The information Larkspur had provided indeed proved useful on the second day of the written exams.
During the first exam of the second day, Aberrant Beast Analysis, the proctors deliberately investigated, and soon uncovered a number of problematic Magical Girls.
Dozens of Magical Girls were caught during the exam alone, clearly using malicious Spell Formulas. Though not a large proportion among the tens of thousands of examinees, it was still a number that could not be ignored.
These Magical Girls had indeed used a Spell Formula called the "Confusion Spell" during the assessment. It could subtly influence others' memories and decisions without their noticing. Because its effects were weak and could not be amplified through greater magical output, it had little value in actual combat. Coupled with its considerable training cost, it had long become obscure even among obscure Spell Formulas. Under normal circumstances, no Magical Girl would bother practicing something like this.
The Magical Girls who had been caught were, without exception, young girls. The oldest was seventeen, while the youngest was fourteen. Under the proctors' stern questioning, they quickly trembled their way into revealing the truth:
As early as a month before the exams, current candidates had spontaneously formed many online communities centered around discussing this year's assessment. Within those communities, someone had advertised the sale of a "Cleverness Spell," telling candidates that there was an obscure Spell Formula that could refresh the mind, speed up thinking, stimulate memory, and make its user a hundred times smarter.
Most Magical Girls naturally regarded such an obviously unreliable sales pitch as a joke or a scam. But there were always a few gullible fools who truly believed the promotion, paid the seller, and received this so-called "Cleverness Spell."
During the subsequent investigation of the Spell Formula, it was discovered that