"But sometimes all you need is a tiny edge," agrees Marika, "And any edge is better than none."

"You've been working hard at this."

It's not the hardest thing to tell from how rumpled Billy is, but it's also how the people she knows do things. No one around the Academy or the Bentenmaru goes at anything less than 100% when they want something done.
Possibly more than 100%, depending on who else can be convinced to help you along.