Hate Me, Miss Witch!

In the Imperial Capital, in the Black Lily District.

The Black Lily District is a newly emerging secondary district in Camelot. Unlike the upper city, which is home to ancient aristocratic families and their rigid traditions, the Black Lily District enjoys better security and a more vibrant atmosphere than the lower city, which is a working-class area.

As a result, it is popular among young nobles, businessmen, and even well-placed adventurers. In their eyes, the Black Lily District symbolizes freedom, trends, indulgence, and enjoyment.

In front of a quaint mansion, Madam Carol observed the young man before her.

He was dressed in proper and exquisite attire.

Beneath his dark hair, his face, softer and more handsome than sharp, resembled that of an elf, gentle and beautiful.

And his pair of clear, deep eyes left a lasting impression, much like the protagonist of a bard's poem—one that draws readers into the story.

"Mysterious, handsome, wealthy... He's practically a modern-day version of Count of Monte Cristo."

"If I were twenty years younger, I'd probably invite you to a dance at the next gala..."

Madam Carol gazed at Xaya and sighed, expressing her feelings aloud.

She checked the property transfer contract she held, confirming everything was in order, and then quickly signed it.

Afterward, the lady handed over a set of keys to Xaya and cast another glance at him and the golden-haired girl standing behind him.

She winked and smiled.

"Well then, this mansion now belongs to you."

"Congratulations on your wedding," she said with a graceful step, clearly thinking of Xaya and Aurora as a newlywed couple purchasing their first home.

...

Once Madam Carol left, Aurora approached Xaya .

"Didn't expect to run into one of your fans here."

"It's quite surprising. I didn't realize that the Count of Monte Cristo has such popularity among female readers. It seems that popular stories truly transcend age and gender."

"And if I'm not mistaken, the perfume and earrings Madam Carol was wearing must have come from the store we invested in. It looks like our decision to focus on industrializing the Black Lily District was a smart move."

Xaya walked into his newly purchased home and pulled out a few parcels from his spatial pocket.

Although the Ashen Cult's attack on the academy had come to an end with only a few students injured and no fatalities—considered a perfect resolution—the dormitory area had been severely damaged and was no longer habitable.

Additionally, with Xaya having become more prominent after the Ashen Cult incident, catching the attention of several factions, he needed a new place. The academy's dormitory was a bit too crowded and full of eyes.

Therefore, as soon as the incident was resolved, Aurora dragged Xaya around to look for a new home. After much searching, they settled on this mansion in the Black Lily District.

Fortunately, Amaterasu had been completed ahead of time, and Xaya had also gained a considerable amount from the King-level Lava Giant. Without these, he wouldn't have been able to afford a mansion of nearly 2,000 square meters with its own small pet training grounds and meditation room.

In the end, the wealth accumulated by emerging capitalists over a few years still couldn't compare to the foundation built by long-established aristocrats over centuries.

Aurora took the items from Xaya and began arranging them in their new home. She soon found a silver-white frame from one of the moving bags and took a moment to admire it.

It was a magical portrait taken when Xaya and Aurora first arrived in the Imperial Capital, both looking youthful and green. At the time, they were almost the same height, but now, Xaya had grown much taller.

"That lady has quite the aura... and she gave such a subtle hint."

Aurora silently placed the magical portrait frame on the nightstand in the bedroom, casually speaking.

"Sadly, I think that sort of plot would only appear in my new work Hero Abin..."

"That kind of book would probably be banned by the authorities."

"Exactly, but isn't being banned the highest form of artistic recognition?"

Xaya moved the last piece of furniture into place and looked around their freshly arranged new home with satisfaction.

"Anyway, this will be our new base of operations."

As he spoke, he took out a small metal box from his spatial pocket.

Opening the box, it revealed a glass container inside, with a silvery liquid flowing slowly within.

"'Memory Revitalizing Mercury,' a fifth-tier elemental material with a trace of temporal properties."

"It's said to have special effects on ancient species, especially those of relic-grade pets, accelerating their previous rank and powers to revive."

"This item isn't available to the public. I had to ask Colonel Zieg to acquire it from the military's internal channels. It cost us all our accumulated military merits, and we might owe him a big favor."

Xaya weighed the glass bottle in his hand and handed it to the golden-haired girl.

"Don't refuse. I've already broken through to the third ring, and our identities might have already been exposed to some interested parties. There will probably be more trouble ahead... You need to catch up."

"Do you remember the promise we made back in Siran? To always be someone useful to me?"

Aurora took the glass bottle.

She didn't say much but gave Xaya a glance and nodded.

"Give me two weeks."

...

Watching the golden-haired girl disappear into the meditation room, Xaya also turned and walked into the pet training ground, which occupied half the mansion.

The entire training ground was constructed from reinforced alloys and inscribed with several energy storage arrays, capable of withstanding the explosive power of King-tier pets for short periods.

Shiny and Silver appeared in the training ground, summoned by Xaya.

The little snow ferret, as always, was noble and lazy. After noticing its summoning, it glanced around the training ground, then nestled back into its fluffy body on Xaya's shoulder to take a nap.

Being a pet with a specialization in illusion magic, Silver required a large amount of mental energy for abilities like Tsukuyomi and the newly acquired Amaterasu. Resting was the best way to restore its mental power, unless it wanted to use the expensive, alchemically-created mental energy potions available only in the capital. So, aside from battle, Silver was either napping on Xaya's shoulder or resting in the Soul Pact space.

Shiny, on the other hand, was different. As soon as it appeared, it was full of energy.

"Shiny..."

Xaya looked at the little golden monkey, speaking earnestly.

"Silver has already digested our gains and completed Amaterasu. Her attack domain no longer has any flaws."

"But you're still different."

"Are you content being just a support? Simply serving as a storage ring for me and Silver or opening teleportation gates?"

"Kiki!" (Of course not!)

Shiny's eyes were full of determination. Though Silver was its mentor, just because she was the eldest didn't mean Shinycouldn't become the main pet. After all, kings and nobles are born, not made. Who says a second soul pact can't be the main pet?

"I like your spirit," Xaya nodded with satisfaction. "Although your skills are limited since we've used up all the Skill Seeds, you can't learn abilities like Chidori, Yata no Kagami, or Dimension Slash for now."

"But strength enhancement has never been limited to just skill points."

"Before Aurora completes her breakthrough, we'll try to enter the historical echo again. Before that, we need to fully digest our previous gains, fill in any gaps, and enhance our combat power to its maximum potential."

"So, during this period, I've made a very strict training plan for you. Are you confident you can complete it?"

"Kiki!" (I'm confident!)

Shiny's eyes glowed with determination.

It was now a mature pet. It had to learn to grow stronger without relying solely on skill points.