Chapter 40: The Bait and the Hidden Plot

The streets of Qingkong City buzzed with vibrant life even at night.

Ink Crystal had been clamoring to go out for barbecue, and Lin Han found himself with no recourse.

It wasn’t that Ink Crystal was particularly set on this specific barbecue. After all, if she merely craved grilled skewers, her own culinary skills undoubtedly surpassed those of any street vendor.

Moreover, preparing it at home would be far more hygienic and less of a hassle.

Yet, despite her status as a wealthy young lady, she harbored no particular obsession with pristine cleanliness in her food. In truth, she held no disdain for street food or similar fare.

Her current insistence on pestering Lin Han to bring her out stemmed primarily from her desire to experience wandering around as Magical Girl Ink Crystal.

Naturally, having donned a disguise, she wasn’t easily recognizable as Ink Crystal, nor did she fear encountering ruffians or hooligans.

After all, while Magical Girl Ink Crystal might be deemed a ‘weak’ magical girl, that assessment was relative to her peers. When stacked against ordinary individuals, her abilities were undeniably overpowered.

In fact, this marked her inaugural venture outside, formally embodying the persona of Magical Girl Ink Crystal.

This wasn’t merely for battling monsters or routine patrols.

They located a barbecue stall and promptly placed their order.

Ink Crystal settled onto a stool, her gaze flitting from left to right. She observed that despite her undeniable beauty, she wasn’t drawing an excessive amount of attention. It seemed people had grown accustomed to stunning women these days.

“Teacher, I’ve actually been feeling quite unsettled.”

Lin Han’s expression clouded with confusion. “What precisely is unsettling you?” he inquired.

“The monster organization we confronted last time,” Ink Crystal replied, a faint note of worry in her voice. The barbecue stall was a cacophony of sounds, and their whispered exchange was quickly swallowed by the bustling atmosphere.

“Teacher, you might not be aware, but there were twelve masked figures in total, along with a Holy Relic and a Saintess. Four of those masked individuals, including the Holy Relic and the Saintess, managed to escape. It’s been a week now, and we haven’t found any new masked figures.”

Ink Crystal furrowed her brow. “My ability to transform, I initially believed it to be a well-guarded secret, yet my identity was exposed the very next day. The remaining four masked individuals, given our current technological capabilities, should be incredibly simple to locate. It defies logic that we still lack any leads.

It’s a well-known truth that once a person wields power, they can never truly return to being an ordinary individual. Even someone like me, after transforming into a magical girl, would yearn to go on a date with you, Teacher, just like this.”

‘Is this truly a date?’

Lin Han glanced at the soda and boiled edamame adorning their table, anticipating the numerous skewers yet to arrive. ‘When I went on a date with Teacher Liu, we had desserts, didn’t we?’ he mused.

Nevertheless, he certainly grasped Ink Crystal’s underlying point.

The masked individuals were far from weak. Especially considering they were monsters, it made no sense for them to acquire power and then refrain from using it.

If they were indeed using their abilities, modern technology would undoubtedly detect them with ease.

Admittedly, these masked figures differed slightly from typical monsters. Normal monsters, when in close proximity to a magical girl, would invariably trigger a certain sensitivity, much like how Liu Yun would sense him whenever he transformed into Kamen Rider.

Yet, he mused, if he were to categorize himself among the monsters, he would be an exceptionally unique case, rendering him an unreliable benchmark.

Logically, the four masked individuals who had escaped shouldn’t be able to remain completely hidden.

“As the saying goes, ‘When children are quiet, they’re surely up to mischief’,” Ink Crystal stated with utmost seriousness. “My decision to transform into Ink Crystal, then disguise myself as an ordinary girl and show my face outside, isn’t entirely without a motive to ‘fish’ them out.”

She spoke earnestly to Lin Han. “After all, I was the one who personally apprehended Snake Mask. I imagine those masked individuals must harbor deep resentment towards me. I’m currently in my transformed state, yet I’m not revealing myself as a magical girl. While I might not necessarily sense the masked figures, they, in turn, should be able to sense me.

If they discover that I, Magical Girl Ink Crystal, am hiding my true identity to pursue someone I’ve grown fond of, they might just come looking for me… This is, in essence, using you, Teacher, as bait to lure them out.”

She blinked playfully. “However, my own strength isn’t quite sufficient. I’ll discreetly hint at Liu Xingyue, asking her to also protect you in secret. By then, we might just be able to reel in those masked individuals.”

‘So that’s their game.’

‘I should have known Ink Crystal was up to something.’

‘She truly is intelligent.’

“Will Teacher be angry?”

“Me? What would I have to be angry about?”

“About using you as bait.”

Lin Han chuckled. “What’s there to be upset about? It’s an honor to assist a magical girl. Those masked individuals remain an unpredictable variable. With the Holy Relic and the Saintess still at large, their numbers might even be growing at this very moment, making them increasingly difficult to handle.

If I can play a part, what harm could there be in that?”

“Teacher, you’re just too good…”

Even though it was her own scheme, she had anticipated Teacher Lin’s reaction. He was simply too kind-hearted; at a time like this, he really ought to show some anger.

“Still, your foresight truly is remarkable.”

Lin Han found himself harboring a newfound respect for Ink Crystal.

He had, naturally, always known the girl possessed keen intelligence.

Yet, he consistently experienced it firsthand. He, too, had been a prodigy in his youth, graduating early with a doctorate from a prestigious university; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been abducted by a monster organization and used as research material.

He honestly considered himself quite intelligent, yet when compared to Ink Crystal, their intellectual inclinations seemed to diverge. At the very least, Ink Crystal wasn’t the type to become utterly engrossed in a subject and then meticulously delve into its intricacies, as he himself often did.

Relatively speaking, had it not been for her past family dynamics and her immersion in ‘two-dimensional’ interests, this girl would likely have become another Ye Liuyun, albeit one operating on a far more advanced level.

It was as if she manipulated people without them ever realizing it.

Her true countenance always remained elusive.

So, being an otaku wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, once this girl opened up, she proved remarkably honest, a trait he found quite endearing.

Such a matter, by all rights, shouldn’t have been disclosed to him.

“Wouldn’t it have been more natural if you hadn’t told me?”

“Hmph hmph~ I have immense faith in Teacher!”

Ink Crystal grinned, her eyes crinkling. “I have complete confidence in Teacher’s acting abilities!”

‘I’m not sure where you get that confidence from.’

“Besides, Teacher, you don’t need to concern yourself with this at all. Just focus on resolving Teacher Liu’s situation! I’m merely attempting to lure them out, and it’s not guaranteed to succeed. After all, if I were a monster, my primary concern right now would undoubtedly be how to legitimately depart Qingkong City.

Not every city possesses formidable powers like Magical Girl Rainbow Jade, as Qingkong City does. Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to expand into smaller towns or counties? With the Holy Relic and the Saintess already in their grasp, and their research seemingly bearing fruit, there’s no need for immediate action. By exercising patience and focusing on steady development, they could orchestrate a far grander scheme.

After all, while the masked individuals are no match for Rainbow Jade, a magical girl of my caliber certainly couldn’t defeat them.”

“However, monsters are, by nature, prone to extreme emotions. I suspect the authorities haven’t yet sentenced the captured masked individuals precisely because they’re also ‘fishing,’ waiting to see if the remaining masked figures will attempt a rescue.”

“If those masked individuals were genuinely put on trial, there wouldn’t be much to sentence them for, would there?” Lin Han suddenly interjected.

Ink Crystal spread her hands. “From my understanding, that’s precisely correct. At most, they could be charged with misappropriating medical equipment. Given the current definition of ‘monsters,’ they don’t even qualify as such. Therefore, I truly don’t comprehend why those masked individuals were so determined to fight magical girls to the death.

Even if they were apprehended as they were, it’s unlikely they’d face a death sentence. They haven’t caused significant destruction, and we even took into account potential damage to medical equipment during our confrontation.”

“Perhaps it’s rooted in some ideal or conviction.”

“Then we have a problem.”

Ink Crystal sighed just as the barbecue arrived. She picked up a skewer of pork belly. “Teacher! Let’s dig in!”

Lin Han was just reaching for a beef skewer when Ink Crystal offered him a skewer of grilled kidney.

“Hm?”

“Teacher, eat up! I specifically ordered this kidney for you! I’ve also ordered a few oysters; they’ll be brought over shortly.”

“What exactly do you mean by this?”

Ink Crystal said, her eyes twinkling. “I read somewhere that men past twenty-five are practically sixty. Teacher, you’re thirty now, finally entering your romantic prime. Shouldn’t you prepare in advance? As the saying goes, ‘sharpening one’s spear just before battle, even if not swift, will still gleam.’ At critical moments, one must be able to rise to the occasion!”

Lin Han found himself laughing, a mix of exasperation and amusement.

He finally couldn’t resist lightly knocking her on the head.

“Teacher, you’re repaying kindness with enmity! I’m ordering two more oysters!”

“Don’t waste money!”

“It’s not like you can’t eat them, Teacher, so it won’t affect anything!”

****

“Don’t look up.”

The middle-aged man whispered, “Magical girls are incredibly perceptive of their surroundings. While Ink Crystal’s strength isn’t immense, prolonged observation might still lead to detection.”

The young woman picked up a piece of grilled bread and put it in her mouth. “Has she noticed us?”

“Probably not.”

“Should we make a move on her? With a magical girl’s assistance, perhaps we could rescue Snake Mask and the others.”

“They are not worth saving.” The middle-aged man shook his head, dismissing the idea. “They’ve already betrayed all their information. The only reason they haven’t been sentenced yet is because the authorities are waiting for us to attempt a rescue. But Dragon Mask sacrificed his life precisely so you could escape. As long as you remain, hope endures. We can do nothing right now.”

Upon hearing his words, a film of tears welled in the young woman’s eyes. “Dragon, he…”

“So don’t look, and don’t think. You are simply an ordinary girl now. You must live your life well. Once the Holy Relic fully merges with you, you can guide more people like us. This is our aspiration.”