The Young Dragon Division of Saint Hiss Academy was nearing the end of the school day. Helena, while packing up her bag, turned to her desk mate Noa and asked,

“Noa-chan, summer vacation is around the corner. Do you want to come stay at my house over the summer?”

Still immersed in a sea of practice questions, little Involuted Queen Noa didn’t even look up.

“Stay at your house over the summer?”

The little sea dragon girl nodded enthusiastically. “Mm-hmm, it’s super cool where I live during the summer.”

Of course, she lived under the sea. How could it not be cool?

Just as Noa finished the final problem, she put away her pencil and pulled out a schedule from her desk drawer.

“Let’s see what I have planned for the summer...”

Seeing this, Helena leaned over eagerly, curious to see what Noa’s summer schedule entailed.

“Learn three new offensive thunder spells. Hmm—my dad has so many in stock. Isn’t three a bit too few? Let’s change that to five.”

“Teach Muen how to use Thunder Thrust. She’ll need to practice some practical magic for next semester, so it’s better to get a head start over the summer. Thunder Thrust is a great option for her.”

“Recommend ten extracurricular books for Aurora to read next semester. That way, she won’t keep following me around to watch the excitement all the time.”

“Go on five patrols along the Silver Dragon territory border with Mom.”

“Complete the mission assigned by Sherry-sis—steal the bell in her hand. Hmm... I failed even after spending the entire winter break last time. Hopefully, I’ll succeed this summer.”

“And—”

Before Noa could continue reading out the seemingly never-ending list, Helena hastily stopped her.

“Okay, okay, I get it! Your summer’s packed. So, you’re saying you can’t come to my house to play?”

Noa placed the schedule back onto the desk and looked up at her best friend.

A hopeful glimmer sparkled in the eyes of the little sea dragon girl.

Noa’s thoughts churned. The mischievous soul she inherited from the Silver Dragon Queen began to quietly ignite.

“Do you really want me to come?” she asked.

“Of course! I’ll introduce you to my family. They’ll love you, especially my aunt—she absolutely adores kids!”

Suppressing the urge to smile, Noa put on a troubled facade and replied, “Ah, but I really have no time.”

“Aww, don’t be like that!”

Helena tugged on Noa’s wrist and pleaded, “Can’t you just move your summer schedule back a few days? How about staying at my place for... for a week?”

“That’s too long.”

“Ugh... then, five days?”

“Still too long.”

“F-four days...” Helena’s confidence dwindled.

Just as she was about to lose hope, Noa placed her hand on the desk, gently playing with Helena’s delicate pink nails, and said with a smile,

“Ten days.”

Hearing this, the little sea dragon girl’s eyes lit up. “Really?!”

“Mm, really.”

“Yay! Noa-chan, you’re the best!”

Helena leaned in close, affectionately rubbing her cheek against Noa’s.

Ordinarily, Noa wasn’t one for physical contact. Besides her family, she almost never allowed anyone to get this touchy-feely with her.

However, Helena was an exception.

This gentle little sea dragon girl, five years older than Noa, seemed to share a special bond with her.

And so, even Noa, the diligent little Involuted King, was willing to push back her summer plans for her.

But just as the two best friends were sharing their affectionate moment, Noa suddenly felt a chilling presence from behind.

Uh-oh.

Could it be... Muen catching her in the act?!

When the little moon had enrolled in the academy, her stated reason was “to follow in my sister’s footsteps.” But Noa had her suspicions—there were probably other motives hidden behind that.

A sister-obsessed girl whose every thought was written on her face couldn’t possibly fool Noa.

“Noa, Helena, no fooling around during self-study,” came a voice.

Oh, it was just the headteacher.

Honestly, at Saint Hiss Academy, from the Young Dragon Division to the Adolescent Dragon Division, the greatest danger during self-study periods was always “those eyes watching from the window.”

Eyes deep, shadowy, and all-seeing—

“You over there passing notes, stop it right now!”

No small action ever escaped the teacher’s watchful gaze.

Especially when she stood behind the classroom door, her observational powers practically doubled.

Even someone as sharp as Noa had been caught multiple times, unable to predict when she would strike.

The teacher slowly stepped to the podium, tapping the blackboard.

“With summer vacation approaching, I know everyone has worked hard this semester. Before the break officially starts, however, there will be one last outdoor practical exam. This exam will count toward your final comprehensive evaluation for the Young Dragon Division.”

At this, a wave of chatter broke out among the young dragons below the podium.

“A practical exam? I’ve heard of it. It sounds interesting.”

“But it’s outdoors… will it be dangerous?”

“Nah, the exam locations are all prearranged by the academy. There’s nothing dangerous, just tough environments sometimes.”

“......”

“Silence!”

The teacher rapped on the blackboard once more to restore order and continued,

“This time, the Young Dragon Division’s outdoor practical exam will take place in the Red Tree Forest beneath Sky City and will last for one week.”

Upon hearing the location, the young dragons let out a collective sigh of relief.

Sky City was a neutral zone for all dragon clans. Nobody dared cause trouble within its jurisdiction.

And Red Tree Forest wasn’t exactly a treacherous, barren land, either.

If the exam was being held there, it wouldn’t be all that challenging.

“Wow, we’ll get to visit Sky City, too! I’ve heard adults often go there for dates,” Helena said, a bit excited.

Coming from the reclusive Sea Dragon Clan and still being quite young, Helena hadn’t visited Sky City before.

Helena turned to her best friend and said. “Noa, I remember you telling me you’ve been to Sky City before, right?”

Noa’s expression took on a subtle complexity, but she still nodded. “Mm... I’ve been there a few times.”

“Are there really a lot of people going on dates there?” Helena asked curiously.

“Uh... yeah, there are.”

Helena blinked, noticing a slight shift in Noa’s mood. She quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Noa? I remember you telling me before that you were really looking forward to this semester’s outdoor practical exam. But now you seem a little down. Why?”

Noa lowered her gaze, staring at her desk.

“I was looking forward to it. But this exam location... it seems a bit... too mild.”

Helena blinked in confusion. “Mild?”

“Yeah. It feels more like... a spring outing than a real exam.”

After a brief pause, Noa smiled and added, “Not that I don’t understand. The school has to prioritize the safety of the young dragons. They’d never choose some harsh, desolate area.”

Now Helena understood. She gently patted Noa’s head. “You haven’t changed a bit since I met you—always chasing after tougher challenges.”

Noa scratched her head and gave a modest smile.

“Because hardships are an effective way to improve oneself. That’s what my dad told me.”

“Uncle Leon never fails to surprise me,” Helena commented.

“Haha~ yep, that’s just how he is—always full of surprises.”

“Quiet, everyone, settle down.”

The teacher intervened for the third time to maintain order.

After the young dragons had once again quieted down, she continued,

“This time, our Young Dragon Division’s practical exam will coincide with the one for the Adolescent Dragon Division. Their exam location will be in the Far North.”

“However, due to tribal duties, two of their students won’t be able to participate, leaving two open slots for the Far North exam.”

“Principal Olette has granted permission for our Young Dragon Division to apply for these two slots.”

“Keep in mind, the Far North is an extremely harsh environment, and its difficulty level is tailored for adolescent dragons. While young dragons have applied in previous years, all have ultimately failed to pass.”

“Those applicants were the top students of their year, yet even they couldn’t overcome their age and lack of experience to succeed.”

“So let me caution you: if you’re not confident about your final evaluation grade, it’s best not to apply for these two slots. Otherwise, you risk delaying your graduation.”

“Alright, now, back to your self-study.”

Having finished explaining the details of the practical exam, the teacher exited the classroom.

Noa watched her leave, her big, beautiful eyes blinking thoughtfully.

“Hey, hey, Noa, don’t tell me you’re thinking of applying for the Far North exam?” Helena anxiously tugged on her friend’s sleeve.

Though, deep down, she felt like asking was pointless.

With how well she knew Noa, she was sure the little girl had already made up her mind.

“The environment there is terrible! And didn’t you hear what the teacher said? None of the young dragons who applied before managed to pass! Think about your final grade, Noa-chan—please reconsider.”

“You’re right... I’ve considered it, Helena.”

“That was quick.”

Helena looked a bit surprised but quickly asked again, “So... you’re not going to apply, right?”

Noa slowly turned her head to look at Helena.

And from Noa’s composed, serious little face, Helena seemed to find her answer.

Helena covered her face and said. “I knew it...”

At that moment, the bell rang. Noa grabbed her bag and dashed out of the classroom like a blur.

Leaving a bewildered Helena behind at her seat.

After snapping back to her senses, Helena rushed to the classroom door and called out to Noa’s retreating figure,

“Where are you going, hey?!”

“To find the teacher and apply for the Far North slot! If I wait too long, someone else might take it!”

“No one else would apply for something like that, you idiot!”

As Helena’s words faded into the air, she suddenly froze.

Helena stared at the small figure of Noa disappearing down the hall and muttered softly to herself.

“I would.”