Sorcerer’s Handbook

Banjeet came out after washing his hands and saw that Ashe and Lise were already eating. He poured everyone a cup of tea, sat down, and said, “I was just attacked by Ashe.”

“What?!” Ashe, who was eating a sandwich, was stunned.

“Oops!” Lise sprayed orange juice onto Ashe’s face. “Dad, how could you—I’d rather you find a stepmom—wait, are you and Aunt Bukin—”

Ashe chopped Lise on the head, interrupting her endless imagination. He wiped his face with a napkin, turned and asked, “You were attacked by that, uh, ‘Gospel Ashe’?”

Banjeet nodded and briefly described what he had just encountered: “… Although it was an illusion, according to my state of mind, if Annan really died, I would definitely assassinate the Empress to avenge her. Therefore, being second on the Assassination Ranking is not entirely made up; it could very well be my future.”

“Helephes and Roger probably died the same way. First, they were trapped by a spirit riot and couldn’t resist, and then they were pulled into an illusion based on the Future Ranking. Once they realized this truly was their future and something they would do, ‘Gospel Ashe’ appeared to kill them, making their ranking invalid.”

Ashe asked, “But when we came in, we didn’t find anything. How did ‘Gospel Ashe’ leave?”

“I suspect ‘Gospel Ashe’ isn’t a person but a Miracle or something similar. It’ll automatically find us Echoers and pull us into an illusion when no one is around.”

“How can you kill someone in an illusion?” Ashe still didn’t quite understand. “Besides, Roger jumped off a building in front of us, and Helephes was lying on the square fountain—they both walked there themselves!”

“That might be why ‘Gospel Ashe’ only appears after I acknowledge it’s my future,” Banjeet said. “In the ranking lists of the Evil Arts Ranking and Assassination Ranking, ‘Ashe’ and ‘future’ are highly intertwined. Once we accept the latter, we have to accept the former. Therefore, any harm ‘Gospel Ashe’ inflicts on us in the Illusion gets manifested on our own bodies—the ones truly killing the Echoers are ourselves!”

“Think about it carefully. Anyone killed by ‘Gospel Ashe’ within the ranking list, weren’t their injuries related to their own abilities?” Banjeet asked.

Ashe was taken aback. Reflecting on it, he realized it was true. After Roger’s suicide, he was melted by the Plague virus; Helephes, who was skilled in the Water Sect, was shriveled and drowned in the air; and Banjeet had been pierced by an ice sword!

“That’s right!” Lise said. “How could Dad master so many spellcasting sects? The fact that Dad is even a two-wings sorcerer is already surprising enough!”

“Can you have a little more faith in me?” Ashe angrily rubbed Lise’s head. “Once I successfully invent the Miracle of substitute cultivation, mastering all sects will just be a matter of time!”

“Dad, you just ate fries and now you’re touching my hair!”

Actually, Ashe might indeed master many spellcasting sects since the operators’ sect experience was all shared with him, though there was no need to mention that.

“This attack failed, but there might be a next time,” Ashe looked at Banjeet. “What are you planning to do?”

“It’s simple. When you and Lise returned, it left immediately, which means as long as there’s someone with me, there won’t be an attack,” Banjeet said. “Mr. Ashe, I’d like to spend as much time with you in the next few days.”

“No problem.”

“One more thing, I hope this stays a secret among the three of us. Please don’t tell Miss Dolan.”

Ashe was taken aback: “Why?”

“Knowing this would only add to her worries,” Banjeet said. “She’s already very tired. I just want to quietly accompany her in completing the final task of the Funeral. I am Dolan’s butler; when needed, I am a life-taking gun, but I can also be a life-sacrificing shield.”

“Mr. Ashe,” the blue-haired butler looked hopefully at the Cult Leader, “would you grant an old man’s last wish?”

Ashe pondered for a moment and then nodded, “I won’t bring it up on my own.”

Nighttime.

“…So that’s the situation. As long as someone stays with Banjeet, the Yisuo Royal Family’s Assassination Miracle won’t work.”

In Annan’s room, Ashe finished speaking, took a sip of water, and spread his hands, saying, “You ordered me to say it. I’m bound by the Pact to be truthful; otherwise, I wouldn’t have divulged it.”

“You came into my room all hesitant and kept your clothes on. Of course, I knew you were hiding something.” Annan, dressed in a purple nightgown, sat in the chair with her legs crossed and smiled, “Didn’t expect you to be so good at exploiting loopholes. Guess I can’t trust your promises anymore.”

“I don’t have some moral purism. If keeping a promise might lead to something bad, there’s no need to keep it. Principles exist for inner peace, just like playing games is for creating joy. Once the order is reversed, it’s just torture,” Ashe said. “Besides, you’re the person closest to Banjeet. If hiding this secret led to an irreversible accident, I’d just be the fool Igor always says I am.”

“In any case, thank you all for saving Banjeet. And thank you for betraying that secret.” Annan touched her earring and lowered her eyes. “Fortunately, you were here. Really, thank you.”

Ashe asked, “So what do you plan to do?”

Annan stood up and leaned against the windowsill, looking out at the underground city’s scenery. “Act like I don’t know anything and let him stay, participate in the operation.”

“I thought you’d send someone to get him out.”

“I do wish to do that, but sometimes, it’s not just about saying ‘I’m doing this for you’ to arrange someone else’s fate.” The Purple Moth said, “Even the Gospel doesn’t have that right.”

“And like he said, if I die, he wouldn’t let me go to hell alone. If I succeed and stay alive, then his participation won’t hurt. So why make him sad again?”

Annan sighed lightly, “Dolan has already wronged him enough.”

Ashe walked to her side and said, “Don’t worry. The Ranking of Schemes shows you and Banjeet performing the tenth scheme together, proving you’ll be alright.”

“We, who try to deceive fate, still rely on the future to save us?” Annan couldn’t help but laugh. “Enough about that… By the way, Ashe, were you discussing plans for after the Weaving Festival with Igor this morning?”

“Yes,” Ashe said. “No matter what I said, Igor doesn’t want to depend on Belldate and insists on starting his own business. Lise and I plan to join him.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s willing to support both of us freeloaders, and it’s hard to refuse.”

“I can support you too.”