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    The support from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau always arrived btedly, but in terms of post-crisis management, they were fairlypetent. From Luoming District to Lixing District, both incident sites had been secured and quarantined by personnel from the Bureau.


    In Luoming District, the damaged areas were the most disparate, and the roads and infrastructure had suffered the heaviest damage, thankfully with few casualties; in Lixing District, the destruction was nearly limited to the vicinity of Fangting City''s First Welfare House, but it resulted in the loss of many innocent lives.


    The work of repairing and reconstructing the affected areas, evacuating and arranging follow-up for people in danger, investigating andforting eyewitnesses at the scene, and arresting and escorting the terrorists involved a massive amount of work revolving around a crisis that had onlysted a few hours.


    Those who called themselves ck Ash Dawn magicians would be sent to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for further interrogation, awaiting sentences based on their crimes and the attitude of their confessions, ranging from the revocation of their ability to use spell techniques to the death penalty; the dead man in the ck robe would have his body taken to therge central Abnormal Strategy Bureau and through its gates sent to the Research Institute in the Magic Kingdom.


    As for thest and most troublesome individual, the w Mark Magical Girl Sparrow, she would be detained in a special containment facility in Fangting City, waiting for the investigation team from the Magic Kingdom to arrive.


    This was Emerald Sparrow''s own wish and was strongly supported by the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau.


    ording to Director Mosi, this was not only about handling a case well, but also a good opportunity to re-establish contact with the Magic Kingdom.


    Therefore, through the Seeder of the neighboring Qingyan City, the Fangting City Abnormal Strategy Bureau immediately passed the information to the Magic Kingdom''s Investigation Institute and received a reply a few dayster: The Institute would send an investigation team to Fangting City.


    Unlike the previous indifferent attitude, the Institute obviously ced more importance and care on the members of the "w Mark" organization.


    However, these were things that would happenter.


    After this sudden crisis, which was promptly quelled, and before the people from the Kingdom arrived, Lin Yun, who had sessfully resigned, still had a few things to do.


    He needed to settle the newly joined Magical Girl, Bai Jingxuan; assist the Abnormal Strategy Bureau with some final post-crisis work; and then, he would face the day he had long prepared for: An Ya''s anniversary of death.


    Lin Yun knew practically nothing about Bai Jingxuan, the girl who had unexpectedly be a Magical Girl during the ident. Besides discovering that her magic power seemed to naturally possess a special quality upon their first meeting, he only knew that she lived in the welfare house and was an orphan.


    But even an orphan, unless they are an abandoned baby, would have had parents and a family at some point, and out of the need to learn more about her, Lin Yun decided to meet with the director of the welfare house—Miss Liu Wenqin.


    Of course, not as Lin Yun, but in the guise of Emerald Sparrow.


    Due to this need, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau also specially granted a favor for Emerald Sparrow: normally, when ordinary peoplee to know the true identity of a Magical Girl, they should be given psychological suggestions in a timely manner to forget the matter. However, after this incident, the Bureau didn''t immediately subject Director Liu to psychological suggestion. Instead, they temporarily allowed her to retain full awareness of the incident, to bettermunicate with Emerald Sparrow.


    Thus, on the morning of the day following the end of the incident, Emerald Sparrow met with Liu Wenqin in the welfare house director''s office.


    "I''m already aware of the purpose of your visit, and to be honest... I really hadn''t expected to encounter such a thing at my age," Liu Wenqin said somewhat helplessly from behind the desk, her arm in a cast: "Although I''ve always known that magic exists in this world, having these events happen so close to me still feels a bit unreal."


    "I''m very sorry that we failed to detect the situation in time and that we couldn''te to the rescue immediately."


    Sitting in front of the desk, Emerald Sparrow said, holding the teacup prepared by Liu Wenqin: "It was supposed to be our task as Magical Girls to promptly eliminate the Remnant Beasts. As the captain of the Fangting City team, I feel deeply apologetic about it."


    ```


    Upon hearing Emerald Sparrow''s words, Liu Wenqin, who sat behind the desk, was momentarily stunned before she spoke, "I''m sorry, before we start discussing Xiao Xuan''s matter, may I ask you a question first?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Please ask." Emerald Sparrow watched her calmly.


    "Although my memory isn''t very clear either... are you, by any chance, called Cornflower?"


    Eyeing Emerald Sparrow''s attire carefully, Liu Wenqin hesitated a bit and said, "It might be a bit presumptuous to ask this. If you don''t know who Cornflower is, just disregard my question."


    The office fell silent for a moment.


    "...I am."


    Polishing the teacup in her hands and after a long silence, Emerald Sparrow maintained herposure and nodded, "If you''re referring to the Magical Girl known as Cornflower, then that''s me."


    "Haha, no wonder, I felt you looked familiar the moment I first saw you."


    Relieved and with a smile, as if recalling something, Liu Wenqin''s demeanor rxed significantly, "If I recall correctly, you were the Magical Girl of Fangting City twenty years ago. I asionally saw you on the news back then, and my daughter was quite fond of you."


    "Twenty years ago? Then, your daughter now..." Emerald Sparrow caught the information in her words.


    "Yes, she now has children of her own."


    With her hand covering her mouth as if the topic brought her great joy, Liu Wenqin said, "She even nned to volunteer as a nurse here at the welfare home for a while. Unfortunately, she ended up beingzy and missed the chance to meet her childhood idol."


    Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "After so much time, even if someone paid attention as a child, they probably have forgotten by now."


    "How could that be? She still mentions your name asionally when she sees any news rted to Magical Girls."


    Liu Wenqinughed and said, "Back then, you were the city''s great hero. Those who liked you would always remember your name."


    Emerald Sparrow had heard this same sentiment not long ago from Wang Tengfei.


    Since returning to a life away from the public eye, she had been trying to hide her traces and never once interacted closely with regr people. She had never expected that, after making contact with people at such close quarters as a Magical Girl, so many would still remember her.


    "Speaking of which, have you been Fangting City''s Magical Girl for these twenty years? You mentioned you are now the captain. What happened to the other kids from before? I remember their names were Sakura and Lan Xiang... and one kid whose name was quite long?"


    Emerald Sparrow did not respond, and Liu Wenqin continued speaking. Halfway through, she realized something problematic in what she said and waved her hands apologetically, "Ah, I''m sorry, I unconsciously thought of you as the children from back then."


    "It really feels like Magical Girls are quite miraculous. Even after so many years, there is not a single sign of aging, you still look so young, just like a child."