Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 114 – Before Dawn Arrives, Someone Has to Light Up the Darkness

Chapter 114 – Before Dawn Arrives, Someone Has to Light Up the Darkness

“Your Excellency Kayin, shall we leave it here?”

A respectful voice came from outside the door.

Xia Ya pushed it open, only to see a squad of knights lined up neatly outside his house.

Behind them, their tall warhorses carried chest after chest of carefully arranged jewels and gold.

The lead knight looked handsome and resolute, giving off a warm and gentle presence.

But at this moment, the look he gave Xia Ya was filled with an indescribable complexity, making even his gleaming silver knight armor appear somewhat dull.

“Much appreciated, Sir Gawain, and all of you.”

Xia Ya wore a faint smile and pointed to the floor in front of him. “Just place it here.”

He was playing his role to the hilt now—every line delivered like a man burdened with the fate of the nation.

A pure textbook Jack Sue to balance out all the Mary Sues.

Clink, clink…

The chests full of gold and jewels were carried into Xia Ya’s room.

There were over a dozen massive crates, each packed to the brim.

Looking at the mountain of treasure piled up, Xia Ya couldn’t help but whistle. “The King sure is generous... this must’ve cleared out the whole treasury.”

“Please pass a message to Her Majesty for me, Sir Gawain…”

“If the ruler treats me as a national hero, then I shall repay her as one.”

Yet, in the face of Xia Ya’s words, the handsome knight leading the group still wore a complicated expression.

He waved his hand, dismissing the other knights before closing the door.

After doing all this, the knight looked at Xia Ya’s face—or more accurately, the spiral-patterned mask—

and spoke in a deep voice.

“Drop the act, Kayin.”

That made Xia Ya freeze mid-motion. He narrowed his eyes, examining the knight before him.

The Sun Knight—Gawain.

One of the most famous grand knights under the Knight King besides himself, a Titled-tier powerhouse known as the “Sun Knight.”

Also a future member of the Round Table.

A figure etched into the pages of history.

Could it be that his act had been seen through?

Xia Ya didn’t think he had slipped up, but he knew Gawain was the kind of guy who had muscles for brains, running purely on intuition.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have earned the nickname “Gorilla.”

With people who had Intuition, suspicion didn’t require logic or evidence.

With that in mind, Xia Ya’s dark eyes beneath the spiral mask silently lit up with three silver moons.

Though Gawain was Six-Ring, Xia Ya’s illusions had always been the bane of hotheaded types.

The next moment, Gawain stepped forward.

“Even though Her Majesty didn’t tell us the truth and only gave the order to split and retreat…”

“I saw the sorrow that flashed in her eyes when she mentioned you.”

Gawain spoke heavily, his usually sunny expression clouded with gloom.

“Kayin, you’re not seriously planning to stay behind alone, are you?”

For a moment there… I actually believed this gorilla had seen through my disguise.

Xia Ya glanced at the conflicted expression on Gawain’s face and replied calmly,

“Her Majesty kept it from you to avoid causing concern.”

“But I didn’t expect you’d figure it out.”

“Just make sure not to tell anyone else. If word spreads and shakes morale, you should know what kind of consequences that would bring.”

“Of course!”

Gawain looked fired up. “I may not be as cunning or composed as you or Her Majesty, but I’m not stupid.”

“I understand perfectly why you chose to keep this hidden!”

No, no, you’re totally an airhead.

Xia Ya resisted the urge to say it aloud and responded lightly,

“As long as you understand.”

“Though you joined the coalition later than most, neither I nor Her Majesty have ever doubted your loyalty.”

As he spoke, he turned to glance at the crates of gold and jewels.

A faint, vague laugh drifted from his spiral mask.

“No need to feel bad for me, Sir Gawain.”

“When someone pays you, it’s only natural you settle their debts.”

“The King rewarded me this generously—of course I need to repay her in kind.”

“You…”

Gawain opened his mouth, but found his voice dry and stiff.

“With your status in the coalition and among the people—and with how highly the King values you…”

“Once the land is unified and a new nation is founded, you’ll be second only to the throne, standing above all others.”

“Compared to that, this little bit of treasure is nothing. A mere drop in the ocean…”

His words trailed off halfway, unable to continue.

Truth be told, most lords and nobles chose to follow the Knight King as an investment.

If she really succeeded in uniting Aisgania, they would become founding ministers of the new empire.

And the greatest among them would undoubtedly be Kayin—anyone in the coalition could see how much the King trusted him...

Yet here he was, voluntarily giving up that bright future, all to give the others a greater chance at survival.

“Yeah…”

Xia Ya’s voice remained calm.

“Everyone dreams of becoming a founding minister.”

“Of being granted land and titles after victory. Of receiving rewards a hundredfold.”

“But… in this chaotic world, if we seek change—if we seek victory—how could there be no cost?”

“We’ve had it too easy on this journey.”

“So easy that many have forgotten—war is no child’s game. From the beginning, there was never a perfect, no-death, best-case scenario.”

“No sacrifice, no victory.”

He turned, gazing out the window at the dark, gloomy night sky.

Only the black cloak with red clouds on his back fluttered in the evening breeze.

“But aren’t you afraid of dying?”

Gawain couldn’t help but ask.

Yet the only reply he got was that same vague, misty voice.

“Of course I’m afraid.”

“Even ants cling to life—how could I be any different?”

Xia Ya paused for a moment.

“But—”

“Before the dawn arrives, someone has to light up the darkness, even if just a little.”

“Some things… are more important than the rest.”

…

That cloaked figure in Xiao’s robes wasn’t even that broad-shouldered.

But to Gawain at that moment, it felt impossibly grand—

A silhouette stretched endlessly under the backdrop of the night,

a lone back turned to the world.

“Your Excellency Kayin, please… let me stay behind with you—”

Looking at Kayin in front of him, Gawain felt a blazing fire ignite within his heart.

He was the one known as the Sun Knight, the radiant sun that lit up the battlefield...

From the very beginning, Gawain had set this as his goal—faithfully upholding the virtues of knighthood, striving to illuminate others with the glory of a knight.

But now, standing before Kayin, he felt his own radiance was so small, like a single firefly before a full moon.

It was only at this moment that Gawain truly understood the real meaning behind the Xiao Organization.

However, as if Xia Ya had already predicted what he was about to say, the moment Gawain spoke, he was cut off.

“Sir Gawain, you’re a knight too. You should know—

the battlefield is no place for emotion, and more people staying behind doesn’t make the rear guard more effective.”

“I know your strength is formidable. You’ve contracted a powerful sword-type Holy Relic, and under the sun, you gain a significant power boost.”

“But that’s public knowledge—the enemy surely knows it too. Don’t you think they’d prepare accordingly?”

“Their encirclement is bound to happen under the cover of night. By then, your combat power would drop by over thirty percent.”

“To be blunt—if you stayed behind to cover the retreat with me, you’d only drag me down.”

“I…”

Gawain opened his mouth but found himself completely unable to argue.

“The breakthrough zone is your true battlefield.”

“Without your power, we may suffer even greater losses.”

Xia Ya waved a hand. “Alright, go report back to Her Majesty.”

“If you’re gone too long, she might start worrying.”

“Besides, in these last moments, I’d like some time to prepare, to get into the right state of mind.”

“Who knows? Maybe I had a slim chance to find a way out, but if I’m off my game thanks to you lingering here—I might just die.”

A few heavy-handed truths came down like a hammer, leaving Gawain completely deflated.

His face flushed red, his gaze conflicted. He tried to speak several times, but ultimately held back.

Because it was true.

If he really ruined Kayin’s slim chance of survival, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.

Watching Gawain bow in a proper knight’s salute, then turn and leave—closing the door gently behind him as he went—Xia Ya let out a long sigh of relief.

Finally got that gorilla out of here.

If he’d kept insisting on staying to cover the retreat with him, that would’ve been seriously annoying.

[Secondary Important Character “Sun Knight Gawain” Favorability +20]

[Current Favorability: 70 (Reverence)]

The sky-blue text appeared in Xia Ya’s mind, causing his expression to stiffen slightly.

Seventy favorability—according to the system’s description, if Gawain were female, it’d already be high enough to trigger a romance route.

Didn’t think this guy was that simple. A few inspirational lines and he was completely convinced.

Xia Ya’s gaze swept across the piles of treasure in his room.

The next moment, with a simple thought, he stashed it all into Shiny’s spatial pouch.

The Knight King and the grand knights all assumed that Kayin only accepted the treasure as a formality.

After all, in a world like this, tangible assets like territory or transcendent materials to boost one's power were far more valuable than money no one could spend.

But only Xia Ya knew—he actually needed that money.

Titles, land, being second only to the throne—Xia Ya had no way of cashing any of it out. It was useless to him.

And when the Fresta Empire was eventually founded, he’d likely already be infamous throughout history, with no chance of receiving any of those rewards.

Instead, this gold and silver—worth little in a war-torn land—would be completely different once he exited the Historical Echo and returned to reality.

It gave him the feeling of opening a two-way portal between worlds and smuggling goods for profit.

“Shiny.”

With a light call from Xia Ya, the fuzzy little golden monkey materialized from the void.

“Chichi~ (Master, I missed you sooo much!)”

The moment it appeared, Shiny leapt onto Xia Ya’s shoulder without hesitation.

Originally, it shared shoulder space with Big Sis Silver—one on each side.

But ever since Crimson joined the team, its spot had become increasingly unstable. Fortunately, Xia Ya liked holding Crimson’s Star-Spirit form like a plush toy in his arms, so Shiny barely managed to keep its seat.

Then came the white cat.

And Shiny completely lost its spot.

Worse yet, the three who took its place—Silver was the oldest and the Big Sis, Crimson was the team’s main muscle and poster girl, and the white cat… was a hidden god-tier being.

It couldn’t beat any of them. Most of the time, it just stared longingly while sleeping in the Soul Pact Space.

So now that it finally got to come out and breathe fresh air, of course it had to make the most of it.

“Shiny, can you get us out of this Historical Echo?”

Xia Ya asked.

The little golden monkey on his shoulder paused for two seconds before nodding.

“Chichi~ (Yeah, but it’ll take a little time.)”

“Good.”

Xia Ya nodded.

Though the “Flashback Pocket Watch” could also force an exit, that was a pricey, single-use life-saving item—better to save it.

And besides, with his current undead status, life-saving items didn’t really mean much anymore.

In previous Historical Echoes, Xia Ya had always followed the quest markers and exited only after reaching certain key nodes.

But as an official mission, this Historical Echo had much higher freedom—aside from two major objectives, there were no strict limitations on his path. Not even the exit point was provided.

Which meant the timing to leave was entirely up to him.

And what he told Gawain earlier about wanting to prepare wasn’t a lie.

“This battle… will be the final curtain call of the ‘Black Knight’ Kayin.”

“And also… the turning point of the Xiao Organization.”

Xia Ya’s eyes darkened.

Over the past half-year, the Xiao Organization’s name had soared, and the title of Black Knight Kayin was now renowned across the land...

The purple-tier legend entries and titles, along with 50 favorability points from the Knight King and the Cardinal, were the fruits of his effort.

But—

This was as far as it went.

Artoris, the Cardinal… all the major faction leaders were either Legendary-tier or future Legends.

As top-tier powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the Transcendent world, with mental oceans of their own, their minds were already complete. They viewed their hearts from higher ground, unshakable and resolute.

They weren’t like Gawain—the kind of hot-blooded fool who could be won over with a few inspirational lines into heartfelt reverence.

For example, if Xia Ya had encountered Sylvia only after she had already become a Legendary-tier powerhouse,

even if the exact same things happened again, she might be grateful…

but it would never leave the kind of deep, soul-carving imprint that had lasted across five hundred years in reality.

According to Xia Ya’s estimation,

getting the Knight King’s favorability to 50 points in such a short time—to the level of “a trusted confidant”—was already the limit.

If he were to remain under his current identity, going further would require years, even decades, or possibly over a century of companionship.

Time would have to accumulate before that bond could deepen.

Likewise, the prestige of the Xiao Organization and the Black Knight had also reached a threshold...

If things continued step by step as they were, he’d be stuck at this level with no way to break through quickly.

Xia Ya naturally couldn’t afford to stay in a Historical Echo for decades or centuries.

But he also wasn’t satisfied with just a purple legend rank and 50 favorability points.

His legend status—at the very least—should be gold.

And as for the Knight King’s favorability? It had to break 70, no less.

So, Xia Ya planned to use more drastic methods.

“After all…”

He smiled silently.

“No living man can ever surpass the dead.”

As long as someone’s alive, they’ll always be picked apart and doubted.

Because human nature simply can’t accept that a living person might accomplish something completely beyond what they themselves can do.

But once someone dies—then they become untouchable.

“Black Knight Kayin.”

That name would live on in people’s memories forever, mourned and glorified, idealized and magnified…

Their impressions would be frozen in time, forever locked in his most radiant, most heroic moment—eternal and unblemished.

The Xiao Organization could take this chance to retreat behind the scenes and enter its second phase.

And when the mourning and nostalgia reached their peak...

that’s when the twist would come.

Half angel, half devil. One thought away from divinity or damnation.

Absolutely perfect.

So...

this final act belonging to the “Black Knight”—

Xia Ya would make sure to prepare it well.

He would leave behind the most dazzling, radiant...

awe-inspiring back that would be etched into everyone’s heart forever.

“Chichi~ (Master, I’ve activated the ability. It’ll take a few dozen seconds to exit the Historical Echo.)”

With Shiny’s prompt, Xia Ya could feel his body gradually fading.

Becoming hazy, translucent—his presence in this timeline swiftly dispersing.

Until finally—he vanished into nothingness.

...

In the distant lord’s estate,

Isadella sensed the Holy Sword at her waist suddenly flicker.

In the next instant, she felt an immense, mysterious force surge from the sword once again.

“The Holy Sword’s power is exhausted… it can no longer sustain my presence in this timeline.”

“Looks like I’ll need to wait for it to recharge before entering again.”

She nodded slightly.

Through the Soul Pact she shared with the sword, Isadella could clearly feel it.

With every step she took as “Artoris” down the path of the Knight King,

the restraints on the Holy Sword had gradually loosened.

At this rate, when Aisgania was fully unified, on the day the Fresta Empire was founded—

that would be the day the Holy Sword returned to its peak state, and she ascended to the Throne Tier.

The next moment,

that vast mysterious force carried Isadella, flowing back downstream along the River of Time.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

...

In the study, Xia Ya slowly opened his eyes.

Perhaps because this Historical Echo had occurred far earlier in time than the one involving the Cangting Ancient Kingdom,

the journey through the River of Time upon exiting had taken longer.

Unlike the past, where he’d felt dazed, dizzy, and muddle-headed upon returning from a Historical Echo—

this time, with his improved tier and the Sands of Time boosting his affinity with time-space laws,

Xia Ya could now clearly perceive everything within the River of Time.

It was a brand-new experience—

and it deepened his understanding of the River of Time even further.

Looking at the familiar furniture inside his Black Lily District residence,

Xia Ya quickly grabbed pen and paper and began writing down his thoughts and insights from the journey.

“If the Historical Echo is a record of real history,”

“Then if I were to rewrite that past—say, kill the Knight King before the Fresta Empire is founded—what would happen to the present?”

“Would the Empire simply vanish? Would reality be overturned...?”

“Or is there some kind of historical correction force that would ensure another grand knight steps in as leader and still founds the empire, minimizing the change to preserve the historical trajectory?”

“Or perhaps... I wouldn’t even get the chance to kill the Knight King.”

“Maybe the River of Time’s inertia would block me—or even erase me—before I could alter history that drastically?”

“Erasure might be too extreme... but based on what the Sands of Time helped me understand, and what I just experienced—”

“There absolutely is a thing called historical inertia, or historical correction force.”

“To change the historical trajectory, I’d need strength that matches it. The more I try to defy the original timeline, the stronger the resistance.”

“Even a Throne-tier being with time-space affinity would find it extremely difficult to alter history.”

“But this leads to a new question.”

Xia Ya’s pen paused briefly.

“Why... when I entered the Historical Echo of the Cangting Ancient Kingdom—was there no resistance at all?”

“Sylvia is a real Throne-tier, and the White Tower is one of the most powerful factions on the Western Continent. That should’ve counted as part of the historical trajectory—

So why was I able to interfere so freely?”

“If I hadn’t intervened, Norton’s plan would likely have succeeded—yet history didn’t play out that way.”

“Unless... I myself am part of the historical trajectory?”

“Or maybe—who am I, really?”

Staring at the draft paper covered in Chinese characters, Xia Ya let out a wry smile.

Now I’m spiraling straight into ‘Who am I? Who’s the real me?’ existential territory.

There’s too little evidence right now.

Blind speculation won’t get him anywhere.

Xia Ya twirled his steel pen between his fingers.

Then—shlick—

The metal nib pierced into his palm, then was pulled out.

No blood came out. Not even a wound remained.

Almost at the exact moment the nib left his flesh,

the skin and muscle had already regenerated.

Staring at the results of his experiment, Xia Ya’s eyes darkened slightly.

His undead body wasn’t something exclusive to the Historical Echo.

It worked just the same in reality.

It must have been when he broke through to the Fourth Ring that he received this curse of immortality.

“So that means, I already had this ability during the banquet at the Borgia estate.”

“If not for Sylvia stepping in and suppressing everything on the spot… my undead body would’ve probably been exposed when I was later surrounded by other Borgia retainers.”

With that thought, Xia Ya stood up and quickly returned to his bedroom.

Then, he scooped up the white cat that had been lazily squinting in the direction of the study,

and hugged her tightly, giving her a good, rough cuddle.

“As expected of my precious Syl, my main wife.”

“If it weren’t for you, I’d have been in real trouble.”

As for why Sylvia was the main wife and Ailora was the side wife—

that was, of course, ranked by… you know, cup size.

Meow meow meow~

The white cat, suddenly pulled into a hug, flailed her limbs in a panic.

But the moment she heard Xia Ya’s words, her struggling instantly softened—

even her meows turned weak and breathy.

Xia Ya didn’t think too much of it.

After giving the cat a satisfying cuddle, he returned to the study.

He’d come back to reality because there were things to do.

On one hand, he had to prepare for the final battle that was coming in the Historical Echo.

On the other, during his half-year stay in the Echo, his tier had finally advanced from the Fourth Ring to the Fifth Ring.

Although his Fourth Soul Pact had been mysteriously occupied, fortunately, the Fifth Soul Pact was working just fine.

Which meant—it was time to move forward with selecting his fifth contracted beast.

Xia Ya had long since planned out what he wanted for his fourth beast.

The problem had always been a lack of funds to make it happen.

But now, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Knight King during the Historical Echo, that budget shortfall had finally been covered...

Of course, freeloading off the White Tower was also an option.

But unless absolutely necessary, Xia Ya didn’t want to ask his own woman for money.

What if it ended up with him being pinned underneath during that kind of situation?

“At this hour… Little Ai should still be cultivating, right?”

Xia Ya glanced toward the meditation room and picked up on her steady breathing.

Then, he retrieved a deep blue crystal from his spatial pouch.

He channeled a sliver of spiritual power into the crystal.

On the Western Continent—be it the Empire, the Alliance of Nobles, or the Holy Theocracy—

each had its own exclusive portable magitech communication devices.

The one Xia Ya was using now belonged to the Holy Theocracy.

These personal communicators came in pairs and were usually reserved for high-ranking members of the Church.

And the person who held the other half of Xia Ya’s communicator—

was none other than the Saintess of Dawn within the Holy Court.