Ch.1717. Before Epilogue – Investigation

“Now, we’ll be leaving the indoor training area and heading outside over there. Please follow me!”

Following the staff member through a door, I could see a large open space.

When they said we were going outside, I expected to feel the outdoor breeze when the door opened, but I didn’t. Looking around, I noticed that behind the door was a viewing area completely enclosed in glass on all sides.

Hmm, I was genuinely surprised when they said “outside.”

When watching from the outside…

If I imagine observing without that glass, directly encountering those magical girls flying around would be the worst…

Ah, I’m going to meet them anyway.

I was so shocked that the magical girl I’d be meeting was Blanc that I must have completely erased it from my mind.

Sigh. Thinking about it again, it’s just absurd.

If it’s Blanc, she’ll notice me even if I’m sitting at the far end of the auditorium.

Infiltrating deep into enemy territory. Even though I knew the risks, I never imagined the magical girl I’d meet would be Blanc…

Sigh, for now, the boss’s orders take priority.

For the boss’s plan. Sacrificing this small body of mine is nothing.

And so, I faced the outdoor training scene.

Seeing them train like this made me feel sorry for them, realizing how different they were from the monsters I had carefully selected.

Hmm, thinking that defeating them might actually be saving them, I resolved to work harder from now on.

There’s a magical girl doing mobility training, passing through rings set up in the sky.

At the very least, if she exposes her weaknesses so defensively while flying, wouldn’t she be neutralized in one go?

Just the vulnerabilities exposed while maneuvering at high speed…

I notice things that should be corrected or improved through training.

If they were my subordinates, I would have beaten them until they fixed these issues immediately. But they’re magical girls.

I can also see inefficient movements that Blanc would never make.

Ha, I guess Blanc has influenced me a lot. No matter how much I try to think this is decent performance, it’s impossible.

With so many openings, it’s convenient for me, I suppose.

While I was evaluating them, the public opinion around me seemed a bit different.

People were amazed at seeing someone flying without any devices, and they were disappointed when attacks narrowly missed their targets.

I shouldn’t reveal that I’m the only one not surprised here, so I pretended to be amazed too.

I was genuinely surprised to some extent, but for different reasons.

Just then, a magical girl approached the glass window.

“H-hyeek!”

Being right in front of the window, I was startled. Truly, to the point where words failed me.

Thoughts suddenly rushed through my mind.

Oh wait. What if I’m discovered?

Judging by their lack of interest in me, I thought I could relax.

Ah, I just realized I was the only one who made a strange noise.

A little embarrassment was a sacrifice I could make for the sake of naturalness!

A sacrifice I could make!!!

Still, I should be thankful that everyone’s attention was on those magical girls waving their hands outside the glass window.

“Now, please say hello to the magical girls, and we’ll move on to see the temporary villain detention facility inside!”

Villain detention facility, hmm. I wonder if it’s appropriate for me to go there, but right now, I’m just a young girl who admires magical girls.

I needed to locate the detention facility anyway. If Ellie gets captured, I’ll need to know where to rescue her from.

I’ve had the receiver’s recording function on since I entered, so I’m thoroughly documenting the interior of this association.

And so, I endlessly followed the staff member.

At one point, we went down some stairs, then up others again—perhaps trying to confuse us.

It seemed like a planned route designed to disorient outsiders, but I trusted the performance of the receiver the doctor invented and followed along.

The place we arrived at.

It was a bright underground room with substantial surveillance, and walls that were reinforced and treated with anti-magic materials.

There, the staff member took out a necklace to show us.

“This is where we temporarily detain the villains we’ve captured. Even though it’s temporary, we manage it thoroughly, so there’s no need to worry.”

“This section doesn’t currently have any villains detained, while the opposite section is being used to hold villains at present.”

“When arresting a villain, we put on this power-sealing collar to make escape through their abilities impossible. This sealing device has been designed to be impossible to neutralize, based on consultation with our association and various magical girls, so you can rest assured.”

Who would wear such a dog collar?

We at Eden have already analyzed the performance of that necklace.

It’s a proven fact that even with our technology and physical force, we can’t remove that necklace ourselves. If any of our members end up wearing it, the protocol is to rescue them and then seek the doctor’s help.

That necklace is reinforced with some kind of “miracle” that only magical girls emit, making it difficult to remove. When we tried to use it ourselves, we had to abandon production because we lacked that “miracle.”

Well, after we win, we can capture magical girls, mass-produce this “miracle,” and neutralize magical girls worldwide.

The doctor said that necklace prevents even magical girls from using their abilities.

Anyway, rather than these complicated and forgettable specifications, my priority now is to gather as much information about the interior as possible.

The composition of the detention cells, information about the locking mechanisms, and so on.

I need to find out everything I can while I have the chance.

For the boss’s—our—wish.

Looking at this place, I wonder if rescue would even be possible.

It’s so complex and thoroughly designed to prevent escape.

Nevertheless, there are visible weaknesses, so I record everything and follow the staff member out of the detention area.

I don’t think I’ll come back here.

I’ll protect Ellie.

“Now we’ll move to the situation room that monitors unusual phenomena across our country. There are many people working there right now, so please be quiet. Understood?”

Following the staff member again, we arrived at a place with numerous monitors and people.

It was like a situation room straight out of a movie.

I observed them from the highest position overlooking the entire situation room.

Apparently, this was the place where we could see everything through glass while causing minimal disturbance.

According to the staff member’s rather lengthy explanation, the situation room uses various monitoring equipment and cameras to survey the entire country.

When they detect an anomaly in the normally stable magical energy readings, they check the cameras in that area to identify villains or monsters and dispatch magical girls there.

Hmm, I wondered why they always seemed to arrive late to battles, but I guess that wasn’t intentional.

They claim they respond as quickly as possible.

Yet they sometimes arrive at scenes after everything’s already over, like idiots.

Thinking about this while looking at the people working down there, well…

I could only feel pity for them.

At the very least, isn’t it Eden’s duty to put them out of their misery?

And so, to wrap up the schedule, we followed the staff member to the auditorium to meet the association president.

Ah, right.

I’ll be meeting Blanc too.

Walking slowly along the corridor, we arrived at the auditorium.

Hmm, it’s small enough to be called an audio-visual room. But they called it an auditorium, so I’ll go with that.

There, I also sat among the people.

As much as possible in the middle, trying not to stand out.

Carefully…

“Our young friends! Would you like to come sit in the front row? You’re about to meet the magical girls you’ve been most excited to see! All children, please come this way!”

… Sigh.

Really, really, why?

Is the heavens so eager for me to be discovered?

Ugh… why…

For now, pretending to be excited, I follow the children to the front seats.

As far away from the stage as possible.

Hmm, when delivering this box, I need to move so that only the association president notices,

To minimize exposure.

It’s better to reduce risks.

Ha, I shouldn’t be nervous.

The candy box to be given as a gift to the association president.

A box identical to the candy box in my room, but with a bomb inside.

Ah, seeing this makes me crave candy.

The candy Ellie puts in my mouth before missions is so delicious.

“Now, the association president and Magical Girl Blanc will be entering!”

The staff member’s announcement, people’s cheers, and applause fill the entire auditorium.

From the entrance of the auditorium, a young man who appears to be the association president and Blanc.

Yes, my arch-enemy. Blanc has arrived.

The two of them sit in chairs prepared on the platform and greet us.

So far, I don’t think I’ve been discovered.

“Hello everyone. I’m Kim Seo-jin, the association president who works modestly at the association. I sincerely welcome all of you to today’s association tour!”

“I am, as you all know well, Park Yoon-seul, working under the activity name Magical Girl Blanc. Hello everyone!”

“I’m truly grateful, as the association president, for so many people coming here and showing interest. Now, we’re here to answer your many questions, so please feel free to raise your hand and speak, and our staff will pass you the microphone.”

Yawn… now it finally begins.

Association president, I have a very special gift for you.