The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 227: Guessing True Feelings

Annan announced, ”The game is called Guessing True Feelings. Each of you starts with one Gold Coin and six Silver Coins. You don’t need to return them afterward. You can use them to feed your spirits.

”The rules are simple. First is the answering phase. Each person takes turns asking a yes-or-no question. Everyone answers with their Gold Coin. Heads for yes, tails for no. Answer truthfully; that’s the catch.

”Next comes the guessing phase. Everyone must guess how many people answered yes and place that many Silver Coins. Guess correctly, and you earn a point. At the end, the player with the highest score wins.

”One more thing. Before and after the game, no one may ask others for information or reveal their own answers. Clear enough?”

Annan smiled. ”Anyone who scores higher than me will have their wish granted. Whether it’s crawling through the sewers to collect corpses or spending money in a game, everything is negotiable.”

At first glance, the game seemed straightforward, but Harvey quickly spotted a flaw. ”How can you ensure everyone answers truthfully?”

Annan’s response was matter-of-fact. ”Simple. Pankey, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Iger, and Mr. Ashe. You must all answer honestly in this game. Ashe, it’s your turn.”

Ashe lowered his gaze and spoke to the little girl beside him. ”Lys, you must answer honestly. If you lie, Uncle Harvey will handmake all your dolls from now on.”

Lys turned pale. ”I won’t lie!”

Harvey gave Ashe a curious look. ”How did you know I could make dolls?”

Ashe said casually, ”Well, making dolls sounds like the sort of thing a pervert would enjoy...”

Iger narrowed his eyes. ”Wait. The contract compels us to be honest, yes. But what about you, miss?”

”Isn’t there a clause binding me as well? Once I recite the binding incantation, everything I say becomes an oath. If I break it, our contract ends. The incantation is...”

Annan lifted her chin, her voice steady. ”In the name of Dolan, I swear to uphold honesty in the upcoming game.”

Ashe’s eyes widened. ”That’s not right! Aren’t there spirits or Miracles that can detect the coin’s face, or even read thoughts? Couldn’t that kind of cheating go unnoticed?”

Annan remained calm. ”I swear I will not use any sorcerer abilities during the game.”

All eyes then turned to the one ranked second on the Two-Winged Mind Class Ranking, the notorious fraudster whose breath still reeked of lies, even after brushing his teeth. He brought his hands together as if in restraint and shrugged. ”It seems my promise won’t earn your trust. You really don’t respect me at all.”

Ashe replied firmly, ”It’s precisely because we respect you that we must limit your ways of cheating.”

Iger lifted his chin, a mocking smile curling at the corners of his lips. ”That’s the greatest disrespect of all. You think I need to cheat to win a game like this? The rules themselves are the skirts the goddess of victory lifts for me.”

Confused, Lys asked, ”Skirts? Aunt Perskin, do you want to peek at her underwear?”

Ashe responded, ”Lys, you don’t understand. I’ve heard that veela, and men with veela blood, like to—”

Before Annan could even react, Iger had already flipped the table and clamped a hand over Ashe’s throat, stopping the useless fool from saying anything inappropriate in front of the child.

”What are you doing—”

Annan shot Lys a serious look. ”If you want to change fathers, I’ll be happy to help.”

Lys ran forward, pulling Iger away. ”No! Aunt Perskin, don’t bully Dad!”

”Honestly, I’m the most normal adult here,” Ashe protested, prying Iger’s hand off. ”I wasn’t saying anything perverted! I’m not Harvey! I just meant... people with veela blood enjoy licking legs!”

”That’s already pretty perverted, isn’t it?!”

Once the commotion died down, the six of them were strictly forbidden from using any sorcerer abilities. They gathered around the coffee table, settling onto the sofas. Pankey even thoughtfully brought drinks and a plate of snacks, giving the scene the cozy feel of a small party.

”Do I have to play too?” the young butler asked.

”Of course. You’re part of the firm. This is the first team-building activity for the Funeral Agency since expanding its staff. If you beat me, I’ll grant your wish as well.”

”You must be joking, miss.”

Annan tilted her head, a playful glint in her eyes. ”Come to think of it... this feels a bit unfair. If you win, I reward you. But if I win, shouldn’t you reward me too?”

Iger scoffed. ”We already work under you. What else could we possibly give? If you want something, a single command is enough. Do you think we could refuse?”

Harvey interjected calmly, ”Our contract allows us to refuse sexual acts. So technically... we can.”

”Oh, don’t be so gloomy,” Ashe said with a grin. ”Maybe the boss just wants the gesture. Besides, we do have things we can give. Lys is a little girl. She could make a flower crown. Harvey is a necromancer. He could take one of his ribs and turn it into a charm. Iger is a Mind Class sorcerer. He could dig out his own heart...”

Harvey frowned. ”How did you know I once removed a rib to make a gift? Though it wasn’t exactly a charm...”

Iger had been about to retort sharply, but Harvey’s comment left him speechless. Ashe’s wild imagination couldn’t even keep pace with Harvey’s willingness to act.

Annan smiled. ”It doesn’t have to be that extreme. Here’s the deal. If I win, I’ll still grant your wishes, but you’ll have to do one thing for me. Something not related to work, but something I want to do with all of you.”

”What kind of thing?”

Annan released the Crimson-Gold Dragon Lizard, her gaze steady. ”I’ll tell you after the game ends. I know you don’t trust me, and that’s normal. Who would trust a stunning beauty who enslaved them through schemes and manipulation?”

Iger’s expression turned openly disdainful, while Ashe and Harvey remained neutral. Their own looks weren’t enough to lend weight to any objection.

Annan continued, her tone sincere, ”But I truly have no intention of enslaving you. In my eyes, you are partners on equal footing. The rewards from the Woven Festival will be shared among us. We are colleagues working toward the same goal. The Funeral Agency is merely a platform for your growth, and these 101 days will become a valuable experience in your lives. Let this game prove my sincerity.”

She leaned forward. ”Since I proposed the game, I’ll ask the first question. The question is. Do you want to obtain the Divine Lord’s wish?”

Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.

”Hide your coin in your hand, then place it under this handkerchief,” Annan instructed, slipping her coin beneath the cloth on the coffee table. ”Your turn.”

They exchanged glances, but the contract bound them. Truthful answers were the only option. Deception was impossible.

Annan continued, ”Now for the guessing phase. I think everyone answered yes, so I’ll bet six Silver Coins.”

Everyone followed her lead, including the ever-loyal Pankey. Six coins were placed. When the handkerchief was lifted, six heads gleamed back at them. Every answer had been yes.

”Pankey, what wish would you make if you obtained the Divine Lord’s wish?” Annan asked curiously.

Pankey shrugged. ”Not sure yet. Probably something like... ’please fulfill Miss’s wish.’”

Annan shook her head with a faint smile. ”I don’t believe that. You must have your own wish.”

She glanced around at the others. ”That’s only natural. Anyone who is human has desires. I have mine, Pankey has his, and so do all of you. As long as you can breathe, you will want the Divine Lord’s blessing, the one that can grant any wish.

”I may be selfish, but I’m not so selfish as to assume others are selfless.”