The Pragmatic Maiden and the Chilled Blockhead

Bai Ruoli returned somewhat late.

Having encountered petrification, and despite their rescue, a clear shift had occurred within the children’s hearts.

This was entirely normal, considering they had just faced a life-or-death crisis.

Among them, Redbud, a newcomer to ‘Lucky Garden’, exhibited the most pronounced reaction. After the petrification was lifted, she sobbed uncontrollably, eventually crying herself into unconsciousness while clutching her own body.

‘It was too dangerous~’

‘I never want to be a Flower Maiden again!’

‘Wuwu~ Sister Lily, I can’t do this anymore. I want to go home, I want my mom~’

‘The poor child, encountering such a situation for the very first time, must have been utterly terrified.’

Lost in these thoughts, Bai Ruoli couldn’t help but sigh.

However…

Yet, after regaining her composure, Redbud did not actually propose leaving ‘Lucky Garden’.

The reason, it turned out, was somewhat pragmatic.

Supernatural teams of D-rank and above received fixed subsidies, alongside rather generous welfare benefits.

In truth, disaster events escalated in severity gradually; they wouldn’t immediately start at a high level. Consequently, the response sequence began with nearby security personnel. If they couldn’t resolve the situation, a D-rank supernatural team was contacted. Only if that also failed to suffice would the C-rank supernatural team, the ultimate trump card, be deployed.

This meant that D-rank supernatural teams could essentially ‘retire’. With their fixed subsidies, they weren’t obliged to accept commissions. They could comfortably cover their monthly expenses and still have savings, without needing to be particularly diligent. Completing just one or two missions a month per team was enough for its members to live quite contentedly.

Therefore, Saint Lily’s previous actions were likely seen by most supernatural teams not merely as eccentric, but as outright heresy.

‘Was she intending to single-handedly drive the entire supernatural team industry in Hehe City to ruin?’

Of course, judging by online public opinion, her efforts hadn’t been particularly successful~

‘Fortunately, they’ve finally quieted down,’ many people likely thought to themselves. This sentiment probably wasn’t uncommon even among members of other supernatural teams.

‘Why does it sound like supernatural teams are so prone to slacking off?’

Haha~ Yet, when it was truly their turn to act, they would do so without hesitation. There was nothing to fault in protecting others with their lives, so long as they fulfilled their duties. Anything beyond that was a matter of personal volition.

But setting that aside for now, the children were safe, and ‘Lucky Garden’ was back on track. They would simply proceed at the normal pace for a supernatural team.

Bai Ruoli nodded in understanding, acknowledging Redbud’s decision to stay for such pragmatic reasons, rather than for ‘love and justice’. She comforted Redbud, assuring her it was entirely normal, and offered encouragement for the courage it took to remain in ‘Lucky Garden’.

These were her genuine thoughts.

This wasn’t because she was a ‘sacred maiden’ naive to the ways of the world, thus unable to comprehend but capable of gentle, complete acceptance.

Rather, her response stemmed from genuine understanding. Saint Lily, or perhaps more accurately, Bai Ruoli, had always known she wasn’t great, nor noble. She certainly wasn’t a being worthy of the ‘Saint’ prefix. She was worldly, pragmatic, and arguably the least ‘magical girl’ of all magical girls.

The older she grew, the more she realized that while ‘love and justice’ weren’t entirely absent, they were concepts too grand. They were ideals only children could truly chase, while adults would merely be blinded by their brilliance and hesitate.

‘Love and justice’ sometimes didn’t put food on the table. Being able to eat one’s fill was happiness. Eating delicious food was even greater happiness. And sharing delicious meals with family—that was the greatest happiness of all.

Of course, as a magical girl, ‘love and justice’ were undeniably crucial. They formed her foundation, and were what she should never abandon.

As long as she witnessed others in danger, she couldn’t stand idly by. However, she could only concern herself with what was directly before her eyes; her abilities had their limits.

Indeed.

The other two children, White Rose and Hyacinth, had performed far better, having already proven themselves as seasoned warriors through multiple battles.

White Rose’s declaration, ‘Next time we meet, I won’t lose,’ particularly resonated with her. Bai Ruoli didn’t dislike that proactive attitude; in fact, she inwardly cheered her on, genuinely wanting to shout, ‘Go, White Rose!’

‘Truly the child I saw potential in!’

Yet, returning to the present, now that she had finished counseling the three children in her team, all she yearned for was to rush home. She longed to hear her younger sister lecture her, perhaps with words like, ‘Didn’t you say work was done? Why are you back so late again?’ She could already picture Ruoruo’s exasperated expression, while she herself would simply smile foolishly, savoring the delicious dinner her sister had prepared.

“Ruoruo, I’m home!” Bai Ruoli called out, opening the door.

“?” No one answered. Then, her gaze fell upon a sticky note affixed to the refrigerator.

‘Sister, the uncle from the third floor and I went for ice cream. I’ll be back later to make dinner~’

“……”

“Third floor? I thought that was a woman. Where did an ‘uncle’ come from… And ice cream…”

Bai Ruoli took down the sticky note, falling silent.

Then, a shimmer of light enveloped her, and Saint Lily made her appearance.

“Pervert! If you dare lay a hand on Ruoruo, I’ll make you understand the true meaning of ‘love and justice’!”

……

****

Su Mu felt a sudden chill on his neck, prompting him to glance curiously behind him.

“What’s wrong, Big Blockhead?”

“……”

Su Mu scratched his cheek. Ah, now he had a girl who called him ‘Blockhead’. But she wasn’t the shy childhood sweetheart he’d grown up with. Instead, she was a true little girl, a full generation younger than him.

‘Ideals and reality always have their discrepancies, don’t they~’

This change in nickname had occurred after they finished their ice cream. The little girl’s eyes had immediately fixated on a barbecue stall that had just set up, and she couldn’t move. It was quite understandable, really—after eating something cold, she wanted something hot!

Unable to resist her cuteness, he had bought her some barbecue. Only then had he earned the title of ‘Big Blockhead’.

It was a symbol of their improving relationship.

“I feel like someone’s cursing me,” Su Mu replied honestly, hearing her question.

“Huh? Then that person is really mean! I’ll curse them back for you!” Bai Ruoruo declared, patting her small chest with her greasy little hands, still holding her barbecue.

“I have tissues. Wipe your hands; don’t get grease on your clothes…” Su Mu said, smiling at her uninhibited manner, finding it rather amusing. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of tissues.

“Oh~”

“It’s true then, that you boys always carry tissues!” Bai Ruoruo exclaimed, her expression as if she had just discovered a new continent.

“……” ‘What a sweeping generalization, ah~ The stares from people around are so glaring~’

“Haha~ Children’s words are innocent, children’s words are innocent~” Su Mu helped her wipe her hands, feeling helpless internally but maintaining a placating smile on his face. ‘Yes, he was an adult; he had to be strong.’

“Big Blockhead, you’re just like those warm, handsome uncles from TV dramas!”

“Haha~ But 26 isn’t really ‘uncle’ age~”

“I’m only 13! Big Blockhead is twice my age? How is that not an uncle?”

“Uh… Yes, yes, you make a good point~”

He was powerless to refute her.

“Host, I sense killing intent!” Su Xiaoqian, who had been busily recording various delicacies with her data, then manifesting them to eat with great relish, suddenly stiffened. Her expression turned serious as she cried out.

“?!” Su Mu immediately stood up, cautiously shielding Bai Ruoruo. He debated whether to transform. With so many people around, Su Mo’s form was definitely out of the question. If worse came to worst, he could only transform into Red Spider Lily. However, becoming a girl in broad daylight was still… Then he saw it…

Saint Lily?

Of course, she quickly vanished into the crowd.

“What’s wrong, Big Blockhead?” Bai Ruoruo asked, looking bewildered.

“Uh… nothing, I must have seen wrong…” ‘No, that was definitely Saint Lily, wasn’t it? How is she here? And why was she glaring at me with such killing intent? Has Su Mo’s identity been exposed?’

……

Later,

Bai Ruoli: “Mr. Su Mu, is that right? Thank you for looking after Ruoruo and even buying her food. I apologize, she’s a bit of a glutton, and I’m sorry you had to spend so much~”

Su Mu: “No, it was only proper. After all, I just moved in today, and Ruoruo helped me immensely! She helped me bargain for the house and even acted as my guide! Miss Bai, I truly envy you; having a sister like Ruoruo must be wonderful!”

Bai Ruoli: “……”

Bai Ruoli (with a smile): “Yes, Mr. Su, you’re a good person.”