Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 43: The Big One Is Finally Here?

Xia Ya walked through the dim corridor, the flickering yellow light from the wall sconces casting shifting shadows.

At the end of the hallway was a spacious room. His guide stopped at the wooden door, solemnly reciting a long and intricate prayer.

The prayer was extensive.

It was filled with phrases like “The Lord who created all things,” “The omniscient and omnipotent God,” “The source of all greatness,” “The beginning and the end,” “The one and the many,” “Higher than the stars, older than eternity.” These grandiose descriptions were piled on without restraint.

Only after finishing did the guide gesture to Xia Ya before silently retreating.

Xia Ya pushed the door open. A lavishly dressed man lay half-reclined on a sofa.

On the table before him sat a tray of incense. Wisps of pale violet smoke curled into the air, filling the room with its intoxicating scent. The man’s aged face was partially obscured by the drifting smoke, his expression betraying an indescribable sense of indulgence.

“Dreamland’s Embrace”—

Xia Ya immediately recognized this alchemical narcotic. It was quite popular among mid-tier nobility, known for inducing vivid hallucinations and an almost euphoric state.

Ordinary Dreamland’s Embrace was merely a recreational indulgence for lesser nobles. But this—without a doubt—was an enhanced variant, potent enough to make even a Fourth-Ring Master-Tier Beastmaster succumb to blissful oblivion.

If other members of the Branstat Family were to witness this scene, they would be utterly shocked.

To them, Elder Norton, as the family’s Acting Head, had always been a pillar of wisdom and stability—the very foundation of the family’s strength.

Even his most loyal confidants would be surprised.

To them, Elder Norton was the Lord’s Executor in the mortal realm, secretly preparing for a grand scheme—one that would overthrow the Cangting Principality and free the Lord from his ancient seal in accordance with the Twilight’s Will.

A leader of such a doomsday cult, a figure akin to a pontiff, ought to be an ascetic monk—a devout zealot, not someone indulging in such hedonistic pleasures.

Xia Ya had initially assumed the same—that Norton was just another corrupted cult leader, much like the Ashen Pontiff, plotting some earth-shattering event from the shadows.

But now it seemed… the part about big plans was true.

As for being a fanatic zealot? That was now highly questionable.

“Lord Norton.”

Xia Ya respectfully stepped up to the sofa, unfazed by the sheer decadence before him.

Norton sat up slightly, a faint smile appearing on his aged face.

“This is a new formula, modified by the alchemists of the Lost Kingdoms. Just arrived through black market channels—quite effective.”

He gestured toward the tray of Dreamland’s Embrace. “Care to try some?”

“I appreciate Lord Norton’s generosity,” Xia Ya responded humbly. “However, my strength is still lacking. If I were to lose myself in indulgence and delay your plans, I would be deserving of death.”

Seeing Xia Ya’s composed and respectful demeanor, Norton nodded in satisfaction.

“Well, that’s fair. This would indeed be a bit too intense for someone who hasn’t yet reached the Fourth-Ring.”

Within the Branstat Family, Norton held immense power—his words alone could mobilize the majority of the clan’s forces.

However, there was a clear distinction among those who followed him.

Most obeyed because he was a family elder and acting patriarch.

A smaller number were loyal followers—individuals whom he had corrupted using Twilight’s power, devoted not to him, but to the Lord sealed beneath the family estate.

But only Xia Ya—an outsider raised under Norton’s watchful eye, with no allies within the family and his very fate in Norton’s hands—was truly loyal to him, Norton the individual.

Elder Norton rose from the sofa, his authoritative gaze sweeping across the room.

“I’ve been watching your actions—your performance during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, and your recent interactions with Sylvia.”

“To suppress your hatred, to approach Sylvia and gain her trust—this is commendable.”

“Since you’ve already come this far, there are some things I can finally share with you.”

Hearing these words, Xia Ya’s mind sharpened with anticipation.

The big one is finally here?

From the moment he first entered the Historical Echo, Xia Ya had known that Elder Norton was plotting something enormous.

But until now, it had all been riddles and cryptic hints, leaving him unable to grasp the full picture.

Now, at last, all the preliminaries were over. The real game was about to begin.

And this time, Elder Norton wasn’t holding back.

He spoke plainly—no more mysteries.

“Sixteen years ago, the Twilight descended upon the Principality and was ultimately sealed away by several Legendary-tier Beastmasters and the young Patriarch working together.”

“The majority of the Twilight’s power was locked within the family’s underground sealing array. However, a smaller fragment was sealed inside the newborn daughter of the Patriarch—my niece, Sylvia.”

“In terms of raw power, the fragment inside Sylvia is insignificant. After all, a newborn infant could never contain such overwhelming energy.”

“But her soul is unique—a one-in-a-million anomaly.”

“Beyond that fragment of power, she also absorbed the Twilight’s Authority and its entire divinity.”

“Ancient Gods cannot be slain—not by Legendary-tier Beastmasters, not by any means available to mortals. Even maintaining the seal requires immense effort—especially since the Principality has no permanent Legendary-tier guardian.”

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“But if the divinity and authority are extracted from the Twilight, then its remaining power is nothing more than an inert pool of energy, incapable of causing harm.”

“In other words, the peace and stability of the Cangting Principality for the past sixteen years… have all been purchased at the cost of her life.”

Norton gazed at the swirling violet smoke of Dreamland’s Embrace, speaking words that could shake the entire Principality to its core.

Xia Ya had suspected as much, but this was the first time he had received definitive confirmation.

“All these years, hidden organizations from the Lost Kingdoms have been infiltrating the Principality.”

“They believe they’ve invested tremendous effort to corrupt me—convinced that I, a high-ranking member of the Branstat Family, have finally fallen to their influence.”

“But what they fail to realize is…”

A cold, mocking smile flickered across Norton’s aged face.

“They’re the ones being played.”

“In three months, these hidden organizations will orchestrate a grand rebellion—one even greater than the one seventeen years ago.”

“A number of Titled-tier High Priests from these groups will personally take action—for the sole purpose of freeing their imprisoned Lord.”

“And what I need you to do…”

Norton’s piercing gaze locked onto Xia Ya. He spoke each word with deliberate clarity.

“…is to ensure that amidst the chaos, you seize control of Sylvia.”

“Bring her to me.”

“Then—”

“Let her fulfill the duty of a key. The role of a vessel.”