The Weight of Public Opinion and a Mother’s Embrace

“Because Red Spider Lily is here, we can challenge higher-level Calamity Beasts and undertake more advanced missions.”

Red Spider Lily blinked, seemingly unfazed by Saint Lily’s emotional declaration. She even appeared slightly confused. “Oh, is that so? So the level has already increased?”

A thousand words of gratitude seemed to choke in Saint Lily’s throat, unable to be uttered.

‘How exasperatingly casual this senior is!’

Yet, it made sense. With Saint Lily’s added buffs, and Red Spider Lily directing her spectral Calamity Beasts to attack relentlessly, newly appeared Calamity Beasts were disassembled and reforged before they could even let out a howl.

Indeed, it was…

It was difficult to perceive any increase in difficulty, even though their experience points had undeniably surged. The Calamity Beast levels had truly risen.

The reason for this was simple: Red Spider Lily was truly powerful.

Saint Lily pressed her forehead, growing increasingly curious about the true extent of Red Spider Lily’s power. Had she already reached the ‘Fruition’ stage?

After ‘Flowering,’ one not only gained new skills but also a Flower Domain, like Red Spider Lily’s, brimming with their destined flowers. This domain provided area-of-effect buffs, varying from person to person.

Upon reaching ‘Fruition,’ the Flower Domain would be further enhanced. Flower Seed Maidens at this stage typically ranged from A to S-class.

Indeed, the minimum was A-class.

Yet, when it came to distinguishing between A and S-class…

A senior once told Saint Lily that the distinction wasn’t about possessing a single powerful skill, but rather the flawless synergy between multiple skills.

Saint Lily paused, contemplating this.

She shook her head, deciding to abandon the thought.

Her own path would likely only lead to ‘Flowering,’ so there was no need to dwell on such matters. This was a concern for more promising newcomers.

“……”

“Saint Lily.”

“What is it, Red Spider Lily?” Saint Lily returned to reality, responding with a smile.

“You don’t seem happy.”

“Ah~”

“Are you affected by what’s being said online?”

“Ah…”

“My involvement sped up our progress, but it seems to have reinforced accusations that you’re putting on a show, hasn’t it?”

“Eh?”

“So you don’t know?”

“I haven’t had time to pay attention to any of that recently.” Saint Lily shook her head, her expression filled with worry. “But… a show? Is there dissatisfaction somewhere? Have I caused trouble for them in some way?”

Red Spider Lily watched her. Saint Lily’s expression was a mixture of pitiable and helpless as she tried to find the root cause within herself.

Red Spider Lily was about to pull out her phone to show her, but she paused, then said, “You should check your phone. It feels quite serious. It’s best if you understand it yourself.”

“Alright, okay.”

Saint Lily took out her phone. She didn’t even need to search; information about her flooded the screen: ‘Saint Lily Show-off,’ ‘Saint Lily Disgusting,’ ‘Saint Lily Saintly Mother’…

She bit her lip and began scrolling through the comments.

[‘How can there be so many Calamity Beasts in the city? Saint Lily’s strength didn’t just suddenly improve. She’s probably just putting up a barrier, doing nothing substantial, just bothering people.’]

“But… there really are Calamity Beasts. Although, I don’t know why there are so many in the city.”

Red Spider Lily listened to Saint Lily’s murmurs, a thought crossing her mind.

[‘Maybe there aren’t any Calamity Beasts at all. Otherwise, why were there no warnings?’]

“Because they were found first. Warnings only begin once Calamity Beasts start causing damage.”

[‘Strongly boycott Saint Lily! She’s hogging public resources and maliciously causing social unrest, all for a show.’]

“I… didn’t…”

[‘And with Sovereign Wangquan arriving, she’s actually trying to steal the spotlight! This person…’]

[‘How can she be so disgusting? Let’s report her with our real names and have Sovereign Wangquan properly punish her!’]

“Uh…” Saint Lily found it hard to comprehend. Had she done something wrong? Real-name reporting… how could they be so certain?

Honestly, before seeing this, she had thought it was nothing significant, but the sheer intensity of the malice made Saint Lily instinctively cover her mouth, a wave of nausea washing over her.

Red Spider Lily watched calmly from the side as Saint Lily remained silent for a long time.

“I…” She started with a single word, but couldn’t continue.

What could she even say?

“Red Spider Lily, I didn’t…” Saint Lily looked at Red Spider Lily, her mouth parting, her voice somewhat dry. Her defense seemed so utterly powerless.

“Yes, I believe you. Besides, we’ve been doing this together. I haven’t learned how to lie through my teeth, you know~” Red Spider Lily said with a smile.

“Red Spider Lily…”

“However, it’s still best if you take this matter seriously.”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you, Red Spider Lily!”

“Like a celebrity holding a press conference?” Red Spider Lily teased, seeing that Saint Lily looked a little better.

“Eh? That’s a bit exaggerated! I’m not a celebrity~” Saint Lily blushed, quickly waving her hands.

****

“Saint Lily?”

A warm, blue-haired girl, wrapped in a blue and white cloak, cradled a cup of hot tea in her hands, her fingers scrolling across an online screen.

“She does resemble her somewhat. Is it a disguise?”

“But if so, her performance is far too deliberate, making her seem rather foolish.”

“……”

“Should I observe or make contact? And that Su Mo, hiding somewhere, I’m quite curious about her. As the number one on the villain list, she should be able to withstand one of my attacks without dying, right?”

On the table, a kraft paper bag lay casually, spilling several pages across the coffee table. The first page displayed a photo of Su Mo, among others. One particular photo showed a girl who, aside from her hair color and attire, bore a seventy percent resemblance to Saint Lily. However, more striking than her appearance were her peculiar blood-red eyes.

****

“Argh! These brain-dead, cerebellum-less pieces of trash who only waste air by living! First, they complained when she was slow, now they complain when she’s fast. Their biggest mistake was their parents’ union, failing to use contraception, allowing you abominations to escape into the world! Ugh!”

Bai Ruoruo felt utterly vexed, her fingers clattering against the keyboard.

“Mmm~”

“I can’t do anything! My strength alone is still too weak!”

“I don’t believe it. Sister Lily is so kind, why is she being slandered like this? There must be a conspiracy! Yes, someone must be targeting Sister Lily!”

Little Detective Ruoruo, the heroine, would definitely uncover the truth.

“I stake my sister’s name on it… and bear witness with my love for Sister Lily!”

“All evil shall be brought to justice!”

“All righteousness shall be proclaimed!”

“And all beauty shall be diligently protected!”

Bai Ruoruo clenched her fist tightly, raising it high.

“?”

“What?”

Bai Ruoruo saw her hand glow. “Eh? What? What is this?”

“Is it going to explode? Will it explode?”

“Ahhh!”

****

“Red Spider Lily, thank you for walking me.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. But… Saint Lily, you can’t fly either?”

“When I awakened, I was in my final year of high school, and my mind was filled with a lot of knowledge. So, when I try to fly, I can’t help but overthink the principles, which then prevents me from actually flying.”

“Is it the same for you, Red Spider Lily?”

“Yes, it is!”

“So, is it better for a Magical Girl to awaken earlier?” Red Spider Lily asked casually.

“Not exactly. The golden period is between 13 and 16 years old. During this time, one’s worldview is largely formed, yet they still retain innocent and romantic fantasies.”

“Magical Girls who awaken during this period rarely encounter strange roadblocks in their careers.”

Saint Lily sighed as she spoke.

“Ah, your experience points~”

“Speaking of which, how did it turn out this way? You sound like a top student; how did you connect it to games?”

“Well, the senior who guided me loved playing games and always used game analogies. About how to achieve enlightenment? She said it was like grinding monsters to level up. You fight enough monsters, you feel like you’re close, and then one day, ‘It’s coming, it’s coming!’—and with a ‘zap,’ you level up as if struck by lightning.”

“Actually, my senior was right. But I insisted on understanding it my own way, manifesting a concrete concept, creating an accumulated experience bar. This string of zeros is truly like a bottomless pit, daunting to behold!”

“Enlightenment isn’t meant to be concrete; everyone experiences it differently~”

Red Spider Lily, with her straightforward, no-nonsense demeanor, mused for a moment. Seeing Saint Lily’s despondent look, she decided to offer some encouragement. “Since it’s not a fixed path, why can’t your way be the right one, Saint Lily?”

“Eh?” Saint Lily looked startled.

“After all, you *did* reach your current stage by accumulating experience, didn’t you? And you’re aiming for ‘Flowering’ without feeling like you’ll fail.”

“Aside from needing a bit more experience, there are no drawbacks. Why do you feel like you’ve taken the wrong path?”

“But…”

“There are countless paths, but they all lead to the same destination. As long as you reach the end, it’s inevitably the right path. And Saint Lily, you could see the end from the very beginning.”

“Uh…”

“As for how much experience you need to accumulate, well…” Red Spider Lily paused. “I think I shouldn’t say any more. Perhaps when you gain a new understanding, Saint Lily, the problem that’s currently hindering you won’t seem like a difficulty at all.”

‘After all, I’m not a true Magical Girl senior. It’s best to stop here. It wouldn’t be good to lead her astray!’

“Ah… mm…”

Saint Lily pondered for a long time, shifting her posture as she thought, nodding continuously.

“Yes! That’s right!”

“This is correct, yes. Why did I doubt it before? It’s clearly indisputable, isn’t it?”

Her pupils unfocused, her experience bar, which had been accumulating for days and was just a small fraction shy of leveling up, surged and broke through at that very moment.

Saint Lily felt as though she were soaking in a hot spring, her entire being relaxed, as if returning to her mother’s embrace. A familiar, cherished voice resonated deep within her soul. Yes, perhaps this was her mother’s voice.

‘Then this time, my child, my dear Flower Seed Maiden — Saint Lily, what do you wish to obtain?’

“I…”

‘Is it the combat ability you most desire? Or the ability to rescue your companions?’

“……”

“Please grant me the ability to rescue my companions.”

‘……’

‘You have made your choice, my child. Then, as you wish~’

****

Su Xiaoqian: –Host, Sister Lily can fly now too~ Is there any Magical Girl who can’t fly? Host, you need to work harder!

Red Spider Lily: –Your starting point is good, but I suggest you don’t start at all!