The Starry Kingdom, Sword Flower University.
"Starting today, I am a noble."
Sonia walked out of the administration building and opened the red velvet box in her hands. Resting atop the pink silk lining was a heavy Sword Star badge—stainless steel, devoid of any superfluous engravings or jewels.
Plain though it appeared, this Sword Star badge represented the very bedrock of the Starry Kingdom: the rank of Sword Baron.
*A million Sword Barons guard the stars.*
Although it was merely rhetoric used by superiors to motivate and placate lower-ranking nobles, it showed that only upon becoming a Sword Baron could one truly step onto the stage of the Starry Kingdom.
Non-noble commoners were rice stalks requiring care, beasts of burden to be raised, machine parts in need of maintenance, but by no means could they be considered people with a voice.
In addition to her title, Sonia had picked up a part-time position as a "swordsmanship researcher." Her advisor remained Professor Trozan. In truth, this was likely a position Professor Trozan had specially arranged for her to milk state resources. She could apply for an annual subsidy, which included not only money but also quotas for miracles and sorcery spirits. While modest, it would be foolish to turn down free perks.
The greatest significance of being a swordsmanship researcher for Sonia—aside from raising her status at the university—was unlocking faculty privileges on the campus forum.
While she couldn't ban accounts outright, slapping someone with a twenty-four-hour muzzle was no trouble at all. The pity was that it was virtually impossible to find anyone criticizing her on the forum now.
After the Meteor Tribulation, all of Sonia's haters had vanished into thin air. The forum was brimming with praise and prosperity; everyone was now debating which lucky bastard got to be Miss Cervi's dog.
"Even as just a Sword Baron, a Sanctuary Sorcerer can rake in money through noble advisories, state research, and chamber of commerce consulting," Trozan had said, entirely uninhibited when speaking of such matters. "I can help connect you, but you can also find ways yourself—or simply wait for people to send you cash."
Sonia had originally assumed that a sorcerer like her—who was only willing to remain a Sword Baron and refused to accept the Blessing of the Stars—would face invisible ostracism in society. But after discussing it with Trozan, she learned that sorcerers of her kind were not at all rare. Or rather, it was only natural that Sanctuary Sorcerers resisted being kept under a leash.
No matter how wondrous the effects of the Blessing of the Stars or how righteous its justice, didn't it still forcibly reduce a person to a slave? Setting aside how much devotion to kingdom and country a Sanctuary Sorcerer possessed, any obligation bearing the stamp of compulsion was enough to provoke disgust and resistance.
Not to mention that Sanctuary Sorcerers were tactical weapons capable of ensuring their own safety. Before the Sanctuary realm, no matter how thick a sorcerer's skull, it couldn't stop a gunshot; after reaching Sanctuary, no matter how fiercely you bombarded them, their Sanctuary remained standing unyielding.
Of course, some might wonder: as a newly minted Sanctuary, could the state really not keep you in check? If forced to confront the state apparatus head-on, Sonia certainly could not resist; the problem was that the state apparatus was made of individual components.
Setting aside close Sanctuary Sorcerers like Trozan, even unfamiliar ones would hold nothing against her.
Precisely because "wild fox Sanctuaries" like Sonia existed—refusing the Blessing of the Stars—it made "domestic dog Sanctuaries" like them appear far more valuable to court.
Even the most strictly enforced justice had cracks opened by selfish interest.
Not just Sonia; even Dimi, the eldest son of the Duke of Star-Forging, was currently only a Sword Baron. Even if he couldn't directly inherit the family title yet, securing an Armor Baron title—the highest among the Palace Guard titles—would have been effortless for him. Yet he deliberately delayed the moment he would accept the Blessing of the Stars.
High-ranking sorcerers resisting the Blessing of the Stars was practically an unspoken consensus.
If even the great nobles were doing it, why couldn't Sonia?
Who didn't want to hold their own fate in their hands?
As for the Starry Royal Family, they mostly didn't care. Since they held the core societal resources, a wild fox Sanctuary might be fine while sailing smoothly, but the moment they hit a bottleneck, they would naturally look toward the Blessing of the Stars and advanced resources.
Even taking a step back, even if a wild fox Sanctuary truly ascended to become a wild fox Legend, the royal family naturally had other means of wooing them. In an era where kingdoms did not interconnect, all talents ultimately simmered in their own pot. They were in no rush; after all, no one could run away.
However, given how common Sword Barons were, there naturally was no proper investiture ceremony. The country girl simply visited the campus administration building to pick up her medal and researcher contract, and just like that, she was a noble of the state.
Sonia looked at the badge inside the box. While others didn't think a mere Sword Baron was worthy of notice, only she knew how important this title was to her.
Even if it wasn't the dream of her life, this Sword Star badge was enough to reassure her: *You did not endure all those hardships in vain.*
Yet for some reason, Sonia couldn't feel happy at all, showing no interest in even pinning on the badge.
She returned to her dorm room. Adele, who had been waiting for ages, immediately rushed over, took the box, and examined the Sword Star badge. "How come this looks even more exquisite than my dad's..."
"Because it's newly forged. Your family's Bow Star badge has been sitting around for so long that its luster has faded. Just take it in for some maintenance," Lois said without looking up.
Ingrid came over to look as well and said, "I'm going to get one before I graduate, too."
"If you enter the Meteor Tribulation next year and get a good ranking, you might just get one."
Lois closed her book and turned toward Sonia. "Is it really just a Sword Baron?"
"Yeah."
"The offer from the Thousand Stars Chamber of Commerce for the Monday prime-time drama has a minimum requirement of Bow Baron..." Lois said softly. "They have ways to help you apply for a title in the cultural circle."
Adele scratched her head. "My dad meets the requirements. Is there a handsome middle-aged guy role in the drama? I think my dad could—"
Ignoring Adele's interruption, Lois continued, "There's another proposal sent over at noon. The invite came from Na'eraiduo's studio."
Everyone was stunned.
"Na'eraiduo?" Adele asked uncertainly. "Is it *that* Na'eraiduo?"
"Other than the director hailed as the 'Sage,' Na'eraiduo, who else could it be?"
"But she's practically Daidalos's exclusive director!"
"Exactly." Lois nodded. "Although it's only the third female lead with limited screen time, this gives you a chance to work with Daidalos, Sonia, and appear in her next film."
Hearing this news, the president of the Paw-Stretching Club froze.
After a moment, she sighed and shook her head. "Turn them all down."
"That's Daidalos!" Adele practically leaped up and threw her arms around Sonia, pleading pitifully, "Take me to the set to see! Even just getting me an autograph would be great—ideally with 'To the cutest Adele' written on it..."
Ingrid reached out and hauled Adele back. "The person here who likes Daidalos the most is Sonia herself."
"Just one step away!" Adele groaned reluctantly. "Just one step away from my roommate acting in a Daidalos movie!"
"It's not you, so what are you panicking about!"
Lois watched Sonia sit down and asked, "Aren't you going to ask about the title requirement?"
"Isn't it also higher than Sword Baron?" Sonia laughed softly. "Could there be a surprise?"
Lois: "Yes. Because Daidalos's films gross at least a hundred million at the box office, all lead cast members must be at least Spear Barons."
Adele clicked her tongue. "Even my dad wouldn't qualify to get a single line in that."
"However, for guest performers, there is no such requirement," Lois said. "After I replied that you had no plans to raise your noble rank for the time being, they offered a second proposal: because Daidalos is playing a sword sorcerer in this film, they need a sword sorcerer to assist as an instructor, and perhaps even make a special guest appearance.
"This one has no title requirement," Lois said with a smile. "I just don't know if our noble Sanctuary Sorcerer is willing to condescend to it."
Sonia turned her head and stared blankly at Lois. After a moment, she smiled. "Thank you, Loi."
Adele immediately marched over and struck Sonia's head with a knifehand chop, daring to challenge a Sanctuary with a mortal body: "Loi is my exclusive pet name! If you want a pet name, make up your own! Don't steal mine!"
Sonia: "Loi, Loi, Loi, Loi..."
"Don't think I won't hit you just because you're a Sanctuary!" Adele rolled up her sleeves, while Ingrid cooperatively grabbed Adele and pulled her back.
"All joking aside," Sonia said, "Lois, having you act as my manager has really been an imposition and a hassle for you."
Lois nodded matter-of-factly. "What choice do I have with a hands-off country girl as my artist?"
"Still," Sonia lowered her eyelids, "let's turn down this collaboration as well."
Lois froze and quickly added, "Even though it's a guest performer role, the fee they're offering is definitely at the Sanctuary consultant level. It won't demean your status—"
"No, it's not the money. If I could work with Daidalos, I'd even be willing to pay out of my own pocket," Sonia said. "I just don't want to test myself."
"Test yourself?"
"I don't want to test whether I can resist the temptation to advance in rank," Sonia said softly. "I have reasons why I cannot raise my title."
The others sighed, but didn't press further. In fact, earlier when Sonia wasn't around, Ingrid had explained the concept of a "wild fox Sanctuary." They all assumed that a genius sorcerer like Sonia was simply unwilling to have her freedom bound by the Blessing of the Stars.
Yet that wasn't actually the case.
Sonia didn't care about serving the country. To her, practically anything could be traded away, naturally including freedom.
To her, surrendering the freedom of "loyalty" in exchange for full access to high-tier social resources was an ideal bargain.
She desperately wanted to accept, wishing she could become a professor at Sword Flower University today and star in a Daidalos film tomorrow, reaching the pinnacle of life.
However, in the laws of the Starry Kingdom, there were two rules:
One must not leave the Starry Kingdom for an extended period, and if one leaves by accident, one must return as soon as possible (those inside may not leave).
Slay any visitor from an alien realm (those outside may not enter).
If there were only one, Sonia might have found a loophole. But these two rules thoroughly extinguished the country girl's desire to become a high-ranking noble.
The lawmakers likely never imagined that these two seemingly inconsequential regulations would end up becoming the main reason a Sanctuary Sorcerer abandoned fealty.
Even so, though Sonia thought she could resist the temptation of advancing in rank, what had been happening in the Void Realm over the past few days made even her resolute heart waver.
That was why Sonia didn't dare accept Daidalos's collaboration invite, dreading that it would become the final straw.
She was afraid she would develop longing, and even more terrified that she would develop... resentment.
She didn't go to training that afternoon either, continuing to watch dramas with Adele. For several days running, she had been rewatching Daidalos's films.
"Should we watch *Flawed Blade of Cunzhou*, *Bouquet Among the Stars*, or *Upside-Down World*?" Adele asked.
"Let's watch *Upside-Down World*."
Spending the entire afternoon and evening, they finally finished rewatching the seven-episode drama. Sonia then left the dorm and headed to the meditation building alone.
Although Ingrid and Lois were both sorcerers, both of them had died recently. Ingrid had been brutally slain by a sorcerer projection, while Lois's demise was even more impressive—she had perished at the claws of a Fishcleaver Dragon.
The Fishcleaver Dragon wasn't called the rookie killer for nothing.
Adele dashed to the balcony, waiting until Sonia had left the dormitory area before beginning her gossip: "I feel like Sonia's been trapped in an emotional vortex lately."
"I'm not really surprised," Lois remarked. "Pretty girls like us always get swept up in emotional whirlpools. You wouldn't understand, would you, Adele?"
"Hmph, whatever! It's only because I have a fiancé! If I wanted to, my suitors would be lined up from here to the campus gates!" Adele said, baring her teeth.
Ingrid found it strange. "Sonia is so wonderful. Could someone really fail to cherish her? And with her high standards, would she really fall for someone who doesn't cherish her?"
"Who knows?" Lois said. "People who love Daidalos's works are all little girls willing to be deceived... Maybe she just met a man who makes her willingly let herself be fooled?"
Ingrid picked up her sword bag. "Then shouldn't we help?"
"As if you know who it is," Lois said. "I had so many people keep tabs on her, and not a scrap of information turned up. I'm starting to suspect her significant other is right here in this room."
"That's right, it's me," Adele said, patting her chest.
"Still, I don't think there's any need to worry, because Sonia seems ready to resolve the issue."
"How can you tell?"
"From the shift in the genres she's been watching," Adele said. "At first it was *Last Night in the Abyss*, a pure romance without any twists. Then came *Dragon, Tiger, and Phoenix*, a tormenting romance where a third party wreaks havoc on the relationship. And these past two days she's been watching *Upside-Down World*, the kind of resolute romance where the female lead means what she says and never yields an inch.
"She's probably... done holding back."
***
Void Realm, Distant Sky Realm.
Tonight's initial bubble appeared to be a research facility; they manifested inside an empty, tidy laboratory with bare white walls.
Sonia watched expressionlessly as Diya clung to Yaxiu's arm just as usual. Once Yaxiu finished distributing the initial relics, she took a deep breath and said, "Spectator—"
"Before we begin exploring today, Sword Princess, Witch,"
Yaxiu looked at the two of them. "There's something I need to tell you."
Chapter 604