Chapter 711: Eat the Cake

"Farewell? Katana-zaai…"

Upon hearing the House Witch's words, the Butterfly Sisters panicked instantly.

This hard-won reform had just succeeded; they had barely established a new Higashinoshima where everyone could live freely.

Moreover, the benefactor and mentor they had believed dead had come back to life and reappeared before them.

Ah, these two wonderful events combined should have been a fairy-tale ending—so joyful, so blissful, they couldn't tell if it was reality or dream.

But why? Why had it turned out like this?

Butterfly Shin stared at the benefactor on the stage; she wanted to beg him to stay, but when the words reached her lips, she suddenly realized she didn't even know his name.

If the cold-hearted swordsman before was all fake, then "Katana-zaai Tsukimi Kuro" must be a false name too.

Realizing this, the Doctor Lady suddenly felt deflated.

Though she still idolized this benefactor and mentor who had saved her life and guided her onto a new path, now she realized she knew far less about him than she'd thought.

She didn't even know his name—how could she possibly ask him to stay?

"Oh, I almost forgot—I'm Dorothy."

The House Witch on stage, as sharp as ever, noticed the Doctor Lady's distress and said so.

Since her face was already revealed, one more name wouldn't matter.

"Dorothy? A gift from the gods? That's truly a fitting name for you."

Below, Butterfly Shin thought to herself.

As a native Higashinoshima witch who had once been a village doctor, her education level wasn't high.

She was fine with Higashinoshima language, but Witch Common Tongue had once been taught only to Hua clan witches—she had no access to it.

Now, as Lord of Wan Guo and administrator of the new Higashinoshima, she'd begun frantic cramming.

Fortunately, as a naturally intelligent witch focused on witch-pharmaceutical research, she learned quickly; though her Witch Common Tongue wasn't yet fluent like a mother tongue, daily listening, speaking, reading, and writing were no problem—just a slight accent.

So upon hearing her benefactor's name, she immediately connected it with her recent studies in Witch Common Tongue and grasped its meaning.

She loved the name—just as you, my lord, came to Higashinoshima and granted them salvation, you were a gift from the gods to them.

"Lady Dorothy, please don't leave."

Butterfly Ying, who had been hiding behind her sister, suddenly bravely peeked out and said this.

Adults always overthink, so sometimes children are purer—or braver.

The little witch gathered courage, gazing hopefully at the benefactor on stage, voicing outright what her sister had hesitated to say.

Unfortunately, the House Witch atop the main stage shook her head coldly.

"Of course not."

Dorothy said.

But seeing the little witch's face about to crumple into tears, she quickly added.

"Hey, don't make it sound like a deathbed farewell—distance isn't a problem for witches."

It's true—witch-world portals are everywhere; as long as you're not one of those space-sensitive types allergic to portals like me, visiting relatives and friends is ridiculously convenient.

Well, assuming you can afford the portal fees.

Just like taking the bus requires a ticket or card swipe, portals work the same.

Short-distance travel is cheap as city buses, but long-distance trips are expensive—ordinary witches might burn through their entire monthly salary on a few long trips.

Uh, cough... never mind, that's not the point. Seriously, in this mood, am I really worrying about transportation fares? Only I could think like this.

The House Witch snapped out of her rambling and continued comforting the disappointed little witch.

"Besides, I'm going back to school—students must prioritize studies. If you really miss me, Ying, you can come find me at the academy later; you're just the right age to enroll."

Dorothy said to the little witch.

Butterfly Ying was only twelve or thirteen—about the same age as her sister; witches her age should normally be attending witch academy. It was only because Higashinoshima had been so isolated that they hadn't gone. Once it opened up, Higashinoshima's young witches could enroll too.

Of course, Dorothy felt a bit guilty saying this—after all, as a first-year witch academy student, she'd attended barely over a month of classes this semester, skipping the rest. She had no right preaching "studies first."

But honestly, it wasn't entirely her fault. She thought her teacher, Spider, deserved at least half the blame—this wasn't a lazy student; the teacher's lesson prep was pathetically slow, lagging far behind the students' learning pace.

Hope Spider will reflect deeply and finish the backlog of elite, specialized, and master-level courses soon.

Still, even if Spider actually finished all the remaining courses, they'd barely cover a few years of study—witch academy's twenty-year curriculum.

Hmm… maybe I should sneak into other departments' classes? Or just drain Spider dry and apply for early graduation.

Dorothy pondered her future academic plans.

Below, the others in the banquet hall weren't surprised by the House Witch's farewell—they'd known she was an outsider who'd eventually leave—but now that they heard her call herself an ungraduated student, they were stunned.

Student? What the hell? Are students outside this insane now? The outside world is terrifying!

Everyone recalled the outsider witch's brutal record on Higashinoshima—they simply couldn't reconcile it with "student." If you're still in school, what are we?

Illiterate preschoolers?

Regardless of what others thought, Butterfly Ying listened—she nodded, deciding that once she helped her sister stabilize Higashinoshima's situation, she'd go find Lady Dorothy at the witch academy.

"Now, let's see the gift I brought you."

After calming the little witch, Dorothy smiled and snapped her fingers.

Everyone's attention turned to her—they were genuinely curious about the gift. But after waiting a moment, nothing happened.

"？？？？"

As question marks floated above everyone's heads, the entire Youkai Mountain trembled violently.

It seemed like an earthquake.

But for witches, earthquakes meant little.

Not to mention this mirage was conjured by youkai witches—it couldn't collapse from tremors. Even if it did, the falling debris couldn't kill or even seriously injure any witch present.

Everyone rushed to the banquet hall's balcony or windows—and instantly saw the massive, ancient-style gate rising slowly from the base of Youkai Mountain.

It was a beautifully ornate structure, elegant and exquisite—but any living person who laid eyes on it would feel an inexplicable dread surge from within.

Because the gate, like the three characters carved on its plaque, was "Gate of the Dead."

It was the entrance to the Netherworld.

As everyone stared at the gate, they received a message from within.

It was a resurrection ritual, and

Hmm, a price list.

The list detailed exact fees for every possible scenario of death—down to the smallest detail.

Ah…

Everyone stared blankly at the resurrection ritual and price list.

After all, few witches could grasp how much this shattered Higashinoshima witches' worldview.

They gazed dumbly at the gate, then turned to look at the calm House Witch seated atop the stage—too overwhelmed to speak.

Wait, my lord, you call this a gift?

Sure, it's vital for Higashinoshima witches—but who gives a gift this monumental?

But Dorothy didn't care—after all, breaking Youkai Mountain's suppression of the Netherworld and establishing resurrection on Higashinoshima to connect it with the outside world had been her plan all along.

Still, this wasn't even her gift—it was simply the basic witch rights Higashinoshima witches deserved. Who gives someone something that's already theirs as a gift?

What comes next is the real gift.

Dorothy reached up and removed her witch hat.

"Senior, are you ready?"

She asked the hat-senior.

The hat-senior froze, then, after a long while, resumed her human form once more.

She was a stunning beauty in stark black-and-white tones.

Her long, straight black hair flowed like a cloak or skirt, trailing to the ground, merging with the black mist writhing beneath her feet.

As the mist churned, countless indistinct, low murmurs emerged from its chaotic depths—chilling to the bone.

Her delicate skin glowed white, almost translucent; through it, you could see an endless river of stars flowing beneath.

Brilliant stars shimmered within, like countless bizarre yet interconnected bubbles; stare too long, and your gaze would be drawn to their colors, as if all truths of the universe lay hidden within.

Sacred yet eerie, eerie yet sacred.

She lifted her head, revealing a small, exquisite face—eyebrows and eyes like painted brushstrokes, lips red, teeth white, beauty so radiant it could shame the moon and humble flowers.

She stepped forward slowly; the subtle curves revealed by her flowing robes radiated maternal grace, yet stirred hidden desires.

Yet when she opened her eyes, they revealed sheep-like square pupils.

"Whoa, Senior, how'd you get so cool?"

Dorothy stared at this version of her senior—different from her memory—and gasped.

This divine-demonic being immediately lost her aura.

The Demon Witch rolled her eyes.

"Get lost. I'm just showing you my performance mode out of respect."

Asafan said, exasperated.

She knew this form wouldn't scare her blunt master, but still—this was the first time she'd shown her true self. Couldn't she at least get a little respect, Damn Qian Bao?

The Demon Witch fumed.

But then her eerie sheep-pupiled gaze fixed on her master, and she finally confirmed:

"Damn Qian Bao, are you sure you want me to witness this ritual? I think your sister or someone else would be better suited."

Her words were indirect, but Dorothy understood their meaning perfectly.

The House Witch's vision for the Illusionary Land's grand barrier was perfect, but the problem was it was too grandiose—so grandiose that such an architectural marvel was never something a minor witch like her had the right to build.

The name "Divine Ranking Scroll" wasn't something she just made up on a whim.

Of course, as a born Sage, she truly had the authority to bestow divine titles—but the problem was she was in the West Universe, not the East Universe, the Sage's homeland.

Do you expect me to grant divine titles in my West Universe using your status as a Sage from the East Universe?

Don't my West Universe and my witch world have any dignity at all?

Such overreaching jurisdiction is clearly taboo.

So, Dorothy would be best off finding a local partner, turning this foreign enterprise into a joint venture, so both sides could save face.

But who among the witches has the authority to bestow divine titles in the witch world?

Hmm, the Three Heavenly Kings, please—

Of course, for the House Witch, a condition that would be nearly impossible for others meant nothing—she only needed to go beg her elder sister, and all problems would vanish.

But the problem was, the two sisters were still playing that game: "I know who you are, you know I know who you are, but neither of us will say it."

If she went to her elder sister now, it would mean laying everything bare.

And the other two Witch Kings—

Dorothy admitted she didn't know them well at all.

Fortunately, while neither the past nor present Witch King could help, the House Witch still had one future Witch King at her side.

Hmm, it was time to convince the chairman's son—the one who disapproved of the company's current style, yearned to start fresh, and wanted to prove himself—to invest in, guarantee, and lend his name to her newly founded company.

"Senior, this island of Japan isn't just my territory—it's the territory of our Witch House, and aren't you one of the original five founders?"

"Senior, haven't you always thought the current witch world is beyond saving? Then let's build together a world that belongs solely to us."

"Senior, I believe one day, the barrier of this Illusionary Land will cover the entire witch world, even the whole West Universe."

"And no one else can do this—the Divine King can't, the Dragon King can't, the Demon King can't either. In the entire West Universe, only you and I can."

Dorothy is spinning grand dreams.

(End of Chapter)