Sorcerer’s Handbook

On the way back to school, Sonya encountered a traffic accident that halted the tram for half an hour. When she returned to Swordflower College, it was already past 7 p.m.—according to the rules, the college prohibited entry after 7 p.m. Students returning late had to register their names, and after three late returns, they would have to endure a thorn. Accumulating three thorns led to expulsion.

However, under Sonya’s soft-spoken explanation, the young doorkeeper let her in without registering her name. Noticing the doorkeeper’s lecherous gaze, as if it could see through her clothes, Sonya thanked him with a smile on her face while inwardly despising him.

Did he really think that just because he was a doorkeeper at Swordflower College, he could get close to the beautiful female students?

Lacking even that bit of self-awareness, no wonder he was just a doorkeeper.

Sonya was well aware from a young age that beauty could bring advantages, but it wasn’t until she came to Gales that she realized how powerful beauty could be—compared to that poor small village, civilized people in the city were more willing to provide conveniences for beauty.

At such times, Sonya would sincerely thank the Stars Sovereign. It was thanks to this Divine Master that the Stars Kingdom had developed into such a civilized and flourishing society, giving her the chance to squeeze into high society.

If she had been in one of those barbaric countries without the protective sky-canopy, she probably would have been snatched away as a trophy of war the moment she began to show hints of beauty.

She was also grateful to her mother. If her mother hadn’t insisted on her studying at home instead of working the fields, even with her natural beauty, she would have been weathered into a rough rustic girl.

Returning to the girls’ dormitory, Sonya was about to push the door open when she heard Lois’s voice inside, “It’s past 7 already; that country mutt probably won’t come back tonight, huh? Heh, she finally can’t hide her tail. Guess she’s hooked up with some rich merchant by now.”

Oh, so she had just stumbled upon the classic glass roommate friendship episode of ‘talking behind someone’s back’? Sonya paused, silently listening to Lois’s impotent rage.

Adelle chimed in with feigned persuasion, “Stop it, Lois, she might be back any moment…”

“Let her come back. I want to call her shameless to her face!”

Lois grew angrier as she spoke, “You didn’t see how slutty she was in class, making eyes at others. A country dog from the sticks, what’s so great about her aside from a pretty face?”

Heh, being prettier than you is quite something.

Sonya sneered inwardly. Lois was the one she got along with the least in the dorm. Lois, a local merchant’s daughter from Gales, was full of pride in her appearance and often insinuated Sonya’s low birth in their dorm room squabbles. Yet Sonya was more attractive than her, and when they appeared together, the number of boys showing Sonya favor was clearly higher.

Still, during their freshman year, everyone maintained a superficial peace until Sonya outshone Lois at a school event and nabbed the role of host, triggering Lois’s animosity.

Lois was no pushover either. She organized multiple Entertainment activities for the Water Art Department and even paid out of her own pocket to take her classmates to upscale restaurants—everyone except Sonya.

With such a display of wealth, the number of Lois’s suitors grew.

After all, people seeking shortcuts aren’t limited by gender. While Sonya was attractive, marrying Lois, the epitome of a wealthy beauty, could mean a man might work ten fewer years.

In terms of money, Sonya certainly couldn’t compete, but when it came to irritating others, she knew too many tricks.

Whenever a man pursued Lois and she showed even a slight interest, Sonya would manufacture ‘chance encounters’ with him, ‘accidentally’ making physical contact and giving him glances that were enough to bewitch him completely, sometimes even causing him to abandon Lois and pursue Sonya instead.

Lois’s temper exploded tonight because Sonya had ‘flipped’ the latest senior pursuing Lois just yesterday.

To be honest, Sonya had little respect for Lois’s taste in men. That senior, although handsome, was utterly useless and full of a sense of superiority. But to annoy Lois, Sonya didn’t mind throwing a few flirtatious glances his way.

Even though Sonya would surely reject any advances, would Lois really want to be with ‘trash that even Sonya, the country dog, wouldn’t want’? No wonder Lois was so furious she was practically screeching.

“Speaking of which, I heard from Desiree that she saw Sonya talking to a peasant woman outside the school gates at noon,” Adelle suddenly remembered. “Could that woman have been her mother?”

“Pssh, with a daughter as shameless as that, I bet her mother’s no better—”

Clang!

Before Sonya could no longer restrain herself and burst into the room, a loud noise came from inside.

Realizing something, she stepped back just as the dormitory door swung open from the inside, revealing a girl with a ponytail and blonde hair carrying a sword bag.

“Good evening, Sonya,” she said.

“Good evening, Engulite,” Sonya replied.

Without turning back, Engulite left the dormitory, probably heading to the training grounds for some night training. Inside, Adelle and Lois sat in shock, their faces still displaying panic.

On the training punching bag that Engulite had bought for the dormitory, there was a new dent that Sonya hadn’t seen before.

Sonya entered and closed the door, restoring calm to the dormitory.

Since Engulite had already taught them a lesson, Sonya naturally wouldn’t add to it, but she made a mental note of this incident, vowing to make Lois pay back what she owed, with interest, eventually.

Footnote:

1. Glass Roommate Friendship(玻璃舍友情):

   Describing the friendship between roommates as fragile as glass, breaking at the slightest touch.