The Sorcerer's Handbook

Back at the garden.

Annan looked at the drenched Ashe and said with a hint of apology, "Thanks for handling that. Quinna wasn't easy to deal with, was she?"

Ashe wiped his face. "Yeah. I almost got sunk. Are we leaving now?"

A hovercar was parked on the grass. It was clearly a taxi Annan had called. Since the Good Moonlight Agency had already been wiped out, they no longer had to worry about modern vehicles exploding.

Annan nodded. "We'll be leaving first."

"First?"

"Iger said he'll stay behind to hold these people back so no one chases after us," she glanced toward the "distant, cold, sarcastic attendant," Evelyn. "Once we reach a safe location, he'll leave and regroup with us. That minimizes the risk."

A question mark practically appeared over Ashe's head. "The veela I know isn't exactly noble, and he's definitely not the self-sacrificing type."

Alice said, "But didn't he try really hard to revive you?"

"Setting aside that it was all about deceiving the Gospel," Ashe spread his hands, "the main point is I'm not dead yet. If Lys were in danger, I'd definitely risk everything to save her. But if she just wants to play with me, at most I'll have my substitute play with her instead."

Lys kicked him in dissatisfaction. "Daddy, how can you even say that?"

"It is a bit strange," Annan said. "Iger seems to be deliberately avoiding us."

Ashe caught on. "Could it be..."

Alice's expression turned thoughtful. "You don't think he..."

The Blood Moon fugitives exchanged a glance, already guessing their companion's little secret.

***

This should do. They'll leave first.

Iger stopped observing the situation outside and casually pulled a book from Evelyn's shelf. He glanced at the title, The Mischievous Maid Who Loves Teasing.

He switched to another, The Blood-Fearing Healer and the Self-Harm-Loving Brute Body Sorcerer.

Another, When the Vase Falls in Love.

All romance novels? Fine. But why do they all have the exact same trope, with one side aggressively chasing, and the other playing hard to get?

Evelyn, your expectations for romance are seriously warped. Even without your emotions diluted by your mental sea, you'd probably still end up single for life.

"Mr. Iger, aren't you going to regroup with your companions?" Anphel asked, holding a teacup.

"They need to leave first. Once they reach a safe place, I'll leave and meet them. This way, I can ensure no one pursues them, and aside from you sisters, no one knows I'm still in the Belldet Estate. My risk when leaving will be minimal."

Anphel nodded. "Mhm. That does sound very reasonable."

She smiled. "But really, you're just too embarrassed to face them right now, aren't you?"

Snap.

Iger closed the book. "The one thing a fraudster doesn't need is pride."

"You don't need pride when dealing with clients, but this is different," Anphel countered gently. "It's understandable, though. You deliberately distanced yourself from Ashe and the others to gain my sister's trust, which alone is awkward enough. And while the Schemer Rankings revealed your true stance, for someone like you, showing such a sincere side must be terribly embarrassing."

Iger said coldly, "Don't use such girlish phrasing. And you've gotten it completely wrong. This arrangement is purely for safety reasons."

Anphel tilted her head. "Really? But didn't you say I'm like a mirror, reflecting everyone's true self? And I'm not guessing. I have evidence. For example, whenever you lie, you like to dress it up as some grand, rational calculation, just like your reaction earlier when I congratulated you on ranking first in the Schemer Ranki—."

Iger pressed a hand onto Anphel's shoulder. "In any case..." His expression remained calm, though his breathing quickened ever so slightly. "You guessed wrong."

The red-haired girl stared at him for a moment, then shrugged and took a sip of tea. "Maybe."

Vroom!

The sound of a sports car engine came from outside. Iger seemed to relax slightly, a trace of fatigue finally creeping into his voice. "Finally, they've left."

But the sound of the engine grew closer, and closer, until...

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire tore countless cracks into the walls, while a streak of swordlight etched crazily across them like the brushstrokes of a mad painter!

Boom!

A hovercar smashed through the already shattered wall, carving a donut-shaped arc across the office. It sent sofas, chairs, tea tables, and cabinets flying before coming to a steady halt right beside Iger and Anphel.

"You—"

Before the shock could even fade from Iger's face, the gull-wing doors swung upward. Ashe reached out, grabbed him, and dragged him straight into the vehicle. Alice immediately pinned him down to prevent escape, looking exactly like a criminal abducting an innocent veela.

Ashe laughed. "Heard you were too embarrassed to face us, so we came all this way just to watch you make a fool of yourself!"

"As if I would! Let go of me, Harvey!"

Alice giggled. "Harvey's in the coffin. I'm Alice. Didn't expect you to feel this guilty about tricking us. On Harvey's behalf, I forgive you."

From the front seat, Lys chimed in, "I forgive Aunt Perskin too! Aunt Perskin, Daddy is terrible at braiding hair. It's a good thing you're back!"

"Who cares if you forgive me?!"

"Then whose forgiveness do you care about?" Alice countered.

Suddenly, he turned toward Annan. "Wait, if we wreck the Belldets' property like this, doesn't that mean we'll owe them money?"

"Did you forget we still have those six thousand Bel Points we were going to use as ransom?" Annan replied. "Since we don't need to pay it anymore, we might as well waste it here."

Ashe turned to Anphel and extended his hand. "Want to come with us?"

Anphel looked at the lively chaos inside the car. The Purple Moth tending to the little butler, the white-haired girl beaming with joy, and the necromancer and the fraudster tangled together in a scuffle.

The red-haired girl looked at the cult leader and smiled softly. "You really are someone who shines."

"Hm?"

"Sorry, but I'm Mr. Iger's fiancée," Anphel said, pressing her hands together apologetically. "If Mr. Iger is still willing to claim me as such the next time he visits Montphera, I'll gladly accept."

"Harvey, open the coffin and stuff Iger inside. I don't want to look at this man who attracts women everywhere he goes... sob, sob..."

"Don't cry, Daddy! I'm not in a hurry for a stepmom. Even if no one likes you, I don't mind!"

"Lys, thank you so much!"

The hovercar roared out through the breach, speeding into the night sky of Montphera. Anphel waved at them as they faded into the distance.

Not long after, Evelyn rushed into the office through the wreckage. A quick glance told her everything. Everyone had left. She turned directly to Anphel. "What should we do next?"

The Belldets' decisions had always operated on two levels: the Mindless One who devised the strategies, and the Heartless One who executed them. The scheme targeting the Eight Great Families had been crafted entirely by Anphel. Blessed with the ability to hear countless thoughts, she had long since mastered the intricacies of human nature, allowing her to design a trap that perfectly manipulated the desires of many.

In the past, Anphel would not have hesitated. But now, she paused.

The optimal decision was to pursue Ashe and the others, but doing so conflicted with her own interests. The conflict did not lie with Iger or Ashe. It lay with Harvey.

To escape the tragic fate of the Belldet family, they had to deal with the necromancer Angel. Yet for generations, no Belldet had ever succeeded, and neither Anphel nor Evelyn stood a chance. And yet, the one person capable of conquering the necromancer Angel had already appeared in the Gospel's vision of the future.

In the past, they were nothing more than mindless, heartless tools meant to continue the bloodline, so they had never cared about Harvey's future achievements. But now, Anphel had finally regained a sliver of self-awareness. That faint spark of selfishness began to resist the chains of her lineage.

Anphel touched the coin in her hand and couldn't help but laugh softly. Increase what they desire; grant what they need.

"Anphel?" Evelyn asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing," Anphel said with a smile. "I think... we should have a cup of tea first, and rest."

Evelyn found it a little strange, but her personal feelings never interfered with her duties, and truth be told, she was indeed a bit thirsty. "Alright."

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