Chapter 9: A Friend’s Plight and a Supernatural Registration

Sitting on a street-side bench, Su Qingyao habitually wore a ‘warm’ smile, yet his mind was utterly adrift.

“Has something gone wrong at school?”

Carrying a briefcase, Luzhichuan settled himself unceremoniously beside Su Qingyao, thoroughly discomfiting the young man’s otherwise elegant posture.

“Senior Luzhichuan, could you perhaps move a little further away?”

Even now, after their agreement had been reached, Su Qingyao still addressed him as “Senior,” a term that carried a subtle hint of distance.

Luzhichuan, however, seemed largely unconcerned.

‘If Su Qingyao were to suddenly shyly coo “Zhichuan” or “Hubby,” either the world would have undergone a sudden correction, or the young man would be harboring some mischievous intent.’

“I was just a bit rushed.”

Luzhichuan naturally shifted back a little, his thick skin seemingly impervious to any rebuke, prompting Su Qingyao to cast a disgruntled glance at him, pursing his lips in annoyance.

“That child, Su Muxue, is indeed having some trouble.”

While his disdain for Luzhichuan was genuine, the moment Su Muxue was involved, Su Qingyao’s actions became remarkably earnest.

…He proceeded to explain the situation truthfully…

“Hiss, so you’re saying,”

Luzhichuan drew a sharp breath, “Su Muxue is being indirectly ostracized?”

“Something like that. I don’t consider being feared a good thing, you know.”

Su Qingyao shook his head, “Rather, this is even more troublesome than simple school bullying.”

Luzhichuan stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.

After a long moment, he gave up trying to think.

‘As expected of Senior Luzhichuan, a natural ray of sunshine, he truly couldn’t comprehend the plight of those suffering from ‘school-difficulty syndrome’.’

Su Qingyao gazed at Luzhichuan with a lingering, profound stare.

“After some thought, I don’t believe we should rush to change things based on a single observation.”

Luzhichuan seemed entirely oblivious to the young man’s gaze, continuing to speak his mind, “Even if we were to directly go and beat up those children, I doubt it would change anything.”

“Hoh, that’s not necessarily true, you know.”

Su Qingyao narrowed his eyes in a seemingly adorable manner, only for Luzhichuan to sharply poke him on the forehead.

“We need to be cautious when intervening among children.”

“What if we went and beat up the adults instead?”

“…” Given that those five years were still quite recent for the young man, Luzhichuan could probably understand such a thought.

‘But what had happened? Was this still the magical girl renowned for her healing abilities?’

“In any case, let’s find time to ask Muxue first.”

“You’re right. At the very least, we should ask Xiaoxue what she thinks.”

Su Qingyao mused thoughtfully.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Senior. We’ll put this matter aside for now.”

Then…

Su Qingyao lifted his head, glancing at a small building not far away.

Unlike the old world, the building’s entrance wasn’t adorned with various plaques; instead, a large electronic screen displayed banners in a multitude of languages, scrolling like flowing water.

“Public Security Bureau.”

Su Qingyao spoke its name aloud.

“By the way, why didn’t they revert to the name ‘Police’?”

“Well,” Luzhichuan straightened up in his chair, remarking blandly, “Perhaps they didn’t want it to be too similar to the old world?”

“It is a ‘new’ world, after all, isn’t it?”

“That’s your interpretation, Senior.”

Su Qingyao twirled a lock of his bangs between his fingers, pointing this out at a rather opportune moment, which made Luzhichuan blush slightly.

The Public Security Bureau, to be precise, integrated the police and supervisory departments, then added the function of managing “supernatural beings.”

Thus, it did not hinder their purpose in coming here.

“First, we need to get an identity card, and then undergo the supernatural rank assessment.”

Su Qingyao interjected unexpectedly.

“Indeed. Once the supernatural rank assessment is complete, an electronic certificate will be added to your identity ID. This is the ‘Supernatural Registration Certificate’.”

It was the most basic and simplest of the three certificates.

“Here, these are all the documents I prepared for you.”

Luzhichuan opened his briefcase and pulled out two small booklets, one thick and one thin. “The thick one is for your identity ID: a ‘self-declared’ background and gene sequence number. This part is mainly complex, but generally, no one will pursue the specific origins, as tracing experiences during the ‘Apocalypse’ is unrealistic.”

“So, I simply fabricated a background for you: a nineteen-year-old girl born in an out-of-city settlement, seeking work within the city.”

“You only need to provide half of your gene sequence number; the system will record the rest for you.”

“The important part is this form at the back.”

Su Qingyao took the thin booklet and, upon opening its protective cover, discovered that it contained only a single A4-sized form.

“Supernatural Registration Form.”

The young man murmured the title of the form.

“I need to fill out this form myself, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“You can declare a lower rank, but not a higher one.”

“However, for you, Qingyao, the ‘high’ rank you might need to declare probably isn’t even within the scope of this form.”

****

Su Qingyao.

“Supernatural Category: Spellcaster Faction, Magical Girl Branch.”

This was rather normal, as magical girls were considered one of Dawn City’s “specialties.”

Incidentally, another specialty was magical girl idols.

“Supernatural Rank Self-Assessment: Tier Three.”

There was little to comment on; a test would soon reveal whether this was high or low. Should one be grateful for these hellishly complex and convoluted ranking standards, which made self-assessment pitifully inaccurate?

“Ability Description: Slow Healing.”

“Oh?”

The woman seated opposite the counter looked up, gazing at the gentle girl who had handed over the form, and genuinely exclaimed:

“That’s truly a wonderful ability.”

“Huh?”

“Regardless of its power level, it will be highly sought after among magical girls.”

“Uh… may I ask why it would be ‘sought after’?”

“Oh, Miss Su Qingyao, are you unaware? The current trend among magical girls is team-based operations.”

“I see—”

Even as he listened to the staff member talk for a long time, Su Qingyao’s mind was entirely preoccupied with the future of another magical girl.

“Alright, let’s not waste any more of your time. Please follow the staff member to my right to the room where your test is being arranged.”

Su Qingyao responded with a sound, then turned his head to glance at Luzhichuan, who was sitting in a chair in the hall, lost in thought, before following the staff member’s steps.

The section of the Public Security Bureau that handled “supernatural” matters saw a relatively higher flow of people. Walking down the corridor, one often brushed past the hurried footsteps of anxious individuals.

It wasn’t exactly bustling with noise, yet a constant rustling of sounds always persisted.

Su Qingyao passed through the corridor, following the staff member to a massive iron door. The latter swiped their work ID.

A dull “hum” then resonated from within the iron door.

Su Qingyao sniffed, catching the rich, distinct scent of magic emanating from the room.

The door hinges groaned, and the massive door slowly swung open.

The first thing that reached Su Qingyao’s ears was a sharp, piercing shriek:

“Uwaaaahhh—”

A girl, appearing no older than fourteen or fifteen, lay weeping amidst a chaotic mess of ashes.

Accompanying the screams was a strong, acrid smell of burning that permeated the air. This was compounded by the sight of the girl’s right wrist, which she clutched, revealing crimson flesh blooming through the cracks in her charred skin.

‘[Magic out of control, caused by forcibly casting spells without a spirit outfit—is that it?]’

Su Qingyao narrowed his eyes, then quietly asked the staff member in front of him, who had also been startled:

“Excuse me, is this my assessment test subject?”

“It should… not be.”

It was evident that the staff member was currently quite uncertain.

However, a conclusion was quickly reached:

The staff member assigned to that young girl rushed out from a small, dark room behind the testing area, clutching a large medical kit in their hands.

‘Oh, so it was the previous test subject.’