First Place

Squad 582's victory in the maze assessment shocked all the examinees. Among them, the magical girl "Little Brocade," mentioned by the examiner, drew particular attention, with everyone asking: Who is Little Brocade?

Neither the widely circulated "Carry Ranking" nor the social circles of the test takers seemed to contain any mention of "Little Brocade." This unusual first place winner seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere, leaving everyone puzzled.

Of course, this result was not surprising to the spectators in the grandstand.

Rather, from the latter half of the assessment, when "Little Brocade" suddenly discovered an unconventional use for her Magic Armament and thought of skipping class by passing through walls, she had already become the focus of attention for many spectators.

It wasn't that no one questioned this; the examiner also heard the question, "Isn't this a foul?" and some even advocated for failing the student. However, this suggestion was ultimately not implemented.

From the perspective of the examiners at the Examination Institute Yuan, Little Brocade's behavior undoubtedly falls into a gray area. Her actions did not cause any substantial damage to the maze and did not violate any explicit regulations. However, if a matter were to be investigated, she could be stopped on the vague grounds of "disrupting examination discipline."

The reason why this situation, where both sides have their own reasons, was able to reach a consensus in a short time was not only because the chief examiner and several colleagues studied the examination Rule together and believed that the candidate's behavior "belonged to a loophole in the Rule, and the responsibility lay with the Examination Institute," but also because Little Brocade's actions slightly introduced some variables.

Some spectators sitting high on the viewing platform heard laughter coming from the heavily guarded area.

Although it was a very brief sound, so brief that one might even doubt whether they had misheard, the guards who were actually surrounding them could not possibly have made a mistake.

It wasn't the laughter of any of the three Gem Scepter, nor the voice of any of their guards; without a doubt, the laughter could only have come from that noble person.

The Queen laughed at this. And since she made no move to stop it, the matter was deemed feasible.

Although it sounds absurd, this is the main reason why everyone stopped arguing: no one should oppose what the Queen supports, and all the magical girls in the Magic Kingdom know this.

Undoubtedly, this candidate's method of skipping class will become a key point of discussion and reflection for the Examination Institute afterward, and may even affect the formulation of Rule for future practical assessments. However, for now, her behavior will not be punished.

That's how this controversial "first place" came about.

Of course, there was something else that even Little Brocade herself didn't know, but which was witnessed by the spectators: in fact, if Little Brocade hadn't obtained that map along the way, she might not have been the first place winner.

Because she chose the wrong direction from the beginning.

She was originally located in the upper southwest of the maze, but after discovering that her Magic Armament could pass through walls, she chose to head north.

Given her magical power and speed, if she hadn't obtained a map along the way, which allowed her to change direction and break through from the west, she would probably still be making a futile journey north.

However, none of that matters anymore. The only important thing is that this candidate, who was on the verge of "fouling," ultimately became the top scorer in the first practical assessment.

Xia Liang, having escaped the maze, now fully understands this matter.

When she grabbed the map and led two teammates out of the maze with a desperate pace, she was greeted by applause from the viewing platform and congratulations from the examiners by the wall.

"Squad 582, congratulations! You were the first team to escape the maze, and your unexpected actions earned you extra spectator evaluation points. Therefore, you have become the team with the highest overall score after this assessment."

Rose, one of the examiners, also acknowledged Xia Liang and the others' scores with a clear declaration. "You can now leave the examination room and go back to rest to prepare for the next exam. Alternatively, you can go to the spectator area to observe the other candidates. However, I must remind you that if you choose to go to the spectator area, there will likely be quite a few 'enthusiastic' spectators who want to ask you some questions."

She gestured towards the audience seats not far away, and at the same time, she deliberately emphasized the word "enthusiasm," making Xia Liang realize that it didn't seem to be a completely positive word.

"Ha... ha... I see."

Because of the excessive consumption of magic power, Xia Liang subconsciously gasped for breath, her mind, already nearing its limit, was struggling to process what she was seeing. However, she still tried her best to understand Rose's meaning, and then forced a smile, "I feel really tired now, I just want to go back to the inn to rest."

"Understandable."

Rose nodded. "Then let's go to the left, that's the lounge. Go out the back door of the lounge, and you can leave here."

"Okay... I understand."

Xia Liang nodded reluctantly, but stumbled as she took a step and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Tiger Lily reacted quickly and caught her, lifting her up.

"Let's go, Senior Little Brocade, and my sister too."

She gestured to Mountain Lily, who was hesitant and clearly wanted to join the excitement on the viewing platform, and then gave a slight bow to Rose: "Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency the Examiner."

"No need for formalities."

Rose shook her head. "I was just following the rules, there's no question of giving any pointers. However, if you'd like, could you answer one question for me before you leave?"

Tiger Lily hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, and did not respond. Instead, she looked at Xia Liang, clearly feeling that it was better to let Xia Liang make the decision.

"... May I ask you something?" Xia Liang straightened up again, trying her best to make herself look less disheveled.

"I was the designer of this maze for the assessment, and I was responsible for coordinating the entire system of Spell Formula within the maze, so I know exactly what the Spell Formula on the walls are. In theory, such a sophisticated Spell Formula structure should cease functioning quickly once it is severed, and could even cause a large-scale collapse."

Rose stared into Xia Liang's eyes, her tone calm yet filled with undisguised inquiry. "However, your Magic Armament completely violates the most basic operating principles of the Spell Formula, thus exploiting this loophole. Why is that?"

"Sorry, I'm not quite sure either."

Xia Liang thought for a moment, then admitted frankly, "Because I don't know that much about my Magic Armament yet."

"Is that so? Well, at your age, it's indeed too difficult to fully understand your Magic Armament."

Rose nodded. "Then, perhaps I can extend an invitation to you. Would you be willing to come to my laboratory after the assessment and assist me in researching your Magic Armament? I am very interested in this Magic Armament that can break my Spell Formula."

"Well... thank you for your kind words, but perhaps I should go back and consult with our captain," Xia Liang replied cautiously.

"Yes, I should. In fact, I should inform your team as well."

Rose readily agreed, "Which squad are you from? Oh, I'm not referring to your current assessment squad, but rather your original squad."

"Uh, Fangting City?" Xia Liang didn't really want to answer, but she figured the other party could investigate afterward, so there was no point in lying. She could only bite the bullet and tell them where she came from.

"Fangting City? I think I've heard that name before, and probably only recently..."

The Rose tilted its head back and thought for a moment, but then, as if realizing something, its eyes widened slightly.

Xia Liang realized that the other person had realized something, so they both widened their eyes.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

After a long silence, it was finally Rose who spoke first, "I see, that makes sense then."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Xia Liang immediately adopted the demeanor of a junior.

"Please give my regards to Cornflower when you return."

Rose's tone was no longer as casual as before, but rather more formal as she said, "However, I am still very curious about your Magic Armament armor, so if possible, please help me convey my request."

"Ah... okay." Xia Liang nodded obediently.

"Okay, that's settled then. You should leave now. If we drag this out any longer, people from the viewing platform will probably be coming soon."

After learning that Xia Liang was actually a member of Larkspur's team, Rose was no longer in her usual businesslike manner. Instead, she urged him rather seriously, "Hurry up, don't linger in the rest room."

This attitude makes its intention quite clear.

Xia Liang and the others weren't so tactless; after hearing Rose's words, they quickly left. Shortly after they disappeared from Rose's sight, a series of footsteps sounded behind Rose.

Without even turning around, the Rose knew who was coming.

She took a few steps to the side, then suddenly turned back, blocking their path, and loudly inquired:

"My colleagues at the Finance Institute, what brings you here?"