Shift! The Side-Character Heroine

Vilgefortz was ambitious and cunning. He hid his true feelings even in front of Emhyr, a pawn on his chessboard. He learned about Olivia’s talents from Emhyr. As arrogant as he was, he acknowledged Olivia as a legitimate threat. That little girl could be trouble if left unchecked. Even so, intelligence wasn’t enough in this world. When faced with brute force, intelligence could only do so much.

Nevertheless, he agreed to Emhyr’s requests for the sake of maintaining their good relationship.

Vilgefortz was incredibly strong already, but he had not yet had enough. Of course, he always kept a wild card under his sleeves. Mind games did not always help with brute force; he still needed to fend off the arrows that came from behind.

When Emhyr becomes King of Nilfgaardian Empire, he had promised to conquer the northern region and hand it over to Vilgefortz. Vilgefortz had managed to fool Emhyr into thinking that his ambition merely ended at the northern region. Nobody knew what exactly he wanted, as he kept his plans deep in the dark.

Vilgefortz stepped into the light and carefully observed the three-year-old child, Olivia. Dressed in an elegant lace gown of a princess, Olivia was staring down into her books in an almost trance-like state, her silver-grey long hair flowing down her shoulders…

To Vilgefortz, Olivia was like an ugly duckling that would outshine her elder sister Cirilla in both character and beauty. However, beauty was nothing but a pretty vase. She was not even worth a coin compared to the Elder Cirilla.

Meanwhile, Vilgefortz doubted that Olivia was actually reading her book. He waited until she turned the last page of an encyclopedia about Sorcerers and Witchers.[1] With a smile on his face, he waved his wand leisurely, and that book flew to his hand. It was one of the iconic spells: Mage Hand.

Olivia blinked in surprise. She gazed upon the man in the library with her emerald eyes, putting her remarkable acting skills into play, making the man think that she absolutely adored him.

An ordinary man would have felt the sincerity of an adorable and innocent child and treated this girl as a young lady with tenderly love…

Unfortunately, Vilgefortz was no ordinary man. He was meant to be a boss level villain with the face of a good guy.

He was exceptionally handsome. Tall and muscular, he appeared as a formidable master, forever looking thirty-five. [2] A living fantasy for the ladies who loved a good-looking man.

In a reverent tone, he asked, “What are the contents of page thirty-five in this book?”

Even a full-grown man would not able to answer such a question. However, Olivia searched the “book database” in-game system for that page, and recited the contents without missing a single word…

“Magical talent can be divided into two categories: Ordinary magicians with a strong affinity, and source masters. The former could master control magic easily and become a sorcerer. The latter was like a vessel, imbued with incredible magical power. They had to learn magic by nurturing and communicating with the energy within. It was much harder for them to become a sorcerer without strict training and proper guidance. However, once they succeeded, they would become very powerful…”

“The basis of conjuring magic was to harness the four basic elements from the atmosphere: Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. As one focuses on incantations and proper gestures, the energy could be conjured and released as natural phenomena. Source masters could sacrifice part of his life energy to enhance the element’s strength. The power of the magic released was equivalent to the energy consumed to conjure it….”

This page elaborated on Source masters and Sorcery. Based on the explanation on the internet, Source masters were classical, born-to-win characters. They were gifted with an extraordinary level of magic and strength. Magic was not needed in the early stages, and when they used it, it caused havoc.

Unfortunately, Olivia was not a Source master. Her magic affinity was ordinary. No wonder Vilgefortz treated her as trash.

Lord Vilgefortz was not aware of Olivia’s accessibility to the game system. WIth every mission she completed, she could enhance all her entry-level magic with “extra skill points.” These magic at the high level would be on par with a Source master’s power!

Vilgefortz was impressed. Yes, she was no Elder child, but she was highly intelligent!

Refused to believe what he had just witnessed, Vilgefortz decided to test Olivia…

“Witcher’s Sign is simplified magic. [3] Compared to the same elemental spell cast by a Sorcerer, these signs were weaker in power if cast without the consumption of potions (except for the members from Griffin School).[4] However, they would not need to harness energy and proper incantations. Often castable with a single gesture. Therefore, both Witchers and Sorcerers are afraid to face anti-ballistical-magic Witch Hunters. (Provided that they are in equal numbers).[5]”

…

Olivia showed her talent to its fullness, pleasing the arrogant Vilgefortz to the point of a content smile.

He did not have the patience to teach an ordinary student. Now that Emhyr still needed some time to complete his preparation for Nilfgaardian, there was no harm teaching a minor genius.

“Genius of the Ordinary” sounded awkward, but it still made sense. This was synonymous with, “Lady Zhao Youyue, the Passer-by.”

Ordinary referred to her level of magic. Genius referred to her brain…

Translation Note:

[1] A witcher (also Wiccan or hexer or in the Elder Speech: vatt’ghern) is someone who has undergone extensive training, ruthless mental and physical conditioning, and mysterious rituals (which take place at “witcher schools” such as Kaer Morhen) in preparation for becoming an itinerant monster slayer for hire. Geralt, the central character in Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series and the subsequent games inspired by them, is said in the stories to be one of the greatest witchers; he is certainly legendary, but whether famous or infamous is more open to interpretation (and/or subject to gameplay, as the case may be).

[2] A source is a person born with innate magical abilities, or an affinity for “the Force,” which are rather difficult to control once they have bloomed. Stressful situations usually work as the trigger for the abilities’ appearance. Schools of sorcery, like Aretuza and the facility in Ban Ard, were created to help these children cultivate and control their powers, lest the abilities drive them mad.

Among sources, the descendants of Lara Dorren are regarded as even more special.

[3] Though they are not warrior mages who employ powerful magic, witchers can cast simple magic spells that can prove effective when used properly. Witchers call these spells Signs and usually use them against monsters, though they also have non-combat applications.

[4] The Griffin School is a school of witchers appearing in The Witcher graphic novels. Though it is never described in detail, it is mentioned when Leo Bonhart displays his personal trophies of the witchers he has apparently slain, including a Cat, a Griffin and a Wolf medallion.

While none of the school’s adherents is named in the books, George the Dragonslayer, a witcher mentioned in The Witcher (PC), was revealed to have been a member of the Griffin School in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Griffin School equipment is of medium weight and amplifies the intensity of the wearer’s Signs; as such, it is heavily implied that the school and its disciples may have specialized in the use of magic. Griffin witchers may also possess higher standards of social etiquette compared to other schools, which was mentioned in the Dragonslayer’s treasure hunt quest, though this might have referred to George specifically.

[5] Witch Hunters were harsh, cruel, and fanatical members of an inquisitorial synod dedicated to the persecution and eradication of magic in Novigrad, Oxenfurt, and Velen during the witch hunts in 1272. Equipped with Witch hunter’s swords, crossbows, dimeritium bombs, and shackles they were well prepared to fight both amateur and professional mages. They became even more formidable when the Order of the Flaming Rose was disbanded by Radovid V, resulting in some of the knights joining the witch hunters.