“Whew.”
Sonya exhaled a breath as sharp as a sword, pausing her weary hands, waiting for the armor stand with a gaping hole to slowly recover. Other apprentices in the Training Hall curiously watched the Red-haired Swordswoman; it was their first time seeing her train in the afternoon—though the thought of the evening’s Mixer Party soon filled them with admiration.
Training early because of the evening event, truly fitting for our Swordswoman!
“Sonya!” Adelle rushed in, calling out: “Lois and the others are waiting for you, aren’t you coming?”
“Just a few more minutes.” Sonya leveled her wooden sword, assuming a thrusting stance. “Wait for me.”
Adelle, frantic, had no choice but to honestly stay by her side, squatting and rubbing her calves—she had run all the way from the dorms, and even that short distance had left her feeling exhausted.
She watched Sonya repeatedly practice her thrusts, bored. Today, Sonya had her striking red hair tied up in a bun to facilitate movement, exposing her proud, smooth neck. Drops of sweat traced her forehead, rolled over her nose, streamed down her neck, and disappeared into her dark training vest.
With every thrust Sonya made, the vest emitted a heavy swaying sound—her hands, legs, and torso all weighted down.
“It looks so tiring,” Adelle remarked, propping her chin with her hands. “Do you actually find training enjoyable, Sonya?”
“How could I.” Between breaths, Sonya let out a plume of white air and smiled. “Even Engulite wouldn’t find training fun. Engaging in such monotonous repetition goes against human nature. If it were pleasurable, the Training Hall would be packed every day.”
“Isn’t that so?” Adelle was surprised. “Everyone says you must love Swordsmanship Training; that’s why you persist and come to the Training Hall daily. The stories always mention how a Faction’s Genius often finds joy in practice, and those without Talent only harvest misery…”
“Perhaps there are such people,” Sonya lunged fiercely, her wooden sword piercing through the armor stand, leaving only a Sword Scar without any other cracks. “But I am not one of them.”
“Swordsmanship Training is just so boring for me!”
“If it weren’t for being forced, I’d never practice swordsmanship in my whole life!”
Curious, Adelle asked, “Who’s forcing you?”
She waited a while, but Sonya didn’t answer, just fiercely thrusting her wooden sword at the armor stand as if it had personally wronged her.
Adelle asked again, “Even though you don’t want to practice, you seem to really like swordsmanship.”
“I don’t like swordsmanship,” Sonya said. “I just appreciate the perks that come with it. Honor, fame, attention, and a future.”
“I love being in the spotlight, I crave attention, I want to be a Noble, I want to stay in Gales.”
“Even though I don’t like swordsmanship, as long as it fulfills my wishes, I’ll pretend to love it. By your standards, Adelle, I’m definitely not a Genius.”
“But if everyone expects me to be one, then I’ll act the part.”
“Whew.”
Sonya retracted her wooden sword and picked up a towel next to her to wipe off her sweat. Adelle, meanwhile, unscrewed the cap of a rustic girl’s water bottle, took a deep gulp herself, and then handed it to Sonya. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”
The rustic girl took a small sip of water, looking at the naive and rich local girl.
“Even though I neither love studying nor sports, I’m not stupid,” Adelle said, folding her arms. “Whether someone truly likes something or not, even I can tell.”
“Every night, you carry your Sword bag to train, to fight Felix, to challenge Senior Sister Leoni. I don’t see reluctance, only anticipation. You enjoy this life, constantly sharpening yourself, advancing, getting stronger.” She glanced at the weights Sonya wore: “If you really didn’t like it, you wouldn’t make it harder on yourself. It’s like me searching for plot analyses and fan fiction after watching a show; it’s a craving that comes from deep love.”
“And, I just realized this now, watching you train up close.”
Adelle spoke earnestly, “When you hold the sword, when you sweat, when you swing, you look incredibly beautiful, just slightly less than me.”
“Beauty is right, so Sonya, you must be a Genius of swordsmanship.”
Suddenly, Sonya felt she couldn’t quite follow Adelle’s line of thinking, “Just because I look beautiful with a sword, I should become a Swordcerer?”
“What else?” Adelle retorted, “Beauty is the only reason for existence. Are you going to let down the favor of the Stars?”
“Indeed.” Sonya couldn’t help but nod, “That makes sense. Is it a famous quotation?”
“From episode 17 of ‘How Pitiful I Must Be to Have My Heart Stolen by You.'”
“A Shadow Drama… I don’t watch dramas that Delarose isn’t in.”
“Then you’ve missed many classic masterpieces.” Adelle spoke as if she were an expert, “It’s precisely because I’ve seen so many joys and sorrows that I can see through the vanity of words and the deceit of looks.”
Do joys and sorrows in a Shadow Drama count?
“Like you, Sonya, you clearly love swordsmanship, but you always go on and on, using so many excuses to prove you only practice for the benefits, as if admitting you like swordsmanship would make you lose in some competition.”
Sonya was taken aback.
“And the same goes for your Sound Magic and performance classes.” Adelle seemed a bit thirsty from talking too much, smacking her lips and grabbing the water bottle from Sonya’s hand to drink, “You say you want to be a performer or Songstress in the future because it can make a lot of money. That sounds right, but there are so many lucrative Occupations, why specifically a Songstress or performer?”
“You always come up with many complex reasons, but actually, the motives for many things should be quite simple.”
Adelle reflected, “I’ve watched so many dramas, and the biggest takeaway is that many plans, though perfect, are often twisted by spontaneous motives. This world is just full of such unreasonable spontaneity.”
Sonya: “…Have you ever thought that maybe the screenwriter got lazy and just went with it?”
“That makes sense.” Adelle pointed to her vibrating Bracelet, “Are we done Resting? Let’s go, look, Lois is hurrying us again.”
Sonya and Adelle quickly returned to their dormitory, only to find a crowd of female students bustling inside, with various clothes and accessories strewn about the tables.
Upon seeing Sonya drenched in sweat, Lois couldn’t help but pinch her nose, exclaiming, “Go take a shower, now! Really, suddenly calling us to prepare your Battle Garment and then taking off to train by yourself… Do you think becoming a Swordflower will make everyone revolve around you? Not to mention, you’re not even a Swordflower yet!”
Sonya apologized, “I’m sorry.”
“Just go and shower,” Lois waved her off. “You reek. I’ll let you use my shampoo and body wash this time; otherwise, you might just knock me out with that smell.”
After Sonya headed into the bathroom, Lois tapped on her Bracelet, “Has Borris Senior Sister not arrived yet? Is there anyone who can replace her?”
“Wind Department students are few as it is, let alone those specializing in Mystic Fragrance,” another girl complained. “Most of us focus on meteorology. Borris only started studying Mystic Fragrance because she occasionally obtained the Fragrant Wind spirit from the Virtual Realm. Real Mystic Fragrance Sorcerers are mostly affiliated with those perfume companies. Unless you become their apprentice, you can’t access their centuries-old fragrance formulas.”
“Being short one Borris shouldn’t be an issue,” Adelle said. “Besides, during the Battle, no one is going to be focused on Sonya’s scent—”
“Don’t forget, spirit enhancements that amplify the senses are everywhere,” Lois interrupted. “A perfect performance can’t have any flaws… Oh!”
She opened her own cabinet, rummaging through to pull out a glass bottle inlaid with star diamonds.
Adelle was immediately astonished, “Isn’t that Tears of the Meteor? Lois, you’ve been hiding such treasures and not sharing with your best friends!”
“If I shared it, you’d use it all up sooner or later,” Lois said, looking at the perfume bottle with a conflicted expression. The other girls crowded around her, begging Lois to let them try the perfume or to book a session to use it.
Engulite looked puzzled, “Is that perfume really expensive?”
“It’s not about the cost; it’s a limited edition that money can’t buy,” explained Adelle. “It’s a special blend by a Mystic Fragrance Sorcerer, containing the power of Miracle. You see, the perfumes we usually wear are quite enchanting already, but they are just mass-produced by Mystic Fragrance Sorcerers and contain only a bit of Miracle’s power. They can’t compare to ‘Tears of the Meteor.'”
“So, this perfume is stronger?”
“No, no, no, the focus of Mystic Fragrance isn’t the ‘fragrance’ per se, but the ‘mystique’. It’s said that ladies who use this perfume can become the sole focus of attention with just a subtle body scent, even causing others to secrete pleasure hormones, making them feel a fondness for the wearer.” Adelle’s face was full of longing, “If I could wear this perfume at the school gala, I’d shine brighter than the Stars.”
“However, this miraculous perfume isn’t sold because it requires a lot of spirit to produce. It’s only given as a gift. Looks like Lois has some strong connections at home…”
Just then, Sonya came out of the shower, and Lois immediately said, “Alright, we have 95 minutes until six o’clock. In these 95 minutes, we must turn Sonya into a work of art!”
The rustic girl hadn’t even reacted before she was pulled over, arms raised, as the girls quickly stripped her of her clothes — not sparing even her underwear — and then dressed her in new undergarments, followed by a shirt, leggings, then riding pants, a jacket, gloves, boots, accessories, and a skirt…
Sonya was astonished, “Lois, I just asked you to help me find a suitable Battle Garment, isn’t this a bit much with so many people?”
“What do you think a real Battle Garment is? A nightgown that you can just slip into?” Lois said irritably. “And if you really wanted to wear a Battle Garment, you should have told me a few days in advance. You only told me this afternoon, giving me just a few hours. It’s crazier than rushing a homework assignment.”
“The dazzling Battle Garments you see on the Holographic Screen all require several people to put on, even needing spirit for tailoring—these Senior Sisters are all people I asked through my connections, so you better thank them properly later.”
“No need,” one Senior Sister said with a smile, “it’s our honor to serve a new Swordflower. If you really want to thank someone, Lois, thank us — and please, I have a very important date next week, may I borrow some ‘Tears of the Meteor’ perfume?”
“I’m meeting my fiancé in a few days!”
“I have an important dinner to attend!”
Sonya chuckled, “Thank you for your generous help, Senior Sisters. Lois, I didn’t mean to trouble you, but I only found out this morning that I’m in charge of the Chief Battle at the Mixer Party. The professor wouldn’t have told me if I hadn’t asked…”
“Professor Trozan really should have…”
Lois muttered as she pushed Sonya down onto a stool, “Are you confident you won’t hurt your face? Blood mixed with makeup looks awful… or maybe just trim the eyebrows?”
Sonya summoned a spirit, “I have a ‘Fixed Day’ spirit; please help me with the makeup that best suits the spotlight.”
Lois’s expression softened slightly, “You even got a ‘Fixed Day’ spirit; at least you’re somewhat prepared.”
She took out a headband and tied up the rustic girl’s red hair, carefully examining her eyes, “Your eyes seem a bit dry… Adelle, bring me my eye wash.”
“Whew.”
Sonya exhaled a breath as sharp as a sword, pausing her weary hands, waiting for the armor stand with a gaping hole to slowly recover. Other apprentices in the Training Hall curiously watched the Red-haired Swordswoman; it was their first time seeing her train in the afternoon—though the thought of the evening’s Mixer Party soon filled them with admiration.
Training early because of the evening event, truly fitting for our Swordswoman!
“Sonya!” Adelle rushed in, calling out: “Lois and the others are waiting for you, aren’t you coming?”
“Just a few more minutes.” Sonya leveled her wooden sword, assuming a thrusting stance. “Wait for me.”
Adelle, frantic, had no choice but to honestly stay by her side, squatting and rubbing her calves—she had run all the way from the dorms, and even that short distance had left her feeling exhausted.
She watched Sonya repeatedly practice her thrusts, bored. Today, Sonya had her striking red hair tied up in a bun to facilitate movement, exposing her proud, smooth neck. Drops of sweat traced her forehead, rolled over her nose, streamed down her neck, and disappeared into her dark training vest.
With every thrust Sonya made, the vest emitted a heavy swaying sound—her hands, legs, and torso all weighted down.
“It looks so tiring,” Adelle remarked, propping her chin with her hands. “Do you actually find training enjoyable, Sonya?”
“How could I.” Between breaths, Sonya let out a plume of white air and smiled. “Even Engulite wouldn’t find training fun. Engaging in such monotonous repetition goes against human nature. If it were pleasurable, the Training Hall would be packed every day.”
“Isn’t that so?” Adelle was surprised. “Everyone says you must love Swordsmanship Training; that’s why you persist and come to the Training Hall daily. The stories always mention how a Faction’s Genius often finds joy in practice, and those without Talent only harvest misery…”
“Perhaps there are such people,” Sonya lunged fiercely, her wooden sword piercing through the armor stand, leaving only a Sword Scar without any other cracks. “But I am not one of them.”
“Swordsmanship Training is just so boring for me!”
“If it weren’t for being forced, I’d never practice swordsmanship in my whole life!”
Curious, Adelle asked, “Who’s forcing you?”
She waited a while, but Sonya didn’t answer, just fiercely thrusting her wooden sword at the armor stand as if it had personally wronged her.
Adelle asked again, “Even though you don’t want to practice, you seem to really like swordsmanship.”
“I don’t like swordsmanship,” Sonya said. “I just appreciate the perks that come with it. Honor, fame, attention, and a future.”
“I love being in the spotlight, I crave attention, I want to be a Noble, I want to stay in Gales.”
“Even though I don’t like swordsmanship, as long as it fulfills my wishes, I’ll pretend to love it. By your standards, Adelle, I’m definitely not a Genius.”
“But if everyone expects me to be one, then I’ll act the part.”
“Whew.”
Sonya retracted her wooden sword and picked up a towel next to her to wipe off her sweat. Adelle, meanwhile, unscrewed the cap of a rustic girl’s water bottle, took a deep gulp herself, and then handed it to Sonya. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”
The rustic girl took a small sip of water, looking at the naive and rich local girl.
“Even though I neither love studying nor sports, I’m not stupid,” Adelle said, folding her arms. “Whether someone truly likes something or not, even I can tell.”
“Every night, you carry your Sword bag to train, to fight Felix, to challenge Senior Sister Leoni. I don’t see reluctance, only anticipation. You enjoy this life, constantly sharpening yourself, advancing, getting stronger.” She glanced at the weights Sonya wore: “If you really didn’t like it, you wouldn’t make it harder on yourself. It’s like me searching for plot analyses and fan fiction after watching a show; it’s a craving that comes from deep love.”
“And, I just realized this now, watching you train up close.”
Adelle spoke earnestly, “When you hold the sword, when you sweat, when you swing, you look incredibly beautiful, just slightly less than me.”
“Beauty is right, so Sonya, you must be a Genius of swordsmanship.”
Suddenly, Sonya felt she couldn’t quite follow Adelle’s line of thinking, “Just because I look beautiful with a sword, I should become a Swordcerer?”
“What else?” Adelle retorted, “Beauty is the only reason for existence. Are you going to let down the favor of the Stars?”
“Indeed.” Sonya couldn’t help but nod, “That makes sense. Is it a famous quotation?”
“From episode 17 of ‘How Pitiful I Must Be to Have My Heart Stolen by You.'”
“A Shadow Drama… I don’t watch dramas that Delarose isn’t in.”
“Then you’ve missed many classic masterpieces.” Adelle spoke as if she were an expert, “It’s precisely because I’ve seen so many joys and sorrows that I can see through the vanity of words and the deceit of looks.”
Do joys and sorrows in a Shadow Drama count?
“Like you, Sonya, you clearly love swordsmanship, but you always go on and on, using so many excuses to prove you only practice for the benefits, as if admitting you like swordsmanship would make you lose in some competition.”
Sonya was taken aback.
“And the same goes for your Sound Magic and performance classes.” Adelle seemed a bit thirsty from talking too much, smacking her lips and grabbing the water bottle from Sonya’s hand to drink, “You say you want to be a performer or Songstress in the future because it can make a lot of money. That sounds right, but there are so many lucrative Occupations, why specifically a Songstress or performer?”
“You always come up with many complex reasons, but actually, the motives for many things should be quite simple.”
Adelle reflected, “I’ve watched so many dramas, and the biggest takeaway is that many plans, though perfect, are often twisted by spontaneous motives. This world is just full of such unreasonable spontaneity.”
Sonya: “…Have you ever thought that maybe the screenwriter got lazy and just went with it?”
“That makes sense.” Adelle pointed to her vibrating Bracelet, “Are we done Resting? Let’s go, look, Lois is hurrying us again.”
Sonya and Adelle quickly returned to their dormitory, only to find a crowd of female students bustling inside, with various clothes and accessories strewn about the tables.
Upon seeing Sonya drenched in sweat, Lois couldn’t help but pinch her nose, exclaiming, “Go take a shower, now! Really, suddenly calling us to prepare your Battle Garment and then taking off to train by yourself… Do you think becoming a Swordflower will make everyone revolve around you? Not to mention, you’re not even a Swordflower yet!”
Sonya apologized, “I’m sorry.”
“Just go and shower,” Lois waved her off. “You reek. I’ll let you use my shampoo and body wash this time; otherwise, you might just knock me out with that smell.”
After Sonya headed into the bathroom, Lois tapped on her Bracelet, “Has Borris Senior Sister not arrived yet? Is there anyone who can replace her?”
“Wind Department students are few as it is, let alone those specializing in Mystic Fragrance,” another girl complained. “Most of us focus on meteorology. Borris only started studying Mystic Fragrance because she occasionally obtained the Fragrant Wind spirit from the Virtual Realm. Real Mystic Fragrance Sorcerers are mostly affiliated with those perfume companies. Unless you become their apprentice, you can’t access their centuries-old fragrance formulas.”
“Being short one Borris shouldn’t be an issue,” Adelle said. “Besides, during the Battle, no one is going to be focused on Sonya’s scent—”
“Don’t forget, spirit enhancements that amplify the senses are everywhere,” Lois interrupted. “A perfect performance can’t have any flaws… Oh!”
She opened her own cabinet, rummaging through to pull out a glass bottle inlaid with star diamonds.
Adelle was immediately astonished, “Isn’t that Tears of the Meteor? Lois, you’ve been hiding such treasures and not sharing with your best friends!”
“If I shared it, you’d use it all up sooner or later,” Lois said, looking at the perfume bottle with a conflicted expression. The other girls crowded around her, begging Lois to let them try the perfume or to book a session to use it.
Engulite looked puzzled, “Is that perfume really expensive?”
“It’s not about the cost; it’s a limited edition that money can’t buy,” explained Adelle. “It’s a special blend by a Mystic Fragrance Sorcerer, containing the power of Miracle. You see, the perfumes we usually wear are quite enchanting already, but they are just mass-produced by Mystic Fragrance Sorcerers and contain only a bit of Miracle’s power. They can’t compare to ‘Tears of the Meteor.'”
“So, this perfume is stronger?”
“No, no, no, the focus of Mystic Fragrance isn’t the ‘fragrance’ per se, but the ‘mystique’. It’s said that ladies who use this perfume can become the sole focus of attention with just a subtle body scent, even causing others to secrete pleasure hormones, making them feel a fondness for the wearer.” Adelle’s face was full of longing, “If I could wear this perfume at the school gala, I’d shine brighter than the Stars.”
“However, this miraculous perfume isn’t sold because it requires a lot of spirit to produce. It’s only given as a gift. Looks like Lois has some strong connections at home…”
Just then, Sonya came out of the shower, and Lois immediately said, “Alright, we have 95 minutes until six o’clock. In these 95 minutes, we must turn Sonya into a work of art!”
The rustic girl hadn’t even reacted before she was pulled over, arms raised, as the girls quickly stripped her of her clothes — not sparing even her underwear — and then dressed her in new undergarments, followed by a shirt, leggings, then riding pants, a jacket, gloves, boots, accessories, and a skirt…
Sonya was astonished, “Lois, I just asked you to help me find a suitable Battle Garment, isn’t this a bit much with so many people?”
“What do you think a real Battle Garment is? A nightgown that you can just slip into?” Lois said irritably. “And if you really wanted to wear a Battle Garment, you should have told me a few days in advance. You only told me this afternoon, giving me just a few hours. It’s crazier than rushing a homework assignment.”
“The dazzling Battle Garments you see on the Holographic Screen all require several people to put on, even needing spirit for tailoring—these Senior Sisters are all people I asked through my connections, so you better thank them properly later.”
“No need,” one Senior Sister said with a smile, “it’s our honor to serve a new Swordflower. If you really want to thank someone, Lois, thank us — and please, I have a very important date next week, may I borrow some ‘Tears of the Meteor’ perfume?”
“I’m meeting my fiancé in a few days!”
“I have an important dinner to attend!”
Sonya chuckled, “Thank you for your generous help, Senior Sisters. Lois, I didn’t mean to trouble you, but I only found out this morning that I’m in charge of the Chief Battle at the Mixer Party. The professor wouldn’t have told me if I hadn’t asked…”
“Professor Trozan really should have…”
Lois muttered as she pushed Sonya down onto a stool, “Are you confident you won’t hurt your face? Blood mixed with makeup looks awful… or maybe just trim the eyebrows?”
Sonya summoned a spirit, “I have a ‘Fixed Day’ spirit; please help me with the makeup that best suits the spotlight.”
Lois’s expression softened slightly, “You even got a ‘Fixed Day’ spirit; at least you’re somewhat prepared.”
She took out a headband and tied up the rustic girl’s red hair, carefully examining her eyes, “Your eyes seem a bit dry… Adelle, bring me my eye wash.”
