Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 160: Leaving a Mark That Belongs Only to Me in Your Heart

Black flames flickered.

As the pale golden script fully formed in midair, the expression on the black-robed elder's face froze along with it.

?

As a Legendary powerhouse of the Fresta Empire, even though he hadn’t had deep dealings with cults in the past, he still had the insight befitting a Legend.

And the Ashen Order?

It was nothing but a pile of sticky dogsh*t—obsessed with burning, setting fire, and destroying—despised by all.

And now, what the Ashen Order was secretly preparing through him was the ritual for divine descent.

According to his expectations, the Lord of Ashes’ descent ritual would most likely require the sacrificial burning of hundreds, if not thousands.

Might even demand a whole street, or even half the district’s population as burial offerings.

He had already made preparations—mobilizing his loyal deathsworn, gathering prisoners and slaves from black markets and secret auctions across the land to serve as sacrifices for the ritual.

But now, those pale golden lines of text in the air...

Were crystal clear. Not a single mistake or misreading possible.

Buzz—

The hum of a mana crystal echoed through the empty room.

A ring on the black-robed elder’s finger radiated a clear magical glow, dispersing throughout the chamber.

It was a high-grade alchemical artifact, engraved with enchantments specifically to dispel illusions and enchantments.

Yet even after more than ten seconds had passed and the anti-illusion glow faded, the text above the Giant King’s skull remained unchanged.

“…Makes sense, I suppose.”

The black-robed elder took a deep breath, sinking into thought.

“After all, this is about a divine descent—something that could determine the fate of the Empire… even reshape the distribution of faith across the entire Western Continent after the upheaval.”

“The Lord of Ashes is, after all, a True God. It’s one thing to let his followers run around screaming ‘burn burn burn’ like lunatics on a normal day…”

“But when it comes to something this important, surely he’d take it seriously. Try to make the ritual more subtle, to avoid being discovered and interfering with the plan.”

“As for these ritual requirements…”

“They may seem simple, but at least they’re still related to the Authority of Flame.”

After all, the power used to draw down the divine descent still came from that relic skull.

And the ritual itself?

Its main purpose was just to serve as a trigger. As long as the intent was there, it was enough.

The Ashen Order had burned countless souls over the centuries. They probably didn’t need the few hundred sacrifices he had prepared anyway.

With that in mind, the black-robed elder seized the inspiration in his heart.

“My lord…”

The loyal subordinate nearby saw the elder lost in thought and leaned in, speaking hesitantly.

Only to see the black-robed elder wave his hand—

“What are you dawdling for? Go follow the Lord of Ashes’ instructions.”

“Follow his instructions… you mean we’re really going to buy beef and dice it into mince?”

The subordinate asked in disbelief.

“What else?”

“This is the divine oracle descended from the Ashen Order’s supreme relic. You think it’s fake?”

The elder shot his subordinate a cold glance.

He himself had doubted it at first—this unexpected ritual prep was certainly beyond what he had imagined.

But whether it was the method of delivering the relic or the terrifying aura from that pale skull—

all of it proved its rank and authenticity.

“Activate the entire network. Fulfill the ritual requirements to perfection.”

“Especially the heat control. Make sure to hire professional fire-element Beastmasters to handle it. The final product must be flawless—especially the doneness levels. Not even a hint of deviation.”

“Also, everything must be done in complete secrecy. If the Military Department or the Order Bureau’s hounds get wind of anything, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

“Of course.”

The subordinate nodded.

Both he and the elder knew—this was a business that could cost your head.

He raised his head and memorized each line of ritual requirements written in that pale golden text in the air.

Just before leaving, the subordinate suddenly paused at the doorway and hesitated:

“My lord, what about all those sacrificial victims we previously gathered through various underground channels…?”

“Wipe their memories, then send them back.”

The black-robed elder thought for a moment, then replied.

Though the Empire was vast, the sudden disappearance of hundreds or thousands of people might still alert the Order Bureau, the Military Department, or even the newly established Swordbearers.

Now that those sacrifices were no longer needed, it was best to return them exactly as they were.

“Remember—buy the highest quality beef. Hire the best chefs…”

“Yes, sir.”

…

And so—

A few days later—

Famous chefs from all across the Western Continent, along with several fire-element specialist Fifth- and Sixth-Ring Beastmasters, were invited to the Imperial Capital under various pretexts—

under banners like “Chef Symposium” or “Fire Attribute Summoned Beast Exchange Forum.”

The official claim was that they were there to participate in culinary competitions and cooking technique seminars.

And behind the scenes?

They really were… cooking beef.

Ashes of the Imaginary Belt, Eden.

“Whoa, they’re really going all out, huh.”

Xia Ya lounged on the sofa in the living room of the spacious villa in Eden, grilling skewers as he observed the Imperial Capital from afar through the mental imprint he’d left on the Giant King’s skull.

Even he hadn’t expected the Legendary turncoat in the capital to be so diligent in carrying out the casually issued commands from his imprint.

The guy had even gone the extra mile to create a whole culinary expo and chef networking event just to throw people off.

Even the seminar theme was “Beef.”

They were just one step away from holding a full-blown Shokugeki no Beef.

“At this point, I think I’ve actually contributed to enriching the Empire’s culinary wasteland, right?”

“Hopefully, Her Highness the Imperial Princess will remember my good intentions and reward me more generously when the time comes.”

Xia Ya muttered to himself while pulling a few sizzling skewers from the fading black flames, ignoring the aggrieved look from Little Snow Ferret.

Over the past few days, as the chaotic currents of the River of Time began to stabilize,

not just Yin, but Shiny and Crimson had also gradually awakened from the temporal disruption.

And so, Eden, which had fallen into a bit of quiet with Little Ai in seclusion, had once again become lively.

The news that Yin had successfully advanced to the Legendary Tier and even established a brand-new Legendary species, the Limitbreaker Snow Ferret, instantly made Shiny and Crimson envious.

Everyone had been asleep for the past ten years—so why was Big Sis the only one who managed a breakthrough?

They wanted to become Limitbreaker Sealed Stone Monkey and Limitbreaker Silver Spirit too!

With the looming crisis of Big Sis about to permanently monopolize the cuddle spot next to their master, both Shiny and Crimson doubled their training intensity with renewed determination.

But of course, there’s a reason why the Legendary Tier is known as an insurmountable barrier—

It’s not so easy to break through.

Opportunities like Yin’s, absorbing a supreme cult relic, were incredibly rare.

If one relied solely on training, then advancing to the Legendary Tier could only be achieved through long-term accumulation over time.

And ten years, while not short, was still nothing when compared to the lifespan of Legendary-tier Summoned Beasts, which often spanned over a thousand years.

While every one of Xia Ya’s Summoned Beasts was desperate to reach the Legendary Tier, afraid of being left behind,

Only Yui remained as calm as ever.

After all, being the latest addition to the team, she was still enjoying all the perks of being the newbie—

With the advantages of the Black Knight Mech and Solar Furnace, her position was completely secure.

So, while Yin was dragged into use as a meat-roasting tool, and the other two were hard at work training,

Only Yui condensed herself into the form of a tiny fairy using her liquid metal, landing lightly on Xia Ya’s shoulder and swinging her legs with nothing better to do.

“Master, Master... the chaos in the River of Time has mostly calmed down. There are still minor temporal fluctuations, but with your current tier, it should be safe to travel.”

Xia Ya stared at the skewer sizzling over the black flame. “Finally, it’s time.”

“If that’s the case, then once Little Ai finishes her seclusion, we can return to the Material Plane.”

“Return to the Material Plane... does that mean I’ll get to see Mom again?”

In her tiny fairy form, Yui blinked her mercury-forged eyes while fluttering her wings lightly.

The “Mom” she referred to was, of course, the Saintess of Dawn—Suren.

After all, her creation was half thanks to Xia Ya and the other half due to Suren’s skill as a mechanist.

Xia Ya only provided the concept and blueprints—he wasn’t specialized in the mechanical arts. Without the Saintess’ help, many of his designs would never have become reality.

“Mm... but Suren’s current situation is a little complicated.”

“She’s gotten involved with Golden Dawn... though it seems it wasn’t by force. Looks like she willingly chose to get involved, though I don’t know what her reasons are.”

“She couldn’t be trying to milk that secret organization dry like I am... could she?”

Xia Ya took a bite of the skewer grilled with Amaterasu by Yin and fell into thought.

Even though they were close, Suren and Little Ai were very different—Suren had always been clever and decisive.

Just like back when she parted with Xia Ya in Lokiah—

He had no idea she would end up going to Firenze in the Holy Theocracy and eventually pass all of the Church’s trials to become the Saintess of Dawn.

In that sense, her personality wasn’t all that different from his own...

Which made the Saintess of Dawn feel like a mirror version of Xia Ya—

Always veiled in a layer of mist he couldn’t quite see through.

“But regardless, as the Saintess of Dawn, her safety is absolutely guaranteed within the Holy Court.”

“And when it comes to the Golden Dawn secret gatherings held above the Black Mist, I’m keeping an eye on her myself. So her safety should be fine too.”

Xia Ya finished off the skewer in his hand and frowned slightly. “A little overcooked.”

“Understood. Adjusting the cooking time in the recipe—reduce by five to ten seconds according to Master’s preference.”

Yui’s crisp voice rang beside his ear.

“So thoughtful. You really are my perfect little cotton jacket.”

Xia Ya patted the little fairy-form Yui on the head.

He had no choice. From a transmigrator’s perspective—

Not just the Empire, but the entire Western Continent was an utter wasteland when it came to food.

So to satisfy his picky stomach, Xia Ya could only do things himself.

Whether it was cooking on his own, promoting his hometown’s cuisine in the capital, or even getting Little Ai to learn how to cook—

It was all out of necessity.

But just as he finished praising Yui, Xia Ya instantly regretted it.

Because the next moment, he heard the soft footsteps coming down from the second floor—

Gradually approaching—

Accompanied by the familiar, faint scent of sandalwood that had been with him day and night for the past ten years, now etched deep into his soul.

“You said... back when you saved me in Ceylan, that you wanted me to be your beautiful girl, your sweet little cotton jacket.”

“But looking at things now, you’ve got a few too many little cotton jackets, don’t you, Xia Ya?”

A pleasant voice whispered in his ear.

And then—

A soft, warm body sat down next to him on the sofa.

Airola leaned her head against Xia Ya’s shoulder, her sandalwood-scented golden hair brushing against his neck, bringing with it a ticklish warmth.

Xia Ya felt her soft hands gently massaging his temples.

“It’s been so many years... and Little Ai, you’re still like this. Even jealous of a mechanical pet?”

Xia Ya teased as he pinched the golden-haired girl’s soft cheek.

Still that same lovely texture, just like back when they were in Ceylan together.

Ten years had passed—

But aside from being a little more relaxed, Ai’s personality hadn’t changed a bit.

Her face flushed slightly from Xia Ya’s teasing,

But she didn’t push him away.

Instead, she leaned closer into his arms on her own.

Feeling the soft warmth in his embrace, Xia Ya felt a heat rise within.

His fingers twitched, just about to act—

But then he spotted two little heads peeking over the back of the sofa.

Yin and Yui, having paused their work, were now staring at him with gleaming eyes.

“This is grown-up business. What are little kids doing here, nosing around?”

He waved a hand, and Yui immediately turned obediently back into her undying metal form.

Together with Yin, she returned to the Soul Pact Space.

Even so, inside the Soul Pact Space, the two pets were still chirping away.

The stock market that had been frozen for ten years was now open again with the return of all the pets.

And at this moment, Yin was unquestionably in the lead.

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No helping it. In the simulation market Yui had created using her powerful computing ability—

Stocks like Sylvia, the Second Imperial Princess, Master, and Suren (her own “mom”) were all showing chaotic trends—

Up and down, anyone could take the lead.

But the Airola stock—

Ever since she and Xia Ya entered the Ashes of the Imaginary Belt and started living together in Eden—

Had been in a bull market for ten straight years.

As of now, she had completely outpaced the others by a massive margin.

“Mommy, you’d better work hard…”

Inside the Soul Pact Space—

Watching Yin smugly wag her tail, Yui muttered under her breath.

No helping it. As someone who had gone all in on the “Suren stock,”

She had no choice but to bow—er, lower her tail—to the leader of the Xia-Ai camp, Yin.

But—

As long as there’s no marriage yet, there’s still a chance.

Team Suren never gives up!

With all the pets having returned to the Soul Pact Space,

Xia Ya’s hands grew restless again, sliding up along the golden-haired girl’s waist.

Hmm...

Still just as flat and solid as ever—ten years without a single change.

"So this is the legendary, deeply-rooted, steelboard genetics? Stronger than dragon bloodlines?"

Xia Ya sighed inwardly.

Airola didn’t resist his little gesture. Instead, she nestled even closer into his embrace.

“I wasn’t jealous because of Yui…”

“It’s because of Suren.”

She spoke softly while leaning into Xia Ya’s arms, her breath warm and slightly damp against his skin.

“When we return to the Material Plane… you’re going to see them, aren’t you?”

“Not just Suren, but also Sylvia, Her Highness the Princess... all of them.”

“You’re planning to get involved in the cults’ conspiracy to overthrow the Empire, and use that as your opportunity to return, right?”

Xia Ya nodded.

“When are those cultists planning to act?”

He thought for a moment.

“Tomorrow evening in Material Plane time. Based on Eden’s now-stabilized time flow, that’s about a week from now.”

He didn’t deny it—because it was something he was definitely going to do.

After ten years apart, to say he didn’t miss Xibao, Suren, Isadella, and the others—

Would be a blatant lie.

And he didn’t bother lying, because in front of this golden-haired girl who knew him inside and out, lies were meaningless.

If that weren’t the case, she wouldn’t have crossed a thousand years of history to come into the Imaginary Belt,

To spend ten whole years in Eden by his side.

“I knew it.”

Airola let out a soft sigh.

“The more I get to know you, Xia Ya, the more I understand…”

“How hard it is… to have you all to myself.”

“But…”

She paused for a moment.

“At least for now—at least right now—”

“We haven’t returned to the Material Plane yet. We’re still in Eden.”

She stared into Xia Ya’s eyes from an incredibly close distance, her sky-blue eyes locking onto his, and spoke slowly, word by word:

“So, Xia Ya.”

“In this final month—”

“I’m going to leave a mark in your heart that belongs to me and me alone.”