The rustling of Asa turning pages went completely unnoticed by Yennefer riding ahead, or perhaps the Sorceress's thoughts were simply not on the Herbalist behind her at the moment.
Turning and reading page by page was indeed far too slow.
Asa strongly wished to return to the 2077 World, extract the book's contents, and use a shard to read it directly.
But upon second thought, going through that entire process would require writing over two hundred additional words—might as well just read it slowly himself.
So, Asa contentedly rode his old horse, trailing far behind Yennefer, flipping through the magic book in his hands. The Sorceress didn't care if Asa tried to escape; even if he did, she had ten thousand ways to bring him back.
It wouldn't cost her much effort at all.
Opening the title page, a Sorceress named Tissaia had written an introduction to magic there.
In summary, magic originated from the Conjunction of the Spheres. magic is also called Power, and this force comes from nature—more precisely, from the four natural elements:
The Earth beneath our feet, the fire burning at Earth's core, the air we breathe, and the ever-present water.
By harnessing these four energies, Sorcerers can accomplish things ordinary people cannot even imagine. This is natural magic.
Before beginning to learn, one thing the student must know is that the deeper one delves into the study of magic, the more inevitably the practitioner will lose their fertility in the process of using magic.
This is also why the more powerful the mage, the harder it is for them to have descendants.
Asa wondered curiously: would he lose his fertility because of this?
Although, due to the system's existence, his journey was destined to span myriad worlds, so his desire for offspring wasn't particularly high. But that didn't mean his partners wouldn't want any, nor did it mean he was willing to voluntarily lose the ability to procreate.
Of course, this could be considered a price for studying magic. And as long as it was a price, his talent could naturally exempt him through the expenditure of mana.
Continuing to read, after warning newcomers of the cost of learning magic, Tissaia mentioned another threshold: talent.
magic is a science, and its essence lies in controlling, suppressing, and utilizing elemental energy—the source of chaos. Therefore, one must never dabble in it without proper training.
In this world, those born with the ability to sense magical energy often, due to not knowing how to control their power, end up half-mad and half-foolish.
Among these people, there is a group born with the ability to both sense and manipulate energy. These individuals become Source adepts, known as Sources.
Yennefer, riding directly ahead of Asa, was a born Source user. The Sorceresses' Lodge formed later also consisted entirely of Source users.
Sorceresses' Lodge
All the way, he flipped through the book in his hands while unhurriedly trailing behind Yennefer, until the figure ahead suddenly stopped. Asa hurriedly stored the book in his system.
However, Asa looked left and right; they were still in the middle of a wilderness, some distance away from any human town. He didn't know why she had stopped so abruptly.
Yet Yennefer dismounted and beckoned to Asa:
"Come here."
Asa obediently complied, walking over to Yennefer's side.
"Don't panic no matter what you see next. Hold my hand and don't let go."
Was the Sorceress tired of riding and planning to use teleportation magic?
Sure enough. When Asa grasped the Sorceress's smooth, jade-like hand, Yennefer's left hand lightly tapped the air. Then, with a "bang," a pair of enormous, purple-hued portals seemed to flash into existence before them.
Portal Spell.
Yennefer didn't forget the horses either. A purple glow enveloped the other horse, including his old steed, along with the two of them—all within the radiant halo.
Excellent. Asa wasn't fond of the dull, grimy life of the medieval countryside either. He had thought they'd have to ride quite a distance to reach the capital. Unexpectedly, after traveling a certain way—likely meeting some condition—Yennefer directly used teleportation magic.
"Follow me."
Holding Asa hand, Yennefer took the lead.
"Whoosh."
Four figures vanished from the spot.
Compared to the dizzying, disorienting crossing experience arranged by the system, Yennefer's teleportation magic was undoubtedly far more convenient and comfortable.
When Asa regained his senses, they and the two horses were standing before the towering ancient city walls.
The wall was about 5 meters high, constructed entirely of white bricks.
Through the not-too-high wall, Asa could see the towering Castle at the town's center.
Vengerberg, the capital of the Kingdom of Aedirn.
As one of the Northern Kingdoms, Aedirn had a significant non-human population. At least from Asa view, he saw many dwarves and long-eared beings of other races.
Many of the females, including elves and bearded dwarf women, were eyeing him with eager and attentive gazes.
"Damn, this accursed non-human charm."
Asa rubbed his chin. Better not send out signals everywhere now; he had no interest in bearded dwarves.
Four soldiers holding spears and wearing half-helmets stood at the city gate, their eyes scanning the entering and exiting pedestrians. Yennefer and Asa entrance was anything but low-key—like a sudden burst of electricity exploding before the wall, sparks flying. Such a flamboyant arrival instantly put the guards at the gate on high alert.
They raised their spears and hurried toward the pair, shouting as they came:
"Hey, Wizard! Where did you come from? Stop your magic at once!"
Only after Yennefer handed over a transfer order did their attitude shift from wary to respectful.
"Follow me."
Their hands, having just separated, clasped together again as the Sorceress led Asa into the city, passing through the gate.
Almost immediately after Yennefer submitted the documents, a white-haired man—fitting Asa stereotype of a court attendant—hurried over in a carriage and promptly escorted them aboard.
It's good to have a rich woman by your side—even a dedicated vehicle is provided.
Once in the carriage, Asa quickly learned what a medieval city was like. Even in a fantasy world, there was no escaping the sewage channels with no proper drainage and the ubiquitous horses and horse dung littering the ground.
The clean, gleaming ground from the games was clearly a lie. Asa sighed.
This caught the attention of Yennefer beside him:
"What do you think, Lang?"
The lady wore a self-satisfied smile; she was thoroughly enjoying this.
Due to the existence of the powerful magical organization, the Chapter of Sorcerers, all Wizards pledged allegiance to it and were then hired by the kings of the Northern Kingdoms to serve as court mages.
Thus, a court advisor was not the king's private soldier but more akin to a guest advisor, naturally receiving royal courtesy.
By the end of the novel, the Chapter of Sorcerers disbanded due to betrayal from within, and most Wizards became the king's private soldiers, serving the king—their lives and deaths naturally at the king's whim.
Asa gave a thumbs-up; everything was understood without words.
He was curious about how Yennefer would handle their relationship. Beyond that, he was also pondering how and when to reveal his magical talent—or his ability to traverse other worlds—to Yennefer.
This wasn't baseless. In the world of the Witcher, the ability to travel to other worlds wasn't particularly Earth-shattering. This world was connected to many others:
The human world, the elven world, and the hell where demons resided.
In the novel, when Ciri, who possessed the Elder Blood, activated her world-crossing ability, she mistakenly arrived on a worldline hundreds of years later. By then, Ciri and the White Wolf, Geralt, had become complete legends, sung of by bards across the continent.
Revealing his ability at the right time could yield greater benefits. Why not do it?
Of course, the existence of the system was absolutely not to be exposed. As for the world-crossing ability, telling only his pillow partner would suffice. Besides Sorceresses and magic, this world's resources were far from abundant. Moreover, Asa wasn't very interested in the novel's Grudges and Love (grudges and passions). He came to this world for two things only:
Connect with more goddesses, learn more magic.
As for the fall of ancient kingdoms—what did that have to do with him?
Even more difficult to accept was, based on Asa estimation, Yennefer had just graduated not long ago, so she was at most thirty. In the game, when Ciri was grown, Yennefer and Geralt had just celebrated their one hundred and tenth birthdays.
He would have to wait over fifty years to see the newborn Ciri.
Asa: (╥╯^╰╥)
The carriage traveled on, carrying Yennefer and Asa until it arrived at a house with a garden near the center of Vengerberg.
The elderly court attendant promptly announced that this house was being gifted to Yennefer, along with two maidservants.
As he left, the old man from the court cast a discreet glance at Asa, likely taking him for the Sorceress's pretty-boy attendant.
He guessed correctly. If Asa were truly just a Herbalist, his function wouldn't be much different from that of a massager.
The Sorceress was delighted to receive such an exquisite, luxurious house in Vengerberg—a symbol of status and position.
At this time, Yennefer was far from the woman who later focused only on a few close individuals. She seemed somewhat vain, but that was only human nature.
In this world where women held no social status, female Sorceresses who studied magic were a special group.
Only those disabled Sources who couldn't marry or whom no one cared about were sent to magical academies. There, they would use magical means to alter their bodies and appearances to become beautiful and youthful.
Their difficult, discriminated-against childhoods forged resilient personalities. However, those hardships also made them vain. Most Sorceresses dressed in gorgeous, revealing attire.
Asa had once read a piece of lore: in the world of the Witcher, commoner and noble women either wore headscarves or elaborate hats. Only two types of women wore their hair loose over their shoulders: prostitutes and Sorceresses.
Of course, the lore creator explained this represented the Sorceresses' independent character.
Owning such a large house was something the young Yennefer could never have imagined. Happily, she spread her arms and spun in place, her fragrance wafting, like a carefree girl who had just received a doll.
Then the Sorceress's violet eyes turned to Asa, as if considering how to arrange for him.
Asa stood straight-backed with a firm gaze, like a soldier awaiting inspection.
The moment of trial had arrived. Asa spoke up proactively, "Miss, when can I see Yennefer? You promised me."
"Soon, don't be impatient."
Indeed, he still has me in his heart.
The Sorceress nearly swooned from this longing, until Yennefer suddenly remembered she hadn't yet revealed her name to Asa. But revealing it now would be too anticlimactic. So, smiling, she addressed the two maidservants:
"You two, go get him some fine clothes and then take him for a bath."
With that, she turned and left.
Favorability up↑.
Perhaps because Asa showed no interest in wealth or luxurious residences, caring only about the hunchbacked girl from before, Yennefer seemed quite satisfied.
Next, Asa followed the maidservants' guidance to a room, removed his clothes, revealing a body carved like fine marble.
One maidservant heated water while the other, clad in a thin gauze garment, stood behind him, gently wiping his muscular lines with a towel. The white steam made the maidservant's body beneath the gauze faintly visible—medieval indulgence at its finest.
Asa closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
The sounds grew softer; the two maidservants had retreated at some point.
From behind, a pair of soft small hands caressed his shoulders, fingertips lightly tracing the lines of his body toward his chest, as if touching a rare treasure.
This scent—unmistakable.
Asa intended to turn his head, but black hair brushed against his front, followed by Yennefer's deliberately suppressed voice: "Don't turn around."
What kind of novel cosplay was this?
Asa obediently didn't turn.
Until he felt those hands slide down his chest, over the lines of his abs, his lower abdomen, and finally grasp the source of life, coiling around it.
"..."
Then, a graceful figure flipped over the edge of the bathtub and into Asa bath—curvaceous front and back, slender waist, full breasts and hips.
However, when Asa gaze settled on her face, his heartbeat involuntarily quickened. For it was not Yennefer's exquisite, beautiful face, but that of a young girl with black hair, a hunchback, and a birthmark on her face.
Asa was slightly startled inwardly, quickly suppressing his emotions, but his face showed no other expression:
"Yennefer?"
He sounded questioning, yet his tone was full of certainty.
So there was such a scenario. Had it truly become her complex?
"We meet again, Lang. How have you been all these years?"
"I've been well. And you? Yennefer, your appearance hasn't changed a bit, only your figure has matured somewhat."
Asa words were a hint. After all, how could one's body become curvaceous while their face remained exactly as in childhood? What was this—a youthful face with ample bosom?
Yennefer's breath hitched, realizing the flaw in her Transfiguration. But the arrow was already on the bowstring, I had to issue (had to be released); the water in the tub was nearly overflowing.
She had yearned for this scene for years. It was precisely the Herbalist's encouragement that gave the young Yennefer, whose childhood was immensely difficult, the courage to live. At the time, she had nothing to repay him with except her immature body, but the Herbalist refused her, bluntly saying she was too young.
Later, in the academy, clinging to this fantasy, she persevered until graduation, putting in double the effort of others to become one of the most outstanding graduates in years.
Now, was she big enough?
"Ah, Lang..."
A moan escaped the Sorceress's lips as she tremblingly pressed her cheek against his chest.
Water splashed out of the tub until, with a "bang," it completely fell apart.