A Witch is the Demon King's most loyal servant. There's no question about that.

With the Book of the Demon King as their anchor, the bond connecting the Demon King and the Witch becomes incredibly strong. No one can break it.

What Lin Xingyun meant was the impact of Hathaway's change in identity—from a human who had fallen and become a Witch.

Hathaway's transformation had gone so far that even her race had changed. The impact on her was bound to be significant.

Put simply, the whole thing could be summed up in one sentence:

—I reject my humanity, JoJo!

Of course, if he had to give an example, the simplest and most obvious one was the increase in her strength.

On the Morningstar Continent, every profession was divided into nine ranks. The highest rank an ordinary person could reach was only Rank Three.

Lin Xingyun knew that when Hathaway was transformed into a Witch, she had desperately wanted to become the head of the Hainerna Chamber of Commerce. That also explained why the Book of the Demon King had accepted her.

The stronger a person's desire, the stronger they became as a Witch after their fall. Hathaway had proven that.

Desire was like fuel. The more fuel there was, the hotter the flames of corruption would burn.

After all, before she fell and became a Witch, Hathaway had just been an ordinary mature woman with no combat ability whatsoever.

But with the help of demonic energy, she'd already broken past the limits of an ordinary person and gained the strength of a Rank Four monster.

—Though she herself still had no idea.

Strength was the most obvious change. But what Lin Xingyun wanted to understand was something less noticeable: her personality.

After spending time with her last night and comparing that with how she acted today, Lin Xingyun had already noticed that Hathaway seemed different from before.

He still couldn't tell whether this change was good or bad. All he could do was take things as they came.

Lin Xingyun knew Hathaway wasn't stupid. She was bound to notice the problem too.

Sure enough, after hearing what Lin Xingyun said, she fell silent—a rare thing for her.

But a moment later, a smile returned to her face.

“Yes, Lin. I've noticed it too.”

Hathaway leaned back lazily. Her sleek dress clung to her enviable curves as she toyed with the purple locks that fell over her shoulder. Her gentle, catlike charm was captivating.

She really was becoming more and more like the Witch Lin Xingyun had imagined:

Ever-changing, impossible to pin down.

She could be as innocent and carefree as a young girl, or as bewitching and alluring as a Witch.

…The main thing was, she was gorgeous.

Good looks really did go a long way, no matter what world you were in.

“After becoming your Witch, I feel like some of the things that used to hold me back have come undone. It's… a truly strange feeling. Lin, you might not understand, but it's very real to me.”

“And I've already said goodbye to the person I used to be. It's just that I have something—or perhaps someone—more important now. A responsibility, too.”

They both knew exactly what she meant.

Hathaway paused deliberately as she said it, then shot Lin Xingyun a coquettish glance. Her blue eyes shimmered with flirtation, stirring a ripple in his heart.

—Mom, this big sister is flirting with me!

“So, Lin, I feel wonderful now—actually, I've never felt this good before.” Hathaway sat up straight again, her long, elegant legs crossed at an angle.

She dropped her teasing manner and spoke with complete seriousness. “Don't worry about me. I won't let you down.”

There was a genuine note in Hathaway's voice, and Lin Xingyun had no reason to doubt her.

“Mm, I understand.” Lin Xingyun relaxed a little, his tone turning light again. He joked, “I'll pay more attention to this, too. After all, you're my first Witch. I don't want anything to happen to you.”

“…Speaking of which, Hathaway, you still don't know anything about Witches, do you?”

Lin Xingyun stood up, tore a page from the Book of the Demon King floating in the void, then walked over to Hathaway and placed it in front of her.

“It'll teach you how to control your Witch's powers. I'm sure you need it right now.” Lin Xingyun shrugged, then headed for the door and waved. “I'll head back first. Call me when it's time to eat.”

As Lin Xingyun spoke, the page from the Book of the Demon King burst into flames on its own. It turned into a cloud of black mist and surged into Hathaway, bringing with it an enormous amount of knowledge about Witches.

Hathaway sat frozen in her chair. Black mist churned in her blue eyes, and an uncontrollable Witch's aura spilled from her body.

“Oh, right, Hathaway.” Lin Xingyun stopped at the doorway and glanced back at her, a faint smile on his lips. “From now on, you don't have to call me Lin. You're my Witch…”

“Just call me Xingyun.”

Before Hathaway could react, Lin Xingyun had already opened the door and stepped outside. A maid would naturally escort him back to his room.

“Xingyun…” Hathaway murmured, repeating the name.

The next second, though, she smiled tenderly. In that moment, even the flowers would have paled beside her beauty. It was a shame no one was lucky enough to see it.

Or rather, the one person who was allowed to see it had already chosen to leave.

“I kind of like the sound of that~”

Back in the room Hathaway had prepared for him, Lin Xingyun shut the door and summoned the Book of the Demon King with a casual gesture.

Aside from Hathaway, the Book of the Demon King was the only thing he really cared about.

Lin Xingyun had decided to spend the whole afternoon poring over the Book of the Demon King. He wanted to know how many seals it would undo after Hathaway fell and became his Witch!

……………………

……………………

……………………

That afternoon, while Lin Xingyun was still lost in an ocean of knowledge, Hathaway—who had just begun to master her Witch's powers—received an unexpected guest in the hall: Baron Jack.

He had a slightly plump build, hair so greasy it shone, and a light, showy gait that came from years without exercise. He wore all sorts of expensive, gaudy accessories. Clearly, in Baron Jack's eyes, that was what suited his status.

On Earth, there was only one word for someone like him: nouveau riche.

As for how he got his noble title… Well, that sort of thing could usually be settled with money. .jpg

A baron was the lowest rank in the nobility. Aside from impressing ordinary people, the title was hardly enough to get him noticed by the upper class.

Still, everyone understood that you had to show the proper respect in public and play along. A baron was a noble, after all. It was a compromise with the system and its rules.

Besides, there weren't many nobles of standing in Rulvis, so the title of baron was quite useful there.

If Baron Jack had been nothing more than an ordinary nouveau riche, things would've been simple. Hathaway was still a merchant, at least on the surface. They could've worked together and made money side by side—a happy outcome for everyone.

Unfortunately, that sort of thing only happened in dreams.

—Baron Jack supported another candidate for head of the Hainerna Chamber of Commerce, which meant he and Hathaway could never make peace.

More amusingly, the assassin had told Hathaway that the candidate backing Baron Jack was the one who wanted her dead.

That wasn't all. Baron Jack had been targeting Hathaway in Rulvis for a long time. Whatever she wanted to do, he was always eager to stick his nose into it. If he could sabotage one of her deals, he'd do it outright. If he couldn't, he'd still pull some petty trick to slash her profits.

Cutting off someone's livelihood was like killing their parents. Hathaway had lost her own parents long ago, but she still wasn't the type to hold back from a good verbal beatdown—and it pissed her off all the same.

Now Baron Jack had shown up at Hathaway's door without even announcing his visit in advance. Only he knew what he was after. Hathaway could only wait and see.

“It's been so long since we last met, but you're still as beautiful as ever, Miss Hathaway! Hahaha!”

Baron Jack looked at Hathaway, seated across from him and concealed from head to toe beneath a loose robe, not a hint of skin showing. His expression betrayed some disappointment.

“If that's all you came here to say, Baron Jack, then you've accomplished your goal. Please leave.” Hathaway's expression was blank, and she made no effort to be polite to him.

She had no interest in humoring Baron Jack. It was a pure waste of time and effort.

She only showed her other side to the people she cared about. To everyone else, she would always be the same proud, cold Hathaway.

“Don't be so cold, Miss Hathaway. We've had plenty of ‘fateful encounters’ over the years. Surely a sudden visit isn't too much to ask?” Baron Jack chuckled, picked up his cup, and gulped down a mouthful of tea without even trying to taste it.

Ignoring Hathaway's icy expression, Baron Jack let out a deep breath. Then he made a face and began speaking in a snide tone:

“I hear the banquet you hosted last night was a huge success. You even struck deals with quite a few people. Two of the mines in the east alone… Quite the occasion for celebration.”

“What are you getting at?” Hathaway frowned, a sharper edge entering her voice.

There was no need to guess. Baron Jack was going to make trouble over the banquet Hathaway had held the night before, just as he always did.

“I believe happiness grows when you share it with everyone. You can't be selfish, Hathaway.” Baron Jack's fake smile finally vanished, and his attitude turned openly arrogant. He pulled a gold-embossed invitation from inside his coat and set it on the table in front of her. “Tonight, I'll be the host. I look forward to seeing you there, Miss Hathaway.”

“I'll show those people that I'm the one they should be doing business with—Baron Jack.”

Baron Jack stood and straightened his clothes, feeling every inch the gentleman. His gaudy accessories clinked together with a grating noise, and his forced air of superiority was downright comical.

“Well then, see you tonight, beautiful Miss Hathaway.”

“Of course, you can choose not to come… Just be ready to hear the next day that all those people have ended their deals with you!”

“Hmph!” Baron Jack snorted, then left the reception room.

Baron Jack had imagined Hathaway's expression turning sour after he left, and had rehearsed that moment countless times in his head before coming. He was rather disappointed that he hadn't gotten to see it.

But Hathaway, who should've been sitting there with a scowl and fuming, was smiling instead.

“So, he's throwing down the gauntlet…” Hathaway murmured. She raised a slender, pale finger and traced a few lines in the air toward the expensive invitation. In the blink of an eye, it crumbled into dust and vanished. “I hope this toy lasts a little longer before it breaks.”

A little while later, the Witch by the table gave a seductive smile, stood up, and left the reception room as well.

She had something to take care of before enjoying Baron Jack's dinner:

—After all, there were plenty of maids in the manor who were like little cats sneaking a taste.

She'd have to give them a stern warning and set them straight.