Hate Me, Witch! – Chapter 94

Aerora once again dreamed of Ceylon that day.
Everything around was filled with steam and flames, metal deforming under high temperatures, and floorboards crumbling one by one, falling to the ground and shattering into pieces.
The maiden was buried in a narrow space beneath the ruins, the hot air carrying thick smoke and dust, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She kicked fruitlessly at the scorching, cracking walls, trying to find an exit before the oxygen in the sealed space ran out. However, the narrow terrain offered no leverage, especially for an underage little girl.
‘I’m going to die.’
Just as this thought surfaced in Aerora’s mind, she heard a faint whimpering sound from a small beast, mixed in with the wind.
The wall suddenly collapsed, and the blizzard lashed against Aerora’s face, along with the furry tail of a snow mink.
“Shaya.”
Aerora gazed at the boy’s blurred silhouette amidst the dark smoke and murmured softly.
She recognized the owner of this snow mink named “Silver”—he was a playmate she had known for a long time, and a very, very good friend. Aerora had always kept him as her biggest secret treasure in her heart, without telling her family.
Sometimes, he would take Aerora to the snowfield to watch herds of reindeer migrating, and at other times, he would chisel a small hole in the frozen lake and fish with the snow mink from the ice hole, then roast and share the fish with Aerora by the fire.
But, after all, he was just a childhood companion.
A passerby in life’s journey. Those who played together side by side would, with the passage of time, diverge onto completely different life paths, never to meet again, due to differences in background, talent, and so on.
During the time she was buried beneath the ruins, Aerora had called out many names in her heart.
She never expected that the one who would eventually save her would be a boy around her age.
“Little Ai, wake up.”
“That was just the first wave of the beast tide. A second wave could come at any time.”
“We need to get out of Ceylon quickly. Luckily, I know a shortcut.”
The boy in the dark smoke spoke.
“But I can’t walk.”
Aerora turned her head to look at her legs. Dirty blood mixed with melted snow to form a bloody sludge. Between the blurred flesh and wounds, she could faintly see bone.
This was a wound from being hit by a heavy object earlier. Her condition worsened with the strenuous kicking against the wall.
“Fortunately, if treated by a healing Beast Tamer in time, it shouldn’t result in permanent disability…”
She saw the boy push through the dark smoke and lean down to examine her injuries.
“There’s no other way. Hold onto my neck tightly.”
Immediately, Aerora felt her body lighten as she was unceremoniously lifted and carried away from the ruins.
The maiden was thus carried away from the ruins, moving further and further from the burning city behind them.
The cold wind of the Northern Territory swept in, the blizzard mixed with ice shards, melting on the maiden’s delicate skin and taking away the little body heat she had left.
“So warm.”
Blood loss from the leg wounds drained her strength, and drowsiness washed over her. Leaning on Shaya’s shoulder, her voice grew softer.
“Hey, hey! You have hypothermia, that’s why you feel warm in the snow and ice!”
“Is that so…” The maiden’s consciousness grew hazy.
Shaya shook Aerora vigorously. “Don’t fall asleep! Absolutely don’t fall asleep! There are too many travelers in the ice fields who fall asleep and never wake up.”
“Just hold on a little longer. Once we cross this hill, there’s a hunter’s cabin. Inside, there’s a lamp fueled by seal oil, a warm fireplace, and plenty of firewood.”
“And I remember there are spare sled dogs and a sled there. Then we can cross this ice field and head to the Red Frost Lord’s City on the other side.”
Aerora held onto Shaya’s neck and replied softly, “Is that so.”
“Stay awake. Think about something else. The disaster in Ceylon this time was definitely man-made…”
“The beast tide was agitated unnaturally, and the high-level Beast Tamers who should have been on guard didn’t issue any advance warnings. Don’t you want to find the real culprit who destroyed Ceylon?”
“I do,” Aerora nodded, but her voice grew weaker.
She felt her legs and feet gradually go numb and lose sensation in the blizzard, followed by her hands…
Aerora leaned close to Shaya’s ear and whispered, “Leave me. I won’t make it to Red Frost Territory.”
But then she felt the thin body beneath her suddenly become enraged.
“You are not allowed to die.”
“If you die, then me going to such lengths to save you, and carrying you this far across the Northern Ice Field, would make me a clown, wouldn’t it?”
The boy’s footsteps suddenly stopped.
He unbuttoned his fur coat, then picked Aerora up and embraced her within his coat.
“My first Soul Pact is with a snow mink. I get physical feedback from the Soul Pact, so I’m more resistant to the cold.”
“In this hellish place, the only heat you’ll get is from me. You don’t mind, do you?”
Aerora felt her cheek against Shaya’s skin, with no clothing between them.
The boy’s body shielded her from the cold wind, his not-so-broad chest radiating warmth.
“I don’t mind,” she said softly.
“You still don’t seem to have much spirit, though…” Shaya sighed.
“This won’t do. Someone without the will to live can’t survive this snowfield.”
“Since you’re not interested in what I say, let’s talk about something you are interested in.”
“Girls your age… let me see, doll dress-up games or romance novels? Or ornamental Familiars?”
“Why did you save me?” Aerora asked.
“Does saving someone need a reason? Aren’t you my friend?”
Aerora shook her head slightly. “I have many people I thought were friends in my family, but when the beast tide came, they all focused on escaping. No one thought about saving me.”
Shaya’s footsteps paused slightly. “Girls your age shouldn’t be focused on flowers and butterflies, but should believe that the world is a loving family full of truth and beauty, right?”
Aerora didn’t reply, merely looking up at the boy’s profile with her sky-blue eyes.
“Alright, alright, I admit I had a bit of selfish motivation too.”
Shaya sighed. “For example, I’d envy the maids following those noble young masters, I’d yearn for the sweet childhood friendships in novels, and I’d feel fearful when those scoundrels pretended to be pure to deceive honest people.”
“You were supposed to die in Ceylon. I saved you.”
“Since that’s the case, then your life belongs to me. Whether it’s in the past, present, or future, you can only live for me alone.”
“And I need a loyal, well-known, capable, and preferably good-looking girl, because having a beautiful, strong female follower is every man’s vanity.”
Shaya’s tone suddenly became serious. “Will you be my pretty girl?”
“Okay…” Aerora’s murmur was swallowed by the wind and snow.
“Then you have to live well.”
“Otherwise, if you die here, you’ll just be a small, frozen corpse buried by the snow, and that won’t be beautiful.”
Shaya picked Aerora up again and adjusted her position on his shoulder with force.
Then, he quickened his pace, continuing to walk towards the depths of the frozen snowfield.
The two thin figures, huddled together, elongated in the wind and snow, with only intermittent words drifting along with the howling blizzard.
“Don’t die, Little Ai.”
“You still have many beautiful things to experience. This world isn’t just this snowfield and that small city in the ice fields…”
“Like the vast ocean, like the forest at sunset… or like kissing, hugging…”
“And, the moment of falling in love.”
“So, live on, and witness those unexperienced sights with me.”
…
Red Frost Territory, Main City.
The train station was crowded with people.
The dire news of Ceylon’s destruction had already arrived, and as a region bordering Ceylon, Red Frost Territory was now filled with refugees fleeing from towns near Ceylon.
No one knew how long the beast tide would last. Even a city like Ceylon, with high-level Beast Tamers stationed there, had fallen. Who could guarantee that their hometown wouldn’t be the next target?
Aerora, holding her luggage, sat on the departing steam train.
It had taken them a day and a night to find the hunter’s cabin. Shaya had used the medical kit from the cabin to crudely bandage her leg wounds.
After a short rest, they used a dog-drawn sled to reach the main city of Red Frost Territory, and from there, they planned to travel to the City of Knowledge via a steam magic train.
Shaya said it was a place completely different from the rugged Northern Territory, where everyone spoke gently and exuded scholarly air, suitable for beginner Beast Tamers like them to study theory and build a foundation.
“I’m going to the City Library to check some information.”
“If I’m late, don’t wait for me. I’ll take the next train.”
Just before the train was about to depart, Shaya left these words and disappeared.
Aerora was left alone in the steam train carriage, guarding their luggage.
It was all their possessions, containing spare clothes and food, not worth many Rhine gold coins.
Shaya had taken some valuable jewelry while fleeing Ceylon, but it had all been spent on hiring a high-level healing Beast Tamer to treat her leg injury. The remaining amount was exchanged for the two train tickets in Aerora’s hand.
Amidst the beast tide outbreak, ticket prices had soared. Everyone longed to escape the cold, barren Northern Territory and head towards the civilized mainland.
Aerora looked towards the train station entrance again and again, but the thin figure never appeared…
A sudden, inexplicable sense of dread arose in her heart. Aerora realized that Shaya hadn’t left her any money to buy new tickets.
All their possessions were with her; Shaya had no money on him.
If Shaya didn’t return, she would have to go to that so-called scholarly city alone. Although Shaya described it as much better than Ceylon, Aerora was completely unfamiliar with it. She was only going because Shaya was going.
“Very good talent.”
Just then, an old man’s voice sounded from behind Aerora.
It was an old woman with silver hair, dressed in plain white robes, followed by several equally elegant female attendants.
Her calm and composed expression was a stark contrast to the panicked refugees in the train station.
The old woman looked at Aerora, her gaze gentle. “Your soul talent is excellent. You have the potential to break through to Master, maybe even become a Titled Beast Tamer… Would you like to become my disciple?”
The announcement caused an uproar. Conversations erupted among the passengers, and even the female attendants showed expressions of surprise and envy.
Words like “Titled,” “important figure,” and “Sixth Ring” were heard amidst the chatter.
As if perceiving Aerora’s bewilderment, the old woman calmly introduced herself: “I am from the White Tower, a guest elder of the Alliance of Lieges. I have been invited by the Empire to research the cause of the beast tide outbreak in the Northern Territory.”
The old woman’s words further intensified the commotion. Everyone knew what such an invitation implied.
This was a Sixth Ring Titled Beast Tamer. In the entire Northern Territory of the Empire, only the Northern Inspector held the Sixth Ring. Becoming the disciple of such an important figure was undoubtedly a meteoric rise for an ordinary person.
For a moment, countless envious gazes fell upon Aerora, as if they wished they could take the place of this lucky little girl.
However, facing this well-intentioned invitation, Aerora felt no joy.
She kept looking towards the train station entrance, her anxiety and unease growing.
The old woman, sensing Aerora’s unease, looked around. “By the way, is your guardian here? I’d like to speak with them.”
“I don’t have parents… but, I’m waiting for someone.”
Upon hearing that Aerora’s parents were deceased, the old woman’s gaze softened further.
“In that case, come with me to the City of Knowledge first. I will have the City Lord of this city relay a message to the person you are waiting for…”
“Congratulations, junior sister. This is the first time Teacher has taken on a disciple in five years.”
Soon, a woman in white robes congratulated Aerora.
As she spoke, she picked up the luggage and smiled at Aerora. “Let’s go. The conditions in the second-class seats are too poor. We’ll discuss in detail in Teacher’s special seating.”
Witnessing this, the envious glances from those around Aerora intensified.
To receive such attention immediately after becoming a disciple was indeed befitting the White Tower.
Unlike other extraordinary organizations that emphasized contribution and merit, with more reward for more work, the White Tower was more like a pure educational institution, never seeking world domination. Thus, the atmosphere within the White Tower was gentler, far from the cold, profit-driven nature of other places.
If not for the White Tower’s requirement that members must be female, countless Beast Tamers in the world would have tried their best to join.
“No need…”
Aerora shook her head, intending to refuse.
Just then, a bell rang, and the train let out a long whistle, signaling its departure.
The passengers on the train showed expressions of joy at being able to leave this harsh land, but Aerora’s unease grew even more intense.
She abruptly stood up, snatched the luggage from the smiling woman’s hand, climbed out the window, and jumped off the departing train.
Everyone’s gaze froze. No one could understand why this seemingly young girl would refuse the invitation to become the disciple of a Titled Beast Tamer.
But Aerora, enduring the pain of the impact on her unhealed leg, quickly ran out of the train station and onto the platform amidst the stunned gazes.
She followed the signs towards the Municipal Grand Library, running and stopping. Before she had gone halfway, her foot stumbled, and blood seeped through the white gauze of her wound.
But before she could fall, her swaying figure was steadied by a hand.
“Silly girl, why are you making yourself so disheveled?”
The boy’s words carried a hint of helplessness. “I specifically investigated the background of that White Tower Sixth Ring. She’s a rare exception among high-level Beast Tamers, fond of teaching and gentle in nature.”
“Following her, you can receive the best guidance, as well as the best fledgling Familiars and advancement materials to choose from. Your life will be better than it was in Ceylon.”
But then Shaya heard the blonde maiden softly murmur, “To be your… pretty girl.”
Shaya’s words paused slightly. “You believe that kind of talk? That was just me spouting nonsense to ignite your will to live…”
“When you grow up, you’ll understand that verbal promises are the most unreliable things in the face of tangible benefits… I merely saved your life, I don’t have the right to bargain for your entire life.”
Aerora didn’t answer, simply walking alongside Shaya.
Shaya couldn’t help but show a hint of helplessness in his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to go with that person from the White Tower?”
“That’s an opportunity for a meteoric rise. How many people on the entire Western Continent would want to be her disciple, even going so far as to buy Alchemical Secret Medicine to become a woman?”
Aerora shook her head.
“Following me will be very difficult, and I tend to court death, so there might even be life-threatening dangers.”
“Follow her… If you want to repay my life-saving kindness, it won’t be too late after you graduate from the White Tower.”
She still shook her head.
“The White Tower is all women, and we’re a man and a woman alone. You’re also a budding beauty. Aren’t you afraid I’ll have inappropriate thoughts about you?”
“Although we’re still young, it won’t be long until we develop. By then, I’ll be doing whatever I please…”
“I’m not afraid.”
Shaya’s words finally stopped. He looked at the blonde girl before him and spoke word for word.
“Then let’s make an oath…”
“From now on, I will always keep you by my side, never abandon you, never distance myself. Even at the end of death, we will not be separated. And I will help you investigate the truth of that Ceylon incident.”
“And you must live well, cherish your life… and always be useful to me.”
“Okay.”
Aerora nodded gently, then linked her pinky finger with Shaya’s.
This was an action Shaya had taught her as a child.
It was said that oaths made in this way could not be broken, even after a hundred years, even through separation by death.
“Well, then, come with me.”
…
A solemn and deep bell chime echoed from afar, waking Aerora from her deep meditation.
The engagement dinner was about to begin.
She rose silently, pushed open the door of the meditation room, and washed up in the dressing room.
Aerora changed into a form-fitting dress in front of the full-length mirror, then went downstairs.
Downstairs, the black-haired, black-eyed boy was leaning against a carriage, idly teasing the little mink on his shoulder, humming an off-key tune.
“Want some bubble tea?”
Shaya’s voice rang out.
“It’s cold weather like this, here, warm your hands.”
As he spoke, he handed over one of the two cups of bubble tea he was holding, while holding the other himself.
“Oh, and I also got some roasted sweet potatoes from a roadside stall earlier.”
Shaya gestured to the bag in his hand. “You’ve been cooped up in the meditation room for the past few days. You’ve probably been living on nutritional supplements. You should eat something hot.”
“Although there’s a dinner banquet later, I doubt we’ll have a chance to eat at the banquet.”
Aerora took the cup of bubble tea and the bag of roasted sweet potatoes, taking a small sip. She felt a warm current slowly spread through her.
In the past seven days, she had thought about many things.
For example, how Shaya would handle this engagement.
She had even prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Because for Aerora now, compared to the long-faded hatred from her childhood, she cherished the hard-won peace of their current life with Shaya more.
However, when she saw Shaya again.
With just one look, Aerora understood what was on Shaya’s mind.
Although he had said that oaths were the most unreliable things, he was clearly more committed to his promises than anyone else.
Aerora held the piping hot roasted sweet potato in her hand, eating it in small bites. Midway through, she handed half of it to Shaya.
“As expected of my thoughtful little ‘cotton-padded jacket,’ you even saved half for me.”
Shaya took the roasted sweet potato and finished it in a few swift bites, then let out a contented sigh.
Just then, the carriage stopped, and before them stood a magnificent palace.
The Palace of Oaths.
The ownership of this palace did not belong to the Royal Family but to the Eight Great Families. Yet, it was in no way inferior to the Royal Palaces and halls of the Royal Family.
In the distant past, at the founding of the Empire, the Eight Great Oathbound Families had held their oath-taking conference in this palace. Some of the decisions made there were enough to cause an uproar throughout the Empire and even the Western Continent.
And today, it was being used by the Borgia Family as the venue for the engagement dinner.
The palace was brightly lit, with thousands of magical illumination arrays activated simultaneously. Powerful, steady auras like deep abysses, along with noisy clamor, filled the air.
Shaya alighted from the carriage and extended his hand to the blonde maiden behind him.
“Let’s go.”
It’s a bit late, but it’s a combined chapter of three.
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