Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 563: Fast Forward Relationship

Sonya glanced sideways at Ashe, returning the warmth in her eyes to the setting sun, her eyes shining like rubies, unabashedly revealing a pure emotion.

Ashe blinked, but before he could react, the doorbell rang again.

“What a coincidence, you’re all here?”

The oak door burst open with a bang, and the Witch almost glided in, quickly making her way over to them. She asked, “Is this virtual-real material really good? Why is everyone here?”

Despite what she said, Deya’s gaze remained fixed on the bag beside Sonya. Sonya noticed that Deya had changed into a similarly styled but cuter and more mischievous battle outfit. She naturally understood everything, casting a faint glance at Ashe.

Uh-oh.

This was exactly what Ashe was worried about-if they both received swimsuits or normal clothes, it wouldn’t matter. But as it happened, the Witch got normal clothes while the sword Princess ended up with a swimsuit. The difference between functionality and sexual function was so pronounced that if the sword Princess hadn’t spoken harshly earlier, Ashe might have already caved.

He should have just given a gift to the Witch!

At most, the sword Princess would be angry, but now there’s even a hint of disdain?

Moreover, if there was still a chance to see the sword Princess in a swimsuit earlier, now that the Witch was flaunting her new clothes, the image-conscious sword Princess wouldn’t wear it under any circumstances.

Facing the situation, Ashe decided to be honest and said, “I got two outfits on this Adventure. As long as you wear them in the Virtual Realm, you’ll receive enhancement protection. My dark red trench coat is actually one of them, but these clothes are custom-made. They only work for you and won’t have any effect on others.”

Ashe implied his reasoning for gifting the Witch a normal battle outfit while giving the sword Princess a swimsuit, as it was beyond his control. Deya gleefully spun around to show off her new clothes and then curiously asked, “Sword Princess, what kind of outfit did the Observer give you?”

Sonya turned her head away, “You ask him.”

“Ashe racked his brain trying to explain, ‘Not all custom clothes are designed for combat. The sword Princess’s outfit just isn’t suitable for everyday wear, but it does have specific scenarios where it can be used… Oh, we’re out of time, we need to quickly choose the virtual-real material, let’s go, let’s go!’

The three of them left the cafe, each choosing a direction to continue exploring.

As Ashe walked, pondering whether his gift-giving tactics might have been a bit biased, he suddenly felt an impact on the back of his head. Instinctively, he raised his Sanctuary to defend, turning around to find himself hit by a piece of milk candy. He looked up to see the sword Princess walking normally in the distance, seemingly not the culprit.

But if it wasn’t her, then who else could it have been?

Ashe picked up the candy and threw it back with force. The candy traced an arc across the warm light, nearly hitting the sword Princess’s head when waterlines suddenly appeared around her, and she quickly caught the candy with her right hand.

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Casting Moonlit Water while moving, her Miracle seems to have reached a new level… Wait, does she really need to use a Miracle for defense?!

The Stretch Paw Club President turned to face Ashe, leisurely unwrapping the candy. Her teeth gently bit into it, and her tongue softly rolled it into her mouth. As if savoring the sweetness, she squinted her eyes and mouthed at Ashe from a distance:

You owe me.

With that, she melted into the crowd to continue searching for the virtual-real material.

Ashe scratched his head, wondering how gifting a present ended up with him owing the sword Princess an outfit… The swimsuit could be effective when worn underneath… Was there no reasoning left?

However, even with this newfound ‘debt’ and the missed opportunity for a swim, the Cult Leader didn’t feel down. Instead, his mood lightened, and he hummed a tune played by Harvey as he continued his search.

Unnoticed by anyone, Vesser quietly observed everything from a nearby rooftop.

She first watched Ashe leaving but ultimately focused her gaze on the distant sword Princess.

In the night market of Black Robe Town, while pretending to be the Mercury Trojan Horse to test Ashe, she concluded that Ashe’s ‘realness’ isn’t a controllable ability; it’s more like an unpredictable reflex, akin to how a cat might refuse to eat in unfamiliar surroundings.”

Vesser reminisced briefly and realized that Ashe’s transformation was triggered by her act of killing Raven Annihilation, which is why she used the life and death of the mental sorcerer to test Ashe’s response.

If Ashe had indeed reverted to ‘reality’ due to such a threat, Vesser planned to break free from the constraints of the Kaleidoscope by using Divine Hosting on the spot, using the mental sorcerer’s blood as paint to color Ashe with the hues of reality.

Unfortunately, Ashe managed to hold it in-perhaps he needs to witness death to awaken from the illusion into the reality of Immortality.

Vesser even contemplated the possibility of eliminating everyone else, a challenging but not impossible feat. Previously, she refrained from aggressive actions in Food Factory Town simply to avoid alerting the Transcendent Cult prematurely.

However, she quickly realized the flaw in her murderous plan: the sword Princess and the Witch.

If Ashe, living in illusion, resembles a pet cat, then his true self is like a wild cat. The best way to transform a pet cat into a wild one is naturally to render him homeless.

Vesser indeed wished to eliminate Ashe’s companions and was eager to kill the sword Princess and the Witch. She imagined Ashe’s descent into madness, awakening his true nature, employing every conceivable method to torment himself. The thought excited her indescribably, making her yearn to stain Ashe’s eyes with the sword Princess’s blood immediately.

But the problem was that both the sword Princess and the Witch were not within the Kingdom of Senlo.

Unless Vesser could master a Miracle capable of annihilating a sorcerer’s soul completely within the Virtual Realm, she posed no threat to the two of them.

As long as they remained alive, Ashe was like a balloon tethered by strings, lost in the illusion of deception.

Though their time together had not been long, Vesser clearly sensed that Ashe, the sword Princess, and the Witch regarded the Virtual Realm as a ‘secret home’ to retreat to.

Ignoring physical distances, sharing common interests, meeting every night, and existing separate from real-world relationships-they could reveal their true selves freely. As long as they had this refuge, Ashe could never be truly homeless.

Therefore.

Changes in interpersonal relationships within the Virtual Realm would be more stimulating for Ashe.

In the real world, Ashe can resolve misunderstandings whenever and wherever they arise. But in the Virtual Realm, due to the infinite spatial distance and limited interaction time, even the smallest conflict can accumulate into a significant chasm.

This is precisely why their relationships have remained at their current status-Vesser, even as an outsider, can see that Ashe and the sword Princess have mutual feelings for each other, and the Witch harbors strong affection for Ashe. However, Ashe has not yet developed romantic feelings for the Witch.

But why have none of the three-Ashe, the sword Princess, or the Witch-taken any action or made a bold move, like declaring their feelings? Ashe aside, both the Witch and the sword Princess have very proactive personalities, so why are they holding back?

It’s because they all fear changes in their interpersonal dynamics.

Their current state-more than friends but not quite lovers-serves as both their comfort zone and their safety zone. Even if conflicts arise, they would only be ‘disagreements between friends’. The chances of mending things are quite high, and at worst, they can start anew.

However, becoming lovers is different; the closer the relationship, the more effort it demands from both parties. If either side slacks off, they might find that what they thought was reality was merely an illusion.

Friendship is like forged steel, while romance is like a bubble. The latter can reflect a spectrum of happiness but is more vulnerable to bursting.

Furthermore, this isn’t a two-person team; it’s a four-person team, and new members may join in the future. If one person takes a step forward, it forces the others to make concessions. After all, rumors about an affair between a boss and a colleague can easily lead to suspicion, not to mention if another colleague is also vying for the boss’s affection-this could tear the team apart.

Conversely, as long as they don’t take that step, everyone remains in this comfortable state, ensuring that nothing deteriorates.

Perhaps it will take Ashe meeting an operator in the real world to break this stalemate. Until then, everyone will cautiously maintain the team’s atmosphere, preserving this shared hideaway, this shared home.

Having analyzed the situation, Vesser knew exactly what she needed to do next.

She aimed to alter the team’s dynamics, distort the atmosphere, and fast forward their relationships.

Initially, she considered creating a crisis for the sword Princess to see if it would trigger a change in Ashe. However, with death in the Virtual Realm being somewhat trivial, Ashe would be worried but not overly concerned, so Vesser abandoned this option.

So how could she change the team’s atmosphere?

Should she try seducing Ashe, making the sword Princess jealous and the Witch anxious?

She wouldn’t mind if it were feasible, but without a foundation of feelings with Ashe, it was unlikely he would fall for it. Moreover, she would face hostility from the sword Princess and the Witch, which was a significant departure from her usual approach. She had always avoided making enemies of valuable targets.

Instead of playing this romantic game, she needed to become someone everyone relied on.

Since Ashe and the others hesitated to enter a close relationship, she could offer a little push.

She intended to help the sword Princess confess her feelings.

She planned to create opportunities for the Witch.

The best-case scenario would naturally be the sword Princess and the Witch confronting each other, leading Ashe to realize that the Virtual Realm was no longer a place he could escape to. A less ideal outcome would be Ashe choosing one, with the other gracefully bowing out. The worst-case scenario would be all three becoming closer, transcending their previous boundaries and truly becoming a family.

Even the worst-case scenario was acceptable to Vesser.

No matter how intense the feelings, time would eventually erode them. Just as fairy tales rarely depict the stories after the princess marries the prince, the relationships they forged in the Virtual Realm would inevitably face trials unless they could break free from their illusions.

Moreover, neither the sword Princess nor the Witch was particularly magnanimous.

Even if Ashe did have the skill to keep them both, at worst, Vesser would miss out on a perfect ally but would gain the team’s friendship and become someone Ashe and the others trusted. Plus, she relished the occasional chaos in others’ lives-it was one of her few pleasures within the illusion.

Having made her decision, Vesser swiftly entered a nearby alley, pretending to encounter the sword Princess by chance. She greeted her with a smile, “I just saw the Witch in a new outfit.”

“It was a gift from the Observer.”

“And what about your gift?”

Sonya glanced at her and said, “I didn’t get one; the Observer is closer to the Witch.”

“Is that so?” Vesser feigned surprise. “Could I have misunderstood?”

“What did you misunderstand?”

“Oh, it’s nothing… I just thought…” Vesser lowered her head as if embarrassed, mumbling, “I thought you two were lovers.”

Sonya blinked, “We’re not; we’re just companions exploring the Virtual Realm together.”

Though her denial was firm, her tone carried an undeniable lightness.

“I’ve never been in love,” Vesser chuckled gently, “but the way you look at and treat the Observer doesn’t seem like you’re treating an ordinary companion.”

“It’s just that I’ve known him since the Sea of Knowledge, so we’re a bit more familiar with each other.”

“Oh?” Vesser’s curiosity was genuine, “Could you tell me about your experiences in the Sea of Knowledge? I crossed it alone, navigating the vast, white ocean and facing the perilous knowledge creatures by myself. I often wished for someone to accompany me… Given your close relationship, your memories of the Sea of Knowledge must be filled with warmth and mutual support, unlike my cold and solitary experience.”

Struck by Vesser’s words, Sonya couldn’t resist sharing after a brief pause, “Back then, we had a boat…”