Vol 8. Chapter 20: This Is a Secret

After smoothly lifting the point card from Muse’s waist pouch, Moon didn’t bolt right away. She kept her patience, carefully probing further inside.

But after feeling around a bit more, Moon frowned slightly.

“So strange...”

“You only got one card from me, right, second sis.”

At that, Moon immediately jumped back from Muse, clutching the stolen card tight in one hand and guarding her chest with the other.

“What’s going on, Muse? You’re supposed to be third place among the dragon examinees—how could you only have one card?”

Muse didn’t answer right away. She simply patted the pocket of her trousers, then said:

“The other cards are here. This pouch was indeed what I used at first to keep my cards, but after noticing you seemed a little off, second sis, I secretly moved them to my pants pocket and left only a single fifteen-point card inside, so that—”

“So that you could test me.”

Moon finished her sentence for her, then quickly asked:

“How did you realize something was wrong with me?”

“Normally, even if you slack off, a thirteen-year-old dragon can easily handle an A-rank beast. And second sis, you’re a dual-awakened on top of that. There’s no way you’d have trouble.”

Muse patiently explained:

“And actually, from what I know, there’s no such thing as ‘randomly assigned courses’ in the Youth Division. Ever since eldest sis entered Academy, she’s never once mentioned it. That’s why I felt you were suspicious and stayed on guard.”

Hearing this, Moon pursed her lips, folded her arms, and muttered under her breath:

“Next time I’ll definitely have Aurora think up a flawless excuse for me.”

Sure enough, with age, little Moon had grown more shrewd. But not by much. She still wasn’t very good at “scheming or trickery.”

That was why she’d said she needed Aurora to come up with cover stories for her.

Muse narrowed her eyes at the card in Moon’s hand. Her second sister sneaking like this didn’t particularly anger her. She didn’t even really mind. She only asked quietly,

“Why do this, second sis?”

“Of course it’s to spice up your outdoor exam a little.”

Moon shook the card in her hand as she spoke.

“Even though I didn’t grab many, this fifteen-pointer must be your highest one so far, right, Muse?”

Muse nodded in defeat.

“Hmph hmph~”

Great Empress Moon propped a hand on her waist, fanning her face with the card like a folding fan.

“Do you want your precious card back, Muse~~?”

Muse was about to say she already had enough points anyway, but her second sister clearly intended to tease. Then Muse bent her knees, lowered her hips, and readied her stance. The golden-red gauntlets on her hands glowed faintly with magical light.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never sparred with you before, second sis. I really want to see the power of a dual awakening.”

Moon tucked the card into her pocket, then spread her arms. Lightning gathered in her left palm, fire in her right.

It was Teresa’s first time witnessing the legendary dual awakening. Her eyes widened as she focused on the scene.

“So you’re planning to take the card back by force, Muse.”

“That’s right, second sis. Fifteen points may not be much, but I’m not about to throw it away.”

“Alright, in that case—”

The lightning and flame in Moon’s hands surged violently. Electric arcs crackled, waves of searing heat whipped her bangs up.

This fight... was for real.

Muse channeled more power into her golden-red gauntlets. The two little dragon girls stood ten-odd meters apart, a battle...

...about to explode.

“Muse—”

Moon’s voice rang out, firm, carrying a weight of pressure.

Muse shifted her stance, sinking lower, keeping her eyes locked on Moon’s hands. With a dual awakening, her openings were unpredictable—hard to guess what she’d lead with.

“Watch closely, Muse!—”

Muse’s brows knitted tight.

“It’s coming... I’ll take this move head-on, second sis!”

Moon clapped her hands together, colliding lightning and fire. The instant the two elements met, they erupted into a torrent of power. Bolts and flames surged, blinding light splattering outward, clouds of dust blasting up.

As the smoke cleared and Muse steadied herself to block—she saw instead:

“You take care now!”

Her second sis was bolting at full speed, as if she’d suddenly made up her mind.

Muse: (°ー°〃) Huh?

After a few stunned seconds, she came to and shouted at Moon’s retreating back:

“Don’t use dual awakening for something like that, damn it!!”

But Moon was already gone—probably off to scam some other students.

Muse was both exasperated and amused. In the end she could only shake her head helplessly.

“I should’ve known it would turn out like this.”

Teresa stepped up beside her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder and saying softly:

“It’s okay, Muse. We’ve only just arrived in the high-difficulty zone. There are plenty of tasks left.”

Muse nodded.

“Alright, let’s keep going, Teresa-sis.”

“Mmhm.”

The two turned and set off again.

But after only a few steps, Muse glanced back toward the direction her second sister had fled, murmuring:

“Since even a queen of slacking like second sis showed up here, does that mean eldest sis and third sis came too...”

...

“Save me~~ won’t some kind soul save me~~ I’m a princess, if you rescue me, you’ll be richly rewarded~!”

Hefei suddenly stopped in her tracks, raising her head and glancing around. Then she asked:

“Orion-sis, did you hear someone crying for help just now?”

Orion halted as well, listening carefully, then nodded.

“I heard it too. Do you want to check it out?”

“Of course. Maybe one of my classmates ended up there.”

“Alright. But it might delay your card hunting,” Orion reminded her.

Hefei waved a hand.

“It’s fine, Orion-sis. Companions are more important.”

Companions are more important...

Hearing that, Orion felt a flicker of something stir inside.

“The sound came from over there. Let’s go look!”

Hefei’s voice pulled her back. Orion regained focus and answered^

“Alright.”

The two of them followed the cries. Through a few bushes, the calls grew clearer. Hefei traced them and saw, under a tree branch, a dangling pink figure.

“Aurora-sis?!”

Hefei rushed over. As she drew close, she saw that Aurora had been caught by a rope snare—her ankle bound, the other end fastened high to the branch.

Her pink hair and little tail hung down. As soon as she spotted Hefei, tears streamed backwards across her forehead.

“Hefei, Hefei—you came to save me! I knew it, people from Constantine’s family are always so kind!”

“Don’t worry, Aurora-sis. I’ll get you down.”

Hefei conjured dragon flame in her hand, ready to burn through the rope.

But before she could throw it, Aurora stopped her in a hurry.

“Wait, wait, Hefei! Don’t use flame, what if you burn me—”

“Oh, alright.”

Hefei was an honest kid. If told no, then no. She extinguished the flame and hurried under Aurora.

“I’ll just untie it directly then.”

This time, Aurora didn’t respond. Her face had suddenly flushed red, eyes fixed on the grass right in front of Hefei, lips twitching upward—or rather downward, since she was upside-down.

Hefei didn’t see anything, but Orion spotted it at a glance: a hidden trap beneath the leaves.

“Another rope snare...” Orion thought.

“Looks like this exam’s about to get more interesting.”

She didn’t warn Hefei. This was obviously a trap set up by the academy. Orion wasn’t allowed to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Even if Hefei was about to blunder in, that was her own lack of vigilance.

Sure enough, Hefei stepped right into it. The rope tightened, yanking her ankle up. With a cry of “Ahh!” the little red dragon girl was hauled upside-down beneath the branch.

“Damn it! How could there be two traps in one place!” Hefei shouted angrily.

“Strictly speaking, there’s only one.”

Aurora’s voice drifted over.

Hefei blinked, confused.

“What do you mean, Aurora-sis?”

Aurora calmly drew a small knife from her pocket. Using incredible core strength, she bent up against the rope, then slashed it through with ease.

She flipped midair and landed smoothly on the ground. Straightening her rumpled pink hair, she strolled over to the dangling Hefei, poked her nose, and grinned.

“It means all the cards you worked so hard to collect are mine now~”

“Aurora-sis... you tricked me!!”

“Eh, that’s not a trick.”

“Then what is it?”

“Outsmarting.”

“That’s still tricking!!”

The red dragon girl fumed, but with her ankle slipping in the rope she only swung helplessly back and forth.

Aurora kindly steadied her face with one hand, stopping the sway.

“If you’ve got complaints, take them to the academy. I’m just an innocent Youth Division grunt.”

Then she glanced back at Orion.

“And Orion-sis, you’re not going to interfere, are you?”

Orion shook her head.

“Good.”

Relieved, Aurora turned back to start rummaging for Hefei’s cards.

“But I’ve got a question—or rather, two questions now,” Orion said.

Aurora paused and looked back.

“What questions?”

“First: you only set one snare under this tree. With such a wide patch of grass, how were you so sure Hefei would step on it?”

Aurora thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“That’s a secret, Orion-sis. Just assume I was a blind cat that caught a dead mouse.”

“From how it looks, I’m the blind cat right now, Aurora-sis.”

Hefei muttered darkly from upside-down.

Orion’s brow furrowed.

“Second question then... how did you know my name was Orion?”

This time, Aurora answered instantly.

“Same as before, sis. That’s also... a secret.”