Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 22: Xia Ya, in Danger!

Capital of Nations, Camelot.

Of course, for the citizens of the Fresta Empire, this place was more commonly known by another name—the Imperial Capital.

This was the political and economic heart of the entire Fresta Empire, and even of the entire Western Continent.

Even across the continent, only a few cities could compare to Camelot, such as the City of Knowledge on the Golden Plains and the Holy Land of the Church.

The steam locomotive let out a long, resonant whistle.

Then, through the billowing white mist, the station gates opened one after another.

Xia Ya blended into the crowded flow of people, moving forward with the tide.

Over the past six months, he had almost completely cleared out the Order Bureau’s bounty tasks in Resa.

Most of the high-value and time-efficient bounty missions had already been completed by Xia Ya, and he had also managed to take quite a bit from the Order Bureau’s internal material warehouse.

Moreover, since the Historical Echo of the Ruins of Cangting Principality had already been marked, allowing him to return at any time, there was no reason to remain in Resa any longer.

"I should’ve lost her by now, right?"

Xia Ya stepped out of the station and looked around.

To be fair, Diris, as the Student Council President of Saint Roland Academy, was indeed worthy of the word "competent."

And honestly, her demands of Xia Ya were well-intentioned.

For a civilian student with Beastmaster Talent but no family backing—

Attending more Saint Roland Academy networking events and building connections with the Imperial Capital’s nobles, the Military Department, and the Church would undoubtedly be beneficial for his future after graduation.

It could even be a stepping stone to changing his fate and achieving social ascension.

But unfortunately, that wasn't an option for him.

She thought she was doing it for his own good, but in reality, things might not be so simple.

From the very beginning, Xia Ya had known that his path was different from others.

Rather than wasting time socializing with nobles, attending banquets, and mingling in high society to build so-called "connections"—

He would rather complete another step of a Beginner Quest.

For that reason, since entering Saint Roland Academy, Xia Ya had spent his first two semesters systematically catching up on Beastmaster basics—

But after that, he was either skipping class or on his way to skip class.

Even when he was on campus, he spent most of his time in the library or the Summoned Beast training grounds.

This time, going to Resa to explore the Ruins of Cangting Principality, he had skipped school for a full six months.

"Gotta give her credit, though."

"I haven't shown my face at school for almost a year, my hairstyle and height have both changed, and she still recognized me at a glance."

Xia Ya silently marveled at Diris’ dedication while using Shiny’s Blink skill intermittently to hurry along.

Soon, a grand architectural complex came into view.

—

Saint Roland Academy was not located in the Imperial Capital’s main urban area but rather in the suburbs.

Not only that, but other key institutions of the Fresta Empire, including the Royal Breeding Institute, the Order Bureau Headquarters, the Military Department, and the Arcane Tower, were all located outside the main city.

The reason was simple.

No noble wanted to be casually strolling through the streets one day, only to have a runaway Overlord-tier Hellfire Monarch break free from a Soul Pact above their head—

And then get crushed into mincemeat by a stray Meteor Rain spell.

Even though he hadn’t returned to Saint Roland Academy for over half a year, Xia Ya’s near-Third-Ring Beastmaster-level memory ensured he wouldn’t get lost.

He stopped in front of a standalone dormitory building.

According to Saint Roland Academy’s rules, students who reached Second-Ring, or Mid-Tier Beastmaster level, were eligible for an independent dormitory.

For noble students, this didn’t really matter. Their family estates in the Imperial Capital were already a hundred times better than the dorms.

So in a way, this was a benefit specifically for civilian students, though Xia Ya rarely took advantage of it.

The wooden door of the dormitory was dusty from months of neglect.

Xia Ya crouched down and saw that the Iron Maple Leaf he had placed in the doorframe before leaving had fallen.

The originally steel-hard Iron Maple Leaf had a thin silver slash carved into it.

"Little Ai, huh…"

Xia Ya pushed open the door.

The scene before him was bathed in sunset’s crimson glow.

A girl sat by the window, arms wrapped around her knees, quietly waiting.

The evening sun’s afterglow cast a warm light on her snow-white face, and her golden hair shimmered faintly in the fading light.

Noticing Xia Ya’s arrival, she jumped down from the window seat and lifted the rice ball in her hand.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, thanks to you."

Xia Ya didn’t hesitate, taking the still-warm rice ball.

After all, whether before or after his transmigration, train food was always expensive and terrible.

"Long time no see, Little Ai. How long have you been waiting?"

"I just finished a task at the Military Department. After I got your transmission message, I came right over. Not too long."

"That’s good."

Xia Ya unwrapped the rice ball.

The golden-haired girl before him, Ailora, had a complicated relationship with him.

She was both a classmate and a childhood friend.

They had lived together since they were nine years old, only separating when they entered Saint Roland Academy.

Moreover, since Xia Ya had been preoccupied with archaeological expeditions in the Cangting Ruins, his business ventures in the Imperial Capital were all managed by Ailora on his behalf.

"I got juice, too—your favorite, orange juice."

"Thanks."

Finishing both the drink and the meal in one go, Xia Ya lazily collapsed onto the bed.

Seeing this, Ailora sighed, her snow-white face showing a trace of helplessness.

"You just got off the train—at least change your clothes first."

"There’s an old saying from my homeland: 'Those who achieve greatness do not concern themselves with trivial matters.'"

"So, for the sake of our grand ambitions, let’s sacrifice this blanket."

Read lat𝙚st chapters at fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓ Only.

"We were both born in Ceylan of the Northern Territory—why have I never heard of all these famous sayings?"

The golden-haired girl shook her head in exasperation.

She took off her woolen boots, climbed onto the nightstand, and idly swung her feet, her white stockings shifting slightly with the motion.

"The Royal Publishing House sent the seventh round of royalties last month."

"The earnings from The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers total 1,700 Rhine Gold Coins."

"The ornamental pet care, cosmetics, luxury food, and wedding ring businesses brought in 2,500 Rhine Gold Coins over this period."

"Additionally, a countess has shown interest in our luxury fashion line."

"As per your original valuation, we transferred this business for 6,300 Rhine Gold Coins."

"So, that’s just over 10,000 in total…"

Xia Ya lay flat on the bed, rubbing his temples, feeling his entire body sinking into the soft mattress. "Your main summoned beast is about to advance, so you can’t touch the merit points you've accumulated in the Military Department."

"After deducting our daily expenses and those of our summoned beasts, we’re left with only 8,000 Rhine Gold Coins."

"8,000… If I remember correctly, based on last year’s auction prices, that’s only enough to buy a Fragmented Soul Essence of the Vengeful Flame Spirit."

"The lowest-tier Fourth-Ring fire attribute material—using that for Amaterasu would be way too shabby."

"If the money isn’t enough, my main summoned beast’s advancement can wait."

As she spoke, Ailora brushed her long hair back and leaned in closer to Xia Ya.

"If I convert my accumulated merit from the Military Department into Rhine Gold Coins, it should be around 30,000 to 40,000…"

Her words suddenly trailed off.

She leaned in slightly and sniffed Xia Ya’s collar, her once-casual tone turning a bit more serious.

"President Diris?"