Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

"Let me think, from which angle should I start explaining..."

Although the process was a bit bumpy, Lin Xiaolu's team No. 629 managed to gather together. Seeing that there was still a little time before the official start of the assessment, the three of them moved away from the most crowded area and stood on a nearby empty grassland. Then, the magical girl codenamed Mint began to explain what had happened earlier:

"I feel that starting with the conclusion might be more efficient for communication? So, I'll get straight to the point. It's completely normal for you to perceive my position changing with the number plate, because I've indeed been moving continuously. But the purpose wasn't to prank you or anything, it was to gather intelligence on the enemy."

"Gathering intelligence on the enemy?" Lin Xiaolu wore an expression of "go on, I'm listening," while Bai Jingxuan beside her showed no sign of trust.

"Yes, don't rush, let me explain slowly. More precisely, it's an assessment of the competitors' line-up, right?"

Mint understood their skepticism: "Aren't you curious? What kind of teams have those magical girls on the 'Thigh Rankings' formed? Did they get assigned to weak teammates, or have they teamed up with strong candidates? If we encounter them in the upcoming assessment, having prior knowledge of their team composition gives us an informational advantage in the competition, right?"

"... It's not entirely unreasonable."

Lin Xiaolu reluctantly nodded, acknowledging the other's point. She had joined some candidate exchange groups these days and naturally knew about the "Thigh Rankings." Initially, she even mocked the editor for not listing Emerald Sparrow, but she was quickly reprimanded later.

The assessment standards for the real combat test were not just about the performance of magical girls; rankings were a more important reference. Which means, if her competitors were strong, even if her performance was outstanding by past standards, she wouldn't get a good score if she didn't rank high in this year's assessment.

Therefore, the first thing every team should consider after gathering is how to perform better than the other teams.

"But what's the connection between that and you running around the field as if you're taking a stroll?" Unfortunately, although the other's reasoning was sound, it still didn't explain her behavior, so Lin Xiaolu continued to ask.

"What else could it be? Of course, it's to confirm it with my own eyes."

Mint put one hand on her hip: "Pretending to make casual conversation, exchanging congratulations and encouragements, but actually observing their team composition—this is very important intelligence work!"

"Huh? What kind of explanation is that?"

Lin Xiaolu remained skeptical: "Not to mention how you would know where those in the 'Thigh Rankings' are, can you really judge the strength of their teammates just by looking?"

"Of course, it's not just by looking; it involves analyzing multiple sources of information."

Mint proudly raised a finger: "First, I'm well-versed in the codename of every person on the Thigh Rankings and have followed their information. I can easily determine if any of them have been assigned together."

She said this as she held up a second finger: "Then there are exploit and records. I collect information on all promising candidates in this event to know who has notable performances, allowing me to gauge the other side's strength."

Then, she raised a third finger: "Finally, if the other person is not well-known, I rely on my intuition! Don't be fooled by my appearance; I have a keen sense when it comes to strong individuals. Unless someone is hiding very deeply, they generally can't escape my eyes."

"Really?"

Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow: "Then show me?"

"Heh, let me give you a demonstration, but don't doubt me after I'm done."

Mint coldly smiled: "You, you're a magical girl from Fangting City, right?"

"Oh?" As soon as she said this, Lin Xiaolu was intrigued.

"Fangting City was hit by a large-scale attack from Black Ash Dawn last year, with Ash Envoy level members appearing, almost causing the whole city to suffer. This incident is well-known among the magical girls in Central City."

Mint's tone was a mix of sincerity and bravado: "Considering that you are here for the assessment, you must be at least Seed Level in the Kaihua stage, which means you were magical girls before the attack. So, no matter what, you should have participated in the face-off against Black Ash Dawn and survived that attack."

"Interesting." Lin Xiaolu finally gave an affirmative nod.

"And with my discerning eye, I can judge that both you and the kid next to you, who still wants to hit me, are quite impressive despite being elementary school students."

Mint clapped her fists: "Without a doubt, our team's composition is top-notch!"

"... Almost right, except for one thing."

Lin Xiaolu lowered her eyelids to look at her: "I'm not an elementary school student; I'm almost 15."

"15?"

This time, Mint examined Lin Xiaolu with disbelief and, after a moment, grudgingly said: "Then you must really look, um, immature... uh, a bit leisurely."

"Wanna fight?" Lin Xiaolu raised her magic wand.

"I surrender, I don't want to be disqualified for causing trouble at the test site."

Mint immediately raised both hands: "Anyway, you should believe me now, right? I'm a professional at gathering intelligence."

"Tsk... fine, mentioning 'Fangting City' is enough to convince me."

Clicking her tongue with some dissatisfaction, Lin Xiaolu wasn't one for unnecessary violence and didn't want to end up fighting with her new teammate. If she did such a thing, word might reach Emerald Sparrow after the test and drastically lower her evaluation of Lin Xiaolu. So, she swallowed her pride concerning Mint's apparently provocative remark and calmly said: "So you're saying you left our two teammates aside and ran around the field like a wild dog because you could find out where those on the 'Thigh Rankings' are?"

Since Mint used such impolite words to describe her, Lin Xiaolu didn't feel the need to be courteous in return either.

"By observing the crowd's density before the test, the reaction during team assignments, the post-gathering emotional fluctuations and levels of excitement of some teams, supplemented by a little intelligence."

Mint flashed her phone to show her social media friends list: "Not that I'm bragging, but I've added friends with most of the people on that list, and when I message them 'I'm coming to see your team,' they all respond. In fact, they think I'm a well-meaning friend and even thank me."

"Really, no one suspects your motives?" Lin Xiaolu was a bit dumbfounded.

"Well, I'm also on the rankings, positioned at 31! Plus, when I approached them, I hadn't even 'met up with my own teammates,' doesn't that make me seem considerate?"

Mint grinningly explained: "If I'd met up with all of you before seeking information from them, that would make me look dubious. However, if I'm looking at their team compositions without even bothering to unite with my team, it shows I'm putting friendship first!"

"So you're leaving us just for this trivial reason?"

Lin Xiaolu frowned: "Do you know how long it took me to find you, I was even thinking my device was broken?"

"I'm really sorry."

Contrary to expectations, Mint lowered her head and sincerely apologized about this matter: "I know it was disrespectful to you all, so I intended to explain and apologize properly afterward."

"…Let's not make it a habit."

Feeling Bai Jingxuan's unease, Lin Xiaolu shook her head at her before turning to look earnestly at Mint: "You claim to be the 31st on the 'Thigh Rankings' and to be doing intelligence work, meaning you take the assessment victory seriously. I hope you can genuinely convert all of this into an advantage for our team."

Without a doubt, her first impression of this teammate was quite poor.

Despite Mint's stylish and dashing appearance, her words were inconsistent, and she acted alone, causing problems even before their first meeting. Her words were often offensive. If one were to score teammates with a full mark of ten, her current evaluation of Mint in Lin Xiaolu's heart was only four, at best five.

As for why she still scored close to passing, it was naturally because Mint's purported expertise as an "intelligence specialist," "31st on the Thigh Rankings," seemed somewhat impressive. Lin Xiaolu, confident as she was in her abilities, wasn't arrogant enough to believe she was significantly superior to everyone on the said rankings.

After all, the real combat assessment was all about showcasing genuine skills. No matter how unpleasant a candidate might be, as long as they had the strength, quality, and willingness to collaborate for victory, they could be considered a good teammate.

The few positives Lin Xiaolu held for Mint largely came from the thought that "this person seems to have some skill."

But then, she couldn't help but grow a little suspicious.

"... You, claiming to be a well-informed person, the whole 'Thigh Rankings' wouldn't have something to do with you, right? Is this 31st position of yours truly reliable?"

Sticking to the principle of exchanging information as much as possible in a team, she bluntly asked: "Could it be a rank traded for behind the scenes?"

"Huh? That? Rest assured, it's certainly not a rank exchanged for favors, it's absolutely accurate."

The question, though rather sharp, didn't bother Mint, who responded with a cheerful smile, pointing a thumb to herself:

"Because I ranked myself 31st!"