos to dispatching the Special Operations Division, it required the opinion of Director Lin Yun.
"I think it's fine, we can agree to it."
Erald Sparrow said: "However, the combat resources of the Special Operations Division are also very precious, so you need to make it clear to them: If the Remnant Beast still hasn't appeared after seven days, let them stop work, don't keep going. We also have to change our work type from guarding to observing, just to ensure we can dispatch combat power the mont the Remnant Beast appears. We're not their nannies; let them learn to avoid these totally unnecessary risks themselves, instead of always tossing everything at us."
"Alright... Now we agree to their request, but if the Remnant Beast still doesn't show up after seven days, let them stop working, I got it."
Hong Siyu murmured: "Then, should we send one or two of the more capable employees in the team? I think Tian Sheng hasn't been that busy lately."
The "Tian Sheng" she ntioned refers to Tian Sheng of the Special Operations Division, who has always shown an excellent level of combat performance since the cleansing operation against Black Ash Dawn, and as an elite equipped with Magic Weapons, has managed to kill egg-class Remnant Beasts on his own several tis, making his reputation unmatched within the division.
"If he's not that busy, let him go, so the construction bureau can't say we're all talk and no action later."
Erald Sparrow leaned against the bathroom wall, her voice calm: "But elite combat personnel managent should be more cautious. This kind of guard duty should only take up half their day, ensuring they have ti to deal with those lower-level Remnant Beast attacks... you know, we can't leave even the egg-class Remnant Beasts to Asou, don't let her bear too much."
"Mmm, I understand, senior." Hong Siyu responded softly.
"That will do for now... I've also stepped out during a al to make this call, talking too long isn't appropriate."
Erald Sparrow glanced at the ti on her phone, seeing that the call had already lasted for ten minutes, she took the initiative to end the conversation: "If there are any other issues later on, just contact ."
"Ah, oh, um, senior, just wait a mont." The voice of Hong Siyu interrupted Erald Sparrow's attempt to hang up.
"Hmm? What else is there?" Erald Sparrow asked in confusion.
"That is... uh... Happy Birthday! And Happy Valentine's Day."
Hong Siyu's volu initially went up a bit, then began getting softer and softer: "Although I can't tell you these in person, I hope you won't forget while you're in the Kingdom..."
At this, she paused for a mont, seemingly took a deep breath:
"—In the Material Realm here, my heart is all yours."
She said it very fast.
So fast that Erald Sparrow hadn't yet realized what she had heard, and the phone was already filled with a string of busy signals.
By the ti she figured out what Hong Siyu was saying, she already missed the chance to reply, all she could do was stare at her phone with wide eyes.
"This kid, lately really is..."
After a while, Erald Sparrow sighed softly and let go of the thought of following up on this, as she still had to dine with soone else and couldn't keep them waiting too long.
So she put away her phone, freshened up quickly in front of the wash basin, and returned to the dining room.
Her heartbeat was indeed a little faster, but her self-regulation was quick, and by the ti she sat back down at the table, her expression had returned to normal.
After such an episode, she finally adjusted her mindset, considering herself ready to continue the conversation with Mo He.
With that thought, Erald Sparrow glanced at the chocolate fondue set in the center of the table, and at the tal cooling sphere that seed untouched on the side.
Did the other person wait for her the whole ti?
Realizing this, Erald Sparrow felt a bit guilty about leaving for ten minutes.
"Sorry for making you wait so long, let's continue,"
Striving to make her expression a bit more serene, Erald Sparrow put on a very standard smile, then reached out to touch the tal sphere beside her. First, she tugged the lid up and down a couple of tis until the seams in the middle widened slightly, then she ran her finger around the trail of the seam, gently parting it.
In this refrigerated sphere were banana slices.
Erald Sparrow briefly recalled the way to eat chocolate fondue, and following the thod in her mory, used the long-handled tongs nearby to grasp a slice of banana, imrsing it in the lted chocolate. After waiting about ten seconds, she lifted the banana out, sprinkled so granulated sugar on it, and placed it on Mo He's plate.
"The preparation should be fine, so you can rest assured and try it first,"
As she spoke, she reached out again to open the other refrigerated spheres; however, she quickly noticed that Mo He, for so reason, was intently watching her handle the spheres and murmuring sothing under her breath.
"Is sothing the matter?" She could only ask in return.
"...It's nothing."
For so reason, Mo He lowered her head sowhat guiltily and slowly nibbled on the banana slice Erald Sparrow had given her: "The Captain's cooking is really tasty."
"I rely dunked it in the pot for a round, it shouldn't really count as my cooking,"
Erald Sparrow corrected her, but she did not dwell on the topic: "If you like the taste, that's good. Let's dip so more varieties of food, we also have biscuits and apples here."
The two then earnestly began to enjoy the fondue.
Erald Sparrow was still pondering the question Mo He asked her before taking a break mid-way, continuously interrogating herself on what answer she should give, or what kind of answer to provide.
Mo He was grappling for a solution in her mind because she had made a mistake when Erald Sparrow wasn't aware, just that the destructive act had not been exposed along with the bill yet.
"...Right, if it's a ti machine!" After a round of brainstorming, her quiet murmur was still overheard by Erald Sparrow, who gave a puzzled look.
But Mo He realized she had slipped up, so she imdiately stuffed the chocolate-coated biscuit from her plate into her mouth, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Compared to the first half of the al, both were undoubtedly much quieter now, each returning to their original reticence. Only the sound of Erald Sparrow occasionally advising on the use of utensils allowed them to actually enjoy their food properly.
Having a main al consisting entirely of desserts was unquestionably too sweet in Lin Yun's view. However, in her Magical Girl form, her Magical Girl's palate found no dislike for this kind of al combination that should be cloyingly sweet, even taking so pleasure in it. And even if the al was high in sugar, as a Magical Girl, her body wouldn't have any adverse reaction to it—after all, it's all just converted into Magic Power.
Biting gently, she tore off a piece of the dry bread wrapped in chocolate with her teeth. Erald Sparrow chewed silently, savoring the rich sweetness spreading in her mouth, and gently closed her eyes, making a decision in her heart.
"Mo He," she began to speak.
"...Hmm?" Mo He looked at her.
"The question you asked before, 'Are you happy?' about that, I think I should tell you the answer in my heart."
Erald Sparrow swallowed the remaining bread in her mouth and took a sip of the tea she had picked up from beside the table to cleanse her palate: "If you ask for a simple 'yes' or 'no,' my answer is the sa as before. I have found my own life and happiness, and I still believe now that I am happy."
Mo He's expression remained unchanged: "Really... is that so?"
"I don't know why you're doubtful or even dissatisfied with my answer, but undoubtedly, what I'm saying is the truth,"
Erald Sparrow put down her tea cup: "It's just that I didn't tell you the complete answer, that is, I failed to cherish and hold on to my happiness, so part of it slipped away."
"I feel regret, remorse, and even sadness for the part of my happiness that I lost, but it is precisely because of this regret and sorrow that I absolutely cannot say I am not happy."
"Because, if I were to indulge in sadness rely because I lost a part of it, thinking myself no longer happy, and ignore the remaining happiness,"
She paused, then looked up at the other person: "In that case, I would be a fool unworthy of the remaining happiness I do have."
These words made Mo He's hand holding the fork pause slightly.
"I don't understand." She lifted her head, "If happiness slips away, can it really still be considered happiness?"
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