Shift! The Side-Character Heroine

This discovery left Vilgefortz more puzzled than ever. Had Olivia taken sword lessons from within her mother’s womb? Nobody gained this much experience without going through life and death many times over. What exactly had she experienced after they separated?

A person may be skilled and talented, but experience still mattered the most. Cirilla was agile and skilled, but Vilgefortz’s experience still gave him the edge, even against her formidable “blink” skill, only a handful of people across the land could bring her down…

Vilgefortz was a master of both might and magic. He could keep Cirilla at bay. He had planned to take Olivia out and then bask in Cirilla’s anguish. Surely she would start to slip up and make more mistakes. He could then knock her out and take her away.

The plan had been perfect — if he had not underestimated Olivia’s capability. He had never thought that a trashy sorceress without any power in her bloodline to be this capable!

She could cast spells even faster than he did, and she was just as skilled as he was with the sword. He had to end this battle soon, or he would really be in trouble!

Unbelievable! Vilgefortz was arguably the most powerful source mage across the land. He could easily defeat a dozen High Mages single-handedly! Each victory was a brick of the wall that sealed his humility. He never thought that one day, he would have to face something like Olivia!

What horrible nightmare was this?

Cirilla watched the battle, stunned. It was almost like a battle of gods. Weapons clashed, numerous spells were cast almost instantly. Transitions between attacks and defenses were seamless, almost like an episode of “The Elegant Art of Battle”…

Cirilla had been granted the front row seat, watching the demonstration between two masters!

Indeed, Cirilla picked up a few tricks from the battle. Both of the masters took turns unleashing a combination of blows between their flawless defenses.

The battle dragged on. Olivia started gaining ground. She could access her potions with a click, not once needing to place lips to liquid.

Vilgefortz was too deadly an opponent. A single opening was all he needed for a single, lethal blow. Olivia focused on her defense. As the Anonymous Lady Su, she was used to fighting battles that left no margin of error. She intended to tire this final boss out!

Geralt was just as amazed as Cirilla. He never once doubted his beloved stepdaughter Olivia, but she had exceeded all of his expectations. His very own Olivia was bullying Vilgefortz, THE Vilgefortz like he was nothing!

Geralt, a master of the sword, had just tasted the wrath of the magnificent Lord Vilgefortz. He was never his match, to begin with. In another timeline, he would eventually gain leverage in politics and gather a formidable band of heroes to bring down this evil boss!

Geralt could have been the protagonist of this story. It was the inspiring story of a brave leader leading a party to defeat Vilgefortz. It was a typical western storyline, similar to “The Lord of the Rings” [1]. In the battle between good and evil, a protagonist would lead a group that consisted of various talents to push back the evil forces. By taking the best of everyone’s strengths, they would manage to defeat enemies that none of them could defeat on their own. Unity was key!

It could have been an iconic western fantasy story. If only Olivia had not been here to wreak havoc. She may have saved the lives of several brave heroes, but she took a far more pragmatic approach. To defeat the evil, one must not use justice and inspiring speeches, but a greater strength and power!

Vilgefortz realized that it might be unwise to continue the battle. He had made a mistake, and Olivia had gained all the inertia that the world had to offer. He had hoped that she would tire, giving him a moment of respite.

Unfortunate for him, Olivia seemed to have an unlimited amount of energy. His very own movements started to dull. At the same time, he had to keep an eye out for Cirilla…

Olivia had everything planned out. Cirilla prepared to jump into the battle to help her sister, but Olivia had stopped her with a look. Cirilla immediately got the message!

Olivia wanted Cirilla to remain by the sidelines, pretend that she would “blink” into the battle and help out at any moment. It was a strategy to keep Vilgefortz distracted. Either way, Vilgefortz would have trouble catching his breath…

Sounds familiar?

This was how bad guys tortured protagonists. It was most despicable! Now, the bad guy was tasting his own medicine!

How ungrateful of Lady Olivia Zhao. She was not giving her former mentor any quarter!

Defeating Vilgefortz was no easy feat. Making him give up on Cirilla was even harder. For her sister’s sake and her Old Fortress of Kaer Morhen, Olivia had to take Lord Vilgefortz out of the picture! Even if it took him days to tire out, she was willing to do it!

Vilgefortz had once considered Olivia as a potential threat but never acted on it. Now, Olivia was attempting to remove Vilgefortz as a threat!

Vilgefortz felt that defeat was imminent. He could not stop himself from speaking up, “Olivia, I used to be your first mentor, and Lydia, she is still deeply in love with me…”

Olivia’s movements slowed down for a moment. Vilgefortz’s assistant Lydia had truly been sincere. She loved her with all her heart…

Translation Note:

[1] The Lord of the Rings is a film series consisting of three high fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. They are based on the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films have subtitled The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).