“Inner court nobility or guard palace nobility?”

Sonya raised an eyebrow slightly, displaying some disdain: “The second son of the illustrious Vlozrada, reduced to playing the middleman?”

It’s only natural for a sanctuary sorcerer to be granted a noble title, but unless the sorcerer is born into the inner court nobility, they usually follow the guard palace nobility path.

A sanctuary sorcerer who is not from the inner court nobility but receives an inner court noble title can only do so in one situation-through marriage with the inner court nobility, wherein the noble title is transferred to the sorcerer.

If the inner court nobility has failed to produce a distinguished sorcerer for many years, their noble title faces the risk of being “adjusted” by the House of Nobles. Their only solution is to recruit a sanctuary sorcerer. So when Felix asked which noble title she preferred, Sonya’s first reaction was that Felix was representing some declining inner court nobility, seeking to arrange a marriage with her.

But Felix knew her nature too well. When he initially suggested a fake marriage as compensation, the village girl outright refused. Now that she has achieved success, how could she possibly agree to marry?

“You misunderstand; I never intended for you to inherit the name of a fallen noble family,” Felix shook his head. “You no longer need to marry into a prestigious family; you will eventually become one yourself.”

“However, a sanctuary sorcerer can indeed directly receive an inner court noble title, though most sanctuary sorcerers have refused it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Professor Trozan.”

Sonya was taken aback: “But Sister Trelozan is only a bow peerage. If she could become inner court nobility, why would she refuse?”

University professors are operators within the education department, and their salaries are jointly funded by the university and the education department, naturally placing them within the administrative and legal officer system. Ordinary two-wings professors are lance peerage, while three-wings professors are bow peerage. Only vice presidents and presidents are armor peerage.

Sister Trelozan… Felix raised an eyebrow at the mention and continued, “Except for the lowest sword peerage, higher noble titles must receive the blessing of the Stars, you know that, right?”

Sonya nodded.

Due to the existence of the blessing of the Stars, nobles who hold legislative and executive power are unable to break laws for personal gain and must wholeheartedly serve the public, striving to build a Stars society.

Nobles possess more rights but must also shoulder more responsibilities.

Sonya’s views on the noble system had always been average, but everything is relative-after hearing from the Observer about the current state of Blood Moon society, her approval of the Stars system sharply increased.

After all, even though the Stars Kingdom has clear class distinctions and significant barriers, the society is stable and harmonious. Ordinary people might not achieve great wealth, but they can live comfortably. For example, the short-sighted townsfolk of her hometown, even if they never visit Galaxia in their lifetime, are content to return home after a day’s work to watch the holographic screen, living a blissful and simple life.

Compared to the Blood Moon Kingdom’s orphans, the Blood Moon Tribunal, and broken families, the noble system of the Stars Kingdom is nothing worth complaining about. Moreover, it has always functioned efficiently and excellently, allowing for the steady social development.

“Like noble titles, the blessing of the Stars is also graded,” Felix explained. “The ‘Stars’ in the blessing of the Stars not only describes nobles as the stars of the nation, but it reveals the essence of the blessing itself-the blessing of the Stars requires the Stars to continue being effective.”

“For example, a shield peerage requires one star to sustain its blessing, a lance peerage needs two, a bow peerage requires three, and an armor peerage needs four. As your noble title rises, the strength of the blessing increases. Beyond making nobles more loyal to the nation, it also enhances insight, learning capacity, and delays aging, among other benefits.”

“Guard palace nobility will certainly benefit from advancing their noble status.”

Sonya caught Felix’s implication: “Does becoming inner court nobility mean a loss?”

Felix smiled slightly: “The lowest inner court nobility, ‘Viscount,’ receives blessings that extend life, maintain youth, ensure vitality, enhance memory, improve insight, and sharpen analytical skills. If an armor peerage has the blessing of five stars, a Viscount benefits from at least a hundred.”

“Isn’t that good?” Sonya asked, “Are the expectations for inner court nobility more than just loyalty to the nation?”

Felix shook his head: “No, like the guard palace, their influence is only about absolute loyalty, making the welfare of the Stars the highest priority.”

“Then why-” Sonya started to ask but suddenly realized something.

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you?” Felix said with a smile. “Guard palace nobility are only responsible for execution, meaning their absolute loyalty requires them simply not to make mistakes, slack off, or act selfishly. But the responsibility of the inner court nobility is to propose initiatives in the Council, steer the kingdom, and lead the people!”

“Now, when a physically robust, exceptionally memory-enhanced, and analytically sharper inner court Council Member needs to fulfill their duties and propose a reasonable initiative, what do you think they will do?”

“Conduct field research, analyze, and study…” Sonya murmured.

“The renowned ‘Stargazer Duke’ Vlozrada spends about half the year traveling throughout the Stars Kingdom with his advisors,” Felix said calmly. “Within the inner court nobility, Council Members of different noble titles must propose initiatives of varying levels. A Viscount with their team can typically complete their tasks with three months of work a year. For Counts, marquises, and Dukes, the difficulty increases step by step. If a family has fallen on hard times and can’t afford consultants, it’s not unusual for a Council Member to spend the entire year on this.”

“So now you understand why most sanctuary sorcerers refuse to become inner court nobility.”

Sonya certainly understood, as sanctuary sorcerers focus primarily on virtual realm exploration, wishing to spend all their time honing their skills. The thought of spending time drafting proposals isn’t appealing at all. Even the village girl had given up on the idea of becoming inner court nobility-she had hoped to somehow earn a hereditary Viscount title in her lifetime, but she clearly had no interest in being a Council Member. If the Observer knew the responsibilities involved, he might flee overnight, carrying her away.

“However, being inner court nobility isn’t all about responsibilities and obligations.”

Sensing he might have alarmed the village girl, Felix added, “Because they are close to the center of power, and their intellect is enhanced, inner court nobles can almost effortlessly profit from national development. Even when their business associations compete with ordinary merchants, they remain a step ahead and hold every advantage… Every inner court noble is part of a legacy of influential families.”

“And precisely because they can command significant societal resources, inner court nobility have strict quotas for training sorcerers. Those who hoard resources without utilizing them are better off being guard palace nobility.”

“No matter how many advantages being inner court nobility might offer, I can’t choose that path,” Sonya said. “My journey as a sorcerer won’t stop here.”

“I know,” Felix replied. “That’s why I’m here to invite you on behalf of my organization, and our offer is-“

“To make you immune to the Mental suggestions of the blessing of the Stars.”

Sonya was taken aback and asked, “Your organization… that sorcerer alliance?”

“Exactly,” Felix said, spreading his hands. “No Pact, no obligations. If you agree to join us, we will help you resist the Mental suggestions of the Stars’ blessing. Meaning, you can enjoy the enhancement of the blessing without the constraint of ‘loyalty to the Stars.’”

“Even if you choose to become inner court nobility, it won’t interfere with your path as a sorcerer, yet you’ll still rise to the ranks of an influential family.”

“How about the title, Viscount Therave?”

Sonya paused for a moment before replying, “If you have the capability to do this, your target should not be someone like me-“

“You’re indeed not the first to be tempted by this offer,” Felix said.

In a flash, many thoughts raced through Sonya’s mind.

If she wasn’t the first, that meant there were already many nobles in the nation whose primary loyalty was no longer to the Stars. What could these individuals possibly be intending-

“Don’t misunderstand, we aren’t trying to overthrow the Stars,” Felix explained. “We’re simply a group of like-minded sorcerers pursuing power, looking to remove the obstacles from our path as sorcerers by escaping the constraints of the blessing. We aren’t many; we’re incapable of even shaking the Stars, let alone overturning it.”

Sonya found this curious. “If you want to be completely free of constraints, then why remain nobles at all?”

“The Star Miracles Directory you’re seeing now is incomplete,” Felix said. “Only nobles can access the full Miracles Directory and gain privileges to exchange in the royal spirit treasury. If you do not become a noble and don’t accept the blessing of the Stars, the truly advanced resources of the Stars will not be available to you.”

“I remember asking you if you would be willing to become a noble after learning the secret of the Stars’ blessing. Your answer then was yes,” Felix said, looking at her. “Now that you have become a three-wings sorcerer, has your answer changed?”

Seeing Sonya remain silent, Felix knew she’d been tempted.

Sonya’s willingness back then was genuine, and her hesitance now is no less sincere.

Two-wings and Sanctuary are two entirely different classes; the former is still just a cog in the machinery of society, but the latter can already start to master their own life.

When you’re a cog, personal will is something you might easily trade away; but once you can touch freedom, you’ll instinctively be stingy with your loyalty.

Still, there’s no need to rush her into making a statement. Once she consults Trozan and learns more about the situation of the nobility, she’ll naturally come to the right decision.

So, Felix stood up. “I won’t bother you any further. If you’re interested, you can come find me-“

“When you mentioned the nobles,” Sonya suddenly asked, “did you exclude the sword peerage?”

Felix was taken aback, then nodded. “Sword peerage is like a reserve for the nobility and hasn’t yet qualified to receive the blessing of the Stars. Because of this, they have almost no noble privileges and the positions available to them are limited to ordinary guards, operators, or clerks, without any real power.”

“Then that’s fine.”

“Then that’s fine?”

“I’ll be fine with the sword peerage,” Sonya said casually. “Everyone calls me the sword Princess anyway, doesn’t it fit perfectly with the sword peerage title? I appreciate your offer, but I don’t need your help.”

“Why!?” Felix immediately sat back down. “Do you know what you’re saying? Even if you don’t become inner court nobility, you can’t just stop at sword peerage!”

“And why not?”

“If you want to become a professor, you will inevitably have to advance to the bow peerage, and then you’ll have to accept the blessing of the Stars anyway!”

“Then I just won’t be a professor,” Sonya laughed. “I never wanted to teach. My career path is as a songstress and a performer.”

“Performers and songstresses are under the jurisdiction of the Cultural Institute and also have noble titles,” Felix explained. “Major nationwide TV shows, bestselling albums, heavily-invested TV dramas… Ordinary resources are one thing, but any significant nationwide entertainment resources prioritize artists who hold noble titles!”

“If you remain at the sword peerage level, the College League will be your only nationwide stage!”

Sonya blinked. “That is indeed a bit of a pity.”

“Besides, aren’t you considering your mother?” Felix continued. “Sword peerage can only extend a family member’s temporary stay in Galaxia to 100 days, still not allowing permanent residency, because the House of Nobles never intended for people to remain at the sword peerage level. An ordinary operator, with hard work, can progress to the shield peerage within five years and obtain permanent family residency rights… If you stay at sword peerage, you won’t be able to bring your mother to Galaxia!”

“Thank you for your concern,” Sonya smiled. “But I discussed this with my mother a few days ago; she doesn’t actually want to come.”

“What?”

“While I’ve been dreaming of establishing my career in Galaxia and bringing my mother over to enjoy a good life, that’s my wish, not hers.” Sonya shrugged. “She’s different from me; she doesn’t yearn for the bustling Galaxia, nor does she mind the quiet, remote village. I felt the village was a familiar cage, and she feels Galaxia is an unfamiliar prison.”

“Plus, since news of me reached back, those relatives who are kind to the strong but timid have been treating her much better. She’s quite content with her life now and just wants to take care of our family land.”

Felix couldn’t comprehend how someone would prefer staying in an agricultural town over coming to Galaxia. He shook his head and said, “With all due respect, your mother’s outlook is rather short-sighted, but you-“

“My mother is a village girl, and I’m the daughter of a village girl,” Sonya spread her hands. “My mother wants to stay close to our family land, and I just want to protect everything I care about, not risk seeking out resources that aren’t rightfully mine.”

“And what about your career?” Felix asked. “You’re just a step away from shining brightly. Are you willing to stop here?”

Sonya blinked.

“In the past, I might have accepted your offer without hesitation,” she said. “Yes, I do long to stand on stage, to become a performer and songstress like Delarose, to be others’ inspiration, to be a part of their childhood. To be the center of attention, famous across the Stars.”

“But my life isn’t only about my career.”

Sonya closed her book, stood up, and said, “Felix, what you sensed earlier wasn’t wrong.”

Felix, feeling lost, asked, “What?”

“If it were before, I’d probably revel in the glory of being a sanctuary sorcerer, attending lavish parties and soaking up everyone’s flattery. If it were before, I’d eagerly accept your invitation, become a careless member of the nobility, and enjoy the resources only nobility can access. If it were before, my words now would definitely be nothing but fake humility and real boasting…”

Sonya put her book in her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and waved goodbye.

“If it were before.”

11 PM.

Sonya, with her spirit restored, was already settled in the Meditation Building.

Don’t be nervous, she thought to herself.

There’s no reason to be. Five days ago, since the Observer was able to send the potion to her table, it meant he was out of danger. She should remain composed, unless the Observer showed concern for her first; then she could afford to feign a bit of insincere sentiment.

Don’t be nervous… don’t be nervous…

As the familiar sensation spread, her soul connected to the Virtual Realm, and her consciousness sank into the Distant Sky Domain.

Sonya opened her eyes and found herself on a bustling street filled with people.

She confirmed she was in the ‘dream’ of the Distant Sky Domain. However, as she glanced around, her heart plunged into an icy pit.

All around her were unfamiliar pedestrians.

No Observer, no Witch.

Instinctively, she gripped her sword hilt, suppressing the urge to wreak havoc, and walked quickly through the streets, scanning the surroundings.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

The more she looked, the heavier the suffocating frustration grew in her chest, almost choking her. Turning another corner, just seeing more unfamiliar faces on the street caused her legs to freeze. Her lips trembled, and she couldn’t help but release all her pent-up frustration:

“Observer!”

“Right here!”

The sword Princess turned to see the Observer clumsily raising his hand, also scanning the surroundings. Once their eyes met, they immediately started moving toward each other.

Sonya initially walked, then quickly picked up her pace to a speed walk, and finally broke into a run, pushing past pedestrians. The passersby seemed ready to voice their objections, but seeing the sword hilt slightly drawn, they opted to let her pass with just their gaze.

As the distance closed, the weight on Sonya’s heart was gradually lifted, replaced by an irrepressible excitement, almost compelling her to leap into his arms-

“Obser-ver-!”

The sword Princess skidded to a halt, watching as the Witch threw herself onto the Observer.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay