Lin Xiaolu's question came very suddenly, making Larkspur ask in return, "Why do you want to know that?"
"Because of what you said on the phone that day, about telling us not to come over..." Lin Xiaolu answered quietly.
"You think I was looking down on you because you weren't useful?"
Larkspur raised an eyebrow slightly and explained, "No, I never meant that at all."
"But Larkspur has actually been acting alone the whole time, hasn't she?"
Lin Xiaolu stared into Larkspur's eyes. "There was a time before when you were always staring blankly at the things in your hands, and you often talked about investigating something. I kept wondering... could it be that Larkspur has been fighting alone somewhere we don't know about?"
She clenched the hem of her clothes, her voice gradually rising. "I know Larkspur is very strong, but that's exactly why I worry at times like this. I don't want to be left worrying uselessly in the rear. I want to help you!"
"That day will come."
Larkspur lowered her gaze. Her voice was cool, but it carried a faint note of reassurance. "You're newcomers. You simply need time to grow. Veterans like me will eventually leave the stage, and the future will always belong to you."
"The future..."
Turning the word over in her mouth, Lin Xiaolu thought for a moment before shaking her head. "But compared to the future, I still think the present is more important."
"I told you before that I wanted to become a magical girl like you, Larkspur. I don't want to get so used to standing behind you that I eventually lose the courage to stand beside you."
"So, I want to work hard and become stronger. I'll be careful not to get hurt. When you encounter Aberrant Beasts that can take me along, can you let me come with you?"
Her words were earnest, and the intensity of her feelings even stirred a subtle sense of jealousy within Larkspur.
It was the jealousy of herself as a father toward herself as a magical girl—jealousy that the identity of Larkspur could make Lin Xiaolu open her heart so readily.
"...I understand how you feel, and I'm very happy."
Suppressing the strange emotions in her heart, she decided to take Lin Xiaolu's question seriously. "In that case, I'll give you a detailed answer."
"First, I can take you with me whenever I go out, but if we encounter an Aberrant Beast at Looper Tier or above, I'll need you to watch from a distance. Those are battles you truly cannot interfere in yet."
"Second, you want to know how strong you need to become before you can help me. I'll explain that now."
"I told you before that I hold a Flower Card certification, number 41076. Has Moko told you what exactly a 'Flower Card' is?"
At those words, Moko, who had been dozing in Xia Liang's arms, twitched her ears and raised her head blankly. "Huh? What?"
"About Certification Cards," Larkspur repeated.
"Certification Cards... I haven't told them yet. Does Inspector intend to have Xiao Lu and Xia Liang take the certification test?"
Moko looked confused. "This year's exams are already over, aren't they? Isn't it a little too early to bring this up to them now?"
"It is a little early, so I'm only bringing it up now to give them a goal."
Larkspur looked at Lin Xiaolu. "Let me explain first. The Magic Kingdom has a specialized ranking system for a magical girl's combat ability. This system is called Certification Cards, like this one."
She removed the dark-blue ornament from her collar and gestured with it. "Based on rank, Certification Cards are divided from lowest to highest into White Cards, Letter Cards, and Flower Cards. Flower Cards are issued directly by the Royal Court, while White Cards and Letter Cards require specialized tests."
"You and Little Brocade are both uncertified magical girls right now. To advance to White Card status, you'll need to go to the Magic Kingdom and take the test."
"However, the examinations are usually held in March, and it's already June. You'll have to wait for next year's session. By then, as long as you keep training, you should be able to earn White Card certification."
"If you become a White Card, I can acknowledge that you're capable of standing on your own and let you participate in more dangerous battles. Once you become a Letter Card, you'll be able to help me in dangerous battles. When you become a Flower Card, I'll be able to entrust my own safety to you without worry."
"A Flower Card..."
Lin Xiaolu stood stunned, repeating the words under her breath.
Xia Liang beside her also seemed thoughtful, then grew somewhat eager to try.
"Put Flower Cards aside for now and think about your White Card exam. It may be next March, but with your current progress, the time is actually quite tight if you want to start preparing now."
Larkspur raised a finger. "If you want to pass the exam next year... hmm, your summer vacation is coming up, isn't it?"
The two girls nodded instinctively.
"Then throughout this entire summer vacation, I'll put you through devilish training every day. I'll strive to get all of you into Bud Rank within two months and have you master your own Magic Constructs." Pointing at the two girls before her, Larkspur made the declaration.
"Huh, two months?"
"Isn't that a little..."
The two newcomers exchanged no words, yet both showed troubled expressions. After nearly a month of training, they knew very well that they still had a long way to go before reaching Bud Rank.
"That's why I said it would be intense. You can withdraw at any time." Larkspur's expression remained blank.
"Mm... if it's to help Larkspur!"
Lin Xiaolu was not troubled by her hesitation for long. She quickly weighed what mattered more and rekindled her fighting spirit.
No matter how difficult the road ahead might be, she had to work hard and catch up to Larkspur!
That was what she thought.
"But speaking of exams and summer vacation, I have another question for you."
Larkspur picked up her teacup again and took a sip, letting her bangs conceal her eyes. "White Rose, Little Brocade, how are your final exam grades at school...?"
The moment she asked, the previously fired-up Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang both felt a chill run through them and shuddered for no apparent reason.
It was no wonder. Whenever this topic came up, Larkspur's tone became several times colder than usual.
As for why, that went back to the parent-teacher meeting two days earlier.
Lin Yun had rushed to the school through heavy rain and gone to Lin Xiaolu's classroom, only to receive a report card that made him suspect it had been printed incorrectly.
Out of a full score of one hundred, she had scored 77 in Chinese, 53 in math, 63 in English, 42 in physics... The grades on the report card were not merely shocking—they were unbearable to look at.
That alone would have been one thing, but after the parent-teacher meeting ended, Lin Xiaolu's homeroom teacher specifically asked him to stay behind. Politely avoiding any mention of his embarrassing appearance, the teacher first criticized him for being late, saying that such behavior failed to set a good example for his child. Then, with earnest gravity, the teacher told him to pay more attention to his child's education.
Lin Yun was truly left speechless. He could only smile apologetically and keep saying sorry, then head home with his daughter under Lin Xiaolu's somewhat guilty gaze.
On the way, he tried to bring up her grades, but Lin Xiaolu acted like she was beyond saving and completely unfazed, leaving him unsure how to continue the subject.
After considering it for a long time, he decided there was only one most efficient way.
Staring at the two report card photos on her phone, Larkspur fell into deep thought.
If Lin Xiaolu's grades could still be described as ordinarily awful, then Xia Liang's grades could only be called horrifying.
"Failed every subject? Single digits in math?"
She raised her head and looked at Xia Liang, who was sitting properly and obediently, every bit the image of a well-behaved honor student. Larkspur took a deep breath and pressed her phone's lock button.
"Since it's reached this point, there's no other choice."
She folded her arms and looked sternly at the two girls. "Starting today, we enter the devil-training phase. Besides preparing for the certification test, we'll be adding one more item."
"Every night, you will study properly for me."
Before you continue