Sorcerer’s Handbook

Adelle noticed three things today that made her think Sonya was acting very strange.

The first thing was that she sat in the chair all morning watching the Holographic Screen with a faint smile on her face, as if she were immersed in the romantic fantasy of the TV drama. But, remarkably, she didn’t skip the opening or ending theme songs, which meant she wasn’t actually watching the drama.

The second thing was that she actively sought out Lois to ask about fashion advice.

Although their relationship had softened, it wasn’t as if they had become inseparable best friends. To be honest, Lois’s personality left a bit to be desired. Furthermore, they were both vying for attention and beauty, so for Sonya to ask for fashion advice was akin to admitting inferiority in taste. Even Lois was stunned.

Surprisingly, though, Lois didn’t take this opportunity to be condescending or sarcastic. On the contrary, she seemed somewhat at a loss. In the afternoon, she took Sonya and Adelle to scour the commercial district in Galaxia, buying Sonya a few outfits and even treating Adelle to a few new dresses.

Honestly, this time Sonya had indeed asked the right person. While Sonya had spent a lot on makeup and grooming, she knew very little about clothing. She practically wore the Swordflower uniform all year round—partly because it saved her money, but more so because the Swordflower uniform was stylish enough on its own, adding youth and the allure of being a ‘student.’ Don’t forget, just over two months ago, she was still a genuinely poor and beautiful college student.

During the first half of the semester, Sonya had tried wearing her own clothes, only to be mocked by Lois and relegated to the bottom tier of the fashion ladder. Her outfits were not only of poor quality but also reflected her fashion sense, which was about as sensitive as marble. This made her look like a village girl who had just arrived in the big city. She was better off sticking to her uniform.

For the entire latter half of the semester, Sonya’s only personal attire was a black spaghetti strap dress, which the well-versed Adelle immediately recognized as an imitation of Delarose’s latest costume from her new show.

Everyone’s fashion style is different. Even someone as indifferent to dressing up as Adelle has tried out dozens of outfits to find her own style. Lois’s family ran a combat attire business, and her fashion sense was among the best in Swordflower. By seeking Lois’s advice, Sonya skipped the tedious trial-and-error process and achieved instant success.

Charming, sweet, pure, elegant, sophisticated… Adelle had secretly taken quite a few photos; it was a big win for the Stretch Paw Club.

Then there was the third thing.

After returning to school from the city center, Adelle casually opened the school forum to see if there was any news. She happened to see yet another debate stirring up, titled, “Therave the village girl is so amazing, she can definitely defeat Dimy to win the Meteor Trial, right?”

Just as Adelle clicked on the post ready to engage in the battle, she saw a startling reply—

“Stretch Paw Club President: She can’t beat Dimy.”

“And so, in light of the above anomalies.”

In the canteen, Adelle looked at her two roommates and said, “It can be concluded that our little Sonya has been compromised.”

“I don’t quite understand,” Engulite said, biting her spoon, “The first two things, okay, but why is the last one also considered abnormal? Isn’t her reply quite normal?”

“It is precisely because it’s normal that it is unreasonable,” Adelle explained. “This post is full of jabs like ‘village girl’ and ‘defeat Dimy,’ clearly intended to provoke. The replies are filled with Sonya’s haters celebrating. This post was never about having a reasonable discussion.”

“When faced with such unreasonable posts, Sonya typically replies with something like ‘There’s no way Therave is as good as you, you must have raised yourself’ or ‘Who taught you to talk like that,’ baiting the other person into cursing so we can report them and get them banned.”

“In the Stretch Paw Club, online or offline, Sonya is the fiercest combatant. She’s like a hedgehog; anyone who dares to hurt her gets pricked.”

“But look at her now, facing such mockery without striking back, even replying rationally!” Adelle’s voice was filled with anguish, “Someone must have found her soft spot, so she’s retracted all her spikes!”

“Indeed,” Lois agreed, “Sonya is like a completely different person today compared to yesterday.”

“So, who has taken our Swordflower?” Adelle asked, scanning the room. “Do you have any clues?”

“Her social interactions haven’t changed recently,” Engulite noted. “I haven’t noticed any close relationships with the opposite sex.”

“She came back to the dorm right after last night’s competition,” Lois added. “Then she went to the Meditation Building to log into the Virtual Realm around 10 PM. There’s no way she could have been kidnapped during that time, right?” 𝑅

Adelle slowly nodded, but still fixed her sharp gaze on the two. Lois quickly caught on, exclaiming, “You suspect us!?”

“Just one of you,” Adelle corrected. “If there’s no one else around Sonya, then the culprit has to be one of you two. Now, confess and get a 20% discount for coming clean early.”

“What exactly are you discounting…” Lois’s face twitched. “You know me; I’m into handsome and considerate guys.”

“It couldn’t be me either,” Engulite shook her head. “I prefer men who are stronger than me.”

“Alright then,” Adelle said calmly. “Anyone who does not harbor any admiration for Sonya, please stand up.”

Silence.

“Anyone who doesn’t like Sonya’s appearance, please stand up.”

Silence.

“Anyone who doesn’t fancy Sonya’s strength, please stand up.”

Silence.

Adelle took a slight step back. “You two wouldn’t be double-teaming me, would you… Is it too late to switch dorms? I don’t want to wake up being the cheese in a double sandwich.”

“No way!”

“You’re misunderstanding!”

“What are you all talking about?”

The noisy conversation came to an abrupt halt as Sonya, carrying a tray, sat down with a smile. “Why didn’t you invite me to eat? I had to search for a while to find you.”

The three exchanged glances, and Adelle offered an excuse, “You weren’t around when we left, and we thought you had already gone to eat.”

“Oh.” Sonya responded, “So, what were you all talking about?”

“We were talking about that sarcastic post on the forum,” Adelle tentatively inquired, “Sonya, why didn’t you fight back on that thread?”

“There’s nothing to fight about—I really can’t beat Dimy,” Sonya shrugged. “Losing to him isn’t shameful. Besides, my goal for the Meteor Trial is to secure a spot between fourth and second place, and I’m already content with that.”

“Why did you ask me about buying clothes today?” Lois questioned.

“A lot of film offers have started to come my way, and I’ll be leaving school more frequently,” Sonya explained, putting her hands together in appreciation. “I can’t keep meeting people in my school uniform, can I? I’ll pay you back for the clothes later; I’ve made quite a bit of money in the Virtual Realm recently.”

“No need,” Lois replied, “I have a discount card, so the clothes didn’t cost much.”

“Geez, why are you all so awkward?”

Engulite suddenly bent her stainless steel spoon and looked at Sonya. “Sonya, do you have a crush on someone?”

What a direct hit!

Adelle and Lois held their breath, waiting for Sonya’s reaction. They knew Sonya typically had three kinds of responses. One would be a straightforward admission with a disdainful expression, as if they’d just asked a childish question; the second would be an ambiguous, dreamy response, leaving them guessing; and the third would be a cold denial, giving no clue to her true feelings.

But no matter which it was, they knew Sonya well enough to spot any inconsistencies!

“No, no I don’t,” Sonya stammered, her eyes instinctively shifting away. Crimson spread from her neck to her ears, making her face glow so red it was irresistible, “I don’t have a crush on anyone…”

The rest of the meal proceeded quietly. There was a College League match tonight, but Sonya had to go with Professor Trozan, so she parted ways with her roommates.

Once in Lois’s car, Adelle, who had been holding back all the way, couldn’t contain herself any longer. She pounded on the leather seat with her fists; Engulite leaned on her sword bag, taking deep breaths in large gulps, but still couldn’t wipe the silly grin off her face; Lois, paralyzed in the driver’s seat, sat stiffly, twisting and turning nonstop.

Though they had uncovered the truth, was it all worth it?

Why, oh why, is Sonya so adorable when she’s in love!?

“Are you worried?”

From the audience, while watching the Stars Trial, Sonya glanced unexpectedly at Professor Trozan beside her and shook her head. “Not worried. For all we know, I could lose in tomorrow’s semi-finals, so it won’t even matter.”

“Though you are my student, I haven’t really taken much care of you,” Professor Trozan sighed. “I’m a typical academic—climbing my way up to the Distant Sky Domain and only then researching practical Miracles. Back in the Time Continent, I wasn’t as strong as you are now. All my signature techniques are Sanctuary-level Miracles; if I reduce them to Golden level, their power wouldn’t even match your self-created Moonlit Water series. Honestly, I’m the one who has benefited greatly from you.”

“Just the fact that you were willing to take me as a student shows you’ve been looking after me,” Sonya said sweetly, hugging Trozan’s arm. “And you’ve always supported me in Friendly Matches, collaborative training, and school matters. I am always grateful.”

“You’re quite the smooth talker,” Trozan huffed, “but a swordswoman should never flatter.”

Despite her words, the faint upward curve of her lips showed that Trozan was clearly pleased.

“Professor, you’re not much older than me. Can I call you Sister Trozan?” Sonya pressed on, seizing the moment.

Trozan wanted to refuse, but facing Sonya’s bright, expectant eyes, she inexplicably agreed. “In public, you should still call me Professor.”

“Got it, Professor Sister!” Sonya giggled.

“So, even if you lose to Dimy, don’t be disheartened,” Trozan advised. “Once you reach the Sanctuary level, I have plenty of Sanctuary Miracles to help you reclaim your pride.”

“Thank you, Professor Sister!”

Trozan shifted her gaze back to the arena, frowning slightly. “How much longer will this drag on?”

“Well, that’s how the Stars Trial works. If the three teams are evenly matched, it can easily become a stalemate. No one wants to launch an all-out attack for fear of letting the third team take advantage,” Sonya explained. “They’re all waiting for a fleeting opportunity.”

“A waste of time,” Trozan remarked. “It’s almost 11 o’clock. Don’t you need to head to the virtual realm exploration, Sonya?”

“Oh, right!”

“I’ll fly you back right away.”

Without waiting for Sonya’s reply, Trozan picked her up and flew out of the Sports Arena. Within minutes, they were back at Swordflower College. Trozan set Sonya down in front of the Meditation Building, said goodbye, and then left.

Since the Stars Trial wasn’t over yet, most of the students were watching the live stream, making the Meditation Building quite deserted.

Staring at the familiar building, Sonya felt her heart race uncontrollably. She was so nervous that she almost wanted to turn and run, as if the building concealed some kind of man-eating Abyss.

In the end, she mustered her courage and entered the Meditation Room, sitting cross-legged to summon the Vibration Sword spirit. As she gazed at the two-winged Vibration Sword, a village girl’s consciousness moved through the spirit and easily found the Gate of Truth.

Was she really going to enter the Virtual Realm?

No, I should take a leave! Just for today! I don’t want to go!

But wait, would the Observer think I have some issue with him? Would it cause some kind of misunderstanding?

So should I go in after all?n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

But I’m scared to see him!

Ugh…

The Stretch Paw Club President’s mind was a tangled mess when her wristband alarm went off, reminding her that it was time for their meeting. Almost reflexively, Sonya stepped through the Gate of Truth.

When she came to her senses, she had already arrived at the Time Continent.

Her first reaction was to look down at her outfit, and she was immediately delighted—it was the elegant attire Lois had helped her buy today. It looked nice without being overly flattering, perfect for the atmosphere between them!

Just as Sonya started to relax, she heard the Observer say, “Witch, I have something to discuss with the Sword Princess alone. Stay in the car, don’t move.”

“Okay…” the Witch responded weakly.

However, Sonya had no time to worry about the Witch’s situation. Dizzy with anticipation, she was led by the Observer behind the Rain Curtain, to a place out of the Witch’s sight. The Observer turned and looked at her seriously.

Huh?

Uh, what?

What’s going on?

It’s happening? But I’m not ready! I should have worn my combat attire, and—

As the Observer placed his hands on her shoulders, Sonya felt her body go limp, as if she would collapse into his arms the moment he let go. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. Lips pressed together, mind blank, the usually assertive Sonya now seemed like a shy girl needing guidance, quietly waiting for the Observer to make the first move—

“Sword Princess, I may have no more than five days left.”

The Sword Princess opened her eyes, looking at Ashe with a sorrowful expression.