You Wouldn't Want Yaxiu to Hate Himself Forever

Ingrid looked at the knowledge apparatus spirit, feeling a bit puzzled. "Why did you suddenly prepare gifts for us?" "I originally bought one for Adele after hearing she became a sorcerer, but then I thought, since we're already at Harvest Orchard, I might as well get gifts for all of you." Sonia smiled. "You've helped me so much, yet I've never properly thanked you." Ingrid frowned slightly. "You seem a little strange... Do you have news to tell us?" "...Sword sorcerers really are sharp." Sonia shrugged. "Daidalos is going on a nationwide tour, and she invited me to accompany her. I couldn't say no to an invitation from my idol." "A nationwide tour?" Lois asked blankly. "How long will that take? When are you leaving?" "A little over a month, probably." Sonia bit down on her straw, finishing the Queen cocktail inside. "I'm leaving tomorrow." The three exchanged glances, and Adele asked suspiciously, "Are you here to celebrate me becoming a sorcerer, or did you just want to get together with us before you leave?" "To celebrate you becoming a sorcerer, of course. It's not like I'll be gone for long—maybe I'll even come back to Jialesi midway through." Sonia said casually, "While I'm away, I'll be counting on you three to keep my bed area clean. Don't let me find out you've dumped clutter over there." "You're so stingy..." Adele mumbled. "It's not like anyone's using it anyway..." "No way!" Sonia said firmly. "What's mine is mine!" "Still, we won't see Sonia for more than a month." Adele swirled her glass, her tone turning slightly downcast. "Even though we haven't seen much of each other these past few months either, it still feels like the dorm is getting emptier and emptier..." "I have news too," Ingrid said, raising her hand. "I accepted Senior Leonie's invitation to join their Abyss squad. In a few days, I'll officially be heading out on an Abyss adventure." "What?!" Sonia was taken aback. "You're only a second-year, and you're already going on Abyss trials?" "More than half of my silver wings have condensed, which meets the squad's minimum threshold," Ingrid explained. "Besides, my swordsmanship training has hit a bottleneck, and it's hard to trigger battles in the Void Realm under normal circumstances. I need higher-intensity life-and-death combat to keep moving forward." "But you haven't been a sorcerer for very long," Lois said worriedly. "If an accident happens, you could easily become the weakest link—" "Senior Leonie formed an inter-school squad, and Aisha is in it as well," Ingrid said. "If something goes wrong even then, it can only mean my skills weren't up to par." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With Aisha, a prophecy sorcerer, in the group, there was hardly a squad lineup that offered more security, unless they added a Sanctuary sorcerer. Just then, the bartender came over to deliver new drinks, and a sudden silence fell over the table as they quietly sipped what was in their glasses. Looking at the murky liquid of the Blood and Sand in her glass, Lois suddenly said, "I probably won't be coming to class much next semester. In my third year, I might even have to take a leave of absence." "...What happened?" Sonia asked. "Can I help?" "No, it's fine. It's just that my father was severely injured in the Void Realm and is almost paralyzed right now," Lois said helplessly. "He's getting up in years, and the healers say it could take one or two years for him to recover. But someone has to run our family's chamber of commerce, so I have to step in for a year. "At his age, he was supposed to take it easy and nourish his soul in the Void Realm, but he still wanted to make a push for Sanctuary. He already died once participating in the King of Time's inheritance, though fortunately the injuries weren't severe and he recovered in two months. But on this adventure, he finally kicked an iron plate." Young sorcerers could recover quickly from soul injuries, but when older sorcerers suffered soul trauma, recovery was not only slow, it could even trigger physical and mental collapse leading directly to death. As a result, older sorcerers often stopped entering the Void Realm altogether, or only took leisurely strolls inside to nourish themselves, avoiding all activities and battles to keep their souls from harm. "Lois," Adele tugged on Lois's sleeve with a sorrowful look, "how am I supposed to attend class without you?" "Work hard to become a two-wing sorcerer, and then you won't have to attend class at all," Lois glanced sideways at her. "Still, it depends on how well my father recovers. If he can handle part of the business, I might be able to help out while still going to school." Sonia smiled. "Your family is clearly the wealthiest, so why does it sound like you've ended up having the hardest time?" "Precisely because my family is wealthy, I have to shoulder my family's responsibilities," Lois said. "When my days were peaceful and carefree, it was because my family was bearing the burden for me." "Stop, stop talking like that!" Adele protested. "This was supposed to be a celebration, so why has the mood gotten so heavy?" Ingrid said, "Because we all have to strive for different goals. After today, it might be hard for us to get together, so of course it feels heavy." "It'll only be hard for a short while!" Adele said. "What about after graduation? You'll all be living in Jialesi, won't you? We can buy houses close to each other, and whenever I'm free, I'll drop by every day to bother you!" "As the daughter of out-of-province nobility, I'd say the difficulty of buying property in Jialesi is about the same as reaching Sanctuary," Ingrid said. "My original plan was to work hard in Jialesi for ten or twenty years, and if there's no hope of further progress, head back to my hometown." "Which means if you reach Sanctuary, you'll stay, right?" Adele said. "It's a deal, no backing out!" "I don't have a partner, so I have no reason to move out of my parents' house," Lois said. "Though if it's property with good investment potential, I wouldn't be against considering it." "When I buy a house in the future, I'll consult Lois." Adele turned to Sonia. "Sonia, it goes without saying—you'll definitely stay and buy a luxury mansion, right? Buy one with hot springs! Whether I can watch dramas while soaking in a hot spring all depends on you!" Sonia blinked. She didn't answer, only looking at her quietly. Adele paused. "Don't tell me you aren't planning to stay in Jialesi?" "I'm not sure," Sonia said with a smile. "After all, where we live can't just depend on what I want." "Huh?" Lois asked. "Does your lover not like Jialesi?" "He's spent all his time elsewhere before, and hasn't really lived in Jialesi," Sonia said. "If he can build a career in Jialesi, that would naturally be best. If not, we'll have to discuss where to settle down." "Does that mean we might not even be living in the same city?" Adele sighed. "I knew you were all just playing with my feelings, never planning on staying together forever. I'm the only one who cherishes the bond of sharing a room..." "Speak properly!" Lois gave her a chop to the head. "The new year is only a few days away," Sonia said. "Even if we might rarely see each other next year, hasn't this past year been wonderful regardless? A toast to 1668!" "Cheers!" *** At seven the next morning, Sonia took one last look at the dormitory and turned to leave. Outside the girls' dorm, Felix's car was already waiting on the street. Sonia sat in the back, gazing sideways at the roadside scenery as the car drove away from Sword Flower University, away from the bustling city center, until it reached the rendezvous point agreed upon with the Four Pillar Cult. A large convoy of three buses and seven commercial vans was already waiting there. Wearing sunglasses and a mask, Daidalos looked like a traveler setting off on a long journey. Seeing Sonia and Felix arrive, she clapped her hands and said, "Everyone's here, we can depart. You two take that car." Looking at the convoy before her, Sonia zoned out for a moment. Right then, Felix beside her suddenly asked, "Are you really going?" Sonia glanced at her and pulled the car door open. "I am the Sword Seat." Diya was sleeping in inside the vehicle. As soon as Sonia sat next to her, Diya naturally rested her head against her. It wasn't just Diya; all available combat personnel of the Four Pillar Cult were participating in this operation. Even the bodies of Yaxiu, Igola, and Harvey were being transported along with the convoy—a true mobilization of all forces, the whole family setting out. Daidalos's nationwide tour was, of course, merely a cover. Their real objective was to deploy miracle arts across the country capable of shattering the Astral Canopy. According to the Gospel's estimations, the next Angel Hunt would also be the final Angel Hunt. At that time, the Nation of Stars would surely exert all its strength to trap and slay the Prime Angel. The Astral Canopy connected to the Nation of Stars would naturally have massive amounts of energy siphoned from it, plunging the Astral Canopy into its weakest state in a millennium. This was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for the Four Pillar Cult. So long as they deployed enough miracle arts to bombard the canopy at its most vulnerable moment, it would be possible to shatter this false starry sky! Yet this also meant the Four Pillar Cult was declaring unreserved war against the Starry Kingdom. It was a desperate operation where failure meant death—and even success meant sacrificing their lives! Seeing that Diya was drooling in her sleep, Sonia opened her small bag to get a tissue to wipe it away. But when she opened the bag, she noticed an unfamiliar box inside. Opening it, she found a rune wristwatch inside—the exact same model Adele and the others wore. Sonia thought about it and immediately knew who had slipped it in. Adele and Ingrid were both straightforward and outspoken; neither would ever give a gift sneakily. It could only have been Lois. As for why Lois hadn't given it to her directly... She closed her eyes, remembering everyone's shared joys and sorrows when she took part in the Meteor Calamity, the laughter when they went shopping together, and how over these past few months they had seen less and less of each other, their greetings growing ever more polite. Sonia quietly put on the rune wristwatch and wound it once; the runes symbolizing time lit up. Nothing was eternal and unchanging, save for time, which never ceased. She thought for a moment, then opened her miracle bracelet to dial a rarely called number. When the call connected, her mother answered, "Linda? Have you had breakfast?" "I have. How have you been feeling lately? Have you been going to the clinic for regular checkups?" "I don't have any aches or pains, no need to go so often. Going there means taking a whole day off work, it's such a hassle." "Why are you still working?" "The fields at home are all taken care of. If I don't work, I just get cooped up at home and bored out of my mind. At work, I can chat with everyone, and after work we even go singing!" "Whatever you say," Sonia said helplessly. "As long as you're happy." "What about you? Are you alright? No one's bullying you in Jialesi, are they?" "Your daughter is a Sanctuary sorcerer; even the royal family wouldn't dare bully me," Sonia laughed. "It's just that I heard a song about a mother's love earlier, and suddenly realized I haven't talked to you in a long time. Mom, I love you." "Oh... oh." Her mother's voice was clearly a little flustered and shy. "You don't need to call me often, I can take care of myself. You must be tired in Jialesi, so get plenty of rest. Linda is a good kid, Mom has always known that..." Once Sonia ended the call, she realized Diya was staring at her faintly. "Get out of the car," the Witch said. "Take Yaxiu and the others away. You'll only be responsible for watching over their bodies in Jialesi. You don't have to take part in this operation with us. "You wouldn't want Yaxiu to hate himself for the rest of his life, would you?"