The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 268: Straw and Fire

Twilight settled over the Starry Kingdom and the grounds of Sword and Roses University.

Angelica returned to the dormitory with her sword bag slung over her shoulder. In her hand was a gold-edged invitation. "I just came back from sword combat class. Someone asked me to deliver this invitation to Sonya."

Adele leaned over, glanced at the card, and scoffed. She tossed it casually into the trash. "Where does the viscount get the nerve to send this? It's like a frog trying to swallow a swan... Angelica, listen carefully. For invitations rated below three stars, just say, 'I'm not very close to Sonya,' and refuse politely. If there's one moon star, you can accept it. That means the sender is at least a legitimate heir to a countship."

Angelica asked, "What about those with one shining star?"

She might be of noble birth herself, but she had never studied heraldry or learned the ways of aristocratic etiquette.

Adele said, "That means it's an olive branch from the royal family. You're supposed to kneel on one knee and put on white gloves before accepting it to show respect... Haha, just kidding. Accepting it normally is fine, but doing it the formal way might even win you favor with the royals!"

Adele had only been joking, but she couldn't hide her surprise at the thoughtful expression on Angelica's face. "You're really thinking about it?"

Angelica replied calmly, "Why wouldn't I? Opportunities to gain the royal family's favor aren't exactly common."

Adele scratched her cheek. "It's just... you've always seemed the type who doesn't bow to authority. You'd never compromise yourself for gain. I remember when you rejected Sonya's plan to introduce you to Professor Trosan."

Angelica nodded. "I don't bow to authority, and I won't compromise myself for gain. Since becoming a sorcerer, many nobles have tried to win me over in different ways, and I've ignored them all. That's much is true."

"Then why consider bending for the royal family?"

Angelica rolled her eyes as she set down her sword bag. "Bowing to other nobles is selling yourself to them. Serving the royal family, though, that's contributing to society, which is completely different. I'm not a fool. My goal as a swordswoman is to join the Starry Sorcerer System. If this gives me a head start, why would I refuse?"

Adele quickly grasped what she meant. Angelica's loyalty belonged solely to the country, and in the Starry Kingdom, the royal family was the rightful authority. She would never accept favors from lesser nobles.

Angelica asked again, "Still... why not go to Sonya directly? She trains at the hall every day. She's easy to find."

"They don't dare approach her," Adele explained.

Louisa rubbed her eyes and yawned as she climbed out of bed. "Nobles care about face. If Sonya refused them directly, it would be their loss of face, not hers. But if it comes through us, no one finds out... Ugh, my head hurts. Adele—"

"Coming," Adele said, quickly preparing a cup of honey water for Louisa. She gulped it down, and Angelica couldn't help asking, "Louisa, do you get hangovers?"

"Of course. Anyone would after drinking," Louisa mumbled.

That night, when Sonya returned triumphantly from Trajectory University in the early hours, the entire girls' dormitory erupted in celebration. They rejoiced all day.

Initially, the dorm supervisors had objected, but when Professor Trosan personally arranged for several cases of alcohol from the Secret Garden, they had no choice but to grudgingly take a few sips themselves.

The students' excitement was natural. Sonya had skipped all social activities and spent the entire month immersed in sword training. But last semester, she had worked hard to expand her connections. Even if she wasn't close to everyone, she had made her presence known.

As she rose to prominence, the other girls began watching her closely. Some offered their blessings, some their jealousy, and others their disdain. Regardless, all eyes were on her. As Sonya continued her relentless sword training, achieving one dazzling victory after another, many of them quietly shifted their attitudes. They became her secret supporters and her first true fans.

Most students from Sword and Roses University came from middle-class families, lower-ranking nobles, or merchant households in the Starry Kingdom. Many were born into luxury, yet their private lives were often empty. The glittering world of the Starry Kingdom filled them with vanity and indulgence but rarely offered a true sense of responsibility or purpose.

Those like Louisa fared better. They understood the value of hard work and planned to take over their family businesses one day. Others, like Adele, were far less ambitious. They would spend four years at Sword and Roses University, graduate, marry, have a few children, and coast through life, confident that someone would always catch them if they fell. They were like lavishly dressed scarecrows, lingering in the world as meaningless decorations.

At first, Adele and Louisa, the local students, looked down on Sonya and Angelica. The tension wasn't personal; it was like a matchup of fire against straw. Both Angelica and Sonya had clear ideals and goals. Their souls constantly burned with a flame called ambition, and naturally, the straw-like students kept their distance.

Sonya was no longer just fire. She had risen, becoming a blazing star. Straw feared the burn of fire, but it craved the light of a rising star. As Sonya shone brighter, her brilliance began to fill the emptiness in their hollow spirits.

Louisa was the first to feel the change. Past frivolous social activities had drained her focus, and determined to keep pace with Sonya, she quietly declined invitations, stopped attending tea parties, withdrew from clubs, and focused entirely on her studies. She devoted herself to water sorcery, making in one month the progress that would have previously taken six.

So when she watched Sonya strike down the alchemical bear live on screen, she nearly jumped for joy in the dormitory. The honor of being a Sword and Roses student, combined with Sonya's achievement, created a double thrill that magnified her excitement.

The celebration from the night before hadn't ended until dawn. The dorm still bore the traces of the wild party. Trash bins overflowed with bottles and cans, and bits of fireworks littered the floor. Somehow, they had even managed to find fireworks in the middle of the night.

Louisa, not yet a sorcerer, had stayed up late to watch the live broadcast and was already exhausted. Add the early-morning celebration, and she was completely wasted, collapsing onto her bed and sleeping through the entire day.

Adele, in contrast, had drunk plenty yet seemed unaffected. She had stayed up all night but remained full of energy. In her own words, it was a "skill honed by staying up to binge-watch shows."

Louisa, miserable from her hangover, couldn't resist stomping her foot at Adele when she saw her energetic and well. Before Adele could react, Louisa blurted out, "Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean it!"

Adele, of course, understood immediately. She muttered, "Taking it out on me again, huh..."

Angelica had spent the previous night exploring the Virtual World. Returning in the morning, she found the party already over. She asked, "Where's Sonya? Is she still out?"

"She came back by noon," Adele said with a slight pout. "She's been lying in bed ever since."

Angelica glanced over and saw Sonya still absorbed in scrolling through the Curtain. She clicked and swiped with absolute focus. Her expressions shifted rapidly. One moment, she smiled in delight. The next, she ground her teeth in frustration. Then she turned serious and thoughtful. Finally, she broke into a triumphant smile. All of these changes had occurred within a single minute.

Angelica blinked. "Why is she suddenly so hooked on the Curtain? She reminds me of someone I know..."

Adele teased, "Angelica, you've changed. You never used to insult people in such a roundabout way."

"I never said it was you!"

"Still trying to argue? Do you think I wouldn't know who's the most obsessed with the Curtain in this building?"