The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 175: The Swordswoman's Interlude (Part 3)

"Why are you interested in this organization? If you just want a club for fun, the drama club would suit you better."

When Felix slid into the driver's seat, Sonya hesitated briefly before settling into the back. She stretched lazily across the leather sofa and replied casually, "I joined the drama club last semester. It was basically a playground where a few mid-tier women schemed against each other. A dozen low-tier men hovered around them as attendants, and the prize was one to two high-tier men. Last year's prizes didn't suit my taste, so it stopped being interesting, and I quit."

"So you left simply because you got bored?" Felix asked.

"Since you know about the Four Pillars Cult, you should also know it's not some dull club where boys and girls make excuses to hook up," Sonya said, dabbing sweat from her neck with a wet wipe. "It's far more dangerous than that."

Felix tapped the steering wheel lightly. "In theory, there shouldn't be any records of the Four Pillars Cult in the Starry Kingdom. Where did you hear the name?"

"From a Sorcerer's Handbook in the Virtual World," she replied.

Felix's tone turned cold. "If you'd rather keep that to yourself, that's fine. But there's no need to provide unverifiable evidence. Handbooks carry no legal weight, and their credibility is questionable. You've seen Legendary Treasure, haven't you?"

Sonya's eyes brightened. "Of course. I watched the Didarose version five times! But really, I read it in a Sorcerer's Handbook."

Legendary Treasure was a household tale in the Starry Kingdom, adapted countless times for the screen. Its plot was straightforward. Somewhere in the Virtual World lay a legendary treasure, hidden from all who sought it. The protagonist, a novice sorcerer, acquired a dazzling golden handbook during an expedition. It described the correct ritual to obtain the treasure. To perform it, the protagonist must study specific sorcery classes and summon the required spirits.

When the ritual was completed and the Miracle activated, the door to the legendary treasure appeared. Yet beyond the door laid not treasure, but countless writhing tentacles and endless abyssal darkness. The protagonist attempted to resist, only to discover the summoned spirits willingly defect and rush toward the door.

The required sorcery classes and spirits existed solely to make the summoner more "appetizing." The treasure door itself was not overwhelmingly powerful, but for each summoner who studied the ritual, it became the perfect predator, reducing them to helpless prey.

The story ended with a young sorcerer newly entering the Virtual World. After defeating a sorcerer projection with great difficulty, he obtained a dazzling golden handbook.

On the surface, the tale taught diligence and warned against greed. For sorcerers, however, it carried a deeper warning that knowledge recorded in Sorcerer's Handbooks could be deadly.

Felix leaned back. "If you only learned about the organization from a handbook, there's no need to investigate so thoroughly. You've clearly searched the library before coming to me. I didn't expect your curiosity to run this deep. Or did Professor Trosan fail to give you enough sword training?"

"Tsk. If you don't want to talk, then don't. Just drive me back to the dorm," Sonya muttered.

"Questioning isn't the same as refusing," Felix said, pressing the accelerator and reversing. "I dislike your self-assured attitude. In any case, I don't know much about the Four Pillars Cult. As I said, written sources won't teach you the truth. The Kingdom has destroyed all information about it.

"I've only ever come across mentions of this cult occasionally while mingling with nobles. Most references carried a hint of morbid curiosity. From what I understand, the four pillars represent four codes of conduct, namely the Tyrant who rules through violence, the Conspirator who schemes through intrigue, the Compassionate Father who inflicts despair, and the Debauched Prince who seduces through pleasure. I imagine you can guess which pillar the nobles favor."

"So the Four Pillars Cult exists in the Starry Kingdom?" she asked.

Felix shook his head. "It does not. Religions exist because people seek spiritual support or because reality leaves them unsatisfied, prompting them to pray to higher beings. The Starry Kingdom is a great nation. There is no fertile ground here for heretical sects."

Sonya pressed. "Didn't you just say some nobles chase thrills by believing in the Cult?"

Felix explained, "At different times, everyone clings to ideas they think are correct. Immaturity is a stage all must pass through. Nobles are no exception. But nobles remain nobles because the glory of their titles shields them from immaturity and evil.

"'Without a title, one cannot become a minister; without noble status, one cannot govern a county.' You've memorized the Nobility Act. Surely you know why nobles hold authority above commoners?"

Sonya answered, "The Blessing of the Stars. Every officially invested noble receives a blessing from Her Majesty the Empress, becoming wise, valiant, just, and incorruptible. In practice, it's largely true."

The Starry Kingdom upheld rigid class barriers. Without noble status, even the most brilliant sorcerer could never wield real imperial power. However, there were several ways to become a noble. For instance, one could gain a title through marriage, achieve great deeds that earned the Empress's personal ennoblement, or inherit it directly. Anyone who became a noble thereby secured entry into the ruling class. Whether one could rise to a true minister-level position, however, depended entirely on personal ability.

In this age of rapid information exchange, Sonya had already sparked dozens of pages of criticism on the Forum for a hint of arrogance. Yet blatant class discrimination like this barely drew a reaction.

Even Sonya, who had grown up thinking society owed her a throne, recognized the nobility system as excellent. And in truth, it was.

Just, upright, unafraid of hardship, diligent and studious, devoted to duty, this was the image the world held of nobles. Be it a rakish playboy chasing fleeting pleasures or a sheltered greenhouse flower who had never even seen a mosquito, the moment one inherited a title, everything changed. Nobles gained poise and maturity, becoming pillars of society who served the Starry Kingdom and safeguarded the interests of the public. They did not act selfishly, exploit their position, indulge in debauchery, or grow lazy.

All of this stemmed from the Blessing of the Stars.

Textbooks summarized it in a single line: "Awakens the noble to their responsibilities." Sonya had once dismissed it as an empty phrase. But after arriving in Cailleach and seeing how seamlessly the noble system integrated with the bureaucracy, she realized it was true.

Felix glanced out at the starry night. "What you mentioned is trivial. There's only one core effect of the Blessing of the Stars. It ensures nobles remain absolutely loyal to the Starry Kingdom."

Sonya blinked. "Absolutely loyal? Is it some form of brainwashing?"

Felix thought for a moment. "Not exactly. Think of it this way. You care about your mother, you like making money, and you're willing to contribute to the Starry Kingdom. But in your priority list, your mother comes first, money second, and the Starry Kingdom third, right?"

"Of course," Sonya said, then hesitated. "Making money isn't necessarily more important than helping the Starry Kingdom... unless it's a lot of money."

Felix went on, "So in your priority list, your mother takes priority, then money, then the Starry Kingdom. Absolute loyalty simply elevates serving the Starry Kingdom to the top priority, and nothing else. If it were full brainwashing, nobles would have rebelled long ago. Nobody wants to be a puppet, stripped of themselves and left to do nothing but work hard."

"This is where the true strength of the Blessing lies. It makes nobles put the Starry Kingdom above all else, but it doesn't strip away other attachments, like family, lovers, children, and hobbies. During legal holidays, a noble is almost no different from an ordinary person, except they get to enjoy entertainments and social status that commoners can't."

Felix glanced at the maid in the rearview mirror. "Even after knowing this, would you want to be a noble if given the chance?"

Sonya thought for a moment. "I suppose I would."

The Blessing involved a kind of conditioning, but raising the Starry Kingdom above all else was something Sonya could accept. After all, it was the land of her birth, the country she had grown up in. Naturally, she wanted it to prosper. Most people would feel the same. Serving the Starry Kingdom was a respectable goal, much like saying, "If you want to be a good person, you must become wealthy." No one would disagree to it.

"So you can see why the Four Pillars Cult doesn't exist in the Starry Kingdom. Under the just and impartial rule of nobles, citizens live in peace, and their quality of life rises year by year. The Four Pillars Cult has no influence here.

"You can't find any records of it because the Kingdom has destroyed them, and because nobody needs it."

"A faith not needed by the people naturally fades away," Sonya said.

The car stopped on the main road outside the dormitories. Felix pressed the button to open the rear door. "That's all I know about the Four Pillars Cult. Any other questions?"

Sonya shook her head. "No. I was just curious."

"I don't care where you heard the name," Felix said, "but as a friend, I'll give you one piece of advice. Don't pursue the Four Pillars Cult any further."

"Why?"

Felix turned around and met her gaze. "Because it's a waste of time. You're a genius swordswoman. You don't need to waste time on such trivial matters. I can tell you're not getting enough training. Looks like I'll have to report to Professor Trosan tomorrow about your idleness..."

Sonya remained unfazed. "You seem rather arrogant today. Is it because you won't have to duel me tomorrow? Maybe I should check your progress during the day. I could hit you with a newspaper..."

"You're so annoying! I hate you!"

Sonya giggled as she got out of the car. She leaned toward the window. "Thanks. See you tomorrow."

Watching her hop toward the girls' dorm, Felix exhaled deeply. Even a few more minutes with this village girl would make his brain boil.

"Hm?"

The steering wheel was stained with blood. Looking closer, he noticed his left glove was seeping fresh red. Felix had been cut by Sonya earlier but hadn't dared remove the glove to treat it. Now, with her gone, he could finally take it off.

He didn't rush to tend the wound, instead holding his left hand up before his eyes. At the center of his palm was a perfectly round hole, just large enough for an eye.

His already striking pale purple eyes now shimmered like a kaleidoscope through the circular aperture. Felix watched Sonya disappear into the dorm building and murmured softly, "Who even mentioned the Four Pillars Cult to her? I hate these unpredictable variables."