“Since we’ve been targeted by the Divine Summon Order, isn’t the safest method to cancel the event? Is there anything more important than ensuring everyone’s safety?”
Aside from the cathedral itself, other church facilities seemed to be open for tours today.
Earlier at the entrance, Xiao Keke noticed the massive flow of people waiting to enter.
Such a mixed crowd obviously made ensuring security harder.
Xiao Keke couldn’t understand the Church’s approach.
She had personally clashed with a Divine Envoy of the Divine Summon Order and knew how terrifying their strength was.
If the Divine Summon Order really intended to do something at the event, wouldn’t it be better to cancel such a risky segment rather than stubbornly trying to bolster defenses?
“So, is this event today that important? Important enough that the Church must hold it as scheduled?”
Xiaoxi chuckled. She had already learned the basic situation from the Astrologer last night.
“Fundraising—today’s event is mainly for Church donations. That’s why there’s an open tour to show where the money goes.”
Xiao Keke was visibly stunned. She truly hadn’t expected that to be the reason, yet… it was surprisingly reasonable.
Xiaoxi shrugged. “After all, the Magic Girls under the Church often reach out with humanitarian care and do good deeds. So, the Church’s public support rate is quite high. If they can make a pretty penny, they’re going to take it.”
The Apocalyptic Church’s management strategy for its Magic Girls was very different from the Association’s.
The Association usually had its entertainment companies package Magic Girls, taking on events and selling surrounding merchandise.
They followed the commercial idol route; while increasing their popularity, it also enhanced their Magic Power.
Muxingge was very adept at cooperating with the Association’s management.
As for the Apocalyptic Church, perhaps because of Wange Yue’s precedent, they had their Magic Girls work as volunteers, participate in social services, and provide humanitarian care.
Simply put, they boosted the Apocalyptic Church’s prestige among the people.
This led to significant differences in the support bases of the two organizations.
The Association’s user profile skewed younger, while the Church’s was a bit older… Although Xiaoxi didn’t like evaluating Magic Girls so pragmatically, she had to admit it was unavoidable.
As for the Church’s actions, Xiaoxi’s evaluation was to judge by deeds, not intentions. Even if the Church was just putting on a front, the things they did weren’t fake.
“I’m more curious about how the Church discovered signs of the Divine Summon Order’s infiltration. If it’s Mirror Blink’s magic, it shouldn’t be so easily detected, right?”
According to what Xiaoxi knew, when the Church was doing a final check of the event site last night, the Divine Summon Order’s infiltration was detected by magic power detectors on-site, triggering an alarm.
Xiaoxi felt it was unlikely. ‘Could Jingtong’s methods really be discovered by ordinary magic power detectors?’
“The Association is also finding ways to counter them. Hidden Bone Hall has already developed a new type of magic power detector specifically targeting Jingtong’s space magic. Since the Church knows about the Divine Summon Order’s situation, they should be prepared too.”
The Astrologer’s voice came through the communicator. This was a private channel between her and Xiaoxi. This explanation was reasonable enough; Xiaoxi nodded thoughtfully.
During their small talk, the two had already found the Church staff member responsible for coordinating with them.
Their job today was mainly to patrol designated areas to ensure safety… Xiao Keke thought her sister was right; they really were here to be security guards.
Xiaoxi also unexpectedly saw the Magic Girl Qingluan, whom she’d had a conflict with, in the crowd.
Qingluan gave a cold snort and walked away quickly upon seeing her. ‘She must have been sent as reinforcement too,’ Xiaoxi mused.
“Your patrol area is the exhibition zone on the third floor, from Booth Eighteen to…”
While the man spoke, Xiaoxi kept quietly glancing at the schedule in his hand.
Besides the cathedral, the areas open for tours today included specially arranged exhibition and office areas, as well as the Church’s high tower in the center.
Xiaoxi quickly noticed that the Association’s Magic Girls were almost all assigned to peripheral areas.
She even saw Qingluan’s name on the list. Further in, there were almost no Association Magic Girls.
As for the high tower area Lady Delta had asked her about…
Xiaoxi pointed at the schedule on purpose, speaking as if in casual conversation.
“This place should be very important, right? Why does it seem like there’s no defense arranged here?”
“The high tower is a relatively confidential core area of the Church. Very few areas there are open for tours. Besides, the Church’s own people are more familiar with it, so no Association Magic Girls were assigned there.”
“You mean only Church Magic Girls are assigned there? But the overall strength of Church Magic Girls seems a bit weaker, doesn’t it? Why not assign us there instead?”
The staff member’s expression shifted. It was the truth, after all; the best Magic Girls would certainly prefer joining the Association.
To the staff member, however, these words sounded a bit mocking.
“Heh, you talk like you’re so strong. Aren’t you just a B-Rank Magic Girl? You have some nerve talking about others.”
Unexpectedly, Qingluan’s sarcastic voice came from behind. Had this girl not left just now?
Xiaoxi smiled at the staff member. “Don’t misunderstand; I’m just looking out for the Church and want to contribute more. Since it’s a core area, it needs a focused defense even more, right? Especially since the Divine Summon Order uses such bizarre methods—you know that, right?”
“I really am just a B-Rank Magic Girl, but both my partner and I have experience dealing with the Divine Summon Order. We participated in the previous raid on the Seeking Truth Society and successfully fended off a Divine Envoy. I can show you the Mission Report and records.”
“So, I think it would be better to let us patrol the places more likely to be targeted by the Divine Summon Order. What do you think?”
The previously sarcastic Qingluan was instantly silenced. She had thought this was a good chance to mock the other girl. Why did Xiaoxi have to act so prominent?
She hadn’t expected the previous operation against the Divine Summon Order…
‘Damn it, this person must have been squeezed in to pad her resume because of her connection with that lady Ye Xinglan!’
Qingluan didn’t believe for a second that Xiaoxi had the strength to go toe-to-toe with the Divine Summon Order.
However, Xiaoxi treating her like thin air was already embarrassing enough. If she kept talking, she would just look like an unreasonable troublemaker. After her expression shifted several times, Qingluan left in a huff, disappearing into the crowd.
The staff member looked at Xiaoxi’s kind and approachable smile, and his previous dissatisfaction vanished.
After all, this professional expression was something Xiaoxi had learned from Muxingge.
Moreover, perhaps from dealing with the Astrologer so much, Xiaoxi felt she was getting better and better at coming up with these reasonable excuses.
“Wait a moment. I’ll go ask for instructions.”
After the staff member walked away, Xiao Keke looked Xiaoxi up and down in amazement, as if seeing her for the first time.
“Sister is actually taking on more work voluntarily? I thought you’d just slack off and wait to clock out!”
In Xiao Keke’s mind, her sister was definitely not someone with a sense of responsibility.
Xiaoxi couldn’t exactly tell her little sister she had a commission from the Astrologer, so she could only give a helpless smile and brush it off.
“I just think I should do a bit more. As a Magic Girl, of course I should take the initiative to shoulder responsibilities and duties.”
‘This, this, this… is this still the sister I know? Are these really words that someone like her would say?!’
Xiao Keke was thunderstruck. She felt her sister’s shut-in persona was crumbling.
But looking at Sirius’s familiar face, she realized Sirius really was such a serious and responsible person.
In the past, Sirius had always been like this at work… ‘Wait, but Sirius has always been my sister!’
‘Eh? Ehhh? Could it be that I’ve misunderstood my sister all along?’
Thinking about it, Sirius—or rather, her sister—had always been very serious and responsible with Magic Girl work.
Plus, her sister had always been stronger than her. She was only C-rank, while her sister was already a B-Rank Magic Girl.
Realizing that Sirius, whom she had always viewed as a role model, was her sister, an unprecedented sense of defeat washed over Xiao Keke. But soon, she regained her fighting spirit.
‘No! I have to catch up to her in terms of strength as soon as possible… Right, if I follow the training method Senior Eternal Stars taught her and work hard, I’ll definitely catch up!’
Before long, the staff member returned. The two were indeed reassigned to the high tower area, though on the lower floors.
Xiaoxi understood; the Church wanted to use the Association’s support while still keeping a guard up against them.
According to Lady Delta, the top of the tower… that so-called core technical device the Church mentioned was there, right? Thinking about it, the Divine Summon Order’s goal might be that too.
On the way to the tower, the two passed through the exhibition area.
Xiaoxi unexpectedly found many exhibits related to the Scale of Playful Laws.
The Astrologer had mentioned that the Church arranged many activities for Wange Yue.
It seemed Wange Yue really was the Church’s golden mascot.
Xiaoxi reflexively imagined that if she had agreed to join the Association after The Chaos ended, they would have marketed her as a golden mascot too. Just thinking about it felt exhausting.
“Heh, so this is the Church’s high tower?”
Xiaoxi couldn’t help but look up. Standing at the base, she could feel the majesty of this tower as it reached into the clouds.
The pure white tower body carried a sense of sacred pressure, which suited the Church’s style.
The tower was called the Tower of Commandments; a very straightforward name.
‘Spreading the power of the Judgment Scales throughout North Blossom City… Was the core technology Lady Delta mentioned hidden in this tower?’
The high tower was also part of the tour area. When she saw the flow of people waiting to be checked in front of the tower, Xiaoxi let out a puzzled sound.
Xiaoxi was very familiar with this thing. The security gate at the entrance was actually a type of magic power detector.
Like a normal security gate, anything carrying magic power would be detected.
There had been an identical one at the cathedral entrance earlier.
The problem was, Xiaoxi knew this was a relic from the Great Chaos Era.
It was one thing for the cathedral entrance to have this, but she thought the Church’s important areas would use more advanced detectors.
She hadn’t expected even a place like the Tower of Commandments to use such an ancient device.