The worst possibility has come true.
This was Emerald Sparrow's first feeling upon hearing Emerald's words.
If Tulip had already defected, then Mo He, who had traveled with her and repeatedly mentioned joining a certain "team," was also self-evident.
The team Mo He spoke of, the one she had already joined, was Claw Mark.
Emerald Sparrow was not entirely unprepared for this answer. In fact, she had known for a long time; she simply didn't want to believe it.
She couldn't believe that Mo He and even Tulip would become part of "Claw Mark," would join such an organization akin to terrorists.
As comrades who had participated in the wars between the realms and had fought on the front lines of the Garden Defense Battle, Mo He and Tulip were not just "colleagues" to Emerald Sparrow.
The Garden Defense Battle was a life-changing war for many of the Magical Girls who survived it, imprinting a significant mark on their hearts.
So, to some extent, both Mo He and Tulip were people who could "empathize" with Emerald Sparrow, sharing an understanding of a certain sadness and pain.
Because they could understand the same pain, they naturally had similar attitudes and emotions about life; and because they shared these emotions, it was unimaginable for Emerald Sparrow to believe they would act against them.
If Tulip and Emerald Sparrow didn't have many opportunities to work together, so they weren't that familiar, that was one thing. But Mo He, or rather Nina, the Magical Girl who had been in the same team as Emerald Sparrow, was vivid in Emerald Sparrow's memory. Regardless of whether it was the Nina from her memories or the Mo He who seemed to have changed a lot now, Emerald Sparrow couldn't reconcile their image with the impression of "Claw Mark."
"What's wrong? Finding it hard to accept?"
Gran watched Emerald Sparrow's reaction with amusement, half-raising herself: "With that attitude, you must have met her, right? And it must have been in the past few days?"
"…I should be able to accept it, it's just that it's hard to convince myself."
The other party had already guessed the truth, but Emerald Sparrow didn't answer Gran's latter question. She only said slowly, "Because I can't understand why she did this."
"It's right that you don't understand. If everyone could understand what Claw Mark really wants, the Magic Kingdom would have been in chaos long ago."
Gran squinted her eyes, waved dismissively, and laughed, "And in fact, from the list we've gathered so far, other than those confidants from the Finance Court who followed Purple Diamond's departure, it was mainly our Luennolay City Defense Army who defected most. I was even investigated by the Royal Court because of it, what a nuisance."
From Gran's perspective, if she really had nothing to do with these events, then it indeed would be an innocent disaster for her. But rather than sympathizing with her, what Emerald Sparrow was more concerned about was her earlier statement: "The most Magical Girls came from the City Defense Army... Does that mean..."
"Yes, it means that many of those who defected from Claw Mark likely did so because of the Garden Defense Battle or the aftermath of the war."
Leisurely coming to a conclusion for Emerald Sparrow's hypothesis, Gran quickly added, as if remembering something: "Ah, although I was a major combat force at the time, don't include me in that."
"...While it's easy to draw such a conclusion, I cannot agree."
After mulling it over, Emerald Sparrow shook her head: "I was also a participant in that war. From my perspective, they had no reason to take such extreme actions because of issues left over from the war."
It wasn't her view of Mo He and Tulip. She was defending the entire Luennolay City Defense Army and all the Magical Girls who survived that war.
"Is that so? But even you, who chose to distance yourself from the Kingdom and avoid involvement in these matters, aren't really much different, right?"
Gran, who had been half-squinting, suddenly opened her eyes fully. Despite the smile still on her face, one felt as if facing a beast awakened from slumber, the atmosphere unbearably oppressive: "To be honest, youngster, maybe they've just gone a little further than you."
"But they're not the same as me; I was banned from entering the Magic Kingdom..." Emerald Sparrow frowned, trying to argue, but Gran interrupted her before she could finish.
–"Do you truly believe it's because of the ban or 'exile' that you ended up ?"
Gran's tone was still lazy, yet inexplicably commanding: "Or are you going to tell me that your thoughts after the war or the Great Beast Disaster were different from now?"
Emerald Sparrow fell silent.
It wasn't that she couldn't answer Gran's questions, nor was she unwilling to reveal anything. Instead, a realization struck her again. There had to be something hidden behind all this.
Just as she had once said to Mo He, twenty years had passed, and in that time, so much had happened that it could change a person, or even a group of people. And now, she still knew very little about these "former comrades."
Were they all pursuing the ideals Mo He described? What was the true purpose of the base established in the Wilderness of the Material Realm? What was Claw Mark's intent with their reckless and public chaos?
These emerging questions were puzzles Emerald Sparrow couldn't share with Gran.
Asking and discussing these matters would mean betraying Mo He's whereabouts. If she could confirm Mo He's evil path, becoming a villain, she would share the information without hesitation. But she had doubts.
She knew Claw Mark was not a group of good people. Whether it was the Sparrow, always showing malicious intent, or the unpredictable Yuan, both came to Fangting with ill intentions.
But she also knew she shouldn't judge an entire organization by a few members. What she knew about Claw Mark was still too limited. The accounts she had heard were insufficient to piece together the whole truth.
Emerald Sparrow's intuition told her not to make judgments without knowing the full truth.
So, she decided not to mention Mo He.
The only thing on her mind was how to inform Gran that "the assessment site would be dangerous" without revealing her source of information.
Yes, she had no intention of hiding this.
The Kingdom's assessment involved not only the juniors from Fangting City but also countless Magical Girls from various places. She couldn't gamble with their safety.
If the situation could cause harm to many comrades, she would convey the message, even if it meant betraying Mo He's trust.
That was the decision Emerald Sparrow made after considering: she would hide the fact that the Magical Girl Mo He had contacted her but pass on any information she deemed significant for the assessment's safety.
However, as she contemplated her words, Gran spoke up again:
"Enough, we're going too far off-topic. I don't expect a direct answer from you, so let's return to the original issue. The Magical Girl code-named 'Tulip' has defected, possibly being one of the first to follow Purple Diamond and become a core member of Claw Mark. Whether you accept it or not, that's the fact."
"...Okay, I understand."
Despite the interruption in her thoughts, Emerald Sparrow didn't show any unusual reaction, only nodding slightly to acknowledge the information.
"Alright then, this conversation is over. Do you have anything else you want to say?"
Gran's tone turned light-hearted once again: "If not, you can leave now. Prepare something a bit more formal to wear and come find me later."
Still pondering how to communicate the danger to Gran, Emerald Sparrow was startled by her sudden declaration: "Come later? Why?"
"Because we have important business, and I need to take you with me," Gran said nonchalantly.
"Where to?" Emerald Sparrow could only ask.
"Well, if I had to say, it's a party? A banquet? At best, it might be called a dinner gathering."
Gran pondered before answering:
"Never mind, the form doesn't matter. Just come with me; I need to introduce you to a few people."