Chapter 21: The Aftermath and a Family’s Plea

The second day brought a definitive conclusion to the pursuit of the mysterious monster organization.

In total, the Magical Girls had vanquished four monsters.

These included Dragon Mask, Horse Mask, Monkey Mask, and Chicken Mask.

Another three monsters were successfully apprehended.

These captives were Snake Mask, Pig Mask, and Rabbit Mask.

However, Rat Mask, Ox Mask, Tiger Mask, and Dog Mask managed to elude the Magical Girls’ encirclement and escape.

Ink Crystal found herself somewhat surprised, realizing that the monster’s true strength far surpassed what many Magical Girls had anticipated. Without a doubt, this large-scale operation could only be deemed a failure.

For the local Magical Girls of Qingkong City, in particular, this outcome was nothing short of disastrous.

Dragon Mask and Monkey Mask, presumably the two most formidable among the monsters, had both fallen by Rainbow Jade’s own hand. Amethyst had vanquished Horse Mask, while Chicken Mask was ultimately defeated by a Magical Girl dispatched from another district.

Among the three who were captured, Rabbit Mask was apprehended by Emerald, working in tandem with other Magical Girls. Snake Mask was taken into custody by Ink Crystal, and Pig Mask was arrested by Magical Girls from a different city district.

Such results were undeniably humiliating.

While Magical Girls who traveled from other districts undoubtedly possessed exceptional confidence and first-rate abilities, this outcome still left the Magical Girls of Qingkong City feeling profoundly disgraced.

More critically, they had failed to locate the Kaiju.

The very root of these monster’s power remained undiscovered.

While the operation was a resounding failure, the promised rewards would still be distributed. After all, the rookie Magical Girl, Ink Crystal, had indeed fulfilled her assigned tasks.

Although her report mentioned receiving assistance from a mysterious, unknown individual—Kamen Rider “Great Aum”—the true identity of this figure remained a mystery to all.

Regardless of the circumstances, Miss Ink Crystal was awarded a substantial cash prize of one hundred thousand yuan.

She had no intention of spending the cash herself. Instead, she opened a dedicated bank account, deposited the funds, and resolved to hand the card over to Kamen Rider should their paths ever cross again.

Without his timely intervention, she knew she would never have been able to overcome Snake Mask.

However, these matters were no longer her primary concern.

It was, after all, already Saturday.

****

“Dad, you’re back?”

He Yao watched his father stand in the entryway, a picture of success in his suit and glasses.

“Xiao Yao! I’m back!”

His father, He Hui, beamed.

Owing to his work, He Hui was constantly occupied abroad, leaving him with precious little time to spend at home.

Even today, his visit would be brief: a quick lunch, a few hours at home, and then perhaps an evening departure.

He had, however, already notified Teacher Lin.

Su Ru, having also dressed up for the occasion, emerged from the house.

“Darling~”

“My love!”

The couple embraced warmly.

‘Tsk!’

“You brought the chefs back with you, didn’t you?”

He Hui nodded. “Of course. I’ll have them begin preparing lunch shortly. Let’s dine in the courtyard; it’s much more spacious.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

Their villa wasn’t particularly grand, merely about twice the size of the house owned by the girl named Zhang Xiao, with the added benefit of a charming courtyard.

Despite its modest size, this house held profound significance for his parents.

It was the home they had purchased when they first married and were embarking on their entrepreneurial journey. Thus, even with their wealth multiplied many times over, they continued to reside within its familiar walls.

“Dad, you just take care of the arrangements. Teacher Lin mentioned he’d arrive in half an hour.”

“Oh? Teacher Lin will be here so soon? I’ve brought some excellent wine; we absolutely must share a good drink today!” A wide smile spread across He Hui’s face.

While mental counselors were not a rarity, finding someone as genuinely enthusiastic and adept at resolving issues as Lin Han was exceptionally rare.

He had truly been a blessing to their family. Their familial bonds had teetered on the brink of collapse, and the current state of repair was inextricably linked to Teacher Lin’s dedicated efforts.

“Then I’ll go prepare the tea,” He Yao announced. “And while I’m at it, I’ll seize the opportunity to learn a few culinary tricks from the chefs.”

As he often cooked for himself, and his father’s chefs were undoubtedly masters of their craft, learning from them would pose no difficulty at all.

He watched He Yao make his way into the courtyard.

Only then did He Hui finally speak. “My dear, you know about that matter, don’t you?”

“Hmm… I truly never imagined Xiao Yao would become a Magical Girl.”

Typically, such matters, originating from the Magical Girl’s own wishes, could be kept entirely confidential from their families.

In reality, however, even though He Yao had selected that option, he had somewhat underestimated the profound influence his parents wielded.

To be frank, the couple were among Qingkong City’s largest taxpayers, managing pillar enterprises that operated both nationally and globally.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the wealthiest in Qingkong City. Even across the entirety of Xia Kingdom, their fortune placed them among the most prominent billionaires.

For their son to become a Magical Girl and engage in such perilous work without their notification was simply illogical. Thus, the couple had, in fact, already received official word.

The notification had, admittedly, been slightly delayed.

After all, the higher echelons had initially overlooked the matter. It was only during a routine review of reports that they suddenly noticed something slightly amiss with one individual.

Upon realizing the individual’s identity, everyone was utterly flabbergasted.

The repercussions, should this Magical Girl fall in battle, were simply unimaginable.

Consequently, the authorities even put forth a proposal for “persuading withdrawal.”

The rationale was quite direct: observations concluded that Magical Girl Ink Crystal’s combat prowess was insufficient, far from formidable, and thus, her risks on the battlefield against monsters and Kaiju were exceedingly high.

This formal notification had been sent directly to the couple.

While the notion of their son becoming a Magical Girl was extraordinary in itself, the couple understood that this was not a matter for the government’s highest officials to decide.

The entity responsible for transforming individuals into Magical Girls remained beyond control. While academia offered numerous theories, none could fully elucidate its nature.

Only a Magical Girl herself could relinquish her powers.

In other words, the government’s message was clear: if they wished to spare their son such dangers, they must personally convince him to withdraw. Otherwise, even if the government officially removed him from the Magical Girl roster, he would still transform whenever he desired.

“What are your thoughts?”

Su Ru met her husband’s gaze. “Aren’t we both thinking the same thing?”

A flicker of awkwardness crossed He Hui’s usually serious face. “But, if we ask Teacher Lin for his opinion on this, won’t it make us appear utterly incompetent as parents?”

“When it comes to communicating with our child, if we were truly capable… things wouldn’t have escalated as they did back then. From that moment, I understood that we aren’t the omnipotent parents we imagined ourselves to be. At the very least, we don’t truly comprehend what’s in our child’s heart.”

She stood by the window, observing He Yao in the courtyard, where he helped the chefs move supplies and prepared to learn new skills. “He seems to prefer Teacher Lin over us,” she mused. “The ingredients we ordered were more than sufficient, yet he still purchased additional ones. I suspect those aren’t his favorites, but rather Teacher Lin’s.”

‘He shows far more consideration for Teacher Lin than he ever does for us two.’

He Hui, too, wore a look of helplessness. “We truly are failures as parents… But, you’re right, we absolutely must consult Teacher Lin on this matter. If we were to speak with him ourselves, I fear—we can only entrust this to Teacher Lin.”

“Precisely.”

Just as Lin Han and He Yao had arranged.

A motorcycle’s roar echoed from beyond the gate, announcing Lin Han’s arrival at the villa.

“Teacher Lin!”

He Yao stepped outside to welcome him.

Lin Han held a carton of milk in his hand.

“Oh… Teacher Lin, why did you bring something? Isn’t that a waste of money?” Despite his words, He Yao knew Lin Han was not one to disregard proper etiquette.

Even knowing the gift’s practical use was minimal, Lin Han wouldn’t arrive empty-handed, especially for what was considered a formal visit.

After a brief exchange, He Yao accepted the carton. “Oh~ it’s my favorite blueberry flavor! Teacher, you’re so thoughtful!”

Lin Han chuckled softly, his gaze falling upon the busy chefs in the courtyard. “Are we dining outdoors today?”

“Yes, my parents believe the courtyard offers more space and a pleasant ambiance. Besides, some ingredients can produce peculiar odors if prepared indoors.”

“That sounds truly lovely. And your parents? Are they inside? I should go greet them.”

He Yao nodded. “Teacher, please go right in. I’ll stay out here with the head chefs to oversee the meal preparations.”

He set the carton of milk Lin Han had brought to one side.

He intended for it to be served as a refreshing beverage during lunch.

With a nod, Lin Han stepped inside the house.

“Teacher Lin! It’s been too long!”

“Mr. He! It truly has been too long! I’m afraid I’ve caused quite a disturbance today.”

“Teacher Lin, what nonsense! Please, come this way! Su Ru, prepare tea for Teacher Lin!”

Su Ru smiled as she began preparing the tea.

“Oh, no, please, it’s too much trouble, Madam Su, you needn’t bother…”

“Oh~ Teacher Lin, please, sit down. It’s been so long, and I have so much I want to discuss with you.”

He could understand their concern for their child, especially after his recent hospitalization.

Reflecting on this, Lin Han bowed deeply to the couple. “My sincerest apologies, both of you! I explicitly promised I would protect Xiao Yao, yet such an incident still occurred! This is my failing!”

He Hui quickly stepped forward, taking his arm to help him upright. “Teacher Lin! What are you saying? We understand perfectly; that incident had nothing to do with you. Why would you shoulder the blame? Rather, while we worry for Xiao Yao, we are also incredibly proud. The sense of justice he possesses, we believe, is precisely because of your guidance, allowing him to grow into such an excellent person.

We couldn’t thank you enough!”

After this back-and-forth, He Hui finally said, “However, Teacher Lin, there is indeed a matter we wished to discuss with you.”