Hate me, Miss Witch!-Chapter 55 - 43: Did the big one finally arrive?

Shiayar walked along the pitch-dark hallway, the dim yellow light on the walls beside him flickering on and off. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

At the end of the corridor was a spacious room. The guide stopped in front of the wooden door, his expression solemn and devout as he recited a long string of prayers. The content of the prayer was lengthy.

It was about "the Creator of all," "the omniscient and omnipotent God," "the Origin of all that is great," "the Beginning and the End," "the One and the Many," "loftier than the starry sky, more eternal than eternity"—such descriptions were heaped on as if they cost nothing.

After finishing all this, he then gestured to Shiayar and quietly withdrew.

Shiayar pushed open the door to find a lavishly dressed man lounging on a sofa.

A dish of spices lay before him on a table, light purple smoke rising and filling the room. The man’s aged face showed an indescribable sense of intoxication amidst the swirling smoke.

Shiayar recognized the substance before him: "Fantasy Dream Hometown"—an alchemical secret remedy quite popular among the middle and lower nobility, capable of causing hallucinations and making the user feel as if they were floating in ecstasy.

The common Fantasy Dream Hometown was just a prop for pleasure among ordinary nobles, but the one before him was undoubtedly an enhanced version, potent enough to make even a Great Beastmaster who had reached 4-Ring or above become utterly intoxicated.

If other members of the Brunestadt family were to see this scene, they would be astonished, for Elder Norton, as the acting Family Head, had always presented an image of being mature and steady—the reliable lynchpin of the family.

Even Norton’s closest confidants would be surprised.

For they saw Elder Norton as the Lord’s earthly representative, secretly amassing strength and faithfully executing the will of Twilight, plotting a grand scheme to overturn the Azure Garden Dukedom and free the Lord from His seals.

Such a leader, akin to a Pontiff, should be a devout believer resembling an ascetic monk, not indulging in such licentiousness.

Shiayar’s original guess about Norton was similar: perhaps a cult leader as deluded as the Ashes Cult Leader, secretly plotting something big.

But now it seemed that while plotting something big was true, the notion of him being a devout, fanatical cult leader... that was questionable.

"Lord Norton."

Shiayar respectfully approached the sofa, appearing oblivious to the decadent scene before him.

Norton sat up, a few smiles appearing on his aged face.

"This is a new product from those alchemists from the Lost Kingdom, recently delivered through the black market. It works quite well," he said, gesturing to the plate of "Fantasy Dream Hometown."

"Would you like to try it as well?"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Lord Norton, but my power is still weak. If my indulgence were to delay your plans, I would deserve death."

Seeing Shiayar’s still respectful and calm demeanor, Norton nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, it is indeed a bit too stimulating for a young man like you who hasn’t yet reached 4-Ring."

Norton held a high and influential position within the Brunestadt family. He could command obedience with a single word and mobilize most of the family’s power.

However, there was a distinction among those who obeyed his orders.

The majority of the family members obeyed him due to his status as an Elder and the acting Family Head.

A small portion, believers he had converted through contaminants, were loyal to the Lord sealed by the family.

Only Shiayar was different. He had been adopted and raised by Norton, his very life held in Norton’s palm. As an outsider with no one else to rely on within the family, Shiayar was truly loyal to Norton himself—a dependable subordinate.

Elder Norton stood up from the sofa, his authoritative gaze sweeping over the entire room.

"Your performance at the coming-of-age ceremony, as well as your interactions with Silvia these past few days—I’ve seen it all."

"Being able to suppress your hatred, get close to Silvia, and gain her trust—that was very good."

"Now that you’ve accomplished these things, there are some matters I can indeed entrust to you."

Upon hearing these words, Shiayar’s spirit instantly revived.

Is the big one finally here?

Ever since he first entered an Echo of History, Shiayar had known Elder Norton was plotting something. However, Norton had always been enigmatic, making it difficult to grasp the full picture.

Now that all the preliminaries are complete, is it finally time to get down to business?

This time, Elder Norton finally didn’t hold anything back, frankly revealing the truth.

"Sixteen years ago, Twilight underwent a Godly Descent within the territory of the Azure Garden Dukedom and was ultimately sealed by several Legendary figures and the young Family Head working together."

"Most of Twilight’s power was sealed within the family’s underground sealing formation, while a small portion was sealed within my niece, Silvia, who had just been born."

"In terms of sheer volume, the power sealed within Silvia wasn’t much; after all, a newborn baby couldn’t bear much strength on her own."

"However, her soul’s constitution is very special—a one-in-a-million case. Besides that small amount of power, it also contains Twilight’s Authority and all of its Divinity."

"An ancient god cannot be killed, at least not by the power of a Legendary Beastmaster. Even maintaining the seal is extremely difficult, especially since there’s no Legendary figure permanently stationed within the Dukedom..."

"But as long as the Divinity and Authority are entirely stripped away, then those indestructible powers become merely a stagnant pool of water, unable to stir up any waves."

"It can be said that the peace and tranquility of the Azure Garden Dukedom over these many years were bought at the price of her sacrifice alone."

Norton gazed at the rising purple smoke from the "Fantasy Dream Hometown" as he revealed secrets potent enough to cause immense turmoil within the Dukedom.

Although Shiayar had harbored some suspicions, this was the first time he had received confirmation.

"Over these years, the clandestine organizations from the Lost Kingdom have constantly been infiltrating the Dukedom."

"They think they’ve corrupted me, a high-ranking member of the Brunestadt family, at great cost. But little do they know, that’s merely what they believe..."

A hint of a cold smile flashed across Norton’s aged face.

"In three months, those clandestine organizations are planning a major uprising—a rebellion far greater than the one seventeen years ago."

"At that time, several Titled Rank Pontiffs from these secret organizations will personally take action. Their goal is to free their imprisoned Lord."

"What I need you to do is to firmly control Silvia during the ensuing chaos and bring her to me."

Norton’s scrutinizing gaze fixed on Shiayar’s face as he spoke each word deliberately.

"And then—"

"Have her fulfill the duty that befits a key, a vessel."