Chapter 826 – Mo-Zhi-Ka-Sen Familiar Boarding House

“Clack! Clack!” Seeing this, Clack also nodded its skull vigorously, its soul fire blazing fiercely, expressing the same longing.

For them, staying by their master’s side and experiencing endless excitement was far more important than being stuck in one place running a business.

Sentai followed along with its little companions’ rhythm, transmitting the simple thought of “wanting to be together with everyone.”

Mo Lan looked at them, a warm current welling up in her heart.

At that moment, Zhizhi shifted the topic: “Besides, I can totally hire some more employees to help manage things! A real entrepreneur running a big business doesn’t need to do everything personally—you’ve gotta learn to recognize talent, delegate wisely, and keep your eye on the big picture!”

As it spoke, it actually pulled out a crumpled book from its companion space, the cover prominently reading 《The Entrepreneurial Spirit》.

Flipping expertly to a certain page, it pointed a claw at the text and said with utmost seriousness: “That’s right, it says so right here in the book! ‘A successful leader should be adept at delegating authority and hiring professional managers to handle daily operations…’ So we can totally find a reliable manager to watch the shop for us! That way we can go on adventures AND the boarding house keeps making money—best of both worlds! I, Zhizhi, am truly a genius!”

Mo Lan: “…”

She looked at Zhizhi striking its little entrepreneur pose, then at Clack beside it—a skull that couldn’t read a word but was nodding furiously in support anyway—and at Sentai, who didn’t really understand what was happening but was swaying its branches along with the vibe like a one-tree cheerleading squad. For a moment, she was completely speechless.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and finally couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

It seemed Zhizhi was serious about this whole “startup” thing—it had even started studying management literature.

“Alright, alright,” Mo Lan compromised with a mixture of helplessness and amusement. “Our future CEO of the ‘Mo-Zhi-Ka-Sen’ Group, Lady Zhizhi—I’ll leave the matter of finding a professional manager entirely in your capable hands? Just make sure it’s sorted out before we set off again! Fortunately, we’ll be staying in Valen for a while this time, so you can take it slow.”

“Squeak! Leave it to me!” Zhizhi puffed out its chest, brimming with confidence, already mentally sifting through the employees to see who might have management potential. The more it thought about it, the more restless it became, and it said eagerly to Mo Lan: “Master, you can take your time looking around the house later when you go exploring other worlds. Right now, let’s go check out the shop together first!”

“Sure,” Mo Lan agreed with a smile. “Give me the spatial coordinates for the Mo-Zhi-Ka-Sen Familiar Boarding House, and I’ll open a door to take us straight there.”

She had been planning to set up bases in various locations across the world of Valen anyway, recording their spatial coordinates on the magical clock by the door of her Witch’s home to achieve true “open the door and arrive” convenience.

The boarding house was Zhizhi and the others’ enterprise, so naturally it had to be added too!

Zhizhi immediately pulled out a well-preserved set of camp deed documents from its wondrous companion space, with the boarding house’s exact spatial coordinates in the Explorer’s Camp clearly marked on them.

Taking the coordinates, Mo Lan walked into the Witch’s cottage, came to the magical clock beside the front door, and extended a finger to lightly tap an empty notch on the clock face. As Mana flowed, a crooked but distinctively recognizable little bow tie icon was etched onto it, representing the Mo-Zhi-Ka-Sen Familiar Boarding House.

Next, in her capacity as Mirror Lord, she opened a stable, fixed teleportation channel between the Witch’s home mirror space and those coordinates, linking it to the icon.

“All set, let’s go!” Mo Lan called out to the three little ones still curiously looking around in the yard.

“Squeak! Let’s go!” Zhizhi had been waiting impatiently. In an instant, it transformed back into its form—a sturdy, imposing monkey slightly taller than an average human, wearing a bow tie and looking thoroughly pleased with itself. It didn’t forget to carefully straighten the bow tie around its own neck, then reached over to adjust the matching bow tie around Clack’s neck as well.

Clack, meanwhile, was holding a small spatial planting pot, calling out to Sentai’s main body: “Clack! (Come on over!)”

Sentai’s massive tree body emitted a soft green glow, rapidly shrinking, shrinking further, until it finally became a miniature tree only palm-height, yet with branches and leaves still lush and verdant.

Zhizhi carefully lifted the mini Sentai and placed it steadily into the planting pot Clack was holding. The little tree’s roots immediately spread out, burrowing into the magical soil in the pot, contentedly swaying its leaves.

Zhizhi fished out a small bow tie from its companion space and put it on Sentai. Only then, satisfied, did it lead them inside.

One monkey, one skeleton, one potted tree—they formed a line behind Mo Lan, radiating a wonderfully harmonious energy.

Once they were all inside, Mo Lan first closed the door, then reached out and gently turned the magical clock’s hand to the newly etched “little bow tie icon” notch.

A flash of flowing light swept across the clock face, accompanied by a faint spatial ripple.

Mo Lan grasped the door handle again and slowly pushed the door open—the scene outside had completely changed!

No longer the pond and grassland outside the Witch’s home, but a street that Zhizhi and Clack knew all too well.

“Wow! Squeak! We really arrived just like that!” Zhizhi cried out in delighted surprise.

“Clack!” Clack excitedly jostled the planting pot, and the mini Sentai inside curiously poked its “head” out.

After stepping outside and looking back, behind them stood a rather sizable door. Hanging on it was a handmade wooden sign—a bit rough around the edges but crafted with obvious care. On it, in wobbly yet lively lettering, were carved the words “Mo-Zhi-Ka Familiar Boarding House,” with a little purple bow tie pattern drawn beside them.

Zhizhi stepped forward and pushed open the door with practiced familiarity: “Let’s go in!”

Behind the door was a spacious reception hall, decorated to feel warm and full of whimsy.

Several Explorers were there with their familiars, either waiting to complete paperwork or waiting to pick up their companions.

A bit farther away, a small rock turtle was crawling slowly in a corner, and a prismatic butterfly rested on a flower vine rack that had been specially set up for it.

“Welcome~”

A red-furred squirrel wearing a black bow tie, its fur groomed immaculately, nimbly popped its head up from behind the tall reception desk.

With the bosses away, it wore many hats—recording customer requests and serving as doorkeeper all at once.

It had been holding a little notebook and jotting something down, offering only a routine greeting. But when it saw that the ones who’d come in were Zhizhi and Clack, its round black eyes flashed with surprise: “Boss Zhizhi, Boss Clack? Didn’t you say you’d be away for two days? How are you back so soon?”

Its gaze traveled past Zhizhi and Clack, landing on Mo Lan, who was the last to enter.

When it got a clear look at Mo Lan—whose appearance was the spitting image of the purple-haired Sorceress on the back of the cards—the red squirrel froze, then let out a short, sharp cry of shock. The notebook in its little paws nearly clattered to the ground: “The C-Card Sorceress, Lady Moira—you… you’re back?!”