Sorcerer’s Handbook

Being spoiled indicates the possibility of being favored, while being sensible suggests the awareness of being abandoned.

Therefore, at this moment, Lise was both being spoiled and appearing very sensible. She completely ignored the voices of her elder sisters and looked straight at Ashe with wide eyes.

Her world was very small, so small that losing anyone would leave an enormous void. She was willing to betray everything for anyone, even forgoing principles and justice.

Ashe looked at her, rummaged through his pockets, but couldn’t find a handkerchief or tissues. He had to use his sleeve to wipe the milk off her face, smiling as he said, “Have you forgotten? I have a pact with you, and I have a pact with the Young Lady too.”

“But Aunt Annan likes you!” Lise said anxiously. “She definitely can’t bear to—”

“She can.” Ashe replied, “Perhaps Annan has a fondness for me, maybe she even likes me a bit. But liking isn’t as all-powerful as you imagine. In fairy tales, liking can move mountains, twist fate, and level all obstacles. But in reality, it amounts to nothing. The fleeting joy it brings can hardly match Harvey’s candy.”

“Her fondness for me might be that of a friend, maybe like that of a pet, and perhaps a bit as an opposite sex. But it is by no means above her own life. For the Divine Sovereign’s Wish, she is willing to stake her own life. What am I compared to that?”

Ashe ruffled Lise’s hair, “One day you will understand that whether it is affection or resentment, they are merely emotions generated by hormones, phantoms born from life. You can pursue or even indulge in these phantoms, but they cannot fill your life. Only ideals, living, and meaning can help you grow into an outstanding woman.”

For some reason, hearing Ashe speak to her so earnestly made Lise’s nose twinge, and her vision became watery and blurred. She pouted and said, “Dad, do you really have the right to say that? You don’t seem to have any ideals yourself.”

“As a shallow adult, I’m sorry to be a bad role model for you,” Ashe said while awkwardly scratching his face. “Of course, even though I very much hope you will grow up to be an outstanding, beautiful woman, I would also be happy if you turn out to be just as ordinary as I am. Sometimes, living a few decades of ordinary life, just like in the stories, is already a great happiness.”

“I will definitely grow up to be a super cute beauty!” Lise sniffled hard. “But Dad, why are you talking as if you won’t be there to see it? The more you say things like this, the more scared I get! If it’s so dangerous, why not oppose the bad woman Annan? Why go along with her to certain death?”

“Besides, Aunt Bukin and Uncle Harvey surely won’t just comply. Let’s discuss it with them and rise up against Annan’s tyranny, freedom belongs to us—”

“They won’t go along with you.”

Lise was stunned. “Why?”

“Because Annan offered something more valuable than freedom,” Ashe said with a smile. “The Divine Sovereign’s Wish.”

“But isn’t the Divine Sovereign’s Wish something only one person can obtain?”

“Annan proposed another possibility,” Ashe said. “The Divine Sovereign’s Wish probably can’t grant everything, so logically, it must have a ‘wish capacity.’ As long as the wishes fit within this capacity, any number of wishes can be granted.”

“Annan said her wish, while only the Omniscient Weaver can realize it, is not very grand or significant, and is even quite trivial. So if there’s still ‘wish capacity’ left, she would be happy to fulfill our wishes.”

Lise tried hard to find a counterargument. “But, but that’s just Annan’s word. The Omniscient Weaver might not be so accommodating and could only grant Annan’s wish. Then you’ll all be busy for nothing!”

“But at least there’s hope, right?” Ashe smiled. “Although hopes without results are poison, we… Igor and Harvey have already lived such lives. How could they resist having a sweet dream?”

“Lise, you have to understand, Igor, Harvey, and I are all homeless wanderers. Sometimes I think, isn’t it just moving to a new city? How hard can it be? But when I think about only being able to recall the past from memory and severing ties with over twenty years of life, even though we are cold-hearted, our blood is still warm.”

“When Harvey looks outside while smoking, what is he really seeing? When Igor takes a bath, what is he really contemplating?”

Lise asked, “Dad, do you miss your homeland too?”

Ashe smiled, pulled Lise into his arms, and asked, “Do you smell anything?”

Lise sniffed hard in his embrace. “The smell of water, clothes, and a bit of shampoo… Wait, haven’t we been in Wonderland World all day? When did you wash your hair, Dad?”

“Oh well, being around a bunch of either cute or beautiful people, I have to make an effort with my appearance too. Otherwise, I’d end up at Harvey’s level,” Ashe shrugged. “So, is this a familiar scent for you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s the scent of home.”

Lise asked nervously, “So, Dad, do you all want to return to your homeland?”

“At least Igor and Harvey don’t,” Ashe said. “Some things are best left in memory to be reminisced. Missing home only proves that we haven’t found peace in our lives, and thus, we dig up memories like stray dogs scavenging for bones to stave off hunger. That’s why Igor and Harvey are willing to take risks with Annan—they want the power to grasp happiness.”

“But aren’t they already very strong? Aunt Bukin will become Rust Crow, and Uncle Harvey could become a legendary sorcerer who commands deities one day,” Lise said. “How much more power do they need to hold onto their happiness?”

“That’s a great question. Perhaps they are also hoping the Omniscient Weaver can give them an answer,” Ashe said, spreading his hands. “In any case, you can’t count on them.”

“And what about you, Dad?” Lise asked. “What’s your wish?”

“Me?” Ashe was slightly taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he said, “My true wish is something even the Omniscient Weaver can’t fulfill, and I wouldn’t dare ask Her to.”

If he wished to return to his homeland through the Omniscient Weaver, setting aside whether She could actually grant it, it would be terrifying if She did. If the Divine Sovereign turned His gaze to that clear blue planet, Ashe would become an unpardonable traitor.

“As for my secondary wish…” He paused. “I want to see someone.”

“Who?”

“Someone very important to me,” Ashe said, squeezing Lise’s cheeks gently. “Someone as important as you. But I both want to see her and am afraid to see her.”

“Why?” Lise was a bit jealous at first, but now she was curious. “Does she not want to see you?”

“I don’t know. Let’s assume she does want to see me. It’s just…” Ashe hesitated. “If I see her in reality, I might have to give up my true wish.”

“Why? Do the two wishes conflict?”

“Technically, they don’t conflict. But it’s like a stray dog being adopted; it loses the motivation to scavenge for food and can only enjoy the happiness of being a pet. Or like a balloon you bought today; once you hold its string, it can’t freely float into the sky.”

Lise was only half-understanding. “So, Dad, is your wish to see that person?”

“No,” Ashe replied. “First, I haven’t really made up my mind; half-hearted determination won’t do. Second, she has her own life and isn’t ready to meet me. Third, it’s unnecessary. Meeting her is something that will happen eventually; there’s no need to waste a wish on it.”

“Then what is your wish, Dad?”

“I was hoping to discuss that with you.”

“Huh?” Lise was puzzled and then pondered. “Dad, since you’re not very popular in the Kingdom of Gospel right now, why not wish for everyone to like you? Or keep it simple and wish for the power of a legendary sorcerer? Wait, the wish capacity required for a legendary sorcerer might be too high. Maybe wish for something that the Omniscient Weaver can easily grant but would significantly benefit you—something with a high cost-performance ratio.”

While Lise was thinking about what wish to make, Ashe shook his head.

“I’m not asking you to think about my wish; I’m asking you what your wish is.”

“Huh?” Lise looked up, bewildered, at Ashe.

“In the Underground Hall of the Four Pillars Cult, although Annan tried to scare you, you’re a smart kid. If you didn’t want to join the Funeral Firm, all you had to do was firmly refuse. Annan and Cleos wouldn’t have harmed you just because you’re a ‘foreigner.’ They’re not cruel enough to kill a little girl for that reason,” Ashe said. “Plus, you connivingly pushed me to plot against Annan that very night. I knew it had to be because of some wish that you ended up joining the Funeral Firm.”

Lise opened her mouth, but no words came out. She couldn’t refute him.

The Trial of the Bronze Dragon allowed her to receive various coincidences that helped her get closer to her goal. This effect was still in play—it had landed her in the hands of the Four Pillars Cult, got her into the Funeral Firm, and eventually brought her to Nabistin. She was now just a step away from her goal.

“No matter how much you have to maneuver among adults or how hard you have to struggle alone, what is the wish that drives you to go through all this?” Ashe asked. “Can you tell me?”

“I…” Lise faltered. “Do you want to make my wish come true, Dad?”

“Depends. If what you want is a fairytale romance with a prince or princess, then I can only get you a nice pillow so you can dream better,” Ashe shrugged. “But if your wish is really important to you…”

As he spoke, Ashe’s lips curved up slightly. “Someone once told me that, even though I have no dreams of my own, I can protect others’ dreams. So let me borrow that line—though I may not have any notable wishes, I can help you fulfill yours.”

“But why?”

Lise grabbed Ashe’s sleeve and shook her head vigorously. “I don’t understand… I’m not your family! We have no relation! We’re just strangers… I don’t like it… I don’t want you to be so nice to me… I don’t want…”

As she spoke, her voice became more and more choked up, increasingly incoherent. The tears welling up in her eyes overflowed, streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.

“Hey, didn’t we agree that after the Weaving Festival we’d be family?” Ashe smiled. “But your doubt is understandable. Who in their right mind would give up an opportunity like this? If Igor heard, he’d probably accuse me of using rhetoric to deceive an innocent little girl.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Do you remember the first time we met?” Ashe said. “It was in the Underground Hall. You were covered in dirt, being forced to sign a Pact by Annan. Then you looked around and clung to me, calling me something I could hardly handle at my age…”

“Dad.” Lise couldn’t help but smile through her tears, and guiltily admitted, “Actually, back then, I just thought that among everyone around, you… would be the easiest to fool…”

“Igor told me that right after,” Ashe said. “But I still trusted my own judgment.”

“When you clung to my leg, I could see fear, uncertainty, and anxiety in your eyes, as if my leg was the only thread you could hold onto while falling.”

“It was just like me back then.”

Lise rubbed her eyes. “Like you?”

“Yeah, back then, I was just like you—dominated by fear, devoured by anxiety, unable to escape loneliness no matter where I went,” Ashe nodded. “Then I was saved by someone.”

“Is it the person you want to see?”

“Yeah, so I couldn’t just leave you alone.” Ashe turned to look at the river, the glow of the underground river reflected in his eyes. “I know others don’t really like you, but don’t worry about them. As long as I like you, the world will like you too.”

At that moment, Lise wished the streetlights around them were a bit brighter, that the glow of the underground river shone more vividly. That way, she could clearly see the flickering light in Ashe’s eyes and figure out how much of it was affection and how much was fondness.

“Wait,” Lise suddenly sniffled hard, considering a terrible possibility. “Are you agreeing to stay with Annan just to fulfill my wish?”

“No, no, you don’t have to think I’m that noble.” Ashe laughed and cried at the same time. “The main reason is that Annan was never going to let me leave. Otherwise, I would have definitely gone with you and Igor. Since Annan insists on keeping me here, I might as well enjoy it and think about how to take advantage of the situation.”

“If you didn’t have any other wish, I would have asked Annan to grant it.”

Wait, let Ashe make a wish?

Even though he hadn’t made up his mind yet, what if he had no other wishes and ended up wishing to see that very important person?

Lise hurriedly wiped her tear-streaked face with Ashe’s sleeve, put on her mirror gloves again, and glanced at the reflection.

Then she looked up and stared at Ashe seriously.

“Ashe, I am the Yisuo Princess.”