Chapter 6: Xia Xiaocheng’s Determination.

After subjugating the disaster beasts, Alice walked alone into the forest. She dragged the massive disaster beast corpse to an open area in the park, then pulled the fish-shaped disaster beast corpse floating on the lake ashore.

Her movements were swift and efficient. Even among magical girls whose physical abilities were enhanced by magic power, few could drag such huge disaster beast corpses by themselves like she did.

“Senior Alice!”

Xia Xiaocheng, who had just gotten off the Ferris wheel gondola, ran over quickly. She was panting heavily, hands resting on her knees as she slowly straightened up. Her face was flushed red from the intense run, and her eyes carried a hint of nervousness.

“You came at the right time. I have some questions for you.”

Alice turned to face Xia Xiaocheng. Her blue eyes scanned her, emitting faint blue light particles.

“Um… What does Senior Alice want to ask?” Xia Xiaocheng pressed her palms tightly against her thighs and stood even straighter.

“How long have you been a magical girl? Why didn’t you tell your family? Do you know how much pain they would feel if you died?”

Alice’s tone was serious. She placed both hands on her waist, fully unleashing her imposing aura as a little adult.

“Um! I’ve only been one for a month. How did Senior Alice know… that I didn’t tell my family?”

“Because…”

Alice hesitated, unable to say that as her brother, she had only discovered today that her sister had become a magical girl and had been unaware before.

So she made up a reason.

“At my 【Emerald】 rank, I naturally have access to certain information.”

“So this is the intelligence network of 【Emerald】-rank magical girls! Senior Alice, I beg you for one thing!”

Xia Xiaocheng suddenly clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture. Her face was full of earnest begging, as if she were about to drop to her knees with a thud.

“Speak.” Alice’s expression remained calm as she waited to see what her sister would come up with.

“Please don’t tell my brother! About me being a magical girl. My brother already works so hard. I don’t want him to worry about me. He absolutely cannot know about this!”

Xia Xiaocheng lowered her head and pressed her lips tightly together.

You actually know he’d worry! Doing something as dangerous as being a magical girl.

Alice sighed. The anger that had filled her chest eased a little. She wasn’t as mad anymore.

“Can you… promise?” Xia Xiaocheng looked up and asked cautiously.

“I can, but—” Alice deliberately dragged out her tone, observing the changes in Xia Xiaocheng’s expression.

“I’ll agree to any condition! As long as you don’t tell my brother, I’m willing to do anything!”

Xia Xiaocheng patted her chest without hesitation. She believed Alice had no bad intentions and was a kind senior who definitely wouldn’t make things difficult for her!

“—You have to dissect the disaster beasts and extract their cores right now. Be quick about it.”

Alice pointed at the disaster beast corpses beside her. There were two huge ones waiting to be dissected. She planned to let her sister practice on both.

“Ah… dissect them? Me?”

Xia Xiaocheng’s small mouth opened slightly. She looked up at the mountain-like disaster beast corpses. As a young girl with no knife or tools, how was she supposed to dissect them? Besides, dissecting disaster beasts sounded disgusting!

“You don’t know how? Didn’t the liaison teach you how to dissect disaster beasts during magical girl onboarding training? Didn’t they tell you that retrieving the magic cores from disaster beasts is mandatory?”

Alice felt puzzled. Her sister’s clearly confused expression showed she really didn’t know.

“Little Mo didn’t tell me.” Xia Xiaocheng shook her head.

“Your liaison is called Little Mo, and it didn’t teach you? Really?” Alice’s expression suddenly turned ugly. Her silver teeth clenched slightly.

“Little Mo didn’t teach me.” Xia Xiaocheng nodded firmly.

“Then how did you become a magical girl? Tell me the details.” Coldness gradually seeped into Alice’s blue eyes.

“Um… About a month ago, on my way home from school, I saw an orange kitten that only I could see. It said I had a promising future, so it gave me the transformation gem. Then I successfully transformed and became a magical girl.”

Xia Xiaocheng spoke sincerely, not seeming to be lying.

Hah, milking our whole family, huh? Liaison Little Mo.

Alice mentally noted the name. She had something serious and heartfelt to say to Xia Xiaocheng.

“Before becoming a magical girl, you had no idea you needed to dissect disaster beasts to retrieve cores. That means you didn’t receive any other basic magical knowledge training either. You were just thrown straight into the job.”

“Yeah, and my friend is the same. We usually fight together, so when we encounter danger, it’s actually still…”

“Enough, don’t say anymore. Are you and your friend the only two magical girls signed with Little Mo right now?”

“Yes, Senior Alice.”

“Let me think.”

“Mm.”

Xia Xiaocheng waited obediently. Watching Alice lower her head and pinch her chin in thought, she found the other girl extremely cute, yet also so reliable and powerful.

Even though Senior Alice was quite short and made people want to hug her, she was still a 【Emerald】-rank magical girl! She absolutely could not have any disrespectful thoughts!

Ahhh! Senior Alice is really beautiful, like a delicate doll or a noble young lady. Getting to talk to such an amazing senior is probably something ordinary magical girls can only dream of for their entire lives!

An inexplicable sense of happiness surged in Xia Xiaocheng’s heart, as if it had healed the fear from her earlier brush with death.

“Xia Xiaocheng, I ask you.”

“Ah, please ask, Senior.”

Xia Xiaocheng snapped back to attention and listened with full focus.

“Are you still willing to be a magical girl? Your liaison Little Mo is unreliable. In the future, you may face even deeper dangers, major crises, and even the possibility of leaving your brother.”

Alice was seriously considering her sister’s future. Becoming a magical girl could be considered lucky — a one-in-ten-thousand chance.

But at the same time, being a magical girl was also unfortunate. They would have to sacrifice weekend rest, time with family, and even risk their precious lives fighting disaster beasts.

If possible, Alice hoped her sister Xia Xiaocheng would never become a magical girl in her lifetime.

Noticing Alice frowning, Xia Xiaocheng felt her heart tighten for no reason. But she had already decided when she set out tonight that she would become a magical girl, even if it was her last shift.

“Senior Alice, I want to become a magical girl! This is something I love!”

Xia Xiaocheng’s expression was firm, her gaze unwavering. This was the most confident thing she had said all evening. Becoming a magical girl was her dream!

Hearing her sister’s answer, Alice first felt relief in her heart, followed immediately by helplessness.

As expected? This familiar answer always keeps appearing.

“Fine. I can promise not to tell your brother about this.” Alice crossed her arms and nodded, making the promise.

“Wow! Thank you so much, Senior!” Xia Xiaocheng clasped her hands gratefully.

“However, you must learn how to dissect disaster beasts on the spot right now. Tonight, no matter what, you have to dig out the cores from these two beasts. If you have no tools, then use your hands!”

Alice pointed at the headless fish-shaped disaster beast. Sticky blood dripped from the severed fish bone, mixed with mucus and mud. A nauseating fishy stench began to spread.

“Use my hands to dig… That’s too disgusting.” Xia Xiaocheng covered her mouth, feeling like she might vomit.

“Afraid of getting dirty as a magical girl? Then don’t do it. I’ll notify your brother right now.” Alice gave her a sideways glance.

“No no no! Senior, I’ll do it, okay? I’ll do it!”

Xia Xiaocheng gritted her teeth, rolled up her sleeves, and endured the physical revulsion as she reached into the sticky disaster beast’s body.

She swore she wouldn’t touch fish for at least two months.