Hate Me, Miss Witch!

With the Ashen Church's entire faction collapsing, the raging flames slowly faded away. Only pale ashes remained, alongside the charred ruins of buildings, bearing witness to all that had transpired here.

Orders were rapidly issued, and soon, the army and the instructors on site began organizing the reconstruction of the dormitory ruins. It turned out that battle beasts weren't just for fighting; those strong and sturdy battle-type beasts were also top-tier workers when it came to hauling bricks and mixing mortar.

Xaya shook off the dust from his cloak and chose not to return to the other side where the student group was gathered. Even though the surviving students were casting burning gazes his way, if Xaya were to approach them, there was no doubt he would be treated like a hero.

There were two main reasons for this. First, Xaya had a slight social anxiety.

"Xaya, you saved all of us! You're our hero!"

"The Savior of Saint Roland Academy!"

"You're the incarnation of a saint walking among us!"

"Xaya, I want to have your children!"

...

These nauseating words, paired with adoring gazes, were enough to make Xaya's awkwardness flare up just from thinking about them.

He knew he wasn't a saint. Sure, his earlier righteous stance had been partly driven by a desire to help, but his main motivation was the envy of the left index bone. Being praised this way felt undeserved.

The second reason was that it just didn't matter. Xaya had a clear understanding of his own goals. While it felt great to show off in front of others, he wasn't the type to rely on the praise of a bunch of common students to feed his vanity.

He shifted his gaze to the massive body of the lava giant beneath him, its molten lava slowly cooling and solidifying into a hardened shell. "Xia Ai, come give me a hand."

"Xaya, you really know how to take advantage of the situation," came a cold voice.

The click of high heels signaled that Aurora had appeared by his side, seemingly knowing what Xaya intended to do. Her voice, though cold, carried a hint of resigned humor.

"Aurora, you've really mastered those idioms. Looks like my efforts tutoring you in Chinese weren't in vain."

"I used to think you were the classic quiet, unassuming type, but who knew you had this biting tongue as a hidden trait? I like it."

Without turning around, Xaya stretched his arms and gestured to the molten giant's body. "Cut here."

A flash of silver light, and the gleaming blade sliced through the lava giant's toughest volcanic rock shell into four neat pieces. The shattered rock was swiftly sucked into Xaya's spatial pocket.

"The king-level lava giant armor, I'd say this is barely a second-tier material. It should be worth several hundred coins."

Xaya estimated, then pointed at the giant's chest. "Also, here."

The silver light continued to flash, and a fragment of crystal fell from the chest. Xaya caught it steadily. Even though it had been shattered during battle, this fragment, which contained the core magic of the lava giant, was still a rare third-tier material. In the black market, its price wouldn't be less than 1,500 Rhein coins.

Aurora, holding the silver spear, moved with precision, cutting the body into various sized extraordinary materials as per Xaya's instructions.

Just then, she suddenly stopped, her silver spear, "Rongomyniad," dropping slightly as if to shield Xaya.

A middle-aged officer in military uniform, Colonel Zig, appeared before them, his expression stern. He halted five meters in front of Aurora and didn't advance.

Zig's battle-hardened instincts told him—if he stepped forward, this golden-haired girl would definitely strike, no matter who he was or what kind of background he represented. Even though he was a genuine fourth-ring master, the sharp aura emanating from her spear made him feel as though he might get hurt.

So this was the "super-newcomer" from Saint Roland Academy, the one he had heard about before the event.

Saint Roland Academy certainly had some exceptional students…

Colonel Zig sighed inwardly, then raised his hand with a kind smile. "Relax, I'm from the military. We're on the same side."

"As a member of Saint Roland Academy, I have great respect for the military's assistance."

"However, if you're just here to thank me, there's no need. Professor Kahn already thanked me once. The academy is my home, and protecting my classmates is my duty."

Xaya's attention remained on the dissection of the lava giant's body. The huge remains had already been mostly cleared, and he was thoroughly enjoying the process. It felt satisfying, like the calm after a tough battle as he went through the loot list.

At that moment, Xaya suddenly grew alert. "Colonel Zig, you're not here to tell me this lava giant belongs to the military, are you?"

"Of course not," Zig chuckled. "According to military rules, any enemy loot during a mission belongs to the killer."

"Even though you technically took advantage of the professor and me, the Ashen Church's Archbishop was killed by you, so his spoils rightfully belong to you."

"Good."

Xaya nodded, storing the final piece of extraordinary material into his spatial pocket.

"Aurora, let's go."

"Mm." Aurora nodded, retracting her spear and quietly following behind him.

"Wait... Actually, I came to remind you of something," Colonel Zig said with a touch of helplessness.

From the beginning, he thought these students would be starstruck by his visit. But it seemed neither Xaya nor Aurora cared about his military background, forcing him to speak up.

"I don't know how you dealt with that pollutant on the altar, or how you controlled that black flame, and I don't need to know…"

Zig lowered his voice.

"You did indeed uncover the Ashen Church's conspiracy, and that's beyond dispute. No one can question your position."

"But the military and the empire might not care, but others will. The incident was too loud, and there are many spies from other forces in the capital. The details of what happened will certainly spread."

"At that point, in the eyes of those hidden organizations, you'll be labeled and speculated on."

"Getting into their sights… it's hard to say if that's a good thing."

"I figured it out."

Xaya nodded indifferently. He had anticipated this from the beginning, as part of the hidden cost he had to pay for Amaterasu's help.

"It's no big deal. When the soldiers come, we'll block, when the water comes, we'll build dam," Xaya said with ease.

"Haha, 'when the soldiers come, we'll block, when the water comes, we'll build dam,' that's a good way of putting it!" Zig laughed, clearly agreeing.

"Using that black flame to kill the Ashen Archbishop in front of everyone was actually a very smart move."

"If you'd hidden your ability to control the black flame and it later came to light, rumors might have spread saying you had some secret connection with the Ashen Church."

"But by putting it out in the open and using it to kill the Church's leader, no one will be able to use that against you."

"And really, there's no need for you to worry too much. No matter what, you're a citizen of the empire, and you're a hero who did a great deed for Saint Roland Academy."

"I can guarantee, no one will dare to make trouble for you publicly."

As Zig spoke, he cast one last look at Xaya. "Also, maybe before long, we'll fight side by side again."

"If you're asking me to join the military, forget it," Xaya waved his hand. "A few weeks ago, your colleagues from the Reza Bureau invited me, but I turned them down."

"I know your type, talented but can't stand being constrained," Zig chuckled. "The military and the Bureau have too many rules. They're more suited for the average person, not for those who need creative freedom. You'd be wasting your talents there."

Zig smiled again, then added, "But—"

"If it's not the Bureau or the military directly working for the official and imperial authorities... what about collaborators with the Freesta Empire?"

Xaya frowned. "Collaborators with the empire? What do you mean?"

"It's complicated," Zig replied. "A lot is involved, and I can only say it's very deep. If you understand, you understand. If you don't, then you won't. When the time comes, you'll know."

After saying all that, Colonel Zig finally showed a carefree smile, spun around, and was about to leave, but then Xaya's voice came from behind him.

"I heard that military officers who receive significant outside help during missions can request a reward from the military, deducted from the reward for the mission."

Zig's smooth departure faltered for a moment, but he didn't turn back. "I'll apply for it."

"I'll be waiting for your good news," Xaya said, feeling satisfied as he waved at Aurora to leave.

As they watched Zig walk away in a somewhat embarrassed manner, Xaya was content.