The Sorcerer's Handbook

”So, you can’t tell me what you’re going to do, and you can’t even give me a clear guarantee,” Sonya kicked a stone at her feet, her gaze following its path until it disappeared into the curtain of rain. ”What do you want from me then? Do you want me to pray to the Divine Lords for you? I don’t even believe in them...”

”It’s not like I’m hoping that you can help me with anything...”

Sonya interrupted. ”Then what do you expect me to do? Do you just want to see me so worried about you that I’m heartbroken? Fine, I can do that.”

Her eyes suddenly turned misty. She rushed forward and hugged Ashe tightly, burying her face in his shoulder as she spoke in a trembling, tearful voice, ”Don’t go! Don’t leave me! I can’t live without you! We have to stay together forever! Is this what you wanted to hear?”

She abruptly pushed him away, her voice instantly dropping into a calm, detached tone. ”You suddenly tell me you’re about to carry out something dangerous within five days. You suddenly tell me you might die. You suddenly tell me...”

She let out a heavy breath. ”You’re incredibly overbearing, Captain. You never give me a choice. I can only stand here and listen to whatever you say. You get to control my emotions however you like, while I’m forced to watch your life like a helpless bystander.”

Ashe said helplessly, ”It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. The contract binds me. I literally cannot say it. These past weeks, I haven’t shared a single detail about my life. Do you think I wanted to hide it from you? I simply cannot reveal anything to outsiders—”

Sonya folded her arms and looked away. ”Right. Outsiders. I’m just an outsider.”

Seriously? I barely managed to calm her down last night, and now she’s about to explode again?

At that moment, Ashe couldn’t help but feel a trace of resentment toward his so-called master, Annan. If not for all the restrictions embedded in her contract, he wouldn’t have to act like some cryptic riddler in front of the Swordswoman. He almost wanted to return to reality immediately just to take revenge on the source of all this trouble.

Then, he imagined Annan facing his retaliation. She would likely put on an act of helplessness, teasing him with a coy, half-resisting demeanor, completely unafraid. The mental image left Ashe both exasperated and faintly stirred. The cult leader quickly cleared his distracting thoughts and reached out to grab the Swordswoman’s arm. ”You know that’s not what I meant—”

Sonya cut him off again. ”In a lot of the shows I’ve watched, when the protagonist is about to carry out a dangerous mission, they never reveal how life-threatening it is to the heroine. Instead, they paint a beautiful picture of the future to reassure her, adding a layer of tragic romance to the story.

”I used to wonder why writers loved using such cliché tropes. Now it seems those clichés have their merits. Without them, the protagonist just looks powerless.”

Ashe countered. ”When I was preparing my escape from prison, didn’t I tell you everything? What’s so different compared to the last time?”

”Everything is different. Our strength is different. The circumstances are different,” she paused, her voice softening. ”And... my feelings are different.”

She suddenly looked up, a hint of confusion crossing her face. ”Why did you pull me aside just to say this? There’s no need to hide this from the Witch, right? Unless...”

Her eyes lit up as she stared at Ashe, her brows curving slightly with a flicker of sudden anticipation. ”Do you have something more important you want to tell me?”

Ashe shook his head. ”This has to be kept from the Witch. You’re the only one I can tell in advance.”

Sonya froze slightly, then seemed to realize the gravity of his words.

”I don’t even know if I’ll leave behind anything like an inheritance. I don’t even know how I’d pass it on to you. Right now, you have the highest bond level with me. If I really do leave anything behind in the Virtual World, it should all go to you. The sports car, for example... maybe even those miscellaneous system functions too...”

Sonya studied him quietly for a moment. ”You didn’t make arrangements like this when you were escaping from prison.”

Ashe shrugged. ”Escaping was dangerous, sure, but I was well-prepared back then. More importantly, the Blood Moon Kingdom doesn’t resort to execution so easily. Even if I failed, the worst outcome would’ve been becoming a permanent guest of the Blood Moon Tribunal. I might’ve even dragged things out for a while. This time... I probably won’t get that kind of treatment. And... yeah, my mindset is different too.”

”Is it really that dangerous?”

Ashe blinked, then suddenly shook his head with a reassuring smile. ”No. I made it sound like certain death, but as long as everything goes smoothly, there’s actually no danger at all. It’s like driving. Sure, it’s risky, but if you handle it properly, you won’t crash.”

He sighed, attempting to lighten the mood. ”I just wanted to see if you’d worry about me. I didn’t expect to lose so completely, with not even a hint of tenderness or concern.”

”Then go find a gentle, considerate woman,” Sonya snapped, glaring at him. ”You must have one in the real world, right? Maybe she’s already lying in bed waiting for you.”

”Alright, alright. Let’s head back. The Witch must be getting impatient, and the White Ox seems to have wandered off.”

As Ashe turned to leave, the Swordswoman suddenly threw herself into his arms. He felt a sharp, sudden thump against his abdomen.

A panicked thought flashed through his mind. So this is it? Am I finally going to achieve the legendary feat of being stabbed to death by the Swordswoman?

Nothing happened. Sonya had only punched him lightly with her fist. She whispered into his ear. ”Before I met you, I was always putting on a mask. I can tell when you’re wearing one just by the sound of your voice, even if I cover my ears.”

She pushed him away, her eyes flashing with disdain. ”Don’t put on an act in front of me. You sound so indifferent, but really, aren’t you just hiding your fear? Your acting is so bad it’s obvious at a glance. You still do it because you want me to notice, don’t you? What, do you expect me to take the initiative to hold you, comfort you, care for you, and ease the pressure in your heart?”

Already burdened with stress and having braced himself to come clean to the Swordswoman, Ashe felt a sharp spike of irritation at her accusations. Having his thoughts exposed brought a wave of embarrassment, and his tone naturally turned sarcastic. ”When I calmly explain things, you don’t like it. When I brush off the danger with a joke, you’re not satisfied either. What exactly do you want me to do? Should I cling to you and act spoiled? Should I pull you into my arms and seek warmth from you?”

Sonya let out a cold laugh. ”Then what do you want me to do? Let you rest your head on my lap while I sing to you?”

Ashe gritted his teeth. ”Then what do you want from me? Do you want me to hold your hand and stick to you like glue for the next few days?”

The two of them engaged in a verbal sparring match.

”Do you want me to act like some lovestruck fool who only has eyes for you?”

”Do you want me to hide in here every day and rely on you just to keep living?”

”Do you want me to change into something cuter, something sexier, just to comfort you?”

”Do you want me to find chances every day to ki—”

The moment Ashe touched on a word that absolutely could not be said, the argument came to an abrupt halt. Sonya’s face flushed bright red with anger, and she stomped hard on Ashe’s boot. ”Die!”

She stormed off in a huff, only to return moments later and stomp on his other foot even harder. ”Hurry up and die! I’m waiting to inherit your stuff, hmph!”

Thud!

Seeing the Swordswoman return with a face full of fury, Dia immediately set aside her private daydreams. Just moments ago, her mind had been busy imagining all kinds of dramatic scenarios of Ashe and Annan alone together. Every single version ended in intimate entanglement, leaving nearly all of her inner personas utterly miserable. The sole exception was Black Butler. She secretly delighted in the chaos and eagerly scripted ever more outrageous dialogue between the two.

”What happened? Why are you two arguing?”

Sonya huffed as she threw herself into the back seat. ”Don’t ask me. Ask him!”

When Ashe returned to the vehicle, she pointedly turned her head away, staring out the window at the Ascending Golden Rain.

Ashe said nothing. He sat in the front seat and opened the Virtual World Map, silently starting their exploration.

Wrapped in such a tense, oppressive atmosphere, Dia did not dare speak carelessly. She sat primly and quietly in the car, more well-behaved than ever before.

After a while, Sonya suddenly turned to her. ”Last night I told you that among my upcoming opponents in the Meteor Calamity, there’s a Sacred Realm-level fighter, right?”

”Mmhmm,” Dia nodded. ”And he’s also a Sword Saint.”

”If I keep winning, I’ll face him in the finals,” Sonya said. ”He’s not just a Sacred Realm-level sorcerer; he’s a very strong Sword Saint. I don’t stand a chance as I am now.”

”Mm,” Dia thought she should offer some comfort. ”There’s nothing you can do about that. The gap in strength is just too big. Even if you lose, it’s still an honorable defeat. You’re already incredible—”

”I want to win the Meteor Calamity,” Sonya interrupted. ”I don’t want to lose.”

Dia froze. ”The opponent is a Sacred Realm sorcerer... You can’t break through to that level in such a short time, can you?”

”So...” Sonya suddenly reached forward and grabbed Ashe by the collar. Under his stunned gaze, she said seriously, ”There aren’t many days left until the finals. I have to reach the Sacred Realm as soon as possible! Got it, Watcher?”

She glared at him fiercely. ”Hurry up and find the Rainbow Tail! Help me reach the Sacred Realm!”

The Witch sisters stared at the suddenly explosive Swordswoman in total shock, their minds reeling. To think that the Swordswoman actually dares to order the Watcher around like that... She is so bold! Is this a rebellion? This has to be a rebellion, right!? What do we do? If they start fighting later, I don’t even have snacks to watch the show...

Just as the Witch sisters were wondering whether they should catch a Fish-Dragon to snack on, they heard the Watcher reply gently, ”Okay.”

Dia blinked. Amid her shock, a realization began to dawn on her. Is the Watcher really just a cowardly bully who gives in when challenged?