Vol 2 Chapter 174 Temporary Team Formation

Early in the morning, Lin Xiaolu unusually woke up early.

Outside the small house, the sky was still dark, but Veronica had already left alone at some unknown time. Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang were still asleep on the bed they had pushed together. Lin Xiaolu quietly climbed down from the bed, yawning as she walked into the washroom.

She casually traced a rune in the air, and the lighting in the washroom immediately turned on. Squinting slightly, she picked up her toothbrush cup from the nearby shelf and began her morning routine.

Because four people lived together and were very familiar with each other, all their toiletries were concentrated here. Since all except Veronica were young girls, the shelf beside the sink only held toothbrushes and some basic items like soap, sunscreen, and facial cleanser. Xia Liang had added a few bottles Lin Xiaolu didn’t recognize, but the space was still sufficient.

However, Lin Xiaolu had always been somewhat curious about one thing: Veronica seemed surprisingly indifferent when it came to these matters.

Lin Xiaolu still had clear memories of her mother. Although Anya claimed not to care much about beauty or maintenance, there were always some common skincare products beside the washbasin. Plus, from what she had heard from classmates, adult women usually took skincare seriously during their wash routines.

Yet, after coming to Colorful Cloud Wetlands and living together, Lin Xiaolu discovered for the first time that Veronica’s toiletries on the shelf were only toothbrushes, soap, and facial cleanser.

Even from Lin Xiaolu’s casual observation, only the soap’s volume seemed to be decreasing steadily. The tube of facial cleanser appeared hardly touched, and Lin Xiaolu doubted whether Veronica had ever even opened it.

The last time she saw such a neat washstand was at her own home—her father’s washbasin was just as minimalistic. Veronica’s toiletries were arranged in almost the same way as her father’s, with a rough, masculine touch.

Although this puzzled Lin Xiaolu a bit, she never asked further. After all, Veronica’s skin had always looked great. It was likely because she spent most of her time in her magical form, so she didn’t need to care about these things like ordinary people.

Lost in these wandering thoughts, Lin Xiaolu slowly moved her toothbrush in her mouth. When she felt enough time had passed, she rinsed and cleaned her mouth before starting to wash her face.

Starting today, a seven-day practical assessment would begin. Lin Xiaolu thought it necessary to take good care of her appearance.

Not only to be prepared in case the examiners or even the queen noticed her, leaving a better first impression, but also because starting today, all magical girls participating in the practical exam had to form new teams and participate as teams in the assessment.

In other words, Lin Xiaolu would meet her temporary teammates today. To ensure smooth cooperation going forward, she had to put effort into her appearance.

Of course, the team wouldn’t be made up entirely of new teammates.

A test team was generally limited to three people, and each magical girl could at most designate one other examinee as her teammate. Afterward, neither the magical girl who designated someone nor the one who was designated would have the right to name or be named again.

This meant that in a three-person team, at most two could be familiar acquaintances, and the last position had to be randomly assigned by the Examination Institute.

This system was designed because the number of examinees from big cities and small cities was often unequal. If a three-person team could freely select members, magical girls from big cities could easily team up with their original teammates, leaving newcomers from small cities stranded without a team. Even if they formed teams with other strangers, their cooperation would inevitably be weaker than that of the big-city teams sticking together.

On the other hand, if all three members were assigned randomly by the Examination Institute, it would seem fair but could cause huge differences in team strength—some teams might randomly get three strong members, while others might get three weaker magical girls. Some teams might have members with compatible personalities who could cooperate well, while others might be full of troublemakers who didn’t get along at all, leading to disaster.

The 2+1 team formation system guaranteed that two members already had some relationship and could provide a strength baseline for the entire team. After all, if two examinees were willing to team up, it was rarely just because of good relations—they either recognized each other’s strength or one was very strong and confident they could carry the weaker member forward. The remaining “1” randomly assigned member would then be the true test of the team’s coordination ability.

Regarding how to allocate the 2+1 team members, after a night of discussion by the Fangting City team, a preliminary decision was made.

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan would designate each other, while Xia Liang and Veronica would wait for the Examination Institute’s random assignment.

This plan sounded strange but was the best option. Neither Lin Xiaolu nor Bai Jingxuan could be trusted to find a team on their own without Veronica worrying, and letting Veronica designate one of them as a teammate would be unfair and miss the opportunity to train the juniors.

After much thought, even expecting Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan to look after each other was a bit unreliable, but having them team up was the safest plan.

As for Xia Liang’s participation in the random assignment, it was her own request.

“I want to fully test my abilities, even if it’s a bit harder.”

Leaving the obviously abnormal Fangting City team and joining other more ordinary teams to confirm where her abilities stood was Xia Liang’s goal.

With the four team assignments decided, the last pre-assessment task was complete.

While Lin Xiaolu was still washing up at Colorful Cloud Wetlands, Veronica had already left alone, first visiting the Magical Affairs Court early in the morning to confirm every detail of the action plan. She then hurried to Silver Gallery.

The first practical assessment would still take place in Silver Gallery, and team assignments would be announced at the square in front of the school gate. Many examinees who came alone without teammates from the same city arrived early to look for their next teammates.

When Veronica arrived, a considerable number of examinees had already gathered at the square.

She had no intention of finding teammates, so she didn’t talk to anyone. Instead, she found a spot at a higher elevation and silently observed the crowd.

Among the many examinees present, many couldn’t help but notice Veronica. Her outstanding appearance alone made many magical girls glance her way twice. Some even tried to ask about teaming up, but after seeing the age on her admission ticket, they quietly gave up.

A ten-year-old magical girl might have great potential, but at this age, potential was her only advantage.

Unlike Veronica’s solitary situation, another corner of the square was clearly crowded with people.

At the center of this group, like the sun surrounded by stars, was someone Veronica actually recognized.

She was a calm-looking girl with long gray-white hair, holding a book and wearing a peaceful expression. If Veronica remembered correctly, her codename was Valerian.

Unlike their first meeting, Valerian no longer wore her hair half-up but tied neatly into two twin tails with a hat on her head. She no longer wore the school uniform from the Kingdom Express but a splendid and spirited blue-and-white dress resembling a military band uniform. Judging from her magical energy fluctuations, this was undoubtedly her magical girl costume.

The magical girls gathered around her seemed to be lining up, taking turns asking her questions. After Valerian answered, they would leave somewhat disappointed.

Despite the frequent interruptions, there was no hint of impatience on Valerian’s face. Her expression remained calm as if all this was her duty, answering the surrounding examinees methodically.

Undoubtedly, many wanted to team up with Valerian.

There were several such groups gathered, but none had as many people as Valerian’s crowd. Many examinees dispersed from other groups would directly join Valerian’s team, making the sight somewhat intimidating.

“...Really tough, celebrity.”

After just two glances, Veronica deliberately looked away.

Since the examinees gathered there were polite and well-behaved, and the magical girl at the center didn’t mind being surrounded, Veronica saw no reason to interfere.

She pulled out her phone from her shoulder bag and began checking work-related information, planning to use this free time to arrange some Extraordinary Countermeasures Bureau tasks. However, she soon sensed someone approaching.

Looking up, Veronica saw two unfamiliar magical girls who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Without a doubt, she didn’t know them.

“May I ask what you need?” She flipped her phone over and asked them.

The two magical girls didn’t reply immediately.

Their expressions shifted repeatedly—sometimes like they were struggling with unspoken conflicts, sometimes deep in troubled thought, and sometimes exchanging mysterious smiles that made Veronica feel uneasy all over.

After a while, one magical girl hesitantly spoke:

“Um, sorry, little sister, may I ask if your magical costume’s inspiration… might be from the Magical Girl Gentian in Sweetheart Angel?”