Chapter 49: Feels Like Going on a Field Trip

“By the way, why is the bureau paying so much attention to this oddity? Has it done something before?”

After deactivating the soundproof barrier, Qisi shifted the conversation to topics more fitting for a high school girl. Kexin, however, wore a troubled expression, forced to follow along, while her mind kept circling the information about this oddity.

If even Qisi sensed that this training session was unusually timed, then it was very likely that something significant was going on behind the scenes.

Moreover, Kexin had checked the special investigations bureau database and knew a little about the situation in Chifeng City. Reports submitted by the local branch never mentioned anything of this threat’s magnitude.

If the higher-ups at the bureau knew something and were taking preventive measures, it meant this oddity wasn’t appearing for the first time. It had probably done something memorable in the past.

Thinking about events serious enough to put the bureau on high alert, yet not reveal details to the magical girls who might be deployed, Kexin’s mind flashed to one possibility.

If it was the same oddity from that incident, it made sense.

She couldn’t help but glance at Qisi, who was scrolling through her phone. Perhaps sensing the gaze, Qisi’s eyes shifted toward Kexin.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Kexin replied, looking out the window.

“Really?” Qisi leaned closer, clearly not convinced.

Feeling something brush her arm, Kexin instinctively tilted away, but she was already sitting by the door with no room to retreat.

“Let’s talk about it once we get there,” Kexin said.

“Being so mysterious…” Qisi quickly caught on, following Kexin’s lead. “Alright, I’ll let it slide for now.”

“What do you mean—nothing, never mind.” Kexin forced a small smile. Seeing this, Qisi seemed unsure whether she should laugh.

“You really are interesting, Kexin.”

“Too lazy to argue.”

Qisi ignored Kexin’s remark and returned her attention to the short videos on her phone.

Qisi had approached her with her discovery, perhaps noticing something, but clearly she didn’t know the deeper truth. Did she sense any connection between this oddity and the previous incident? Probably not—otherwise, it was hard to imagine her calmly watching soccer highlight reels.

Sigh—

There was still too little information, and Kexin couldn’t confirm if her assumptions were correct. Since the establishment of the bureau and the magical girl unit over the years, there had surely been more than one major incident. With her current clearance, many files were still off-limits.

Maybe she was overthinking. Hopefully she was.

Kexin picked up her phone to stop thinking so much. She didn’t notice how much time had passed until the car stopped, and she saw the sign for Muzhou City’s long-distance bus station outside.

Looking closely, she saw Special Agent Guan in casual clothes holding a tablet by the entrance. Around her were several girls about Kexin’s age—some she recognized, but most she didn’t. Clearly, these weren’t ordinary high school students.

The group got off the car, and Agent Guan immediately noticed them, scanning all five in her roster on the tablet and checking them off.

“You arrived just in time.”

“Mengyao, you make it sound like I’m always late.”

“Isn’t that true?”

“Hehe.”

Faced with undeniable truth, Qisi just laughed awkwardly. The others didn’t even notice—they were used to it.

Kexin’s gaze swept through the crowd but didn’t find the familiar blue figure.

“Looking for me?” A hand suddenly rested on Kexin’s shoulder. She shivered, then exhaled in relief upon recognizing the voice.

It was her senior, Luo Anying, from her school, smiling as always. Behind her, a sleek black limousine was slowly driving away.

“Is that your car, senior?” Kexin asked, watching it depart, unable to identify the model from memory.

“Ah, it’s just that taxis aren’t convenient where I live, so we added a bit,” Luo replied.

“Just a bit?”

Sure, some people do drive luxury cars as taxis, but this wasn’t something an ordinary person could casually afford. Luo seemed a bit detached from reality when it came to money, though she didn’t appear to be lacking in wealth.

Agent Guan checked off Luo’s name. With the others who had just arrived, the Muzhou City magical girl training team was now complete.

She raised her hand to get everyone’s attention: “The young lady is here too, so we’re all present. Follow me—we’re departing.”

Kexin wanted to chat more with her senior but had to follow the group. This gave her the chance to observe the others she didn’t know well.

At the front were two girls with highlighted hair, which Kexin would classify as “gyaru” style. They stood out from the rest, constantly chatting about topics that left Kexin confused, like how to dress cutely.

The girl on the left had pink highlights and a style leaning toward the so-called “trap” fashion. Kexin remembered her from personnel files; she was assigned to Kexin’s squad for this training. Her name was Yan Luofei, codename “Pink Flame.” Her magical girl trait was pink hair, like Kexin. Unlike Kexin, who preferred brute force, Yan Luofei’s magic revolved around flames.

The other girl, Yuan Lingfeng, was blue-themed, with a small streak of dark blue in her black hair, also in Kexin’s squad. Her style was more conventional—or at least Kexin thought so—but still carefully coordinated, complete with cute hair accessories.

These two weren’t easy to approach, especially since Yan Luofei would be with Kexin for several days, emphasizing the pressure of being the designated squad leader.

The squad had a third member, highly rated and experienced, who didn’t strictly need to attend this training.

Kexin then noticed a group of girls, curious about everything in the station, constantly looking around. There were six, all freshmen, younger than Kexin by one year, newly appointed magical girls, with no prior solo oddity missions.

True newcomers.

Other attendees, unknown even to Kexin in the bureau, were trainee magical girls completing basic training. They had just passed the bureau’s background checks and gained magical girl status.

Seeing such pure novices, Kexin felt reassured—they likely weren’t facing high-risk missions.

At the security checkpoint, Agent Guan efficiently presented her bureau ID. Staff immediately opened a manual lane, knowing the girls’ luggage would trigger alarms in standard scanners.

Through the terminal hall, following Agent Guan felt like a teacher leading students on a field trip—because she was literally a teacher.

“You seem pretty happy, Kexin,” Luo Anying said softly, suddenly at her side.

“Ah, senior, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I don’t know the others that well, hehe.”

With a slightly embarrassed smile, Luo felt kind and gentle, a complete contrast to someone else.

“Is that so?”

Indeed, besides Luo, Bai Xihan, and Qisi, the others were Kexin’s peers. Luo’s familiar contacts were probably still on duty.

“So… were you thinking about something fun?”

“Not really, it just feels like we’re on a field trip, though I’ve never really had one.”

In Kexin’s hometown middle school, resources were limited, so there were never any trips to other places. The feeling came more from associating it with scenes she had seen in anime.

“I see… then we should make sure to have fun.”

“We’re not really here to play, though.”

“Maybe…”