Mint

While most teams in the team-up area had already joined together and started to gather in groups of three, Lin Xiaolu was still searching for her teammates in a daze.

She suspected that the number she received was broken.

Whenever she followed the magical fluctuations on the number plate to the location it indicated, she could not find her teammate. Instead, she could only sense that this so-called "teammate" had appeared in another place.

At first, she thought it might be that the missing "teammate" had gone the wrong way and strayed from the rendezvous point. But as this happened two or three times, she couldn't help but start to wonder if it was just a coincidence.

Either there's something wrong with the number plate you have, or there's something wrong with this unknown "teammate" himself.

Lin Xiaolu tends to think it's the former, because she doesn't believe anyone would cause trouble at such a crucial stage as the initial team formation. After all, failing to form a team at this stage is considered equivalent to forfeiting the exam!

So when she followed the number plate and missed her for the fourth time, her thought was no longer to continue searching for her elusive teammate, but rather, "Should I go to the staff and get a new plate?"

"What's wrong? Can't find your teammates?"

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan's erratic behavior stood out among the many teams that had already joined together. Many teams adopted a hands-off approach and watched coldly, but some of the more enthusiastic magical girls realized that this half-team, consisting of two elementary school students, might be in trouble.

"Is it because there are too many people here that they can't properly sense the magical fluctuations?"

The speaker was an older magical girl who smiled gently as she asked Lin Xiaolu and her companion, "Perhaps I can help you sense it?"

"Thank you, but that's not how it is."

Lin Xiaolu was a little uncomfortable with this kindness from a stranger, so her expression stiffened slightly as she said, "I can sense my teammates' locations, but once I get there, I can't see them, so I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the equipment..."

"That means that guy is a bad person." Bai Jingxuan, who had been busy with Lin Xiaolu all this time, clearly showed her dissatisfaction. It seemed that she felt that the other party was deliberately making fun of her, so her expression was already clouded with gloom.

"Huh? I can sense my teammates, but I can't find them at the indicated location?"

The enthusiastic magical girl was initially surprised, then her face paled as if she had thought of something terrible, "This... it really seems possible..."

"It's alright, thank you for your concern."

Lin Xiaolu knew what the other person was thinking. In fact, like Bai Jingxuan, most people tend to think that "the other person is playing with them." Even she herself would probably think that way in this situation.

But now that Larkspur has entrusted Bai Jingxuan to her care, and she has become a senior in the team, she has to be calm enough. Even though she was already a little annoyed about it, Lin Xiaolu forced herself to stay rational.

So after thanking the other party for their kindness, she pulled Bai Jingxuan toward the work area to see if they could exchange their number tag before the deadline for the assembly phase.

Strangely enough, after she gave up looking for her teammate and headed in the direction of the workplace, the magical fluctuations on the number tag in her hand showed that she was getting closer and closer to her target.

It turns out this brand is broken.

Lin Xiaolu became even more convinced of her guess and quickened her pace, striding towards her workplace. But just when she thought she had grasped the truth and knew exactly where to go, she was stopped by a figure that suddenly emerged from the crowd.

Because the figure appeared so suddenly, Lin Xiaolu, preoccupied with her own thoughts, couldn't react in time and bumped straight into the other person's chest.

"Hmm!"

"Ah!"

The two people who bumped into each other took a step back. Lin Xiaolu subconsciously wanted to cover her head, but then she belatedly remembered that she had bumped into the other person's chest, so her head didn't hurt at all.

As for the figure that Lin Xiaolu bumped into, he clutched his chest uncomfortably, looking at Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan with a puzzled expression.

"I'm sorry, I was in a hurry and didn't look ahead," Lin Xiaolu said after a moment of surprise.

"Haha... It's alright, I just suddenly blocked your way from the side, I hope I didn't scare you?" The other party laughed it off, quite magnanimously brushing the issue aside.

Only then did the two sides have time to observe each other's appearance.

The person who bumped into Lin Xiaolu because she suddenly blocked the way was clearly also a magical girl. Although she had short, ear-length gray-blue hair and her features looked more heroic, the light eyeshadow on her eyelids, the sparkling metal earrings on her earlobes, and her rather beautiful figure all reflected her identity as a girl.

The magical girl wore an oversized white hoodie that reached her thighs, and underneath the open jacket was a futuristic bodysuit. The blue and white color scheme, the flowing lines, and the metal armor at the joints gave her outfit a sci-fi feel.

The bodysuit extended all the way to her feet, but from her calves, a pair of metal combat boots began to extend out. The numerous vents around the boots suggested that they were not merely decorative, but rather served a more practical purpose.

If you had to sum up this magical girl's aura in one word, it would undoubtedly be "cool." And if you could add one more word, it would be "refreshing."

It's hard to imagine that such a word, which seems to describe boys, could be so fittingly combined with a magical girl. Moreover, this somewhat "boyish" quality doesn't make her seem rude or tough; she still possesses the gentleness and elegance of a girl. These two qualities complement each other perfectly, creating a very unique charm.

But if you put such a girl into a magical girl group that is all female...

Without a doubt, such a person would likely become the center of attention wherever they go.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that right now, there are countless eyes secretly watching this girl.

"Yes, it was just a slight bump, nothing serious."

Even Lin Xiaolu was initially taken aback by the other person's rather handsome appearance, but she quickly straightened up again, seemingly out of spite, with the excuse that "I know even more handsome magical girls."

"But I'm sorry, I have something urgent to do right now, so could I leave first?"

"Something urgent?"

The somewhat cool-looking girl raised an eyebrow slightly. "Ah, sure, that's fine, but I also need to talk to you about something. Could you please give me a couple of minutes?"

As she spoke, she pulled a number tag from her coat pocket. "My code name is Mint, and this is my number tag. Squad 629... is that your squad's number?"

Lin Xiaolu was truly stunned.

She stared wide-eyed at the number on the other person's number plate, then looked down at her own, confirming that both numbers were "629," before silently nodding.

"Phew, it really was you guys. My number tag sensed you were running this way, so I chased you for ages."

The girl seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, saying thankfully, "I was worried about what would happen if I couldn't catch up and missed the deadline."

We've been looking for you for ages.

Lin Xiaolu's expression was complicated. "But it seems there's something wrong with this number tag. Every time it senses a person, I arrive at the corresponding location but don't see you."

"Ah..." The girl blinked, hesitating to speak.

"Hmm?" Lin Xiaolu keenly noticed the other person's subtle movements, and her eyes immediately sharpened.

Bai Jingxuan, who had been following behind her, had also quietly walked up to Lin Xiaolu's side, looking at the girl with an unfriendly expression.

Well... how should I put it...?

The girl scratched her chin, her eyes darting around. "What you're talking about seems to be my problem."

"I can tell."

Lin Xiaolu pressed down on Bai Jingxuan's arm, but she herself had already narrowed her eyes. "Could you please explain the specific reason?"