Chapter 33: A Stroll with the Noble Lady

“Well, just so you know, there’s nothing here for a noble lady like you to have fun with.”

It was time for class again, and the familiar streets lay before them.

Again, Ling Xing skillfully scaled the wall, catching Kuonji Mashiro, who was trying to climb over, ensuring the elegant lady could land with grace. Although Mashiro could have simply walked out the door without anyone stopping her, Ling Xing couldn’t quite understand the lady’s reasoning. Perhaps she enjoyed the thrill of sneaking out.

“No matter, I usually have Hane handling the fieldwork, while I stay in the hotel suite to maintain my dignity. It’s been a while since I last wandered the streets, and I’m curious to see what these commoners are up to.”

Mashiro gracefully stepped down from Ling Xing’s embrace, adjusting her skirt with interest as she surveyed her surroundings. Unfortunately, all she saw was a half-rebuilt wasteland. The streets near the school were nearly empty, with few people around, even though classes hadn’t ended. Even when school was out, there wasn’t much business; many of the shops were vacant, and those still open had barely any customers. Some shops had walls with visible cracks, looking like they might collapse at any moment.

Even a beauty like Mashiro barely caught the attention of the few passersby and shopkeepers, who only glanced at her briefly before looking away. No one seemed to hold any kindness or admiration for the magic girl; instead, they seemed to keep their distance because of her openly displayed identity.

“Oh? It seems these commoners are afraid of me. In Kyoto, I was constantly surrounded by interviews, stalkers, gossip, and fanatic admirers. Here, it’s surprisingly peaceful.”

Mashiro wandered along the street, seemingly unruffled by the cold reception. She leisurely tugged at Ling Xing, looking around with curiosity. Despite her impractical high heels, she didn’t seem to mind the walk. Compared to the naive Chao Wu, Mashiro almost seemed like she was out on a date—though Ling Xing definitely didn’t enjoy the way the voluptuous Mashiro swayed with each step.

“Hmph, of course. What’s there to admire about an evil magic girl? You must be brainwashing the ignorant masses in the big city—”

“Oh? Evil? Magic girl?”

Mashiro narrowed her eyes, placing one hand on her hip, as if daring Ling Xing to continue.

As a member of a dark organization, Ling Xing’s comment was unusual. Normally, even ordinary people would have been publicly reprimanded by Mashiro for such remarks, but today was different. Her attendants weren’t present, so no one was there to enforce her noble conduct. In this remote town, few would even recognize her as an Eastern noble.

“It sounds intriguing. Let me give it a try.”

“…Huh?”

——————

Ling Xing was beginning to understand just how unstable Mashiro’s mental state was. She had thought Mashiro’s previous behavior was enough to show the problem, but now she realized just how severe it was.

This wasn’t just about Mashiro pulling Ling Xing into the hotel to help her change clothes. That in itself was already a significant issue, but—

Who could tell Ling Xing why Mashiro had a dark organization combat suit in her closet? Why would she choose to wear a tight, suffocating combat suit instead of her extravagant, expensive formal gown, which Dal would faint at just the mention of its price?

Even Ling Xing, with her strong acceptance, was shocked. She was so stunned that she didn’t even have the chance to mock Mashiro’s physique before she could recover her composure.

In summary, Mashiro, the noble lady, had stripped off her elegant court gown and squeezed her voluptuous figure into a combat suit that was clearly a size too small. It was the kind of cheap suit the dark organization used to issue to their low-level brainwashed combatants—unbreathable, non-waterproof, and causing the wearer to sweat profusely within minutes. Ling Xing thought it was almost inhuman.

The suit strained against Mashiro’s curves, cracking slightly and revealing glimpses of her pale skin through the thin, rubbery material.

“How does it feel? Does it give you that evil combatant vibe?”

Mashiro, dressed in the suit, declared triumphantly, “Not bad! Though usually, only squad leaders wear this. Low-level brainwashed combatants are the ones who do this kind of talk… Where did you get this?”

The dark organizations in every region had long been dismantled, and even those that survived weren’t faring much better than Ling Xing. It was hard to imagine this suit was still being produced.

“From the dark web, of course. This was worn by the magic girl Blazing Edge when she was rescued after months of brainwashing. It sold for nearly three million on the dark web.”

Mashiro casually mentioned the staggering figure, as if it were merely pocket change. Ling Xing’s jaw dropped, wondering if money really grew on trees. This cheap, uncomfortable combat suit was once freely distributed, and no one wanted to wear it!

Ling Xing twitched her lips, considering whether she and Dal should dig up their old storage to see if there were any more naive magic girls they could swindle. But before they could explore their money-making dreams, she had to deal with the current situation.

“Unfortunately, the brainwashing goggles are broken. It seems they were overloaded by Blazing Edge’s power of belief, so they can’t be activated anymore.”

Mashiro flicked the dark organization’s standard issue brainwashing goggles, which were supposed to emit a pink glow. However, hers clearly wasn’t functioning.

The power of a magic girl’s belief… Ling Xing took the goggles with a hint of respect. Then, with her skilled hands, she quickly disassembled and reassembled the goggles, making the display light up.

Of course, Ling Xing wasn’t that magical; she only managed to get the indicator light to turn on, not the internal functions, which required proper tools and expertise…

“Oh, ha ha! I knew it. Blazing Edge was just a common magic girl; she couldn’t possibly have any power of belief. If anyone does, it’s me!”

Mashiro mocked the unfortunate magic girl who had been brainwashed for months and was finally rescued, with her equipment up for auction. She flexed her shoulders and grinned as she took the goggles back.

“I’ll ask just in case, but you’re not planning to…”

“Hah! Don’t play dumb, Ling Xing! Take me to do some evil deeds! Destruction, theft, robbery, arson, kidnapping!”

Ling Xing couldn’t believe the chaos that was about to unfold.