Hate Me, Miss Witch!

When Xaya's consciousness stirred again, the first thing he noticed was the icy metal floor beneath him.

Had his attempt to enter the Historical Echo failed, leaving him trapped in that ancient chamber?

This thought was quickly dismissed as he heard hurried footsteps behind him.

"Xaya, time is running out. Are you coming or not?"

The voice was unfamiliar, and Xaya didn't recognize the speaker. However, it was clear that this person knew him.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. My apologies," Xaya replied naturally, turning around with an apologetic smile.

In the brief moment it took, he sensed the presence of his soul-link with his beasts, Shiny and Silver.

As a beastmaster, Xaya always felt a sense of assurance in the unknown as long as his beasts were with him.

"It's almost time for the family coming-of-age ceremony. This is a big deal that affects our future standing in the family. You can't keep being so absent-minded," the other person said.

The speaker appeared to be around Xaya's age, seventeen or eighteen, with a badge of a silver longsword pinned to his chest.

"The Elder is already gathering us. If you're late, the consequences—"

The young man paused, a trace of unhidden fear flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, this "Elder" was a figure to be reckoned with, leaving an indelible impression of dread.

Xaya's mind churned with possibilities but betrayed none of them outwardly.

He understood that, in this unfamiliar setting, he was effectively a counterfeit, and listening carefully while speaking sparingly was paramount.

"You're right; let's hurry. It'd be terrible to anger the Elder," Xaya replied, mirroring the other's concerns.

The youth wiped his brow and nodded fervently. "Yes, yes, let's go."

The Grand Duke's estate was expansive, and they soon arrived at an unassuming hall.

Xaya found a quiet corner and surveyed the room. There were about seven or eight others, all around his age.

Their attire wasn't luxurious, but it wasn't shabby either. The most notable feature they shared was the silver longsword badge on their chests.

"That badge must be the emblem of the Brunstadt family, rulers of the former Cangting Duchy," Xaya thought.

"So this Historical Echo really does create something akin to time travel."

Everyone around him seemed entirely lifelike, not illusions or mere projections.

Xaya had initially assumed that the Historical Echo would be more like a reenactment of past events—something to observe but not alter, like a historian's dream.

But this setting felt far too real for that.

Perhaps this was some hyper-realistic illusion crafted by a powerful will, or maybe it was a literal fragment of history preserved in time.

The mechanics were beyond Xaya's understanding. However, one thing was certain: he was now in the midst of the Cangting Duchy before its downfall.

This was good news. If he were merely a passive observer, completing his favorability missions would have been impossible.

"Thankfully, I made it in time," came a relieved voice from behind Xaya.

"Leonard, keep your composure. Don't embarrass yourself in front of the Elder," Xaya admonished gently.

During the walk over, Xaya had subtly guided the conversation, gathering enough information to piece together the situation.

The Cangting Duchy's ruler, Grand Duke Brunstadt, spent most of his time leading armies to fend off beast tides at the borders.

In his absence, the Brunstadt family's internal affairs were largely managed by the family Elders.

Among these Elders, the most powerful was Norton, the Grand Duke's younger brother and acting head of the family.

Xaya, Leonard, and the others present were orphans Norton had taken in from his campaigns, making them part of the Brunstat family, though not of its main lineage.

This gathering was one of Norton's initiatives.

"You're right, Xaya. Without your reminder, I'd have made a fool of myself in front of the Elder," Leonard said earnestly.

Xaya nodded slightly, maintaining his composure. He had already noticed Leonard's intense fear of Norton and used it to steer their conversation.

After laying the groundwork, Xaya finally asked the question weighing on his mind.

"By the way, how has Sylvie been lately?"

He had little concrete information about the Grand Duke's daughter, his mission's target. For all he knew, she might not even be in the estate. Keeping the question vague gave him room to maneuver.

Unexpectedly, the mention of her name made Leonard's face twist with undisguised disdain.

"Her? What else? Still as insufferable as ever," Leonard spat.

"If it weren't for her, maybe that disaster sixteen years ago wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't be orphans now."

"Disaster sixteen years ago?"

Xaya's interest was piqued.

It seemed there was a deeper story here. Otherwise, Leonard, as an adopted member of the family, wouldn't dare speak so openly against Sylvie.

Before Xaya could probe further, a chorus of greetings broke out across the room.

"Greetings, Elder!"

Xaya stood alongside Leonard, greeting the elderly man who approached with an air of authority.

The Elder's stately robes and commanding presence were unmistakable. His aura was that of a master-tier beastmaster, well beyond the high-tier level.

What intrigued Xaya more, however, was the faint, almost imperceptible trace of decay emanating from the Elder.

To most, it would be undetectable, but Xaya's experience with the relics of dark gods allowed him to recognize it immediately.

The scent of corruption was identical to that of an evil deity's artifact.

Connecting this to the historical record of the "Twilight Calamity" that led to the Duchy's fall, Xaya's thoughts clicked into place.

Great. I've spawned directly into a den of cultists.