Mage Manual
Chapter 360 - Chapter 360 Chapter 305 Four Diyas One Ash

Chapter 360: Chapter 305: Four Diyas, One Ash Chapter 360: Chapter 305: Four Diyas, One Ash They hadn’t ruled out the wrong answers.

When the Sword Maiden announced the answer was incorrect, Ash felt everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Unlike the first question, which was full of age characteristics like the middle-aged peasant woman and the little girl, the three people in the second question were all about the same age, and none bore any resemblance to Sonia, clearly not sharing a familial relationship. Moreover, the question was about “the person she hated the most,” so it was highly likely that none of these three people were even friends with Sonia, making it impossible to analyze any further information. Therefore, Sonia could only choose the only person she recognized–pure white Diya.

But if the answer really was Diya, then things would become complicated: why did Sonia come to the amnesiac cabin with the person she loathed the most? Could she have been framed? Should she take this opportunity to deal with the person she hated most?

And, if Sonia and Diya were enemies, did that mean Ash and Denzel were her enemies as well?

Or to think even deeper–were the four of them not intimate partners with a Shared Life and a Shared Death, but mortal enemies under no shared sky?

In the end, the harmonious castle in the air that Ash had built was incredibly fragile, fragile enough that just one answer could destroy it all at once. Thus, the answer not being Diya was an acceptable outcome for everyone, Sonia included, who put down a huge weight from her heart.

“The answer is incorrect,” the Sword Maiden said. “You’ve lost your treasure–Spirit Faction.”

The Sword Maiden rubbed a ball of silver light between her fingertips until it turned into a wisp of smoke and dissipated, signifying that Sonia had completely lost a Silver Level Magic Faction.

Sonia didn’t actually feel much real sensation, but seeing her possessions and rewards vanish into thin air made her heart bleed, an overwhelmingly strong sense of empathy, as uncomfortable as watching ice cream fall to the ground.

Suddenly, she turned to Ash and said, “I’m still your lover, right?”

“Ah? Um, yes, what are you asking that for, we’re only temporary–”

“Then give me your hand.”

Sonia snatched Ash’s hand and bit down hard, her eyes wide open. Although there was no pain, the angry force of her bite still made Ash’s soul shudder and even gave him a phantom ache.

He began to seriously ponder whether there was a fundamental problem with his assumptions–how could this possibly be my lover? Even if I was momentarily blinded by beauty, my body wouldn’t endure such abuse!

At least my sister just wanted to taste me, lover, you seem to want to bite off a huge chunk of my flesh!

Ash looked at Diya, who was holding his left hand, and Sonia biting his right hand. He turned his head to Denzel.

“I have no hands left for you, which part would you prefer?”

“…I probably don’t need to vent my stress in that way.”

After a satisfying bout of venting, Sonia felt refreshingly better and let go of Ash’s hand but still held on to it as if she was saving it for her next meal like a protective she-wolf.

“Are you rested now?” The Sword Maiden was uninterested in their interaction: “Then let’s start the third–”

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait~~”

The Witch suddenly darted over and came to the center of the hall, striking a ‘magical girl makes her sparkling entrance’ pose: “Let’s pause for a moment!”

“Sword Maiden, I have a question similar to your third one. Why don’t we ask them together? Otherwise, once she answers your question, mine becomes too easy.”

“Acceptable.”

The Witch looked at Diya: “You have to answer as well, are you ready?”

Diya instinctively bit down on Ash’s finger, her body trembling as she shook her head vehemently.

Ash also promptly said, “We should answer separately! It’s still the lover’s turn, and she should answer first, then it’s my sister’s turn. There’s no need for us to answer together.”

If the questions were the same, of course it was best to answer separately. If Sonia got it right, it would be like knowing the correct answer; if she got it wrong, they could still eliminate the wrong options. Only a fool would answer together.

“Um… is there something wrong with my tone of voice…?”

The Witch scratched her head in annoyance, her eyes narrowing slightly, and her lips curling into a dangerous arc.

Suddenly, her voice burst forth with eighteen echoes–

“Come and answer the question.”

Diya jolted.

It wasn’t just her–every voice in her mind, as if facing a natural predator, fell silent.

For the first time, Diya and the voices in her mind came to a consensus: to obey.

Motley Diya hid behind Ash, nodding her head furiously like a pecking chicken. The Witch immediately broke into an innocent, radiant smile, as if her previous malevolence had been an illusion. She stood on her tiptoes and spun around on the spot, her black half-skirt blooming like a black rose: “Alright, then now it’s time for the Witch and the Sword Maiden’s joint question–”

“Wait a moment.”

A second interrupting voice rang through the cabin, as sharp as a tear in paper.

Not only the Empress’ corporeal form, but also the three Phantoms showed a look of surprise.

The Empress lazily stood up from the recliner; her loose robe could not conceal her regal magnanimity, even slipping down her shoulder, the buttons barely holding onto the last remnant of modesty. She glided over like the wind, with the Witch on her left and the Sword Maiden on her right, and said with a smile, “I seem to have a question as well, quite similar to the one you’re about to ask… why don’t we join forces?”

Faced with such a forthright declaration of affection, the Sword Maiden’s expression was as if she had encountered harassment: “The questions may be similar, but that doesn’t mean the choices are necessarily alike, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” the Witch said with a radiant smile, “there’s simply no room for anyone else between the Sword Maiden and me. Maybe you should cozy up to the Observer instead, Empress.”

“Isn’t it better to have different options? It can increase the difficulty of the question,” said the Empress, tilting her head. “Or are you guys ‘thinking’ of rejecting me?”

The eerie iceberg revealed a corner, and the unknown whale was faintly visible amidst the waves. The amnesiacs had a vague feeling that something was off, but without any information, they couldn’t deconstruct the undercurrents flowing among the phantoms.

The Observer, Sword Maiden, Witch, and Empress exchanged looks for a moment, then the Observer sighed, “It’s a pity that my question seems to be different from yours. Otherwise, I’d love to join your question-posing social.”

The Observer’s remark seemed to press a release button, and the tension in the cabin eased instantly. The Witch laughed and said, “Why would we reject you, Empress? We’re thrilled to have you. The more, the merrier–let’s set the question together, Sword Maiden.”

“Mhm,” the Sword Maiden responded expressionlessly.

It was then that Ash whispered to everyone, “Seeing their interactions, my judgment is proven right. You are definitely my sisters, lover, and mistress.”

“How does that prove anything?” Sonia felt baffled.

“Firstly, the Witch went to consult with the Sword Maiden, who readily agreed. This proves that the Witch is not an enemy of the Sword Maiden, meaning you can’t all be my lovers; otherwise, you would be romantic rivals and could not coexist harmoniously. Therefore, you are either both my sisters or one lover and one sister, and the current situation seems closer to the latter,” Ash analyzed confidently. “But when the Empress proposed joining in, the Witch and Sword Maiden’s initial reaction was opposition–why oppose? Because to them, the Empress is the homewrecker!”

“The Observer’s comment clearly takes the Empress’s side, even using the authority of a family head to force the Witch and Sword Maiden to back down, suggesting that they should not alienate the Empress, indicating the Observer now favors the Empress more!”

“I’ve completely understood,” Ash said with conviction. “The sister is my sister whom I’ve raised since childhood, the lover is my longtime love entering a period of complacency, and the mistress is my recent hot-blooded love affair!”

The Observer looked like he was about to speak, hesitated, while the Witch struggled to control the twitching at the corner of her mouth, and the Sword Maiden’s eyes narrowed slightly. The Empress, however, showed no reaction.

“So, you’re just a pure aluminum alloy scumbag, aren’t you?” Sonia asked sincerely.

“Whether I’m a scumbag is irrelevant. The important thing is that this can serve as the basis for our answers,” Ash said. “And yet, knowing I’m a scumbag, you’re all still fond of me. Don’t you think that’s a crucial piece of information? Imagine, under what circumstances would you be undyingly devoted to me?”

“I…” Sonia furrowed her brows. “Only for a greater benefit.”

“Good, that means there’s a significant interest entanglement between us.” Ash turned to Denzel. “What about you? When do you think you’d willingly become my mistress?”

Denzel was completely befuddled–honestly, she hadn’t believed a word of Ash’s logical deductions, as her character was cold and reserved, silently observing how events unfolded.

However, the interactions of the phantoms and Ash’s speculations had begun to shake her–could she really be Ash’s recent romantic partner?

She wanted to object, but had no other evidence.

And if not for this connection, why else would she be in this amnesiac cabin?

“…As long as I deeply love someone, regardless of whether they love me back, I’d give my all to them,” Denzel said. “For me, being a lover wouldn’t be a concern.”

“Huh?” Ash was shocked. “Am I really that great to receive so much love? I’m a bit overwhelmed by the adoration–”

“Why don’t you just rein in that unconcealable glee on your face, you’re shocked by the adoration!” Sonia was irate. “Besides the point of possibly guessing wrong, even if you guessed correct, it only proves you’re lower than the most despicable dregs of earth!”

Clang!

Suddenly, there was the sound of a drawn sword, and everyone turned to the Sword Maiden, whose expression remained unchanged as she sheathed her sword. “Are you done talking? Then let’s begin.”

The Sword Maiden, the Witch, and the Empress simultaneously pinched the edge of the album and turned to a new page together.

Perhaps because three people answering simultaneously increased the difficulty, five portrait paintings appeared in front of the test-takers.

And then everyone was stunned.

The first painting showed a girl living in a basement.

The second, a girl wearing a spider web eye mask.

The third, a woman sitting on a throne.

The fourth, a girl with hair of black and white.

The fifth, a man in a dark red coat and hood.

The issue was that, except for the fifth one, the women in the first four paintings all had the exact same face!

Everyone looked to Nia, who stared blankly at the four paintings and murmured, “So many of me…”

Ash twitched at the corner of his mouth, “Seeing this, the fifth painting of me seems a bit out of place…”

Despite differences in age, clothing, and decorations, everyone recognized immediately that the women in the first four paintings had faces identical to Nia’s!

It was like Nia herself in various styles, hair colors, and ages!

“This is the question you three will answer together.”

Unlike the tranquility of the Sword Maiden or the cheerfulness of the Witch, the Empress’s voice carried a weight and frostiness entirely at odds with her appearance:

“If you knew you were about to die, whom would you wish to accompany you in death?”

“That’s right, since this is a question answered together by the three of you, the rewards and punishments will also differ…” The Witch’s voice was tinged with mockery. “Whether you answer correctly or not…”

“The answer to this question just might become reality.”