Chapter 9: A Lingering Mark

It’s here, it’s finally here! You’re exactly what I’ve been waiting for!

The Corridor of Memories, right? I’m coming to get you, my precious darling!

‘Alright, hold it in, can’t laugh yet. Forty seconds… no, I’ll declare victory in thirty seconds.’

Ling Wei suppressed the urge to leap up and uncork champagne, instead subtly furrowing her brows as she spoke:

“Me? Wouldn’t it be safer if it were kept by you, who possesses the highest strength and fears no sneak attacks?”

Morning Star pressed a hand to her temple, letting out a troubled sigh, her voice tinged with melancholy:

“Xia Shi, have you forgotten? While it’s true I’m strong, unafraid of ambushes, and even cute, making me suitable for safeguarding precious items, I’m also incredibly busy because of it.”

She spread her arms and spun in a circle, the numerous charms adorning her dress clinking together with a crisp, chiming sound.

“Look, I’m already laden with valuable items. To add anything more, I’d have to tie it to my ankles, which wouldn’t just be too much to manage, but would also genuinely impede my movement.”

“What’s more, I’m scheduled to fly to Beidou soon for the National Exchange Conference… I simply can’t spare any more energy. I can only entrust this to you.”

Ling Wei responded with a standard Xia Shi-style bow, indicating her understanding.

“I understand. I’ll go to the Corridor of Memories tomorrow to retrieve the Heart of the Silver Moon. What should we do about that raven?”

Naturally, ‘that raven’ referred to Zero.

Morning Star twirled her finger, drawing Zero closer, then brazenly stroked the back of his neck right in front of Ling Wei, casually wiping away the contract etched upon it.

“This child has considerable abilities, and he claims he only started doing bad deeds a few months ago under duress from Envy, so he’s not truly loyal. With a suitable new master, he should be able to become one of our companions.”

“Neither you nor I have experience taming magical beasts, but many of our friends in the organization do. Let them handle it; they’ll train him into a capable helper.”

Upon hearing that he would be given a new master and trained like a pet, Zero’s dark eyes instantly filled with despair, and he began frantically telepathically calling Ling Wei.

Ling Wei, her heart heavy, mentally ‘hung up’ the telepathic call, silently apologizing to her familiar.

While the taming process for magical beasts typically involved few physical punishments, the psychological torment was relentless, including but not limited to shaving off all fur, forcibly rubbing their bellies, and parading them with a sign proclaiming, ‘I am a bad child.’

She had personally raised Zero from a fledgling, fostering what could only be described as a father-son relationship, and now, the ‘father’ was forced to ‘sell his son’ out of necessity.

‘I’m sorry, Zero, your master lacks experience, so I can only let others train you.’

‘Just relax, think of it as learning a new skill… !’

Just as she was about to grit her teeth and agree, an unexpected voice sounded in her ear.

“May I handle it?”

She turned in surprise, seeing Lu Chen raise his hand, interjecting into the conversation between the two magical girls.

‘No, Lu Chen, are you out of your mind? What are you trying to do?’

‘I kindly helped you shed your widower status and reunite with your beloved, and this is how you repay me? By training my son?’

Morning Star, too, raised an eyebrow with interest.

“Mr. Lu, if I’m not mistaken, your primary profession is a journalist, isn’t it? Do you have any experience taming magical beasts?”

“The organization offered courses on this last year, which I attended. I understand the basic procedures. My proficiency can’t compare to a professional’s, but it should be enough to handle this raven.”

Morning Star cupped her chin with her thumb and forefinger, pondering for a moment before replying:

“Is that so… Well, it’s not entirely out of the question. Let’s do it that way then.”

Ling Wei couldn’t bear to listen any longer and interjected:

“Please wait. Although he appears to be a raven, he is undoubtedly a vicious monstrous creature.”

“If he loses control, Lu Chen will be utterly defenseless! I object!”

Though the young woman was restraining herself, her voice still carried a nearly furious concern, much like an old father reluctant to see his daughter marry.

Lu Chen couldn’t help but be moved. He took Ling Wei’s hand and gently said to her:

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine; I’ll be alright. The first step in taming a magical beast is to sign a contract with him, ensuring he cannot harm me.”

“Most tamers are actually ordinary people just like me, and they’ve all successfully completed their work.”

‘You might be alright, but I won’t be!’

‘Handing Zero over to a stranger would be fine, at least out of sight, out of mind; but if I hand him to you, I’ll likely have to watch you torment him every single day!’

‘…Hmm? That actually sounds rather amusing. Perhaps I should just let nature take its course and record it… No, I should still be kind to Zero.’

A blush, tinged with genuine emotion, crept onto Ling Wei’s pale cheeks as she said:

“But what if—”

“And if something *does* happen, won’t you be there to help me?”

‘I… I help you train Zero…?’

The suggestion sounded rather strange at first, leaving Ling Wei momentarily speechless.

As the young woman stood dumbfounded, Lu Chen tightened his grip on her hand, stating earnestly, word by deliberate word:

“Please. I don’t want to be protected by you all the time.”

Ling Wei gazed at Lu Chen’s sincere eyes and let out a long sigh.

‘This man was impulsive, physically weak, and reckless in his actions – in every way, a mere nobody on the roadside. Yet, his stubbornness was astonishing; he could wait a year for a dead person, as unyielding as old, hardened feces.’

‘She didn’t believe she could persuade him. Zero, just accept your fate.’

“I understand. Zero… this raven is yours.”

Lu Chen smiled, stating solemnly:

“Yes, thank you for your trust. I absolutely won’t let you down.”

Morning Star lightly clapped her hands, and her charms chimed with an ethereal sound.

“Alright, alright, our opinions are finally aligned.”

“Mr. Lu, Xia Shi, I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t trouble you further.”

“I’ve temporarily bound the raven. Remember to register his details with the organization in a timely manner and sign the contract.”

“Understood. I look forward to seeing you again.”

“I wish you a smooth journey.”

Ling Wei and Lu Chen bid farewell to Morning Star in turn. The latter waved and leaped out the window, soaring directly into the clear sky.

Lu Chen picked up Zero, stroking him with practiced ease. As the raven let out comfortable purrs, he gazed at the empty window frame and remarked to the young woman beside him:

“She came through the window too, didn’t she…? She’s quite different from what I imagined.”

Ling Wei fixed her gaze on Lu Chen, who was clearly in high spirits, and decided to exact a little payback on him.

She subtly adjusted her facial muscles, adding a touch of half-feigned annoyance to her usually serene eyes.

“Indeed. That’s why many people like her.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

“Nothing, just a slight lack of security awareness. You should install proper security bars on your windows, and you certainly shouldn’t put a spare key under the doormat.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Linzhou has good public safety, and I often forget my keys…”

Ling Wei grasped Lu Chen’s bracelet, then rose onto her tiptoes, her smooth, luminous lips brushing against his ear.

“Couldn’t you just give one to me? I can open the door for you anytime.”

The warm whisper tickled his earlobe, causing Lu Chen’s breath to catch.

He gazed at the young woman’s delicate face, and a promise tumbled from his lips:

“Of-of course. Just take the one by the door when you leave.”

Ling Wei narrowed her eyes, savoring Lu Chen’s flustered expression for a moment before smiling contentedly.

“Thank you. The room’s quite messy; I’ll go tidy it up.”

The young woman stepped back, gently releasing Lu Chen, and quietly entered the washroom. Lu Chen remained rooted to the spot, unable to tear his gaze from her retreating figure.

It wasn’t until the raven in his arms let out a pained whimper that he snapped back to reality, blushing as he looked at Zero and quickly loosened his grip on the back of his neck.

“S-sorry, I wasn’t paying attention and pressed too hard—”

Lu Chen’s words abruptly ceased. He had spotted the mark on the raven’s nape.

Morning Star had forcibly erased the contract using her illogical magic, yet the imprint of the contract remained.

To a passerby completely unrelated to magic, or a magical girl with limited theoretical knowledge, this mark would merely appear as an inexplicable birthmark or scar.

However, while Lu Chen hadn’t acquired the aptitude for spellcasting, he had been quite fascinated by magic since childhood, and over the past year, he had spent much of his time reading numerous related texts.

Thus, from this residual mark, he could discern a fragment of the contract’s original form.

No matter how he looked at it… the contract had not been signed months ago, but merely minutes prior.