Chương 235: Good News from Roland

Roland sat quietly behind his desk, his hands clasped together, patiently waiting for Jiying to begin her narration.

Jiying didn't keep him waiting. After nodding solemnly, she told Roland everything without reservation, from leaving the Bureau of Extraordinary Events yesterday morning until leaving the Mirror Maze with Xingxian.

Of course, when describing Xingxian's battle, considering that the "Time Armor" is her secret, Jiying only briefly mentioned that she unleashed a powerful force that could turn the tide of the battle at a crucial moment, without going into the specific details.

During this time, Roland remained silent for most of the time, like a most attentive listener, only occasionally asking a few questions about details during the gaps in Jiying's narration.

After Jiying finished narrating, a brief silence fell over the office.

Roland pondered for a long time before letting out a long sigh of relief. His slightly aged face was a mixture of emotions, including lingering fear, relief, and anger.

"It's truly amazing," he exclaimed sincerely.

"So many thrilling things happened in just one day, but thankfully the final result wasn't too bad."

"To be honest, looking back now, it feels a little unreal." Ji Ying looked at the bright sunlight outside the window and gently shook her head.

Immediately, her expression hardened again, and she said seriously, "But since the facts are before us, we can only accept them and take immediate action."

"You're right." Roland nodded approvingly, then asked the question that concerned him most in a genuinely caring tone, "Is Lady Xingxian—alright now?"

"She's fine." Ji Ying's answer was brief and powerful.

"Although she's still a bit weak, recovery is only a matter of time, and she won't suffer any lasting, incurable damage."

"Moreover, Liuli and Yinxue are both by Xingxian's side now, so she is safe."

"Then I'm relieved." This answer put Roland at ease.

Immediately, his expression turned serious again, and his voice deepened: "However—that Void Realm Apostle named Mirror Lord has such bizarre and vicious abilities."

"Unexpectedly, not only can he create mirror images of himself at will, but he can also use that strange ability to perfectly replicate the unique spells and powers of these children —"

"If he hadn't been held back by the mirror images of his familiar companions, Lord Hoshino would probably not have lost to that bastard at all."

At this point, Roland's tone was filled with regret and anger, "Miss Jiying, you—wouldn't have exposed your stance because of this."

""

"It's fair to say there are gains and losses," Ji Ying said calmly, shaking his head slightly.

"Although my position and the uniqueness of my existence have been completely exposed to Jing Jue, making him quite wary of me—"

"But in yesterday's battle, he also lost the mirrored alternate dimension that he had obviously been cultivating for a long time, and I personally destroyed a mirrored clone that seemed quite important to him based on the description."

"And, at least from my personal perspective," her voice softened unconsciously, "to save Xingxian at such a cost is a very profitable deal."

"After all, the loss of any comrade is absolutely unacceptable to me."

At this point, Ji Ying recalled Ye Zixuan's tearful, self-reproachful appearance last night, and smiled helplessly, adding, "Of course, Xing Xian herself—it seems she doesn't think that way. When we were exchanging information last night, she said that even if she were killed by Jing Jue, I shouldn't expose my trump card to save her."

"It's perfectly normal that Lord Xingxian, as the kingdom's inspector, has a different perspective on issues than Miss Jiying," Roland said, expressing his understanding.

"From a broader perspective, I also feel that someone as unique as you shouldn't be exposed so hastily."

"But—" His tone shifted, a gentle and sincere smile appearing on his face, "From a personal perspective, I'm actually quite glad—you did something that wasn't entirely rational back then, and successfully saved Lord Hoshino."

"Those children who risked their lives to fight for peace and stability for humanity—they shouldn't be abandoned by the cold, hard facts of the world."

"So—thank you so much, Miss Jiying."

As Roland spoke, he slowly stood up from his chair and bowed deeply in the direction of Ji Ying.

"Eh? Director Roland, what are you doing—" Ji Ying was startled by this sudden solemn gesture and subconsciously stood up to avoid it.

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure a bit." Roland sat back down, a slightly bitter smile on his face.

He explained softly, "You just said that the loss of any comrade is unacceptable," which reminded me of those children who sacrificed their lives much earlier.

"If you had appeared earlier, perhaps they wouldn't have passed away so silently."

"Furthermore—it will not be like this, where even after their sacrifice, the power they were meant to use to protect the world is being exploited by the very people who killed them, used to attack their comrades whom they also wanted to protect!"

"Bang!"

In the end, Roland could no longer contain his emotions. He slammed his fist on the table, making a dull thud, his voice filled with anger and grief.

"This is simply—a desecration of their souls and will, a mockery of all guardians!"

Ji Ying was slightly taken aback, but then immediately realized that Roland was unaware of the bold deduction he had made after talking with the three girls last night.

But at the same time, she was also deeply moved by the profound sorrow in Roland's words and his sincere feelings for the magical girls.

She organized her thoughts, looked at the elderly man before her, who was overcome with grief, and said softly, "Director Roland, I have some different deductions regarding Yuexi and the others' current situation. Would you like to hear them?"

"————A different deduction?" Roland was slightly taken aback, then suddenly "looked" at Ji Ying, his whole body leaning forward slightly due to excitement.

He wasn't stupid; he could clearly hear the deeper meaning hidden in Ji Ying's words.

Since she said those words even though she clearly knew that she believed those Crescent Moon-level children had already sacrificed themselves, it means that—

"certainly!"

Roland nodded heavily, his voice trembling with excitement.

"And I've also prepared myself for the worst, after all—there can't be anything worse than what I imagine."

"Um."

Ji Ying nodded, and then recounted in detail to Roland the speculation he had made last night based on Jing Jue's limitations in ability and motivation.

After explaining all this, she added, "Of course, speculation is just speculation, and I don't have any concrete evidence to prove it yet."

"Therefore, our subsequent course of action will inevitably prioritize the safety of our existing comrades. Only after we have obtained clear information about them will I begin to formulate a corresponding rescue plan."

Roland took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm his emotions, which were violently agitated by this astonishing deduction.

After a long pause, he nodded in agreement, saying, "You're right. Without concrete intelligence, taking rash action will only put you in greater danger. This is the safest option."

"But even so—" His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement again, "it is still the most exciting good news for me in a long time!"

"Thank you, Miss Jiying, thank you for giving this old man new hope, and also—" Ji Ying shook his head slightly, interrupting Roland's impending request: "Director Roland, I know what you want to say, and I agree to your request."

"Is this a good idea?" Roland hesitated.

"This shouldn't be a responsibility you have to bear."

"Of course." Ji Ying answered without the slightest hesitation.

"There's one thing you said that I completely agree with—Jing Jue's behavior is a desecration of Yue Xi and the others' souls and will."

"If my deduction is true, then even if they are successfully rescued in the future, they will definitely feel immense guilt and pain after learning that their abilities and even their image have been used by Mirror Lord to harm their companions."

"Therefore, while ensuring the safety of my existing companions, I will do my best to gather information about them and—try to rescue them."

"————That's enough." Roland nodded heavily again, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He then composed himself, a slightly mysterious smile appearing on his face, and said, "Speaking of which, Miss Jiying, do you remember the good news I mentioned to you earlier?"

"I kept you in suspense back then because I wanted to surprise you at the end, but I never expected that you would give me such a big surprise in return."

"So now, can you tell me about this surprise?" Ji Ying's curiosity was piqued, and she asked with a smile, "I'm looking forward to it too."

Roland smiled and said, "The investigation into traitors within the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs that I mentioned to you before is largely complete. We have now identified four prime suspects."

"So fast?!" Ji Ying's eyes widened in surprise.

"Didn't you say before that it would be very difficult to conduct an investigation?"

"It's only been less than two days, and they've already narrowed their downfall down to just four people? How—how did they do that?"

"Actually, it's not that complicated." Roland's answer sounded nonchalant.

"First of all, people without the appropriate permissions and those who don't understand the relevant technology can be eliminated immediately."

"For Jingjue to cooperate with that mole to lure the magical girl with a fake alarm, there is an absolute prerequisite: that the mole must be on duty on the day of the incident and have access to devices with sufficient authority."

"Based on this, I immediately ordered a thorough investigation of the system logs and surveillance footage."

"Although, as I judged last time, those forged log records were all deleted and forged, it is difficult to determine exactly which instance of the Void Infiltration caused the magical girls to disappear, or the exact time in minutes and seconds."

"However, after the technicians worked day and night to reconstruct and track the missing magical girls, compared their last activity records at the Bureau of Extraordinary Events, and then combined the surveillance footage with the judgment of the behavior of those people at the corresponding time points, we finally succeeded in identifying several suspects."

"Without exception, they all had sufficient permissions and all operated the corresponding devices independently at precise times."

"In other words, the pawns that Jingjue planted within the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs can only exist among these few individuals, but it is not yet possible to fully determine who is innocent, or rather—that none of them are spared."

"I have ordered that these suspects be placed under the closest surveillance. As soon as they make any unusual moves, the field agents hidden in the shadows will immediately take action."

"I believe it won't be long before we catch the real mole."

"Then what do you mean by saying that my request for cooperation created an opportunity for you?" Ji Ying asked curiously.

Roland's smile deepened: "Back then, I knew you were putting on an act, and to play along, I only ordered the lowest level of response to that battle, without giving any explanation."

"Even in later meetings, when some members asked me questions, I still deliberately brushed them off."

"Xiaoyue will find this incomprehensible, as will the other members inside. And the mole who must be in secret contact with Jingjue will certainly feel that there must be something fishy about this, and will be eager to tell Jingjue this important information."

"According to the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs' confidentiality requirements, the regular communication methods of senior personnel to the outside world are under strict monitoring. Therefore, if the mole wanted to pass on intelligence, he could only do so through some kind of supernatural communication method that is difficult to monitor by conventional means."

"Once he decides to use this method, he will inevitably reveal a weakness that we can exploit. And that will be the time for us to close the net."

"These—you thought of them immediately after receiving my contact yesterday?" Ji Ying's tone was full of amazement.

"Yes." Roland nodded calmly.

"The failed attack on Miss Starfrost last time had already alerted that mole."

"If he lies low and goes into hiding, even if we keep a close watch on him, it will be difficult to quickly find a weakness in him."

"Your contact yesterday, and the battle that followed in full view of everyone," will likely make the other side eager to share this crucial information with Mirror Lord, thus prompting them to take proactive measures.

"Isn't this—a golden opportunity for us?"

Jiying fell silent, listening quietly to Roland's plain narration, but in her heart, she developed a completely new understanding of the wisdom and composure within this gentle old man.

Using only a condition he unintentionally created, he devised such a meticulously planned and incisive scheme in such a short time.

Moreover, although he spoke casually before, Ji Ying understood that such a detailed investigation of the internal workings of a large organization was far from easy, and the amount of work required was unimaginable.

As the person in charge of all of this, the other party probably hasn't had a proper rest these past two days.

Therefore, Ji Ying sincerely said, "Director Roland, thank you for your hard work. This is truly a very, very good piece of news."

"Compared to those of you who risk your lives and fight on the front lines, what I've done is just a trivial matter." Roland waved his hand with a smile.

"Anyway, if the mole really makes a move, I'll let you know immediately."

"Although our Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs is quite adept at interrogation, if that guy is hiding some supernatural means given to him by Mirror Lord, our field agents might not be able to handle it very well."

Jiying nodded seriously: "I understand. I hope you can instruct those operators to simply keep watch until I arrive."

"Jingjue already knows my stance. My fact that I stand on the side of magical girls and that I have a cooperative relationship with you as the director of the Bureau of Extraordinary Events is not a secret that cannot be exposed."

"Okay." Roland nodded, then, as if remembering something, continued, "Besides, there's something else I'd like to ask you."

"Ask away, what is it about?" Jiying replied.

"It's about—Miss Starfrost." Roland's tone was full of concern.

"In your previous account, she didn't participate in yesterday's battle at all."

"I wonder how she is now—how is she? Has her injury from before not healed yet?"

"Eh?"

Ji Ying's expression suddenly became somewhat strange, even rather—quite subtle.