The Sorcerer's Handbook

Iger drew a sharp breath.

Ever since he learned that the Belldet family could mobilize the cognitive power of millions, drawing directly upon a massive reservoir of mental energy, a critical question had plagued his mind as a Mind Class sorcerer. Is Evelyn not terrified of poisoning herself?

In the realm of consciousness, any thought that was not strictly one’s own was no different from a slow, insidious poison. Dissociative identity disorders offered the perfect proof of this. Even split personalities generated by one’s own mind, as clean and harmless as they might seem, could still utterly destroy their host. The invasive, chaotic thoughts of complete strangers were far more dangerous.

A day or two of exposure might not matter. But to steep in the thoughts of others for too long would inevitably lead to mental exhaustion, distorted self-awareness, severe psychological volatility, and worse.

The Belldet control system, founded on the concept of taking from the debtors and turning it back against them, was neither a revolutionary breakthrough nor a technique uniquely monopolized by a necromancer Angel. Yet no other controller had ever successfully replicated it. Why did the Belldets alone dominate the entire Gospel? Because spirit, consciousness, and thought formed an indivisible whole.

Just as winning the lottery instantly elevated a person’s mood while constipation ruined it, a person’s thoughts directly influenced their mental state. Raw mental energy was like unrefined, pulpy fruit juice, thick with fragmented thoughts and volatile emotions. The energy the Belldets extracted had to be riddled with these impurities. Using it raw would be no different from drinking poison to quench thirst, or eating filth to stave off starvation.

If a wolf-pack controller tried to copy the Belldets’ method, drawing on his pack’s collective mental energy to dominate them, he would inevitably end up as a wolf in human skin. The primal instincts of the pack would slowly assimilate and corrupt his psyche until his human identity faded away entirely.

This was why Control Class sorcerers operated strictly on a one-way channel, never absorbing energy from their subjects. Even if their target was a harmless, pint-sized Lala Fat, they wouldn’t dare take it lightly.

Therefore, if the Belldet family dared to feast on the mental energy of intelligent beings, they had to possess a foolproof filtration mechanism. Iger’s initial suspicions had fallen on the statues. Storing mental energy was one thing, but if a mere stone sculpture could filter active human cognition, it might as well offer full-coverage health insurance too. How could a lifeless construct manage a function so staggeringly complex?

It wasn’t until he realized Anphel had no official duties that the pieces finally clicked. She spent her days wandering the estate, idly touching one statue after another. The answer hadn’t just presented itself. It had practically filled in the blanks for him.

The fraudster leaned forward. ”So your ability to read minds... is that a unique trait born from being the container?”

Anphel shook her head. ”I cannot read minds. If I could, my sister wouldn’t have been deceived so easily. I simply become the version of myself that everyone likes.”

She closed her eyes, her expression settling into a serene calm.

”I can hear countless thoughts, understand a myriad of preferences, and perceive every hidden facet of a person. No matter who stands before me, I can instantly pull a matching persona from my internal database. In truth, they might already exist within it.”

She opened her eyes. ”Have you ever seen a mimosa plant? Touch it, and its leaves shyly fold inward. I am much the same. I don’t do it intentionally, but the moment someone stands before me, I instinctively shift into the exact personality they desire most.”

Curiosity piqued, Iger asked, ”If you had to speak with both Ashe and me at the same time, what would you become?”

Anphel replied, ”In a group conversation, I find the overlap, the traits you both prefer, and project that. When speaking one-on-one, I switch back to your specific ideal.”

”And what about you?” Iger pressed, leaning in. ”Where is your genuine self in all of this?”

”I can hear countless thoughts,” Anphel repeated softly.

Amidst the endless chorus, Anphel could never hear her own voice. She was a living mirror, perfectly reflecting the version of herself that others desired, yet entirely incapable of casting her own image.

Even so, Iger had to admit that conversing with her was remarkably effortless. He appreciated this style of dialogue, where only the vital puzzle pieces were laid out, leaving the final picture to personal deduction. It engaged his intellect just enough.

Within the Funeral Agency squad, talking with Annan was the most satisfying, followed closely by Pankey, and Lys in her mature persona. Dead last were those two even-toed beasts, who required every little detail spelled out as if they were toddlers.

”Then it’s my turn,” Anphel said. She poured two cups of hot tea and handed one over to him. ”Why did you deceive the Belldet family, Mr. Iger?”

Iger answered without a second thought. ”For the secrets of the Belldet control system. And also... because we need the Belldets to draw the heat while we make our escape.”

Even without the Schemer Rankings, the Family Rankings alone had already painted a massive target on the Funeral Agency’s back, turning them into public enemies. Iger had spent days racked with thought on how to alleviate the pressure, but their reputation was already at rock bottom. The mounting hostility would eventually crush them.

So, he pivoted. If an economic storm was inevitable, his best move was to spread the damage to mitigate his own losses. Thus, he and Evelyn had reached a tacit understanding. She wanted to enslave the elites of rival families; Iger hadn’t just cooperated. He had actively accelerated her plans.

Sure, Ashe was the Belldets’ loyal hound. But now, so was everyone else.

Go ahead, Iger thought wryly. If you want to kick the dog, you’ll have to step over its master’s corpse first.

Even if Evelyn wanted to cut her losses later, she wouldn’t be able to just stand by once the other families retaliated. One way or another, this would divert a massive amount of firepower away from the Funeral Agency.

”Is that all?”

Iger swirled his tea. ”Not quite. There are other reasons. For one, Annan had a role to play in dropping a few hints. But... honestly? The biggest reason is simply that I wanted to.”

”You wanted to?”

”To swindle the head of a family wealthy enough to rival empires, orchestrate a grand farce involving Sacred Realm sorcerers, and seamlessly shift the blame onto you...” The fraudster shrugged, a sharp smile touching his lips. ”It’s an exquisite piece of theater. Even if there were no material reward, I would have thrown myself into it purely for the thrill.”

”My sister would be absolutely furious if she heard you say that,” Anphel replied, a soft smile playing on her lips as she took a sip.

Iger pressed on. ”My second question. How is it that Evelyn... no, how do all the leaders of the Belldet family become so utterly cold and emotionless?”

Anphel set her cup down, her gaze drifting to the portraits lining the office walls. ”My sister isn’t cold, Mr. Iger. Her emotions have simply... been diluted.”

The red-haired girl looked back at him. ”As someone who has dabbled in controlling others, you of all people should understand why she ended up this way.”

Iger massaged his temples. ”So it really is a side effect of mobilizing that much mental energy...”

The collective consciousness of millions was a force potent enough to trigger a fundamental qualitative shift. Every time the head of the Belldet family invoked a Control Class Miracle, they had to churn that vast sea of minds. Over time, even with a perfect purification system, the residual backlash would leave permanent scars.

To put it simply, an ordinary person’s mental energy was like sugar water. Anphel had absorbed millions of doses of pure sweetness, becoming so intensely oversweetened that she dissolved entirely, losing her own distinct flavor. Now, she simply exuded whatever precise level of sweetness others craved.

Evelyn, however, was the exact opposite. Every time she channeled a Control Class Miracle, she effectively submerged herself into countless gallons of water. Her own identity and sweetness were drastically diluted with every cast, until she became as utterly flavorless as plain water.

”How did you realize something was wrong with my sister?” Anphel asked, breaking his train of thought. ”She laughs, she gets angry, she displays an array of emotions. How could you tell she had grown cold?”

”Is that your third question?”

Anphel blinked. ”Ah~ can’t you let me have a little win? Fine, let’s count it as one.”

”There are plenty of reasons. Take Annan, for example. Evelyn claims to treasure their bond, but when it comes to dealing with her, she doesn’t hesitate to play hardball. She claims to fear the Eight Great Families, yet her actual moves are fast and decisive. Her logic and her emotions live in two completely different compartments. She has feelings, sure, but she never lets them influence her decisions. She is practically a textbook rationalist. But above all else, the biggest reason is... she asked me to go on a blind date with you.”

Anphel blinked again. ”Oh?”

”Before Annan came to Montphera, Evelyn lived in this estate. Everyone here was her servant. She had no friends, no lovers, and no personal life. In that kind of isolation, her only emotional anchor should have been her sister. Yet to win me over, she entrusted you to someone she had known for only a few days, a stranger from another land?

”Trust is only given to those who deserve it. The moment Evelyn did something so uncharacteristically reckless, I knew she didn’t truly care about you. What flows in that heart of hers is nothing but black pus.”

Anphel frowned slightly. ”That’s a bit too harsh, Mr. Iger. And why would you say you’re not someone worthy of trust?”

Iger pointed at his ever-growing debt. ”Didn’t I already prove it?”

Anphel tilted her head. ”If you become part of the Belldet family, wouldn’t that make you worthy? Besides, my sister truly wants to find a suitable partner for me. Among all of you, aren’t you the most suitable, Mr. Iger?”

”That’s impossible. Isn’t Ashe a much better candidate than me?”

”Is he?”

Iger traced the rim of his teacup with a finger. ”Of course. He’s lazy, foolish, and vulgar. Aside from knowing to take shelter when it rains and how to find his way home, he has no real strengths. But... living with him makes it feel like no obstacle in the world is insurmountable. If your mood turns sour, he’ll notice immediately.”

Iger glanced at Anphel. ”As for me? Aside from dealing with clients, my favorite pastime is crushing others’ intelligence to feel superior. Even my comrades think I’m too harsh. They’d rather die than work with me. So, they all died.

”Evelyn chose a gloomy bastard like me over a bright, shining man like Ashe. You still say she cares about you? I don’t buy it.”

Anphel rested her chin on her hand. ”Hmm... There’s something I don’t know if I should—”

Iger cut her off. ”You shouldn’t. I still have one last question. The reason you sisters each bear a different price for your control... is it to resist your ancestor’s summoning?”

Anphel’s lips parted slightly. Then, she clapped her hands and laughed. ”Amazing, Mr. Iger. You actually figured it out? That’s exactly right!”

When Iger first saw the Belldet family ranked at the top of the Family Rankings, a question had already taken root in his mind. The necromancer Angel clearly sought resurrection. If so, why hadn’t he simply groomed a descendant to serve as his vessel, choosing instead to bar them from entering his tomb?

Wasn’t that taking the long way around? The idea that the necromancer Angel cherished his bloodline was pure nonsense. Even Harvey had confirmed it. The man was a life-disregarding, counterfeit necromancer. Someone that terrified of death wouldn’t possess such moral reservations.

Therefore, the logic had to be reversed. It wasn’t that the necromancer Angel rejected an heir. It was that his descendants had always been actively evading their ancestor’s schemes.

Following this line of thought, the necromancer Angel must have been trying to shape his descendants into the perfect vessels. But what kind of vessel would be best suited for possession and rebirth?

Firstly, she should have extremely active thoughts, but no personal will. Secondly, she should possess immense mental energy, but no personal emotions. Ideally, she should also command vast wealth, allowing the necromancer Angel to quickly recover his former strength.

Anphel could hear countless thoughts, yet lost her own will. She had become nothing more than her sister’s tool. That was ”no thought.” Evelyn could mobilize immense mental energy, yet her personal emotions had been entirely diluted. She had become completely cold and rational. That was ”no heart.” Combine the two, a person with neither heart nor thought. Wouldn’t that be the perfect vessel for the necromancer Angel?

”So Harvey didn’t betray a benefactor after all... When he said he wanted to grant the Belldet family eternal rest, he truly meant to free you from this fate. I’m done asking.”

In truth, Iger still had many questions. Why did the Belldet family insist on inheriting the Control Class? Why not try to kill the necromancer Angel instead? Why endure such a horrific fate? But when he really thought about it, these arrangements had all been laid down by their ancestor to guarantee his resurrection. The Belldet descendants could do nothing more than share the brutal burden among siblings. They had already done everything they could.

”Then it’s my turn for the last question,” Anphel said.

At that exact moment, a faint glow appeared on the bookmark of their Gospel, signaling that the Schemer Rankings had finally updated.

[Iger Perskin received the reward: Kingdom Gold Coin.]

Kingdom Gold Coin: The holder’s personal will cannot be altered, distorted, or eroded. It will remain pure at all times.

Iger turned the newly formed, still-warm coin in his hand. ”What do you want to ask?”

”I had meant to ask how you planned to resist my sister’s control, Mr. Iger,” Anphel said, spreading her hands. ”With so much debt, you would theoretically have to share 99.9% of your thoughts. But now, there’s no need to ask.”

Iger’s endless borrowing didn’t mean he owed the Belldet family nothing. Once Evelyn recovered and cut off his credit, he would have no way to fight back. She would be able to pry open his mind at will. But now, with the Kingdom Gold Coin as a reward, Iger no longer had to fear her tampering with his mind.

After a moment of thought, Iger flicked the coin away with his thumb. ”Catch.”

Anphel hurriedly caught it. She stared in shock as the fraudster walked over to the window, looking out at the distant crowd. ”Mr. Iger?”

”It’s yours,” he said casually. ”There should still be a trace of self-awareness buried deep in your soul. Use that coin to reclaim it.”

”Why?”

Iger smiled faintly. ”When I drew up this plan, I didn’t account for any rewards from the Schemer Rankings. I don’t dare accept gifts from fate so casually.”

”Then how will you resist my sister’s control?”

”I’ve already stolen the core knowledge of the Control Class. I know how to resist it now. My theory is complete. I just lack practical experience. If Evelyn is willing to spar, I’d gladly accept. Besides, her control has its limits. Once I am far enough away, if she wants to tamper with my mind, she’ll have to reveal a trump card I haven’t uncovered yet. I’d like to see which happens first. Whether she breaks me, or I fully master the Belldets’ Control Class.”

Iger gazed at Ashe and the others in the distance. Starlight illuminated his handsome face. There was no fear in his eyes, only anticipation for what was to come.

Anphel stared at him in a daze. Suddenly, she said, ”There’s something I don’t know if I should—”

”You shouldn’t.”

”But I’m going to say it anyway!”

Iger glanced back at her. ”Is the coin’s effect really that strong already?”

Anphel smiled softly. ”Or maybe you just like this type of girl? What I want to say is... Mr. Iger, people don’t actually shine. They don’t sparkle.”

”Hmm?”

”So the thing that truly sparkles... is the light in your eyes.”