Chapter 11: The entrance exam is still chasing me.

CocoLiss’s nervousness grew even stronger.

But the culprit spreading the tension had already hopped and skipped her way to the center of the crowd at the academy gate and pressed her hand onto the crystal ball.

“I’ll try too.”

A beam of golden light suddenly appeared, followed by a single ring encircling the pillar.

The Second Prince’s expression froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered his earlier sneer.

“Golden light! I’m in the superior class! No more patrolling for me.”
The fox-eared girl raised both hands high, then waved at CocoLiss—who was hesitating whether to run away immediately—across the crowd. “Come on, CocoLiss!”

This talkative fox, did she really have to make things difficult for her?

CocoLiss smiled gently. “There are so many people waiting, Lady Noile. Let the others go first.”

The new students surrounding them all made way, just like when lining up to recite lessons.

The little nun had no choice but to steel herself and step forward.

As she placed her hand on the crystal ball, her eyes were still scanning for the best escape route.

After all, her abyssal kin identity might trigger some strange phenomenon.

The crystal ball did not immediately emit a light pillar. Instead, it fell into a brief silence.

Then the halo above CocoLiss’s head brightened slightly, as if it had pulled on the crystal ball in front of her, stirring up a towering pillar of light.

A total of seven large rings surrounded the golden light pillar, forming a heavenly pagoda.

The rings reflected each other, distant yet compact, like an inseparable whole, yet carrying a majestic aura that ordinary people could not ignore.

The light pillar alone was spectacular enough to be clearly visible to every resident in the royal capital, not to mention the complex number of rings.

“Se-seven rings?”
The shocked cry came from the Second Prince of the royal capital. “How could it possibly be seven rings?”

His previously arrogant face was filled with disbelief, and his proud brows twisted together.

“Ah, is something wrong?”
CocoLiss withdrew her hand.

As expected, being abyssal kin would trigger an anomaly. Should she run away while everyone was still stunned?

No, that wouldn’t work. Even if she could escape the royal capital, there was still that pitch-black abyssal leader outside who held a grudge and wanted to kill her.

Was there really no place in this vast world where little CocoLiss could survive?

She took two steps back. Her right hand hung down, fingers loosely curled, ready to summon her staff and cast spells to flee at any moment.

She had tested it before—using this staff as a holy artifact allowed her to cast spells several times faster than usual. These newly enrolled students wouldn’t be able to react in time.

But her right wrist was grabbed.

It was that fast-moving, talkative little night-patrol fox girl.

“Don’t worry, CocoLiss dear. This is your talent. The academy’s holy crystal ball can’t be wrong. If he wants to question your talent, just let him take another look.”

As she spoke, Noile turned back and gave CocoLiss an encouraging look.

Another look just to nail down her crime?

At this moment, the Second Prince’s complexion did not look very good.

“No, no. Actually, I also feel like there might be a problem with the holy crystal ball. How could something like this happen? I’m just a nominal nun from a small town. I don’t have such high ability…”

“No, this student. If the academy’s holy crystal ball were to malfunction, it would mean the very essence of light magic is wrong, which is impossible.”

The teacher in charge of the entire enrollment process spoke up. “There have been seven-ring talents in the academy’s history, and even nine rings have appeared before. But according to normal enrollment standards, four or five rings would already qualify as the highest talent among an entire batch of new students.”

“Yes, this shows that our CocoLiss dear’s talent is exceptionally high. Are you unconvinced? If you’re unconvinced, we can let you see it again.”

With that, Noile grabbed the little nun’s right hand and pressed it onto the crystal ball once more.

Why did this girl’s grip have to be so strong?

CocoLiss felt her wrist hurting a little.

But compared to that, the light pillar that had just faded reappeared at the academy gate once again—seven rings stacked perfectly, neither more nor less.

At this moment, the gazes around her shifted from initial shock to envy and respect.

CocoLiss understood.

She seemed to be really impressive.

Originally she had thought she might test out something like Dou Qi Stage Three and get bullied on campus, or trigger some strange phenomenon and be suspected of being abyssal kin and executed on the spot.

This was actually a pleasant surprise.

Could it be that she was truly a magic genius?

“What… what does this even count for?”

The Second Prince’s piercing voice rang out. “So what if your talent is high? I have been studying magic since I was young. My current magic power has already reached the total standard of a mid-rank mage. I’m already one step ahead of you lowly commoners.”

Noile leaned close to CocoLiss’s ear. “He seems a bit anxious.”

CocoLiss’s expression remained unchanged, still wearing that pitiable, innocent little white flower look of someone untouched by the world.

But she really did feel like he was about to cry from frustration.

“Just watch, you lowly people. This prince will obtain the highest score in this year’s end-of-year assessment and directly advance to obtain mid-rank mage certification. At that time, all of you will have to worship me.”

Perhaps because he had lost too much face, after saying this the guy turned and headed into the academy.

“Wait a moment, this student. This is your student ID.”
The teacher waved his hand casually. A thin golden string caught the youth’s advancing steps and delivered a golden armband.

The Second Prince only glanced down at his armband. Some complex emotion flashed in his eyes before he continued walking deeper into the academy after the thin string dissipated.

“And for you two students, these are yours.”
Two additional golden armbands appeared in the teacher’s palms. “Wishing you pleasant studies.”

Ahaha, pleasant studies? This combination felt far too unfamiliar.

But our adorable little nun still fluttered her delicate ear feathers, bowed slightly to the teacher, and revealed a sufficiently sweet smile.

“Mm, thank you, teacher.”

Then she also smiled at the people around her and lowered her head slightly.

She would not become a target like the Second Prince earlier.

It would be best if everyone saw her as an easy-to-get-along-with little white flower and didn’t provoke her, letting her quietly get through this period of study and successfully graduate.

“CocoLiss dear, do you know why he always calls people ‘lowly’?”

“Mm? Why is that?”

Actually, CocoLiss could probably guess. Princes and the like always looked down from above. Anyone outside the royal bloodline was considered lowly.

The two girls walked along the academy’s main path. The statues beside the road cast their gazes down with the sunlight. One walked ahead bouncing cheerfully, the other followed with dignified grace.

The spring breeze howled, ruffling the birds’ feathers, pulling buried seeds into sprouts, carrying pollen from flower buds to the girls’ faces, then gently falling along trembling eyelashes.

“Because among the students Bishop Zain brought from outside, some come from extremely remote places. Some even come from the wilderness and can’t even speak properly.”
Noile looked left and right, then leaned close to CocoLiss’s ear as if whispering, yet her volume didn’t decrease at all. “Princes and the like definitely look down on those people. That’s why I despise people like him the most. They should be locked up hard in the disciplinary room.”

“You locked him up before. Aren’t you afraid he’ll retaliate against you?”

“Ah? Retaliate?”
The fox-eared girl only now showed a belated look of fear. “Would he really do that?”

CocoLiss didn’t know why, but she was starting to get used to this.

Following the landmarks, the two arrived at the superior class classroom.

The moment they entered the classroom door, they saw a group of people gathered around the blackboard, including the Second Prince who had still worn an arrogant expression earlier.

But everyone’s faces didn’t look very good.

“Let me see.”

CocoLiss didn’t stop Noile as she squeezed through the crowd. Instead, she looked through the gap the other had created and saw the large white words on the blackboard.

[Choose your seats. Classes and the entrance exam will begin tomorrow.]

Why is the entrance exam still chasing me?