Daddy Watcher

Parting ways with Ingrid, Sonia walked alone toward the Meditation Building, asking in her heart, *Did you say earlier that I could keep the Torrent sorcery spirit for myself?* "Yes." The Watcher walked alongside her. "Don't you have a bit of a foundation in the water sorcery faction? As I recall, the core sorcery spirits for a certain swordplay miracle are Wave Sword and Torrent." *You know the specific formula for that miracle?!* Sonia grew instantly thrilled. If she could master a swordplay miracle, she would not only win Professor Trozan's favor, but would even qualify for Jialesi's Intercollegiate League, knocking open high society's doors with sheer personal strength— "I don't." *...* "Still, now that you have both spirits, you can invent the miracle yourself," the Watcher said breezily. "Isn't the wonder of being a sorcerer the ability to combine any number of sorcery spirits into incredible, dazzling miracles?" *I asked Professor Trozan about that too, but even for someone like him, creating a water-sword miracle based on Wave Sword and Torrent would take months of hard work...* "How can he compare to you? You're the Sword Princess I picked." Sonia curled her lip. She wasn't a three-year-old child; she had no intention of buying such costless flattery. If you really think that highly of me, why not just tell me the miracle procedure straight out! *I would remember your tremendous benevolence. When I rise to wealth and glory, wouldn't I repay you?* *And if you died before I struck it rich, I'd definitely throw you a grand funeral!* Her eyes flicked as she did her best to rein in her emotional ripples, continuing the conversation: *So, Watcher, did you take the Substitute sorcery spirit just so you could leave Torrent to me? You're so good to me~* A visible shudder ran through the Watcher. Taking a step sideways in apparent suspicion and unease, his shadowy face fixed its gaze on Sonia. Sonia kept up her sweet smile, exhausting every ounce of mental effort to control her thoughts and prevent him from listening to her true inner voice. "...All right, stop fishing. I needed the Substitute sorcery spirit, so I took it." *At your level, you need a one-winged sorcery spirit too?* "First of all, there are no weak sorcery spirits, only weak sorcerers. That should be a principle taught in every sorcerer textbook." The Watcher continued, "Second, I'm just a weakling right now—weaker than you, in fact. On top of that, I'm in danger. My true body is locked up in a prison. Not only am I weak, but I lost quite a few memories while waking up, which is why I need to learn basic sorcerer common sense through you." *Weak right now... meaning he used to be very strong?* *Lost memories... could he have been hit by a memory-eroding miracle?* *No wonder he asked so many idiotic questions—turns out he was genuinely an idiot.* Yet even though Sonia rarely read fantasy literature, a flurry of tropes like "Return of the Mighty," "Fall of the Legendary Sorcerer," and "Awakening of a Great Being" instantly flashed through her head, making her heart race— Wasn't this the exact sleeper stock she had always been looking for?! His current situation might be grim, but given time to grow, he was bound to become a peerless powerhouse, a towering tree, the master of a faction enjoying boundless wealth and glory! Ordinary sleeper stocks depended on probability, but the Watcher was returning to his peak. As long as he had enough time, success was practically guaranteed! Sonia had always been lukewarm toward Felix because she hoped to find an undervalued diamond in the rough. After all, taking advantage of aristocrats was no easy feat. Even if young noble masters like Felix were fools, their parents certainly weren't. Trying to hitch oneself to a grand noble family's power came at the cost of one's own flesh—quite literally, since there was no escaping without bearing them a son and daughter. If she could marry an up-and-coming sleeper pick, Sonia could enjoy wealth and luxury while maintaining her autonomy, rather than being stripped of any say in the household. Though the Watcher was her superior, picking a husband followed the exact same logic as picking a boss. Rather than becoming an interchangeable cog in some massive organization later on, she was far better off joining a promising boss from the ground up as a founding partner! *Watcher, what kind of danger are you in? Do you need my help? Just say the word! Protecting your safety is my sacred duty!* "...When we explore the Void Realm later, if we come across the sorcery spirits needed for the Severing Self miracle, yield them to me." *The Severing Self miracle?* "Oh right, I haven't told you yet. I'm currently trapped in a certain prison and need to use Severing Self to break out." Once the Watcher described the Severing Self miracle in detail, Sonia was left dumbfounded. If she remembered correctly, this miracle was not yet listed in the *Starry Miracle Catalog*! A miracle that had never once appeared in the Starry Country! What was more, it was an immensely practical swordplay miracle that could be used by a Silver Sorcerer to heal oneself! While Sonia had no way to sell the miracle herself—she couldn't explain its origin, nor did she meet the conditions to have created it (she couldn't even assemble the sorcery spirits), and any attempt to sell it would only result in the Sorcerer Association ruling it as intellectual property theft—if she could ever license the formula legally, the proceeds alone would instantly turn her into a wealthy heiress in Jialesi! This was why petty bourgeois types were petty bourgeois types: having her swordplay talent discovered by the Watcher and being led on adventures through the Void Realm only earned her "gratitude." Yet when the Watcher handed her the formula for a miracle—one she could neither use nor sell at the moment—Sonia was overwhelmed with uncontrollable joy simply because the latter carried clear material value in the Starry Country. This was a classic case of pie-in-the-sky promises falling flat against cold, hard cash, where spiritual fulfillment could never replace material gain. *D-did you invent this swordplay miracle?* "No." The Watcher shot Sonia a glance. "It's a swordplay miracle I stole from an enemy." Sonia blinked. *Then will I get into trouble using it?* "Rest assured, that enemy of mine will definitely never show up in front of you." He paused. "Definitely never." *Meaning the patent creator is already dead?* A wave of excitement surged through Sonia. Once she fully unfurled her Silver Wings and gathered the sorcery spirits for Severing Self, couldn't she claim the miracle as her own and license it for sale? A mighty figure like the Watcher surely wouldn't begrudge her such minor perks and petty profit, right? *All right, I'll do everything I can during our Void Realm exploration to help you gather the spirits for Severing Self. By the way, there's actually something else I wanted to discuss with you...* "Let's talk inside the Void Realm." The Watcher stepped into the Meditation Building. "There's plenty of time in there; we can discuss whatever you want. By the way, didn't you hate how I could hear your thoughts? I've decided to accommodate your wishes." Delight showed in Sonia's brows. *Are you going to stop monitoring my mind?* "No, I've decided to stop visiting you during your everyday life." The Watcher shrugged. "From now on, you won't have to mentally call out 'Watcher' before using the toilet or taking a bath. It's not like I'm toilet paper or a towel." *How do you know I call your name in my head before using the bathroom and taking a bath?* "That's not important!" The Watcher waved a dismissive hand. "If you have anything to say in the future, save it for the Void Realm. I won't be appearing in your regular daily life anymore." *If... if you don't listen to my thoughts, you're actually quite welcome. Even if you insisted on listening, I think I'd get used to it soon...* Sonia's response was somewhat hesitant; she was clearly conflicted. She undoubtedly loathed having her privacy invaded, yet precisely because of it, she could reveal her true self before him without needing—or being able—to wear any masks. That was also why Sonia had seemed so happy earlier when she suspected the Watcher was just a hallucination born of her split personality. An intelligent entity who knew everything about her yet couldn't affect her social relationships—wasn't that the most ideal confidant imaginable? "You make it sound as if your daily routine is so fascinating that I'd shamelessly insist on watching," the Watcher said, crossing his arms. "I have my own things to do. I don't have time to watch you change clothes every day." *So you have peeked at me changing?* "In short, those few hours in the Void Realm will be our time to communicate. Outside of that, I won't disturb you, and I won't appear even if you call." *What if I have an absolute emergency and need you?* "Then calling me won't help either." The Watcher spread his hands. "The version of me that descends by your side is nothing more than an illusion. I can't even lift a single strand of hair, let alone offer you any tangible help. If you summon me, there's nothing I can do except mock you." *Mocking is fine too,* Sonia insisted stubbornly. *So will you appear when I call for you?* "That's certainly a hard offer to refuse. But I am curious: do you need me this much because I'm filling the void of the fatherly love you missed in childhood?" *Then do you want me to call you Daddy Watcher?* "Forget it, just stick to Watcher." The Watcher backed away defensively. "Otherwise, I'll have nightmares." As they spoke, the two reached a private meditation room. Sonia sat down cross-legged, glanced at the Watcher beside her, brought out the Wave Sword sorcery spirit, searched for the Gate of Truth, and entered the Void Realm. Watching Sonia close her eyes as her consciousness linked with the distant Void Realm, the Watcher suddenly let out a soft sigh. *Terrifying...* *In just two days, she actually figured out a way to conceal her inner thoughts and can even deceive me mentally...* *Truly worthy of the witch bearing the name 'Dead Frenzy'...* *With talent and brilliance like this, was helping her unlock her potential early a good thing or a bad thing...?* *Still, that's no longer my concern.* The Watcher shrugged, and his figure faded from the meditation room.