"But......" I stammered, dizzy at the meaning of it. I thought the Cursed weren't that smart? Are they like the weather, unpredictable, just a part of life? ”

"That'...... It's a complicated topic," Evergrave sighed. "A curse is a plague, a malice that seeks to cause maximum damage. This malice can best be described as a vague and vague hive mindset that exhibits at least some coordination in order to achieve its goals effectively. Although we have never seen such a global "invasion" before

Evergrave paused, then nodded to himself as if he had made a decision.

"Some higher-level cursed ones have the ability to command and coordinate others of their kind, but we have never seen the ability to conduct an operation on this scale.

When I nodded, the tension was gone. I think it makes sense that some of the cursed people would be able to become strong enough to command others, but even as far as I can tell, it seems unlikely that they would be organized.

"In any case, the targets of global attacks have been in the spotlight over the past few days," Evergrave continued. "It's impossible to take Sanctuary at the level of force they use, but the reality around Sanctuary has been greatly weakened between the number of usurpers and cursers they have sent. Our early warning system has gone from being able to predict usurpation one hour in advance to fifteen minutes in advance. To make matters worse, we experience multiple usurpations every day. They are all of low rank and fairly small in size, but it is clear that they are trying to weaken the reality around the city through constant attacks. ”

"How bad is that?" I asked, gripping the cup tighter.

"Well, that's actually pretty good for a Guardian," Eve

Glaive replied. "Zenith recruits new Guardians in the Great Wave, so now, there are plenty of new Guardians that can take advantage of this to earn easy levels and points. The usurpers are also weak, and the magic soldiers can deal with them themselves if needed. While it causes more chaos in the city, most areas are limited to one or two building sizes, with a maximum of two or three dozen A's

athema。 This is quite beneficial for the growth of new Guardians like you in the long run. ”

"At the moment, more experienced Guardians are dealing with this," Nayad said. "Until the academy opened, the new wave had enough training to really fight."

"Is there a Guardian Academy?"

"I'm sorry, I'll ask," Evergrave said slowly, "but you're a high school student now, aren't you?" ”

"Hmm...... Is it? I replied as I nervously turned around.

"I see...... It's just, Guardian Academy, most people know about it. It's a cultural phenomenon in a way, especially with the festivals they hold every year. If I'm not mistaken, there are a few high school programs that also teach Guardian culture and activities. ”

A flush crept up my cheeks. I've certainly heard about the festivals they hold every summer. It's a huge citywide event, with days of competitions, events, and even tournaments. I've never really watched it, just stopped down the street to see what some of it was playing on TV. I still have a lot to worry about and do, and magical girl things have never seemed to be that important.

"Oh...... I didn't realize there was an academy involved. I, uh...... I don't pay much attention to magical girl things. I'm only a freshman in high school, and I haven't really touched the magical girl thing yet......"

"Ah," Evergrave said, nodding. "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget that some people aren't as interested in magical girls as they were before I became a Guardian. Going back to your question, yes, there is an academy. In fact, there is one for every sanctuary city. Although it is not mandatory for you to go, I highly recommend you to go. Classes there are taught by experienced guardians, dependents, or subject matter experts. There, you'll learn things like proper combat techniques, the knowledge behind magic, common types of spells and how to identify them, market yourself as a Guardian, work on a team of Guardians, and a variety of other things. The academy is about to open and the knowledge you can learn there is invaluable. ”

[It is highly recommended that all magical girls complete at least one year of academy study, preferably all three," Seren added. [Each year you participate, the rate at which the Guardians survive and grow increases dramatically.] In addition, there are many special opportunities that can only be obtained by participating. ]

The only problem is......

"Hmm." How about working with regular schools? Will I stop attending my regular classes or will I ......? ”

"There are a few options." Evergrave nodded expectantly. "One is to just go to the academy and receive private tutoring in the subjects of the normal school. This is something I don't recommend. Immersing yourself only in Magical Girl can be incredibly isolating and negatively distort your perspective. It also robs you of all the chance to get back to normal, and as Guardians, we need to get back to normal to balance out the stressful, combat-filled lives of our lives. No, the normal route is to go to the regular school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and then to the academy on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. ”

"Wait." I frowned. "Isn't that the agenda of honor students?"

SO students are a unique phenomenon in sanctuary cities. They only went to the regular school for half a week, and the second part went to the specialized school. Most often, it is for students who have already decided what career they want to pursue and have some kind of special situation. Things like surviving a brutal usurpation, losing a family member, or getting the highest grades in the entrance exam are all ways to get in. It is said to help the brightest students excel in their respective fields and also provide opportunities for the less fortunate students to grow.

SO schools are known for producing some of the most experienced graduates and are highly sought after. My brother got into a major around magical tech engineering design because of his grades, and he was already working as a paid intern at a company with the promise of employment after graduation.

"The schedule is the same," Eve

Glaive confirmed. "So the school provides a kind of smokescreen for magical girls so that those who wish to keep their private identity can legally hide their identity. The unique combination of a general school environment with professional learning helps to develop well-rounded individuals for SO students and guardians. ”

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like I was at ease. My school situation ...... Not so good. But it's manageable, and I don't want to lose my friendship with Lily just to escape some annoying bullying. I've handled it well since middle school, although they've recently become more aggressive......

I shudder at the thought of Katie's current predicament. I still don't know what to do......

"Speaking of private identity, I've never asked you if you want to be a magical girl in public, or keep your personal identity a secret," Evergrave said. "Not many people choose to go public, but some people like to be famous."

"Hmm." What would you recommend? I asked, already fairly sure what I wanted.

I shivered and shook my head. It sounds like my version of hell. I've gotten enough gazes and stares because of my figure and blindfold. It was a beautiful day, I took the train to school and no one bothered me. The last thing I want is more attention.

"How the hell does having a secret identity work?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but I don't know much about the specifics."

"Part of your astral transformation has been infused with enchantment magic," Evergrave explained. "It affects the part of the brain that recognizes the face of anyone looking at you. While you may not look any different from your normal self, magic can trick people into associating your appearance with a completely separate identity. It works through pictures and videos, and it's so effective that even if someone has your two forms of images and compares them, they'll still think the pictures don't match. ”

"The only way to break it is to tell people directly that you're a magical girl or what your personal identity is," Nayad added. "Still, it's not exactly protection. Just because they'll never see a magical girl like you, they can still trust you in your personal identity if you leave enough hints. Going out every night without good alibi and disappearing when in danger only the magical girl appears, things like that make people doubt the truth. ”

"This is more or less a controversial issue given how strict the law is on revealing the personal identity of magical girls," Ivglif said. "The Ze we have

ITH technology can also continuously monitor people trying to expose magical girls. Not once has he been identified to the public for twenty-one years. The most important thing you need to worry about is that the people around you will find out the truth. ”

Evergrave suddenly stopped talking, her head tilted slightly to the side. After a moment, she let out a long sigh.

"Oh, yes." I blushed. "Sorry...... I sometimes ask questions. ”

"No problem!" Nayad happily assured me. "It's a bit of a mess, but that's all we're going to end up telling you."

"But let's get back to the topic at hand," Evergrave said. "To sum up: your Death Wish didn't just save the Vault, it helped the Guardians clean up Arcadia quickly. As a result, you have earned quite a bit of fame for your heroic deeds. We will keep your identity confidential and intend to keep it confidential at least until the awards ceremony in December, unless you decide otherwise. Are we on the same page on everything so far? ”

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, and she froze for a moment.

"As long as Naganuma is fine," she said gently. "Guardians can always call each other by code names. Some people may be aggressive if they are at a higher level, but those who do so are generally considered ......"

"Thorn," Nayad interjected, nodding wisely.

"That's right," Evergrave rolled his eyes. But that's perhaps not the most eloquent way to put it. Moving on, what I'm going to talk about next is the first reason for your death wishes, the illegal activation of the Vault's Emergency Shield. In the vault on the third floor of the mall, only the mall security guards who have not undergone emergency training and lack of experience appear, and there is also a cursed person who specializes in psychological warfare. ”

"I'm not sure what that means," I admitted when Ivvegrave stopped.

"It will speak," she clarified. "This is extremely rare at lower levels. Although not very strong, it has the advantage of throwing the opponent off balance with words. ”

I shuddered at the thought of this. The curse already looks like something out of a nightmare, and I can only imagine it would be even more terrifying if they spoke.

"One of the guards panicked as it spoke," Ivgreve continued. "He tried to activate the emergency shield. A student tried to stop him, and with some help he succeeded, however—"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, my heart pounding in my chest. "Hmm." Is that student's name Lily Parker? ”

"Yes." Naganuma nodded in acknowledgment, and I felt a surge of relief and joy flood through my body.

I told myself over and over again that Lily hadn't given up on me, but I couldn't completely ignore the whispers deep inside. Say she abandoned me. She didn't care enough to try to keep her promise. I knew that doubting her would make me a horrible person, and I didn't deserve her to be a friend.

But I'm glad she is. Knowing that she worked hard to keep her promises warmed my heart. I don't even care that the shield still rises somehow. Just know she's tried...... All.

"Are you okay?" Nayad asked, looking up in surprise.

I shivered a little, and then my next shaky breath was accompanied by a sniffle. I cursed that my mask had slipped off, and I quickly nodded to her.

"Yes, I just...... She assured me that she wouldn't let anyone activate the shield when I went to save Brian, and ...... Oh, do you know all this, or ......? ”

"We learned of your actions by mistake." Iver Grave nodded deeply. "Since we've discovered your personal identity, we thought it would be beneficial for us to know the full extent of your behavior in developing a cover story for you. But back to the topic, your friend did manage to stop the guards. However, it was your teacher, Mr. Tojo, who started it in the midst of the riots. ”

I froze, staring at the moor. Mr. Dongcheng. My homeroom teacher. He's the one who drives it all?

A mixed emotion swirled inside me. It's mostly a mixture of exhaustion and bitterness, and anger only blurs the edges. I knew there was no point in getting angry, so I quickly suppressed that part and made me feel ...... Tired. And it's cold.

People. It's always people.

"Oh," I replied simply, taking a sip of my wine, hoping that the warmth would fill the emptiness in my heart.

Eve

Glaive tilted her head curiously, but Naiad's eyebrows almost rose from her head.

"'Oh?' Nayad asked. It's just, 'Oh? ’”

"It makes sense," I shrugged. "He's my homeroom teacher and—"

"He's your homeroom teacher?!" Nayad yelled and got up from his seat.

I flinched at the outburst, fear flashed through my body, and I shrank into my own body. I tried to come up with an excuse, even though I didn't know why she was so angry with me. I opened my mouth a few times, but I couldn't find the right words.

"Naiad," Hengjian whispered calmly. "Please sit down."

Nayad blinked, looking at me from Hengnuma, and then her eyes widened. She quickly sat back in her seat, raising her hands in a reassuring gesture.

"I'm sorry!" Nayad said hurriedly. "It's just a surprise, that's all. We only know your basic situation, and your class is on an expedition, but we don't realize that he is your homeroom teacher. ”

"Yes......" Evergrave muttered, a hint of coldness in his voice. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most schools in Arcadia still follow a more oriental style, where the homeroom teacher is the parent of the class because of the lack of a better word? Their responsibilities still include advising the students in their class, helping them plan for the future, and taking care of their well-being (if I'm not mistaken)? ”

"Hmm...... yes, I mean, well, yes. But he's a newcomer, and ...... I don't get along very well with my students. ”

I did my best to appease them. I didn't want to tell them how bad he really was, and I tried to tell him about Katie and the other bullies but was denied. He hinted that they might just be trying to be friends by making fun of me, and that I should try harder to get along because I was the lonely one in the class.

The next day, Katie poured me a jar of cranberry juice.

It was really hard for me not to cry when I realized that I had to change some clothes because I couldn't remove the stains.

"Me

"I've been a guardian for six years now," she explained. "When you're a guardian like us, you'll get to know the specifics of the emergency shelter law."

That's right...... I forgot that Guardians tend to maintain a youthful appearance. Even some of the first Guardians from twenty-one years ago looked like they were in their late teens or early twenties. It's not clear to me if they just stop aging, or how it works, but I made a note so I could ask Sele later

e。

"Anyway," Evergrave shrugged. "Your teacher will be punished, though not as he deserves. Because both you and Brian survived, the crime wasn't that serious. It doesn't help either, most of the mistakes in this situation lie in the mall owner tampering with the mana generator. We'll talk about that later, but first......"

She pointed to the second folder in front of me.

"Inside, you'll find everything we set up for your personal identity cover story. The police officers you interacted with helped us set it up. Officially, you and Brian snuck to the third-floor vault after encountering a hound, and you eliminated it without getting hurt. Upon learning that the Emergency Shield has been activated, you go to the first floor and find some Cursed Ones patrolling the entrance to the Vault. You lure them into a store and set them on fire, making a way for you and Brian. Unfortunately, while you're setting the trap, a curser slams your leg and takes a serious toll on your calf muscles. Since the damage takes weeks to heal and months of physical therapy, we have kept you in the hospital for the Magic Guardian to heal immediately due to your heroic actions. ”

"It's fairly close to what's actually happening," Nayad said, "which makes it more believable." However, we've removed anything about your use of guns. One thing that helps with your cover-up story is that the people in the first floor shelter see you walking down the hallway. This will convince them that you are not the new magical girl who has fulfilled her wish for death. ”

I must have looked confused, because Tsunenuma interjected shortly after.

"They see you're hurt. Magical girls don't get hurt and wear their clothes. As for the contents of the folder, we have medical records that corroborate the story, a preliminary police report about the incident (which you must complete later), a damage report (for you to fill in the case of damage or loss of personal belongings), and a letter. ”

"A letter?" I tilted my head.

"Yes. I'm taking this folder as a surprise for now, and I recommend that you browse it in your own time to familiarize yourself with the details of the cover story. Speaking of which, we need to discuss the media reaction to your story and how they have covered it over the past few days. ”

My brain went blank, fear flooded my veins, and the fundus of my stomach was descending.

"What?" I whispered, my eyes wide in horror.

"It's okay," Nayad quickly assured me. "I promise, it's not as bad as you think."

"There were a lot of civilians involved," Evergrave explained. "Security, your classmates, the people in the shelter on the first floor...... Inevitably, someone will tell the media, and your classmates' speculation on social media forces us to do a cover story. A high school girl risked her life to save a young boy, killed a cursed one, and was injured in the process by the activation of the emergency shield? The story was so sensational that the media couldn't help but report it. Thankfully, due to Arcadia's strict privacy laws, your and Brian's names, as well as any potential identification details, have not been made public. They contacted your father for advice and agreed to interview you, but they were all denied. Meanwhile, Brian's family

Nausea bubbled up in my stomach like acid, and I found myself gritting my teeth and looking at the ground.

So.

Father knows.

I swallowed the bitterness in my mouth. I should have realized that at least I risked my life to save Brian and would get out of there. I'm also with A

The fact that Athema fought and defeated is just icing on the cake. I don't know how he reacted to that, but the first part ......

And then there were my classmates. Oh my God, what will it turn out of? I knew that most of the people in the class didn't think very highly of me. Thanks Katie, I'm just a weird lonely girl with a creepy look at them. I'm not so sure about the rest of my grade. I'm sure Katie's rumors spread to them as well, but I'm not sure how much they believe them. I didn't join any clubs or interact with anyone else other than Lily.

I felt my headache getting worse and my nausea getting worse, and I looked back to see Swamp and Nayad watching me closely. I quickly cleared my throat and squeezed out a weak smile.

"So...... How many, huh...... How bad is that? ”

"The story itself has generated a strong response from the public," Evergrave replied slowly, gauging my reaction. "Your classmates are talking a lot about the fact that you are locked out of the shelter, and we believe that this is how the media found out about you. In order to prevent anyone else from knowing your identity, E

o

Machi

a has reduced the visibility and reach of any posts that mention your name. In other words, while your classmates will still see posts about you, strangers won't be able to find them. This should prevent others from discovering the truth, and E

o

Machi

A is looking for any potential issues just to determine this. ”

I felt a little more relaxed. If it were just my school and a few journalists who knew, I could have coped. As long as people don't recognize me on the street...... Otherwise, what's the point of having a different personal identity than a magical girl? I don't want fame or attention.

"I'm sorry," Naiyad gave me a sympathetic smile. "It's kind of damage control at the moment, but on the plus side, you're going to be popular at school because of all this! I bet your friends will go crazy when you tell this story. ”

I forced a smile and tried to keep my expression relaxed, and nodded to her, hoping to look like I agreed with her. I was in a dilemma, I wanted to cry and go back to sleep. I can imagine the chaos of the first few days back at school, and I expected it as if I was dealing with my father's reaction.

"Don't forget to take a look at the cover story we've prepared." Evergrave said seriously. "The details have to be clear. Your heroic deeds coupled with the sudden appearance of a new magical girl in the mall are very suspicious. To prevent anyone from bonding, it's essential to stick to storytelling and put pressure on the injured leg to keep you sedated in the shelter. ”

I nodded deeply, taking her advice to heart. The only reason it got worse was that people started to suspect that I was a magical girl and made a fuss. I couldn't cope with the extra pressure if my father found out...... I can't let that happen.

"In that case," Evergrave continued, "the last thing we need to check is the device you found connected to the mana generator. The investigation is still ongoing, and as the Guardians may be responsible for providing the generators, some dedicated investigators are involved. Since this matter is quite sensitive, I can't say much other than to warn you not to reveal it for the time being. If you need an update, you can contact E directly

o

Machi

a or me. Do you understand?

I nodded, fiddling with my glass. I'm not sure how bad things really are, but the fact that the Guardians could be the cause of all this is clearly a big deal. I imagine that if it becomes public knowledge, the trust of the entire Guardian will drop dramatically. This causes fear and only invites more curses......

"Outstanding. Now that we've covered the aftermath of your death wishes, we can start a real and correct tutorial that you never received. We need to take care of some administrative matters such as registering you with the Guardian Command, deciding on your college attendance, formally choosing whether you want to be a public guardian or a private guardian, providing you with a starting gift bag, and so on. First of all, I need to ask you an important question. ”

She leaned forward, and as she examined my face, I felt her gaze grow more solemn.

"Do you want to be a magical girl too?"

I'm ready for the third volume, do you like it? Must read must read, I won't write without fans? The ones on the Internet don't give me a review. The magical girl is now starting to become the daughter of the Lily Wreath Beauty Poison King. Do you like it.? The legendary oriental fantasy story of the Poison King has started again, of course, there is no nonsense, simple to play, Wencai is very different. The incisive excitement has begun, ladies and gentlemen。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。