Mage Manual

Chapter 1690 - 1247: If You Can’t Beat Him, Beat His Kids

Dedarose set up the charcoal grill on the balcony, poured smokeless lychee wood charcoal into it, leaving some gaps in the middle to let oxygen in, lit the fire, placed the iron grate, and put skewered meat and vegetables on it. As the grease sizzled and dripped, the tempting aroma wafted into Nabistin’s night air on the summer breeze.

"...So, you battled alongside the Supreme Star at the Observatory, with the four Divine Lords assisting, and together, you defeated Uroboros and saved the world."

Felix sat on the railing, kicking her slippered legs back and forth, her smooth golden hair casually tied up and hanging over her shoulders. She solemnly summarized, but the moment she spoke, everyone couldn’t help but notice her Fish-Slicing Dragon pajamas—even Diya wouldn’t wear something so childlike!

"That’s right." Ash leaned against the railing, holding a glass of juice, and softly said, "As a cost, I’ve lost a quarter of my memory, including memories of the Witch. I’ve already sacrificed my memory twice before, forgetting Weiser and Vishi... So this situation is still a bit strange to me; I know we are lovers, but I have no idea how we became lovers. It’s like we are a couple made for each other by the heavens."

"Don’t count me in," Vishi waved a hand, looking calm, "I’m different from this group of love-obsessed people; you guys are mutually in love, but between us, it’s... it’s..."

"It’s a fling," Felix reminded her.

"Right, it’s... no, not right!" Ghost Prophet glared viciously at Felix, crossed her legs, and said, "Anyway, I’m just a prisoner bound by your chains, so don’t use terms like ’couple’ to gloss over our relationship."

"Do you not like Ash?" Weiser stood behind Vishi, pressing her shoulder and leaned down to ask in her ear, "Do you have no feelings for him at all?"

The maid replied expressionlessly, "I hate him."

"That’s answering a different question, Ghost Prophet," Silver Lamp laughed, "I didn’t ask if you hate him... though your answer is enough to hurt his heart."

Vishi glanced at Ash, who was now downcast, and felt a bit speechless: "You restrict my freedom with chains, yet you expect me to thank you? You need me to say it before you realize I hate you?"

"I just feel it’s unfair," Ash grumbled, "Our relationship should be that of deep mutual love and hate, oscillating between hatred and love. But after losing my memory, I don’t hate you at all; I only have fond feelings left for you, yet you can still hate me... I can only experience sweet love, but you can experience the full, raw love; I’m losing out!"

Vishi was taken aback, murmuring to herself, "No wonder you’ve suddenly become so..."

"Ash, you can think of it this way," Diya said, "You don’t hate her, so you don’t have any psychological barrier, but she hates you and can’t accept being your lover. Yet she has to help you ascend to the Supreme of Magic throne; at that time, she won’t be able to beat you at all. No matter how much she hates you, she’ll have to submit. She’ll be bullied by you for a lifetime without any countermeasures. Isn’t that fun?" She grew increasingly excited, her cheeks flushing with a tempting pink.

Sometimes Diya really scares people, Ash thought.

"Who says I don’t have countermeasures?" Vishi responded instinctively, "I can’t beat him, but I can beat his children, can’t I?"

"Children?" Everyone was taken aback for a moment.

The maid’s lips trembled slightly, turning red all the way to the roots of her ears.

Taking a deep breath, she calmly said, "I’m talking about you guys with his children, what are you all thinking?"

Weiser blinked and said, "Though I did think about a birth plan, I gave up because I’m now a Divine Being... Sword Maiden, Witch, have you thought about children?"

"No," Sonia shook her head, "Even by the standards of the Dazzling Star, getting married at my age is considered early, let alone having children. I still have many things I want to do, many places I want to see. Settling down is still far away... children are too distant for me."

"I feel like I’m still a child myself," Diya winked at Ash, "I want others to care for me, so how can I have the ability to care for children?"

"So, although we’re all love-struck for Ash, we’re just interested in romance and don’t have thoughts about having love crystals yet." Weiser whispered into Vishi’s ear, making her blush as if about to drip blood: "Could someone have already thought up names for the children? No way, no way?"

"Let’s not get sidetracked," Vishi forcefully changed the topic: "Isn’t this about Ash’s memory loss? Let’s be serious!"

"Now you think about me?" Ash joked, noticing Vishi’s resentful and pitiful look at him, her cheeks flushed as she bit her lower lip in shyness. His heart was suddenly moved, feeling as if he had taken a big bite of sweet ice cream, unable to bear bullying her. Just as he was about to speak up to help her out, Felix suddenly fell off the rail.

"Vishi was just too cute," Felix flew back up, saying: "I was entranced and accidentally..."

Vishi almost gritted her teeth in concern, "Ash, do you have any aftereffects from memory loss?"

"I haven’t found any at the moment," Ash shifted the topic back: "But speaking of it, it’s strange. Clearly, I tried all means to hide my memory loss before, but now that I’ve revealed it, I feel unprecedented relief."

"Because you’re the type who can’t keep secrets," Weiser, propping her chin, laughed: "I remember you had to tell the Sword Maiden when you lost your first kiss, as if she could verify if your lips were unopened."

"No, not just keeping secrets," Ash said: "Maybe it’s also because I actually wanted you all to know... I’ve quietly sacrificed a lot for you."

"Though silently sacrificing is cool, I’m not a cool person. I still hope for your acknowledgment, applause, and ideally a bit of reward. This way, I’d feel like my sacrifices were worthwhile." Ash scratched his cheek awkwardly, "Is this too utilitarian?"

Sonia blinked, and was the first to start applauding; everyone else immediately followed, including Dedarose and Felix. The balcony was filled with applause that rose and fell. Ash quickly gestured for everyone to stop, "Okay, that’s enough; any more and I’ll be embarrassed enough to scratch my toes."

"But Ash, you sacrificed a quarter of your memory to save the world, gaining power akin to the Supreme Star, and repelling a monster capable of devouring an entire layer of the Void Realm..." Felix mused, and Ash thought she was about to praise him, but she suddenly changed her tone: "Sounds kind of worth it, huh."

"Indeed."

Vishi couldn’t help but agree: "A quarter’s memory for the power of the Supreme of Magic; it’s too cost-effective."