Transform into a magical girl after getting off work-Chapter 560 - 121 Your Specialness

Emerald Sparrow gave an answer that, in her perception, was akin to evasion.

Unexpectedly, Mo He didn't seem emotionally affected upon hearing it.

"So, that's how it is after all."

She calmly muttered to herself, leaning her back slightly, fully reclining into the driver's seat:

"That's why I felt there was no need to say it... Because I had a hunch earlier that the Captain wouldn't agree today."

"I'm sorry."

Emerald Sparrow repeated once more: "I'm very grateful that you value me this much."

"No, this isn't about the Captain; it's my fault."

Mo He stared straight ahead at the road, though her gaze was slightly unfocused: "I performed terribly today—causing trouble nonstop, inviting the Captain to dinner, yet making you pick up the tab. With such an impression, anyone approached would think I am unreliable."

Since leaving the restaurant, aside from discussing her team and ideals, Mo He had been mostly dispirited. In her view, the day's plans had been thoroughly ruined by her own doing.

Not only had she failed to showcase a dependable side of herself, but she'd also asked several questions that left the Captain visibly irritated and kept causing mishaps and breaking things. It was clear she hadn't managed to leave a positive impression—neither for herself nor her team—in the Captain's eyes.

"This is my failure." Mo He critiqued herself thusly.

—"I don't think your performance today was problematic. The decision I made actually has nothing to do with that."

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Yet Emerald Sparrow denied Mo He's perspective:

"I wasn't indifferent to your rationality. It's merely that my life is already burdened with many obligations. I doubt if I still have the capacity to make additional commitments to another."

"So, I need to think it over."

Emerald Sparrow summarized her thoughts: "Perhaps you could elaborate on your plans or talk about your 'friends.' That way, I'd have more to consider."

"Talk about 'friends'... is that it."

Black Cat muttered to herself, easing up on the accelerator, slowing the vehicle: "Captain, would you want to hear about those things?"

"Yes, I'm genuinely curious."

Emerald Sparrow didn't hide her intentions and candidly revealed her purpose: "I want to know your experiences over the years—what kind of friends you had and the things you've done."

"Is this a kind of Investigation Bureau Patrol Envoy interrogation?" Mo He turned her gaze towards Emerald Sparrow.

"As of now, it's just the curiosity of old teammates. After all, you seem to know quite a bit about my life these past years, yet I hardly know anything of you now."

Emerald Sparrow locked eyes with her: "If I were interrogating you as a Patrol Envoy, I might say something like, 'Hey, you! How dare you secretly establish your own faction outside the Kingdom! Hurry up and spill the beans regarding your base in the Material Realm and your team members!'"

She was deliberately imitating the tone of the Sheriff they encountered earlier in the Magic-free Zone. Although her pitch lacked fluctuation, Mo He could easily recognize whom she was mimicking.

The statement managed to pull a grin from Mo He's previously glum face.

"But the Captain didn't ask."

She remarked belatedly: "It's been just me talking all this time, and yet you haven't interrupted."

"Because there was no need."

Emerald Sparrow's tone was calm, as though discussing something unrelated: "If I asked you now, would you be willing to tell me?"

Mo He froze for a moment.

"Captain, I actually..."

She opened her mouth, intending to admit she didn't need to hide anything, but the nature of her team and organization restrained her. Words she had prepared seemed to get stuck halfway through.

The car was now moving so slowly that no external noise could disrupt their dialogue or thoughts. Yet Mo He's emotions were more tangled than at any other point.

"... If the Captain is willing to join us someday, then I could tell you."

After a long pause, an almost painful effort forced the words out of her: "But for now, I… perhaps… cannot..."

—"You cannot say because doing so might betray your companions."

Emerald Sparrow earnestly articulated for Mo He: "From your descriptions, your team's activities seem to exist in a gray area, but if the Kingdom learned of them, they would likely be forbidden. This isn't the kind of thing that can be discussed openly."

"For instance, I imagine you're aware of the organization 'Claw Mark.' They betrayed the Kingdom and are now considered fugitives across the Kingdom and the Material Realm."

Emerald Sparrow continued speaking about the issues Mo He might not have mentioned—or even fully thought through: "Does your team have a name similar to Claw Mark? Or… do you have connections with them?"

In Emerald Sparrow's understanding, the "homeland" Mo He described undoubtedly didn't resemble the actions of Claw Mark. Still, if a group of Magical Girls was genuinely trying to establish a base in the Wilderness of the Material Realm, Claw Mark would logically seek them out.

Thus, even if Mo He's team and Claw Mark took divergent paths, it was unlikely for them not to have some degree of association.

Emerald Sparrow's hypothesis was confirmed by nothing but Mo He's silence.

Just silence—yet even that spoke volumes.

"… I think I might understand what the Captain has been pondering all this time."

Her next words came only after a long interval, but they revealed her inner contemplation had never ceased: "Even though I deeply want to lay everything bare and know what you truly think of me… I've realized this kind of thing is incredibly difficult."

"I never intended to doubt you."

Emerald Sparrow leaned back in her seat, gazing out at the scenery outside: "Magical Girls shouldn't trust anyone recklessly, but neither should they ever doubt their companions. So, for me, these questions don't need answers."

"... Mm, that's how it is." Mo He sighed, as if coming to a profound realization.

"To the Captain, I'm still special."

For reasons unknown, she declared this with certainty, even a trace of comfort, embedded within her words: "But at the same time, to the Captain, I'm no longer as special as I once was."

"Because I've changed."

Emerald Sparrow stopped looking at the window and turned to gaze ahead alongside Mo He: "Now, you finally believe it, don't you?"

Mo He stayed fixed on the road ahead, silent for a long while.

Shortly afterward, she regained her composure. Then, when she spoke again, it was no longer about the earlier topic but about her life events over the years.

She mentioned her wistful thoughts on opening a Magic Tools shop after the war and what kind of odd jobs she had considered to save money.

She recounted her search for a homeland after leaving the Kingdom and the hardships encountered during the process.

She revealed how some accidents led her to attend a Material Realm school because she needed education and knowledge to develop that barren land she'd chosen. Relying on Magic Tools alone was far from sufficient.

She shared so much more…

Her stories continued all the way as they drove out of the Magic-free Zone, through the Emerald District, and back to the Colorful Cloud Wetland.

And when the car finally came to a halt, they both knew it was time to end the conversation.

The Colorful Cloud Wetland looked as serene as ever: velvety grasslands, quietly flowing springs, warm and gentle air that intoxicated the senses.

—"Happy birthday, Captain."

As they got out of the car, Mo He suddenly said this.

"This isn't something I deduced. If you still remember, it's something you told me back when we still held special places in each other's hearts."

She bent slightly, reached out to lock the car doors, then lifted her head. Her amber, cat-like pupils reflected the Blue Moon in the night sky:

"Perhaps, in your heart, I'm no longer as special as before. But please believe—this, to me, is a truly special blessing."

Moving her hand away from the car, she adjusted her knitted sweater, then bowed towards Emerald Sparrow before turning to leave.

Her swinging ponytail resembled a tail as it swayed behind her, with the ribbon tied at its base standing upright like ears. Using a seemingly casual yet graceful stride, Mo He gradually moved away. Her dark outfit blended seamlessly with the nocturnal wetland, and her light steps stirred no sound, as if she were truly a Black Cat melting into the shadows of the night.

"Good night, Captain."

Even her abrupt backward glance to bid farewell—despite almost vanishing from sight—was as enigmatic and elusive as a feline.