Outside Azara Town, two girls soared through the air.

Their speed seemed to fade steadily, but just as they began to dip downward, each girl would sweep a hand forward.

Violet light traced from her arm to splayed fingertips, then reshaped into an enlarged ring hovering ahead.

Each time a girl passed through the ring, her form shot forward with a sudden burst—*whoosh!*—the biting wind roaring as flight stabilized.

“Sen~ Mmmphhh—!”

One girl tried to speak, but wind flooded her mouth the moment she opened it.

She quickly covered her lips and strained to call out: “Senior Diana! Up ahead—isn’t that Elara Town? Our mentor’s behind us, and we don’t have travel permits! What do we do?”

The girl flying slightly ahead—Diana—didn’t seem worried at all.

“It’s not Elara Town. It’s Azara Town.”

Diana smoothed her naturally cyan hair. “Remote towns like this may be larger than average, but Spirit Card technology here is underdeveloped. They’ve likely only *heard* of Flight Spirit Cards. Flying straight in will make our identity clear.”

The other girl nodded vaguely, then hesitantly added, “But… what if they mistake us for troublemakers? Should we wait for our mentor and enter properly…?”

“Troublemakers?”

A faint sigh edged Diana’s voice. She tapped her beige, cute blazer, then the small metal badge pinned to her left chest.

“No criminal would dare wear the Spirit Card Academy uniform. This alone tells everyone who we are.”

“Ohhh~ As expected of Senior Diana! So smart~”

The girl mimicked Diana, adjusting her own hair—dyed cyan with faint brownish-yellow undertones, lacking the natural vibrancy of Diana’s. Both had shoulder-length hair, but only Diana’s ends curled in soft waves.

Unbothered by the praise, Diana leaned down, eyes alight with curiosity.

“I heard the creator of the *Magical Girl Monkey Burn* Spirit Card lives right here in Azara Town.”

“Really?! Senior Diana, could we buy the full set here?! I’m dying to know what happens next… Ugh, Old Xu is so lazy! Why make so few cards? Without you, half the academy would’ve never seen them. I’m so jealous! If they sell it here, I’m buying a copy for my collection!”

At the mention of *Magical Girl Monkey Burn*, the girl’s excitement bubbled over—wind no longer silencing her.

Diana’s eyes sparkled with hidden thrill, yet she shook her head calmly.

“Don’t speak carelessly. Old Xu is surely a respected, brilliant person. He must be working hard to perfect most *Magical Girl Monkey Burn* cards. It’s just… too many buyers in the Imperial Capital overwhelm him.”

Giggling, the girl gazed down at the town, eyes brimming with hope.

“Senior Diana… what *is* Old Xu like? The name sounds boyish, aged… but the girls in *Magical Girl Monkey Burn* are amazing! The world feels so fresh, so real—could Old Xu actually be a girl?”

“I don’t know. But I’m certain Old Xu is exceptionally talented and romantic. It’s just… as a Spirit Glyphsmith, his technique isn’t quite there yet. Cards last only five minutes—warped visuals, flickering backgrounds, music cutting out. But one day… he’ll create a truly perfect *Magical Girl Monkey Burn*.”

Diana’s words trailed off as she noticed the commotion below: townsfolk pointing upward, murmuring in awe at the Flight Spirit Cards.

She refocused, scanning the streets from memory for the small eatery, then turned to her companion.

“We’re not even sure the cards are made here. If not for sale, so be it. Our main goal is finding Lia and getting her into the academy.”

“Yes~ Senior Diana~”

As the reply faded, Diana spotted the shop.

But her brow furrowed. Why were there *multiple queues* outside? Intel said this place was nearly empty.

From past selection tests, they knew Lia was poor—qualified year after year, yet never enrolled.

But with business this thriving… the enrollment fee should be no issue.

So why *hadn’t* Lia joined the academy?