Hate me, Miss Witch!

In a world formed by illusory stars, Shiayar transformed into countless scattering specks of light, slowly fading away.

For a moment, the Astral Realm fell silent.

After a slight daze, the Golden Elf seated on the Throne of Thorns let out a dumbfounded chuckle.

"Little Death, did you hear that?"

"I've just been teased."

Only after a long while did her clear, bell-like laughter slowly fade away.

She looked towards the spot where Shiayar's figure had vanished, lightly shook her head, and her soft murmur echoed through the ethereal starry sky.

He truly has grown up...

No longer the little boy from before, but now a man with his own sense of responsibility.

Though a bit overbearing, and lacking some respect for the etiquette due to a mentor...

I don't dislike it, though.

With a casual flick of her pale fingers, the Golden Elf lightly tapped a point in the Astral Realm.

Since my disciple is so prone to stirring up trouble, I, as his teacher, also need to put some thought into this.

"Little Death, since my true body can't return from the Dimensional Abyss, you go to the Empire Capital and keep watch for a bit."

"Okay."

As the Golden Elf's words came to an end, a massive, silent Bone Demon emerged in the starry sky.

It nodded towards the Golden Elf atop the Throne of Thorns, and then the colossal skeletal figure swiftly departed.

Soon, it vanished into the depths of the Astral Realm.

Silence returned to the Astral Realm once more.

And there the Golden Elf girl sat on the Throne of Thorns, eyes closed, as if in slumber.

The phantom stars revolved, creating concentric ripples of starlight.

The flow of time within the Astral Realm was already different from the Main Material Plane, and who knows how much time passed before the elf on the throne opened her eyes once again.

A rare hint of surprise flashed through those cool eyes.

They've come too?

In those beautiful Red Gold eyes, the Golden Elf couldn't help but show a trace of helplessness.

You really are...

'A leading character that captivates the heart.'

Her gaze was profound, her thoughts unknowable.

Had I known it would come to this, should I have kept him locked in the Black Tower's sealed dimension, not letting him out unless he became Legendary...

Only after a long moment did the elf on the throne let out a long sigh.

But that way, it probably wouldn't be necessary to have Little Death make an appearance.

...

「The Main Material Plane.」

「The Western Continent, Fresta Empire, Imperial Capital Camelot.」

「Royal State Guesthouse.」

This was the best hotel in the entire Empire Capital. Even the most basic single room cost more than ten Rhine gold coins per day. As for the more luxurious suites, the highest price had even surpassed one hundred Gold Coins a day.

Yet, despite the cost, business had been booming recently.

As for the reason, it was naturally because of the banquet tomorrow.

On the surface, it seemed to be nothing more than an engagement dinner between two youngsters.

But anyone with a clear understanding of the Empire's current situation knew deep down what was at stake. This seemingly ordinary engagement dinner carried implications that could potentially determine the future path of the entire Fresta Empire.

Nobles, powerhouses, Scouts, spies... All at once, countless gazes converged on the Empire Capital.

No one wanted to miss out on the details of this banquet.

Consequently, at this moment, the Empire Capital was filled with visitors from all across the Western Continent.

Those belonging to the Order Faction, already invited by the Borgia family, would naturally have their accommodations in the Empire Capital arranged by the Borgia family themselves.

But for those uninvited guests, they had to dip into their own pockets to find a place to stay.

「Royal State Guesthouse, Tulip Chamber.」

The Tulip was also the symbol of one of the Empire's 8 Great Oath-Sworn Families. However, the Tulip family had always been somewhat mediocre. For now, they were among the fence-sitters still observing, staying out of the conflict between the old nobility and the Royal Family.

A suite named after an oath-sworn family was naturally extraordinary. Without being a dignitary of the Empire, one wouldn't even have the qualification to book it.

Fioran stood respectfully at the doorway of the Tulip Chamber, looking at the huge wooden wardrobe inside the room.

The wardrobe was filled with brand-new attire, all of which Fioran had purchased from the highest-end clothing stores in the entire Empire Capital, with the vast majority sourced from the Black Lily District.

And beside that forest-like display of garments, the silver-haired witch gazed at the large silver floor mirror within the room.

She occasionally took an outfit from the wardrobe, along with its hanger, and positioned it in front of herself, assessing her reflection in the mirror.

Silvia's pure silver hair fell smoothly over her fair shoulders, shimmering beautifully in the moonlight shining through the window.

Fioran even saw the Gray-Silver Witch lift the hem of her dress, twirling lightly in front of the silver mirror.

At that moment, she was not the ancient legend who walked out of history over five hundred years ago.

Instead, she was a young girl, filled with thoughts of love, joyfully picking out clothes for her date with her beloved the following day.

Who would have thought that the White Tower Master, too, had such a side to her?

But then again, it's said that when the Gray-Silver Witch ascended to Legendary status, she was only in her twenties, about the same age as Her Royal Highness...

Afterwards came that long, five-hundred-year slumber.

Thinking about it that way, in terms of actual life experiences, was Silvia's time span perhaps only a dozen short years, possibly even less than his own?