Even if you're a corrupted magical girl, you still have to try to redeem yourself.

And that line about magical girls brought that curiosity to its peak.

The online opinion shifted dramatically. Regardless of what Saint Yuu Academy did, as long as they actually opened their doors, they had already succeeded halfway.

Even if they can't see anything, just seeing what this mysterious, church-based aristocratic academy is like inside would be worthwhile.

Whether the remaining half will be icing on the cake or a complete waste of previous efforts depends on what Mashiro Urouge wants to say.

Following at the back of the group, watching Genki Mashiro lead a group of people into the academy across the playground and into the teaching building was indeed a novel experience for most people.

However, among these magical girls, Koumori and Hyakki Senyu were originally students here, Inuyama Tomoe transferred from here to Tsukimi Middle School, and Yuuki Yuuki and Nishio Reki had also been here in person. Even Tenrai Helica lived for a period of time in Nishio Reki's dream of St. Yuuka Academy.

It was truly the first time for both Sakura Hanako and Mizuno Yu, but their attention wasn't on the facilities inside the academy; instead, it was focused on the headmaster who was personally explaining things to everyone.

“Yuki? I have a strange feeling. It's just that... that thing shouldn't happen.” Nishio Reki hesitated for a moment, then gave Yuki a hint.

Even if Yuuki Yukari knew about the original magical girl, there was nothing that could be done because Nishio Reki currently had a part of the original magical girl's consciousness sealed within him.

What she meant was that Saint Prayer wouldn't appear so openly under these circumstances, and the situation didn't seem likely to escalate into a magical girl war.

Anyway, Yuuki Yukino can understand what Nishio Reki means, so it doesn't matter.

Yuuki nodded. "Yes. I feel the same way, but don't let your guard down."

The tour that Mashiro Gorgen led the reporters on certainly didn't include all the places; the huge auditorium was excluded.

Mashiro Gorgen also offered an explanation for this.

"This is the venue we have set up for the ball. As everyone knows, St. Eternal Academy has always been an academy built on the foundation of the church. Although we have abandoned all religious content in our teaching, some past customs have become the characteristics of our academy. On this special day of Christmas, a Christmas ball is indispensable."

The gods that your Holy Eternal Academy used to worship had absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.

Yuuki Yukino could only mutter a complaint in her heart and continue watching Genken Mashiro spout nonsense.

But the ballroom scene wasn't fake; Mashiro Gorgen even had someone at the entrance show off the interior of the auditorium.

“What she said at the ball is different from the lies she told before about faith and such. It wasn’t false.” Hong Moli explained to everyone in a low voice: “Because I reviewed all the contents of the ball, I personally inspected the venue, and preparations had already begun long ago, so it has nothing to do with what’s happening now.”

After passing the auditorium, the last stop for Mashiro Gorgen was a relatively smaller, but spacious enough to accommodate everyone.

Even though it's not very big, the interior is decorated almost exactly like the main hall of a Christmas ball, except for the dance floor.

Genken Mashiro walked up to the podium, gave a slight knightly salute to the crowd below, and then stood up to address them.

"As a token of our appreciation for keeping you all waiting, and to repay you for your support of St. Eternal Academy, we have prepared some food for you as compensation. It is the same kind of food as tonight's ball. Please rest here for a while. I will answer all your questions in this room later."

These words caused another uproar in the crowd.

Everyone here is here to do serious business, not to eat.

But the ball-sized banquet at St. Eternal Academy, regardless of its value, is not something that money can buy.

Besides, most people had been standing outside all day, hungry and cold. Not everyone, like Yuuki Yukino, would sit in the teahouse for a while. Many people's stomachs had been growling for a long time, but they had been holding on because of the requirements from above or because they were worried about missing the opening time.

With steaming hot and fragrant food laid out in front of them, it would be a lie to say they weren't tempted.

Not to mention the reporters who had never experienced such a grand reception, even Hyakki Chiyou was swallowing hard.

At first, many people were hesitant, but after seeing Mashiro Goraku disappear from the stage and go backstage, some self-media members who were not trained as reporters started looking for plates to start eating. They also put down their airs and ate some, more or less.

As a result, online opinions about St. Yonyu Academy have changed somewhat, with many people who previously criticized St. Yonyu Academy for not opening their doors now complaining about why they didn't wait a little longer.

“Yuki, then we…” Nishio Reki nudged Yuki Yuki’s lower back, and the other girls also looked at Yuki Yuki, clearly seeking her opinion.

"Eat! Why not eat what we can eat?" Yuuki Yui waved her hand cheerfully and led everyone directly to the place where the tableware was distributed.

The menu at the St. Yuu Academy ball was indeed incredibly diverse, ranging from pizza, pasta, and cake to lamb chops, turkey, and rice—just as Yuuki Yuen said, everyone should eat it.

Sakura Hanako was still a little cautious, hesitating beside the waiter with her plate in hand: "Is it okay to eat like this?"

"Are you afraid it's poisoned?" Baqi raised an eyebrow and took a piece of baked apple pie from the waiter's plate. "Gorge Mashiro might sneak into our house and stab us to death, but she wouldn't do something like indiscriminately poisoning people."

“I certainly wouldn’t poison you, but I also wouldn’t sneak into your house and stab you all to death in turns.” A voice sounded from behind Baqi: “By the way, although I don’t like these titles, it’s more convenient to call me Saint Mashiro or Headmaster here.”

The girls turned around at the same time and saw that Xu Yanma Shiro, who had been dressed in a suit earlier, was standing in front of them with a wine glass in hand, looking at them with one hand behind his back, looking at them in an ordinary manner.

Under the gazes of various emotions, Gen Kenma casually raised the wine glass in her hand slightly, the transparent liquid inside rippling and reflecting the faces of the group of girls.

"Long time no see, everyone. On behalf of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Eternal Academy, I sincerely welcome you all."

"Let's skip the formalities."

Yuuki Yukino walked through the group of girls, clinked her wine glass of orange juice against Genji Mashiro's glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Instead of being polite to us, you'd be better off thinking about how to deal with the trouble that Sheng Shiyin has caused you, right?"

Chapter 82 Misleading

"Instead of being polite to us, you'd be better off dealing with the trouble that Sheng Shiyin has caused you."

Yuuki Yukino's words were very blunt, like a dagger stabbing straight at Urouge Mashiro.

Yuuki Yui was deceiving Genki Mashiro. From the moment she didn't see Seishin appear as promised, she had already shifted her focus from the collusion between Genki Mashiro and Seishin to the friction between the two.

If you guess wrong or ask the wrong question, then you'll be hurting the enemy by a small amount while also hurting yourself by a lot.

"Sheng Shiyin, will she cause me any trouble?"

Genji Mashiro neither dodged nor flinched at the dagger of words. She held the glass that was being lifted between two fingers and brought it back to her lips, taking a small sip of the clear liquid inside.

But Mashiro Gorgen actually responded to him in this way?

Pretending to be stupid? That doesn't seem like something Mashiro Gorky would do.

Unless the situation has spiraled out of Mashiro's control, leaving her no time to think about these things, Mashiro would never do something so foolish.

No, the situation was not out of Mashiro Goraki's control.

Yuuki Yukino could discern some clues from the confidence in her slightly narrowed eyes.

Besides feigning ignorance, Genki Mashiro had another intention.

She was telling herself that even if Sheng Shiyin did take some action, it wouldn't cause her any trouble.

As for whether there will be any action, and whether there is any conflict between Wu Qi and the other party, these are all left to Yuuki Yuen to guess.

That seemingly foolish statement prevented Yuuki Enishi from investigating Genken Mashiro.

Genji Mashiro swallowed a few times, then took another sip of juice from his glass: "Although I didn't invite you today, it's a great honor to see familiar faces like you. But unfortunately, you've come at the wrong time."

"Does this mean we're not welcome?" Yuuki Yui placed her wine glass on the table behind her, making her attitude even more direct.

“No, you’ve misunderstood.” Genken Mashiro shook his head, then took a few steps back, creating some distance between himself and Yuuki Yuuki’s group: “I was just telling you that nothing will happen today.”

Yuuki Yukino understands, and so do the other magical girls.

Mashiro Gorgen is telling everyone that today's banquet, this performance, is not intended for them, these magical girls.

……

In a secluded space that no one else could find, Sheng Shiyin sat alone.

She simply sat there quietly, without making a scene or becoming discouraged.

No matter what she does, she cannot destroy this independent space created by Genki Mashiro herself, which once separated Yuuki Eri and Nishio Reki.

There's no way I can leave here until I finish what I need to do today.

This is what it means when it says that nothing will happen.

……

The reception, which was on par with the ball at St. Eternal Academy, lasted for nearly an hour. During this time, some people were puzzled, but most people simply ate the food symbolically.

While there are indeed people like Hyakki Senyou who eat excessively, most people only eat in moderation, and food is never the main focus for them.

After all, the main event for them here is coming up next—the official response from St. Eternal Academy to the video and their statement acknowledging their connection to magical girls.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The footsteps that could be heard everywhere became the focus of everyone's attention, simply because their owner was Gen Ken Mashiro.

Genken Mashiro walked slowly to the podium with rhythmic steps, and the lights in the venue changed from the slightly ambiguous atmosphere of the banquet to formal white.

People who were whispering or enjoying their food immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed into broadcast mode, with countless cameras pointing at Mashiro Gorgen.

Genki Mashiro gave everyone ample time to prepare, and only after the commotion from the regrouping had completely subsided did she slowly speak:

"Distinguished visitors, I, Sei Mashiro, once again welcome you on behalf of the entire Sei Yuu Academy."

Although it was still just polite talk, since Mashiro had already come this far, she had to use whatever tricks she had up her sleeve.

Yuuki Yui didn't think that Gen Ken Mashiro's actions were just a delaying tactic; the real show they had been waiting for outside was about to begin.

"Before we begin, in order to help you better understand my intentions, I think it's necessary to divide this into three parts. First, let's briefly review the video of the former headmaster of St. Silent School."

As Genki Mashiro spoke, she stepped aside, and the large screen behind her, which had been dark, suddenly lit up, playing the video that Seishion had released that day.

Yuki Yuki had watched the video more than once, and she had almost memorized many of the key points. Therefore, she was certain that the video had not been edited at all.

"In a way that is unknown to others, Saint Yuu Academy also holds the lifeline of the entire Moonsea City in another sense. Since the establishment of Saint Yuu Academy, no, even before the establishment of Saint Yuu Academy, we have always had the power to decide the future of the entire Moonsea City."

"I have borne this power for too long, and it has become a burden to me. Starting from Christmas, I will officially step down as the headmaster of St. Yuu Academy. Ms. St. Mashiro will succeed me as headmaster. This is hereby announced, and I invite everyone to witness it."

"Before I lay down my burden, I will reveal everything about St. Eternal Academy, and all the secrets behind it that no one knows."

That's right, the most important thing is what Saint Shiyin said, and it is these riddles that have attracted everyone here.

What is lifeline? What is power? What is burden? And most importantly, what does life truly represent?

Magical girls like Yuuki Yuuki know this, but ordinary people don't.

Yuuki Yui felt there was no need to even consider what kind of riots would result from simply making them public.

As the video ended, Mashiro Gorgen stepped back onto the stage, and the giant screen behind her went dark.

"I believe everyone is very curious about the source of this video, and also about the absence of the Dean of the St. Silent Academy. Don't worry, I will explain it to you one by one."

"The video's disappearance from the internet was indeed the work of our St. Eternal Academy."

The scene was thrown into another uproar, but Mashiro Gorgen remained calm and composed, like a captain standing firm in the storm.

"To prevent the spread of public opinion and misinformation, we blocked the video. This was not only my decision, but also the decision of the shareholders behind St. Eternal Academy. As the dean, I should be responsible for the reputation of the academy."

This statement is very apt. From the perspective of Makoto Shinsuke, the options are either to clarify on the spot or to completely ignore the issue. Although both have their advantages and disadvantages, they are both solutions.

The compromise may come at the cost of both, but it may also yield the benefits of both.

Mashiro Gorky gave a brief explanation of her situation and then explained their many considerations: such as not disturbing students' exams, not harming shareholder interests, and not damaging the academy's reputation and the trust it has maintained to this day.