——"Wh-why did I only score 72 points?"
Lin Xiaolu's grand declarations, following the supplentary exam the next day, shattered her confidence along with them.
The day before the practical assessnt was a rest day for most examinees, now used for the supplentary exam.
To announce the passing score lines promptly, the exam institute's examiners worked overti, finally announcing the score lines for the four written tests and the scores of many examinees that evening.
Among them, the passing score for "Rune Literature" was 67, for "Mathematics" was 79, for "Residual Beast Analysis" was 55, and for "Legal Principles" was 66.
Lin Xiaolu chose to retake both Rune Literature and Mathematics, so her final scores were 72 for Rune Literature, 88 for Mathematics, 80 for Residual Beast Analysis, and 72 for Legal Principles.
It was no surprise that her Mathematics score was high, and with Residual Beast Analysis being the focus of Erald Sparrow's usual teaching, scoring high there was understood. But the scores for the remaining two subjects could only be described as "barely passed." Such total results, while barely passing as "below average," were miles away from the "standing out" image in Lin Xiaolu's mind.
On the other side, the scores of the rest of the team rolled in together.
Bai Jingxuan: Rune Literature 87, Mathematics 82, Residual Beast Analysis 94, Legal Principles 69.
The Mathematics score was average, mainly because Bai Jingxuan had been sick as a child and couldn't attend school lessons. Her passing now was the result of day and night tutoring by Erald Sparrow after taking her from the welfare ho.
Rune Literature and Residual Beast Analysis were her personal interests, and Erald Sparrow could sense this child's strong desire for any knowledge "that could make herself stronger," making her study efficiency and motivation very high. Achieving such excellent scores was no surprise.
As for the nearly failing "Kingdom Law and Task Behavior Standards" course...
Honestly, for this child to pass this course was a relief for Erald Sparrow.
This subject was primarily set up to filter those whose ntality and worldview were not up to par for Magical Girls, preventing reckless ones from obtaining the Validation Card. Considering Bai Jingxuan's personality, always talking about "revenge" and "massacre," getting a passing score was not easy, at least showing that she rembered so of Erald Sparrow's daily advice, though she might not fully understand it.
As for the last of the three, Xia Liang, her scores were exceptionally outstanding.
Rune Literature 95, Mathematics 99, Residual Beast Analysis 93, Legal Principles 92.
These scores placed her fifth in this exam's written test.
But everyone knew that while she was publicly only the fifth in a single assessnt's written test, the number of participants in this year's exam was different from before, with many "veterans" who should have taken the test long ago but delayed until this year to take the White Card.
These examinees held comprehensive advantages in the assessnt, not only being more experienced in practical tests than pure newbies but also having more preparation ti for written subjects. So managing to snatch a fifth place in this context was no less challenging than being first in past exams, if not harder.
No doubt, if only the written test was considered, the task of "shining brightly" in Lin Xiaolu's mind was undoubtedly completed by Xia Liang, so much so that Lin Xiaolu hadn't even dared to imagine matching her score in her wildest dreams.
"Why, why! We took the sa classes, did the sa assignnts, wrote the sa tests... Your grades were worse than mine initially!"
Lin Xiaolu, quite unwillingly, shook Xia Liang's shoulders: "How can your score be so much higher? How is it so much higher? Are you even human?"
"I think... uh, maybe it's simply because I'm better at morizing things?"
Xia Liang replied helplessly, "So could you stop shaking now... you're making feel like I'm going to throw up."
"Then throw up! Let see what you've been eating and where we diverge! We both have the sa nose and eyes, so why!" Lin Xiaolu shouted.
"Getting this graphic is kind of gross," Xia Liang couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"I always thought you were in cahoots with , but it turns out you study way better than , you traitor..."
Lin Xiaolu's accusations continued.
Of course, besides the three juniors, "Newbie Magical Girl Long Dan" also received her own report card.
Rune Literature 79, Mathematics 85, Residual Beast Analysis 74, Legal Principles 72.
Every subject exceeded the passing line slightly, but not by much, roughly matching the academic level expected of a "10-year-old child" in public perception.
Erald Sparrow wasn't worried about excessive control leading to failure because her scores were all on the higher end of average historical subject scores, aning she would hit the average when the papers were the simplest.
The White Card level written test posed no challenge for her, as she grasped the answers at a glance. So as long as she wrote, it would be the correct answer, except for so questions where personal interpretation by the examiner might cause a slight score deviation.
This score was certainly just below average among the many examinees, but Erald Sparrow's intent was only to enter the exam hall as a practical assessnt candidate, so she never cared about rankings.
After confirming that all four team mbers smoothly passed the exam and advanced to the next phase, any slight nervousness subsided significantly.
In the evening, Erald Sparrow went alone to the hot spring, confirming that there was no one else in the pool before slightly relaxing with a bath, then slowly leaving.
The open space outside the changing room had so cloud-shaped seats to provide a resting facility for clients waiting outside the hot springs.
There, Erald Sparrow saw Xia Liang dressed in a bathrobe.
"What's up?"
Realizing that Xia Liang might have been waiting here specifically for her, Erald Sparrow curiously stepped forward to ask.
"Junior, I got fifth place."
"Ah, yes, fifth place. That's really impressive. Even I was surprised."
Erald Sparrow paused slightly, then nodded in affirmation, "You're very smart and work hard. I'm proud of your achievents."
"Not enough." Xia Liang looked at her and shook her head slightly.
"Not enough?" Erald Sparrow was puzzled.
"This level of praise isn't enough."
Xia Liang puffed her cheeks slightly, looking a bit sulky, "Even though I know you'll be biased towards Xiao Lu, I did sothing more amazing than Xiao Lu for once. Can't I get so reward too?"
"...What reward do you want?" Erald Sparrow blinked.
"I want a pat, too." Xia Liang winked at her.
"I rember soone telling about a 'Gentle Harbor Strategy,' saying there's no need to make things difficult for ." Erald Sparrow closed her eyes.
"That was sothing else entirely."
Xia Liang, a bit unhappy, extended a foot and gave a symbolic light kick to Erald Sparrow's calf with her toe, "This was a super formal Kingdom assessnt. Who knows when I'll achieve sothing this remarkable again? Can't I co to you for credit?"
"I think I could get you so other rewards?"
Erald Sparrow didn't mind the little act, "Like buying you so more practical magic tools, or perhaps you want so clothes, accessories, toys...or even electronic devices?"
"I can always ask for those later."
Xia Liang's toe scraped Erald Sparrow's calf a couple more tis, "Besides, saying sothing like 'making things difficult,' clearly Xiao Lu and Xiao Xuan always got what they wanted when they acted cute with you. You're a big liar, so biased."
"Stop fooling around...That's because they don't know about that thing."
Erald Sparrow stepped back a few steps, "But you already know, don't you? So avoiding suspicion is appropriate."
"Isn't it just that you can turn into a man, and also with...that, I don't really mind. In fact, rather like it..."
Xia Liang mumbled resentfully but blushed halfway through, as if negating herself, "Anyway, I want it too! You don't want Xiao Lu to see and get jealous, right? I ca all the way here; what's the excuse now?"
"Are you really going to be this persistent?"
Erald Sparrow seed a bit exasperated.
"I'm fully prepared." This ti, Xia Liang closed her eyes.
"...Alright then."
After all, it's just a head pat; it's not really crossing a line. Erald Sparrow comforted herself, reached out, and gently ruffled Xia Liang's head.
During this, Xia Liang leaned forward slightly, resting her head against Erald Sparrow's abdon; Erald Sparrow hesitated but did not stop her.
"Senior."
Xia Liang's voice was sowhat muffled, "I actually know very well my chances to outshine others and be more brilliant are probably just this written exam."
"...How could that be?" Erald Sparrow responded quietly, "You're already Leaf Level, and you've been working hard these past months to increase your repertoire and application of magic techniques. Your magic armor has evolved and you even have new secret moves you haven't told us about, right?"
"Ah, you already knew, but that's only natural."
Xia Liang's tone was sowhat downcast but calm, "In previous assessnts, perhaps I would have thought 'this is enough,' 'this is already good.' But actually, after interacting with other candidates this session, I sohow realized a fact, and that is 'this level might not be enough.'
"How do you know without trying?" Erald Sparrow countered.
"Because I'm just too ordinary."
Xia Liang spoke slowly, "No matter how much I study and progress, my improvent is only within the category of an 'ordinary magical girl.' But wanting to beco an 'extraordinary magical girl' is truly too difficult. I've realized I seem really unable to achieve this."
"You're already quite extraordinary." Erald Sparrow said earnestly.
"Hmm, I guess in the eyes of many, I am."
Xia Liang's voice carried a faint weariness, "To be honest, it's not like I've lost all morale before even competing with others and voluntarily admitted defeat. Even though it seems like I'm saying discouraging things to you now, deep down I'm still thinking about 'winning,' about 'standing out' to be among the top in the practical exams."
"No longer treating all this as a ga, constantly striving forward, it's because I'm chasing your silhouette I got here step by step. And now, it's finally ti to verify the results."
She pressed her face firmly against Erald Sparrow's abdon, closed her eyes, and murmured,
"So, just consider it my last mont of weakness before the practical exam and give more encouragent, Senior."
Reviews
All reviews (0)