The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 236: Officially Joined The Team

At that moment, Dia was crouching inside the lumber mill, scanning for usable materials.

The mill was connected directly to the outside of the nest. A massive machine, crude yet oddly intricate, jutted into the dense forest like a fishing rod. Driven by spirits, the rapidly growing eco-trees outside, accelerated by time, were processed into cube-shaped logs that dropped into the nest.

Logically, since the Feral Wolf Dragons had no use for wood and it took up so much space, the nest should have been overflowing long ago. Yet in reality, the lumber mill held only a modest amount.

While searching, Dia listened to the guidance from her sisters.

”Princess, you shouldn’t hand things over so directly,” White Queen advised.

”Then should I throw them over?” the Secret Princess asked.

White Queen replied, ”That’s not what I mean. You’ll make the Watcher feel awkward.”

The Secret Princess frowned. ”(￣△￣；) I... don’t get it.”

Black Butler groaned. ”Please, just let Sister White handle this. I can’t watch anymore.”

”I think I’m doing fine. Swordswoman likes me, and so does the Watcher!” the Secret Princess retorted.

Black Butler snapped. ”Where does that confidence even come from? Little Red, say something!”

”Something,” Red Death Apostle muttered.

Footsteps echoed across the mill. Dia turned to see the Watcher walking in, pulling Swordswoman along.

”Witch, why is your personality so different today compared to yesterday?” the Watcher asked.

Dia didn’t hesitate. ”Huh? That’s because yesterday, I was the White Queen, and today, I am the Secret Princess.”

Black Butler groaned. ”I told you she’d sell us all out.”

White Queen tried to defend her. ”The Watcher already knows about the Little Witch and Secret Princess. We couldn’t have hidden it anyway.”

Dia blinked, looking as though she had been pricked by a needle. ”Eh? You didn’t know? Did I say something wrong? Watcher, didn’t you tell her?”

Ashe spread his hands. ”I don’t know all the details either, so we came together to ask you. Witch, do you want to share your secret with us? If not, that’s fine. Just like I’ve never asked Swordswoman what Little Trumpet really means.”

Dia adjusted her glasses and quickly processed advice from her sisters’ internal discussion. ”It’s really not a big deal...”

In the Virtual World, just as Sonya could freely complain about her roommates, school, or society, the Witch Sisters saw Swordswoman and the Watcher as safe friends to reveal their secrets to. Firstly, the Watcher already knew their secret, so there was no need to hide it. Secondly, neither Swordswoman nor the Watcher had any connection in the real world. Their excitement when meeting last night made that clear. White Queen even suspected they might come from different kingdoms.

In other words, the Watcher and Swordswoman could learn whatever they wanted without it having any impact on her life in reality.

It wasn’t just the Secret Princess. Aside from the composed White Queen, being a bit reluctant, the other sisters were willing to reveal themselves freely to these strangers.

”I am White Queen. Please take care of our princess.”

She radiated gentle composure, dressed in the same white outfit as last night, with the short skirt revealing a sliver of thigh.

”I am Red Death Apostle,” announced the second sister, fierce and wary, with red hair and red clothes, like a brown bear surviving in the wild.

”I am Black Butler. My main role is helping my sisters come up with insults.”

Neatly dressed in a butler uniform, with her hair tied at the back, her androgynous elegance and sharp features belied the fact that her mouth produced anything but refined words.

Dia returned to her usual self[1] and planted her hands proudly on her hips. ”And then there’s me, Secret Princess! But the Watcher gave me the codename Witch, so you can just call me that. From now on, I’ll be the personality in charge of activities in the Virtual World. I am the Witch!”

At that moment, even Ashe’s eyes widened in amazement. Switching personalities, automatically changing outfits and hair color faster than a magical girl transformation... Does the Witch come preloaded with multiple skins?

”Witch, do you have any other sisters?” Sonya asked, curiosity sparking in her voice.

”There are...” Dia paused. ”But they all have other things to do, so they won’t be appearing for now.”

Seamless multi-threaded teamwork like this made Ashe feel a strange envy. He imagined having a personality split of his own, with one version handling work and training in the real world, another focusing on exploration and adventure in the Virtual World, while the original Ashe stayed behind to rest and relax, creating a perfect division of labor. Of course, it was only a thought. If it actually happened, it would likely end with one Ashe drinking all the water, two Ashes fighting over it, and three left thirsty... After all, they’re all Ashe. Why should one get to slack while the others worked?

For now, his focus remained on uncovering the potential of Substitute spirits. One day, he thought, he could live like a sorcerer capitalist, fully exploiting their abilities.

A question suddenly struck him. ”Then why are you in charge of Virtual World exploration? Shouldn’t Red Death Apostle, the combat expert, handle that?”

”Because I know a little about what all my sisters can do,” Dia said, picking up a piece of material from the lumber pile. ”That makes me capable of handling unexpected situations. If things get too overwhelming, another sister can take over. Besides, exploration in the Virtual World is exhausting. Only I enjoy it enough to take the lead... hmm? Oh, right.”

She turned her gaze to Ashe. ”Watcher, what do you think of White Queen, Red Death Apostle, and Black Butler?”

Sonya froze at the odd phrasing. Her classmates had sounded exactly like this when introducing male nobles. It sounded as though they were promoting fruit.

Ashe considered for a moment. ”Huh? White Queen is dignified and elegant, Red Death Apostle is sharp and fierce, Black Butler is suave and stylish... Witch, you have three amazing sisters.”

”And Swordswoman, what do you think?” Dia asked.

”Basically the same as the Watcher,” Sonya replied, clapping her hands.

Her social skills shone through. ”But you’re all so pretty! I love White Queen’s elegance, Red Death Apostle’s spirited style, and Black Butler hits my sweet spot perfectly. And Witch... you’re adorable too. Can I have all of you?”

Dia’s eyes sparkled. Suddenly, she leapt forward, hugging Ashe and Sonya with a delighted hum. They were caught off guard, pinned to the ground as she nuzzled between them like a little bear.

”Witch, you—”

Dia raised her head, her playful face beaming with infectious joy. ”We’re so happy! White Queen and the others rarely appear before people, so almost no one knows they exist. You two are the only ones... Your approval makes them, and us, so happy! Don’t believe me? Ask them yourselves—”

She adjusted her glasses and instantly shifted into Black Butler’s persona.

”No, she’s lying!” Black Butler said seriously.

”I’m not lying!” Secret Princess snapped back, snorting. ”Black Butler, your face was red with happiness just now! We all saw it!”

”I told you she’d sell us all out,” Black Butler muttered.

”I have nothing to say,” White Queen gave up resisting.

Dia sat up, a sudden thought crossing her mind. ”Right, in the picture book House of the North Wind, sharing secrets makes you friends... So, are we friends now?”

”You shared secrets with us, but we haven’t shared any with you,” Ashe replied calmly.

Dia blinked, her social inexperience freezing her mind. Oh no... have I just been rejected? What should I do next? Is there a hole I can crawl into? Maybe someone else should take over... White Queen, save me!

”But we still have a long future in the Virtual World,” Ashe said, standing and patting his butt. ”We’ll have plenty of time to share our stories later.”

Sonya sat up, gently rubbing Dia’s stubborn little tuft, sighing helplessly. ”I’m just an ordinary female college student. I don’t have any big secrets to share with you.”

With that, the Black-White Witch, Lysdia, officially joined the team.

1. Her usual self is the Secret Princess persona. ☜