Sonia removed her makeup while leisurely opening .
Using makeup removal time to read was the perfect choice; after all, removing makeup was troublesome. First, she had to meticulously clean each eyelash with a cotton swab and then bathe her eyes with eye wash liquid. Today she had applied sunscreen lotion on her arms, which the body wash couldn't remove, so she bought a cheap and large bottle of makeup remover specifically for the sunscreen.
After washing up, she'd also need to do her basic skincare routine—spraying and applying serums couldn't be skipped, even on her eyelashes, or they'd easily fall off, and she couldn't afford to have eyelash surgery at "Perfect Starlight."
All these miscellaneous tasks together took almost an hour, and if she didn't sneak in some study time, how could Sonia have possibly received a scholarship last semester?
She also planned to summon her first Water Technique Spirit by next year and, ideally, fully unfold her Silver Wings to become a One-winged Mage before graduating.
Though Sword Flower University wasn't a top-tier Mage University in Jiale City, its training of Sword Masters, Water Mages, and Wind Mages was unparalleled. These three disciplines promised limitless potential upon graduation.
Among them, Water Mages often became Healing Mages due to their related healing spells, making it Sonia's primary focus.
Having witnessed the bustling world of Jiale City, Sonia knew that relying solely on herself would likely take decades to secure her position in this world. Finding a good man to shortcut her way into high society naturally became her top choice.
Otherwise, all the time, effort, and money she invested in maintaining her beauty—was it just to benefit some poor man?
According to Sonia's research, over 50% of noble wives were Water Mages.
If the nobles themselves were also Mages, this percentage could exceed 70%!
There was no doubt that being a Water Mage was a major plus when nobles chose a wife!
Compared to Water Mages, Wind Mages often became Meteorological Mages and had to work outdoors under harsh conditions; Sword Masters were even less desirable, with their physical prowess being a disadvantage for women...
Sonia's life plan was crystal clear—
Become a Water Mage, then find a way to participate in a campus activity at the Truth Mage University in Jiale City to attract a noble young master.
Unlike Sword Flower University, Truth University was Jiale City's premier Mage University, even the top university in the Kingdom of Stars. There, the students were either wealthy or prestigious. That was where Sonia's future boyfriend would appear; she didn't fancy any of the boys at Sword Flower University.
Become a Water Mage, acquaint with noble students at Truth University, then enter high society as a noble's wife. Using her husband's social resources, she would gather enough wealth to stand on her own in Jiale City, even bring her mother over to live a noble life...
"No, you need to practice swordsmanship."
Hearing that familiar yet estranged voice of chaos, Sonia's right hand instinctively wanted to grip a weapon.
Had it not been for her sitting position restricting her movement, she might have instantly executed a stepping maneuver to evade.
But the next second, she came to her senses, looking in horror at the mysterious figure that appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a deep black trench coat, with a face shrouded in shadowy obscurity!
"If I were you, I would first observe the others' reactions."
The Observer leaned against the wardrobe, raised a finger, and gestured for silence, "If you want to talk to me, just recite in your mind."
Sonia looked at Lois and Adelle. Adelle was tapping the air, clearly engrossed in the program on the Light Screen; meanwhile, Lois just happened to come out of the bathroom, passing by the Observer without a glance, as if the Observer didn't exist at all.
Sonia lowered her head to look at the ground, and instantly understood everything—the Observer had no shadow.
Suppressing the urge to speak, Sonia asked in her mind,
"Who exactly are you?"
"I'm called the Final Observer; you can call me Observer. If you are already this forgetful at such a young age, I can only recommend you to abstain..."
"You know that's not what I meant."
"But that's all I can tell you."
The Observer said, "And you know, I used to detest people who played mysterious tricks, especially those who withheld crucial secrets yet acted all 'it's not the right time for you to know,' making one want to beat the crap out of them."
Sonia said nothing, just looking at the Observer.
The Observer nodded, "Yes, just like you said, I've now become such a mysterious person because—I discovered it's indeed quite enjoyable. Especially seeing you hopping mad yet helpless, it truly made my visit worthwhile."
"Isn't that normal though? People often become what they most detest, or rather, more detestable people usually live longer."
Sonia suddenly realized a question, sending chills down her spine.
"You can hear my inner voice!"
"If I couldn't hear your thoughts, how would I be different from a mime?"
"But you can't—you don't respect—am I even stripped of my mental freedom?"
"Don't worry, Sword Maiden, I am not your enemy," the Observer said, "I'm not even a complete person now. If you strongly insist, I can choose not to appear before you."
"Then what are you exactly?"
"I'm merely a distant longing," the Observer shook his head. "Let's not go off-topic; back to the real issue at hand. As I said, you will soon not care if I can hear your thoughts."
"What real issue?" Sonia recalled the brutality in her dream.
"First." A bottle of blue potion suddenly appeared in the Observer's hand, "You need to drink this."
"No, I won't drink it," Sonia instantly replied.
However, to Sonia's horror, she saw the potion in the glass bottle vanishing at a visible speed, simultaneously feeling the liquid sliding down her throat!
"Next." The Observer handed over a wooden sword, "You wish to train in swordsmanship."
"No, I don't want to!"
The Observer was right; by now, Sonia no longer cared if he could hear her thoughts.
Because, compared to controlling her words and actions, mind-reading seemed like an insignificant matter!
Despite her utmost effort, Sonia could only watch herself slowly take the wooden sword, and then—
Whoosh!
With the ear-piercing sound of the wooden chair scraping the floor, Lois and Adelle turned their heads and saw Sonia leaving the dorm with a wooden sword in hand, the door loudly slamming shut behind her, bam!
"What's gotten into her?"
Lois muttered under her breath, then realized how cowardly that sounded and loudly sneered, "She hasn't practiced swordsmanship in a year, and suddenly decides to train tonight? Could she be trying to flirt with some senior from the Sword Skill Department?"
Adelle blinked, somewhat puzzled, "I don't remember her ever buying a wooden sword, and Ingrid doesn't have that type of wooden sword; where did she get it from...?"