Hate Me, Miss Witch!

The clear light of the cold moon softly fell on the silent courtyard, covering all the flowers and plants in it with a layer of silver.

Silvia sat quietly on the steps of the courtyard, looking at the bright moon above the night sky, her beautiful violet eyes in a daze.

Beside her, small white flowers bloomed on a small tree, and the faint fragrance came, making Sylvia's mood become a little calmer.

It was a small sapling planted in the courtyard with her when her mother was still alive. Now it has flourished.

Whenever she returns from a midnight dream and feels uneasy, Sylvia will come here and try to spend the difficult night.

At this moment, more than a month had passed since the winter night when she fell into the Grant Sea.

The cold winter has passed, and the warm spring has ushered in, and everything is coming back to life.

And the young man named Char Egut never appeared again.

Even now, Sylvia often wonders whether that encounter in the cold water was a dream.

However, the remaining warmth on the crystal hairpin told her that the encounter was not a dream, but reality.

"...I think - you who carry that power are not born evil."

"Whether you are good or evil does not depend on your origin, but on the choices you make."

The black-haired boy's words before parting seemed to still ring in his ears.

"My... choice?"

Sylvia's muttering to herself dissipated with the evening wind, and no one heard her.

During this time, she has been thinking about this issue.

Likewise, he is thinking about his future path.

For the past sixteen years, she has been giving up on herself...

He huddled himself in a high tower with no light, and then waited silently... The rich darkness swallowed him up.

In other words, she should have drowned in the dark tide.

But a month ago, someone opened a window for her in that tower.

Then the sun shone in through the window, and the tide of darkness receded, making those eyes that were accustomed to darkness feel a little yearning for light.

From that moment on, Sylvia's heart arose with anticipation for the first time.

It is not to live for the cold looks of others, but to have expectations for one's own future.

"really……"

Sylvia took off the crystal hairpin from her hair.

Facing the cold moonlight, the crystal hairpin reflects endless brilliance.

The girl spoke silently to herself:

"I still want to become a beast master like brother Xia Ya."

…

"Why do you think so?"

A familiar voice sounded in Sylvia's ears.

She turned and looked.

All he could see was a young man with black hair and black eyes standing in the thin moonlight, his slender shadow stretched infinitely.

Just like when the two met for the first time, he appeared so quietly, appearing in Sylvia's life inadvertently, and then disappeared like the wind.

"Brother Xia Ya."

Although she has imagined the scene when the two meet again countless times, Sylvia is still slightly embarrassed at this moment.

After returning to the Grand Duke's residence, she once inquired about the information of "Char Egut", a member of the family with a foreign surname.

Then Sylvia discovered that the other party's parents died in the natural disaster sixteen years ago, and Xia was an orphan taken in by the Grand Duke's family.

He should be more qualified than anyone else in the principality to loathe himself, hate himself, curse himself to death...

But he didn't do that.

But on that winter night, he pulled himself up from the icy abyss of the Grant Sea.

Seemingly sensing Sylvia's embarrassment, Xia sat down on the steps beside her.

Only then did Sylvia realize that Xia Ya was holding two medium-sized paper cups in her hands.

"Although it's early spring, it will still be cold at night, so drink something to warm yourself up."

He handed over a paper cup, and Sylvia took it and whispered thank you.

The paper cup was very warm. Sylvia took a sip and then opened her beautiful purple eyes in surprise: "It tastes good."

"It does taste good." There was a hint of complacency in the young man's words: "At least it was a new product that I made based on the taste in my memory after failing hundreds of times in the Alchemy Yard. You can call it milk tea. , or Yulemei.”

"If my descendants come to this world in the future, I hope they can get this old joke."

He also took a sip of the drink in the paper cup, and then let out a satisfied sigh: "Let's talk about you. Why did you decide to become a beast master?"

As the warm liquid entered her throat, Sylvia felt that her body had become warmer, and she even felt lazy and comfortable.

For some reason, every time Xia Ya came to her side, Sylvia's usual nervousness would disappear.

She thought for a while and said in a calm voice: "It should be because of admiration."

"When I was very young, I saw my father riding a mighty pet beast and returning to the royal capital in triumph."

"At that time, half of the people in the royal capital came out to greet my father. The road was filled with flowers, applause and glory."

"At that time, I was thinking that if I could contract a powerful pet beast with my own strength, I would become a powerful beast master like my father."

"Then, maybe everyone will look at me with admiration and no longer dislike me so much."

As she spoke, Sylvia smiled slightly and lifted up a strand of chestnut hair that was hanging down.

"Now that I think about it, this is really a very naive and even ridiculous reason."

"How can my situation and the world's view of me be improved so easily?"

"On the contrary, the stronger I become, the more people will want me to die."

The gas was exhaled along with the words, turning into white mist in the cold air.

"only--"

"For me, who was ignorant and ignorant at the time."

"This vague and unrealistic expectation has become the only sustenance and life-saving straw in that little girl's heart."

Her eyes fell on Xia Ya's chiseled profile: "Now I will no longer have such childish thoughts."

"However, I still hold such longing in my heart."

"It's not for the recognition of others, nor for the so-called flowers, glory and applause..."

"It's because I want to be like my father and brother Xia Ya."

"When you meet someone you want to help, you can have the power to lend a helping hand just like Brother Xia Ya did when you saved me."

"Since I did have sins caused by losing control in the past, I will use my merits to save more people to make up for it."

"If the guy in my body goes berserk again...then I can knock out the guy on the bronze cross by myself without relying on your help, Brother Xia Ya..."

"and--"

Sylvia's words paused slightly.

Next to her lay a thin book, which was a bard's travel diary with illustrations from various parts of the Western Continent.

"I also want to see the places recorded in this book."

"I want to see with my own eyes the Three Saints Snow Mountains in the Far North, and see if there is the Ice and Snow Elf King mentioned in the book on the top of the snow mountains..."

"I want to go to the dragon's nest in the south to see if those legendary evil dragons will kidnap the princess of the human kingdom and fill their nest with shiny gold coins..."

"I want to see the depths of the sea and see if there are any mermaids who sing beautifully and like to bewitch passing sailors..."

Listening to Sylvia's words, Xia Ya saw the girl's purple eyes shining with longing.

He understood the origin of Sylvia’s thoughts——

Because of her danger, the Brunstadt family took strict measures to ban Sylvia.

In her past life, all the world she could come into contact with was the architectural complex of the Grand Duke's Residence, or rather this quiet courtyard that belonged to her.

Sylvia was able to come to the royal capital occasionally, such as when she accompanied her father on a cruise, but this was all done under strict supervision.

She had quietly left home and arrived at the Grant Coast, several miles away from the royal capital. It was the farthest place Sylvia had ever visited in her life, equivalent to the end of the world.

Sylvia's understanding of the world comes from the mountains of books and albums in her room...

That's why she aspires to become a beast master, because in the adventure stories written by bards, only those protagonists who are beast masters are qualified to travel the continent and experience thousands of mountains and rivers.

"Then, there is some trouble..."

Xia Ya rubbed the little ferret on her shoulder with a headache.

"For you, becoming a beast master is not an easy task."

"I didn't expect you, Brother Xia Ya, would say this... According to common sense, shouldn't you be encouraging me at this time?"

"And you clearly said at that time that I would become a more powerful beast master than my father in the future."

Sylvia's words contained a little surprise, but she was not disappointed at all.

Her father had long told her about the abnormality of the soul. It was extremely difficult for Sylvia to even create a soul contract, let alone become a strong beast master.

She was just a little surprised by Xia Ya's answer.

"The situation at that time was different from now. Anyone could do such things as filling chicken soup and making big pie... Just like if a child shouted that he wanted to be the richest man in the world, then I might just respond with a few perfunctory words. Ah, yes, yes.”

"However, the vision you just shared is definitely not false."

Xia Ya looked into Sylvia's eyes, and there was a rare tangle in her words.

"Even if there is indeed a path to becoming a legendary powerhouse in your future possibilities, this does not mean that the other risks do not exist."

Yes, Sylvia in real history did become a legend five hundred years ago and became the "Silver Witch" who built the chalk tower...

But who can guarantee that the girl in front of me will definitely follow the same path as history in the future.

Xia Ya never believed in prophecies or destiny, and he could not regard the girl in front of him with yearning in her eyes as a historical projection that had "already happened and cannot be changed".

Although his original intention was just to get rewards for completing novice tasks, it was undeniable that after that winter night in the Grant Sea, Char had indeed regarded Sylvia as a friend.

“Anyone can do it by cheering for other people’s dreams irresponsibly.”

"But only people close to you will worry about you."

Xia Ya lay down on the grass in the courtyard, staring at the silver moon in the night sky.

"The bronze cross deep in your soul is a burden to you, but it is also a kind of protection."

"That is a seal left by a legend for you. As long as you ignore it, the dusk half of your body will be sealed by that bronze cross until the seal expires."

"What we need to worry about is just a little breath and residue leaking through the bronze cross."

"However, that bronze cross also blocks the power of your own soul."

"So, if you want to open up a soul contract and become a strong man with the power to control your own destiny, then you must enter the depths of the bronze cross."

"Escape from the protection of the seal, throw away all shackles——"

"Use your own will to face the monster that destroyed half of the Cangting Principality. Use your spirit to dominate the opponent and seize the control of your soul power."

"This process will be long, painful, and dangerous, and may take a lifetime to complete..."

"During this period, you will pay an unimaginable price. If you fail, you will lose your life, or you will completely become a puppet of dusk."

Xia Ya's words paused slightly.

"So, I won't cheer for your dream..."

"Because as your father, His Majesty the Grand Duke Brunstadt, said, from the perspective of security, maintaining the status quo is the best choice for you."

"But equally, I won't stop your choice."

"Because I feel that no one is qualified to deprive others of their wishes, not even God."

…

When Sylvia came back to her senses, the young man in front of her had disappeared, just as silently as when he came.

But there was no confusion or hesitation in the girl's purple eyes.

This was the first time since she was born that she had made a decision of her own will.

When midnight, the dim light mixed with madness and depravity once again overflowed on the bronze cross...

Sylvia no longer tried to avoid and suppress the symptoms, but chose to face it head-on for the first time.

This is a game between ancient gods and mortals, and the loser will lose everything.

That night, Elder Norton, who was in the family secret room, felt uneasy and had an inexplicable premonition.

He felt that there were some changes in his seamless plan, but no matter how much he checked, he never noticed it, and nothing happened in the end.

The next morning, when Sylvia woke up again, her purple eyes and long chestnut hair were both pale.

And she also lost the ability to speak.

This is the price paid for spying on the power of gods with a mortal body.

From now on, every word she speaks will be tainted with the power of corruption, bringing corruption, pollution and death.

Beside the wooden table, Sylvia opened the diary given to her by Xia Ya and started writing in the dim light of the candle.

…

"...From now on, every word I speak is equivalent to the spirit of words that command the death of life."

"In order to avoid hurting others, I will not speak even in uninhabited places from now on."

"This silent curse will always be with me... until the end of my life or that of that ancient god."

"Brother Xia Ya said, who is a serious person who keeps a diary?"

"But I think that both he and I are heretics, not serious people... After all, serious people would not drag me into the sea together, let alone ignore the hateful looks of other members of the family and remain dumbfounded. Beside me."

"However, if heretics can also have their friends and can lick each other's wounds..."

"Then I feel like being a maverick heretic wouldn't be a bad idea?"

——Excerpt from the first page of "Diary of the Blue Silver Witch", year 346 of the sacred calendar, the 12th of the month of budding.