The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 146: What Kind of Serious Person Falls in Love?

It was April 29th, the third day since she had sheltered an escaped convict, and one of those rare mornings with no classes, which meant she could finally sleep in.

An adult veela normally needed twelve hours of sleep, but she clearly couldn't keep pace with city life with such a schedule. On class days, Freya slept six hours and relied on a wakefulness pill. If necessary, two pills could keep her going on just four hours of rest.

Still, wakefulness pills built resistance over time. Once the dosage increased, it became hard to reduce. Freya strictly limited herself to one a day. Even if she yawned nonstop, she refused a second, not out of addiction, but because of the price. Wakefulness pills were expensive, far more than Moon Candy. Or perhaps Moon Candy was just too cheap.

That was how the Blood Moon worked. Entertainment was always affordable, while anything useful for work or earning money came at a premium. Take ogres using Moon Candy to aid with painting, for example. That counted as exploiting a racial talent loophole, something others couldn't replicate, no matter how much they envied it.

After greeting Demonic Saint Ashe, Freya yawned her way into the bathroom. She put on a non-slip hairband, showered, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and completed her skincare. As a naturally beautiful veela, she didn't need to rely on makeup or elaborate routines, so her skincare remained simple and took less than half an hour.

Before heading out, she decided to give Ashe some face and dress properly. There was no reason to walk around naked. After all, she was going to class next, not back to bed.

Ashe had already finished cooking and was eating while watching a video. Freya leaned over to glance at the screen, then quickly lost interest. The video was titled An Analysis of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Sorcery Class (Part One).

"I'd honestly recommend watching comedy instead," she said. "Though this video is... kind of funny too, I suppose."

Ashe looked surprised. "Why? I just wanted a basic understanding of the other sorcery classes."

Freya shook her head. "Watching something like this will only give you preconceived biases. Can you sum yourself up in one sentence after decades of existence? Do you really think a few minutes can capture a sorcery class that has existed for hundreds, or even thousands, of years?

"If you watch videos like this, you'll start thinking Earth sorcery is just about moving dirt and Lightning sorcery is all about going 'zap zap.' You'd assume sword arts only work in close combat, that illusion-type sorcery is harmless, divination classes are full of frail scholars, and Mind Class sorcery can be countered by simply plugging your ears. You'd be better off knowing nothing at all; at least then, you'd stay cautious.

"If you truly want to understand a sorcery class, read an introductory book or attend lectures from a professional professor. Videos like these aren't for sorcerers. They're made for non-sorcerers who want to feel superior, thinking sorcery isn't that mysterious or useful.

"You'd be better off watching the videos in the new folder. At least they do no harm, and they might even improve your appetite."

Ashe froze. "Do they really improve your appetite?"

"How dare you question a veela's taste? I will personally pick one that absolutely boosts your appetite."

"No, no, that won't be necessary." Ashe quickly rejected her offer and scrolled through the Curtain. "Alright, let's watch this one. Why Is This So Expensive? A food exploration video. Perfect timing since we're eating... Wait... tea and coffee shop review?"

"Let's watch it," Freya said.

"You really watch everything, don't you?" Ashe muttered.

Freya shrugged. "In theory, I shouldn't be omnivorous. But maybe I just haven't met a woman who truly catches my eye yet. Tch. If you don't like tea and coffee, I can switch to a mud coffee shop review instead."

Ashe relented. "Let's just watch this one."

Strangely enough, the food did seem to taste better.

After a while, Ashe glanced around the single-occupancy room. "Since you got into university and left the care facility, have you always lived alone?"

Freya was in the middle of enjoying a generous serving of Seafood Lala Fat when she suddenly looked at Ashe with a puzzled expression. "I'm not living alone. I have a cat with me, don't I?"

She smiled at Little String and scratched the cat under the chin. The feline immediately melted under her touch, looking so blissful that drool nearly dripped from its mouth.

Ashe leaned back, considering. "Have you never thought about sharing a place with someone? Living together could cut costs, right? Expenses would go down, quality of life would improve..."

Freya shook her head emphatically. "Nope. I get rent subsidies for living alone, plus a university allowance. That covers about eighty percent of my rent. When it's this cheap, why would I share with anyone else?"

"But wouldn't it be even cheaper with two people?"

Tilting her head, Freya replied, "I'm perfectly capable of surviving on my own. I had my own room at the care facility. Why start squeezing in with someone else now?"

Ashe pressed on. "But if someone else were around, you could help each other. If you fell and got hurt—"

"I can just use my chip to notify the hospital and send an ambulance."

"And if two people lived together, you could cook at home instead of eating out—"

Freya muttered, "Actually, I spend less at the school cafeteria than you do buying ingredients. And cooking means washing dishes. This apartment doesn't even have a dishwasher."

Ashe shook his head. "But for those kinds of needs, wouldn't having a partner make things more convenient?"

Last night, Ashe had practically scrubbed himself raw before the low moans finally subsided. He had assumed that enduring a single night would be enough, only to later discover that Freya usually took care of herself three times every night. Depending on materials, mood, and homework load, the whole process could stretch anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes.

Freya tilted her head, her large eyes fixed on him in mild confusion. "Leaving aside the fact that I'm a veela, satisfying needs is just... satisfying needs. What does that have to do with romance? Have you ever been in a relationship?"

Ashe tried to appear confident, but faced with a veteran like Freya, honesty seemed safer. He admitted, "No."

Her response caught him off guard. "Neither have I. What kind of serious person even gets into a relationship?"

Ashe frowned. "Why? With your looks, wouldn't it be easy to attract people? Or is it because your veela nature scares them?"

Freya shook her head. "No. What I find strange is why you assume I should be in a relationship at all. Do followers of the Four Pillars Deities really cling to such unrealistic fantasies?"

He blinked. "How is romance unrealistic? You were binge-watching Sorcerer 100% on the Knowledge Screen last night. That's a romantic comedy. You were laughing pretty hard."

Freya looked annoyed. "Then tell me, what kind of romance does Sorcerer 100% portray?"

"Well... two people who truly love each other, who think only of one another, who would risk their lives in danger, and who are willing to compromise in daily life..."

"Exactly!"

"Exactly what?"

"Romance like that only exists in films and shows," Freya said, spreading her hands. "Who in real life is willing to compromise for others, consider someone else first, or risk their life for another? I certainly wouldn't."

She paused, then continued, "Feelings like love, liking, or infatuation? I experience those too. Like, I think you're pretty decent, and I wouldn't mind... well, being with you once or twice, or even regularly. But if you want to go further, living together and fully sharing my daily life or future plans, that's something I cannot accept."

"Most university students by now have realized that pure relationships like that don't exist. Ironically, it's often the less-educated who believe in romantic dramas, naively thinking true love exists. There are plenty of fools like that in the Curtain hames. They usually end up losing all their money. The especially stupid ones even rack up debt, only to find the person on the other side isn't a beautiful woman or handsome man, but an orc uncle or an overweight goblin woman."

Ashe still didn't understand. "But romantic relationships are normal, right? Surely you can find someone you trust in real life. Can't you start as friends and gradually develop into lovers?"

Freya burst out laughing. She reached over and patted Ashe on the head, smiling. "Silly child. People change. Someone may be trustworthy today, but tomorrow they might get hooked on Moon Candy and turn stupid. The day after that, they might gain some opportunity in the Virtual World and start looking down on you.

"Didn't the care facility teach you not to trust strangers and not to place expectations on them?"