White Cards, Letter Cards, Flower Cards

Lin Xiaolu's question was extremely sudden, and it caused Larkspur to ask in return, "Why do you want to ask this?"

"Because of that day before, what you said on the phone, telling us not to come over..." Lin Xiaolu answered in a low voice.

"Do you think I was disgusted with you for being useless?"

Larkspur's brow arched slightly as she explained, "No way, I didn't mean that at all."

"But Larkspur, haven't you actually been acting alone all this time?"

Lin Xiaolu stared into Larkspur's eyes. "There was a period before too, when you'd always stare at the thing in your hand and daydream, often talking about investigating something. I'd often think: could it be that Larkspur is actually fighting alone in places we don't know about?"

She gripped the hem of her clothes, her voice gradually growing louder. "I know Larkspur is very strong, but at times like this, I still feel worried. I don't want to just stand in the rear worrying in vain; I want to help you!"

"There will be that day."

Larkspur lowered her gaze, her voice cool yet carrying a hint of reassurance. "You're newcomers and just need time to grow. An older generation like me will eventually leave the stage, and the future will always belong to you."

"The future..."

Chewing on the word, Lin Xiaolu pondered before shaking her head. "Still, compared to the future, I definitely think the present is more important."

"I said before that I want to become a Magical Girl just like you, Larkspur. I don't want to end up losing the courage to stand by your side simply because I'm used to standing behind you."

"So I want to work hard to become strong. I'll be careful not to get hurt, and when we encounter Aberrant Beasts you can bring me along for, will you let me join you?"

Her words were earnest, and the intensity of the emotion within them even caused Larkspur to feel a subtle sense of jealousy.

This was the jealousy that she, as a father, felt toward herself as a Magical Girl—jealousy that the identity of Larkspur could cause Lin Xiaolu to open her heart so proactively.

"...I know how you feel, and I'm glad."

Suppressing the strange emotion in her heart, she decided to take Lin Xiaolu's question seriously. "In that case, I'll give you a concrete answer."

"First, I can bring you along whenever I sortie, but if we encounter Aberrant Beasts of the Looper Tier or above, I need you to watch the battle from afar, because that truly isn't a fight you can interfere with right now."

"Second, you want to know just how strong you need to be to help me. I'll explain that to you right now."

"I mentioned before that I hold a Flower Card certification, number 41076. Has Moko ever told you what a 'Flower Card' actually is?"

As soon as those words were spoken, Moko, who had been dozing in Xia Liang's arms, twitched her ears and raised her head in a daze. "Eh, what?"

"About Certification Cards," Larkspur repeated.

"Certification Cards... I haven't mentioned them yet. Does the Inspector intend to let Xiaolu and Xiaoling participate in the certification tests?"

Moko wore a puzzled look. "This year's exams are already over, right? Isn't it a bit too early to talk to them about this now?"

"It is a bit early, so I'm just bringing it up first to give them a goal."

Looking at Lin Xiaolu, Larkspur said, "Then let me explain first. Regarding a Magical Girl's combat power, the Magic Kingdom has a specialized grading system. This grading mechanism is called a 'Certification Card', just like this one."

She unpinned the dark blue emblem from her collar and gestured with it. "Depending on the grade, Certification Cards are divided from lowest to highest into 'White Card', 'Letter Card', and 'Flower Card'. Except for 'Flower Cards', which are issued directly by the Royal Court, both White Cards and Letter Cards require taking specialized tests."

"You and Little Brocade are both uncertified Magical Girls right now. If you want to promote to a 'White Card', you need to go to the Magic Kingdom to take the test."

"It's just that the exam is usually scheduled for March, and it's already June now. You'll need to wait for the one next year. By then, as long as you persist in your studies, you should be able to obtain White Card certification."

"If you become a White Card, I can acknowledge that you can stand on your own and let you participate in more dangerous battles. Once you become a Letter Card, you can help me in dangerous battles. And when you become a Flower Card, I can safely entrust my own safety to you."

"A Flower Card..."

Lin Xiaolu stared in a daze, repeating the phrase in her mouth.

Beside her, Xia Liang was also lost in thought, followed by a look of eagerness.

"Put the matter of Flower Cards aside for now and think about your White Card exams. Even though it's next March, given your progress, the time to prepare starting from now is actually quite tight."

Larkspur stretched out a finger and said, "If you want to pass the exam next year... well, it seems your summer vacation is coming up next?"

The two of them nodded instinctively.

"Then, for this entire summer vacation coming up, I will put you through a devilish special training every day, striving to get both of you into the Bud Stage within two months and master your own Magic Constructs." Pointing her finger at the two in front of her, Larkspur made this announcement.

"Eh, two months?"

"Isn't this a bit..."

The two newcomers simultaneously wore troubled expressions, because after a month of recent study, they knew all too well that it would take a long time to reach the standards of the Bud Stage.

"That's why I said it would be very tight. You can quit at any time now," Larkspur said expressionlessly.

"Mm... If it's to help Larkspur!"

The troubled feeling didn't plague Lin Xiaolu for long. She quickly judged what was truly important and reignited her fighting spirit.

No matter how arduous the road ahead might be, she had to work hard and catch up to Larkspur's footsteps!

She thought this in her heart.

--"However, speaking of exams and summer vacation, I have one more question to ask you."

Larkspur picked up her teacup again, took a sip of tea, and let her bangs mask her gaze. "White Rose, Little Brocade, what were your final exam scores... at school?"

The moment she asked, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, who had just been full of fighting spirit, both felt a chill and shivered for no reason.

And it was no wonder, because when this topic was brought up, Larkspur's tone was several times colder than usual.

As for why that was, it had to be traced back to the parent-teacher meeting two days ago.

Braving the heavy rain to rush to the school, Lin Yun went to Lin Xiaolu's classroom and received a report card that made him suspect it had been printed incorrectly.

Out of 100 points, Chinese was 77, math 53, English 63, physics 42... The scores on the report card were not just startling, they were utterly unwatchable.

If that were all, it would be one thing, but when the parent-teacher meeting ended, Lin Xiaolu's homeroom teacher specifically asked him to stay behind. Out of politeness, avoiding any mention of his awkward appearance, the teacher first criticized him for being late, arguing that such behavior failed to set a good example for the child; then, she earnestly told him to pay attention to the child's education.

To this, Lin Yun was truly speechless. He could only force a smile and apologize, then return home with his daughter under Lin Xiaolu's somewhat guilty gaze.

On the way, he tried to bring up the matter of the grades, but Lin Xiaolu's attitude was so utterly brazen that he actually didn't know how to continue the topic.

Thinking it through to the end, he decided that there was one, and only one, most efficient method.

Looking at the photos of the two report cards on his phone, Larkspur fell into deep contemplation.

If Lin Xiaolu's grades could still be called ordinarily terrible, then Xia Liang's grades could only be described as horrifying.

"Failing every single subject? Single digits in math?"

Raising her head, Larkspur looked at Xia Liang, who was sitting there properly and obediently, putting on the exact facade of a well-behaved model student. She took a deep breath and pressed the lock screen button on her phone.

"Since it's reached this extent, there's nothing for it."

Crossing her arms, she looked solemnly at the two people in front of her. "Starting today, we enter the devil training phase, and besides preparing for the certification test, we're adding one more item to the agenda."

--"Every single night, the two of you are going to study properly for me."