Sorcerer’s Handbook

Chapter 311: Mission Accomplished

In the cabin, Sonya placed Deya on the lounge chair and joined in to observe the issue between Ashe and Danzel.

“Do I know her too?” Ashe asked, pointing to the Masked Girl in the painting, his expression filled with confusion.

Ashe hadn’t expected that his question would be the same as Danzel’s, and that the image he chose was also from Danzel’s first question.

This question was clearly tailored for Danzel, but could he answer it as well?

The Observer didn’t speak, only gestured towards Deya with a nod of his head.

Seeing Deya’s appearance, Ashe was suddenly at a loss for words—Deya looked exactly like the Masked Girl, and he truly couldn’t claim he had never seen the Masked Girl.

“Speaking of which, in that previous question, there appeared four individuals who looked exactly like my sister (Deya),” Sonya analyzed. “Among them, the Black and White Girl is my sister herself, and the Princess is my sister’s grandmother. Following this logic, the Basement Girl and the Masked Girl should also be relatives of my sister.”

“The possible identities of the Masked Girl include the Preaching Saint, secret advisor, or the Incarnation of the Gospel… Speaking of which, my sister’s grandmother also wanted her to become a deity among humans…”

Sonya suddenly faltered, recalling the skinny little girl from the painting who was so poor she could only afford to study; her lips naturally pouted, almost as if she could hang a teapot on them: “Such a distinguished background indeed.”

Sonya stared blankly at Ashe as he flashed a bright, toothy smile.

Then, as if her spine had been removed, Sonya slumped into the soft chair, her gaze lifelessly fixed on the cabin ceiling, her face etched with sorrow: “I can hardly imagine the tragic life I’ll face once I regain my memories…”

“Hey, at least trust the judgment of your pre-amnesiac self!”

Danzel, observing Ashe and Sonya, suddenly remarked, “Aside from everything else, you two are surely true lovers.”

Ashe and Sonya were taken aback. Although their time together had been brief, they both felt that Danzel was a thoughtful speaker who wouldn’t speak without being certain, a stark contrast to Ashe, whose imagination could run wild at the sight of a bare arm.

“Why?” Ashe asked.

“After losing your memories, you two can still engage in high-density conversations with no substantial information,” Danzel explained. “This shows that your personalities have been tempered by time, allowing you to form a complete, comforting presence for each other under any circumstances.”

Although they received Danzel’s affirmation, Ashe and Sonya merely responded with an “Oh,” feeling indifferent inside. Not just Ashe, but even Sonya had grown accustomed to being called “Lover,” a term that no longer made her blush as a young girl might.

More importantly, they understood the subtext of Danzel’s words—stop the chitchat and answer the question.

“I think the second option, the first Emperor’s secret advisor, is most likely,” Sonya said.

Ashe nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”

Danzel wasn’t surprised. “Is it because she took ‘Empress’ as her codename?”

Undoubtedly, the biggest source of information in the cabin was the Phantoms, who possessed all their memories, and the codenames they chose for themselves were a crucial basis for deduction.

For instance, “Swordswoman” suggested that Sonya was most skilled in swordsmanship; “Witch” implied that Deya was probably quite mischievous; “Observer” meant Ashe… enjoyed watching the action?

And the codename with the most information was undoubtedly “Empress,” indicating that in reality, Danzel was likely a ruler who wielded immense power, possibly even resting her head on Ashe’s knee.

And the second option, “the first Emperor’s secret advisor,” was directly related to royalty.

Without any additional information, this option seemed the most probable.

“Wait a minute.” Sonya suddenly noticed a loophole in Ashe’s reasoning. “The roles of ruler and paramour aren’t compatible, are they?”

“Who says!” Ashe responded vehemently. “An Empress as a lover would only excite me more!”

Sonya retorted angrily, “Even if you’re willing, she might not be!”

“I am willing,” Danzel interjected surprisingly. “Worldly status won’t hinder my pursuit of love, but…”

Danzel looked at Ashe and Sonya. “If I were indeed an Empress wielding secular power, I would lock up my beloved, eradicate all his connections, forbid anyone from approaching him, and never let him leave my side. I would become his only one.”

Ashe shuddered at the thought, a newfound respect for his pre-amnesia self emerging—How did you even manage to attract such a woman? Could it have been her chasing after you?

No way, if she really is my paramour, I need to plan carefully for when we leave the cabin, at least unite with Lover—

Turning his head, Ashe’s forehead wrinkled deeply: “Why are you standing so far away?”

Unbeknownst to her, Sonya had retreated to where Deya lay unconscious, speaking earnestly, “I need to take care of her now, it’s not convenient to be near you. Plus, you’ve got an Empress as a paramour, I think it’s better we stay apart for now.”

“Cowardly!” Ashe exclaimed in anguish. “Isn’t true love about sharing our lives and fate, through thick and thin, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in joy and sorrow, always staying together, never abandoning each other? Lover, you’re betraying our love!”

Sonya trembled, murmuring, “True love…”

“Yes, Lover should support each other, never to part…”

“If one runs away in the face of danger, can they still be called Lover?”

Ashe felt moved. “I’m glad you understand…”

“So, let’s break up,” Sonya sighed. “This way, we’re no longer Lover, and I can abandon you with a clear conscience. Ah, such a brief love affair, I will miss you, noble Knight whose name I still do not know.”

Ashe was left speechless by anger, but it didn’t matter, as he was soon enveloped in a warm embrace, a delicate arm around his neck, his head resting once again in that intoxicating tenderness—

“Can we answer the question now?”

Danzel’s steady voice instantly made Ashe focus: “Hmm, I really hate it when people start chit-chatting in the middle of serious business. Let’s wrap up this cabin journey.”

“Option one is definitely out; we haven’t gathered any intelligence related to ‘Preaching Saint.’ In the case of amnesia, choosing an option without any information is akin to gambling.”

“Option three is the same, but…”

Danzel: “But?”

Ashe pondered: “In these questions, we’ve seen four individuals who look exactly like Deya, but according to the answers, they are all different people.”

“Could we assume,” Ashe adjusted his head to fully nestle into the Empress’s bosom, “that only one of them is real, and the other three are… impersonators?”

Sonya listened, puzzled: “What do you mean?”

“I don’t really know myself, but it’s impossible to have four identical individuals without it being intentional,” Ashe explained. “So one must be the original, and the others deliberately made themselves look similar to become the ‘original.’”

“And do you remember the answer to Deya’s third question? Her grandmother wanted her to become a divine being on earth… If we connect this to our current question…”

Danzel caught on: “The Masked Girl, is she the original earthly deity?”

“Not necessarily,” Ashe said. “But she definitely possesses some power, such that others would want their descendants to mimic her appearance to inherit her authority.”

“And among these options, the identity most likely to carry unknown powers is…”

Ashe and Danzel both looked at option three: the Incarnation of the Gospel of the Omniscient Weaver.

Even without their memories, they could sense the Riddler-level grandeur of power in that term.

“But this is just my speculation, full of maybes and no solid facts,” Ashe remarked. “The most likely possibility is still option two.”

Danzel asked, “So what’s your choice?”

“I choose three.”

“Then I choose three, too.”

“Does this mean we have a paramour-level understanding?” Ashe asked.

Danzel did not answer the question but said, “Do you know what kind of people I like the most? Those who are thoughtful, calm, and well-learned.”

“Intelligence is the quality that most captivates me; I can’t resist a clever person.”

“It was only just now that I sensed the fragrance of wisdom I adore so much emanating from you.” Danzel leaned in close to Ashe’s face, taking a deep breath, “If you could always emit that scent, even though I’ve lost my memory, I would be mesmerized by you all over again.”

Ashe dared not move and slightly turned his head to look at Sonya behind him.

Ashe blinked: “I get it, I’ll play dumb later to dodge this bullet!”

Sonya blinked back: “I think you don’t even need to pretend.”

“Right, right, before you answer, you should know the treasure tied to this question,” the Observer interjected. “For the beauty, it’s still the ‘Secret Incarnation,’ and for the Knight, your treasure is this—”

In the Observer’s hand appeared a cluster of starlight: “The ‘Incarnation of the Stars.’ This is the most precious thing about you.”

At the sight of the “Incarnation of the Stars,” Danzel’s eyes widened.

Even though her memory was lost, the sense of mission ingrained deep in her soul made her instantly realize her task—she had to obtain this object!

“If I answer correctly, can I choose to receive the ‘Incarnation of the Stars’ as my reward?” she immediately asked.

Just as the Empress was about to speak, the Observer spoke first: “Of course you can.”

The Empress stared at the profile of the Observer, understanding now that there was a problem with the cabin.

Why was the reward 10,000 Soul Power when Danzel answered correctly earlier, instead of another Conceptual Incarnation? Because Conceptual Incarnations are unique, and such a reward could not possibly be offered by the cabin!

In this world, there are no identical Conceptual Incarnations; every concept is unique!

If Danzel answered correctly, the cabin could not possibly grant an “Incarnation of the Stars,” unless—

“Have you both confirmed your answers?” the Observer reminded, “Theoretically, you cannot choose the same answer for the same question. If you do, you might face a certain penalty.”

No, there was no such rule.

The cabin had never encountered two guests at the same time since its establishment, so there had never been an opportunity to establish rules for a two-player game.

However, the Empress could say nothing because as soon as the Observer spoke, the cabin indeed implemented this new rule.

After confirming that both Ashe and Danzel were set on their answers without changes, the Observer cheerfully declared, “Well, congratulations, you both have chosen the correct answer.”

Before they could breathe a sigh of relief, the Observer continued, “However, since you chose the same answer, the cabin suspects you of copying each other, and thus you must also face a penalty, though you will still receive a reward.”

“The penalty is that you lose the treasures you wagered.”

“The reward is that you will receive items of equivalent value to the treasures.”

“So…”

At that moment, the “Incarnation of the Stars” appeared in the palm of the Observer, while the “Secret Incarnation” emerged at the fingertips of the Empress. The two orbs of light switched places, each rushing to their new masters.

Ashe received the “Secret Incarnation” but lost the “Incarnation of the Stars.”

Danzel received the “Incarnation of the Stars” but lost the “Secret Incarnation.”

Ashe felt nothing special, as he was unaware of the value of these items.

Danzel fell into contemplation, feeling a sense of mission fulfilled deep within her soul.

So… have I completed my mission?