Lin Xiaolu's question was quite sudden, which made Erald Sparrow involuntarily retort, "Why do you want to ask that?"
"Because that day, you said on the phone not to co over..." Lin Xiaolu replied in a low voice.
"Do you think I was finding you useless?"
Erald Sparrow's eyebrows raised slightly as she explained, "Not at all, I didn't an that."
"But, Erald Sparrow, you've actually been acting alone all this ti, haven't you?"
Lin Xiaolu stared into Erald Sparrow's eyes: "There was a ti before when you would always stare at sothing in your hand, lost in thought, and often ntioned investigating sothing. I've often thought: Could it be that Erald Sparrow has been fighting alone in places we don't know about?"
She clenched her own skirt, her voice gradually rising: "I know Erald Sparrow is strong, but even so, I can't help but worry. I don't want to just anxiously fret in the background; I want to help you!"
"That day will co."
Erald Sparrow looked down, her voice clear and cold, yet with a touch of reassurance: "You are newcors, just needing ti to grow. My generation will step off the stage, and the future will surely be yours."
"The future, huh..."
Chewing on the word, Lin Xiaolu pondered, then shook her head: "But, rather than the future, I think now is more important."
"I've said before, I want to beco a magical girl like you, Erald Sparrow. I don't want to get used to standing behind you and end up losing the courage to stand beside you."
"So, I want to try to beco stronger. I will be careful not to get hurt, and when there are Remnant Beasts that I can join in on, please let co with you," she said earnestly.
Her words were sincere, and the intensity of her feelings even stirred a subtle sense of envy in Erald Sparrow.
This was the envy felt by her fatherly self toward her magical girl self, resentful that the identity of Erald Sparrow could make Lin Xiaolu open her heart so proactively.
"...I've understood your sentints, and I'm pleased."
Suppressing the strange emotions in her heart, she decided to take Lin Xiaolu's request seriously: "Since that's the case, I will give you a specific answer."
"First, I can take you with when I go into battle, but if we encounter Inchworm-level or higher Remnant Beasts, I need you to watch from a distance, because those are indeed fights you cannot currently intervene in."
"Second, you want to know how strong you need to be to help ; I will explain that to you now."
"I've ntioned before that I am Flower Card certified, number 41076. As for what exactly a 'Flower Card' is, has Moco told you about it?"
Upon hearing this, Moco, who was drowsily lying in Xia Liang's arms, twitched her ears and lifted her head in confusion: "Huh, what?"
"The certification matter," Erald Sparrow repeated.
Looking puzzled, Moco said, "Certification... I haven't talked about it yet. Is the Patrol envoy thinking of having Xiaolu and Xiaoliang take the certification test?"
Moco appeared confused: "Didn't this year's exams already end? Isn't it a bit too early to talk about this for them?"
"It is a bit early, so I'm just laying it out there as a goal for them," Erald Sparrow said.
Erald Sparrow turned to Lin Xiaolu: "Let first explain that the Magic Kingdom has a specific grading for a magical girl's combat ability, known as 'certification cards', just like this one."
She took off the deep blue badge at her neckline, gesturing: "Certification cards, depending on the grade, are categorized from low to high into 'White Card', 'Character Card', and 'Flower Card'. Except for the 'Flower Card', which is issued directly by the royal court, White and Character Cards are obtained through specific tests."
"You and Xiaojin are currently uncertified magical girls. To advance to 'White Card', you need to participate in the test held in the Magic Kingdom."
"However, the exams are usually scheduled for March, and it's already June. You'll have to wait until next year's session. By then, if you continue to study diligently, you should be able to attain White Card certification."
"Once you beco a White Card, I will acknowledge that you can handle your own and allow you to join more dangerous battles; when you beco a Character Card, you will be able to help in perilous fights; and when you beco a Flower Card, I can entrust my safety to you with peace of mind."
"Flower Card..."
Lin Xiaolu was taken aback, repeating the phrase to herself.
Xia Liang, standing to the side, also seed contemplative and then a bit eager to try.
"Put the matter of the Flower Cards aside for now and think about your White Card exam. Even though it's not until next March, given your current pace, you need to start preparing now, and frankly, ti is quite tight."
Erald Sparrow extended her finger and said, "If you want to pass the exam next year... hmm, your sumr vacation is coming up, isn't it?"
Both of them nodded subconsciously.
"Well then, for this entire sumr vacation, I'll put you through the devil's training every day, striving to get all of you to Bud level and master your Magic Power Constructs within two months," declared Erald Sparrow, pointing her finger at the two in front of her.
"Eh, two months?"
"Isn't that a bit..."
The two newcors simultaneously showed a sowhat troubled expression because they knew from the past month of training how long it would take to reach the standard of Bud level.
"That's why I said it will be tense, you can drop out at any ti," Erald Sparrow said expressionlessly.
"Umm... if it's to help out Erald Sparrow!"
The uneasy feelings didn't trouble Lin Xiaolu for long; she quickly weighed what was more important and reignited her fighting spirit.
No matter how difficult the road ahead, she must try her best and catch up to Erald Sparrow!
That's what she thought in her heart.
——"However, speaking of exams and sumr vacation, I have another question for you,"
Erald Sparrow picked up her teacup again, took a sip of tea, and let her bangs cover her eyes, "Bai i, Xiaokin, how did your end-of-term exams at school go?"
As she asked the question, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, who were still full of fighting spirit, felt a chill and involuntarily shuddered.
No wonder, since the tone Erald Sparrow used when bringing up this topic was several tis colder than usual.
As for the reason why, we have to trace back to the parent-teacher conference two days ago.
Braving the heavy rain and rushing to the school, Lin Yun went to Lin Xiaolu's class, and then received a report card that made him suspect there had been a printing error.
Out of a hundred points: Chinese 77, Mathematics 53, English 63, Physics 42... The scores on the report card were not just shocking, they were practically unbearable to look at.
It would have been enough to stop there, but after the parent-teacher conference ended, Lin Xiaolu's form teacher specifically asked him to stay behind. Without ntioning his external embarrassnt out of politeness, the teacher first criticized him for being late and suggested that he was not setting a good example for his child; then he earnestly told him to pay attention to his child's education issues.
Lin Yun was truly at a loss for words, only able to offer an apologetic smile and say sorry. Then he went ho with his daughter who had a sowhat guilty look in her eyes.
On the way, he tried to bring up the matter of her grades, but Lin Xiaolu's attitude was defiant, giving off the impression that she couldn't care less, leaving him at a loss for what to say next.
After considering it all, he felt there was only one most efficient way.
Looking at the photos of the two report cards on her phone, Erald Sparrow fell into thought.
If Lin Xiaolu's grades could still be described as ordinarily bad, then Xia Liang's were nothing short of appalling.
"Failing all subjects? A single-digit score in mathematics?"
Looking up at Xia Liang, who was sitting there properly and looking the part of a good, studious girl, Erald Sparrow took a deep breath and turned off her phone's screen.
"Since it has co to this, there's no other way."
She crossed her arms and looked at the two before her with a serious gaze, "Starting today, we'll enter the devil's training stage, and in addition to preparing for your certification test, there will be one more item."
——"Every night, you'll have to study properly."
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