Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 106: Golden Dawn

Chapter 106: Golden Dawn

The Pure Silver Knight’s Lance and the Golden Holy Sword radiated brilliance in tandem.

In that instant, an ancient and unfathomable power seeped into the air, carrying a timeless, primordial presence.

Before that profound force, Xia Ya distinctly felt something shift within his mental world.

The Sands of Time—those dim, lifeless specks of starlight in his consciousness—began to shimmer.

Like a vast sea of stars, they came alive.

So this is the power of a top-tier Holy Relic?

Even with just the faintest hint of its reawakening, it was already touching upon the very laws of space and time.

As Xia Ya gazed at the manifested spear and sword, an idea took shape in his mind.

After all, during his previous search for the Ruins of the Cangting Ancient Kingdom, he had been a half-baked archaeologist of sorts. And later, as the Empire’s Swordbearer, he had learned much about the history of the Fresta Empire.

Naturally, he had heard of the legendary Severed Steel Holy Sword and the Storm Knight’s Lance, once wielded by the legendary Knight King.

Of course, since these were ancient myths passed down through historical records and bardic tales, there was no telling how much of it was true.

Frankly, when Xia Ya first read descriptions like “The Indestructible Aurora,” “A Holy Sword Forged from a Planet,” “The Tower at the End of the World,” and “The Storm Anchor That Binds the Stars”, he had been completely baffled.

It was why he had named Ailora’s contracted Ancient Holy Relic Summoned Beast “Rhongomyniad”—as a joke, borrowing from the myth to make it sound more prestigious.

But as time passed, Xia Ya began to doubt the true origin of Ailora’s relic.

After all, evaluating the actual value of a Holy Relic-type Summoned Beast was incredibly difficult.

If its potential was truly limitless, it could be a relic from a mythological age predating even the oldest Western Continent records—meaning its species rank might have long surpassed the Seventh Tier, possibly nearing Demi-God or Throne-Tier levels.

But if it was merely an ordinary Fourth or Fifth-Tier weapon that had endured the passage of time to become a relic… its potential would be far more limited.

Unlike Beast-type Summoned Beasts, which could evolve over time (even the lowest-tier Pollen Worms had a chance to transform into Meteor Dragons), a Holy Relic’s potential was set in stone from its creation.

It could awaken over time, but surpassing its original form was nearly impossible.

Thus, most Holy Relic-type Summoned Beasts had overwhelming advantages in the early and mid-stages of a Beastmaster’s growth.

But once a Beastmaster reached the higher tiers, those advantages would gradually diminish—sometimes even reversed by evolving Beast-type Summoned Beasts.

Yet Ailora was different.

Xia Ya himself had a monstrous Beastmaster talent, enhanced further by the System’s assistance, and he was diligent in his own right.

Yet, Ailora had always managed to keep pace with him.

Every time Xia Ya completed a major breakthrough through the System’s quest rewards, Ailora would immediately catch up.

In terms of raw combat ability, unless Xia Ya used one-time pay-to-win abilities, Ailora was actually stronger than him.

Which raised a very interesting question…

How does one match a pay-to-win warrior?

With pure luck.

…Did Xia Ya accidentally give Ailora’s Summoned Beast a name that was actually real?

That suspicion had lingered in his heart for a long time.

And now, with Isadella personally verifying it, it was practically confirmed.

If Rhongomyniad could awaken the Holy Sword, then its true nature was self-evident.

—

"Although I had my suspicions before, I never expected that Holy Lance to truly return to the world… and to find a new wielder."

Isadella’s crimson eyes lingered on the Silver Lance for a long time before shifting to Ailora.

"You may not fully understand this yet, Miss Ailora… but Rhongomyniad is the equal of the Holy Sword."

"When fully awakened, its species rank will surpass the limits of ordinary Legendary-tier beings."

She hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"Some of the stories circulating in the Empire may sound exaggerated, but in truth, most of the legends… are real."

Her gaze locked onto Ailora’s face.

"As the Storm Anchor, the embodiment of the Tempest, a fully revived Rhongomyniad contains enough mystic power that its feedback to you could allow you to ascend to Legendary Tier in one step."

"Even breaking past the Throne-Tier Boundary… is not impossible."

The weight of those words would have shaken anyone to their core.

The chance to surpass the Throne-Tier Boundary…

That was beyond rare.

Even Xia Ya—despite his extraordinary talent—was considered only a Legendary-Tier Seed in most people’s eyes.

And even that was enough to make major factions desperately try to recruit or invest in him—whether through Isadella offering him the title of Swordbearer, or the Borgia family attempting a political marriage.

If word got out that Ailora had a real chance of surpassing the Throne-Tier Boundary, every transcendent faction would go to any length to recruit her.

Some would offer her leadership positions in their organizations.

Others would resort to outright abduction.

After all, the Western Continent was no longer in the Era of Cataclysm, when Saints were as common as dogs and Legendaries walked the streets.

Now, even a single Legendary was exalted, capable of founding an entire nation.

And a Throne-Tier being?

That was world-changing.

But under Isadella’s intense scrutiny…

The golden-haired girl simply tilted her head in confusion.

After briefly displaying her relic, she had already dismissed Rhongomyniad and returned to her unfinished tiramisu.

With a small silver spoon, she scooped up bites of dessert, occasionally offering some to Xia Ya.

To Ailora…

The world-shaking revelation Isadella had just dropped was far less important than sharing her dessert with Xia Ya.

Xia Ya’s eyes, however, gleamed with interest.

"Your Highness… you’ve also been chosen by the Holy Sword, haven’t you?"

"Yes."

"In that case… I assume the Imperial Family has quite a stockpile of transcendent materials for reviving ancient relics?"

"Since they’re just sitting there, why not spare some for Ailora?"

"Ailora is my person, and I am the Empire’s Swordbearer."

"So if you round things up a bit… isn’t this just an investment in the Empire’s strength?"

Isadella glanced between Ailora and Xia Ya.

Then, after a long silence, she shook her head, dismissing the thought of recruiting Ailora herself.

Ordinarily, if the Holy Lance of the First Emperor reappeared, the Imperial Family would never let its wielder slip through their grasp.

But after witnessing the Oath Hall Banquet firsthand, Isadella had come to understand something.

The bond between Xia Ya and Ailora was far beyond what she had initially assumed.

Not master and servant.

Not mere friends, lovers, or companions.

Their connection was absolute—something no outsider could ever interfere with.

"I see."

"That said, even though the Swordbearer and the Imperial Family are merely collaborators…"

Isadella chuckled softly.

"After this banquet… I suppose I do owe you quite a bit, Xia Ya."

The Holy Sword Had Nearly Awakened, but the Final Step Remained

With only one last push needed for its full revival, the excess high-tier evolution materials were now surplus.

Of course, calling them “surplus” didn’t mean they lacked buyers—on the contrary, high-grade evolution materials were always in demand.

But the value of what Xia Ya had done for Isadella far exceeded those resources.

If he hadn’t rejected the Borgia family's marriage proposal, the Imperial Family’s prestige would have suffered a crushing blow at the banquet.

If not for Xia Ya’s presence, Sylvia, the Master of the White Chalk Tower, would have never intervened to gravely wound Guderian.

And a Throne-Tier Beastmaster’s intervention was not something that could be bought with mere money.

It was entirely because of Xia Ya alone that the banquet’s outcome—one that could have determined the future fate of the entire Fresta Empire—was overturned.

“I’ll have someone send over the excess materials from the Royal Treasury,” Isadella said, her tone unusually gentle. “It’s not enough to repay my debts to you, but at the very least, I want to show my sincerity.”

She paused before adding, “No matter your reasons, the fact that you rejected that marriage proposal… was a huge favor to me.”

“Oh, think nothing of it,” Xia Ya replied with a righteous wave of his hand. “The Empire is my home, and it’s up to all of us to build it. Compared to those Old Nobles who do nothing but stir up trouble—and also happen to be my enemies—I’d much rather support you, Your Highness.”

She was one of his major financial backers, after all. It wouldn’t hurt to keep up appearances.

Though, to be fair, he had technically already landed a massive sugar mommy in Sylvia—a super-rich woman who came with an entire White Chalk Tower as her dowry.

Xia Ya had always been a pragmatist and had zero objections to living off a rich woman.

But his power system was rather unique.

With the System—especially the newly unlocked Sands of Time Marketplace—he rarely needed material resources from the real world.

The Sands of Time required for his own advancement could only be obtained through quests.

The real resource glutton… was Ailora.

Xia Ya had long made up his mind—he would not let Ailora suffer any disadvantages.

Whatever treatment she could have received under another faction, she must receive from him instead.

But reviving a Holy Relic…

If he wanted to speed up the process, there were only two options:

Wait and pray for luck.

Burn absurd amounts of money.

And now that he knew the true nature of Ailora’s First Soul Pact Summoned Beast—the Holy Lance… the amount of resources required would be beyond terrifying.

This was Throne-Tier potential.

Even if Xia Ya sold off every last business he owned in the Black Lily District, it wouldn’t even be a drop in the ocean.

Even if he was totally okay with letting Sugar Mommy Sylvia fund him…

Using one woman’s money to raise another woman…

If he actually did that, Xia Ya seriously feared he might end up in a Nice Boat-style murder scene.

"Xia Ya, I actually wouldn’t mind if you used the White Chalk Tower’s funds to help Ailora grow."

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"As long as… you give me a little ‘compensation’ in return."

A soft, melodic voice echoed in the depths of Xia Ya’s mind.

His entire body stiffened.

Slowly, he lifted his head—

And saw Sylvia, resting her chin on her delicate, snow-white wrist, smiling mischievously at him.

Mind-reading?

No. This wasn’t the Spirit Realm.

Even Legendary-tier Beastmasters couldn’t directly break into someone’s thoughts.

This was just Sylvia’s sheer analytical ability as a Throne-Tier Beastmaster—piecing together his emotions, subtle microexpressions, and his earlier conversation with Isadella to perfectly deduce his inner thoughts.

Dammit.

Do Throne-Tier Beastmasters really get to do whatever they want?!

…Wait.

They kinda do.

Xia Ya strengthened his poker face and sighed inwardly.

As for Sylvia’s proposal…

He decided to completely ignore it.

Putting aside his male pride, that "little compensation" sent PTSD chills down his spine.

Sylvia was not the naive little girl from years ago.

Her aggressiveness had reached frightening levels.

If she decided to stage a full-on White Album-style drama in front of Ailora…

Who knew how many days he'd have to kneel on a washboard afterward?

—

“Well, it’s getting late…”

“Though simple, this was a pleasant and heartwarming meal. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Isadella stood from her wooden chair and slipped back into her black-and-red Black Eagle military uniform.

She stepped to the door, where a carriage bearing the Black Eagle’s golden emblem had been waiting for quite some time.

“Oh, right.”

The Imperial Princess turned back toward Xia Ya.

“Augustina wanted me to relay a message to you.”

Augustina?

Xia Ya recalled the Queen of the Night—the woman he had briefly encountered within the Shadow Council.

Even then, something had seemed off about her.

And now, she had gone as far as violating the Shadow Council’s neutral stance by personally killing Guderian.

Still, at least for now, she appeared to be extending goodwill toward his side.

“What did she say?”

"I know you suspect the Holy Court… but it is not the Holy Court.

At least… not all of it."

"And be wary of the ‘Golden Dawn.’"

Isadella carefully repeated the words.

“That was the full extent of her message.”

—

“I’ve been investigating the Ceylan incident for a while now,” Isadella continued.

“The letter—yes, it was indeed sent by Guderian himself.”

"It was delivered personally by Lir, the Borgia family’s head butler, and exchanged with the fugitive Warwick. Only those three were involved."

“But… there are still some inconsistencies in this case.”

“And the biggest question is—Guderian’s true motive.”

"Yes, he wanted to seize Winter Flower’s Oathstone and the power of one of the Eight Oathbound Families—that much is clear."

"But was that really worth collaborating with a fugitive?"

"Winter Flower had already declined, its influence limited to Ceylan. It posed no threat to the Borgia family."

"And if the collaboration with a Holy Theocracy fugitive was exposed… the consequences would be devastating."

"It would shatter the Borgia family’s ties with the Holy Court."

A cold light flickered in Isadella’s crimson eyes.

“I originally suspected this was a joint scheme by the Holy Theocracy and the Borgia family.”

“That they orchestrated the entire Ceylan Uprising as puppetmasters, using Guderian and Warwick as disposable pawns to destabilize the Empire.”

“But now…”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m beginning to think… it’s not that simple.”