Chapter 357: The Worry of the Siskin

"Done."

At the same time in the Silver Corridor, inside another examination room, the round-bodied fairy doll suddenly made this sound.

"What's done?" Cuique, who was sitting by the equipment with nothing to do, turned her head to look at the doll.

"Your child's matter."

The fairy doll waved its claws, displaying the light screen in its hand in front of Cuique: "The test results on her side were supposed to be selected and sent to Her Majesty, but I've muddled through it for her."

Unlike the viewing mechanism of the previous maze assessment, the examination institute did not organize a collective viewing session for the magic equipment assessment stage.

Firstly, because the assessment process is not actually very watchable, and secondly, because the tests use many high-end instruments from within the research institute, and the research institute is not keen on displaying these contents as public information.

But no viewing does not mean the results won't be seen. In fact, in this assessment, all magic equipment data with a final rating above "Briza" level will be presented in real-time to the Teaching Selection Division of the "Crown Faction" in the Magic Affairs Institute.

The Crown Faction's Teaching Selection Division will screen these results, select a portion of the magic equipment data they deem to have potential, and send them to the Royal Court. Then, the Royal Court's palace secretaries will conduct another round of screening to send the most valuable data to the Queen.

Undoubtedly, data that appears before the Queen in this way will inevitably leave an impression on her. If everything develops smoothly, the "being heavily used" that Lin Xiaolu once fantasized about is not impossible. But unfortunately, she never thought that there was a villain blocking the way on her "career path."

This "villain" is none other than Cuique.

Cuique does not want her daughter's test results to be sent to the Queen.

Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment is very special, even to the point of being unprecedented. She is very clear about this, so if Lin Xiaolu's data is sent to the Royal Court, she will definitely become a key focus of attention.

She knows that because of her, Lin Xiaolu may have already entered the sight of certain people. Even the fact that Lin Xiaolu became a magical girl—even though the key points have been clarified and it seems to be truly just a coincidence—Cuique still harbors a trace of doubt about it.

But even so, she will not let Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment data flow into the Royal Court, because this is a record on paper that will give the other party an excuse to pay attention to and contact Lin Xiaolu.

Cuique does not want this.

She believes that most of her magical girl colleagues in this world are still good people who harbor justice and benevolence, and she also believes that there is no lack of upright people among the magical girls in the kingdom. Even now, she can try to believe in Emerald, to believe in the Gem Scepter she once doubted so much... but she can never believe in the Royal Court of this country.

Admittedly, she has now made up her mind to discard the grudges in her heart, to find a way to approach the position of the Sapphire Scepter, to walk into the core of this country's power, and to coexist with that Queen. But the starting point of all this is precisely because she does not believe in the Royal Court; she wants to do her best to see if she can change it.

Before she can truly do these things, she will not let Lin Xiaolu be exposed to the eyes of those people in the Royal Court.

Perhaps there is her own prejudice in this, and perhaps this will to some extent cut off the channel for Lin Xiaolu to be valued by the kingdom as a magical girl, but if doing so can make Lin Xiaolu's situation safer, Cuique is willing to be this villain.

"Thank you."

Cuique recovered from her thoughts, thanked Emerald earnestly, and then took the light screen: "However, how can this be done? The Crown Faction doesn't have our people, won't it be investigated later?"

"About that, don't worry, I didn't use any irregular means. It's actually quite simple: intercept a portion of the B-level assessment results in advance. When your child's results come out, release them together with this intercepted information. Just as the people from the Crown Faction call up one file, the information database in the back has already quietly entered ten files. Under mutual cover, the child's information can be prevented from being seen at the first opportunity."

Emerald's avatar waved its claws: "After all, I am Her Majesty's Gem Scepter; I will not, and cannot, do anything to betray her."

"Then what if the people from the Crown Faction want to pull these recorded data from the database later?" Cuique frowned.

"Then they can at most only see the data that the Teaching Selection Division level permissions can see."

Emerald's avatar spread its claws: "As for your child's data, it has now been set to require permissions above the Gem Scepter level to view, and as everyone knows..."

"The people of the Crown Faction do not have a Gem Scepter behind them." Cuique understood.

"That's how it is," Emerald said lazily. "The whole process is in compliance with regulations. The information backlog can be explained as accidental, their missing the S-level rated data at the first opportunity is also accidental, and the subsequent increase in the confidentiality level of this data is for our research institute's research needs. It's nothing more than the fact that only the Crown Faction people are responsible for screening the assessment results, but they don't have enough permissions to see all the data, and in the end, they just missed it."

"Thank you," Cuique thanked her again, and for once, she didn't say much about these bureaucratic means.

Or rather, in this matter, it is precisely these bureaucratic means that are more reassuring.

She is currently entering this examination room under the identity of the examinee Long Dan.

It's just that, because she and Emerald had already communicated, Emerald specially prepared an avatar in this examination room. At the same time, the two examiners here are also "her own people" from the direct line, which gave Cuique and Emerald the opportunity to meet here privately.

She looked at the light screen in front of her; Lin Xiaolu's assessment results and data had already been recorded:

[Ability Specification: Level 4]

[Development Potential: Gem Scepter]

[Application Field: Relatively broad, suitable for most occasions other than support and logistics]

[Development Potential: Extremely High]

[Stability: Extremely Low]

[Comprehensive Rating: Soliflor+]

[Remarks: This examinee's magic equipment is suspected to be an unprecedented new type of magic equipment. According to existing testing standards, it is impossible to fully measure all its data. For this reason, it is specially rated as S+ level, hoping to receive high-level attention.]

Further down was a long string of quite professional descriptions and data, which Cuique could only understand roughly with her theoretical level.

As early as in Fang Ting City, Cuique had already consulted Emerald about Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment, but limited by the insufficient hardware of the temporary laboratory in Fang Ting City, Emerald couldn't give very specific insights at that time.

Coming to the kingdom to participate in the assessment this time was actually an opportunity for the two to evaluate Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment in detail.

Even though she was mentally prepared, Cuique's heart sank when she saw Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment marked as "S+".

This was also an unprecedented rating, but anyone with a discerning eye knew what the examiner who gave this evaluation meant: the value reflected by Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment had already exceeded the existing evaluation system.

And in the sub-item data, the development potential marked as "Gem Scepter level" also made Cuique's eyelids jump.

"...What kind of level is Gem Scepter level?" She couldn't help but look up and ask.

"It's a purely theoretical concept I derived based on theory a long time ago when I was still leading a team to conduct research on magic equipment potential."

Emerald's tone was still as lazy as ever, but the pitch was slightly raised, allowing Cuique to hear a bit of "pride": "At that time, my deputies and students all felt that this theoretical concept was too rebellious and even insulted the Royal Court, advising me not to publish it. For the sake of these juniors who didn't even have the courage of lab rats, I agreed."

"And then? Why did it appear in this assessment result?" Cuique drooped her eyelids.

"Of course, it's because I secretly changed the standards recorded in the system afterward."

Emerald was righteous: "No one can stop me from leaving the correct research results in this world. If there is, then it must be because that person proved I was wrong. And now, this report fully proves my correctness in the categorization of magic equipment potential; I am the one who is right!"

"Ah, I see."

Cuique wanted to say something but stopped, finally just nodding and calmly continuing the topic she considered to be serious business: "Then what is the specific meaning of this rating?"

"It means that your daughter, if she can grow and bloom smoothly, may not need the power bestowed by Her Majesty to become a magical girl of the same level as us."

The fairy doll opened its arms: "The Magic Kingdom will welcome the sixth 'Gem Scepter' who has not been given destined authority and power but can still possess corresponding strength."

Listening to Emerald's slightly high-spirited voice, Cuique closed her eyes.

"You don't seem very happy." Emerald tilted the doll's head.

"...I am very happy."

Cuique took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and the corners of her mouth pulled up slightly: "Hearing others say that one's child will be remarkable in the future, how could anyone not be happy?"

"I'll kindly believe your words for now, but you don't seem very surprised either." The doll looked at Cuique.

"Surprised... should I be surprised now?"

Cuique's voice carried a bit of unspeakable emotion: "But I can't deceive myself; I'm actually not surprised at all. I am a bit special as a magical girl, and Anya is also special. If such special people as us had an ordinary child, that would be the abnormal thing."

"Yes, that would be the abnormal thing."

Emerald expressed affirmation: "We live in a world on the magic side, and everyone knows that magic talent and blood relations are always hard to separate."

"I know what is right, what is normal, and what is destined to happen. I even originally thought I had already prepared myself."

Cuique brought her knees together, supported her elbows on her thighs, bent down, and covered her mouth and nose with her interlaced fingers. A bit of worry flashed across her originally calm face: "But when I really saw the specific results, I found that I might still need to convince myself one more time."

"Feeling very worried?"

"Yes, I can't help but worry."

"I always feel that the child is still so small in my eyes, as if she just came out of the swaddling clothes not long ago. Clearly, she is still the little princess I'm afraid will melt if I hold her in my mouth and afraid she will break if I hold her in my palm, but at this moment, it seems I have already seen her walking to that position, facing the wind and rain?"

Emerald suddenly asked so abruptly.

Cuique was stunned: "How did you..."

"Of course I know." Emerald still didn't change her boastful expression: "I said it, the things I know far exceed your imagination."

"Are you married?" Diluted of her worries by the other party's astonishing statement, Cuique only felt a bit strange at this moment.

"No, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, I've never even held a man's hand in my life." Emerald said casually, but after thinking about it, she added: "Handshakes with male colleagues and partners don't count."

"Then you can actually describe such a thing so specifically?"

"Expectations and love for juniors sometimes don't need the maintenance of blood relations." Emerald pretended to be profound: "Just like that child who has magic power shifting toward the remnant beasts, you actually don't resist her treating you as a relative anymore, do you? After all, the first thing you did when you entered the door wasn't to ask about your own daughter's situation, but whether that little girl had slipped up."

Cuique was silent.

The three juniors had already told Cuique the time sequence of their magic equipment assessments, so she naturally knew very well that Bai Jingxuan was the first of the three to be tested.

Before entering this examination room, the three things she was most worried about were whether Bai Jingxuan would slip up during the assessment, whether Lin Xiaolu's magic equipment information would be reported, and whether Xia Liang would be bullied in the subsequent battle segment.

Fortunately, Emerald had already brought her two good results; both Bai Jingxuan and Lin Xiaolu had successfully passed the assessment. While worrying about the more distant future, Cuique was actually much more at ease with the immediate matters.

"Alright, I've given an answer to the thing you care about most. Regarding your daughter's magic equipment, although I still have some guesses, we'll talk about those things later."

Seeing that Cuique seemed to have digested the information, Emerald changed the subject and said:

"Next, let's talk a little about the thing I care about most—you should have already observed those beast-children, do you have any opinions or conclusions?"