But soon, chatter about the burglaries reached the tavern, and Xia Xin perked up instantly.

“Did you hear? Old John’s smithy was robbed.”

“What? What got stolen?”

“Just coin—seventy gold pieces!”

“Unbelievable! Must be the Calamity Witch’s doing!”

*Perfect. Exactly the vibe I wanted.*

*Being the Calamity Witch isn’t so bad~ Hehe~*

Xia Xin calmly sipped her zero-proof apple juice.

“And the grocer next door? Cleaned out—over five hundred gold! A lifetime’s savings, gone!”

“That vile Calamity Witch!”

*Pfft!*

Xia Xin nearly spat her juice in the man’s face.

*Five hundred gold?! Damn capitalist lapdogs! I only took thirty from that grocer!*

*Who keeps five hundred gold in a tiny shop? Use your brains!*

“Even the jeweler on the street lost half his treasures—worth three thousand gold!”

“Damn that Calamity Witch! The Holy Knights will crush her! Grind her to dust!”

Xia Xin froze.

*Is there no justice?! I didn’t do that!*

*How dare you slander me like this?!*

The Calamity Witch was furious. Ready to throw punches.

Under the influence of zero-proof cider, Xia Xin’s thoughts turned reckless. She slammed the table. “That’s enough!”

The tavern erupted.

“The… the Calamity Witch!”

“What?! She’s here?!”

“They say one look from her drags your life into the Abyss… turns you into a mindless beast… heh… she’s stunning… damn it! I’m already cursed!”

“Run! Everyone run!”

In under thirty seconds, patrons and owner alike flooded out like a tidal wave. Only Xia Xin remained.

*Hah! Guess I’ve got presence after all!*

*Well… since everyone’s gone… this fancy bottle of wine and the coins behind the counter? I’ll just… help myself—*

*BAM!*

The tavern door crashed open again.

Xia Xin turned. A knight in heavy armor stood there, shield and sword raised in battle stance.

*Huh?*

**[Holy Knight, Level: 75]**

**[Elite warrior of the Western Church. Wields Holy Light in combat. Strongest human faction.]**

**[Threat Level: Low]**

*The Holy Knights—the ones they were just talking about…*

*They’re already here?! It’s only been minutes!*

Xia Xin startled, then forced calm. *Low threat means I can handle him… but his backup’s probably a whole squad.*

*Worse—I’m the “Calamity Witch,” but I don’t know a single spell!*

*Gulp… This is bad.*

*Damn it! No choice—I’ll fight!*

“Fireball!” Xia Xin thrust her hand toward the knight and yelled.

“…”

Nothing happened.

“Meteor Strike!”

“Thunderstorm!”

“Grand Illusion: Ten Thousand Realms of Maniacal Judgment Eye!”

Still nothing.

*Nope. Zero effect. Guess shouting spell names doesn’t actually work.*

*Stupid anime lies!*

Her expression flickered. She took an involuntary step back.

*Trouble. Real trouble.*

*What kind of “Sorceress” can’t cast a single spell? This role is seriously underpowered!*

*Gotta break out.*

She eyed the door—blocked by a wall of armored knights. No gaps.

*The window!*

The tavern’s side window stood open, empty street beyond.

*Ha! My escape route!*

*Bet you didn’t see that coming!*

*THUD!*

Xia Xin lunged for the window—

*Huh?! Stuck?!*

*Ow! Damn it…*

*Phew. Good thing I skipped dinner. That’d have been awkward.*

*Guess even Calamity Witches have… curves.*

*Ahem. Focus!*

Free at last, she bolted. *Gotta vanish before they spot me!*

*Find somewhere deserted. Hide!*

The Holy Knights were trouble enough—a fully armored legion—but Xia Xin feared someone else far more:

The “strongest Holy Knight in millennia” the drunkards mentioned.

Holy Knight Commander Tia Cervantes. Max-level power at a young age. Slayer of adult dragons. The world’s apex predator.

And in the original game? A romanceable character. Ice-cold. Hated evil more than the Demon King himself. Especially threats like the Calamity Witch.

Why did Xia Xin remember her so vividly?

Because in the CG where the Hero beheaded the Calamity Witch…

Tia was the one who chained her down.

*Nope. Nope nope nope.*

*Time to run.*