"Report, boss, I've finished my paper!"
Less than half an hour after the exam began, Zheng Qing had not even finished his cup of tea when a sudden yet familiar voice interrupted his thoughts, sounding exceptionally forceful.
Zheng Qing looked over and, unsurprisingly, saw an employee from his little shop: Ding Dang Ear. As a retainer of a newly risen legend and one of the first generation of Rat People, he and his younger brother had both been officially admitted to Edge Academy. This was probably, to some extent, both recognition and a compromise among the Alliance, the school, and the Under the Moon Council regarding this newly born clan.
Of course, Ding Dang Ear now had an official name: Ding Dang. His younger brother, Ding Dong Ear, had likewise become "Ding Dong" on the class roster.
Zheng Qing cleared his throat. Under the furtive, curious gazes around the classroom, he rose to his feet, slowly ambled over to Ding Dang, and lowered his head to inspect his paper.
The enormous exam paper was filled with strange symbols inside the rune boxes, as though a little mouse dipped in ink had scrambled wildly across it. In the blank space beside the rune boxes, the bright red number remained "zero."
In other words, this Rat People kid had not reproduced even a single Standard Talisman.
Sure enough, the ones who handed in their papers early were either top students or terrible students.
Zheng Qing grumbled inwardly, then asked gently, "There's still plenty of time. Aren't you going to write a little more? Also, this is school. Don't call me boss. Teacher or sir will do..."
"Yes, Boss Sir!" Ding Dang answered solemnly, gripping his brush again and beginning to rack his brains.
Zheng Qing watched him hold the brush as though