Chapter 47: A Misunderstood Heroine and a Flawed Narrative

[Well, that’s certainly a method. I’d expected you to employ tactics more… befitting your station.]

[Oh, come now, don’t cling to stereotypes about thieves. Utilizing every available resource is precisely a thief’s modus operandi.]

Of course, Ling Xing hadn’t simply interjected on a whim, without a single plan formulated! Well, at least she’d given it some thought *after* the interruption.

From Ling Xing’s observations, these soldiers certainly appeared lax, ostentatious, and notably undisciplined. Despite being on a mission, they showed not the slightest hint of seriousness, merely whiling away their time with a perfunctory air, even bringing unrelated individuals onto the military vehicle. It was less like an operation and more akin to a leisurely holiday. This behavior perfectly aligned with Ling Xing’s assessment of their character.

As the military vehicle set off, the street scenery began to recede past its sides. The Officer, seemingly unconcerned by Ling Xing’s presence, was openly coordinating the mission and issuing deployment orders via radio.

Ling Xing, with the crow perched on her shoulder, peered out the back of the vehicle. In the distance, the persistent reporter seemed intent on chasing down their military convoy, refusing to give up.

‘What a reckless individual,’ she mused. ‘Even I wouldn’t dare to conduct such a blatant pursuit. Never mind that, I should focus on my own predicament.’

While the risk was undeniably higher than simply absconding with the vehicle, and exposure might lead to her being physically restrained by a few soldiers, Ling Xing was confident she could hold her own against them. More importantly, beyond merely completing tasks for Nuonuo, her primary objective was to gather intelligence.

Having spent several days recuperating within the organization, she felt utterly disconnected from the world the moment she stepped back onto the streets. Why were these soldiers parading so openly through the city? And why was *she*, a combatant of the Dark Organization—who should be their most formidable enemy—being treated as a Magical Girl? These soldiers, she surmised, might just hold the answers she sought.

“Alright, handover complete! The convoy is en route. We’re heading to Sector D3 to rendezvous with the escort!”

Following a relatively brief radio exchange, the Officer grandly waved her hand, issuing her commands.

The military vehicle careened through the city streets, rounding a corner without the slightest reduction in speed. Ling Xing was nearly flung from her seat, almost crashing headlong into the Officer’s embrace.

“Ah ha ha ha ha, don’t you worry, girl! We’re just on a simple patrol. We have an entire armored infantry escort, so there’s absolutely no way the remnants of the Dark Organization could possibly attack us here—”

The Officer roared with laughter, drawing Ling Xing into her ample bosom, a characteristic feature of her Western heritage.

‘Damn it, those are evil, enormous breasts!’ Ling Xing thought, a surge of indignation rising within her. ‘We might be kindred spirits, but she possesses such utterly wicked physical attributes!’

“Oh, I’m not scared,” Ling Xing quickly retorted, feigning innocence. “I was just wondering, doesn’t the Dark Organization typically only target Magical Girls? Surely they wouldn’t concern themselves with the military, would they?”

‘Patience,’ she reminded herself.

Despite her face being almost completely subsumed by that soft, wicked expanse, Ling Xing suppressed the urge to deliver a sharp elbow strike, all for the sake of gathering information. ‘Time to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.’

“That was how things used to be,” the Officer explained. “Ever since the Dark Organization unleashed their controlled Magical Girls to assault the tower a few days ago, releasing monsters for indiscriminate attacks, they’ve truly bared their fangs and begun launching assaults everywhere.”

‘……?’

‘Attacking… everywhere?’

‘My dear comrades, I’ve been lounging at home for days on end! What exactly would I have used to attack any of you? Did Dal perhaps brandish a broom and send you all flying with her elbows?’ Ling Xing stifled her urge to retort, pressing her trembling lips into a firm line. Fortunately, her small face was still buried in that wicked expanse, obscuring her true expression from the Officer.

“Attacking convoys, kidnapping Magical Girls, assassinating high-ranking branch officials—the Dark Organization has undeniably devolved into a full-fledged terrorist group. That’s precisely why I say Magical Girls are utterly unreliable! Even if that controlled Magical Girl eventually had a sudden epiphany, broke free from their control, and valiantly battled the monsters, that’s merely an act of atonement, not heroism. What’s there to glorify?”

‘……Huh?’

Ling Xing suddenly found herself comprehending the gravity of the situation. ‘So, in other words… I, as a combatant, fought tooth and nail against monsters, only to be rebranded as a Magical Girl by the Magical Girl Organization? Not just any Magical Girl, but the super—fundamentalist, cliché kind who, after being brainwashed, breaks free from control at the critical moment through sheer love and conviction to heroically protect the populace!? What an absolute joke! Kuso, I’m going to vomit!’

“Exactly! ‘Sudden epiphany’ and ‘breaking free from control’ are just nonsense. She’s a Dark Organization combatant, plain and simple, not some glorified Magical Girl!”

“Precisely! She should be apprehended as a combatant. Hero or not, it’s irrelevant!”

Despite their vastly different appearances, backgrounds, personalities, and identities, the two women found common ground on this particular point: Ling Xing was unequivocally *not* some heroic Magical Girl!

“…Wait, isn’t *she* that Magical Girl? Why is she speaking about herself like that?”

“Didn’t the official announcement already state it? There are residual effects from the brainwashing. She still believes herself to be a member of the Dark Organization, even though she’s doing good deeds now.”

“And it’s true, just as the rumors claim,” another soldier chimed in. “She’s still deeply remorseful for the consequences she caused, constantly believing she should be arrested as a combatant… My goodness, how long has it been since I encountered such a truly kind Magical Girl?”

“Exactly! She’s far better than the Magical Girls back home. Ours are nothing but pure scum, spending their days drinking, getting tattooed, hooking up, and peddling drugs.”

The soldiers continued their hushed, conspiratorial whispers. It was clear they were remarkably lax. Their weapons were either casually tossed onto the floor, propped carelessly by their sides, or held by soldiers who swayed precariously, on the verge of sleep. They even had the audacity to boast and chat, betraying none of the tension typically associated with impending combat.

“Hmm… but this… what does any of this have to do with the Dark Organization?” Ling Xing probed cautiously. “Shouldn’t they… not possess much combat capability anymore?”

Her heightened senses, Ling Xing realized once more, were not always a blessing. Listening to their idle chatter, Ling Xing found it incredibly difficult to maintain a neutral expression and suppress the overwhelming urge to transform into her inner ‘Tender Model + Eight Attacks’ persona and elbow them all into submission on the spot. Fortunately, her rational mind managed to pinpoint a crucial flaw in their narrative, thus overcoming her emotional impulses. The story concocted by the Magical Girl Organization was undoubtedly well-crafted, yet it contained one decisive narrative flaw: ‘If *I*, a member of the Dark Organization, am not considered the Dark Organization—then who exactly *is* the Dark Organization? Bringing so many soldiers here, who are they even planning to fight? Thin air?’

“One would indeed typically assume as much,” the Officer conceded, leaning in conspiratorially. “However… *ahem*, girl, don’t you go telling anyone I told you this.”

Caught up in the moment, the Officer lowered her voice to a confidential whisper, adopting an air of profound mystery.

“Two Magical Girls from the Pacific Front who were transferred here have gone missing,” she revealed. “Command believes it’s highly probable they were abducted by the Dark Organization for brainwashing. We’re essentially here to clean up their mess and hunt down the Dark Organization.”

“Ah, ah…”

“Hmph! That’s precisely why I insist that Magical Girls are utterly unreliable! It’s only a well-trained, disciplined army that holds any true value!” The Officer’s voice rose in pitch once more, regaining its boisterous tone.

As the truck rounded another bend, the scenery shifted dramatically. In the distance, an armored convoy could already be seen leading the way down the road. The Officer gestured grandly, her arm sweeping out to indicate the impressive convoy.

“Behold!” she declared, her voice ringing with pride. “With our well-trained soldiers, amply supplied armaments, and heavily armored vehicles bristling with firepower, how could our formidable Allied forces ever be threatened by the Dark Organization?”