In the exam hall, the young dragons were engrossed in answering their questionsâexcept for Shari, who had just accused Hefei and Muse of cheating.
Shari frowned, biting the end of her pencil. The exam questions were utterly incomprehensible to her, as if they were written in an alien language.
âAre these kinds of questions meant for kids? Dragon kids must be insane,â she muttered to herself.
Still, complaints wouldnât solve her problem. Shari had to pass this exam, or elseâŠ
Shaking her head, she forced herself to calm down and analyze each question carefully, trying to deduce the answers.
But the dragon magic system was, after all, the dragon magic systemâfar too complex to grasp in a short time. No matter how much she focused, the things she didnât understand remained an unsolvable mystery.
Just then, a sharp sound reached her ears.
Turning her head, Shari saw Museâher bright red pupils gleamingâscribbling furiously on her paper. Judging by her speed, it seemed as though the questions were as simple as âone plus one equals twoâ for her.
Shari couldnât help but sweat inwardly.
âWhy are Leonâs daughters all so difficult to deal with?â she thought.
Leaning closer, Shari tried to get Museâs attention. Using the âsecret signalâ Hefei and Muse had exchanged earlier, she whispered softly, âDoot doot doot doot~â
Muse paused, her pen halting mid-air. Turning her small head, she saw that it wasnât Hefei calling her but the very classmate who had just accused them of cheating.
Museâs expression soured.
âHey, classmate, how do you solve the first question?â Shari asked in a low voice.
Muse shook her head, her tone curt. âHelping is against the rules. I donât want to get reported for cheating.â
Shari: âŠ
That boomerang came back fast.
Frustrated, Shari regretted her earlier impulsiveness. She had been so focused on completing the task assigned by the lady that she hadnât thought through her escape routes.
But now wasnât the time for reflectionâshe had to figure out a way to pass the exam. Two failures in a row, and the adults would never give her another chance.
âI just⊠misunderstood earlier,â Shari tried again, her voice softening. âMuse, youâre such a kind person. You wouldnât just leave me hanging, would you?â
Muse blinked her large, clear eyes. âIf you canât solve the question, will you die?â
ââŠâ
Shari sighed, clarifying, âThatâs not what I meant. Itâs just an expression.â
âOh, so youâre smart enough to understand that,â Muse said with a sly smile. âIf youâre that clever, then you donât need to look at my answers.â
âHey, youâ!â
Shari almost choked. âHow can such a cute little dragon be so devious?â
Seeing that the emotional appeal didnât work, Shari decided to try another tactic.
âMuse, if you tell me the answers, Iâll buy you some yummy snacks later,â she offered with a smile.
But Muse tilted her head, looking disinterested. âI donât care about snacks.â
Shari: âŠ
Dragon kids are the worst!
âPlease, Muse, just let me see your answers, okay?â Shari pleaded.
âNope~â Muse replied cheerfully.
Realizing she was getting nowhere, Shari shifted her focus to Hefei instead.
âHefei~ Hefei~â she whispered.
Hefei stopped writing and turned to look at Shari.
âWhat do you want?â Hefeiâs voice was cold, her demeanor clearly reflecting her annoyance at being falsely accused earlier.
âI want to see your test paper. I know your dad; heâs the Red Flame Dragon King. That makes us friends, doesnât it?â
âIf weâre friends, why did you accuse me of cheating?â
âWell, that was⊠becauseâŠâ Shari stammered.
âBesides,â Hefei continued, âlots of dragons know my father. That doesnât mean youâre my friend.â
With that, Hefei turned back to her test.
Desperate, Shari refused to give up.
She scribbled something on a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it onto Hefeiâs desk.
Hefei blinked, glanced at Shari, and then slowly unfolded the paper ball.
After reading its contents carefully, Hefeiâs expression twisted into one of pure disdain.
âPerfect! My heartfelt words have finally touched her!â Shari thought to herself, gleefully. âKids are so easy to fool. A few nice words, and theyâre hooked!â
But just as Shari was reveling in her triumph, Hefei raised her hand and called out, âTeacher, Shari is cheating!â
Shari: ???
The invigilator quickly approached, his face stern.
âWhatâs going on here?â
âTeacher, Iâm not cheating!â Shari protested.
âI have evidence,â Hefei said calmly, handing over the crumpled paper.
The invigilator scanned the contents of the paper, his expression turning peculiar. He pocketed the note, glanced at Shariâs blank test sheet, and said, âThis is your last warning. Any further attempts at cheating, and your exam will be invalidated.â
Shari lowered her head. âYes, teacherâŠâ
She hadnât expected Hefeiâs retaliation to be even quickerâand more painfulâthan Museâs.
The exam hall returned to order.
Muse and Hefei, both now thoroughly annoyed with Shari, ignored her completely.
But with only thirty minutes left until the exam ended, Shari knew she had to act fast. She closed her eyes and summoned her magic.
Secret Technique: All-Seeing Eye
âMevis, you have to help me this time!â
At St. Heathâs Academy training grounds, Noa smashed through the last wooden target of her practice routine, completing the assignments Mevis had set for her.
âYouâre amazing, sis!â
Moon, who had been waiting nearby, ran over holding two small cakes.
âI made these during my break earlier. Little Moon already ate hers, so this oneâs for you, big sis!â
âThanks, Moon,â Noa said, wiping sweat from her brow with the towel around her neck. She took the cake with a grateful smile.
Mevis approached, offering praise. âYouâve improved a lot. You destroyed fifty targets faster than last time. Next, weâll focus on strength.â
âYes, Maâam!â Noa responded eagerly, nearly choking on her cake in her haste to reply.
Moon hurriedly patted Noaâs back, while Mevis handed her a bottle of water. âSlow down, Noa.â
âThank you, teacher,â Noa said after taking a sip.
Moon then offered her remaining cake to Mevis. âTeacher, you should try it too! Itâs really tasty!â
Mevis hesitated briefly before accepting. âThank you, Moon.â
As the sisters chatted and shared laughs, Mevis watched them with a faintly nostalgic expression.
Suddenly, a voice called out, âMevis! Mevis!!â
Her thoughts interrupted, Mevis frowned and turned toward the source of the voice.
âStay here, Noa, Moon. Iâll handle this,â she said before walking toward the commotion.
In a secluded corner, Mevis pulled a small, white figure out of the shadows.
âThanks for your help earlier, Mevis. I wouldnât have passed that cursed exam without you,â Elizabeth said with a sly smile.
Mevisâs expression remained neutral. âDonât use the All-Seeing Eye so recklessly in the academy. If youâre caught, all my years as an advisor will go to waste. Understood⊠Elizabeth?â