Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

""Stolen?"

This word made Emerald Sparrow slightly astounded, "The royal court?"

"I know what you want to say—the royal court has the strictest scrutiny and guardians in the entire kingdom, not to mention the most advanced defensive spell techniques and countless self-defense mechanisms. Some of those techniques were even put in place by my own hands; it's impossible for any thief to successfully break in there."

Molu took over the conversation, "However, the probability of theft at the royal court is very small, but not non-existent. If someone like me, who is thoroughly familiar with the royal court, were to devise a theft plan, then I have at least three schemes that could steal The Origin of Beasts without alarming anyone else... Why are you looking at me like that? Use your brain and think carefully, youngster. Do I need to engage in such sneaky acts?"

"Who just said that they would send people to infiltrate the guards?" Cornflower narrowed her eyes.

"I must clarify to you, these two matters are different. Although I have sent people, I have not yet decided on the intention to steal. You can't convict someone who has neither the subjective intention nor any substantive action."

Whether it was an illusion or not, a subtle tongue-clicking sound seemed to emanate from the doll's sound-making part: "But as it turns out, someone took The Origin of Beasts before me... stole them."

"You just said it was impossible for anyone to successfully break into the royal court."

"I'm not planning to overturn what I said earlier, youngster; of course, no one would be able to successfully break into the royal court afterward."

The doll's voice took on a different meaning, "Because the truth of the matter is, it was an inside job."

"... The fiscal department?"

"That's right."

"Who?"

"That's why this matter can't be casually discussed with outsiders, youngster."

The doll slightly raised its head, its profound eyes looking towards Cornflower: "Can you guarantee that after hearing the answer, you won't tell anyone else?"

When it asked this question, Cornflower distinctly felt the atmosphere in the research institute become much more solemn.

It was not the false ambiance created previously by various conversation techniques and lighting; rather, it was a substantive, heavy atmosphere due to the pressure the other side was exerting.

Molu was serious.

Cornflower realized this.

"... At the moment, I also have no one else to confide in."

Thus, she spoke slowly: "If there ever comes a day when I must tell someone else, I will inform you in advance."

The doll nodded.

——"It was Amethyst."

It went on, "Amethyst took away two Sources of Beasts and defected from the Magic Kingdom."

"Amethyst?"

Of course, Cornflower would know what this name meant.

In the Magic Kingdom, the Gemstone Scepter names correspond to the gems on the Queen's own scepter, being the Golden Green Cat's Eye corresponding to cat's eye; the Pigeon Blood Red corresponding to ruby; Molu corresponding to emerald; Cornflower corresponding to sapphire; and finally, Amethyst corresponding to diamond.

Amethyst, that is, the Diamond of the Gemstone Scepter, was the Magical Girl in charge of the Magic Kingdom's fiscal department.

When Cornflower heard this answer, her first reaction was that Molu was joking.

It sounded far too preposterous— a defection of the Gemstone Scepter would be a huge joke if it became known to outsiders.

The nature of this event was akin to a company's CEO betraying the company, the head of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau personally betraying the Bureau... Although using such examples as metaphors, it did not seem entirely impossible. Yet, the relationship between the Gemstone Scepter and the Magic Kingdom was far closer than the former.

Beyond that, the strangeness lay in the fact that such a big change in the Magic Kingdom due to the defection of the Gemstone Scepter and the absence from the Diamond position, should be noticeable, so why hadn't she heard anything about it from any channel?

Counting back, she would have already been retired at that time, so being oblivious to it was normal, but the other members of the Fangting City squad were still active in the field, so why didn't they know?

Coming back to the present, years later, having seen many Magical Girls and Fairies, Cornflower had also never heard any news of the "Diamond's absence."

"Only the royal court, the Gemstone Scepter, and a few Magical Girls at the core of the financial authority are aware of this,"

The doll explained indifferently upon noticing Emerald Sparrow's confusion, "To fill the vacancy of the Diamond position, Her Majesty made an exception and passed an order outside the palace, temporarily appointing a new Diamond. The identity is kept secret for now, and the inauguration ceremony will be held during the next grand celebration."

"So... the Gemstone Scepter just turned its back on us? And no one did anything about it?"

This response clearly did not dispel all of Emerald Sparrow's doubts. She questioned first, then inexplicably fell into deep thought. Then she suddenly remembered the wealth of information Molu had paved the way for, and what it was they originally intended to reveal.

—It was "Claw Mark."

"You're saying, 'Claw Mark'?" she couldn't help but ask in a low voice, as the thought struck her.

"It seems you've already figured it out for yourself, yes, that's right,"

Molu sighed, "The so-called Claw Mark is the organization established by the former Gemstone Scepter, Amethyst, to evade pursuit after she betrayed the Magic Kingdom by stealing the Source of Beasts."

"After fleeing the kingdom, Amethyst took a significant number of Magical Girls with her, willing to follow her lead, and this included a good number of cardholders. These Magical Girls fled to the material realm and then established some kind of cooperative relationship with the Black Ash Dawn. After years of silence, they have started their activities again in the form we see today."

"Magical Girls who joined Claw Mark were originally set to experience a decline in magic power due to the end of their terms. To cope with this, they chose the power of the Remnant Beasts as an alternative solution."

"The Magical Girls of Claw Mark have all abandoned their past aliases, seemingly taking on new titles in the names of birds and beasts. Their leader, the traitorous Amethyst, has also given up her gemstone title and taken on a new code name: White Wolf."

"And this is how Claw Mark was formed as we know it now."

The doll's paw gently rested on the edge of the bed, "This is also why I started pursuing the Source of Beasts and wanted to begin researching it again."

"...To deal with Claw Mark?" Emerald Sparrow looked at it.

"On the surface, yes, but the deeper reason is that I do not permit any technology to exist within the capabilities of Magical Girls that I have not mastered,"

Molu's voice was still languid, but when saying this, the tone became immovable, "The magic power of Magical Girls and the magic power of Remnant Beasts repel each other—in fact, they have a relationship of conflict and erosion."

"The magic power of Magical Girls will repel and hinder the magic power of Remnant Beasts; while the magic power of Remnant Beasts will devour and assimilate that of the Magical Girls. The outcome of these two types of magic together is like fire and water, completely incompatible for coexistence."

"Why did White Wolf steal the Source of Beasts? And after stealing the Source of Beasts from the kingdom, how did she manage to develop the technology that allowed Magical Girls to wield the magic of the beasts within just a few years? Clearly, she obtained something from the Source of Beasts."

"I don't want to brag, but my ability in academic research is undoubtedly superior to a brute like her. If she can learn and master technology, there's no reason I can't."

"Therefore, the gap between her and me obviously lies in the Source of Beasts."

"Her techniques must be based on the Source of Beasts, and in those Claw Mark Magical Girls, I observed a phenomenon like never before: they have become some kind of 'man-made shifters.' Experience new stories with empire

"They were all originally Magical Girls, but their base magic color has shifted towards that of the Remnant Beasts. In other words, they have become beings with dual powers and identities."

As the doll reached this point, its voice paused abruptly, then it changed the subject:

"And this is why I had to tell you about that child."

Upon this turn in Molu's statement, Emerald Sparrow was momentarily startled and then began to ponder its implications. Moments later, she realized something:

"...Bo Xue?"

She indeed felt a trace of familiarity in Molu's description of Claw Mark because she had heard a similar theory not long ago.

There was no need for recollection; she immediately remembered it was the description of Bai Jingxuan on the way there.

Back then, Molu had said, Bai Jingxuan's natural affinity for magic was inclined towards beasts, and if she hadn't been chosen as a Magical Girl, she would have been a natural "Beast Shifter." But, she took a different path during the welfare institute attack because of a twist of fate, becoming a Magical Girl.

So, did it just end there with her becoming a Magical Girl?

Clearly, the answer is no.

"She is a natural Beast Shifter, and after she became a Magical Girl, she is a natural 'Claw Mark.'

Molu pronounced with a calm but unyielding voice, as though delivering a verdict:

"Even more pure, more complete, closer to the perfect form, a true 'Claw Mark.'"