Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 63: The Actor’s Self-Cultivation

"Cangting will fall. Twilight will descend."

Just eight simple words, yet they sealed the fate of this ancient kingdom.

A gleam shone in Norton’s gloomy eyes.

A fire named ambition.

"Remember, while those cultists are still our allies for now…"

"When chaos erupts—they will no longer be allies, but enemies."

Norton turned his gaze toward Xia Ya, who stood respectfully by his side, and spoke again in a slow, deliberate manner.

"This nation is destined to end."

"When a giant falls, everyone will feast on its carcass, gnawing at its very bones."

"And in the chaos to come, Sylvia will be at the center of it all."

"The Twilight is about to break free and descend upon the world—she is the only key, the one who will ultimately determine the fate of that ancient god."

Norton's hoarse voice reminded Xia Ya of the desert rattlesnakes that slithered through the sands.

"When the riots begin, I will not be able to act personally. My status is too high, too conspicuous. Any misstep will draw the scrutiny of the elders supporting the family head."

"And those cultists aren’t fools. Though we’re working together for now, once the chaos starts, they will be wary of me as well. They will never fully trust me."

His hawk-like gaze swept over Xia Ya. After a long silence, he spoke again.

"When the time comes, you will be the variable that breaks the balance."

"Bring Sylvia to me. Take her to where she is meant to be. Let her fulfill her duty as a key."

"Remember, by any means necessary."

"Yes."

Xia Ya responded with utmost reverence.

Norton nodded in satisfaction at his answer.

Then, he finally stood up from the wide sofa.

Through the swirling smoke of ‘Dreamland’s Embrace,’ Norton gazed out at the darkened city beyond the window, his posture that of a king surveying his realm.

His aged voice suddenly softened.

"All of my children are dead."

"In my eyes, you, whom I took in and raised from childhood, are my own flesh and blood."

"Cangting is like an old man on his deathbed. No matter how much the family head struggles to prop it up, its ugliness and sickness cannot be hidden."

"When I seize the Twilight Throne, we will build a new nation upon the ashes of Cangting—one far more glorious than before."

"And you… will be my sole heir."

"When I ascend to the divine throne, you shall be the new king of this lost kingdom."

Damn. No wonder this old schemer had been plotting for years—his ability to paint grand visions was truly on another level.

Also, why does everyone want to adopt me?

Xia Ya couldn’t help but roast the situation in his mind.

Phrases like "sole heir," "future king," and "I have no children, so I see you as my own"—classic lines straight out of a textbook manipulation playbook.

If Norton truly cared about the orphans he took in, then why did he discard those family members who were loyal to the family but not to him without a second thought?

Of course, if Norton actually managed to usurp the authority and divinity of the Twilight Ancient God, he would need manpower.

After all, gods required faith to exist—otherwise, the Holy Theocracy and those cult factions wouldn’t have been founded in the first place.

And let’s be real, we all know how these so-called "Evil Gods" operate. Their form of "spreading the faith" is just another way of saying corruption, pollution, and brainwashing.

If Xia Ya truly became Norton’s "chosen heir," he’d most likely end up as a fanatic spouting praises of Twilight, worshiping Norton as the "Supreme Lord."

But even though Xia Ya was losing his mind roasting Norton in his head, he showed no trace of it on the surface.

Instead, his body trembled slightly.

A reaction that conveyed someone who was struggling to suppress overwhelming emotions—forced restraint despite the excitement boiling within.

Even his voice carried a subtle tremor.

"Lord Norton, I will not fail you."

Now that’s what you call an actor’s self-cultivation.

—

Once Xia Ya left the Grand Ducal Estate and reached the outskirts of the city, he finally dropped his pretense of composure.

He processed the information Norton had provided.

There were only seven days left before the catastrophe that would destroy the Principality of Cangting.

This was a bit sooner than Xia Ya had expected, but the timeframe was still manageable.

He scanned his surroundings with his mental energy, and upon confirming that no one was monitoring him, he activated "Spatial Pocket."

Two small figures materialized in his hands.

They were mechanical constructs shaped like birds, made entirely of metal. Their bodies were inscribed with simple tracking and functionality arrays.

"Mechanical Messengers"—exclusive products of the Steam School from the City of Knowledge, each priced at 500 Rhine Gold Coins.

As the name implied, their function was straightforward—

Delivering messages.

Xia Ya retrieved two prepared letters from the sub-dimensional space within his Spatial Pocket and folded them before placing them into the storage compartments of the two Mechanical Messengers.

Then, he set their destinations and recipients.

One Mechanical Messenger was bound northward—toward the border fortress at the edge of the Lost Domain, addressed to Grand Duke Branstat himself.

The other was headed south, to a neighboring country called Buzel.

A small, unremarkable nation on the Western Continent.

However, because it was subordinate to the Holy Theocracy and a devout follower of the Dawn Gods, the Royal Capital of Buzel housed a Grand Cathedral of the Church of Dawn—where a high-ranking Cardinal of the Theocracy resided.

That was the target Xia Ya had designated for the second Messenger.

Flap—

Flap—

The two Mechanical Messengers beat their metallic wings and ascended into the sky, quickly vanishing from Xia Ya’s sight.

With that done, Xia Ya returned to the Grand Ducal Estate and entered his own room.

After his Coming-of-Age Ceremony, his quarters had been upgraded—now more lavish and spacious.

From his pocket, he retrieved a terminal device.

The Magitech screen displayed a map of the royal capital and its surroundings, where two glowing dots—representing the two Mechanical Messengers—continued moving, distancing themselves from the capital as they made their way toward their designated targets.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Xia Ya emptied his mind and entered a meditative state to cultivate his mental energy.

Occasionally, he opened his eyes to check the screen on the terminal.

Hours passed without incident.

Until—

On the eighth hour, the glowing dot representing the Messenger heading to Cangting’s northern border suddenly fluctuated violently—then disappeared.

And half an hour later, the dot heading toward Buzel’s royal capital also vanished after a similar disturbance.