The Sorcerer's Handbook

To act spoiled was to sense the possibility of being favored; to be sensible was to realize the risk of being abandoned.

At the moment, Lys was doing both. Completely tuning out her sisters’ voices, she widened her eyes and stared intently at Ashe. Her worldview was tiny, so small that losing even a single person would leave it unbearably empty. Because of that, she was willing to betray everything for the people she cared about, even if it meant abandoning reason and justice.

Ashe glanced at her and rummaged through his pockets for a handkerchief. Finding none, he simply used his sleeve to wipe a milk stain from her cheek. He said with a gentle smile. ”Did you forget? I have a contract with you, and I also have a contract with the Lady.”

”But Aunt Annan really likes you!” Lys said anxiously. ”She wouldn’t want to—”

Ashe countered, ”She would. Maybe Annan has a good impression of me. Maybe she even likes me a little. But affection isn’t as all-powerful as you think. In fairy tales, love can help you cross mountains, defy fate, and calm raging seas. But in reality, it does nothing. The fleeting comfort it brings doesn’t even compare to one of Harvey’s candies.”

He reached out, fondly ruffling Lys’s hair. ”Her feelings toward me might be the affection of a friend, or how someone feels about a pet. There might even be a spark of romantic interest. But it is definitely not something that outweighs life itself. For the sake of the Divine Lord’s wish, she is willing to wager her very existence. In the grand scheme of things, what do I amount to?”

Ashe looked at her earnestly. ”You’ll understand this someday. Whether it’s love or hatred, they’re just emotions born from hormones, illusions created by life itself. You can chase them, even lose yourself in them, but they’ll never truly fulfill you. Only ideals, daily living, and a sense of purpose can help you grow into an extraordinary woman.”

Hearing Ashe speak with such heavy gravity made Lys’s nose sting, and her vision blurred with tears. Pouting, she said, ”Daddy, do you really have the right to lecture me? You don’t exactly have any grand ideals yourself.”

”Sorry for being such a shallow adult. I must be a terrible role model,” Ashe said awkwardly, scratching his cheek. ”Of course, I hope you’ll grow into a beautiful, exceptional woman. But even if you end up completely ordinary like me, I’ll still be happy. Sometimes, just being able to live out a story where ’they spent decades living a quiet life in the blink of an eye’ is a profound kind of happiness.”

Lys sniffed hard. ”I’m definitely going to grow into a super cute, stunning beauty! But why do you talk like you won’t be around to see it? The more you say things like that, the more scared I get! If it’s so dangerous, why not just resist that awful woman? Why insist on following Annan to your deaths?”

She perked up, a spark of hope returning. ”Right! Aunt Perskin and Uncle Harvey definitely won’t just blindly go along with it. Let’s talk to them and rebel against Annan’s tyranny! Freedom belongs to—”

”They won’t stand with you.”

Lys froze. ”Why?”

”Because Annan offered them something far more valuable than freedom,” Ashe said, smiling faintly. ”The Divine Lord’s wish.”

”But only one person can claim that wi—”

Ashe gently cut her off. ”Annan proposed another possibility. The Divine Lord’s wish can’t possibly grant just anything, so it must have a specific threshold to its power. As long as our collective desires fall within that capacity, they can all be fulfilled, no matter how many there are.

”She claims her wish is something only the Omniscient Weaver could accomplish, but that it isn’t particularly grand or significant. In fact, it might even be trivial. If there is any power left over, she is more than willing to let us use what is left to make our own wishes.

Lys struggled to find a counterargument. ”B-but that’s just Annan’s side of the story! The Omniscient Weaver might not be that accommodating. What if it only fulfills her single wish, and all your sacrifices are for nothing?”

Ashe’s smile turned wistful. ”But at least there’s hope, isn’t there? Hope without a guaranteed outcome is a slow poison... but for people like me, and for people like Iger and Harvey... how could we resist dreaming of a happy ending?”

He looked into her eyes. ”Lys, you have to understand. Iger, Harvey, and I are all homeless wanderers. Sometimes I think, isn’t it just leaving your hometown to live in a new city? How hard could it be? But then I remember that the past can only be visited through memories. Everything from the first twenty years of our lives has been completely severed. No matter how hardened we try to be, part of us still longs for home.”

Ashe looked toward the window. ”When Harvey smokes and stares outside, what do you think he’s looking at? When Iger soaks in the bath, what do you think he’s brooding over?”

”Daddy... Do you miss your hometown too?” Lys asked softly.

Instead of answering, Ashe pulled her into his arms. ”Do you smell anything?”

Lys sniffed hard against his chest. ”Water... clothes... and a bit of shampoo. Huh? We’ve been at the amusement park all day. When did you find time to wash your hair?”

Ashe shrugged playfully. ”Well, when I’m surrounded by people as cute and beautiful as you, I have to put some effort into my appearance. Otherwise, I’d drop right down to Harvey’s level. So, is it a familiar scent?”

”Yeah...”

”This is what home smells like.”

Lys asked nervously, ”So... Do you want to go back?”

”At least Iger and Harvey don’t. Some things are only meant to be cherished in memory. Longing for home just proves we still haven’t learned how to live in peace with the present. We’re like stray dogs, digging up bones from the graveyard of our memories just to stave off hunger. That’s why they’re willing to take this gamble with Annan. They want the power to hold on to happiness.”

”But aren’t they already incredibly strong? Aunt Perskin will become the Rusty Crow, and Uncle Harvey might even become a Legendary sorcerer who commands Divine Spirits. How much stronger do they need to be just to protect their happiness?”

”Good question. Maybe they’re hoping the Omniscient Weaver will give them an answer,” Ashe said with a shrug. ”In any case, you can’t count on them to rebel.”

”Then what about you, Daddy?” Lys asked, looking up at him. ”What is your wish?”

”Me?” Ashe paused, his expression shifting. ”My true wish is something even the Omniscient Weaver couldn’t fulfill, and I wouldn’t dare let it try.”

If he wished to return to his original world, setting aside whether the Weaver even possessed the power to send him back, the consequences of it actually happening were far more terrifying. If the Divine Lord’s cosmic gaze were to fall upon that pristine blue planet, then Ashe, as the guide who led it there, would become a sinner beyond redemption.

”As for my lesser wish...” He hesitated, a trace of vulnerability slipping through. ”I want to see someone.”

”Who?”

”Someone very important to me,” Ashe said, gently pinching Lys’s cheek. ”Just as important as you. I want to see her... but at the same time, I’m terrified too.”

”Why?” Lys’s brief flash of jealousy quickly gave way to curiosity. ”Does she not want to see you?”

“I don’t know. For now, let’s just assume she wants to see me. It’s just... once I actually meet her in reality, I might have to give up my true wish.”

“Why? Do the two wishes conflict?”

“In theory, no. But it’s like a stray dog that’s finally been taken in. It loses the drive to fight for food on the streets and becomes content just being a house pet, safe in that quiet kind of happiness. Or like the balloon you bought today. Once someone holds its string, it can no longer selfishly fly into the sky.”

Lys listened, half-understanding and half-confused. “So... Daddy, is your wish just to see that person?”

“No. First of all, I haven’t made up my mind, and a half-hearted resolve won’t do. Secondly, she has her own life and isn’t ready to see me yet. Thirdly, there’s no need. Meeting her is only a matter of time. I don’t need to waste a wish on it.”

“Then what exactly is your wish?”

“I was just about to discuss that with you.”

“Huh?” Lys blinked, then began to think aloud. “Daddy, your reputation in the Gospel Kingdom is pretty terrible right now. Why not wish for everyone to like you? Or keep it simple. How about gaining the power of a Legendary sorcerer? Wait... that might take up too much of the wish’s capacity. You should ask for something easy for the Omniscient Weaver but highly effective for you. Something with great value for the cost...”

While Lys was racking her brain, Ashe shook his head. “I’m not asking you to think of a wish for me, Lys. I’m asking you, what is your wish?”

Lys looked up at him, stunned. “Huh?”

“Back in the underground hall of the Four Pillars Cult, Annan tried to scare you, but you’re a smart kid. If you truly didn’t want to join the Funeral Agency, you could have refused, no matter what. Annan and Cliose wouldn’t have done anything to you. They aren’t heartless enough to kill a little girl just because she’s an outlander. And that same night, you encouraged me to scheme against Annan. That’s when I knew. You joined the Agency because you have a wish.”

Lys opened her mouth, but no words came out. She couldn’t deny it.

The Bronze Dragon’s trial had granted her a series of fortunate coincidences, bringing her ever closer to her goal, and that power was still at work. Having been captured by the Four Pillars Cult, having joined the Agency, and having travelled all the way to Nabistin... she was now only half a step away from what she wanted.

“Even if it means maneuvering among adults, even if you have to struggle all alone, you still want to fulfill it. So, what is that wish? Can you tell me?”

“I...” Lys stammered, her gaze wavering. “Do you... Want to fulfill my wish for me?”

Ashe shrugged. “Depends. If you want some fairy-tale romance with a prince, the best I can do is get you a better pillow so you can dream about it comfortably. But if your wish truly matters to you...”

A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Someone once told me that even if I don’t have dreams of my own, I can still protect the dreams of others. Let me borrow that idea. Maybe I don’t have a wish worth boasting about, but I can help make yours come true.”

“But why?” Lys grabbed his sleeve, shaking her head hard. “I don’t understand... We aren’t even blood-related! We have no relationship at all! We’re just strangers... I don’t like this... I don’t want you to treat me so well... I don’t want it...”

Her voice grew choked and incoherent, with tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.

Ashe smiled warmly. “Hey, didn’t we agree to be family after the Woven Festival? But your suspicion makes sense. What normal person would throw away an opportunity like this? If Iger heard me, he’d probably say I’m manipulating you with fancy words.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Do you remember the first time we met?” Ashe interrupted gently. “Back in that underground hall, you were covered in filth and forced by Annan to sign a contract. Then you looked around, ran straight to me, hugged my leg, and called me a title I am far too young to handle...”

“Daddy,” Lys let out a watery laugh, admitting sheepishly through her tears, “Actually... back then, I just thought... out of everyone there, you looked the easiest to fool.”

Ashe laughed. “Iger told me the exact same thing right afterward. But I still trust my own judgment. When you hugged my leg, I saw the fear in your eyes. I saw an unease and a hesitation, as if my leg was the only thread you could catch while falling. It’s exactly like how I once was.”

Lys rubbed her eyes. “Like you?”

Ashe nodded. “Yeah. Back then, I was just like you. My heart was ruled by fear, and my soul was gnawed away by anxiety. No matter where I ran, I couldn’t escape the loneliness. And then... someone saved me.”

“The person you want to see?”

“Yeah. That’s why I can’t just ignore you.” Ashe turned his gaze to the river, the shimmering underground waters reflecting in his eyes. “I know the others don’t really care for you, but don’t mind them. As long as I like you, then the world likes you too.”

At that moment, Lys wished the streetlights around them were brighter and that the glow of the underground river was more dazzling. She wanted to see the flickering light in Ashe’s eyes clearly, to know exactly how much of it was tenderness and how much was true affection.

“Wait...” Lys sniffed hard, a sudden, terrifying possibility striking her. “Don’t tell me... you agreed to go along with Annan just to fulfill my wish—”

“No, no, you’re giving me way too much credit,” Ashe said with a wry smile. “The main reason is that Annan wouldn’t have let me leave anyway. Otherwise, I would’ve run away with you and Iger long ago. Since she insists on dragging me into this mess, I might as well make the best of it and see what I can get out of it. If you don’t have any wish, then I’ll just make one with Annan.”

Wait... let Ashe make the wish? He hasn’t made up his mind yet. What if, when the time comes, and he has nothing else to ask for, he chooses to use it just to see that important person?

Lys immediately wiped her tear-streaked face with Ashe’s sleeve. Pulling on her mirror gloves, she glanced down at her reflection to compose herself. Then, she lifted her head and looked at Ashe with absolute seriousness. “Ashe, I am the Princess of Isa.”