Bee

In the Magic Kingdom, although people do not change how they view a person because of their gender, the objective fact is that men cannot become magical girls.

Therefore, it is highly unusual for a man to be sitting with three magical girls, plotting a scheme. Combined with the fact that these three magical girls belong to Claw Mark, the identity of the man sitting here becomes quite clear:

--He comes from the Black Ash Dawn.

However, despite being a member of the infamous Black Ash Dawn, the man didn't exude any sinister aura; he looked more like a shrewd businessman. In fact, if it weren't for the eerie black mask he wore, no one would likely associate him with "Black Ash Dawn."

And at this moment, his remarks continued to corroborate this point:

"The importance of the Queen Year to the people of this Kingdom is beyond doubt. Therefore, we should not have hoped that they would have any oversights in their security measures. The reason we sent Golden Snake to probe was not to look for an opportunity, but to confirm our suspicions."

With his hands clasped in front of his chest, the man spoke in a measured tone, "As for what you said earlier about Black Cat revealing his intentions to his former friends, I think that's understandable. It's normal to want to keep familiar people away from the battlefield to avoid accidental casualties. We're sitting here together precisely because we share some kind of passion, aren't we?"

The Golden Snake didn't respond to his words, seemingly unwilling to pay any attention to the guy. Instead, it took out its pipe from its pocket, lit the tobacco, and silently began to puff away.

"I don't really care... I'm just worried that if Cat Sister's actions really delay the mission, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it to the boss."

On the other side, Brown Pelican scooped up a piece of cake with his fork, put it in his mouth, and said in a muffled voice, "The boss really values this Beast Source this time. If we mess things up, she'll be very unhappy."

"It won't fail."

Black Cat suddenly spoke up, "Even if the leader doesn't pursue the matter, I cannot tolerate the failure of this operation. If my actions lead to problems in the end, I will bear the responsibility."

"... I didn't intend to make things that serious."

Brown Pelican swallowed the cake in her mouth, spreading her hands in an innocent gesture. "But Cat Sister, do you really trust your old flame that much? Although I've heard a little about the name 'Cornflower'... but didn't she almost become the Sapphire Scepter back then? Can she really tolerate us?"

Black Cat paused for a moment, seemingly reluctant to discuss this topic, before finally speaking, "She's not some 'old flame.' We used to be comrades in the same squad."

However, it sounded somewhat like he was evading the question, clearly not directly addressing the Brown Pelican's doubts.

"The fact that Cornflower refused to become Gem Scepter, and even willingly accepted exile from the Kingdom for it, shows that she was not truly aligned with the Kingdom."

So the Golden Snake took over the topic, adding, "In some ways, she has a lot in common with us."

"Are you saying that Cornflower is someone worth trying to recruit? But she's been exiled by the Kingdom, yet our boss hasn't tried to recruit her. Does that mean he sees something wrong with her?"

Brown Pelican scooped up another piece of cake. "Thinking about it, it's really complicated... Forget it, I don't want to think about it. Anyway, I don't know her, so it has nothing to do with me."

"Yes, so I think we can leave the topic of Cornflower here."

Seeing that the three men with Claw Mark seemed to have conflicting opinions, the man spoke up to smooth things over, saying, "When our actions are destined to put us at odds with the vast Royal Court, discussing the stance of any one person becomes meaningless. In fact, it is precisely because of Cornflower's previous actions that we are sitting here now, isn't it?"

"I have no opinion," the Golden Snake said, exhaling smoke.

"Okay." The Brown Pelican continued eating.

Only the Black Cat stared grimly at the table, her amber pupils filled with some unfathomable and profound emotion. After pondering silently for a while, she suddenly spoke, "Bee."

This was a title that didn't match any of the three people present, including Claw Mark, and besides Claw Mark, the only other person there was the masked man.

Therefore, this is undoubtedly his code name.

"What's wrong, Black Cat?" The man, his face masked, turned towards her.

"We, Claw Mark, accept your deal with Black Ash Dawn, so we will consider you allies. Whatever you plan to do, we will cooperate; whatever we plan to do, you must do your best as well." The Black Cat's tone was devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, of course. Cooperation leads to mutual benefit. Not all of us at Black Ash Dawn are brainless lunatics."

The man codenamed "The Bee" nodded. "Since we all share similar goals, let's each take what we need."

"I won't pry into what your ulterior motives are, because you won't tell. So, I only have one request for you."

The Black Cat slightly raised its head, its vertical pupils fixed on the bees. "Absolutely, don't ruin the leader's plans, or I won't forgive you."

The man fell silent for a moment.

No one knew what kind of face and expression was behind that black mask; they could only see the mask slowly moving up and down, indicating that he was making a "nodding" gesture.

"Of course."

His voice remained calm. "Although that Beast Source originally belonged to us, since Moth can't make good use of it, it should be put to use by someone more capable. We admire Lady White Wolf's abilities and ideals, so we volunteered to help her retrieve this Beast Source, and we won't touch it again until she achieves her goals..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "This is something we already agreed upon, isn't it?"

"This is just one point. What I want to warn you is not to create unnecessary complications."

The Black Cat's voice was slightly hoarse. "Fighting against the Royal Court, provoking the 'false king' you speak of, and the queen we speak of are all things we can do. But don't needlessly attack ordinary people and children. If you do, our enemy will no longer be just the Royal Court, but the entire Magic Kingdom, all magical girls, including the Cornflower you mentioned, which doesn't need to be discussed."

"Do not act presumptuously, lest our actions invite additional enemies."

She narrowed her eyes, like a wild beast about to begin its hunt. "Otherwise, I'll kill that troublesome fool first."

The bee fell silent once more, deep in thought.

He stroked his chin with one hand, his index finger tapping lightly on the side of his mask, and after a short while, he answered:

"On this point, I think you don't need to doubt it. Our faction has always prioritized efficiency. We are not the same kind of people as those lunatics who think they can get closer to the essence of beast magic and gain the favor of the Beast Lord by spreading fear."

He lowered his hand and opened his arms to the group with Claw Mark, as if to show "openness":

"Furthermore, as you all know, our intention was never to 'sabotage' this exam."

"After all, our 'Beast Child' are currently taking exams and enjoying their 'youth'."

Wishing all the high school students taking the college entrance exam the best of luck! The first day of exams is over. To paraphrase the Larkspur's perspective from the previous chapters, no matter how well you performed, maintain a calm mindset, face the upcoming exams with a positive attitude, give it your all, and leave no regrets.

By the way, I also happen to be 18 years old this year, still a high school student, and I'll be taking the college entrance exam too. Let's cheer each other on for the exam!