Goddess Academy-class starship · No.1 Ship Academy.
Leona raised her head and looked at this week's assessment marks in every subject.
First subject assessment: second place, Leona; first place, Zhao Ruyue.
Second subject assessment: second place, Leona; first place, Zhao Ruyue.
Third subject assessment: second place, Leona; first place, Zhao Ruyue.
……
With this name Zhao Ruyue, Leona could not be more familiar.
It might even be said to be the name she knew best in the near 50 days since she had come to this starship academy.
She had received Charlotte's proposal to begin with, that she go to the Owl Dragon Star System's starship academy for advanced study, and might even join the Owl Dragon Legion outright hereafter.
And even should she not wish to join the Owl Dragon Legion, since the Warhammer would hereafter take Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships into service in great numbers, this stretch of study would let her understand the combat system and style of the Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships.
To which proposal Leona had naturally agreed with pleasure.
Some 300-odd others had come to the starship academy in this batch for advanced study.
The greater part of them were the elite of the various great tribes of the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom, and of these the Hundred Beasts Alliance's original crew were the most numerous.
Charlotte had sent her own younger sister Midai'er across as well.
Though Midai'er had accumulated a great deal of combat experience upon the field.
There was certain theoretical knowledge that could only be learned quickly within a starship academy.
Practical experience and theoretical knowledge are complements one to the other, and neither may be wanting.
Leona, though the blow of that last engagement with the Demon Race fleet had drawn in something of her pride.
Still felt within herself that with her own ability she should have no great trouble in the Owl Dragon's academy.
Set beside these raw recruits, she had commanded several hundred thousand interstellar warships!
But the subject assessments of her first week here struck Leona full in the face.
Her mark came out at no better than second place.
And a name appeared before her eyes at this time.
Zhao Ruyue.
She had comforted herself then that she had not been earnest enough, and that if only she were earnest enough she would assuredly overtake her.
But afterward, in the second week, the third week, the fourth week, the fifth week, she was second place every time; while the name in the first place seemed to have struck root, fixed fast in that first position.
However hard she might strive, there was no shaking it.
"Not bad at all — this time you fell short of me in several subjects by only a very little." A voice came from beside Leona's ear.
Leona folded her arms. "Hmph. Next time I shall assuredly overtake you!"
The one who had spoken was Zhao Ruyue herself.
And in the time Leona had been marking Zhao Ruyue, Zhao Ruyue had naturally been marking this princess of the Dragon-folk race as well.
Perhaps it was this rivalry between two of a kind who esteem one another; at any rate the two very soon became good friends.
And when they studied, they would help each other besides.
"Sister Ruyue, my overall standing this time is only fifth… If my sister learns of it, she will surely thrash me!" Midai'er came up at this point, looking at Zhao Ruyue in her injured way.
Zhao Ruyue looked at Midai'er, this white-tiger half-beast girl, and her hand went up to that head of hers without thinking.
The feel of it truly was fine.
Zhao Ruyue did not let the business of stroking the cat make her neglect her concern for Midai'er. "This of yours already counts as very fine. And in the simulated combat you were third!"
"Then will my sister scold me?" Midai'er was anxious still.
Perhaps it was because Charlotte stood simply too high, which had left Midai'er, her sister, under great pressure all along.
She strove very hard too; but there is a great deal that striving alone cannot change.
She was not like Zhao Ruyue, who had gift enough.
Nor like Leona, who, being a princess of the Dragon-folk tribe, had been taught from her childhood by elites of every kind.
Upon her own striving alone, to have such marks as these — in the history of the Owl Dragon Academy she might not reach the top 10, but to rank her among the top 20 at present would be no problem at all.
"Try harder next time. And next time I shall assuredly take first place." Leona clapped Midai'er upon the back and said it without ceremony.
And just at this moment, upon the handheld terminals of no few students present, a short message sprang up.
The message's demand was very simple: that they assemble at a certain district in the least possible time.
Zhao Ruyue, Leona, and Midai'er all received these messages.
The three of them exchanged a glance, and within each of them was a certain foreboding.
Without a word more, everyone who had received the message hurried off to the appointed assembly point.
As for the students who had not received it, they could only look on in envy as these seniors went off to the sea of stars.
By a rather happy chance, Zhao Ruyue and the other two were all at one assembly point.
At this one assembly point of theirs alone, tens of thousands at the least were gathered.
Before their eyes was a vast holographic projection, in which the instructor responsible for them was announcing a matter.
The matter announced was very simple.
That this portion of the students of their intake had finished their assessment, and might formally join the Owl Dragon Legion and be posted to service.
Within 10 minutes, a posting notice would be sent to every student's handheld terminal.
And in the 24 hours thereafter, they would be arranged aboard these interstellar warships they were posted to.
At hearing this span of time.
Zhao Ruyue knit her brows slightly.
She knew this procedure. The Owl Dragon Legion cared a great deal for efficiency, but it generally gave three days.
This time it had given a single day.
Which could only mean that the Owl Dragon Legion was facing a great crisis now.
And urgently needed this batch of new recruits in place.
Beep beep beep.
Zhao Ruyue looked to her own handheld terminal and opened the newest message.
Student number A3901: you have completed the academy's subject assessments and are approved to graduate.
You will next be assigned to the Owl Dragon Ninth Legion, Sixth Squadron flagship, Tyrant-class Heavy Interstellar Missile-Battlecruiser Hull No.038, to hold the posts of ship's captain and squadron commander.
Because your posts are of a special character, you must reach the ship you are posted to within six hours and take up your work.
Zhao Ruyue was not astonished at her own post; she had long known that of those graduating by assessment out of the Owl Dragon Academy, certain students who possessed practical combat experience and whose assessment marks were excellent would be assigned important posts outright.
So her holding this post of small-fleet commander was a perfectly ordinary thing.
Zhao Ruyue's identity had been kept secret all along within the Owl Dragon Academy.
Apart from a very small part of the academy's managing senior staff, who knew something of the matter, the great majority knew only her name and her number, and had no notion at all that she was the elder sister of that legendary Commander.
So there could be no talk of her going in by the back door.
What astonished Zhao Ruyue was that phrase Owl Dragon Ninth Legion. Before this she had known that the last establishment the Owl Dragon Legion had raised was the Owl Dragon Seventh Legion, and that her own former subordinate Wei Shishi held the commander's post in it.
Now, with this Owl Dragon Ninth Legion appearing on top of it, that meant that in the space of these few short months the Owl Dragon Legion had gained at the least two more legion establishments, and perhaps three!
And it was these newly built Owl Dragon legions they were to be posted to.
This hull-bursting speed of the Owl Dragon Legion's was too astonishing for words.