Sorcerer’s Handbook

Ashe stared dumbfounded at the little girl clinging to his leg, responding to everyone with a bewildered gaze.

“Hey, she’s calling you daddy, does that make you the hero who’s going to save her?”

Harvey actually remembered the joke Ashe had used to fob them off earlier.

It was Igor who vaguely started to catch on and immediately scoffed: “Ashe, I didn’t expect you to have such a big kid… But this isn’t the Blood Moon, so I can sincerely congratulate the two of you on your reunion.”

“That’s not it!” Ashe protested, “Look, I have black hair, she has white hair, how could we possibly be related by blood?”

“That just shows your genetic material was defeated,” Igor said languidly.

The little girl was crying so hard that her snot was all over the place, sticking to his trousers, she looked up pitifully at Ashe: “Daddy, don’t you want me anymore?”

“I’m not your daddy!”

“No, you are my daddy! Waaah, daddy doesn’t want me!”

If it were his nephew back home, Ashe would have long since disciplined the brat with a serving of Braised Pork with Rattan

1

. But looking at this face, which was a mess from crying yet still endearingly cute, the fist he had clenched softened again.

If I had been this cute when I was little, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a spanking for stealing money, during spring outings everyone would have fought to be on my team, and girls would have tried to get my attention by deliberately pulling down my pants…

“This will do.”

Ashe looked towards Annan, noticing that Annan was examining their ‘father and daughter’ interaction with an amused look.

“Considering Heath is now my vassal, if she wishes to be your vassal, she naturally counts as mine too,” Annan commanded, “Shake hands with her.”

“From now on, please address me as Ashe.”

After correcting the form of address, Ashe looked down at Lise, extending his hand towards her, “Come on, be good. Life is like this, you always get bullied by bad women out of the blue.”

This time Lise did not resist, instead, she grasped Ashe’s index and middle finger with her palm.

Annan pulled out a purple handgun from his embrace, aiming it at the spot where their hands were clasped tight.

“Ashe, make her two offers. First, she must obey you for 101 days; second, she is not to leave your side for 101 days.” She looked at Lise: “Lise, you can also make two offers to him, whatever you want, so that the Contract can be established.”

Ashe could only honestly say, “For the next 101 days, you must obey me.”

Lise’s crystal-clear eyes gleamed with a hint of slyness: “But Daddy, you have to listen to me too.”

Whoosh!

Annan shot out a stream of purple light, which turned into a chain binding both of their hands tightly, the shining purple marks spreading all the way to their hearts.

Great, you listen to me, and I listen to you; won’t this turn into an infinite recursive loop?

Ashe continued, “For 101 days, you are not to leave me.”

“I won’t leave Daddy,” Lise said with tears turning to laughter, “But Daddy, you have to protect me well!”

Purple Shot Bullets surged out again, inscribing the second vow on the backs of Lise and Ashe’s hands.

“Good,” Annan looked at Cleos: “Now that all People from the Exotic Lands are under my control, there are no problems, right?”

“There’s nothing left owing between us.” Cleos crossed her arms, her tone serious, though her swollen eyes detracted from her authority: “Hurry up and go, we still need to take photos.”

“By the name of Dolan, I will not fail your trust,” Annan said with a laugh, his hands on his hips: “I hope you achieve your desired ranking in the Weaving Festival.”

Butler Banjeet snapped his fingers, and a staircase of frost quietly formed, extending to the ceiling. Annan said to them, “From this moment on, you are no longer People from the Exotic Lands, but Temporary Operators for the Funeral Firm.”

“Come along, I have already prepared clothes and food for you.”

“Yes!”

Lise suddenly rubbed her face against Ashe’s clothes, smearing her snot and tears all over, then dashed over to grab Annan’s hand, following behind the young lady like a little shadow. Ashe watched, jaw dropping, as the little Drama Queen clung to their boss, “She, she’s not very scared…”

Harvey patted his shoulder and said, “Why didn’t you let her speak first when signing the Contract just now? That way, even if she made an unreasonable demand, you could have refused. Now, with those two vows just taken, you might really have to devote your life to her.”

Igor walked past him, sighing deeply: “Even a little girl we’ve just met can see at a glance that you’re the easiest one among us to deal with.”

At that moment, Lise, leading Annan by the hand at the front, turned her head to look back. The corners of her mouth curved slightly upward, her large eyes squinting into a crafty arc as she winked at Ashe and beckoned, “Daddy, come here quickly!”

There was no doubt that her pitiful plea had been a ruse, merely to lower Ashe’s guard!

“First, it’s the Eternal Calamity with luck beyond reason, followed by the Elves archer who cries while firing arrows, then the Purple Moth, the Leader of the criminal organization we sold and then took back, and now even a little girl is trying to extract whatever value is left of me…”

Ashe couldn’t help but hold his forehead: “Is the concentration of bad women tonight a bit too high?”

On the outskirts of Kaimon City in the Blood Moon Kingdom.

By now, Freya had dressed herself, and she had changed Selina into clean clothes. She looked at this thin, doll-like girl with eyes full of compassion. A circle of blood-light-forged shackles was tightly placed around Selina’s neck, declaring her status as a foreigner.

“Do you still feel cold? Would you like another layer of clothing?”

“Thank you, sister,” Selina said with a pleasing, humble smile. “It’s much better now, no need to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble at all…”

“Freya, come out for a moment,” Adra’s voice came from outside.

Freya looked at Selina, only to find the doll girl’s eyes moist with tears, her gaze conveying fear and longing. Yet her crystal lips trembled slightly, and she said not a word.

Bewitcher’s heart nearly melted. She adjusted the position of the lamp and arranged Selina into a more comfortable position, “I’ll step out for a moment, I’ll be right outside, don’t worry.”

“Mm,” the doll girl nodded vigorously: “I’ll wait for you.”

Freya left the tent and walked with Adra to the riverbank a little further away and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s time to notify the Church,” Adra said, crossing her arms. “You’ve seen the collar of blood-light, too. She’s one of the People from the Exotic Lands, just like the Invaders who caused the 422 Incident. She’s a source of calamity!”

“She’s just a poor person who fell into the Virtual Realm Passage while escaping!” Freya retorted with passion. “She couldn’t possibly be a spy from another kingdom. Who would send a girl who can’t move without help, devoid of her limbs, to explore the Outer Realm?”

“Who knows if what she says is true or not…”

“But the state of her body doesn’t lie; you’ve seen it, too. There definitely exists a country that’s barbaric and ignorant enough to treat limbless girls as sacred and to see dolls meant for manipulation as statues… She’s escaped from that hell, how can we just send her back there?”

“The Church might send her to a Nursery—”

“Adra, have you ever seen even one child with a physical or intellectual disability in a Nursery?”

Adra fell silent. In the Blood Moon Kingdom, infants born with disabilities had no right to breathe. Children who became disabled later could have their limbs restored with the help of a Medic, but Selina’s limb wounds had become round and smooth like jade, beyond what a Medic could address.

“So, what do you plan to do? Fit her with mechanical prosthetics?”

“Not now, she’s too young. Mechanical prosthetics would greatly restrict her growth…”

“What do you mean?”

Adra suddenly grabbed Freya’s shoulders. “You’re not thinking of raising her, are you?”

Freya averted her gaze. “But she needs to be cared for…”

“She’s a person, a minor, not a cat or dog!” Adra hissed, pressing her voice through clenched teeth. “We’ve encountered People from the Exotic Lands and kept silent, that’s one thing; citizens aren’t obliged to pursue them. But raising a minor is different, even raising a minor from the Exotic Lands, it would violate the Bloodline Prohibition Act. Only Nurseries under the Church have the right to raise minors!”

“And have you passed the certification for fostering? Have you interned at a Nursery? Ordinary people who want to work at a Nursery have to go through a series of training and examinations to get certified. Not just anyone can raise a child! What makes you think you can raise a minor when you can’t even take care of yourself?”

“I will learn.”

“Why can’t you see reason!” Adra was on the verge of insanity. “You’re a Bewitcher, you’re only supposed to entice men. How come I never knew Bewitchers could be drawn to girls too?!”

“This is Destiny.”

Adra was taken aback.

Freya said earnestly, “It just so happens we came across her, it just so happens Selina is a person from the Exotic Lands who needs care, it just so happens that most people in the Blood Moon Kingdom are unfriendly toward her… It’s not that I’m being overly kind, but here in the Blood Moon, only I can save her.”

“If I do nothing, she will die.” The Bewitcher spoke softly. “My heart is so fragile that I can’t bear even a bit of guilt.”

Adra sighed. She felt like she had sighed more in these days than she had in the past decade.

“But if someone reports you, you will be breaking the law.”

“What’s there to fear, it’s not my first time breaking the law—”

“I can’t pretend I didn’t hear that, young ladies.”

A weathered voice suddenly came from nearby. They shuddered and slowly turned their heads.

With the moon dim, all they could see was a tall man in a Blood Mad Hunter uniform appearing on the opposite riverbank.

“What else have you done against the law?” the Hunter asked amiably. “If you confess voluntarily now, Sin Hunter’s Hall has a discount. With a 30-day detention, you get 15 days off.”

“I… does downloading pirated videos count?” Freya said as she backed away, then suddenly rushed into the tent to pick up Selina. But as she came out, she saw the Hunter standing in front of the tent.

Under the dim Moonshadow, he looked like a king who ruled the night, a demon trampling on life, his crimson eyes the brightest light. A strong sense of oppression came over them; Freya could barely resist, but Adra had already collapsed in fear on the river pebble road.

“I received a notice from the Church,” said the Hunter, looking at the doll-like girl in the Bewitcher’s arms wearing a Blood Moon Collar, “saying that People from the Exotic Lands have come through the Virtual Realm Passage to the Blood Moon Kingdom… She does seem quite pitiable…”

“She’s not a spy from the Exotic Lands!” Freya’s voice trembled, tightly protecting Selina. “There’s no need—”

“Of course, there’s no need.”

The Hunter smiled and said, “Just a moment ago, the Virtual Realm Passage upstream dissipated. Even if there were any contingencies set by a Sorcerer from the Exotic Lands on her, they’re now rendered useless.”

Freya’s eyes lit up. “Then—”

“But according to the law, People from the Exotic Lands should die.”

The Hunter’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and his voice suddenly turned cold. Selina seemed to sense the dire threat and fearfully snuggled closer within Freya’s embrace.

Freya thought of running, but her legs were so weak they wouldn’t move; not collapsing was already a testament to the courage left behind by some Cult Leader.

“Is this cycle of the Blood Moon… really so barbaric and cruel?” Freya closed her eyes. “Maybe I should have left back then too…”

“Interesting,” the Hunter laughed. “Even if I don’t kill her, she won’t survive on her own. The Nursery won’t accept someone from the Exotic Lands without a Chip implanted, and it’s illegal for ordinary people to foster a minor. She has no means to live independently, and within the vast Blood Moon Kingdom, there’s no place for her.”

“I will take care of her.”

“Even if I don’t arrest you, can you guarantee you’ll hide her well? Won’t your neighbors, your landlord notice anything? Your kindness is commendable, but your good deed is just an impulse.”

“So we should just watch her die?”

“There’s another way.”

Suddenly the Hunter reached out, snatching the doll-like girl from the Bewitcher’s arms.

“That is for me to take care of her.”

Freya was stunned. She exchanged a glance with Adra, and both of the well-informed college women had the same thought—pedophilia!

“Don’t misunderstand,” the Hunter seemed to know what they were thinking. “My work keeps me away from home most of the time; I’ll likely hire someone to take care of her. If you’re willing, you can also come and look after her, and at the same time ensure that I’m not mistreating her.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being reported?”

“I’m not afraid,” the Hunter chuckled. “Because I am the Blood Mad Hunter, not a powerless college student.”

Bewitcher wanted to say more, but at this moment, her friend softly called out, “Freya.”

Freya looked at Adra and saw fear and pleading in her eyes. She was struck by a realization that she could no longer be willful; she couldn’t drag Adra into the Whirlpool because of her own stubbornness.

Freya sighed and asked, “But I still don’t understand. You’re not only the Blood Mad Hunter but also likely of the sacred bloodline, right? Adopting a minor from the Exotic Lands violates multiple laws… Why would you do this?”

It was common knowledge within the Blood Moon Kingdom that the sacred bloodline was the most law-abiding and the Moonshadow the kindest. However, the Blood Mad Hunter before Freya completely shattered this perception—he dared to actively trample the rules set by the Blood Moon Sovereign.

“Why indeed… I’m also searching for the answer.”

The Hunter’s tone was somewhat elusive: “Perhaps it’s because I know the sacred bloodline has its limits, so I need to surpass it. Or maybe… I’ve been influenced by that man too.”

He looked at the doll-like girl he was holding: “Kid, I’m your Guardian now, how about introducing yourself?”

Selina’s expression was quite grim. She had managed to charm that foolish woman with difficulty, and once settled, manipulating her to rebuild the Four Pillars Cult here would not be a hard task. But this man was much more difficult to deal with, and Selina vaguely felt that although he was looking at her, his gaze seemed to be chasing an illusion she knew nothing about.

Damn it, first there was Ashe Heath and now this Hunter. The concentration of bad men tonight is just too high, isn’t it?

“Selina Bright,” she said, trembling.

Just then, the Blood Moon broke through the clouds, and the crimson moonlight illuminated the Hunter’s weathered face and his gray-white hair.

“I am Gerard Wessminster, Hunter Number 307791,” the Hunter said. “Pleased to meet you, Selina. I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine.”

Footnote:

1. Braised Pork with Rattan(藤条焖猪肉):

   This is a colloquial metaphor in Chinese culture, referring to the act of spanking children’s buttocks with a rattan cane.

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