Chapter 8: A Matter of Trust and Risk

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by the gentle whisper of the wind drifting through the wide-open window. Ling Wei, her interest piqued, cast her gaze towards Lu Chen.

Even though spring blossoms were still in full bloom, had this man already succumbed to heatstroke, grown dizzy, and become utterly love-struck? Perhaps she should just try selling him some health supplements while she was at it?

Morning Star casually tossed Zero aside, then advanced, navigating around the scattered items on the floor to draw nearer to the young man.

“Mr. Lu, did you miss what I just said?”

“I heard it quite clearly. You said the person behind me isn’t Xia Shi, but a malevolent怪人.”

“Precisely. And yet, you are stopping me. Do you believe my judgment is flawed, or have you already fallen in league with the怪人?”

The strongest of them spoke softly, yet her eyes held not a trace of a smile. Lu Chen subtly dug his fingertips into his palm, striving to quell the frantic pounding of his heart.

Composing his thoughts and choosing his words carefully, he responded:

“You are widely recognized as the strongest Magical Girl; by following your instructions, we can undoubtedly ascertain her identity—I harbor no doubts on that front.

“However, I hope you will also consider the risks inherent in this method of verification.”

“Risks?”

Lu Chen subtly shifted his gaze, looking towards Zero, who was trembling on the desk.

“Indeed. Your proposed method of verification involves having this emissary of an Incarnation of Original Sin attack the unsuspecting subject with its most dangerous aspect.”

“You are exaggerating, Mr. Lu. It’s merely a small cut; nothing significant.”

“It is allowing an ’emissary of an Incarnation of Original Sin’ to inflict a wound. Many怪人 possess abilities akin to viruses or curses, capable of killing a victim with the slightest touch.

“Given your extensive experience, I believe you are well aware of this fact.”

As he spoke, Lu Chen turned to look at Ling Wei, who promptly adopted an expression of docile shock. The young man took a deep breath and addressed Morning Star:

“You are the strongest Magical Girl, and I have no intention of questioning your professional capabilities.

“However, when it comes to understanding Xia Shi as a person, I believe I am second to none.

“I have spent the past week with Ms. Xia since her return, and I have not detected any difference in her whatsoever.”

Ling Wei couldn’t help but let her lips twitch into a slight grin, a detail neither Lu Chen nor Morning Star noticed, fortunately.

Morning Star tilted her head slightly.

“So? You expect me to trust your personal conviction without any verification?”

Lu Chen shook his head.

“No, I merely hope you will reconsider the risks.

“Xia Shi’s magic is potent, but her physical constitution is among the weakest of all Magical Girls, making her highly susceptible to curses.

“Should your judgment unfortunately prove mistaken, and everything were merely a slanderous fabrication and conspiracy concocted by that crow to harm Xia Shi… you would lose your former partner, and Linzhou City would needlessly forfeit the Magical Girl second only to yourself.”

Having delivered this lengthy speech, Lu Chen fixed his gaze on the platinum-haired girl, awaiting her verdict.

He desperately wished to appear composed, to project an image of calm that would enhance his persuasiveness, yet his shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat beaded upon his brow.

He knew his words lacked sincerity; he himself did not believe what he was saying.

Were any other Magical Girl suspected of being an Incarnation of Original Sin, he would unequivocally back Morning Star with all his might. Even if her judgment proved erroneous and led to tragedy, he would, at most, offer condolences to the victim’s family afterward.

To prevent the most powerful and malevolent of the怪人 from infiltrating society, allowing one person to face a minor risk to their life—that was an eminently reasonable choice.

However… for him, that person absolutely, unequivocally could not be Xia Shi.

Morning Star narrowed her eyes and said,

“You keep speaking of risks. So, how much risk are you willing to take for your own judgment?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Suppose I do not conduct the verification, and the young lady behind you is truly the utterly wicked ‘Envy,’ and has, under the guise of Fireworks, massacred many innocents.

“In such a scenario, you would have to pay for the crime of harboring a怪人 with your life. Are you willing to take that risk?”

Lu Chen paused, taken aback, then let out a long breath.

He had nearly died a week ago, a memory that had already largely faded. Yet, the loss of Xia Shi a year prior remained as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

The priorities were clear at a glance.

“If that is all, then I am most willing.”

Morning Star silently stared at Lu Chen, uttering no words. Her doll-like, exquisitely flawless face betrayed no emotion, and her clear eyes held an unfathomable depth.

After several thick, lingering seconds, the platinum-haired girl offered a smile.

“I understand. You are feigning objectivity, yet you are entirely swayed by emotion, having lost the ability to think calmly.

“Your opinion is worthless.”

‘Blast! I must devise another strategy!’

Lu Chen’s face went pale, and he hastily formulated his next set of arguments. Simultaneously, Morning Star raised her slender arm, and surging magical power emanated from her.

Lu Chen’s movements abruptly froze; he felt as though his limbs and bones were bound in place by an invisible force, rendering him immobile.

He tried to cry out, but no sound escaped him; he could only watch helplessly as the platinum-haired girl slowly approached his trembling, anxious lover.

Morning Star rotated her fingertips, and Zero, like a boomerang, spun back from the corner of the room to her hand.

“Mr. Lu, I generally have no interest in extended conversations, but you are Xia Shi’s friend, and therefore, my friend. So, I’ll make an exception and offer you a piece of advice.”

She delicately grasped the sharp, slender bird’s beak, aimed it at Ling Wei’s wrist, and smiled.

“Acting on emotion will only lead to being foolishly deceived. Remember this next scene well, see this inhuman’s true face clearly, and do not be swayed by emotions again.”

Accompanying this declaration, which, though of questionable merit, was delivered with utmost confidence, the dark beak arced through the air, sweeping directly across the girl’s fair wrist.

—And then, as if by natural consequence, it effortlessly pierced Ling Wei’s skin.

Crimson blood trickled down her wrist, leaving vivid stains upon the floor.

Ling Wei feigned a delicate frown, her gaze fixed on Morning Star. The restraints around Lu Chen vanished without a trace, and he quickly scurried to Ling Wei’s side, using a tissue to help staunch the bleeding.

The platinum-haired girl lowered her gaze, staring at the bloodstains in silence for a moment, before looking up at the two of them.

She offered a practiced, polite smile, her voice softening:

“Please keep this a secret between the two of you. How about 100,000 for each of you as hush money?”

Lu Chen stared at Morning Star in disbelief, suddenly finding it rather miraculous that the怪人 had failed to conquer Linzhou City for so long.

“Is this about money?! I need to take Xia Shi for a check-up immediately…!”

“That’s no problem!”

Morning Star said, waving her finger. The bloodstains on the floor floated into the air, tracing their path back to Ling Wei’s wrist, and the torn wound instantly healed and mended.

“I can rewind time for people and objects within a small radius by about ten seconds. Ms. Xia has fully recovered, 100%!”

Lu Chen cupped his lover’s flawless wrist, examining it repeatedly several times before finally confirming that Morning Star was not exaggerating.

“If you could do such a thing, you should have told me from the start… then I wouldn’t have tried to stop you.”

Morning Star clasped her hands together, her expression and posture somewhat resembling an uncle hawking massage devices to housewives.

“This magic has never been revealed; it’s a vital secret… so I hadn’t originally intended to use it.

“Well, weren’t those quite the tricks? You got a good deal, didn’t you? Will you keep it a secret for me? Huh? Xia Shi, what do you say? Cut me some slack for old times’ sake, as partners?”

Ling Wei dearly wished to retort, ‘I’ll forgive you if you do three hundred backflips while apologizing, ‘Master, I’m sorry, meow! Master, I was wrong, meow!’,’ but Xia Shi would never utter such words.

She smiled at Lu Chen, signaling that she was fine, then turned to Morning Star.

“You were merely fulfilling your duty; I understand. But please, stop treating me like a怪人.”

“Of course!”

“And don’t just enter Lu Chen’s room whenever you please.”

Morning Star offered a humble, grateful smile.

“Of course, of course, my sincerest apologies. The ‘Envy’ activity has been far too frequent lately; I’ve been a bit on edge.”

A thought sparked within Ling Wei. Morning Star’s guard was down now; it was an excellent opportunity to glean information.

“Frequent activity, you say… still trying to resurrect the Primal Witch?”

The so-called Primal Witch was the supreme leader of all怪人, the nominal superior of the seven Incarnations of Original Sin, and their very source of power.

She had been shattered into heroic fragments centuries ago, and her resurrection was the ultimate goal of many怪人.

Morning Star shook her head, glancing at Zero, who was wriggling nearby.

“No. This time, it seems they are after the relic left by ‘Pride’… the Silver Moon Heart.

“After you left, I tentatively stored that item in the Corridor of Memories.

“Why don’t you find some time to retrieve it and keep it safe with you?”