The worst possibility has co true.
This was Erald Sparrow's first feeling upon hearing Erald's words.
If Tulip had already defected, then Mo He, who had traveled with her and repeatedly ntioned joining a certain "team," was also self-evident.
The team Mo He spoke of, the one she had already joined, was Claw Mark.
Erald Sparrow was not entirely unprepared for this answer. In fact, she had known for a long ti; she simply didn't want to believe it.
She couldn't believe that Mo He and even Tulip would beco part of "Claw Mark," would join such an organization akin to terrorists.
As comrades who had participated in the wars between the realms and had fought on the front lines of the Garden Defense Battle, Mo He and Tulip were not just "colleagues" to Erald Sparrow.
The Garden Defense Battle was a life-changing war for many of the Magical Girls who survived it, imprinting a significant mark on their hearts.
So, to so extent, both Mo He and Tulip were people who could "empathize" with Erald Sparrow, sharing an understanding of a certain sadness and pain.
Because they could understand the sa pain, they naturally had similar attitudes and emotions about life; and because they shared these emotions, it was unimaginable for Erald Sparrow to believe they would act against them.
If Tulip and Erald Sparrow didn't have many opportunities to work together, so they weren't that familiar, that was one thing. But Mo He, or rather Nina, the Magical Girl who had been in the sa team as Erald Sparrow, was vivid in Erald Sparrow's mory. Regardless of whether it was the Nina from her mories or the Mo He who seed to have changed a lot now, Erald Sparrow couldn't reconcile their image with the impression of "Claw Mark."
"What's wrong? Finding it hard to accept?"
Gran watched Erald Sparrow's reaction with amusent, half-raising herself: "With that attitude, you must have t her, right? And it must have been in the past few days?"
"…I should be able to accept it, it's just that it's hard to convince myself."
The other party had already guessed the truth, but Erald Sparrow didn't answer Gran's latter question. She only said slowly, "Because I can't understand why she did this."
"It's right that you don't understand. If everyone could understand what Claw Mark really wants, the Magic Kingdom would have been in chaos long ago."
Gran squinted her eyes, waved dismissively, and laughed, "And in fact, from the list we've gathered so far, other than those confidants from the Finance Court who followed Purple Diamond's departure, it was mainly our Luennolay City Defense Army who defected most. I was even investigated by the Royal Court because of it, what a nuisance."
From Gran's perspective, if she really had nothing to do with these events, then it indeed would be an innocent disaster for her. But rather than sympathizing with her, what Erald Sparrow was more concerned about was her earlier statent: "The most Magical Girls ca from the City Defense Army... Does that an..."
"Yes, it ans that many of those who defected from Claw Mark likely did so because of the Garden Defense Battle or the aftermath of the war."
Leisurely coming to a conclusion for Erald Sparrow's hypothesis, Gran quickly added, as if rembering sothing: "Ah, although I was a major combat force at the ti, don't include in that."
"...While it's easy to draw such a conclusion, I cannot agree."
After mulling it over, Erald Sparrow shook her head: "I was also a participant in that war. From my perspective, they had no reason to take such extre actions because of issues left over from the war."
It wasn't her view of Mo He and Tulip. She was defending the entire Luennolay City Defense Army and all the Magical Girls who survived that war.
"Is that so? But even you, who chose to distance yourself from the Kingdom and avoid involvent in these matters, aren't really much different, right?"
Gran, who had been half-squinting, suddenly opened her eyes fully. Despite the smile still on her face, one felt as if facing a beast awakened from slumber, the atmosphere unbearably oppressive: "To be honest, youngster, maybe they've just gone a little further than you."
"But they're not the sa as ; I was banned from entering the Magic Kingdom..." Erald Sparrow frowned, trying to argue, but Gran interrupted her before she could finish.
–"Do you truly believe it's because of the ban or 'exile' that you ended up like this?"
Gran's tone was still lazy, yet inexplicably commanding: "Or are you going to tell that your thoughts after the war or the Great Beast Disaster were different from now?"
Erald Sparrow fell silent.
It wasn't that she couldn't answer Gran's questions, nor was she unwilling to reveal anything. Instead, a realization struck her again. There had to be sothing hidden behind all this.
Just as she had once said to Mo He, twenty years had passed, and in that ti, so much had happened that it could change a person, or even a group of people. And now, she still knew very little about these "forr comrades."
Were they all pursuing the ideals Mo He described? What was the true purpose of the base established in the Wilderness of the Material Realm? What was Claw Mark's intent with their reckless and public chaos?
These erging questions were puzzles Erald Sparrow couldn't share with Gran.
Asking and discussing these matters would an betraying Mo He's whereabouts. If she could confirm Mo He's evil path, becoming a villain, she would share the information without hesitation. But she had doubts.
She knew Claw Mark was not a group of good people. Whether it was the Sparrow, always showing malicious intent, or the unpredictable Yuan, both ca to Fangting with ill intentions.
But she also knew she shouldn't judge an entire organization by a few mbers. What she knew about Claw Mark was still too limited. The accounts she had heard were insufficient to piece together the whole truth.
Erald Sparrow's intuition told her not to make judgnts without knowing the full truth.
So, she decided not to ntion Mo He.
The only thing on her mind was how to inform Gran that "the assessnt site would be dangerous" without revealing her source of information.
Yes, she had no intention of hiding this.
The Kingdom's assessnt involved not only the juniors from Fangting City but also countless Magical Girls from various places. She couldn't gamble with their safety.
If the situation could cause harm to many comrades, she would convey the ssage, even if it ant betraying Mo He's trust.
That was the decision Erald Sparrow made after considering: she would hide the fact that the Magical Girl Mo He had contacted her but pass on any information she deed significant for the assessnt's safety.
However, as she contemplated her words, Gran spoke up again:
"Enough, we're going too far off-topic. I don't expect a direct answer from you, so let's return to the original issue. The Magical Girl code-nad 'Tulip' has defected, possibly being one of the first to follow Purple Diamond and beco a core mber of Claw Mark. Whether you accept it or not, that's the fact."
"...Okay, I understand."
Despite the interruption in her thoughts, Erald Sparrow didn't show any unusual reaction, only nodding slightly to acknowledge the information.
"Alright then, this conversation is over. Do you have anything else you want to say?"
Gran's tone turned light-hearted once again: "If not, you can leave now. Prepare sothing a bit more formal to wear and co find later."
"I... What?"
Still pondering how to communicate the danger to Gran, Erald Sparrow was startled by her sudden declaration: "Co later? Why?"
"Because we have important business, and I need to take you with ," Gran said nonchalantly.
"Where to?" Erald Sparrow could only ask.
"Well, if I had to say, it's a party? A banquet? At best, it might be called a dinner gathering."
Gran pondered before answering:
"Never mind, the form doesn't matter. Just co with ; I need to introduce you to a few people."
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