The Sorcerer's Handbook

”You’re really not afraid of losing your scholarship...”

Freya shook her head. ”Don’t overestimate yourself. You probably wouldn’t even make it into the lowest-tier green tea section at a tea cafe. To earn anything there, you’d need a full-body cosmetic overhaul—curves, facial features, hair, teeth, scent, charm points... every little detail would have to be perfected.”

Adela’s face went pale. ”Is it really that terrifying?”

Freya pointed to herself. ”Let me put it this way. If I went to a tea café[1], I’d only qualify as a mid-tier tea master at best, and even then, my performance would be below average.”

”Are tea cafes really that competitive? So much so that even veelas can barely get by!?”

Freya shrugged. ”Honestly, mud cafes are even more cutthroat. Next time you come with me, I can introduce you to a beastman even prettier than a veela.”

Adela gritted her teeth. ”We have the healers to thank for that! These days, even naturally beautiful girls like me can’t make money off their looks.”

”That’s why you have to study hard,” Freya said, packing her bag. ”Being a sorcerer is the least competitive career. In the Virtual World, rankings don’t matter. All that matters is whether you meet the standard.”

Adela stood as well. ”Let’s go. Salais for dinner.”

Salais, a music-themed restaurant near the university, was affordable, offered a wide selection of dishes, and was extremely popular with students. They even had separate zones for those who had eaten Moon Candy and those who hadn’t, so no one had to worry about a candy-fueled neighbor freakout.

”I’m not going with you,” Freya said.

”Why not? I’m treating.”

”I have something to do tonight.”

Adela paused in surprise. ”Two nights in a row at mud cafes? Are you rolling in money?”

”I’m not going to a mud cafe,” Freya replied, holding her chin. ”It’s something I can’t tell you about.”

Earlier that morning, Ashe had checked Freya’s schedule and instructed her to get home as soon as classes ended. Knowing her role in sheltering a recently escaped prisoner, Freya had planned to go home first to see how things stood.

Adela hesitated for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. She grabbed Freya’s smooth shoulder. ”You’re not... dating, are you? Don’t let any of those mud cafe guys trick you!”

”No, of course not,” Freya said, waving her hand with a smile. ”Have you ever heard of a veela being fooled by a male?”

Adela thought about it and realized she hadn’t. Since meeting Freya, she had visited more than a dozen mud cafes near the university but had never lingered with any worker. Veelas were notorious for being one-night species. They enjoyed intimacy before mating but discarded their partner afterward. Only an extremely rare few were exceptions. Romance was naturally off-limits for veelas. They simply couldn’t tolerate long-term intimacy with the same person.

Adela clicked her tongue. ”Fine. If you’re not going, I’m not bothered about Salais either. I’ll just hit the buffet at High Luck instead.”

High Luck was the most famous casino near the university. Anyone who bought a certain number of chips could enjoy the buffet inside for free.

Freya warned, ”Don’t gamble all the money away. I don’t have any to lend.”

”Pfft, pfft, pfft! My luck’s good today, don’t curse me!” Adela replied, giggling.

After leaving the classroom and parting ways with Adela, Freya silently prayed to the Blood Moon Lord, hoping he would keep her friend from losing everything. Otherwise, Adela would surely try to freeload food and drinks off her.

Adela was Freya’s friend from university. She was a human girl with green hair and green eyes, and she had a serious gambling habit. Her addiction was intense, but not unusual among students. Nearly everyone dabbled in gambling or sex, and many indulged in both. Those who avoided both, the so-called nerds, were often ostracized.

Candy users were rarer. No official survey existed, but it was widely believed that candies dulled the mind, so few candy users managed to get into university.

Still, Adela wasn’t reckless. Her audacity came from confidence. Her grades were top-tier, and with little effort, she could secure a spot as a graduate student at the Red Mist Research Institute, which would naturally waive her student loans. In layman’s terms, she was about to ”get ashore” financially, with little to worry about in the future.

Freya, on the other hand, had no such safety net. She would have to repay her student loans after graduation, and without a good job, she’d likely be steered toward more ”profitable” work, like a tea master at a cafe. Many of those mud café workers, genetically and cosmetically modified to cater to every customer’s whim, were her seniors.

Lost in thought, Freya returned to her apartment.

In the stairwell, she ran into Aunt Mulan coming down from the second floor. Before Freya could greet her, her arm was grabbed. The furry patch on the forearm was a veela’s weak spot, so Freya didn’t resist. She could only listen as Aunt Mulan began nagging, ”Freya, don’t trust men! No matter how good they seem, it’s all lies. Men just can’t empathize with women. Back when I was young and beautiful...”

After enduring the classic tale of ”young and beautiful Mulan gets scammed by a jerk,” Freya saw her chance and wriggled free. ”I know, Aunt Mulan! I’m a veela! I won’t be fooled by men!”

Aunt Mulan sighed audibly and called after her. ”Men always use small favors to tie you down. If he won’t spend a lot on you, he’s lying!”

Freya wondered what had upset Aunt Mulan so much today. Has she run into the man who cheated her at a mud cafe years ago?

Shaking her head, Freya pulled out her key and unlocked the door.

Then a thought hit her. A cult leader is living inside. Why has he told me to come back early? What could a cult leader be doing when no one’s around? Surely some evil ritual... am I supposed to be the sacrifice?! Wait... last night’s contract clearly stated that neither party could harm the other. Maybe he just needed help with the ritual?

Even if that were the case, Freya realized she could be turning from protector into accomplice. And what about his minions? There could be a dozen hooded scoundrels with torches inside!

Still, she knew she had to check. If there was danger, she could always run. After all, this was the city. Escaped prisoners weren’t likely to chase a female student in broad daylight.

The moment she opened the door, the smell of food hit her. Suspicious, she stepped into the foyer and saw Ashe in her tiny kitchen, wearing an apron and busily using cookware she hadn’t touched since moving in.

Little String circled his legs and meowed occasionally, eager to taste Ashe’s cooking.

Ashe saw her and smiled. ”Sit for a moment. I’m finishing the last dish. Dinner will be ready soon.”

”I’m back,” Freya said.

1. As opposed to a mud café, a tea café is a place for female escorts. ☜