Chapter 96 Secret Base (4k)_2

Following the lead provided by Xia Liang, Emerald Sparrow skillfully steered the topic away and breathed a sigh of relief, "If we take into account your earlier requirements and consider the special training needs, we might indeed require a standalone building, as the environment would be more suitable." Find your next read at empireHer suggestion left the two newcomers momentarily at a loss for words.

"Standalone..." Lin Xiaolu blinked blankly, "Isn't that a bit too luxurious?"

"It must be expensive, right?"

Xia Liang also expressed some concern, "It's just meant to be a place for activities; do we really need to pick such a place? Besides, we don't have the money..."

"You guys, are you perhaps underestimating the value of being magical girls?"

Emerald Sparrow raised an eyebrow, "Not to mention anything else, just consider the Egg-level Remnant Beasts you've defeated over the past few months. If you were to exchange all those Echos for money with the kingdom, how much do you think it would be?"

"Er... Fifty thousand?" Lin Xiaolu said uncertainly, "I don't really have a concept of it."

"Could it be a hundred thousand?" Xia Liang's estimate was obviously a bit more optimistic, "I remember seeing rumors online that magic materials are quite valuable."

"You're all wrong."

Releasing her crossed arms, Emerald Sparrow spread her palms in front of the two girls and gestured, "The answer is, just counting the Egg-level Remnant Beasts, it's over 300,000."

"In other words, if you go to the kingdom and exchange those Echos for money, we could rent a villa for a whole year in a location that's not too remote."

"Eh!"

"Really?"

This answer clearly exceeded the expectations of the two girls. Sёarᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"However, I do not recommend doing that."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Emerald Sparrow shook her head, "As Xiaojin mentioned earlier, the price of magic materials is extremely valuable, and using Echos to obtain materials from the kingdom is the most cost-effective method. There's no channel cheaper than exchanging them for Contribution Value with the kingdom."

"Magical girls who wish to rapidly increase their magic power can rely on resources to help; to research and develop spell techniques requires a large amount of magic materials; and if you want to create equipment or conduct experiments, you need even more materials."

"No magical girl in their power growth phase would exchange Echos for money, except maybe a small portion to supplement daily necessities—most of it should be used to enhance their own strength."

"So I'm only informing you of the value of Echos. As for the location of the secret base, we can choose another approach—requesting assistance from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."

This was indeed the most prudent method.

If they were to try to rent or purchase a place for a secret base in private, there could be a variety of issues. The house renovation, daily fees, and security in the surrounding area could all create minor but significant nuisances.

With the help of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau and their backing, the matter could be much easier to resolve, and the selection of the location would be more secretive, better ensuring that it wouldn't be discovered by ordinary people.

Although by doing so, the location of the secret base would be known to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, thus becoming less "secret," sometimes it's better to communicate with the local official institutions in advance to avoid further disturbances.

"The Abnormal Strategy Bureau can do this kind of thing?" Lin Xiaolu marveled as if she had entered a new world, "Wait, we can make such requests to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"

"Of course, you can. In fact, such requests are considered reasonable official business."

Emerald Sparrow slightly lifted her chin, "Providing magical girls with a place for activities is nothing unusual for the Abnormal Strategy Bureau; don't be mistaken, it benefits them even more than it does us."

"Because it means our cooperation with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau is deeper, and we're beginning to establish a preliminary exchange of interests."

"The Abnormal Strategy Bureau has no authority to command or manage magical girls, but goodwill and interests can do so. With an exchange of interests, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau knows what conditions can make magical girls take action on their behalf."

"So, they aren't afraid of Magical Girls making demands to them. In fact, they're looking forward to you asking them for something,"

"I actually hope you wouldn't rely on this kind of mutually beneficial relationship because, after all, we are still people living in a material world society, where personal feelings can bind our actions. The more you reach out to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, the harder it becomes to decline their requests."

"Of course, there are also those Magical Girls who treat the Abnormal Strategy Bureau as servants, pushing them to work tirelessly, taking advantages without ever lending a hand. While it's possible to do so, this will eventually harm the cooperation between both parties."

"The Abnormal Strategy Bureau has neither the authority nor the power to do anything significant against you. But they are an official institution and, to a certain extent, represent the government. They have enough power within the city, and if they wanted to annoy you or cause trouble over trivial matters, they would have no problem doing so."

Her words made Lin Xiaolu realize, "Ah, so that's why the liaison from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau keeps asking if I need any help?"

"So Senior, is that why you told me to establish contact with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau as late as possible?" Xia Liang thought deeper, "I haven't even appointed a liaison there yet. Are they more anxious about it?"

"The Abnormal Strategy Bureau is a partner, but they can only ever be your partner,"

Nodding in affirmation at their responses, Emerald Sparrow spoke with some gravity, "Don't underestimate the intricate power relationships within the city government, or even the interests tied between cities."

"If you get too close to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, or even the government, you would often have to divert your energy to some very troublesome matters. I don't wish for that for you."

"We eliminate Remnant Beasts, do our jobs well; the Abnormal Strategy Bureau handles the aftermath, maintains the city's stability, and does their job. If everyone sticks to their own tasks, that would be the healthiest and best relationship."

"A proper sense of mystery and distance can actually help us retain enough goodwill and understanding with each other."

"Of course, simply asking for a place to gather is a small matter for the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so we must also approach it with that attitude, treating it as 'a small matter.' Even if you think it's a lot of money and consider it a big deal in your heart, you must force yourself to act indifferent."

"If both sides regard it as just a small thing, then it actually becomes 'just a small thing,' and the favor owed will only be 'a small favor.' It will simply lubricate our relationship, without the worry of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau making requests of you,"

After saying all this, to ensure the two girls could keep up and understand, she paused and asked Lin Xiaolu, "Do you understand the logic of what I've said?"

She didn't ask Xia Liang, because she knew that Xia Liang's sensitivity to these matters would allow her to grasp the content quickly.

"Sort of... understand?"

Lin Xiaolu was obviously uneasy, mumbling, "So it means to think about a lot of things when asking the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for help? It's just... uh, adult thinking is so complicated."

Clearly, she didn't understand.

Emerald Sparrow sighed inwardly.

Even though she knew that her daughter was probably at this level and the performance was not off from her expectations, she still felt a bit complicated.

Parents always hope their children are innocent and pure, retaining the beauty of a child's innocence. But they also worry: if you really bring up your child to be naïve, what happens when they go out and get deceived by others?

"Never mind, just remember one thing: try to handle things yourself whenever possible; if you do ask the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for help, be assertive, and don't be embarrassed about it."

Her eyelids drooped as she raised her index finger, "So if we want a secret base, we should naturally demand it from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, and we should act as if it's no big deal."

Clap, clap.

"It's only times like these where one feels, Senior is truly an adult," Xia Liang softly applauded from the side.

"Um... Anyway, Emerald Sparrow is really amazing!" Lin Xiaolu clapped her hands, realizing belatedly.

"Cough cough, let's end the chit-chat here,"

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise from the two youngsters, Emerald Sparrow straightened her face and coughed lightly, "Let's get back to the real task, take out your textbooks, class is starting!"