Mage Manual

Chapter 1699: Chapter 1256: Ash’s Fans Who Wish They’d Met Him Sooner

"I didn’t want to take the initiative to meet you, but I still wanted to get a little closer to you, so I stayed in the compartment closest to yours..." Freyja was talking when she suddenly reacted. "You really didn’t know I was here? You should have some pretty powerful Reconnaissance Miracles, right?"

"I do, but I’m not a pervert—I’m not going to sweep an entire train just for a ride." Ash spread his hands. "I’m at least a Demigod Mage now; I don’t need to be that paranoid on earth."

"Then when you opened this compartment—"

"I suddenly forgot which compartment I was in, and when I pushed open the door I saw you and Little String."

Freyja stared blankly at Ash.

"It really wasn’t Sif or Hanna who told you?"

"I haven’t even gone to see 222 yet, and Hanna didn’t give me any Suggestion either."

"So this encounter is a coincidence?"

"A coincidence." Ash thought for a moment. "Just like when I randomly picked a room to hide in and just so happened to hide in a Meiwa college girl’s house. Now I randomly open a compartment, and I run into a Meiwa Legendary Mage again. It’s like..."

"A fated encounter!"

Freyja clenched her fists, swaying with a goofy grin, excited like she’d just unlocked some achievement.

It’s not that fated, really—you picked the compartment right next to mine... Ash of course didn’t say that out loud, only found it funny in his heart. Freyja said he hadn’t changed much, but he felt the Meiwa had changed a lot instead. The old Meiwa had been more realistic and mature, a textbook Blood Moonian; now she was living more and more backwards, like a little girl, innocent, cute, full of fantasies.

She, too, was loved.

Ash scratched Little String under the chin, and Little String squinted contentedly. "Why did you think I would come to Blood Moon and not look for you?"

"Eh? Because Hanna said you all planned to travel around Blood Moon but never mentioned me at all..."

Ash couldn’t help laughing. "The Sword Maiden and the others are all here. How could I bring you up in front of them? I originally planned to sneak off to see you during the trip."

"Why sneak off to see me?" Freyja tilted her head, looking a bit confused. "Am I not your friend?"

"I stayed in Gospel for half a month earlier and didn’t look for Hanna either—was planning to find time to meet her alone." Ash said, "You’re indeed my friends, but not just friends..."

"I’m not really sure what exactly we are," his fingers slid down along Little String’s fur, "so I don’t dare let the Sword Maiden and the others meet you. It’s like... doing something bad and being afraid of getting caught."

"Eh?~~~" Freyja’s eyes lit up. She tilted her head and said, "Ash, you came to see me exactly to do bad things, huh? What bad things? What kind of bad things that can’t be told to your lover?"

Ash flicked a knuckle on her forehead, half exasperated, half amused. "Don’t get too cocky, you mere Meiwa!"

"I’m sorry..." Freyja covered her forehead, looking pitiful.

"Let’s go find 222 then." Ash pondered. "Come to think of it, Felix went to Car 10. She won’t have a conflict with 222, will she..."

A Blood Moon Legendary and a Dazzling Star Holy Domain, worlds apart from worldview to habits—Ash racked his brains but couldn’t picture them getting along peacefully.

"Wait!" Freyja quickly said. "Let Little String show off to you first! Little String is really amazing now; she can understand commands. Try it!"

"Hm?" Ash looked at Little String basking in the sun and said, "Shake your head."

Little String replied with a dead-inside look; Freyja quickly shook her head as a demo. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Sit."

Freyja promptly squatted on the seat, while Little String still lazily refused to move.

"Paw."

Little String shot Ash a resentful look and was just about to reluctantly extend a little paw when the Meiwa’s hand beat her to it and clasped Ash’s hand first.

Ash said, "Looks like she understood."

"Really?"

Freyja gently wove her fingers between his and gripped tight, then circled around the table to sit beside Ash, lowering her head without saying a word.

Ash glanced at her and probed, "Want to sit for a bit before we go find them?"

"Mm." Freyja nodded, then suddenly snorted out a little laugh.

Ash couldn’t help laughing too. "What’s so funny?"

"Every single one of them thinks I won’t be able to hold myself back, that the moment I see you I’ll turn into a big bad wolf and eat you up." Freyja proudly raised her chin. "But I actually just want to hold hands with you. Not to mention I can monopolize you for a little while right now... I’m already perfectly satisfied."

"Impressive, worthy of being my Meiwa."

Ash tipped up her chin, leaned over and gave her a light kiss, then chuckled softly. "That’s your reward."

No, this feels a bit cringe. If Felix sees this, she’ll definitely crack up again... Ash grumbled at himself internally, but when he snapped back to himself, he saw the Meiwa’s pupils had turned into little hearts.

...

...

"It’s Spirit Charm. Only Spirit Charm could trick that many Female Mages into liking him!"

"No way, it’s definitely Soul Domination! Spirit Charm has a limit. Theoretically as long as you’re away from the Charm for a while, the effect should rapidly weaken. But from the Meiwa to the Black Crow and the others, not only have they not forgotten that scumbag Ash, they miss him more and more as time goes by. Only Soul Domination can do that. He must’ve secretly planted seeds of love in them at some point. The seeds sprouted and grew into towering trees over time, so they can’t escape Ash’s clutches!"

"I still say it’s Charm. Let me tell you, last night Ash he..."

"Ugh, he’s practically the same as a Meiwa."

"Right, right. Most of the time he’s as filthy as a trash can, but every so often he shows a Meiwa side—both scummy and seductive, that’s why so many people fall into the pit. Oh, and just now the broadcast said they needed a ’gentle, kind, faithful and also loves eating lalafei, handsome young man’. Guess what? That shameless guy actually thinks he fits the bill!"

"Pff, seriously? I thought he’d at least reflect on himself a little when he heard that broadcast."

"The only thing he’ll reflect on is why he doesn’t have ten lovers yet."

In Car 10, Felix and Siflin were downing cup after cup, talking at the top of their lungs, the very picture of "hate to have met so late." Originally Siflin had tried to fish for Ash and ended up fishing Felix instead, and didn’t know what to do. Then Felix tossed back one question—"Do you know that trash can Ash?"—and Siflin immediately realized Felix was on the exact same side as her.

Having finally found a comrade to trash-talk Ash with, the Blood Moon Legendary and the Dazzling Star Holy Domain got along explosively well. In less than half an hour they were as close as non-blood-related real sisters.

Siflin got angrier and angrier as she cursed. "Fine, he doesn’t come find me in Blood Moon, whatever—but he doesn’t go find Freyja either... If he doesn’t like the Meiwa, then why give her hope, damn it!"

"Maybe he’s more worried about how the Sword Maiden and the others would feel." Felix swirled the ice in her glass. "Maybe he likes them all, but someone has to end up getting the short end of the stick."

"Can’t let him get off that easy!" Siflin sprang to her feet as if the alcohol had finally hit. "If someone has to suffer, why not him!? Let’s drag him out and make him explain himself!"

"Sure, right this way!" Felix eagerly led the way.

"I have no idea why so many people toss and turn over him, why so many rivers of longing flow because of him..." The little bat snorted. "Only naive girls who’ve never seen the world would fall for his tricks, right?"

"Or silly girls who accidentally got Charmed by him." Felix said softly. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

They returned to Car 2, just in time to see Sonia and the others step out of a compartment. The two sides exchanged a look, and Sonia immediately recognized her as the teammate from an Angel Hunt. "You’re... Siflin?"

"Welcome to Blood Moon, Sword Maiden, Witch, Silver Lamp, ghost." The moment she saw them, Siflin sobered up at once. The instant she realized this was a group of Demigods far above earth, her legs went weak, but she still forced herself to ask, "Where’s Ash?"

Sonia instantly pieced together the cause and effect. "You set up something in Car 10 to lure Ash over? He’s not in Car 10? He’s been gone so long we thought something happened to him there."

"Ash didn’t come back?" Felix froze. "When I left Car 10, he went to the bathroom. It’s been almost half an hour now... did he fall into the toilet?"

Diya snapped her fingers without hesitation to consult the Gospel Divine Being—Mages don’t have to struggle to find people. The Witch blinked in brief surprise, then pointed to the door beside them. "Ash is in there."

"Huh?" Everyone looked toward Compartment 13. Weiser couldn’t help laughing. "He went into the wrong room?"

Only Siflin realized something and her expression changed, but before she could rush over and grab the doorknob, Vishi had already blocked the door. The Sword Maiden and the maid exchanged a look, silently nodded, took up positions on both sides of the door to cut off all escape routes, then pushed the door open in a flash!