“I need your cooperation for a room inspection.”
“Please, just a moment!”
The receptionist, clearly unaccustomed to such a request, fumbled in a flustered panic, consulting the manager before escorting her to the security room.
The front desk manager’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing the news.
This was no small matter!
A magical girl personally intervening meant the situation was grave.
Leading Luo Zining to the surveillance room, he said, “Whatever you need, just tell the technicians.”
Luo Zining paused briefly before issuing her command.
“Pull up the footage from the last half hour and around 1 p.m. today.”
“Right away!”
The footage was retrieved swiftly.
It revealed that the old man had indeed left after soaking in the hot springs at noon, not returning until after 4 p.m.
When he did, he approached the front desk and booked another room.
Curiously, no one was seen accompanying him.
That room… it was on the floor directly below hers.
“Get me a keycard for that room,” Luo Zining ordered. “And keep it quiet.”
“Of course, understood!”
The manager, glaring at the screen, seethed with indignation.
Surely, the petite, adorable girl in the footage was a victim of some vile criminal.
The thought of such a lovely girl suffering at the hands of a monster made his blood boil.
What a beast!
To think such a beauty was preyed upon by a pig!
Damn that criminal to hell!
Five minutes later, Luo Zining clutched the keycard, her steps heavy with murderous intent as she marched toward the room.
***
Meanwhile, in another corner of the hotel, a dimly lit room lay shrouded in shadow.
The blackout curtains were drawn tight, sealing out every sliver of light.
On a soft, sprawling bed, a half-dressed girl sprawled languidly, her bare, delicate feet peeking out from beneath the covers.
Her neatly folded stockings rested on the bedside.
Luo You, drowsy and planning a quick nap before Luo Zining’s return, intended to hit the hot springs again after dinner and then collapse into a deep sleep.
Knock, knock.
“Master! Master!”
“What the—?! Didn’t I tell you not to come looking for me?”
Luo You’s eyes snapped toward the sound, spotting Xue clinging to the window, her small hands tapping the glass as if eager to barge in.
Before Luo You could protest, Xue pushed the window open, slipped inside, and carefully drew the curtains shut before scampering to the bed.
Good grief, did Leticia teach her this?
She’s too clever for her own good!
If only Xue could ditch the sneaky, thief-in-the-night vibe—like some prowler creeping into a bedroom for illicit purposes.
“Master, I—”
“What should you call me?”
“You, here!”
Xue whipped out her phone, cranking the brightness to its maximum and flipping to a chat screen.
“I don’t get it. What’s this about ‘the third aunt’s niece’s neighbor’s friend’s kid’?”
“Are you trying to transform into a giant of light with that brightness?!”
Luo You darted to the window, yanking the curtains open.
She splashed water on her face, explaining, “That’s your cover story! If you’re ever in a pinch, that’s what you say.”
“What’s a pinch?”
“It’s when someone catches you. Now, go back. Immediately.”
Luo You pointed to the window, her tone uncharacteristically urgent.
If Luo Zining returned now, how would she explain this?
A police officer with a criminal in the family would have their career ruined.
Her daughter, a magical girl, entangled with a dimensional beast?
The fallout would be catastrophic.
Luo You wanted no connection between them.
Though, truth be told, Luo Zining’s involvement with her was already misfortune enough.
“You, when are you free?”
“Hmm… around seven, I’ll be at the hot springs.”
“I’ll come too!”
“You? Stay put. Don’t show up unless I call you. Anything else, we handle over the phone.”
Luo You shooed Xue out, her sleepiness gone.
She sat cross-legged on the bed, swaying like a roly-poly toy, waiting for her daughter to bring dinner.
Her mind, however, lingered on Xue.
This creature, born from the regression of a Light-Plunderer, was no simple being.
Her intelligence was high, tempered by memories of life in the Boundary Sea.
By human standards, she’d be decades old—perhaps older.
Yet, having lived in the vast, desolate Boundary Sea, where encountering another living soul was rare, her high intellect had never been fully utilized.
High intelligence didn’t equate to knowing how to wield it.
She understood much in theory, but her actions were those of a naive child, unversed in the ways of the world.
Like a blank sheet of paper, she was ready to absorb all manner of knowledge.
This was precisely why Luo You felt confident taking on the responsibility from Leticia.
“Tomorrow or the day after, I’ll give her another round of hypnotic conditioning,” she mused.
“Then I’ll let things play out and see how it goes.”
Her hypnosis would wear off on ordinary people after a time, but for someone like Xue—a blank slate—the effects could be permanent.
One session might not suffice, but repeated conditioning would eventually take hold.
Leticia’s assurances weren’t foolproof, and Luo You, shaped by her time in the shadowy world of the Alien Organization, knew to always have a contingency plan.
Bang!
“Zining? That took a while—over an hour.”
“Didn’t mean to. I forgot to tell the chef no spice, so I had them remake it. All because your body’s too frail to handle even a pinch of chili.”
Luo Zining set a plastic bag filled with takeout boxes on the table, her sharp eyes scanning the room for anything suspicious.
Nothing seemed amiss—until she spotted the neatly folded white thigh-high stockings by the bed.
“Dad, where’d you put today’s laundry? I’ll wash it for you.”
“Huh? Yeah, it could use a wash. I think there’s a machine on the fifth floor—”
“No way. Public machines are filthy. I’ll hand-wash them.”
Nonchalantly, she scooped up the stockings.
Before Luo You could respond, Luo Zining barreled on.
“Change out of your underwear too.”
“Hold on, I’m hitting the hot springs later, then crashing.”
“What? But didn’t Aunt say she wanted to meet you tonight—”
“Oh, right. Forgot about that.”
Luo You’s face fell.
She ducked into the bathroom, swapped out her underwear, and gathered her things, looking ready to bolt.
“Zining, I’m staying in another room tonight. Don’t tell her. If she asks, say I went out.”
“You really dislike Aunt that much?”
“It’s not dislike. I just feel like she’s trying to dig into me. Gotta worry she might uncover my real identity.”
“Uh—”
Luo Zining’s grip loosened, and the still-warm yellow underwear slipped from her hand to the floor.
“Y-yeah, you’re right. Stay somewhere else tonight.”
Flustered, she snatched the underwear and stuffed it into her pocket, a nagging suspicion resolving itself.
So that’s why the old man booked another room—to dodge Aunt.
She’d been overthinking it.
Why’s she pocketing my underwear?
Luo You noticed but brushed it off, assuming it was a mistake.
After devouring the spice-free barbecue, Luo You sat quietly for a bit before heading to the hot springs in her bathrobe.
This time, she skipped the scandalously shameless bikini—why wear something she couldn’t show off?
Instead, she opted for her trusty one-piece swimsuit.
Oddly, Luo Zining didn’t tag along.
When she saw Luo You in the swimsuit, she hesitated, looking as tormented as a terminally ill patient, but ultimately stayed behind, doing who-knows-what.
“Phew… no Zining. Just me and the hot springs. Bliss.”
Time slipped by faster than expected.
After her soak, Luo You booked yet another room.
She couldn’t risk sleeping defenselessly with Xue around—she had to stay cautious.
Before bed, a text from Luo Zining popped up: “Aunt says 10 p.m. at the hot springs.”
Pretending she hadn’t seen it, Luo You switched off the light, drew the curtains, and went to sleep.
***
The next day, at the Magic Alliance Headquarters:
Nestled deep within the Boundary Sea, this wondrous structure left all who beheld it in awe of its otherworldly craftsmanship.
Perched atop a sea of clouds, its architecture blended ancient grandeur with fantastical whimsy, sprawling across an immense expanse.
Yet, more breathtaking than the building itself was the vast, amber-hued cloud sea that cradled it.
The headquarters seemed to exist in a liminal space between reality and illusion, untouched by the Boundary Sea’s relentless waves.
A natural stronghold, it stood unshaken no matter the turmoil outside.
Within its walls thrived countless magical creatures, their origins a mystery, yet their presence felt seamless.
Legend had it that the headquarters itself was built upon a colossal magical creature.
Aside from these beings, only magical girls resided here.
Human governments had long coveted this place, but access required the Magic Alliance’s teleportation magic, rendering their efforts futile for decades.
That day, the elite teleportation point reserved for the Ten Seats flared to life repeatedly, heralding the arrival of the Alliance’s most formidable figures.
The powerful magical fluctuations accompanying their arrival rippled through the cloud sea, manifesting as strange phenomena visible to the outside world.
Local residents could tell which luminaries had arrived just by observing the spectacle.
After five of the Ten Seats appeared, the teleportation point blazed once more.
Beyond the cloud sea, a cascade of starlight erupted, followed by a fleeting surge of terrifying magical power that sent the Boundary Sea’s lurking “dangers” scattering in fear.
“Lady Xingyue… she’s actually here,” Ji Yue murmured, gazing at the starry phenomenon that shook the entire Magic Alliance.
It was Xingyue’s signature magic.
In an era where most magical girls wielded a single signature spell, the Ten Seats typically boasted two or more.
Xingyue, however, had just one—but in her hands, that single spell unfolded into infinite possibilities.
Zhou Xi, her companion, let the tension in her eyes melt into pure admiration.
Glancing at Fei Yu, she asked, “Fei Yu, are those dark circles? Didn’t sleep last night?”
“…I waited at the hot springs for someone until two in the morning!”
Fei Yu growled through gritted teeth.
“Then I was too mad to sleep!”