Hate me, Miss Witch!-Chapter 458 - 228: Enola: Is This Something I Can Know? (Double - )

Chapter 458: Chapter 228: Enola: Is This Something I Can Know? (Double Chapter)

Until Shiayar finished speaking, Enola only looked at Shiayar.

"To make those powerful Fabled Creatures feel threatened, and fall into a state of paranoia and nerves, isn’t that easy."

"So, who are you planning to trick this time?"

Shiayar was taken aback: "Why do you say that? Has my image in your mind already solidified as a great deceiver?"

Enola stared into Shiayar’s eyes and softly spoke: "Because of experience."

"Since we were young, you’ve always been like this."

"Every time you show that expression, it means you’re planning to trick someone again, or rather, the beings that oppose you are about to suffer."

The first time she saw Shiayar with that expression was after the fall of Ceylon, at the train station of Red Frost Territory’s main city, the closest place to Ceylon.

Shiayar mentioned he was going to the municipal library to check some information and instructed Enola to wait for him on the train.

But even when the magic train was about to depart, he still hadn’t returned.

It wasn’t until later that Enola learned Shiayar had already investigated thoroughly, knowing there was a female Titled Rank Beastmaster from the White Tower on that magic train, who would certainly recognize Enola’s talent as a Beastmaster, admire her, and take her back to the White Tower for training.

If not for that split-second decision, following her instinct to jump off the train without thinking, Enola and Shiayar might have really been separated by miles.

Even with the bond they shared from Ceylon, whether they could come this far again would be uncertain to anyone.

"Although you, Shiayar, always called me a brute, and I do lack finesse."

"But by your side, after seeing you deceive people so many times, I can distinguish it, at least a bit."

Enola spoke softly.

"But, isn’t this your personality?"

"Infiltrating the enemy’s ranks... only making a move after gathering all the information, gaining the whole picture, and planning every escape route."

"And then, achieving victory in one stroke." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

She blinked her beautiful sky-blue eyes: "Let me guess."

"You’re planning to utilize your acting skills again to blend into that group of self-proclaimed deities and deliver a righteous backstab at the critical moment?"

"Just like you’ve done in several of the previous Echoes of History."

"That was a pent-up effort after patience; how can that be called a backstab?"

Shiayar shook his head somewhat helplessly.

"Seems like I can’t hide anything from you, Ennie."

"But, despite the trickery, this time is somewhat different from before."

"Disguising as a subordinate of the enemy, pretending to yield to gain the upper hand at a crucial moment."

"This strategy is indeed effective... but playing the role, that feeling of being under someone else’s roof, being a notch lower, is still somewhat suffocating."

"Back when we were weaker, with circumstances stronger than us, there was no choice but to use such strategies."

"However—"

"With our current strength, sometimes, we can afford to be more carefree and don’t have to do things that dampen our spirits."

"Oh?"

Enola looked at Shiayar: "How do you plan to do that?"

"In my hometown, there’s a term called Vertical and Horizontal Alliances."

"The meaning of this term, simply put, is to draw in some allies from potential enemies to divide and conquer the opponents."

Listening to Shiayar’s explanation, Enola’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Such reasoning is clear to everyone."

"But finding our allies or inside contacts among those Fabled Creatures should be quite difficult, right?"

"A simple alliance is just a piece of paper; only a community connected by interests is the most reliable alliance."

"However, our goals and interests fundamentally differ from those of the fabled creatures."

She glanced at Shiayar: "What you wish to create is a world where deities no longer exist, where humans, dragons, elves, dwarves... all races can live freely."

"Or rather, to maintain the current Fourth Epoch situation, where deities have retreated, and the intelligent races stand independently, unrestrained."

"But what those demigods and false gods want is to turn the entire Main Material Plane into their Divine Kingdom, relying on the power of faith, to ascend to the Throne of Heaven of the Glorious Era’s creator."

"Even, to take a step further with the power of faith, reaching a higher realm where no living being has ever arrived."

This is a fundamental divergence, an irreconcilable conflict.

Shiayar could certainly make promises to some weaker demigods, agreeing to give them the divine and authority spoils useless to Shiayar and others after the war, in exchange for acting as insiders in the deities’ camp.

However, such a deal could be regarded as precariously fragile.

No one can ensure that those weaker demigods won’t pass on this transaction’s intel, aiming to gain more benefits... At that point, their intelligence would backfire, possibly leading them to be outsmarted by the deities and fall into an irredeemable abyss.

"Ennie, your analysis is correct."

Shiayar glanced in slight shock at the blonde girl beside him.

He suddenly realized that this girl wasn’t as reckless as she usually appeared.

If Enola were truly as naive as he remembered, she couldn’t have managed his industry in the Empire Capital’s Black Lily District without a hitch while he was away.

But when by Shiayar’s side usually, Enola was already used to dimming her brilliance, refraining from overthinking, or letting her opinions interfere with Shiayar’s decisions.

Only now, when Shiayar’s safety was truly at stake, did she rare voice opinions diverging from his.

"Relying on such a fragile and treacherous situation to determine the war’s outcome is indeed not a wise choice."

"Those fabled creatures are all old monsters who have lived for thousands, tens of thousands of years. If one becomes arrogant enough to think they could be casually manipulated with a few words, they would die a terrible death."

Shiayar smiled lightly.

"Then why do you say..."

Just as Enola started speaking, Shiayar interrupted her.

"In my view, both becoming the Throne and treading the path to divinity as a demigod are roads chosen to reach higher peaks; they inherently have no difference in nobility or worth."

"And the reason I abandoned the divine path for a harder route—"

"Is because, in my opinion, becoming a deity gains power but loses so much as well."

Shiayar’s gaze stretched into the distance, seemingly focusing on the City of Wind and Snow, yet it seemed to fall on some more illusory height.

"The madness and corruption resulting from embracing divinity need no elaboration; the fallen demigods during the cataclysm serve as solid evidence."

"However—even what mythological entities now view as a more advanced path, the so-called power of faith, is it truly foolproof?"

"Using the deity’s image among disciples and followers as an anchor to stabilize one’s will, it’s indeed an effective way to fend off disorder and madness."

"But... binding one’s spiritual entity and self to the faith identity in believers’ eyes—"

"Also means that the deity’s self is no longer itself, but will change according to believers’ perceptions."

"A single believer might not change much... لیکن اگر تمام پیروکاروں کی نظر میں دیوتا کی شکل میں فرق پڑے..."

"Then, it is no longer it, but something else, built on the concept of a god in believers’ hearts."

Shiayar laughed softly: "So, Ennie—"

"Have you ever heard of... the goddess’ corruption?"

"Corruption?"

The blonde girl pondered blankly for a moment, then looked up at Shiayar: "What’s that?"

"It’s good that you haven’t heard of it."

Shiayar sighed in relief, patting Enola’s little head:

"Little ones don’t need to know about such things."