Chapter 78: The Question of the Heart

Naturally, after the training concluded, they couldn’t simply disband on the spot.

Following a period of free activity amidst the ruins, where they exchanged excited whispers about their success, these children—none older than high school age—were once again gathered in the open space.

Initially standing at the back of the line, Su Qingyao was soon pulled to the very front by Xu Yanqing and Xu Yiyi. She took the opportunity to observe the magic girl trainees, who were now reforming their ranks below.

Compared to before the training, the chattering children showed no significant change in appearance.

The good news was that the demon beasts’ attacks had inflicted no irreversible damage on anyone present.

Even Liu Huayun, who had been overly aggressive in the final battle and nearly disfigured by corrosive poison arrows, was healed by Su Qingyao’s ‘exquisite’ healing magic.

Indeed. Beyond Liu Huayun, Su Qingyao had treated nearly all the other children who had sustained injuries, both major and minor, during the battles.

As the sole ‘medic,’ Su Qingyao had truly seized the spotlight by the end of this training session.

Almost every child now knew Su Qingyao’s name.

The usually low-key girl appeared before the crowd.

This, however, prompted a round of good-natured laughter from the trainees.

Surprisingly, Su Qingyao found herself unable to be stern with these children. It seemed she wasn’t suited to be a teacher who needed to be fierce.

“Teacher Su—”

Their relationship had been somewhat strained previously, due to a question-and-answer session before the second battle.

However, after Su Qingyao saved Liu Huayun, who had been on the verge of despair over her disfigurement, the child was undoubtedly captivated by her.

Su Muxue’s expression, meanwhile, showed a hint of displeasure.

Su Qingyao watched the displeased little white cat quietly turn her head and pout.

“Alright, stand properly when you’re in formation.”

Su Qingyao coughed twice, then straightened the lines, which had grown somewhat lax after seeing her rush to the front.

“Let’s give the floor to our Teacher Xu Yanqing instead.”

‘Hohoho, Little Muxue, even if you stare at me with those expectant eyes, nothing will change.’

Gracefully, Su Qingyao stepped back half a pace, yielding the center of attention for the speech to the silent Xu Yanqing.

Xu Yanqing’s spirit attire remained unchanged.

However, it occasionally dimmed for a moment, clearly indicating that her energy expenditure across four high-intensity battles had not been light.

Compared to Xu Yanqing, Su Qingyao’s magical expenditure, aside from healing, was genuinely minimal, primarily limited to helping stabilize the barrier.

Xu Yanqing’s gaze swept across the young magic girls.

After a long moment, she finally spoke:

“You all did very well.”

“Some of you experienced minor setbacks, while others faced unexpected crises.”

A smile graced her lips.

The girl’s tone was filled with profound relief.

“Nevertheless, you all overcame your enemies, even though, to be frank, the intensity of the foes in this training far exceeded our initial plans.”

Su Qingyao had to nod in agreement.

Even during her active years, most children facing these demon beasts wouldn’t have performed any better than this.

This was especially true considering their lack of proper formations, planning, and theoretical knowledge.

In Su Qingyao’s opinion, the Tower’s research into ‘extermination battles’ for magic girls, at the very least, surpassed what was available during the apocalypse.

Back then, due to a severe shortage of personnel, magic girls were essentially like bricks—wherever a demon beast appeared, they had to go.

As for experience or summarized combat tactics, there was simply no time to compile them, nor any channels to disseminate them.

The other reason was this:

At that time, the survival rate of magic girls was not high.

They faced not only demon beasts but also various calamities and the ‘Mind-Shattering Matriarchs’ that specifically hunted magic girls.

For children who had only just awakened their powers, confronting such formidable hunters inevitably led to tragic outcomes.

Su Qingyao had endured countless heartbreaking farewells, each one carving deeper into her, until she eventually became the person she was today.

While Su Qingyao’s thoughts drifted, Xu Yanqing briefly summarized the four battles, specifically commending several trainees who had performed exceptionally well.

Besides the obvious standouts like Su Muxue and Lin Xiaoxiao, there were also unpolished gems like Yan Xiyu, who had yet to discover their ‘exclusive magic.’

Xu Yanqing’s grave expression softened considerably. As she spoke, her gaze drifted with a hint of nostalgia across each youthful, unblemished face.

She then declared:

“Beyond that, I’d like to say a few words on a different topic.”

Perhaps driven by a personal agenda, or by a sentiment left by certain individuals deep within her heart.

Xu Yanqing continued:

“In the future, regardless of whether you choose to join the Tower of Magic Girls, become Peacekeepers, or even join other organizations big or small, or simply opt for an ordinary life—”

“—I hope you never forget this.”

“To many, we magic girls may seem like just one of the numerous transcendent branches that harness magical power.”

“And if there’s anything truly special about us, it’s that a [Leader] emerged from our ranks—”

“It’s the Blue Witch~”

Someone in the audience softly whispered the name that almost every magic girl had once yearned to embody.

“But—whether it was the esteemed [Blue Witch], or the current ‘Honorary Grade’ Eighth-tier magic girls, the [White Witch], [Hundred Lights], and [Fool’s Gold]—all three acknowledge a unique truth:”

Though these weren’t exactly secrets, Xu Yanqing still felt a touch of pressure before speaking them aloud. She paused, taking a slight breath before continuing:

“Our very existence stems from a single question.”

“Before the Mage Tower posed the question, ‘What exactly is magic power?’, Madam ‘Blue Witch’ had once presented a question to all magic girls.”

“What is the [Heart]?”

Su Qingyao murmured softly.

Her voice couldn’t reach anyone’s ears, yet she still articulated the full extent of that question:

“Why is the [Heart] the core of a magic girl’s transcendence?”

It was a question from a very, very long time ago.

More precisely, it was a question Su Qingyao had posed while already holding its answer.

‘She hadn’t expected to hear it here.’

Standing behind Xu Yanqing, Su Qingyao distinctly felt her daughter’s gaze upon her.

After a quick series of winks and gestures, hoping Su Muxue understood her unspoken message, Su Qingyao redirected her attention to the children who represented the ‘future.’

Most of their expressions were utterly bewildered, a reaction that surprised neither Su Qingyao nor Xu Yanqing.

The very act of pondering this question was precisely what Su Qingyao had initially hoped future generations would do.

Thus, the cunning [Blue Witch] had never entrusted her answer to anyone.

Su Qingyao chuckled softly in a moment when no one was paying attention.

‘She actually considered it fortunate to have participated in this “temporary work” after her awakening—’

‘—a feeling of relief and ease, much like a warrior fresh from battle might experience upon realizing, in a daze, that wildflowers had sprouted amidst the ruins.’

“Would Senior Lu Zhichuan think this way too?”

Su Qingyao ‘accidentally’ thought of the only familiar face currently by her side.

As she mused, she chanted the simplest [Magic Energy Cannon] in a brief incantation.

Su Qingyao’s magic unhesitatingly struck the ‘wild’ demon beasts, which had been drawn in by the concentrated magic power.

‘Hmm… constantly using magic in the wilderness, it’s inevitable to encounter situations like this.’

To allow Xu Yanqing and Xu Yiyi a moment of rest, Su Qingyao automatically took over this sudden skirmish.