Afterward, the Magical Girl squad of Fangting City had another focused discussion about the secret base.
The core issues at hand were twofold, whether or not to seek help from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and what exactly the role of the secret base should be.
Regarding the first matter, after Emerald Sparrow's previous explanations, Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu both had their answers; after explaining to and getting the consent of Bai Jingxuan, the vote among the four was unanimous—they would mooch off the Abnormal Strategy Bureau.
The latter issue seemed simple, but some disagreements arose during the discussion.
The primary purpose of the secret base was naturally to facilitate activities: to make it easy for members to meet up, for teaching and training, and for building relationships. Besides, the Magical Girls could also choose to stay overnight at the secret base.
Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan had the clearest attitudes: since everyone was active around here anyway, why not just move in and live there permanently, treating the secret base as their dwelling.
Although it sounded a bit harsh, moving into such a secret base might be more comfortable for them than living at home or in an orphanage.
But Lin Xiaolu and Emerald Sparrow were different; they each had their own difficulties.
Lin Xiaolu's concern was how to explain the situation to Lin Yun and whether he would agree: after all, her relationship with her father had only recently improved, and they had more opportunities to talk. If she were to frequently stay out, wouldn't that be too neglectful of her father?
Emerald Sparrow's worries were even more complicated: what if her identity was exposed.
She and her daughter had a relatively stable home after all. Even if she occasionally stayed at the secret base, she couldn't possibly settle there permanently. This would inevitably lead to a troublesome issue: it would become increasingly difficult to conceal her identity.
If her daughter returned home, then she would have to follow as a father; if her daughter stayed overnight at the secret base, she would have to stay as Emerald Sparrow.
She could occasionally find excuses, such as telling Lin Xiaolu she was on a business trip as a father, or telling the others she was operating alone at night as Emerald Sparrow. But even so, such tactics couldn't be used in the long run, nor could they be frequently employed.
In the long run, even if Lin Xiaolu was somewhat slow to catch on, she would still realize this fact: the actions of "Emerald Sparrow" and "Lin Yun" suspiciously overlapped.
Emerald Sparrow knew some spell techniques but hadn't learned illusionary or mental spell techniques that created hallucinations; Emerald Sparrow could use her magical equipment to make a substitute of herself, but the created substitute couldn't be maintained remotely, nor could it move freely, and was easily seen through.
Reliance on magic wouldn't solve the problem, and the discussion on the scene didn't yield a result, so the matter was left to be settled during the family talk between Lin Xiaolu and Lin Yun.
When Lin Xiaolu hesitantly and shyly brought up the request to stay out overnight, Lin Yun made a direct decision.
"No problem, I think it's a good thing."
The conversation took place during breakfast, and as he pretended nonchalantly to place the eggs and milk in front of Lin Xiaolu, he encouraged, "If necessary, you can even move in and live with your teammates."
"Huh? Just like that... you agree?"
Clutching her bowl in a daze, Lin Xiaolu stammered, "Your fourteen-year-old daughter is going to live out by herself? And previously, didn't I run away from home because of a fight... "
This was her main concern regarding the issue.
After reconciling with Lin Yun, although she was reluctant to admit it, she had reflected a little on her own actions during their cold war. Among them, running away from home seemed to have been particularly hard on her old dad.
She feared that by making such a request to Lin Yun now, it would bring back unpleasant memories for him and lead to a refusal.
But contrary to her expectations, Lin Yun's consent was very straightforward, and he even seemed overly liberal.
"I don't understand much about the Magical Girl stuff, but I do have experience in supporting a Magical Girl behind the scenes."
As he also set his own breakfast on the table, Lin Yun said calmly, "Your mother and I have been good friends since our school days. In fact, she would often leave the city and travel far for her Magical Girl activities, all very normal."
"You really won't be upset?" The development was going too smoothly for Lin Xiaolu to believe, "I thought you might stop me to some extent."
"Emerald Sparrow will be with you guys, right?"
Lin Yun tried hard to keep his face stern, to avoid revealing anything through the details, "She had a good relationship with your mother and is now a very reliable adult. I trust she can take good care of you."
"It is true," Lin Xiaolu said somewhat suspiciously, "Dad, have you been in contact with Emerald Sparrow behind the scenes? It seems like you're quite familiar with her."
She had been holding back this question for quite some time, harboring suspicions since the day she followed Lin Yun out on a weekend. Even though it turned out that the things she was paranoid about were misunderstandings, there were still some guesses left in her mind.
"I've only met her a few times, but through her, I've learned some things about your Magical Girl activities."
Avoiding a direct answer to his daughter's question, Lin Yun said nonchalantly, "She thinks highly of you, and it seems it's not just polite talk."