Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 113 – Ahead Lies Hell

Chapter 113 – Ahead Lies Hell

[Important Character "Knight King" Favorability +5]

[Current Favorability: 50 (Trust)]

Finally got it.

Seeing the notification pop up in his mind, Xia Ya let out a long breath of relief.

Over the past half-year, he’d basically become a master of time management.

On one hand, he served as a Holy Templar Knight in the Church of Dawn, occasionally heading out on missions—and along the way, managed to raise the favorability of that Legendary-tier Cardinal to over 50.

On another, he traveled across Aisgania as the founder of the Xiao Organization, spreading the will of the dawn.

On yet another, he fought as the Black Knight, charging across the land north and south.

Even Silver and the others were constantly being shuffled around under the guise of Xiao members, working non-stop.

Thankfully, the results weren’t bad.

Xia Ya’s eyes lingered on the few lines of text displayed on the glowing screen in his mind.

[Historical Legend Rank – Light of Dawn]

[Rarity: Purple (Upgradeable)]

[Owner: Xia Ya Egut]

[Location: Aisgania]

[The “Xiao” you created has become the dawn that illuminates this chaotic world. The fate of countless refugees has been changed because of you. And the will of that dawn is now sung by the people of this land thanks to your presence.]

…

[Black Knight Kayin]

[Rarity: Purple (Upgradeable)]

[Title Holder: Xia Ya Egut]

[Location: Aisgania]

[You are the embodiment of darkness, the blood-drenched strongest knight, a mad, fearless demon in the eyes of outsiders.]

[You’ve endured a hundred battles without defeat, survived countless trials without perishing... “No one can harm the Black Knight”—these words have become a curse, a nightmare in the hearts of countless enemy commanders. Just the sight of your black hair and eyes strikes fear into them.]

[Title Effect: When appearing as Black Knight Kayin, all enemies who have heard your name will feel fear.]

...

The two purple-tier legend entries—“Light of Dawn” and “Black Knight”—were the greatest recognition of Xia Ya’s year-long efforts.

“But... it’s still not enough…”

Xia Ya shook his head slightly at the two purple entries in his mind.

In his past life, there was a saying: the higher you stand, the harder you fall.

Spectators always did this—on one side, wildly praising and idolizing someone, placing a flawed but good person onto a pedestal.

On the other, the moment that person showed the slightest flaw, they’d unleash the most vicious and unforgiving condemnation, eager to see that saint fall from grace—just to satisfy their own desire to judge.

From heaven to hell—it only took an instant…

To others, that might be a catastrophic blow, even driving the mentally fragile to suicide due to the intense fall from grace.

But for Xia Ya in this Historical Echo, that’s exactly what he wanted.

Falling from grace? Great.

Being judged and trampled? Perfect.

He welcomed everyone lining up to stomp on him.

If they didn’t idolize him and then destroy him… how else was he supposed to get that negative legend value?

As for infamy through the ages, his name cursed for eternity…

He’d already triple-confirmed it: this Knight King didn’t live long enough to reach a thousand years later—what, she’s gonna come back from the grave for revenge?

And even if she did…

They’d be cursing “Kayin,” not “Xia Ya Egut.” What’s it got to do with him?

All for the sake of that eternal infamy and the final quest rewards—Xia Ya had been putting in work.

Every morning, the first thing he did was use Tsukuyomi to hypnotize himself in front of a mirror, fully embracing the persona of a flawless saint.

Humility, honor, sacrifice, bravery, compassion, spirituality, honesty, justice—

He embodied all eight virtues of knighthood.

All so that, when the reversal came, his reputation would crash hard—really hard.

“So he was faking it all along?”

“He disguised himself that well just to catch us off guard—disgusting!”

“I even idolized the Black Knight—turns out I was blind!”

“Who would've thought Kayin was that kind of person!”

Just thinking about it made him feel so damn good.

“But… the timing isn’t right yet.”

“Aisgania isn’t unified, and my fame hasn’t hit its peak.”

“When the empire is truly founded, and Xiao and the Black Knight have risen to the peak of power as loyal founding ministers—that’ll be the time to harvest.”

Xia Ya—endure!

“Of course, I wouldn’t mind just being a righteous knight, conquering land and building a kingdom… but being the villain gives me so much more creative freedom.”

...

“Your Excellency Artoris, Your Excellency Kayin.”

A voice called from the distance.

A knight in armor approached the two, kneeling on one knee.

“The Church of Dawn has sent intelligence.”

“The wandering abyssal beasts that used to linger around our front lines, constantly harassing border villages—have suddenly disappeared in recent days.”

“Moreover, even Vutigon’s troops stationed on the other side of the wilderness appear to be withdrawing on their own.”

The knight’s tone was respectful.

Through his helmet, he looked at the two figures standing side by side on the city wall.

The Knight King needed no introduction—and Kayin’s reputation was built on a mountain of undeniable achievements.

In fact, it was precisely because of Kayin that the Church of Dawn treated this rising coalition so amicably, frequently exchanging resources and intelligence.

They were, after all, both members of the Order faction—and both at a disadvantage within Aisgania. Naturally, they would support each other.

It’s just a pity… His Excellency Kayin seemed to be a man.

With that thought, a trace of regret welled up in the messenger knight’s heart.

If only that weren’t the case…

Then His Excellency Kayin would’ve been the perfect candidate for queen.

...

“Kayin.”

“What do you make of this intel just now?”

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When the knight who came to deliver the report had finally left, Isadella softly spoke.

She had to admit that in this timeline, her reliance on the Xiao Organization—and on Kayin—had grown quite substantial.

Many of her decisions now couldn’t be made without his input.

"Doesn’t it all feel a bit... off?"

Xia Ya squinted at the desolate plains ahead.

"Those abyssal creatures are bloodthirsty beasts. There’s no way they’d retreat before even making contact."

"Xiao’s side also received some intel... Vutigon’s forces stationed at the capital seem to be undergoing redeployment."

"I think…"

Xia Ya paused briefly.

"This likely means our coalition has finally caught the attention of the Low King himself."

"I fear... something big is coming—a full-scale purge, aimed right at us."

"Just as I expected."

Isadella closed her eyes and nodded, agreeing with Xia Ya’s assessment.

Over the past half year, the reason their knight-and-lord coalition had been able to expand so smoothly was largely due to the information bottleneck.

In this chaotic landscape, information traveled slowly.

Before the Low King in the capital had time to react, their forces had already spread like wildfire.

But as of now, with the names of the Knight King and Xiao growing louder and louder—

Even the common folk had heard of the Xiao Organization, some even becoming its followers.

It was no longer realistic to keep quietly developing in the shadows.

Unlike the Church of Dawn, which remained entrenched in one location, the coalition supported by countless citizens and noble knights had become a force that could truly threaten Vutigon’s rule.

Just imagine—if her own territory saw a rebel army expanding at this rate, wouldn’t she also do everything in her power to wipe them out?

It was practically inevitable.

And truthfully, Isadella understood full well that while the coalition looked powerful on the surface, there were huge vulnerabilities beneath.

The biggest flaw was how smooth everything had gone up until now.

It was a double-edged sword—victory after victory had raised morale and unity to their peak. Every knight and soldier was performing beyond expectations.

But in the end, they were just nobles and knights who had spontaneously banded together. To be blunt, they were a loose collection of militias. In only a year, there hadn’t been nearly enough time to train and unify them into a disciplined elite army.

Winning while the wind's at their back was one thing, but once it turned against them, morale could collapse, and the entire army could fall apart.

Another major flaw was the lack of top-tier powerhouses.

This was a world where extraordinary power resided in individuals—soldier against soldier, general against general, king against king.

And her body was still too young. The power sealed within the Holy Sword had only recently been unlocked up to the peak of the Sixth Ring.

Although regaining the Holy Sword meant she could likely match an ordinary Legendary-tier opponent...

Above the Titled-tier, however, her side was at a huge disadvantage.

Abyssal beasts may be savage and hard to control, but their strength was not to be underestimated.

Each abyssal lord was comparable to a Titled-tier existence on the Western Continent.

With only a handful of Titled-tier grand knights in the coalition, they couldn’t possibly match those numbers.

And if just one abyssal lord broke through and reached the ordinary soldiers or civilians, it would be a catastrophe.

"Abandon our current territory. Split our forces and civilians into multiple groups and break out in different directions."

Isadella gently closed her crimson eyes.

When she opened them again, the decision had already been made.

She knew very well what such an order meant.

Splitting up to break through meant massive losses.

The chances of actually escaping the encirclement? Maybe not even sixty percent.

But it was the only choice she had.

Their current strength was at a huge disadvantage—if they didn’t split up, they’d be waiting to die.

The only outcome for the coalition would be complete annihilation.

What they needed most right now—was time.

As long as they could break through, give her another three years, and both her personal strength and the coalition’s military power would be completely transformed.

However—

The next moment.

"Such a desperate breakout... the cost will be devastating…"

"And even if you do succeed—someone like you, who made this decision..."

"You’ll be accused of cruelty, of being heartless, of sacrificing your people and subordinates just to save yourself..."

That same vague voice drifted out once more from the spiral mask of Kayin.

It made Isadella pause for a moment.

Over the past year, Kayin and the Xiao Organization rarely questioned her decisions—they always supported her in silence.

This was the first time he’d openly opposed her command.

But Isadella’s will wasn’t something easily shaken.

"As a king, I must be prepared to bear infamy."

"No one in this world is perfect—whether it be praise or scorn... once I chose to walk the path of kingship, I vowed to press on, no matter what the world says about me."

Her cool, composed voice echoed along the city wall.

"Is that so——"

"But for the knights who chose to follow you, for the people under your rule..."

"What they long for is a perfect king. A sun that shines forever, with not a single flaw."

"If the sun has shadows... it would break everyone’s heart."

"Artoris, do you still remember what I told you earlier?"

Kayin’s hazy voice once again reached Isadella’s ears.

"You are the leaf bathed in sunlight. I am the root buried deep within."

"And the root’s purpose is to pave the way... for the leaf to flourish."

"So."

His black cloak with red clouds flapped wildly in the wind atop the city wall.

"I’ll handle the rear guard."

...

"Kayin."

The moment he spoke, Isadella could hear the finality in his tone.

This wasn’t some offhand remark.

It was a solid, determined decision.

"What you’re walking into... is hell."

"You’ll die."

She gazed at the black-haired man in the mask with her crimson eyes and couldn’t help but speak.

As a king, Isadella should separate her personal feelings from her decisions—relying solely on reason.

She also knew full well what Kayin was capable of—maybe he really could draw enough attention to let the rest of the army retreat unharmed.

Sacrificing a knight who wasn’t even Titled-tier in exchange for the survival of the rest of their fighting force… from a purely rational standpoint, this was clearly the optimal choice.

But as she looked at the slender figure in the black cloak before her, Isadella couldn’t help but feel a strange tightness in her chest.

Though the Black Knight Kayin was indeed known for his undefeated streak—

This situation was unlike any battle they had faced before.

With Vutigon personally stationed at the capital, he might not act directly, but among the abyssal beast army under his command, there were certainly Titled-tier abyssal lords.

And possibly even...

According to scattered intel gathered by the Xiao Organization,

not long ago, it seemed that an Abyssal Monarch had descended upon Aisgania from the depths of the abyss.

An Abyssal Monarch—equivalent to Legendary-tier.

To face a Legendary-tier head-on with strength below Titled-tier—

That was a death sentence. No hope of survival.

And yet—

All that responded to Isadella was the figure walking farther and farther away,

along with a light, drifting laugh carried by the wind across the city wall.

“So, Your Majesty, if you’re feeling reluctant to let me go...”

“Then at least hand over those gold and jewel rewards you promised me first.”