Chapter 21 – House No. 114

Ke Xin quick-stepped away from the crowded street, walking another hundred meters to reach her destination: a detached villa in the city center.

Along the way, aside from a few photography enthusiasts raising cameras to capture the aged charm of some buildings, she saw hardly any pedestrians.

At the community’s perimeter wall, Ke Xin noticed that the security here was exceptional. Just walking to the main gate, she counted no fewer than ten surveillance cameras, some of which were disguised.

The wall itself was tall, topped with infrared intrusion sensors sensitive enough to be triggered by a passing bird. Through the gaps in the fence, she could see security guards patrolling the sidewalks intermittently.

Standing in front of the main gate, Ke Xin realized a problem: how was she going to get inside?

The entrance separated pedestrians and vehicles. Vehicles required license plate recognition to enter. She wasn’t familiar with this community, but in other gated areas, elevators in underground garages required access cards, and the pedestrian entrance was guarded by several security personnel.

Without an access card, she would likely be stopped immediately.

These guards were not ordinary; even a glance at them would be met with a sharp, piercing gaze. Some even had Western features, likely ex-special forces from other countries. Even if not elite, they were far more skilled than average hired security.

The community’s fees were undoubtedly high, but Ke Xin struggled to imagine the reasoning behind such extreme security. In the East Asian Federation, the biggest threat was probably the unpublicized existence of “Abnormals.”

Yet even the world’s most elite forces would struggle to prevent attacks from Abnormals unless, like magical girls, they possessed abilities unknown to the public.

Ke Xin turned away from the gate and opened the chat interface with Shinra Mafuyu on her phone.

‘I’ve arrived at the location you mentioned.’

After sending the message, she exited Mchat to continue reviewing case-related information, ideally checking if this address had any connection to Fuwen Real Estate, though she still didn’t know why Fuwen Real Estate was linked to the Abnormals.

Before she could open her magical girl-specific app, a reply came:

‘Shinra Mafuyu: I’ve imported a community access card into your phone’s NFC. Just swipe your phone to enter.’

‘When?’

Ke Xin had no idea; the data was simply there. She was speechless, thinking maybe she should get a new phone. This was terrifying.

[I will follow basic principles and only act on tasks related to the assignment.]

Ke Xin rolled her eyes. The “assignment” wasn’t really her choice—this person had already calculated that she couldn’t ignore the situation.

She opened her phone’s digital wallet and indeed found a new access card. Its effectiveness, however, remained uncertain.

Walking toward the entrance turnstile, she subtly used some magic to cast a cognitive distortion spell on herself. If the mysterious person faltered, she could retreat more safely.

Even a magical girl, with her unreasonable power, needed to avoid conflict with ordinary people.

As she approached, the sensation of dozens of eyes on her grew, a reminder that her low-level magic couldn’t completely obscure the attention of focused observers.

Taking a deep breath, Ke Xin swiped her phone against the turnstile. A crisp beep sounded, and the inexplicable pressure around her vanished.

The guards were clearly vigilant for everyone entering, but surprisingly, the temporary access card worked. Without it, she would have had to find another way to sneak in unnoticed.

Inside, Ke Xin finally saw the community’s interior: expansive greenery, each house surrounded by lawns and gardens—a luxury near the city center of Muzhou.

Using the map for navigation, she searched for House No. 114. The difficulty was that each villa had a unique design, and house numbers weren’t always visible or were hidden.

After roughly narrowing down the area, she still couldn’t be sure which house was No. 114. Asking a guard might yield an answer quickly, but as an unfamiliar face, she would draw attention. She didn’t have a suitable excuse if questioned.

‘You must be watching me now. Help me confirm exactly which house is the one you mentioned.’

If this person could hack into a Magical Girl Bureau-protected phone, bypassing the community’s surveillance would be trivial.

Ke Xin sent the message, and within a second, received a reply:

‘Shinra Mafuyu: Second house on the right, straight ahead.’

Ke Xin looked down the path. The second villa on the right: three stories, large floor-to-ceiling windows, Greek-style pillars at the entrance, curtains drawn over all windows—nothing particularly eye-catching. In suburban areas, most houses had similar designs.

Since the mysterious person had proven their capabilities, using their assistance seemed justified.

‘Help me find a discreet route to approach the target house, avoiding all cameras.’

‘Shinra Mafuyu: Don’t worry. All cameras have been disabled. Nothing here will be recorded.’

Her response was instant. Ke Xin noted the typing speed—probably faster than she could even type.

Even though she could move freely, someone was likely inside the house. Avoiding cameras wouldn’t prevent people from noticing her presence.

She pretended to be a passerby, then circled around to the back of the house, pressing close to the exterior wall and moving cautiously toward the side of the living room.

Her intuition told her this was where trouble was most likely to occur.

‘So, what’s going to happen? Now you can tell me.’

While typing, Ke Xin peeked one eye through the window.

The homeowner had chosen special glass; ordinarily, outsiders couldn’t see inside. With her enhanced vision, she could see clearly.

Two people were inside: a man in his fifties or sixties, still in a suit, always smiling with the corners of his mouth upturned. Beside him on the sofa sat a mature-looking woman, younger than the man, dressed lightly for the season.

The man’s gaze occasionally drifted to the woman’s neck and chest area. If their relationship were purely formal, he probably wouldn’t be so blatant.

Suddenly, Ke Xin sensed something unusual—an Abnormal nearby!

Her casual, spectator mindset vanished instantly.

‘Shinra Mafuyu: Someone unlucky appeared on a list. They probably won’t survive today.’