…Switched.
When Clara opened her eyes again, the dreamscape had changed once more.
“Hmm, where is this?”
[Supreme Leader’s Office.]
From the abandoned school classroom, it had become the corridor outside the Supreme Leader’s office?
I still have memories…
After all, she had been here before; Clara still remembered it.
Last time, before she could even touch that door, the Supreme Leader had dragged her into another dream, finished talking about the Undercover Department, and kicked her out again. She had never actually entered the office in reality.
“Nyx, is this reality or a dream?”
[Dream. After all, you’re still dripping wet.]
“I see…”
She touched her forehead; the pain still lingered.
That scene just now seemed to trigger some defense mechanism buried deep in her memory, like a black hole in the ocean swallowing all light, instantly cutting off Clara’s thoughts.
Losing consciousness in the dream, she drifted like a helpless fish in the dark currents.
It seemed the Supreme Leader had tried to guide her into recalling something, but had triggered the memory seal…
Clara had never been able to recall her past; it was like a movie that had been edited.
She vaguely remembered the general events from childhood to adulthood, remembered Lucia as a child, but every time she tried to touch on specific details, her brain ached as if cut, like a blade stirring inside.
Just like the abandoned school earlier; she knew it was a school she had attended, but she couldn’t retrieve any related memories.
Let’s not think about that for now.
Since she had pulled her to the office door in her dream, it was clearly to have her submit to her judgment.
This incident was indeed her fault.
If this nightmare was punishment, then Clara had no intention of running away…nor could she escape.
“Let’s go!”
She straightened her back, stood up, and said:
“Let’s hear what the Boss has to say.”
The dark corridor without windows had a crimson carpet, and the walls were hung with paintings in ornate frames.
However, these paintings were missing their main subjects, appearing hollow and eerie.
At the end of the corridor was a double door.
It was also the most mysterious and unfathomable place in the real Naitemel Headquarters.
Clara stood before the door and took a deep breath.
“You said that dreams wouldn’t show things I’ve never seen before, right?”
[Your own dreams wouldn’t… but clearly, you’ve been invited as a guest into someone else’s dream—into the “real dream” of the Supreme Leader of Naitemel.]
“But if I die here, I’ll really be dead.”
With anxiety and unease, Clara pushed open the door to the Supreme Leader’s office.
A woman with red hair and scorpion-like horns, dressed in professional formal wear, was leaning back against the desk with her arms crossed.
She held a phone in one hand with her sleeves rolled up, and only looked up slightly when Clara reached her.
In her eyes was undisguised disappointment.
She was the Supreme Leader of Naitemel.
The peak of the Organization, and one of the strongest Mutants currently.
Even though she hadn’t spoken yet, Clara already felt immense pressure.
‘She’s still angry, isn’t she?’
“Clara, do you know why we asked you here?”
Only when she spoke did Clara notice Maya beside her. She walked around the desk to stand next to the Supreme Leader, speaking on her behalf just like in the previous interrogation.
Not an NPC in the dream, but someone who had actually entered the dream through the Supreme Leader’s power, speaking to her like this.
“…Because I messed up.”
Clara’s heart pounded, but she answered respectfully on the surface:
“I sabotaged the Shadow Minister’s mission and got him thrown into prison…”
“So, can you give a convincing explanation?”
Maya began to circle around her, while Clara still faced the Supreme Leader.
“Boss, I’m the Minister of the Undercover Department, right?”
“Huh?”
Not understanding why Clara asked this, the Supreme Leader raised her forehead to meet her gaze, lifted one eyebrow, her expression serious and taut without a smile.
“Go on.”
‘If she said the wrong thing now…’
Clara swallowed dryly and continued:
“So, before completing the mission to ‘enter the Association’s core as a hero,’ I cannot have my identity exposed by other heroes.”
“Magical Girl Divine Might was suspicious of me. If I didn’t do something then, she would definitely investigate my identity thoroughly.”
Clara wasn’t entirely trying to shift blame to Divine Might…
But on second thought, Divine Might’s motives were indeed puzzling.
In that situation, why did she specifically ask Miss Nangong to call her, someone she wasn’t familiar with, to help?
And who was the hero who subcontracted the Association’s commission to her?
Their relationship wasn’t harmonious; at least Clara could sense Divine Might’s disdain for her. In that situation, she must have had more familiar hero friends she could have invited…
Well… maybe not.
After all, she didn’t seem like someone with many friends.
As Clara answered, Maya walked up to her, leaned in, and stared at her face, as if trying to see any trace of a lie in her eyes…
To prove herself, Clara didn’t look away.
“Hmm.”
Maya adjusted her glasses and continued:
“Even if what you say is true, the best outcome you should have pursued was to assist the Shadow Minister in completing the mission without exposing yourself, not to attack him for self-preservation. That was the worst possible move.”
Clara’s expression was somewhat innocent as she retorted:
“…Miss Maya, didn’t you see the on-site recordings?”
“That lab is unwilling to release the surveillance footage. Even if we got it, it wouldn’t be made public to the media.”
After all, it was a black lab under World Tree Technology. If that footage came out, it would cause trouble for the parent company.
“No matter. We have evidence more direct than so-called surveillance.”
The Supreme Leader spoke at this point.
She looked at Clara and snapped her fingers.
With that simple, casual action, the office scene began to shift, shatter, then reconstruct, bringing Clara back to the center of that chaotic laboratory.
Here was evidence more direct than surveillance.
That was the projection of Clara’s memory.
Calling it memory wasn’t entirely accurate either; theoretically, Clara couldn’t have seen the scene behind her, but the Supreme Leader had filled in the missing parts by manipulating the dream.
Before the “Clara” in the projection, the Shadow Minister, who had already succeeded, was confronting Magical Girl Divine Might, who had suddenly appeared.
As the latter swung her spiked mace and missed, the Shadow Minister immediately slipped into the shadow under the wall and fled. Then Divine Might broke through the wall, destroyed the shadow, and forced him to emerge from the ground…
Then came the critical part.
There, “Clara” stealthily sneaked behind the Shadow Minister, forming a squid-shaped fist on her hand. It looked soft, but with a sudden punch, she sent the off-guard Shadow Minister flying into the air.
After that, it was Divine Might’s “ace combat SSS score” routine.
“I only punched him once. Who knew the Shadow Minister wouldn’t fight back after that?”
Clara explained quietly.
She really wasn’t lying. The Supreme Leader and Maya were both silent, watching in amazement as the Shadow Minister remained airborne for a long time.
The Supreme Leader reined in some of her aura, propped her forehead, and asked:
“…Hmm, what’s the background of this Magical Girl?”
“Magical Girl Divine Might. She was formerly a hero affiliated with the Magical Girl Society, but withdrew for certain reasons. Now she’s an Independent Hero.”
The Magical Girl Society is the organization that uniformly manages all Magical Girls.
Even so, Clara had no interaction with that organization.
As for Divine Might’s reason for leaving the Society…
Clara guessed it was probably because her Mana Emission value was zero, so she faced discrimination or prejudice within the organization.
Maya adjusted her glasses again and continued introducing:
“Back then, Clara became a Magical Girl by absorbing her data. It’s only natural that she would be suspicious now, because ‘Magical Girl Clara’ is essentially her counterfeit.”
The Supreme Leader opened her mouth in surprise, revealing two pointed canine teeth.
“Huh? An Independent Hero is this powerful?”
‘For some reason, the Boss seemed kind of cute?’
Clara was startled by her own thought.
The Supreme Leader, however, felt embarrassed. The Shadow Minister was after all a cadre she had promoted herself. For him to be so thoroughly beaten by an Independent Hero was like a slap in the face…
“She really is a troublesome character. We can’t let her discover your connection to Naitemel.”
The Supreme Leader rubbed her chin, then opened her mouth and lightly bit her index finger.
“Boss, should we put her on the target list?”
Secretary Maya suggested:
“Let the Shadow Minister take his own revenge. With his usual methods, he’ll find a way to make sure she can never be a Magical Girl again.”
Clara became nervous.
‘If Naitemel became hostile toward Divine Might, what about her own position?’
But the Supreme Leader shook her head.
“No, it’s not convenient to make a move against her recently. If she encounters an attack from Naitemel, she’ll definitely call Clara for help. Then will she go or not?”
“Besides, for a company as big as ours to retaliate against an Independent Hero, that itself is beneath us… So let’s let her off for now. We’ll settle the score slowly later.”
Clara breathed a sigh of relief.
‘From the Supreme Leader’s tone, it seemed she didn’t intend to hold her accountable either?’
“Don’t celebrate too soon.”
The Supreme Leader continued:
“Since it’s a mission related to Naitemel, you at least should have reported in advance. This procedural oversight is still your dereliction of duty…”
Clara couldn’t argue.
At the time, sensing Divine Might was in danger, she had rushed to appear and assist…
“I, I’m willing to accept the organization’s punishment.”
Clara lowered her head and said this, but the Supreme Leader pinched her cheek and forced her to look up.
“No. Considering your good performance recently, I’ll let this mistake slide for now.”
Seeing Clara unable to speak with her cheek pinched, a smile finally appeared on the Supreme Leader’s face.
“But, the bonus originally scheduled to be paid will be revoked.”
With that, she let go, enjoying Clara’s surprise.
“B-Bonus is gone? Wait, I had a bonus?”
Clara turned to look at Maya for confirmation.
“You saved the Yuehai Resort and prevented property loss for the company. As a meritorious contributor, you naturally should receive a corresponding bonus… The Supreme Leader is never stingy in that regard.”
It sounded like a large sum.
Clara asked quietly:
“How much?”
Maya glanced at the tablet in her hand.
“Five million points. You could also pick out an equivalent small apartment in the city.”