In the exam hall, the young dragons were engrossed in answering their questions—except for Sherry, who had just accused Heifi and Muse of cheating.
Sherry frowned, biting the end of her pencil. The exam questions were utterly incomprehensible to her, as if they were written in an alien language.
"Are these kinds of questions meant for kids? Dragon kids must be insane," she muttered to herself.
Still, complaints wouldn't solve her problem. Sherry had to pass this exam, or else...
Shaking her head, she forced herself to calm down and analyze each question carefully, trying to deduce the answers.
But the dragon magic system was, after all, the dragon magic system—far too complex to grasp in a short time. No matter how much she focused, the things she didn't understand remained an unsolvable mystery.
Just then, a sharp sound reached her ears.
Turning her head, Sherry saw Muse—her bright red pupils gleaming—scribbling furiously on her paper. Judging by her speed, it seemed as though the questions were as simple as "one plus one equals two" for her.
Sherry couldn't help but sweat inwardly.
"Why are Leon's daughters all so difficult to deal with?" she thought.
Leaning closer, Sherry tried to get Muse's attention. Using the "secret signal" Heifi and Muse had exchanged earlier, she whispered softly, "Doot doot doot doot~"
Muse paused, her pen halting mid-air. Turning her small head, she saw that it wasn't Heifi calling her but the very classmate who had just accused them of cheating.
Muse's expression soured.
"Hey, classmate, how do you solve the first question?" Sherry asked in a low voice.
Muse shook her head, her tone curt. "Helping is against the rules. I don't want to get reported for cheating."
Sherry: ...
That boomerang came back fast.
Frustrated, Sherry regretted her earlier impulsiveness. She had been so focused on completing the task assigned by the lady that she hadn't thought through her escape routes.
But now wasn't the time for reflection—she had to figure out a way to pass the exam. Two failures in a row, and the adults would never give her another chance.
"I just... misunderstood earlier," Sherry tried again, her voice softening. "Muse, you're such a kind person. You wouldn't just leave me hanging, would you?"
Muse blinked her large, clear eyes. "If you can't solve the question, will you die?"
"..."
Sherry sighed, clarifying, "That's not what I meant. It's just an expression."
"Oh, so you're smart enough to understand that," Muse said with a sly smile. "If you're that clever, then you don't need to look at my answers."
"Hey, you—!"
Sherry almost choked. "How can such a cute little dragon be so devious?"
Seeing that the emotional appeal didn't work, Sherry decided to try another tactic.
"Muse, if you tell me the answers, I'll buy you some yummy snacks later," she offered with a smile.
But Muse tilted her head, looking disinterested. "I don't care about snacks."
Sherry: ...
Dragon kids are the worst!
"Please, Muse, just let me see your answers, okay?" Sherry pleaded.
"Nope~" Muse replied cheerfully.
Realizing she was getting nowhere, Sherry shifted her focus to Heifi instead.
"Heifi~ Heifi~" she whispered.
Heifi stopped writing and turned to look at Sherry.
"What do you want?" Heifi's voice was cold, her demeanor clearly reflecting her annoyance at being falsely accused earlier.
"I want to see your test paper. I know your dad; he's the Crimson Flame Dragon King. That makes us friends, doesn't it?"
"If we're friends, why did you accuse me of cheating?"
"Well, that was... because..." Sherry stammered.
"Besides," Heifi continued, "lots of dragons know my father. That doesn't mean you're my friend."
With that, Heifi turned back to her test.
Desperate, Sherry refused to give up.
She scribbled something on a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it onto Heifi's desk.
Heifi blinked, glanced at Sherry, and then slowly unfolded the paper ball.
After reading its contents carefully, Heifi's expression twisted into one of pure disdain.
"Perfect! My heartfelt words have finally touched her!" Sherry thought to herself, gleefully. "Kids are so easy to fool. A few nice words, and they're hooked!"
But just as Sherry was reveling in her triumph, Heifi raised her hand and called out, "Teacher, Sherry is cheating!"
Sherry: ???
The invigilator quickly approached, his face stern.
"What's going on here?"
"Teacher, I'm not cheating!" Sherry protested.
"I have evidence," Heifi said calmly, handing over the crumpled paper.
The invigilator scanned the contents of the paper, his expression turning peculiar. He pocketed the note, glanced at Sherry's blank test sheet, and said, "This is your last warning. Any further attempts at cheating, and your exam will be invalidated."
Sherry lowered her head. "Yes, teacher..."
She hadn't expected Heifi's retaliation to be even quicker—and more painful—than Muse's.
The exam hall returned to order.
Muse and Heifi, both now thoroughly annoyed with Sherry, ignored her completely.
But with only thirty minutes left until the exam ended, Sherry knew she had to act fast. She closed her eyes and summoned her magic.
Secret Technique: All-Seeing Eye
"Mevis, you have to help me this time!"
At St. Heath's Academy training grounds, Noah smashed through the last wooden target of her practice routine, completing the assignments Mevis had set for her.
"You're amazing, sis!"
Muwen, who had been waiting nearby, ran over holding two small cakes.
"I made these during my break earlier. Little Muwen already ate hers, so this one's for you, big sis!"
"Thanks, Muwen," Noah said, wiping sweat from her brow with the towel around her neck. She took the cake with a grateful smile.
Mevis approached, offering praise. "You've improved a lot. You destroyed fifty targets faster than last time. Next, we'll focus on strength."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Noah responded eagerly, nearly choking on her cake in her haste to reply.
Muwen hurriedly patted Noah's back, while Mevis handed her a bottle of water. "Slow down, Noah."
"Thank you, teacher," Noah said after taking a sip.
Muwen then offered her remaining cake to Mevis. "Teacher, you should try it too! It's really tasty!"
Mevis hesitated briefly before accepting. "Thank you, Muwen."
As the sisters chatted and shared laughs, Mevis watched them with a faintly nostalgic expression.
Suddenly, a voice called out, "Mevis! Mevis!!"
Her thoughts interrupted, Mevis frowned and turned toward the source of the voice.
"Stay here, Noah, Muwen. I'll handle this," she said before walking toward the commotion.
In a secluded corner, Mevis pulled a small, white figure out of the shadows.
"Thanks for your help earlier, Mevis. I wouldn't have passed that cursed exam without you," Elizabeth said with a sly smile.
Mevis's expression remained neutral. "Don't use the All-Seeing Eye so recklessly in the academy. If you're caught, all my years as an advisor will go to waste. Understood... Elizabeth?"