The girl sat cross-legged on the bed, her face full of dissatisfaction. "I'm disappointed too! You're not as cold, ruthless, and evil as I imagined."

"Wait, does my character illustration really give off that impression?" Ashe asked, scratching his head in surprise. "Um... nice to meet you. I'm Ashe, the Watcher of Doomsday."

"I'm the Black-White Witch," she said, swaying slightly on the bed. "Just call me Witch."

"Good evening, Witch. Have you eaten?"

She held up three fingers. "Stop. Forget the greetings. I'm here to establish three principles with you."

"Hm?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Firstly, you may not ask about my life unless I volunteer the information. Secondly, you may not reveal your life unless I ask. Thirdly, whatever privileges the Swordswoman enjoys, I get the same."

Ashe paused, considering. "Does this have to do with your Silver Blessing?"

The Witch gave a noncommittal shrug. "You could say that."

Her Silver Blessing grew stronger when she kept her own information hidden, so her demand made sense. What surprised Ashe, however, was why she would also forbid him from sharing anything about himself.

Then again, Ashe didn't have much to reveal. Annan had explicitly ordered them not to leak anything to outsiders. Even if he wanted to grumble about his new boss in the Virtual World, the contract would have kept him silent.

As for Swordswoman's privileges, Ashe ran through them in his mind. Endless training, acting as the vanguard shield during Virtual World exploration, being a test subject for various event cards...

"No problem!" Ashe said, clapping his hands. "I'll follow your rules."

"Then, with the principles estab—"

Ashe cut her off, "Wait! You know Swordswoman? It's been days since I last saw her. She's... busy over there, right? So busy she can't even spare a moment for me?"

The Witch tilted her head, intrigued. "You mean the Swordswoman who is a little cunning but kind at heart, who pretends one way but behaves another, and who constantly admires herself in the mirror?"

"Probably."

"Sorry, I don't know that Swordswoman," the Witch said, spreading her hands. "I only know there's a teammate called Swordswoman besides you."

"Then how do you know so much about her?"

"From the character illustration."

Ashe's mind filled with question marks. Could a single illustration really reveal so much? Damn it! If I still had the high-resolution screen, I could have studied every detail of both the Witch and Swordswoman's designs day and night with a magnifying glass!

The Witch added, "I'm curious why you thought Swordswoman would come see you."

She propped her chin on her hand and smiled. "If it weren't for setting rules with you before the actual exploration, I wouldn't have bothered coming. After all, the only thing that connects us is in the Virtual World. Outside of that, we're strangers. The most reasonable approach in such a case is mutual non-interference.

"What's your relationship with the Swordswoman? Why would she care about you?"

Ashe answered without hesitation. "Because we're bonded companions. I know she cares about me, just as I care about her."

A moment of silence stretched between them as the Black-White Witch studied him.

For some reason, Ashe felt her demeanor change. She had seemed lively and natural when she first appeared, yet during their conversation, she had stayed seated on the bed, keeping her distance. Polite as she sounded, Ashe couldn't ignore the subtle barrier between them. Now, still on the bed, she leaned slightly forward, curiosity softening her posture.

The Witch explained, "Whether or not we appear before you isn't up to us. It depends on the bond between us. The stronger the bond, the harder it is for us to show ourselves. If Swordswoman truly cares, you may seldom witness her longing for you in the future.

"So it's not the Swordswoman's fault for not coming to see you. She, too, is actually waiting for you to appear before her, maybe in the Virtual World, or perhaps..."

The Witch paused. "In any case, if you want to see Swordswoman often, you'd be better off hoping you two can stay in the Virtual World forever."

Ashe frowned. "That's a strange rule. Shouldn't the deeper bond make it easier to meet?"

The Witch shrugged. "Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, in our state, we aren't physical beings. We're just thoughts. And that's how thoughts work. When something exists, you take it for granted. When it's out of reach, you crave it."

The Witch's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Still... It's only been a few days, and you already miss Swordswoman so much... Could it be that... you like her?"

"Yes," Ashe replied without hesitation.

Hearing such a direct declaration, the Witch's eyes widened in surprise. She tapped her cheek gently. "Can you say that again?"

Ashe said plainly, "I like Swordswoman. She's strong, cute, and beautiful. Of course, I like her."

Wow! Wow! Wow!

The Witch almost wanted to run off and announce it to the world, until she noticed Ashe openly staring at her black-and-white leggings. She hesitated, stretched her legs, and lifted her skirt just above her knees. "Do you like me as well?"

"If you wore the ultra-short skirt from your illustration, demonstrated enough strength for Virtual World exploration, and had a decent growth rate in daily life, I'd probably like you too," Ashe said, carefully assessing her leggings with complete seriousness.

"That's such a cheap kind of like," the Witch muttered.

Ashe frowned. "Then how expensive does my like need to be? Should I put your name as the insurance beneficiary?"

The Witch paused. He has a point.

In Ashe's eyes, they weren't entirely real. Just as no one would fall for a paper cutout, his feelings for them wouldn't go beyond a "cheap kind of like."

Ashe added, "Still, it would be hard for anyone to surpass Swordswoman's place in my heart, unless your strength is truly exceptional."

The Witch raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why is that? Do you think Swordswoman is prettier than me?"

Ashe said firmly. "It's not just about appearance. The main reason is that Swordswoman is my first comrade and the first person I could trust in this world. We explore the Sea of Knowledge together, brave the Whirlpools together, study the Sorcerer's Handbook together, and even take part in the Destiny Quiz... My life in this world began with her. To me, she's like the sun rising over a graveyard. Just the hardships we went through together are already enough to make her untouchable in my heart."

He added with resolve, "Unless your strength is truly extraordinary."