Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

Following the group of local Magical Girls as they left the New District of Bai'an City, Emerald Sparrow flew with them to a street in the Old Town district.

The street they arrived at was somewhat old, and most of the buildings by the road had seen better days; however, this did not affect the normal life of the people who had been living there for a long time.

Because it was the Old Town district, the street was lined with shops of various storefronts. Bai'an City is known for its music, so a considerable number of the shops incorporated this element; there were music bars, piano stores, and concert halls.

And the place that the Magical Girls took Emerald Sparrow to was an old piano store that looked like it had quite some history.

"This is our usual base of operations,"

Bai Ji introduced it as follows, "It's a piano store founded by Lamp's parents. Later, her parents handed over the piano store to her, so now Lamp is the manager here."

The exterior of the piano store might have been old, but the interior was clean and well-organized, with a faint scent of wood that indicated someone had put in a lot of effort. The store's furnishings were nothing extraordinary, with various brands and models of instruments hanging on the walls, and larger items like pianos displayed in the inner section of the store. Even though it was already evening, there were quite a few customers still lingering.

Emerald Sparrow followed Bai Ji and the others through the business area in front, and the group entered a small door at the back, leading to the second floor of the piano store. After climbing somewhat cramped and steep stairs, they emerged into a surprisingly spacious area—a private living space that was filled with the air of domestic life.

This place seemed to have originally been a recording studio, as some old recording equipment was still placed in the corners, indicating its former use. But now it had been transformed into a living area, furnished with various pieces of furniture.

It was here that Emerald Sparrow first met the Seeder of Bai'an City—Polly.

This Fairy named Polly had an appearance akin to a small raccoon, covered in fluffy fur with a very honest and cute exterior.

And when Emerald Sparrow first encountered it, it was... playing the guitar.

It was a hard to describe scene, as the seemingly adorable little raccoon sat on the floor with a guitar spread out in front of it, one claw pressing the chords while the other deftly plucked the strings.

The melody of the song was slow and melancholic, as if it conveyed endless sorrow. Meanwhile, it also felt somewhat familiar to Emerald Sparrow. She had not been following pop music for years, but it seemed like a song that had been popular several years ago.

Seemingly realizing the arrival of people outside the door, the little raccoon gradually stopped playing, lifted its fuzzy head, and greeted the Magical Girls: "Yo, are you back, girls? Has it been tough?"

The atmosphere, which had an indefinable quality to it, was shattered the moment it spoke. Despite its small raccoon appearance, it produced a strong male voice, even somewhat husky. Its tone carried an air of disaffected nonchalance, rhythmic as if it were rapping.

Before Bai Ji and the others could respond, it turned its gaze to Emerald Sparrow, "Who is this big shot, you're bringing her home? Are the Remnant Beasts handled, has Lamp been found?"

"Polly!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bai Ji dragged out her voice with a hint of helplessness, "Stop your rapping, this lady is an Inspector from the Magical Affairs Institute!"

"Cool, baby, you're actually telling me this girl is an Inspector..."

Halfway through its rhythmical speech, the little raccoon suddenly seemed to understand the implications of Bai Ji's words. It paused, seriously sensing Emerald Sparrow's Magic Power, then with a human-like bewildered expression on its fuzzy face, it cleared its throat and spoke again as if nothing had happened: "Oh, my apologies, Inspector."

Inspectors from the Magical Affairs Institute were usually deployed for special cases, and during their investigations, they had the authority to summon any local forces in the region involved in the case, which naturally included Seeders and Magical Girls.

Although the hard requirement for an Inspector was to be a Flower Card, and no Magical Girl who had reached such a position would bother to trouble a Fairy just for fun, this did not prevent Seeders from generally showing respect towards them.

On the contrary, the senior officials of the Magical Affairs Institute, also influential figures among Magical Girls, often became the indirect and sarcastic target of the Seeders' jokes.

"Nice to meet you, I actually don't mind in what tone you talk to me."

Emerald Sparrow drooped her eyelids slightly in a modest bow, then continued in a cool voice, "I just hope that you can provide sufficiently valid information."

"Oh, alright then."

Wiping the nonexistent sweat from its forehead, the little raccoon spoke in a voice like a broadcaster's, "So, what specifically would you like to ask?"

Emerald Sparrow cut straight to the point, asking about her own doubts.

The discussion went relatively smoothly. Although the little raccoon spoke in a somewhat comical manner, its words were well-organized. After their conversation, Emerald Sparrow quickly obtained several pieces of valid information, clarifying the whole sequence of events:

Initially, ten days ago, the missing Cat Tail Squad came to Bai'an City, approached the local Abnormal Strategy Bureau and the Magical Girl Squad, and asked many questions. Two days before they disappeared, they had communicated with Lamp, discussing "some rather abnormal recent events in Bai'an City."

After that, roughly a week ago, the Cat Tail Squad suddenly vanished one day, last seen in the New District of Bai'an City.