It had been several days since my SOS call. I lounged in my house, playing with plushies alongside my clones and Felicia. In the mornings, I would go out to hunt stray Anathema, but I had already exhausted every low-level nest nearby. I couldn't venture too far—my primary mission was to protect the exiles. Catherine and the group always looked relieved whenever I returned, and it warmed my heart to know I was needed.

  "They're here," Felicia said.

  "Hm? Didn't they say they'd be gone for a month?"

  "They found the gate quicker than expected. It was a complete victory for humanity!" Felicia hopped about, showing his delight in humanity's victory.

  Guilt rose within me. They had worked tirelessly to assault the gate while I had been here, sleeping and playing with plushies in the middle of nowhere. My reputation must have taken a nosedive with Guardian Command.

  "Hm? Why are you suddenly down?" Felicia asked.

  "I didn't participate in the assault... they must be disappointed in me."

  "Not everyone participated in the assault. Seventy percent of Magical Girls stayed in the sanctuary cities. We all just need to do our part," Felicia said. "Look, you should be able to see Agneya if you step outside."

  In the distance, I saw a flying ship. Though battered, it was still in working condition, gracefully approaching our coordinates.

  "Lily!" Shining Arrow shouted as she hugged me after descending from the ship. The rest of my team was there too.

  "Well, well, look who our VIP princess is. Welcome aboard, Lily!" Issen smirked while Pink Heart smiled warmly. As expected of senior magical Guardians. They hid their disdain very well. I couldn't even see a trace of disappointment in them.

  "Greetings, I am Pink Heart. Are these the exi—uh, refugees you mentioned?"

  "Yes," I nodded nervously. Why was Pink Heart here? Ah, of course. They had come to pick me up after destroying the Anathema gate. Everything made sense now.

  "We'll camp here and do some more thorough repairs and maintenance. Then, we'll return to Eden posthaste."

  "Yes, sir!" General Armstrong stepped off the ship and began giving orders to his men. I noticed two non-humanoid beings mixed in with the crew. They must be the engineers sent by Zenith.

  "Greetings, Black Lily. Are these the refugees?" General Armstrong greeted me, clearly eager to meet the exiles. He quickly arranged a meeting with Jane, Elder July's successor, to discuss the enchanted weapons we had created and the research facilities needed to study them further.

  After what felt like a long month, I finally returned to Eden. As I made my way to my condo, my steps felt heavier. The chain that had loosened during my time in the Darklands seemed to tighten once more.

  "Oh my! Welcome, my daughter!" My mother, Jennifer, embraced me tightly. My father, Osamu, was also there.

  "Jennifer, Osamu, Lily's present is on the table. You wouldn't be so rude as to disturb her after her dangerous journey, right?" Kageyama chimed in from behind them.

  "Of course not!"

  "Lily, this condo is for you. If you need anything, just give me a call. And if possible, I'd like a meeting with your cat. You can ask Felicia to contact me anytime. Feel free to invite your friends over for a party if you'd like. Osamu, Jennifer, let's go. I have something to discuss with you both. And Lily, don't forget to watch the news." They are registering

  Kageyama's last words piqued my curiosity, so I did as he suggested. I allowed the lights to leave my body as I undid my astral shifts and asked Felicia to meet with Kageyama. She would be better at explaining things to him. I reminded her to keep the meeting private; I didn't want my parents to know why I had left the transport convoy.

  "Eden News: The trial for seventy people, including investors and CEOs from Newstar and Enra—the largest companies in Eden—is currently underway. They are being charged with inaction during the Anathema attacks on New Lake and New Hill, which resulted in the deaths of over a hundred thousand people and two hundred Guardians," the reporter announced.

  I blinked at the news in disbelief. Does this mean the entire Frontier City project has failed?

  "A massive demonstration erupted this morning outside UNH courts. Not only in Eden—similar protests are underway at every Guardian Command across the sanctuary cities. The crowds are demanding severe punishment for the CEOs, accusing them of negligence. Inside the courts, the atmosphere is no less tense, as representatives from NewStar and Enra face off against Guardian Command and the union."

  "The attack on NewLake and NewHill was unfortunate. We did our best to evacuate the areas, but the attack was sudden, and we were surrounded. Moreover, with Anathema capable of breaching the emergency barriers, there was nothing more we could do," a NewStar representative stated.

  "Oh yeah? Then why did all of you survive? We've heard that the CEOs and several high-ranking employees used personal jets and helicopters to evacuate NewLake and NewHill, leaving thousands behind!" the union representative shouted, his emotions boiling over as he repeatedly cursed at the NewStar and Enra representatives. "Look at NewMesa! They escaped with more than half of their population despite a similar sudden attack. And NewSoil? They evacuated everyone—zero casualties—thanks to Shirayuki's support in providing the ship meant to transport their equipment!"

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Union representative, please, let's keep this civil," the Guardian Command moderator interrupted. "We are charging NewStar and Enra with disobeying evacuation orders. Days before the attack, Guardian Command advised both companies to evacuate NewLake and NewHill. Why did you ignore that order? The deaths of over 200 Guardians should not be taken lightly."

  "Those 200 Guardians did their best to hold back the Anathema from invading NewLake and NewHill. We have suffered a great loss as well. As for the evacuation order, we were preparing to act on it, but the Anathema attacked sooner than expected," the corporate representative responded.

  "Tell that to the families of the dead Guardians!" the union representative screamed. "You scum! Why didn't you die with them? You saved yourselves when things went south!" Unable to contain her anger, she lunged at the Enra and NewStar representatives, and the court descended into chaos as insults flew from both sides. Security had to take action before the news channels were cut short.

  When I switched channels, I saw Osamu and Kageyama on a talk show. It was a pre-recorded broadcast, of course—after all, the real Kageyama and my father were in a meeting with Felicia.

  "Mr. Kageyama, what do you have to say about the recent attacks on NewLake and NewHill? Do you think NewStar and Enra should be held liable?"

  "Frontier Cities have always been dangerous, so casualties are, unfortunately, inevitable. However, we must do everything in our power to minimize them. The attack on NewMesa was equally sudden, but thanks to the quick response of the mayor, Mr. John, we managed to save 10,000 people. The underground tunnel we constructed allowed us to flee, even when the emergency barrier was breached," Osamu explained.

  "That tunnel from NewMesa Guardian Command to the harbor was originally built for VIPs, right? Does that mean only executives were expected to escape NewMesa? Moreover, didn't you get accused of breaking the barrier installation code for that?" the interviewer asked.

  "Of course not. The tunnel was small due to budget constraints, but we never intended to bar anyone from using it. As for why we had to breach the installation code, We didn't think we could survive days in a shelter. New Mesa was far from Eden and lacked high-ranking Magical Guardians," Osamu replied.

  "I see. Well, it's true that you allowed everyone to use it—after you used it yourself, right?" the interviewer pressed.

  "I am merely a human, and like anyone, I fear for my life. It's in our nature to try and save ourselves first. However, I never once thought of preventing others from saving themselves. Even though I left first, I stayed in the same cramped room as everyone else. We tried to fit as many people onto the first ferry as possible. Whether I left first or last, the number of lives saved wouldn't have changed."

  "I see."

  "I would also like to add," Kageyama interjected, "that we had to abandon equipment in NewSoil to prioritize saving people—even those who weren't from our company. We, at Shirayuki, always put lives first."

  "That is certainly commendable. But how were you able to evacuate so quickly? Were you withholding any critical information from the public?" the interviewer asked.

  "We didn't withhold any information. Our Magical Girl, Black Lily, and Guardian Command advised us to evacuate, and we did so as soon as possible. That's all. We assumed other companies received the same information. General Armstrong stated he had informed everyone, but they chose not to listen to him," Kageyama explained.

  "That's a shocking discovery. But if you knew beforehand, why did you evacuate? NewSoil is an essential facility, right?"

  "It is certainly a critical facility, but without an S-rank Magical Guardian, resistance would be futile. So, we chose to evacuate to minimize the damage. There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity," Osamu replied.

  "And that concludes our interview with Mr. Kageyama and Mr. Osamu from Shirayuki Company—"

  As I switched to another channel, the news of Agneya's victory was being broadcast.

  "BREAKING NEWS! Agneya has scored a decisive victory against the Anathema Gate!"

  Issen did a celebratory backflip and danced on the stage. Pink Heart and Stonewall took a more reserved approach, simply waving to the crowd. Magical Girls came out of Agneya one after another. Even though I hadn't participated in the assault, my face appeared on the screen.

  I switched off the TV and lay down. Remembering that Felicia had a meeting with Kageyama, I activated my skill to peek in on the meeting. Felicia, being my mana construct, automatically had my abilities, including my mana eyes. I was curious to see what Felicia was saying about me.

  "Hahaha... Yuri has really outdone herself! She certainly found something more precious than gold out there!" Kageyama laughed. As I looked around, I saw a screen displaying the rituals. I realized that Felicia was discussing the enchantment rituals with them.

  "Well, this is great! We have a new business venture," Osamu said. "Though finances are a bit tight right now."

  "If you need funding, why not ask Jonathan or Kevin from NewStar and Enra? I'm sure they'd give you a blank check if you helped them out a little. They're in hot water right now," Jennifer suggested. Disgust welled up within me.

  "Are you nuts? Jennifer, if you still want to call yourself Shirayuki, I forbid you from talking to them. Cut all contact with them immediately. Those guys are on trial! Do you realize the mess you'll be in if you even show the slightest consideration for them?" Kageyama was visibly shocked by Jennifer's suggestion.

  "But we owe them something. They helped with NewMesa's funding too...," Jennifer insisted.

  "Don't ever mention them again. They're being targeted by everyone right now. The mess they caused in NewHill and NewLake was astronomical—200 Magical Girls died! If you want to live like a caveman out in the Darklands, be my guest, but don't drag us with you!" Kageyama snapped.

  "They lived in the Darklands, didn't they? And they seem fine…" Osamu smirked at Jennifer, then took a sip of wine as he celebrated his small victory. "Not that I ever want to be there. Anathema are terrifying. Anyway, I finally got my old job back! My bad luck has passed, and there's no way I'm touching those guys again. What if the public turns on me again?"

  "The refugees showed signs of malnutrition when we first met. They seem well now because Black Lily has been feeding them for the past month," Felicia said.

  Jennifer frowned, realizing there was no persuading them about NewStar and Enra. I tilted my head, confused by my mother's reaction. Why was she so intent on helping them? That wasn't like her.

  "Felicia, can you keep an eye on my mother? She's been acting differently lately," I whispered. Felicia perked up but continued her meeting with Kageyama.

  It was less of a meeting and more of a party. All they did was celebrate, talk about new business ventures, and discuss the rise of the Shirayuki Company.

  It honestly disgusted me. But that's the business world.