Chapter 58: A Chance Encounter and a Sudden Jolt

With the current urban sprawl far surpassing that of previous eras, and the very notion of nations having blurred or even vanished entirely, cities now encompass vast territories, ranging from tens of thousands to nearly a million square kilometers, naturally extending the distances between them.

Even aboard low-resistance high-speed trains, which outpace old-world aircraft, traveling to another city still takes approximately an hour; factoring in potential dangers along the route and necessary transfer stations, the actual journey often stretches considerably longer.

Of course, some individuals opt for cars or planes instead of trains to reach other cities. However, cars, primarily short-distance daily transport, demand several hours or even over a day for intercity travel. Air travel, while faster, carries a higher risk due to the presence of flying exotic beasts and comes with a steeper price tag. Consequently, trains have largely monopolized long-distance travel, both within and between cities.

Teleportation gates, it should be noted, are reserved mainly for emergencies or specific privileged individuals, thus they are not typically considered for general travel.

“Xiao Bai, look! It’s Magical Girl merchandise!”

With a considerable amount of time still remaining, they decided to browse the shops after they had their fill of the passing scenery.

Perhaps because the wealthy scions in first class disdained shopping, or perhaps looked down upon stores operating within a train, the shopping district was surprisingly uncrowded, mostly frequented by leisure travelers from business class.

Moreover, having recently overheard a certain young master’s noisy outburst, the business class passengers were remarkably restrained and polite; in a way, they had that ‘monkey young master’ to thank.

“There’s quite a lot of Magical Girl merchandise here; it seems the shop owner is a true Magical Girl enthusiast,”

Bai Li remarked, surveying the array of Magical Girl figurines, posters, plushies, and other items displayed throughout the store.

Upon closer inspection, beyond the official merchandise, there were also fan-made items, crafted with a skill that suggested they were all the work of the same individual.

This was hardly surprising; among the various types of ability users, Magical Girls were arguably the most beloved.

Not only were they invariably adorable young women with remarkably pleasant dispositions, but their flowing, ethereal outfits made them practically indistinguishable from idols.

Even within ability user organizations that sold official merchandise, Magical Girl products consistently topped the sales charts.

“Magical Girl Karma Flame, Magical Girl Thousand Army… all the popular ones are here, even those who’ve only risen to fame in recent years,”

Lin Xi enumerated the neatly arranged Magical Girl merchandise on the shelves, her voice brimming with excitement.

After all, she had grown up watching Magical Girls, and both her parents were Magical Girls themselves; her profound affection for them was entirely understandable.

“Oh, you really know your stuff!”

Suddenly, a person materialized beside Lin Xi, nodding in enthusiastic agreement.

“Um, you’re…?”

Lin Xi inquired, a hint of confusion in her voice as she regarded the twin-tailed girl.

“Ah, my apologies, I’m late with my introduction. My name is Teresa, and I’m also a student heading to Yegong City for university entrance exams.”

The blonde, twin-tailed girl named Teresa extended her hand to Lin Xi, who, without hesitation, reciprocated the handshake.

“Hello, I’m Lin Xi, and this is…”

“Bai Li.”

Bai Li simply stated her name, offering no further elaboration, which left Teresa with a mental question mark hovering above her head.

“Don’t mind her; Xiao Bai is a bit shy around strangers. She’s pretty much like this with everyone except me.”

“…”

Bai Li offered no reply, though inwardly, she wanted to protest that it wasn’t shyness at all. However, deeming an explanation more trouble than it was worth, she remained silent.

“I see… Well, let’s set that aside for now. You two seem to know a lot about Magical Girls!”

Unfazed by Bai Li’s demeanor, the cheerful Teresa continued to chatter excitedly about Magical Girls.

“I suppose so,” Lin Xi replied. “I’ve often seen Magical Girls since I was little, after all.”

Lin Xi refrained from revealing her own identity as a Magical Girl. After all, work and personal life needed to be kept separate.

Disclosing it here would violate the unwritten rules of ability user organizations, effectively inviting anyone who recognized her to ask for autographs.

Thus, even well-known ability users who made no effort to conceal their identities generally avoided openly declaring who they were in daily life, and their fans, in turn, respected their privacy.

That being said, Lin Xi wasn’t particularly famous yet, and many people didn’t recognize her; otherwise, this girl named Teresa wouldn’t be speaking to her so casually.

“Is that so? How wonderful! I grew up in another region, so I only started learning about Magical Girls in elementary school. It was then that I decided I wanted to become one, and fortunately, I’ve had a little success already.”

According to Teresa, she was of mixed heritage, having spent her childhood on another continent. This explained why her name, appearance, and even her pronunciation carried a slight Western flair.

She offered no further explanation regarding her ‘success,’ which Lin Xi presumed meant she had fortunately awakened as a Magical Girl-type ability user.

In truth, however, one could claim to be a Magical Girl even if their ability type differed; some mages and even warriors, yearning to be like Magical Girls, adopted the prefix for their own ability user titles.

Conversely, some who genuinely were Magical Girls chose not to use the prefix, highlighting the considerable freedom in this aspect.

“Oh, by the way, this is a shop I frequent often, and they have branches in other cities too, so I can vouch for their quality and variety!”

With that, Teresa picked up one of the Magical Girl figurines and began to explain.

“Take this one, for example: Magical Girl Stardust Rain, a veteran Magical Girl who was active decades ago, achieving many glorious feats before gradually reducing her activities in recent years.

While most merchandise nowadays focuses on popular and younger Magical Girls, this shop even carries her items.”

“Ah… that’s certainly true…”

The moment she heard the name, Lin Xi suddenly felt a wave of awkwardness wash over her.

“Hmm? What’s wrong with you…? And speaking of which, your appearance seems a bit similar to this figurine…”

“It’s probably because of the pink hair, right? Similar features can definitely lead to mistaken identity.”

Confronted by Teresa’s puzzled gaze, Lin Xi could only offer a vague, deflective laugh.

However, whether she was oblivious to the atmosphere or simply determined to uncover the truth, Teresa did not let the matter drop.

“Hiss… I just have a strange feeling… Could you be…?”

Boom!!

Just as Teresa began to delve deeper into her thoughts, a colossal roar reverberated throughout the entire carriage, causing many tourists in the shopping district to stumble and fall due to the sudden, violent tremor.

“Wh-what happened?”

Quickly returning the figurine to its place, Teresa scanned her surroundings, her voice laced with tension.

Bai Li, who had remained silent all this while, fixed her gaze on the source of the tremor and spoke again:

“It seems this journey won’t be a smooth one.”