Chapter 401: Winter in the Fjords

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

In the sea of the Fjords lies Sleeping Island.

The skyline turned a pale yellow as the last of the highrise buildings was finally
completed. Although the setting sun was not visible, one could still see a streak
of golden light reflected on the sea's surface by the sunset glow that passed
through the clouds. Only the harsh cold gusts of wind, which blew directly at one's
face, gave away the fact that it was no longer autumn.

"And it's done." Lotus lifted up the scarf around her neck until her ears were also
covered by the soft cotton. "This will be our new home once the furniture and beds
are moved in."

"Fantastic!" Durat Kimshoe clapped and said. "That's a lot of houses built in half
a month. And I thought Lady Tilly was exaggerating."

"Lady Tilly doesn't lie," Breeze added.

"Indeed," Durat stroked his thick double chin and said. "If that's the case, I'm
reassured about resettling my citizens over here. Oh, what's this?"

The merchant who came from the Crescent Moon Bay analyzed the groove-shaped parapet
that was in the house. Bending his body, he even stuck his head in the hole to take
a look inside.

"This is a warming device that I learnt about in the Western Region. It's called a
heated brick bed." Lotus explained. "It's connected to the kitchen, and hence when
a fire is started in the kitchen, this bed will also turn warm. "Add a wooden plank
on top and cover it with linen or straw, and you can use it as a bench or a bed.
It'll be more comfortable than your typical furniture, especially in the current
season."

"Interesting design," Durat said and glanced squarely at Lotus. "If I wanted to
hire you for the long term, how many gold royals would it cost?"

"What... do you mean?" Lotus was slightly astonished.

"Follow me to work in the Crescent Moon Bay. There remain several wastelands which
have yet to be developed in my territory. Your abilities will prove extremely
useful." Durat rubbed his hands and said. "How many gold royals do I have to pay
the 'Sleeping Spell' in order for Lady Tilly to authorize you to follow me?"

"Sorry, I've never thought of leaving..."

"Your life over there will be much better than it is here," Durat interrupted
quickly. "You'll get to live in the same large compound as me, enjoy fine wine and
cuisine from the Four Kingdoms every day, and have attendants accompanying you
wherever you go. That's the ideal life that many people envision, and I'm giving it
to you as long as you work for me. Besides, Lady Tilly has said that the requests
of the 'Sleeping Spell' must be fulfilled, and I'm able to afford your recruitment
fees no matter how high it is."

Lotus frowned. She was not unfamiliar with his kind of attitude. Although verbally,
he said that he was hiring her, it felt to her more as though she was being bought.
Just as she was about to bawl out a few sentences, Breeze gently tugged on her
hand. "Even though the requests must be fulfilled, it doesn't mean that it'll be
accepted. There are some things that even witches can't do. Besides, all parties
have to approve before an agreement can be made."

"You mean that money alone isn't enough? I've never seen a deal like this," Durat
spoke with displeasure. "Was what you said when you cast the 'Sleeping Island' mere
rhetoric to make fun of us? "No one will believe or be interested in you if this
goes on."

"I doubt so," someone responded from behind. "There's only one witches' guild that
offers rewards, whether it be in the Fjords or the Four Kingdoms. If you don't
come, there will be others."

"Who speaks?" The merchant turned his head and received a rude shock. "Y... Your
Highness Thunder!"

"I came up with some of the ideas for the regulations of the 'Sleeping Spell'.
Before a contract is signed, the consent of the employee has to take into
consideration the possible risks associated with the tasks. They'll not be forced
to venture into grave danger," Thunder said in a clear voice and laughed. "Do you
have an issue with this?"

"No... this is definitely reasonable." Durat's facial expression restored to

normal. "Then... I'll still have to trouble you in the future, Miss Lotus."

"Phew." Lotus watched the merchant and his entourage make their departure, and
sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"No problem, I was just passing through." Thunder laughed. "Didn't you follow Lady
Tilly to the Western Region?"

"Yes, but I came back early together with Honey and Breeze, because Sleeping Island
needed to prepare supplies and houses for winter." She gave him a simple account of
the matter. "Have you completed your expedition?"

"Hahaha, yes... it was an incredible and unimaginable trip." Thunder's eyes lit up
as soon as she mentioned his expedition. "This was the first time I saw different
sea levels occurring at the same time. Our ship seemed as though it was flying. We
didn't 'fall' into the sea when we advanced past the cliffs that were formed by the
waves! If I hadn't seen it myself, I absolutely wouldn't believe that such a
strange sight could be real."

"Different... sea levels?" Lotus murmured. "How could it be? The sea water ain't
rocks. Wouldn't it flow downwards?"

"Hmm, I named it the 'Sealine', and it's located to the northeast of the Shadow
Islands. When we reached the top of a cliff, it would appear like a long line which
we couldn't see the ends of, and the sea would seem to be divided into two distinct
sections." He patted his chest excitedly. "I can't wait to venture even further
next time!"

It was indeed worthy of the most prominent explorer in the Fjords that the first
thing he talked about upon his return was regarding his adventures, and not
regarding his daughter who was far away in the Western Region. Lotus shook her head
helplessly as she watched him talk on and on.
Before darkness fell and the temperature outdoors plunged, Lotus had already
climbed early into the heated brick bed. This was the most relaxing moment of her
day. For more than a month, she not only constructed a new batch of houses but also
renovated the creaking houses of other witches. Crowding on to the heated brick bed
with everyone else and chatting about her experiences in Border Town, the questions
from her companions - which were borne out of a mix of curiosity and envy - ensured
that she did not get any sleep for half of the night.

The conversation topic shifted to the Bird Beak Mushrooms.

Her companions started to salivate when she mentioned how she prepared them. She
would place the mushrooms in some butter and flip them a few times, then fry until
both sides of the mushrooms were golden brown in color, and finally sprinkle a bit
of salt on top to create a most delicious dish.

"Mmm... I feel like eating this," Shadow exclaimed. "After eating dried fish
onboard for a month, my mouth is full of a salty and fishy smell."

"Great," Molly could not help interrupting Lotus. " If only I was the one whom Lady
Tilly's elder brother invited."

"Hey, there are even more amazing things you haven't heard." Someone giggled. "In
the showers of Border Town, the water comes straight out of the wall, and the
scented soap makes your whole body smell great after showering."

"There's really something like this?" Shadow asked curiosly.

"Of course, and I even brought one back." Lotus curled her lips upwards. "But it
has been used up."

"Don't talk about it. At least they got to experience it. I followed Lady Tilly to
the Western Region and then immediately brought these girls back here. I didn't get
to enjoy anything!" Breeze bemoaned.

As she listened to the witches' gabbling discussions, Lotus suddenly had a thought.

If it was instead His Highness Roland Wimbledon who wanted to hire her long term,
would she have agreed?

After contemplating for a while, she realized that she would not be able to refuse
if it was indeed Roland.

What an embarrassment!

Lotus tucked herself inside her quilt and glanced left and right. Luckily, the lamp
was already extinguished, or else someone might have realized what she was thinking
about.

However, when would Lady Tilly finally be able to accept His Highness Roland?

It would be great if they could stay together forever. Lotus held the cloth tightly
in her arms. If so, it would be good for me and the other witches, as we would all
be able to live happily in Border Town.

Chapter 402: Organizational Structure

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

At the beginning of the second month of winter, Barov walked into Roland's office,
carrying a stack of books under his arms.

As he walked up to Roland's table, a huge color painting on the table caught his
attention. "Is this... a map of the entire Western Region?"

"Not just the Western Region," Roland said, laughing. "It also includes a portion
of the Barbarian Land and the Misty Forest, especially this space over here." He
pointed to an area in the northern part of the Impassable Mountain Range�it was the
Fertile Plains that Agatha had talked about. "At present, the area that we've
already discovered is equivalent to three Western Regions. If we manage to
cultivate the land of this large space, we can resettle hundreds of thousands of
people."

In order to eliminate the threat that came from Devil's Town, he had sent Lightning
and Maggie to comb through the area and draw up a map. Now that Maggie could carry
Soraya while she did the drawing, more accurate maps could be drawn. Although the
disappearance of the Devil's camp was still a mystery, the good news was that there
was no sign of another enemy camp within 200 kilometers of Border Town.

"In the Barbarian Land, there aren't only demonic beasts, but also... scary
enemies, like you said." Barov's words came with a hint of hesitation. "Won't it be
too dangerous to cultivate the land towards the northwest?"

"By that time, the First Army will most likely be equipped with the power to fight
demons." Roland slowly swiveled his finger around the plains on the map. "It won't
be safe anywhere if we're unable to defeat these enemies."

Ever since demon scouts were spotted in the Misty Forest, he knew that he could not
conceal this information for long. In order to prevent the panic that could be
brought about by a sudden revelation, he first disclosed the existence of demons to
his top brass. Judging from the current situation, the reaction of the people were
fairly normal. Of course, he had slightly downplayed the strength of the demons by
asserting that they were of the same ilk as demonic hybrid beasts, while he did not
divulge the history of the two Battles of Divine Will.

Roland knew that his kingdom could not remain on the mainland border forever if it
wanted to be on par with the Four Kingdoms. Only the Barbarian Land... or should we
say, the Fertile Plains, was a land area that was worthy of his governance. In
fact, the area that had been explored was only a tiny fraction of the entire
plains. One could imagine the vast amount of land that humans occupied during the
second Battle of Divine Will.

He retracted his finger, then rolled up the map and placed it to one side. "Do you
have any news to report?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Barov nodded and then spread the books that were under his
arms in front of the prince. "I've drawn up a plan for the City Hall's expansion
according to your demands."

"Oh? I'll have a look."

In order to cope with the rapid growth of territory after the establishment of the
city, Roland utilized a futuristic classification of his government's functional
departments, and thus set a new framework for management organizations of his time.
Overall, the upper sector of the government was divided into four main branches,
namely the City Hall, the military, the Security Bureau and the Witch Union.
Under the expansion plan, the new City Hall would assume the role of the cabinet or
State Department, and would be the core institution of the entire territory. In
time, the personnel would increase to approximately 500 people. Its six departments
would be finance, foreign affairs, education, agriculture, industry and law, while
new departments could be added at any time according to demand. Moreover, if (or
when) the Kingdom of Graycastle was reunified, all of the other cities could follow
this template and set up corresponding lower sector institutions, and together they
would be managed by the City Hall.

In addition to its battle staff, the military also had independent production and
medical departments that served as logistical safeguards. Every military division
had a commander-in-chief who was responsible for specific combat matters, but the
supreme authority of the military rested with Roland himself.

The Security Bureau was a secret organization which hid in the dark. Its funds were
not allocated by the City Hall, while its members were also not recorded in any
dossier. Its primary functions were to monitor and ensure the security within the
territory and handle issues of official corruption.

Lastly, the Witch Union... Roland had thought hard about this organization but
eventually decided that it would be a separate department, instead of sorting the
witches into the other departments.

This was because, for some of the witches, their abilities would increase
dramatically after evolution, and then they would be able to work across multiple
departments. For example, Anna and Soraya could both play important roles in
industry, agriculture, military, and education.

Another reason was that there would be times when a witch would not be assigned any
work, and therefore, classifying them together could effectively avoid dampening
their enthusiasm. This was a point that Scroll and Wendy had brought up to him.

Roland hoped that in the future, the Witch Union would operate on its own, which
included handling its membership, inspection and work allocation.

"Are you really able to hire so many literate people?" After he finished reading
the City Hall Director's proposal, Roland raised his head and asked. A 500-person
institution was considered enormous in this era. Plus, the requirement that every
employee had to be literate would almost certainly be impossible to fulfil in other
territories. Although the royal city of each kingdom might have sufficient literate
people, these were in large part nobles who were too proud and arrogant to be
willing to serve as apprentices.

"Add in the fresh batch of graduates and there shouldn't be a problem," Barov
replied. "According to the feedback from the recruitment notices, jobs in the City
Hall are the most popular."

"It seems that being a civil servant is popular everywhere... " Roland arced his
lips upwards uncontrollably. "In that case, go ahead and recruit people according
to this scheme. The next and final task is to formulate laws."

"Pass me the principal article that you mentioned the last time, and I'll have my
apprentices complete the rest as fast as possible," the City Hall Director said in
high spirits.

"It's called Basic Laws," Roland said and laughed. It appeared that enthusiastic
"model workers" were not only confined to witches�this was a good sign for a new
regime.

"Another thing, Your Highness," Barov said. "If the City Hall is expanded according
to the plan, the current building may not be able to accommodate so many people.
Can... "

"You want to build a new City Hall?" The prince nodded in agreement. "For sure.
I'll arrange Karl to see to it." In the eyes of the citizens, this was the face of
the lord. While they rarely had the chance to enter the castle, they would often
settle matters in the City Hall. Thus, a certain degree of splendor and style was
necessary. If it was austere and unembellished, the people's confidence in him
might erode.

After Barov took his leave, Roland called his guards to bring in Prius Dessau, the
knight from the Elk Family.

Roland had not seen him for half a year. The knight was visibly fatter and his face
fuller than usual, while his cheeks even glowed a bright red. Life had certainly
been good.

"Recently, there's been more eggs and poultry in the Convenience Market. This's all
your credit." Roland smiled. "Your way of raising chickens and ducks must be
great."

"Hehe..." Prius laughed, somewhat embarrassed. "Without your support from the
start, I couldn't have done any of this."

Farming was not a smooth journey. When Prius first started, the fowl plague even
appeared and caused the death of many chickens. Roland simply thought of it as a
good lesson and did not give up on him. Instead, the prince continued to buy baby
chicks from the Stronghold and passed them to him for raising. Presently, he had
become an indispensable talent of the town's community.

"I plan to recruit you in the City Hall under the agriculture department. Do you
agree?"

"Your Highness, you... don't want me to continue raising chickens and ducks?" Prius
was slightly surprised.

"Of course not. You've been doing a great job, and therefore, I hope that you can
bring more people into this business." Roland said encouragingly, "Soon, I plan to
expand the scale of farming by more than ten times. Then, you and your family won't
be able to handle it alone. After you're recruited in the City Hall, you can pass
on your experience to more people and teach them how to farm."

Given Lily's ability to eliminate bacteria and diseases, the most thorny problems
of animal husbandry ceased to exist. Apart from chickens and ducks, large livestock
such as cows and lambs were also within the prince's expansion plans.

"This is undoubtedly a noble job that's no less honorable than knighthood." The
prince paused for a moment and then continued speaking. "There'll be a day when
eggs and poultry will be served on the dining tables of every household in the
Western Region. And when people see these delicious foods, they'll all remember
your name. What do you think?"

"I'm... willing to serve you." Prius Dessau clenched his fists and bowed
respectfully.
Chapter 403: Student and Teacher

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Nana yawned loudly as she got off the bed.

She glanced at the whiteness outside the window. Still, she could see nothing but
snow.

Reluctantly, she moved out of the warm bed and put on her thick winter coat. As she
trudged out of the bedroom, she saw Aunt Alda tidying up the living room.

"Good morning," she muttered.

"Ah, little princess, you're awake." Alda smiled at her. "Want breakfast? It's
ready."

"Yes." Nana sat beside the dining table and ran her eyes around the room, but she
did not see her father. "Where's Daddy?"

"Lord Pine went out early in the morning," Alda replied from the kitchen. "He was
carrying his silver shotgun."

"Indeed." Nana curled her lips upwards. "He's probably gone to the city wall to
practice shooting again�ever since he fended off the demonic beasts with the
flintlock, he has become enamored by this loud and booming weapon. Not only does he
wipe a gun barrel every day, but also he'll go to the city wall to practice
whenever he has time. Furthermore, he managed to apply for a specially-made
flintlock from his Highness using my healing abilities as a bargaining chip.

It's all His Highness' fault for saying that long shotguns are the standard
equipment for hunters," Nana thought. "If Mummy's still around, Daddy probably
won't go out all day long like this."

"Breakfast's here." Alda placed two steaming plates on the table in front of Nana.
"Fried eggs and white bread. Eat while they're hot."

"Thank you."

Breakfast's normally prepared before Daddy leaves home. Only Aunt Alda would
specially place it in hot water to keep it warm. If instead, Daddy took care of me,
I'd be eating cold and hard eggs.

Nana sighed uncontrollably.

If only Aunt Alda could marry Daddy.

But the young girl knew that this wish had little chance of happening. Alda was the
family servant while Daddy was a noble of Border Town�as far as she understood, it
was difficult for a commoner and a noble to get married.

She devoured the delicious breakfast, wiped her mouth, and shouted. "I'm going to
the medical center."

"Okay." Alda put down the broom she was holding, and led Nana to the door. As she
bent down and tied a scarf around Nana's neck, she said, "Be careful on the road,
Miss Pine."

"Yes, Aunt!"

White snowflakes greeted Nana as she made her way out of the house.

This was her daily routine: In the morning, she would leave home for the medical
center. She would treat the patients if there were any, or else, she would practice
her abilities on animals. At noon, she would go to the castle to have lunch with
Roland, while in the afternoon until night time, she would remain in the medical
center, after which she would return home�she was the only witch who did not live
in the castle.

Although time in the medical center was boring, she persisted because she wanted
the patients to receive treatment as quickly as possible. The smile and warmth of
the townspeople also supported and pushed her on.

"Lady Nana, good morning!"

"Miss Angel, going to the medical center again?"

"Today's weather ain't good. Do take care of your body."

"Miss Pine, have you eaten breakfast? Why not have a bowl of hot oatmeal that I
just prepared?"

Greetings like these continued incessantly whenever she walked in public. It was a
stark contrast to a year ago. Her sisters claimed that she was currently the most
popular witch in Border Town, even more popular than Anna. Nana wasn't concerned
about a popularity contest, albeit she was happy with the current atmosphere. Every
person whom she had treated before would greet her affectionately, and this filled
her with a sense of achievement.

"Elder sister Anna was right," Nana thought. "The only way to change people's
prejudices was to face them adamantly."

When she arrived at the medical center, the First Army soldier who was manning the
gate bowed and greeted her. "Hello, Miss Anna."

"Good morning, are there patients today?"

"Not at the moment," the soldier replied. "But your friends have come."

"Friends?" She was surprised. "Could it be Anna?" As she thought of Anna, she
excitedly ran up to the second floor and pushed open the door, only to find Mystery
Moon, Hummingbird, and Lily idly lying on the table. On noticing her, the three of
them immediately got up and surrounded her.

"You three... "

"Haha, are you pleasantly surprised? We came all the way just to see you!" Mystery
Moon raised her arms and exclaimed.

"Mystery Moon suggested that instead of lazing about in the castle, it would be a
good idea to come out for a walk," Hummingbird added.

"You two may be free, but I'm certainly not. I still have many insect samples to
observe." Lily, who was standing at the back, lamented. "Nana must be very busy as
well. You think that she's like you?"

"Is that so? Yesterday, I peeked and saw you dozing off in front of the microscope.
You were obviously sick of your job." Mystery Moon shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing of that sort!"

Nana was slightly disappointed that it wasn't Anna who turned up, but she quickly
buoyed up. At present, Anna was His Highness' busiest subordinate, and naturally,
could not spend as much time with her as in the past.

"No, I'm in fact very free," she replied, laughing. "Thank you, you three."

"Ahem... since you say so, I shall remain behind to accompany you." Lily turned her
head. "It won't be a problem to observe the samples tomorrow."

"What are we gonna play?" Hummingbird questioned.

"What else?" Mystery Moon took out a pack of playing cards. "Of course, this!"

"Aye, 'Fight the Landlord' may be interesting, but it's a three-player game."

"No, not 'Fight the Landlord'." She shook her head uncannily. "A new game that's
suitable for four players, where we compete to see who can show her cards the
fastest. I learned it from Andrea's group only yesterday!"

"The three-player group of the Sleeping Island?" Lily said, holding her forehead.
"You learn poorly from others, yet still choose to learn from this bunch... had you
used your energy to learn new knowledge from His Highness instead, you won't have
made so little progress until now."

"This was also handed down by His Highness." Mystery Moon retorted. "Why's it not
considered part of His Highness' new knowledge?"

"Other than you, there's probably no one in the Witch Union who thinks this way."
Lily stared at her for a moment.

"I'd like to learn as well... " Hummingbird mumbled softly.

Nana watched the conversation going on, and laughed uncontrollably. She felt like
she was back to the carefree days when she attended Teacher Karl's academy.

...

Under the company of the three witches, the morning time, which was usually boring,
passed quickly. They then went to the castle for lunch together, after which Nana
returned to the medical center alone.

As she stepped into the hall, she saw someone unexpected.

Karl Van Bate.

"Mr. Karl!" Nana said in surprise. "What brings you here?"

"To see you." Karl smiled and gazed at her, and then said happily, "You... have
grown up."

"Is that so?" Nana lowered her head, as if embarrassed. "I'm still a long way from
Anna."
"Everyone's different. You have your strong points." He laughed. "Watching you and
Anna grow up, as well as observing the town's changes, it seems that I can no
longer see the cracks."

"What cracks?" Nana was confused.

"Nothing... I'm just spouting nonsense." Karl shook his head. "I used to believe
that the god had forsaken this world, but now, I feel that it continues to watch
over us."

"Not a god," Nana corrected him. "His Highness says that these are the fruits of
human efforts. Weren't those residential communities built by you?"

"But without an origin, nothing could have happened. At that time, when I thought
that Anna was dead, and you somehow awakened as a witch, I was utterly flustered.
It might have been a God who heard my prayers and answered my call." Karl said in a
gentle voice. "It brought us His Highness Roland."

Chapter 404: The Journey to Magnetoelectricity

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Ah... I envy Nana so much." Mystery Moon wiped her wet hair and drew her face
close to Lily who was sitting upright at the desk.

"Hmm," Lily replied without even turning her head.

"You don't ask why I envy her?"

"You'll soon fill me in anyway," Lily said, twitching her mouth.

"Damn it!" Mystery Moon mumbled, but could not help saying in the end, "Didn't you
see how the soldiers at the hospital and the townsmen nearby treat her?"

"Saw it."

" 'Hello, Miss Nana,' 'Are you leaving, Miss Angel?' 'Miss Pine, this is the wheat
cake I made,' ... I want to be treated like that, too!" Mystery Moon pressed her
face onto Lily's cheek, but was pushed away relentlessly.

"That's a return for her ability," Lily said without turning a hair. "Didn't you
notice that ever since the Months of the Demons, she's been staying at the hospital
almost every day, waiting to treat the wounded? Half of the locals have received
her treatment, and the rest are pretty much their families."

"You're exaggerating."

"Not really," Lily said with a sigh and put down the book in her hand. "Although
not everyone will fight against demonic beasts at the city wall, it's perfectly
normal for townees to get injured�miners can hurt their toes by ores; kiln labors
can get burned. The same applies to the apprentices at the steam engine plants and
the chemistry laboratory." She paused for a moment and said, "His Highness once
told me that Nana and I are the foundation of medical care in Border Town; one of
us for internal medication and the other surgery. This allows the operation to
remain at an intense level, while still make sure everyone is healthy without
establishing a safety policy. However, in fact, I haven't done anything except
epidemic prevention for new refugees."
"So you're feeling sour like me!" Mystery Moon said, leaning over unyieldingly.

"No, I'm not!" Lily fired. "And stay away from me. You're interfering with my
reading."

"Aw... " Mystery Moon chickened and said, "but I'm really envious of her."

"Then learn from Nana. Take the initiative to help every townee until they know you
and get familiar with you. Then surely everybody will say hello to you wherever you
go," said Lily, shrugging her shoulders.

"But I don't have an ability like Nana's," Mystery Moon said, frustrated.

"Then use your physical strength if not your ability," said Lily, mocking.
"Regardless, you've been there at the camps of the Witch Cooperation Association."

"You... rascal!"

Mystery Moon still nursed a grudge when she went to bed. She knew that Lily was
right, but being inferior to the other witches chafed her pride. This was
intolerable. She had gone through so much pain before finally finding an ideal
place to settle down and idling about all day was torture.

Mystery Moon slept fitfully all night. She knocked on Roland's office door with
dark circles below her eyes the following day.

"What's the matter?" the prince asked in surprise. "Were you bullied?"

"By Lily... No, nevermind." She leaned dramatically on Roland's desk and asked,
"Your Highness, didn't you say that I have great potential? Why's there no change
in my ability yet? It really can't evolve unless I understand Natural Science
Theoretical Foundation?"

"I see," Roland said, trying in vain to suppress his laughter. "Actually, I've been
thinking about this problem, too."

"What problem?"

"Didn't Agatha say that over 400 years ago, the witches at the Union experienced
High Awakening even without a comprehensive understanding of the world? Apart from
basic practices, the rest will be a sudden enlightenment�this could be achieved by
the observation of natural phenomena, or by an accidental flash of inspiration."
Roland continued, "However, the latter is apparently not comparable to the
awakening inspired by systematic learning. Look at Agatha's magic power. She's not
only the weakest one among the evolved witches, but she can't even compete with
some of the ordinary witches such as Sylvie and Andrea."

"Doesn't matter, as long as it evolves!" Mystery Moon's eyes were sparkling.

"You've got an idea?"

"It may not work," the prince said, throwing up his hands, "but it's worth a try.
What do you know about magnetic forces?"

"Um... A force produced by the directional movement of electrons, which a magnetic

field acts on the magnetic bodies and electric currents in it."

"That was copied from the book," he smiled and said. "You memorized it well, but
you probably don't understand it at all."
Mystery Moon hesitated for a moment and nodded.

"You've seen lines of magnetic forces simulated by iron powder. You also know the
direction of magnetic forces, and have seen the DC generator, too. So I think...
you may not enable closed circuits to quickly cut lines of magnetic forces, yet you
can change the magnetic field you form, thereby personally experiencing the
transformation from magnetism to electricity. "

"I don't quite follow you."

"The nature of the transformation from magnetism to electricity is the change in

magnetic flux. If you wanna change the magnetic flux in a constant magnetic field,
the only way is to change the area, that is, to cut magnetic induction lines." The
prince drew a diagram on the paper and said, "What if the area remains constant?
That'll be changing the magnetic field, which means changing the magnetic flux."

Mystery Moon groped unsuccessfully for adequate words, failing because she didn't
understand a word.

The prince laughed and said, "It's OK that you don't get it. You only need to do
this�quickly release and withdraw your magnetic forces rather than continuously use
your power."

"And then?" Mystery Moon waited for Roland to continue.

"Nothing more." He shook his head. "This is the only step."

"Huh? Just release and withdraw magnetic forces?"

"Correct. If you can also change the direction of lines of magnetic forces, that
would be perfect. For example, switch from the left hand to the right hand." The
prince smiled and said, "While you practice, I'll prepare a 'little toy' for you.
You'll know why when you get the hang of this method."

...

Two days later, Mystery Moon received what His Highness called a "little toy". It
was a square frame made of copper wires, the top of which was connected to a glass
ball no bigger than half of a fist. Taking a closer look, she could see the copper
wires were cut open in the ball, and were connected by a much finer metal wire.

An accompanying instruction manual read, "Hold the two ends of the square frame
with both hands and practice. Note: be sure to draw the curtains and hide the Stone
of Light."

What the heck is that?

She scratched her head and then did what the instruction manual instructed� "It's
practice no matter how I do it. Just ignore it, and it'll be fine."

Mystery Moon learned that it was not hard to quickly release and withdraw her
power, but changing the direction of magnetic forces delivered a blinding headache.
Magnetic force was an essential power to her and at first, this endeavor was akin
to breathing with only one nostril at a time. Although Mystery Moon had restrained
herself from playing poker games and been dutifully practicing her new skill for
the last two days, the result lasted merely half a minute.

She took a deep breath and summoned the magic power in her body.
At first she felt nothing, but soon she saw a flash of red light.

The metal wire in the glass ball turned orangy red, and the light became
increasingly bright and intense. In a few seconds, the light was glaring. Mystery
Moon almost could not believe her eyes. The inkily dark room was lit by soft light
much purer than the candle light, which she had never seen.

She was still in a daze when the red light faded away accompanied by a feeble
popping sound before the darkness enveloped the room again.

Chapter 405: Accompany

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The next morning, Mystery Moon ran to the office in a hurry with bigger dark
circles under her eyes.

"Why would the glass ball light up? It didn't work afterwards, no matter how hard I
tried to apply my power... " she could not wait to spit it all out after pushing
open the door.

"That... fast?" The prince was a little surprised. He put down the quill, took the
small object from Mystery Moon and said, "I thought it would take you two or three
days."

Mystery Moon bent over, propped up her chin on the edge of the desk, and asked with
a blink, "What on earth was glowing?"

"That was electric light." The prince smiled and said, "You released lightning from
the sky."

"Lightning?" She could not help repeating the word in a quiet voice, and then shook
her head. "But it didn�t look like it at all. This light was a red-orange color,
and kept glowing�lightning is always just a flash. "

"The lightning lit the filament, making it glow continuously." The prince twisted
the glass ball and took it off, then said, "It's fine that you don't understand it.
I'll let you see the real electric light later."

Mystery Moon's eyes were wide open. She gazed at Roland's every single movement,
afraid of missing something. The prince drew the two copper wires closer and put
the glass ball back again. "There you go. Now continue to practice."

"That's it?" She took the wire frame, utterly disappointed.

"That's right," the prince covered his mouth and said, "and don't forget to draw
the curtains when practicing."

...

Lily was sitting at the end of the bed reading Natural Science Theoretical
Foundation when Mystery Moon returned to the bedroom.

"Why are you up so early today?" she asked in surprise. "Since you're up, bring me
breakfast. An omelet and bread, please. No porridge."

"No, I won't bring breakfast for a traitor," Mystery Moon said with a grunt. She
drew the curtains, and the room turned completely dark in an instant.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Lily frowned and asked.

"Practicing my ability." She threw herself on the floor and said, "Draw the
curtains and hide the Stone of Light�that's His Highness' requirement."

"Fine, fine," the little girl rolled her eyes and said, "I'll do my reading in the
hall."

"No, you can't!" Mystery Moon hollered.

"Why?" Lily darted her a look, "I can't read when I'm starving, and I have to stay
with you here?"

"Um... " Mystery Moon paused a moment, "I'll bring you breakfast. Can you stay
here?"

"What?" Lily asked with great interest, "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Not at all!" She puffed out her cheeks and muttered after a while, "I just need
company."

She wanted somebody to witness her progress and be amazed at her ability. Even if
she failed, she hoped someone would still comfort her, but she would rather carry
these words to her grave than confide in Lily.

"Okay then. I'll stay with you this time, since you sound so pathetic," Lily said
with a yawn. "Breakfast, quick!"

Mystery Moon finally got ready to practice after reluctantly bringing the breakfast
over.

Lily swallowed the egg in content and asked, "What're you going to do? Magnetize
the stuff in your hand?"

"No, I'm going to let the magnetic forces in my hand change quickly. His Highness
says that'll produce thunder and lightning."

Lily was stunned�"Thunder and lightning?"

"Yeah, I'm going to start... "

"Hold on," the little girl shouted, drawing closer to the door. "It's good now. Go
ahead."

Mystery Moon exhaled a long breath and mobilized her magic power as she had
earlier. If this happened at the camps of the Witch Cooperation Association,
Supervisor Cara would definitely scold her for such behavior. However, His Highness
had intentionally replaced all the wares in the bedroom that contained iron,
including iron nails with copper-made items, making it easy for her to practice.

She was generously treated in Border Town and would not allow herself to sit idle.

Reminiscences of her experience in the town swarmed back upon her, image by image,
as vivid as a merry-go-round. This time Mystery Moon found herself quickly in a
ready state. The magic power danced between her hands with increased movement and
growing intensity.
Then she saw the electric light. Like a blue ghost revealing itself from layers of
clouds, the light was transient, and disappeared instantly. Nevertheless, she
clearly saw a trace of electric light. It was like a tiny arc, spanning from one
end of the copper wire to the other, bursting out gentle popping sounds.

It was far from the end.

Then came a second arc, and then a third... She noticed in dismay that every time
the magnetic forces transformed, there was dazzling electric light springing up,
the traces of which also changed correspondingly with its movements. With the
direction of magnetic forces quickly switching back and forth, a bridge of blue and
white gradually took shape between the two copper wires.

"What's that?" Lily who stood far away asked, her eyes wide open.

The electric light was insignificant compared with the red-orange blaze of
yesterday, but it made Mystery Moon quiver in excitement�this was her first time
witnessing her own ability! In comparison to the invisible lines of magnetic forces
she could not understand in the slightest, the rythm at which the electric arc
danced and the direction of its movement were completely under her control. This
was truly "lightning" created by her.

Electricity generates magnetism, and vice versa. That's what it is. She sensed the
power in her body had become more visible and clear.

Mystery Moon got up on her feet and put the metal frame on the desk. She slowly
released her hands to let the magic power die down, but the ends of the copper
wires were still glittering, like flickering stars in the darkness from a far
distance.

She now had a better understanding of these words.

In other words, electricity is magnetism, and vice versa.

*******************

Roland kneaded his sore neck with a quill between his teeth.

"Do you need a hand?" Nightingale's voice popped up by his ears.

"Ah, thank you," he nodded slightly and said. Nightingale thus laid her two fair
hands on Roland's shoulders and started to massage his neck with just the right
amount of strength.

Roland half closed his eyes, enjoying this moment of serenity. In order to draft
the first code of the town, which would later serve as the Basic Laws of all the
primary laws, he had been up earlier than even the guards for the past three days.
It wasn't until today that he finally finished the draft. As Roland had no
knowledge of the laws, he could only jot down some ten articles in plain language
based on his understanding of the system, which was no longer than two pages
altogether.

Nonetheless, these articles contained ideas and ideology from the new world. He
believed this code would enable him to carry out a brand new system which was
entirely different from the ancient feudal system across the whole continent while
expanding his territory. With this code as its base, his new kingdom would
indubitably distinguish itself from the others.

"Your Highness!" The office door was suddenly flung open. Mystery Moon rushed in
with the copper wire frame in her hand, shouting, "I finally got it!"

Roland opened his eyes, and saw the girl withdraw her hands and put the "little
toy" on the desk.

"Look!" She did not touch the wire frame, but there was still an arc of light where
the copper wires were cut open.

Looking at this incredible scene, Roland could not help dropping his jaw. The quill
slid off the corner of his mouth and fell on the floor.

Chapter 406: The Limitation of Magic Power

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"What did I just see? A self-generating system of electricity that doesn't need an
external energy supply!

Mystery Moon's ability is an attaching type of magic so the answer is the answer is
clear. She's added a brand new property to the metal frame, and" her magic power
acts as the energy supply," Roland mused to himeself.

"How did you manage to do that?" Roland asked aloud.

"When you said that there's an intertwining relationship between electricity and
magnetism, and that they're indivisible, I wondered if I could make the objects
generate lightning by magnetizing them. I tried to add a constantly changing
magnetic forces to the copper wires because you've said creating electricity
requires changes in magnetic forces. Then it turned out this way," Mystery Moon
answered cautiously, her eyes sparkling with expectation.

"That's why... Changes in electric currents do produce magnetic fields, but

magnetic fields only generate electricity under certain circumstances. It requires
both closed circuits and changes in magnetic flux; changes in the magnetic area and
magnetic forces both need external energy supply.

Mystery Moon's new ability has replaced an energy supply with the self-changing
magnetic force," the prince concluded. Roland would have thought it was a perpetual
motion machine prototype, if he saw it in modern times. Yet here in this world, he
understood that powers of witches could not be judged by common sense of his time.
The magnetic property added to the objects might not be produced by magnetic poles,
just as the Blackfire was not natural fire.

They were tangible forms of the magic power.

He could only wonder whether Mystery Moon had noticed any magnetic force change in
objects to which she attached her magic power.

When Roland asked her about it, she nodded and then shook her head. "When I was in
the Witch Cooperation Association, I once wanted to change the magnetism of objects
according to my will. To avoid causing my sisters any trouble, I tried to make the
objects less magnetic when they were not in use. However, it didn't work. Their
magnetic force remained the same. I thought it was impossible, so I gave up on it,"
she said.

"Just as I expected," Roland thought. He cocked his head towards Nightingale and
said, "The form of her magic power... "
"They have been united." Nightingale stepped out of her mist and smiled. "The two
are now one."

Mystery Moon gasped, "Did I really... "

"Yes, you did. Your ability has evolved." Roland confirmed. "Only a long-term and
relentless dedication of practice can lead to enlightenment and evolution that
fast. You did a great job. From now on, you'll be the sixth evolved witch in the
Witch Union."

"Congratulations." Nightingale went to Mystery Moon and patted her head, smiling.

"Now, am I able to do more for Your Highness?" she asked, her eyes shining with
excitement.

"Yes, countless things," Roland smiled and said. "As I've told you before, you've
got great potential. But first, go rest. You have dark circles as huge as fists
around your eyes. I'll test your ability in the afternoon."

"Yes!" she nodded vigorously.

After Mystery Moon left the office, Nightingale purposefully shut the door and
turned her attention to Roland. Ignoring her regular perche at either Roland's desk
or the French window, she drew close to him. Grasping his shoulders and leaning in
to speak, she stood so close that strands of her fair hair tickled his face. He
felt his heart beating violently at the sight of her bright eyes and soft, red
lips.

Eh? What's going on? Is she asking for it in broad daylight?"

"Tell me the method." These were not the words that the prince had expected to hear
from Nightingale, "Wait... what's this have to do with anything?"

"What method?" he asked.

"The method to evolve without reading Natural Science Theoretical Foundation?" she
said excitedly, "I can tell from Mystery Moon's grades that she doesn't understand
the contents of the book, but you taught her how to evolve and gain a new ability!
What should I do? Practice with 'little toys' as well?"

"Eh, she is asking for the evolvement method. What a pity... no, a relief." Roland
thought and cleared his throat, putting himself together. "I'm afraid your ability
won't evolve through a sudden flash of enlightenment," he said.

"Why not?"

"According to Agatha, only observing natural phenomena related to your ability can
provoke an evolvement. Your Mist is just too incredible for me to understand, let
alone guide you to learn about it." Roland explained. "Maybe the only method for
you to develop your magic power is a sound understanding of natural science,
physics and even advanced mathematics."

Nightingale's face fell. She feebly walked to the couch and sank back into it,
feeling as if her body was hollowed out.

After lunch, Roland spent the whole afternoon conducting a comprehensive test on
Mystery Moon's new ability.

He named it "Variable Magnetic Force." It could be applied to any object like her
magnetizing ability, and it would create periodic variation based on the magic
power she initially conjured. However, as far as insulators, no electricity would
be generated.

Roland determined that Mystery Moon's magic power was the weakest of the the
evolved witches. She could only light up two Magic Stones embedded in the Sigil of
God's Will, half a stone less than even Maggie. Unfortunately, the attaching-type
magic ability required a vast amount of magic power. The greater and longer
variations in magnetic forces, the greater demand for magic power. After a series
of tests, Roland found that Mystery Moon's new ability could serve as a stable
battery, but it was far from sufficient to drive a large electric motor or power a
steam engine. He tested her ability by transforming an old DC motor, initially used
for the electrolysis of water, into an electric motor, and the result was
disappointing. The motor, which consumed all of Mystery Moon's magic power to add a
magnetic force, could only work half day. That meant her new abilitycould not
practically be used as a source power.

Roland didn't tell Mystery Moon the bad results. Instead, he encouraged her to keep
studying and practicing her new ability, because she was fragile and he feared bad
news would be devestating.

Besides, he knew that ability evolvement was not a sudden transformation, but a
metamorphosis through learning.

Roland remembered something he had heard from Agatha, the method to jointly produce
Stone of Light. He thought,"If there is a witch who can control or transfer magic
power, Mystery Moon's power limitation won't be a problem anymore."

In the evening, he went to talk to Tilly Wimbledon.

"An assistant witch with a controlling type of magic?" she said after hearing the
prince's idea. She thought for a while and answered, "No witch of the Sleeping
Island has that kind of ability."

"Really?" he asked, heaving a sigh. "It seems that Mystery Moon has to depend on
herself to improve."

Yet what Tilly said next cheered him. "However, I know where you can find the witch
you want."

Chapter 407: Tilly's Questioning

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"You mean... she didn't follow you to Sleeping Island?" The prince soon got what
Tilly meant.

"Exactly." Princess Tilly shook her head helplessly. "Her name is Spear Passi and
her ability is magic power channeling. She can channel magic powers of several
witches. In other words, a witch at one end of the channel can borrow magic powers
from other witches connected, so you may need her help." Tilly paused for a while
and continued. "She lives right in Fallen Dragon Ridge."

"Since you know so much about her, you must have contacted her," Roland asked for
further explanation, "and what're the reasons for her to stay there? There's a risk
that she'll be caught by the church."

After a moment of silence, Tilly answered, "That's because she's a Marquess and
Lord of Fallen Dragon Ridge."

"Lord?" He was startled, "A witch?"

"Yes, her father Marquis Passi, the last Lord, gave the title and the territory to
her, instead of to his second and third son. Due to her high rank, Spear can
conceal her witch identity pretty well, and thus can lead a far better life than
ordinary witches," Tilly said slowly, "and she contacted me first and offered her
help during the migrations. Because of her, I was able to quickly gather the
witches from the towns in the southern and middle parts of the Kingdom."

"'She contacted me first'...", Roland sensed something strange thereinto and asked,
"Wait... She didn't intend to give a shelter to her fellow witches?"

"No." Tilly shook her head. "Not only that, she also wanted those witches to leave
her territory as soon as possible and protect themselves from being tortured by the
church. Spear apparently values her lord title more."

Her Lord title would no doubt be in danger if the church found she was protecting
witches. Unlike towns in the remote border area, Fallen Dragon Ridge had well-
established churches and priests, and their believers greatly outnumbered those in
the Western Region. Roland understood her choice but was still astonished. "If a
witch in her territory is seized, will she... "

"I asked her the same question, " Tilly said with some sadness, "and Spear Passi
bluntly told me if a witch was caught by the people, she would try to replace her
in the jail with a death-row prisoner and secretly send her out of her territory;
but if a witch was caught by the Verdict Army or judged by the church, she would
just stand by."

"..." Roland thought, "It turned out that Spear Passi voluntarily got in touch with
Tilly because of the hidden danger of witches in Fallen Dragon Ridge. That was why
Tilly chose to leave for the Fjords, which was a new place for her despite the risk
of crossing the channel, instead of settling down in Fallen Dragon Ridge." At this
thought, he frowned and asked Tilly, "If I invite her to Border Town, will she
come?"

"I won't bank on that, but you may have a try," Tilly threw up her hands and said,
"I'm just telling you where you can find her but I'm not promising anything."

Roland made a long sigh and said, "I'll send a messenger to talk to her first."

Without doubt, he would choose Nightingale as the messenger, given that she was
able to avoid eyes and ears of the people when she got into the castle, and that
she could also discern lies. As long as she made Spear believe she held no
hostility, Spear would probably not overreact, either.

It generally took five or six days to travel
Ridge by boat, but that trip would only cost
Lightning, who acted faster as a helper. The
highest mobility in the Witch Union, and now
attack enemies and defend themselves.
from Border Town to Fallen Dragon
Maggie half a day. They could bring
three witches formed a team of the
equipped with guns, they could both

Thinking about the plan for quite a while, Roland made up his mind.

Assuming that the Marquise did not agree to come, it was still a matter of time for
him to investigate the situation of her territory. As an important passage on the
way to the Southernmost Region, Fallen Dragon Ridge was included in his spring
attack plan.
"I heard there's a newly evolved witch in the castle?" Tilly suddenly switched the
topic.

"Ah, you mean Mystery Moon. Yes, she did cohere her magic power," Roland nodded and
told Tilly about her evolvement process. "But using the ancient witches' method to
evolve is not very effective in increasing her magic power. To become someone like
Anna, it still requires the thorough understanding of solid knowledge."

"But the ancient way is still a method," Tilly said with interest, "and there's a
point I find very interesting in what you said just now. What did you mean by
'They're not natural phenomena but only concrete forms of magic powers'?"

"That was my personal speculation." He picked up his cup and had some tea. "Neither
Anna's Heart Fire nor her Blackfire is something you can find in nature, so it's
not hard to view them as concrete forms of magic powers, but what about the normal
fires before the evolvement? So I assume the normal fires were also created by
magic powers, and that it reflected what Anna perceived as 'heat'. As her
perception became more thorough and profound, the images of 'heat" also changed.
This explains exactly what Agatha has experienced. Many witches have similar
abilities before their evolvement because they've observed the same natural
phenomenon. After High Awakening, their abilities vary because their understandings
of the phenomenon have huge differences."

"Sounds quite reasonable," Tilly replied without saying yes or no, "but according
to your speculation, the witches of the same kind will evolve almost the same new
abilities if they've same understandings of the phenomenon, right?"

"Yes, pretty much like that, but under the condition that they've got exactly the
same understanding abilities."

Roland did not tell her another idea of his, which was to what extent magic powers
could evolve. "Since magic power forms the foundation of all kinds of abilities, it
is elementary and universal. Provided that there is a witch who understands
everything in the nature, will she be able to display all kinds of abilities?"

"Are you... coming from a world without magic power?" Tilly suddenly questioned.

"Poof..." The tea nearly gushed out of the prince's mouth. He wiped his mouth and
asked, "What, what did you say?"

"I've gone through all the books written by you during this month and always felt
something was wrong." Princess Tilly looked at him in the eye. "I finally see what
the problem is after hearing what you said just now. You separate magic power from
the nature... Neither Natural Science Theoretical Foundation nor Elementary Physics
mentions anything about magic power and you said concrete expressions of magic
power were not something existing in the nature, but... magic power itself is a
part of the nature."

Roland was stunned.

He suddenly realized that he completely forgot Tilly lived in a world where magic
power naturally existed. So did the previous Prince Roland, but he just placed
magic power in a position opposite to natural phenomena and seemed to get used to
it.

Blame the excess memories coming all of a sudden for this careless mistake? It
probably won't work this time. It is acceptable to say that Prince Roland wrote
these books based entirely on his memories, but how to explain that he firmly
believes in them and subconsciously separate magic power from the nature? Is it
possible for him to pledge that this is still the memory of the previous Prince
Roland's?

Roland swallowed hard.

Chapter 408: The Conundrum

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

He couldn't believe that she was digging holes for him using the books that he
wrote himself.

When faced with such complicated information, most people struggled to even
understand it, let alone to notice its flaws�it was pretty unbelievable that there
was no mention of magic power at all in a science book studying the nature of
everything in the world.

Roland had also completely wiped the Fourth Prince's memories from his mind, and
besides trying to mimic the Prince during his first month after traversing the
space and time, he never considered it ever again. His ministers were afraid to
question him, and he didn't have to hide who he was from the witches, so he became
more and more careless.

However, Tilly was no ordinary witch.

Besides being Prince Roland's sister, she was also an Extraordinary.

Not only was she able to quickly finish all of his books, but she also shrewdly
noticed this inconsistency. Her logic was just as clear as that of any modern
person who had undergone universal education. In addition, she used leading
questions to prove her point so that he had no chance of arguing his way out.

This was a disaster.

Roland's brain was spinning with frantic thoughts, but he had no idea how to
respond to her. Any forced explanation to someone who could notice this
inconsistency would only arouse more suspicion, and lying to cover a lie would only
create even more issues.

Tilly broke the awkward silence and said gently, "You don't have to answer me right
now. It's late, and I'm going back to the Witch House. You should get some rest
too, Your Highness."

"Um... Okay." Roland stared into the eyes of this grey-haired woman, trying to
understand her thoughts, and forgot to send her off.

Tilly stopped at his office door, turned around and asked, "I can trust you,
right?"

Usually, Roland would have confidently agreed, but in that moment, he found himself
struggling to respond and could only manage a slow nod.

After the door closed, Nightingale said, confused, "How could she just leave like
that?"

"Why do you look so upset?" Roland scoffed at her.

"I was so close to hearing about your true life story!" Nightingale stuck out her
tongue. "Why didn't she press on you harder?

"Because she didn't want to risk our friendship." The Prince heavily sighed.

"What?"

"No... nothing." Roland leaned back in his chair and felt a chill on his back.
Tilly's behavior was absolutely perfect because she didn't push him too far. Border
Town was definitely the biggest ally to the Sleeping Island, and allies were more
important than identities in the face of their enemies. If she strained their
relationship by asking too much, it would only mean bad news for the witches of the
Sleeping Island.

That was why Tilly left him some time to recover after posing her question.
However, this didn't mean that she didn't need an answer, and if he kept dragging
his feet, he could also lose her trust right after they defeated their enemies
together. She had made her move, and it was time for him to respond.

However, Roland couldn't tell Tilly the truth, at least not at the moment�Anna and
Nightingale were different because they knew only him from the very beginning, but
Tilly was Prince Roland's little sister. Until he figured out what her real
thoughts on her brother were, he would have to keep this secret to himself.

He shook his head and dismissed these annoying thoughts. Roland turned to
Nightingale and said, "You heard our conversation earlier, too. What do you think
about checking out the situation with Maggie and Lightning?"

"No problem, Your Highness."

"It's not just going to be a simple chat... To be honest, I'm a little worried
about you," he slowly said.

"Wha... what's there to be worried about?" Nightingale stuttered. "I... I'm fine,
even if I have to drag her back... "

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!" Roland slammed on the table. "What do you
mean drag her back? Are you trying to have her tear us to shreds? Listen, you have
to be careful this time and check out the situation before you confront Spear
Passi. It's alright if she refuses; just don't threaten her�as a fellow witch,
she'll be no stranger to you."

"Uh... is that all?" she asked disappointedly.

"That's all in regards to witches." Roland frowned. "Additionally, you need to help
Lightning record the layout of Fallen Dragon Ridge's surroundings, fortifications,
sentries, and armies, and then return as quickly as possible."

Nightingale murmured in acknowledgment.

"And finally," Roland said, pausing, "be safe. This's the most important thing."

*******************

"Can we get another pint of ale over here?"

"Hey, is my oatmeal ready?"

"Coming, coming! Sorry for the wait!"

Otto Luoxi entered the pub, Covert Trumpeter, and was instantly surrounded by
chaotic chatter. A crackling fire warmed him, and a smell of sour and musty body
odor made him cringe. As a nobility, Otto rarely set foot into commoners' areas and
was not used to being in close quarters with them. If not for his appointment with
the Rats, he wouldn't be caught dead in this backalley pub in the outer city.

Following local rules, he quickly found his target�a skinny man wearing a hood
sitting in an unlit corner of the pub, enveloped in the shadows. A small piece of
bone lay next to his hand.

Otto sat across the man and said, "Cheers to Skeleton Fingers."

"You don't have liquor to give cheers."

"But I have the thing measuring all things on earth." He spoke the code word.

The man shrugged. "Call me Hood. I heard you're here to get some information?"

Otto nodded. While Timothy was stalling on giving him a response, he hadn't been
able to rest and was busy asking around about the rebel king�someone who could hold
the Western Territory for half a year after the king's ascension and completely
stump Timothy was surely with a force to be reckoned with.

The fastest way to gain as much information as possible was through the Rats.

This was the sixth Rat Otto had spoken to, and the information he had gained
startled him. The legendary rebel king, Roland Wimbledon, fourth son of King
Wimbledon III, was not showing any signs of weakening and was even challenging the
new king with the threat of an attack to dethrone Timothy.

This man was also true to his word�although Timothy went to great lengths to hide
the news, Otto was still able to find out about the strange collapse in King's
City. If this news was true, an alliance with Timothy was questionable at best. He
needed to get to the bottom of all this to protect the Kingdom of Dawn.

"That's right," Otto Luoxi whispered. "I want to know about the giant crash and
collapse in the King's City palace three months ago."

Chapter 409: A Reliable Ally

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"You've come to the right man," Hood smiled and said in a raspy voice that made it
hard to tell his age. "Even though I live in the outer city, I happened to be near
the palace on the day of the incident, and as soon as I heard the crash, I ran to
the palace gate. You have no idea how terrifying the crash was, because it sounded
like lightning hitting the earth. All the surrounding windows, whether paper or
glass, were shattered by an invisible force, and some people were even scared to
death by the sudden sound... "

Every Rat claimed to be nearby and to have witnessed everything, but each person's
story was different from the other. "Okay, no need to ramble on about unimportant
things. How did it happen?" Otto Luoxi interrupted and asked. "Was this incident
really related to the Fourth Prince... Roland Wimbledon?"

Hood cleared his throat and stretched out his right hand. "I can answer that,
but... "
"You need the thing measuring all things on earth, right?" Otto opened his wallet.
"How much?"

The so-called "thing measuring all things on earth" was nothing more than a gold
royal. Only uncultured people like Rats would use such an obvious code word or
phrase to appear mysterious.

The Rat stuck up two fingers.

Otto took out two gold royals and placed them in Hood's hand. "This is not a small
fee, so I hope your information lives up to it."

"Of course. The reputation of Skeleton Fingers rests upon this." The Rat smiled
greedily and pocketed the gold royals.

"A Rat's reputation is as ridiculous as a ruler's mercy." Otto sniffed. "Go ahead."

"I'll start by answering your first question." After his payment, Hood's posture
was much more relaxed. He sipped his ale, leaned back in his chair, and pointed
towards the ceiling. "Thunder comes from the sky."

"What do you mean?" Otto frowned.

"Didn't you want to know what caused the crash?" the Rat whispered. "All thunder
comes from the sky, and this was no exception. I saw it with my own eyes. Before
the crash, a white rock floated into the palace, and then the incident happened."

"Nonsense! You mean to tell me that a huge rock fell from the sky and smashed the
palace into pieces?"

"Hehe, everything I said is true, or else Skeleton Fingers wouldn't assign me this
task. If you think I'm lying, you can leave right now." Hood shrugged. "But you
won't get your fee back."

"... Keep going." Otto tried to repress his annoyance.

"The rock entered the palace only seconds after it appeared, but I could clearly
tell that it wasn't that big or fast and didn't like something that could destroy
the Hall of Sky Dome, which is why I said it 'floated'. Also, when the crash and
smoke appeared, I saw a menacing flash of fire that definitely wasn't caused by the
collision," Hood said, smacking his lips. "I mean, His Highness Timothy's search
afterwards proved this very point�he closed off and cleared the Inner City multiple
times without arresting any suspects, and the palace is heavily guarded, so where
else could the attack be from if not the sky?"

He took another sip of ale. "As for the fire and smoke, they resemble the
phenomenon caused when an alchemy solution called snow powder burns, which is why
I'm certain that this was an attack. By the way, I also have some information about
snow powder, but you'd have to pay only a little more... "

"No need, I don't want to know." Otto interrupted. He had already heard through
other channels about snow powder, which was originally used in celebrations but
could be modified into a weapon. Rats probably didn't know anything about its
specific content, so he didn't feel like wasting his money.

"Alright, now I'll answer your second question," Hood said, splaying his hands
indifferently. "This incident was certainly related to Prince Roland."
"Why?"

"When did you arrive in King's City? Of course, I'm not trying to ask about your
background or... identity, since that's a rule of Black Street, so you don't have
to answer me." The Rat smiled. "What I mean is, if you arrived in King's City in
early autumn, you'd know this: His Highness sent thousands of soldiers to attack
Western Region, but only very few returned, all bearing letters from Prince Roland
to His Highness."

All six Rats had mentioned this, which meant that it was probably true, but he
continued to ask, "Are you talking about the warning of revenge? It sounds quite
scary. Are you sure it's not pure folklore?"

"Most letters were brought by the soldiers into the palace, and the few that were
leaked were mostly seized by the City Hall, but Skeleton Fingers always surprises
its clients. I actually have a preserved 'warning' with me." Hood stuck up five
fingers. "Considering it's a very rare letter from Prince Roland himself, the price
is slightly higher. What do you think?"

...

Otto Luoxi returned to the palace, and Belinda immediately stood up to greet him.
"Any news?"

"Not much, but I did get my hands on a letter from Prince Roland." He handed the
wrinkly piece of paper to her, took off his coat, sat next to the fireplace, and
told her all about what he had learned. "All six Rats gave similar answers to the
second question, and this paper proves them right�Roland Wimbledon is not as weak
as the King says he is, but the complete opposite. If the Kingdom of Dawn allies
with Timothy, we may benefit very little and gain a tricky enemy."

"But all the Rats' answers to the first question were different," Belinda said with
a frown.

"This proves that the attack was very mysterious and difficult to understand, and I
kind of believe what the last Rat said." Otto sipped his hot tea and sighed.
Spending too much time in the cheap pub made him very uncomfortable.

"From the sky?" Belinda gaped at him. "Are you crazy?"

"Of course not. If I hadn't seen this letter, I wouldn't dream of it either. Roland
was very confident about the time and location of the attack, and only an attack
from the sky would be able to pass the high city wall and strong fortifications,
confusing even the shrewdest Rats." He frowned. "However, what's more important is
what we do next."

"With the imminent threat from the Church, they should stop fighting each other and
join forces against their common enemy."

"That's not for us to decide." Otto shook his head. "The only thing we can do is to
find a reliable ally for the Kingdom of Dawn. His Highness Timothy Wimbledon seems
a little... unreliable."

"Are you really going to go to Western Region?" Belinda was shocked. "Isn't that a
place currently facing the dangers of the Months of the Demons?"

"It's nothing compared to the danger of our kingdom collapsing," he said after some
silence. "You can stay here and wait for the new king's response, while I travel
alone to Western Region."
Chapter 410: Expectations

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The water vapor formed an even layer of white mist resembling thin gauze on the
window pane. Chilly wind blew on the windows with a popping sound, which contrasted
with the tranquil fireplace burning in the room.

Scroll sat in front of a long desk in the City Hall Office, reading rolls of thick
documents.

Those documents were not about education but were statistics reported by various
departments. She used her free time to memorize such information in case someone
needed it. This was recently the main part of her work since there was not much to
deal with in the Ministry of Education. After all, the second round of assessment
ended not long ago, and another round wouldn't be carried out before next summer.

Having worked for His Highness Roland for half a year, she found out His Highness
was particularly interested in statistics�he liked it when his subordinates
described things with a long series of precise numbers; he frequently used terms
such as horizontal ratio, year-on-year ratio, and chain relative ratio.
Subsequently, all the staff in the City Hall had picked up this habit from him.

As the township population grew, the related statistical work increased

correspondingly. Therefore, His Highness entrusted this work to Scroll and jokingly
called her the "database" of Border Town. Although the nickname made her sound like
a warehouse, His Highness described it as something extremely important. With the
help of a database, he said he could estimate the development of next year and make
economic and military plans. He even said all his future decisions concerning the
territory would be based on the data analysis.

"Lady Scroll." A woman dressed as an apprentice pushed open the office door and
entered the room. After bowing to Scroll, she handed her an application form.
"Hello, my name is Freya. His Excellency Carter from the Department of Justice
wishes to acquire the information on refugees who passed the resident verification
within the last week."

Due to her limited ability to derivative skills, His Highness ordered that anyone
who wanted to inquire complex data must get consent from Barov first. As for
individual data, one could ask Scroll at any time.

"Wait a minute!" Scroll glanced at the signature on the application form, summoned
the Book of Magic, and showed the corresponding contents on its pages. "Alright.
Give this to Mr. Carter."

"Thank... thank you." Freya carefully held the book that came out of thin air as if
it was a demonic beast.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt you." Scroll could not help but laugh. Most people had
such an expression when they saw the Book of Magic. "You do not need to return the
book to me because it will vanish four hours later. However, according to the
Constitution of Confidentiality, you aren't allowed to give it to anybody other
than Carter."

"Yes ...My Lady."

Freya bowed and retreated. While she pushed open the door, Scroll saw a sea of
people in the hall, and a chattering sound instantly rushed into her room, quieting
down again when the door was closed.

This was a weekend, which was supposed to be a rest day, but the City Hall was
still as busy as on workdays. Everybody was excited about the upcoming construction
of Border Town, so they worked particularly hard. With the salary reward for
overtime offered by His Highness, no one was willing to stay at home.

Scroll didn't understand His Highness's decisions. To her, there wasn�t that much
work to be done in the City Hall, and compared to the labors of miners and furnace
workers, writing official documents, collecting data and making reports took much
less effort - yet these were the main jobs of the City Hall. His Highness only had
to give orders, and everyone would easily comply. There was really no need to raise
the salary in this regard. Compared to most of the nobilities, His Highness
appeared to be too benevolent.

Truthfully, Scroll didn't think His Highness Roland seemed like a real Lord. Yet,
it was exactly such a person who led everybody to this stage, which was nearly a
miracle.

She didn't come to this conclusion due to her respect and trust for Roland, but due
to clear data; compared with one year ago, when only miners had a stable income in
Border Town; the wages of miners, furnace workers and handymen had doubled now,
although they used to earn the least; some emerging occupations such as assemblers
in the steam plant and operators in the acid plant had had their wages raised
eightfold, and the number of workers was still on the rise.

The changes within the town itself were so obvious that if a person hadn't lived
here one year ago, he might find it very hard to believe that such changes were
possible.

Scroll touched the words on the document. She couldn't imagine how the territory
would continue to transform under His Highness' leadership, but she firmly believed
it would have a future full of hope and surprises.

"Miss Scroll." The wooden door was pushed open, and His Highness Roland's guard
stepped in. "His Highness wants to see you."

...

When she returned to the third floor of the castle, Scroll saw that His Highness
was organizing pieces of the manuscript.

"Would you like me to record these things?" Tying her black hair up, which was
messed up by the cold wind, she stepped up and asked the prince.

"That's right. It took at least half of my brain cells to finish this book." The
prince massaged his neck, murmuring words that were difficult for Scroll to
comprehend. "Even for the knowledge that was commonly used at the time, I could
only remember them generally, and I even had to deduce several formulas myself."

Scroll had gotten used to this behavior. She ignored his weird terms, picked up the
manuscript, realizing the letters on its cover were in an unprecedented orange
color that formed the word "calculus".

She flipped through a couple pages, and found it impossible to understand what the
book title meant. She then focused on memorizing its contents�compared to the
equations she had learned previously, she found these new formulas didn't even have
numbers, but a series of bizarre symbols, like a whole set of new characters. They
looked like things only Anna and Tilly would be interested in.

"Right," Roland asked, "what's the average income of the residents here?"

"The minimum was 10 silver royals per month, and the maximum was 40," Scroll
answered without stopping her memorizing of calculus, "but to calculate the average
income I would need the Book of Magic, which has been used once today."

"That's alright. You can give me the statistical result the day after tomorrow."
Roland waved his hand. "I need this number to determine the fee for water and
heating supply. The collective heating supply project is about to begin in a week.
On its completion, this place would be as warm as spring, even through the longest
winter."

A city without fear for the cold. This is one of the miracles that could only
happen in His Highness's territory. "If I don't get extra work, I'll give you the
result tomorrow."

"Tomorrow ...It would be nice if you could turn the Book of Magic into a
storybook." Roland shook his head with a smile. "Or any book that Anna hasn't
read."

"Storybook?" Scroll was slightly startled before quickly understanding his

reasoning. "Tomorrow is Miss Anna's ..."

"Day of Awakening," the Prince nodded and said.

Chapter 411: The Vow

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

With no swaying candlelight or crackling burning fire, the room was made so warm
and pleasant by the heater that one wouldn't feel cold even when only wearing thin
clothes. The Stone of Light at the bed stand brightened the room�the stable and
gentle yellow light shone on the bedsheet and carpet, producing a wonderful
nostalgic scene.

Sitting at the bedside and listening to the occasional slight chirps from the
caliducts, Roland felt as if he was in a dream. It was like he wasn't in a backward
monarchy nor a modern society full of electronic products, rather somewhere in
between... his childhood.

His childhood memories very much resembled the scene in front of him�everything was
covered in a faint shade of yellow, whether it was a light bulb, a movie, or a
developed photo.

The only difference was that Anna wasn't in his childhood memory.

At this thought, he turned and looked at the girl sitting at the edge of the bed.

She was reading a storybook. Her blonde hair on her forehead glimmering under light
and her long eyelashes occasionally trembling, made her look extremely moving. Yet,
the most extraordinary part was her sapphire eyes, which were still as blue as a
clear lake even under the reflection of the Magic Stone. The only difference from
one year ago was that this pair of eyes weren't such a peaceful lake anymore.
Her existence alone made the whole picture vivid. Anna is not only a different
color from the rest of this whole setting, but also a marker that separates my
reality from memory. Seeing her assumes me that everything is real.

"What are you looking at?" Anna had already put down the Book of Magic and was
staring at Roland. "Me?"

"Ahem... " Roland shifted his eyesight eyes subconsciously, but quickly shifted
them back again. "Uh-huh...That's right."

After spending about a year together, the two of them had been quite familiar with
each other. Roland wasn't as passive as he had been, and since they were alone in
the room, he was more open about the emotions he had been holding back all this
time.

They looked at each other and burst into laughter at the same time.

"Do you think my demand is a little too stubborn?" Anna shook her head and smiled.
"Clearly everybody cares about me, but I pushed all of them away."

"Don't worry about it." Roland said with his hands laid out, "They were only
surprised by your reaction at that time."

"If it weren't for the 'ancient methods' suggested by Miss Agatha, I wouldn't have
made this request," Anna said, sticking out her tongue - a cute move that she
rarely made. "But I assume other sisters would do the same. You'll be busy then."

Roland smiled resignedly and said, "I think they would only ask for a few more
pieces of ice cream bread."

After learning that Anna was going to have her Day of Awakening, Agatha instantly
contributed her experience gained in the Holy City of Taquila�according to the
research of the Union, on the Day of Awakening or the Day of Adulthood, a witch
needed to drain her magic power to decrease the influence of bite. Additionally,
the witch's emotions were also very important - positive emotions as happiness and
contentment would greatly increase her resistance. For some outstanding witches,
the Union even dispatched personnel to fulfill their wishes on their Day of
Adulthood.

After knowing this, Anna requested that Roland accompany her on her Day of
Awakening.

"Thanks to Miss Agatha, I'm having a good time." She confessed. "I couldn't spend
my Day of Adulthood with you, but I can make up for it on my Day of Awakening."

Watching Anna�s sincere expression, Roland almost blushed. He cleared his throat,
took out a thin book tied with a colorful ribbon from his back, and handed it to
her. "A gift for your Day of Awakening."

The reason why he rushed to write down the advanced calculus knowledge that he
remembered was to finish it before this day. To a witch, the Day of Awakening was
more important than a birthday and could almost be seen as a rebirth. Roland had
always had difficulty choosing presents for holidays, and this time was no
different. After racking his brains, he decided to give Anna new knowledge as a
present�Anna had a talent for learning and an appetite for new knowledge, so he
chose her gift accordingly.

However, after receiving the book with orange cover, she didn't open it instantly
as she used to. Instead, she put it down together with the Book of Magic. "Thank
you."

"The storybook... Have you finished reading it?"

"Not yet." Anna slightly shook her head. "But I want to hear something special."

"Special?" Roland was slightly astonished.

"Yes." She said with a smile, "Your story�last time I fell asleep too soon while
listening to it and today I hope to continue hearing about it."

"Does she mean the day when we lay in bed together?" Roland pursed his lips. He
suddenly had an impulse to tell her about his true identity, and to not hide it
anymore. "Do you still remember that I once told you I used to live in a big city?
By a big city, I didn't mean Kingdom of Graycastle."

"I know."

"Huh?" Anna's reply was shocking to him.

"When I thought about it, I found those stories you told me couldn't have happened
in the palace of King's City," she said with a smile. "Don't forget, I have
repeatedly read through Chronicles of Graycastle."

"Is that so?" Roland hesitated for a moment. "I actually ..."

"You don�t have to say anything." Anna stopped him. "You are hesitating, which
means it's not easy to tell, right? Then don't. Besides, it's not hard to guess. I
believe I'm not the only one who has this feeling. The closer we get to you, the
easier to feel this way�you are different from everybody else." She paused. "What
if... we take a bet."

"Bet... on what?"

"Let's bet how much I can guess about your life story."

Roland suddenly recalled a game he used to play when he was little: time capsule.
"The game works like this: write down your words to the future on a note, put it
into a can, and take the can out a certain number of years later... Although most
of the cans would be missing, a few of them would be retrieved, and looking at the
note you wrote years ago would give you an unspeakable sensation."

He didn't ask about the wager. "It doesn't matter who wins and who loses, since she
probably proposed it to comfort me, rather than to figure out my true identity." He
must admit, among all the witches, Anna was the one who understood him the best.

"Deal." He nodded.

"Where did we stop last time?"

"I finished my study under the guidance of my mentor ..." Roland laughed. "Let's
start from here."

When the light of dawn lit up the skyline, Anna peacefully passed through the first
Day of Awakening since her adulthood.

Chapter 412: Sneaking into the Fallen Dragon Ridge

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The entire world was gloomy, from the sky to the land and sea.

Although the south central area of the Kingdom of Graycastle wasn't covered by
endless snow, the impact of the Months of Demons was inevitable�the sun was hidden
by an expanse of gray clouds which filled the whole sky. A pale fog rose from the
earth, shrouding the land, rocks, and jungles. All that was revealed was the black
and gray mountain peaks above the clouds, which stretched towards the southern end
of the continent, and acted as the visual guide for Nightingale and her companions.

While flying in the sky on Maggie's back, Nightingale intensely experienced just
how terrible the cold wind was in the open air. Even with a set of customized
windproof clothes on, which were given to her by His Highness before they left, she
could still feel the cold penetrating her body from her scarf and cuffs. In
particular, her ears and fingers would soon get numb due to hypothermia. They often
had to stop and rest for a while, making the normally half-day journey eventually
extend to the next day�even flying at full speed.

"Here we are." Lightning approached her.

Nightingale peered out and realized the ridge had become much lower, as if it was
sinking into the ground. A city built on the hillside emerged faintly from the fog,
which should be their exact target�Fallen Dragon Ridge.

"Let's land." She patted Maggie's back. "Be careful and don't let anyone see us."

"Awh!" Maggie nodded, folding her wings as she glided down. The Mist soon enveloped
the three of them as they landed. Nightingale found that the visibility around them
was so low that she couldn't see clearly what was only 50 steps in front of them,
let alone over a great distance.

This was a good sign for the witches�at least they wouldn't be easily noticed.

After entering into the Mist, the true colors of the world would be revealed, but
she wasn't worried about running into the church's Judgement Army due to the thick
white fog.

"You just wait here, this shouldn't take long," said Nightingale.

"His Highness asked me to keep a lookout from the air." Lightning shook her head.

"And he asked me to be the emergency contact in case you kidnapped the target.
Coo!" Maggie transformed into a fat pigeon, crouching on the top of the little
girl's head.

"His Highness gave some meaningless commands," Nightingale thought. "In that case,
let's go."

Suddenly, the world became black and white�the fog disappeared, or transformed into
something else, which no longer hindered her vision. All of a sudden, the view
became clear. The dark city wall was 200 meters away, extending out of the mountain
side, and linked the city and the mountain like a dome. The stone wall was much
shorter compared to the outer wall of Longsong Stronghold, and there were no sentry
guards on it.

Nightingale went to the side of the wall and found the entrance through the curved
lines. She stepped forward and realized that she was already on the other side of
the city wall.
The city was half the size of Stronghold, and it was more like a small town in this
area just outside of the mountain cliffs. But Fallen Dragon Ridge was located
within the rocky mountains, and the Lord's castle built on the hillside could be
seen from far away.

Nightingale assured that Lightning and Maggie were following her into the city, and
then she went straight towards the castle.

This mission wasn't new to her and she was very proficient at it.

When she served old Gilen, it was a common assignment to infiltrate into other
nobles' mansions and castles. Most of the buildings were similar in structure, and
the owners always liked to live in the most spacious house right in the center.
Back then, she was unable to go in through walls freely and could only conceal
herself�while carefully avoiding any possible traps and the God's Stones of
Retaliation�before stealing the letters and documents hidden in the cabinet.

Now with the help of the Mist, she could easily do these things, since the
lightless black hole presented by the God's Stone of Retaliation, embedded at the
corner of castle's aisle, seemed as attractive as the moon hanging in the dark sky.
The hidden traps could be seen clearly, as their twisted contours were like
creeping earthworms, and she could easily destroy them after passing through the
walls. While under the influence of her ability, Nightingale was perfectly free to
move�the walls, doors, and roofs were just inconsequential to her.

Walking into the largest house at the top, she found her target.

Although they had never met before, Nightingale identified Marquess Spear Passi,
the Lord of Fallen Dragon Ridge, at first sight because a magic blue light was
rotating in her body, which was the only color visible in the world of the Mist.

Sitting in front of a desk with a quill in her hand waving back and forth, the
Marquess seemed to be writing something. She was about 30 years old with wrinkles
at the corners of her eyes, and the silver curls of hair and plain robes she wore
made her look older. Nightingale examined the room carefully and found that there
was no God's Stone of Retaliation or trap, and that Parcy's only weapon was a
delicate and luxurious short crossbow hidden inside her sleeve.

After leaving a mark on the side of the window, she dissolved the Mist and revealed
herself.

"Greetings, Marquess Spear Passi."

Shocked by the unexpected voice, Spear Passi raised her head swiftly and saw
Nightingale. She quickly calmed down and asked, "Who are you?"

Nightingale remembered the scenario of her first meeting with Prince Roland?his
first reaction was to try to escape and she had to stop him by using a dagger,
which in hindsight was really funny.

"I'm Nightingale and I'm from Border Town of the Western Region. As you can see,
I'm a witch."

"I thought so, as no one can come here without an invitation, except a witch."
Spear Passi pretended to be calm, as she moved one of her hand slowly into her
sleeve. "You should knock on the door before coming in."

"Then I'd be welcomed by your guard, not you." Nightingale laughed softly. "Don't
worry. I don't intend to hurt you. I just want to have a talk�so you won't need
that crossbow inside your sleeve."

This surprised Spear Passi and her face got more serious. "You know quite a lot."
She took her hands out and crossed them in front of her chest. "Well, why are you
here?"

"I bring you a message from Lord of Border town, Guardian of the Western Region,
the fourth prince of the Kingdom of Graycastle, His Highness Roland Wimbledon."
Nightingale bowed slightly. "He's creating a new order of the world that allows
witches to live together with average people peacefully, and he hopes you can
assist him."

"Prince... Roland?" Marquess frowned. "The incompetent nobility who was always
laughed at by everyone?" With an absurd look on her face, she said, "This is
ridiculous, Lord of Border Town? He's just a rebel banished to a waste land!"

"Timothy was the real usurper," Nightingale said, "and Prince Roland will soon
dethrone him. But that's beside the point... His Highness needs your magic power to
strengthen the ability of a witch. Would you mind making a trip to Border Town?"

Chapter 413: The Incident

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Spear Passi was silent for a while before saying, "Are you threatening or inviting
me?"

"I'm inviting you, of course," Nightingale said. "His Highness doesn't believe in
coercing witches. In fact, I don�t either."

"In this case, I refuse," Spear answered without hesitation. "If he really needs my
help, he can bring the witches to the Fallen Dragon Ridge to visit me for the
ritual of the nobility. No need to send someone sneaking in my castle. Of course,
if a witch attracts the church's attention I can�t ensure her safety."

The answer was just as Nightingale had expected. It was difficult to get a stranger
to agree to such a difficult request. Generally, there were two means of handling
the situation�coercion and inducement, but she didn�t want to perform either
option. Marquess Passi was the Lord of the city and would be the guardian of the
realm once promoted. However, His Highness did not plan to flatter her in any way.
Instead, he would withdraw power from the nobles. According to His highness, this
was called the centralization of authority. In this instance, she would be
degrading herself in the eyes of nobility if she was at His Highness' service.

In regards to following Roland, to create a brand new world and defend in the
Battle of Divine Will, she would not believe it from word alone.

"I understand." Nightingale pouted. "In this case, I shall leave."

"Hold on..." Spear looked surprised. "That's all?"

"I'm responsible for bringing His Highness� messages to you. Now that the message
has been delivered and you've given me your answer, my task is complete." She
grinned. "Were you expecting me to tie you up and bring you back with me?"

"How did you know about my ability to channel magic?" Marquess hesitated. "Did you
talk to the witches who planned to go to the Fjord Islands?"
"Yes. The leader of the witches is Lady Tilly Wimbledon. She's currently in Border
Town, fighting the Demons with her brother." Nightingale shrugged. "His Highness
heard about you from her."

"They didn't go to the Fjords?"

"No, they didn't know His Highness had gained such a firm foothold in the Western
Region. They only got in touch after settling down on Sleeping Island." She gave a
brief outline of the alliances on both sides. "Just like you, Lady Tilly was
invited to the Western Region by His Highness."

"Prince Roland really established a system of coexistence for witches and ordinary
people in his territory?" Spear frowned and asked. She was having a hard time
believing it.

"Not only that, he also evicted the church from his territory." Nightingale smiled.
"Currently there are more than 10 witches living in Border Town. The locals are
accustomed to their existence. I'm not lying about this."

Marquis stood up and poured her a cup of tea. "Can you tell me more about it? How
did he do it?"

"If you want to know." Nightingale turned and sat at the table. It might not change
her decision but it was never a bad thing to deepen her understanding. Nightingale
decided to tell her about the Witch Union His Highness had built, the war with Duke
Ryan and the political run after the recovery of Longsong Stronghold. If Spear
could understand the witches� situation, hopefully she would not resist too much
when His Highness eventually unified the Kingdom of Graycastle.

A sudden rush of percussion was heard.

"This is..." Spear looked at Nightingale in shock.

Nightingale opened the window. It was Maggie squatting outside. "Danger, coo!
Lightning discovered an accident, coo!"

"What happened?"

"A troop of Judgement Army soldiers is rushing towards the castle, coo!" The pigeon
patted its wings and said, "There are at least 20 people, coo!"

"The Judgement Army from the church?" Nightingale turned around and frowned. "Did
you summon them?"

"No... I didn't have an appointment with the church Priest today," Marquis looked
particularly puzzled, "could it be your whereabouts have been exposed?"

"That's impossible." She shook her head. "Unless the church has the ability to
monitor every bird in the sky."

"That's weird..." Spear murmured, "if they were coming for me, they wouldn�t need
so many Judgement Warriors. It's almost the entire force!"

"What are you waiting for? They're almost at the entrance!" A golden figure darted
through the window and landed lightly beside Nightingale. It was Lightning.

"I'm not sure about the situation, I suggest that you avoid it," Nightingale said,
"or get the guards to stop them outside the castle and find out why they�re here
before proceeding."

"This is my castle. Where would I hide? Don�t worry, these people can�t enter
without my permission. Otherwise, I would not have been able to protect the
witches." Spear sighed. "However, this meeting may have to end here... If you're
not in a rush, I think..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a series of chaotic footsteps were heard just
below the castle. The sound of swords fighting could be heard clearly in the
castle, echoing in the mountains. Marquis expression changed. "Who let them in?!
Guards!"

Spear called a few names but no one responded from outside. The footsteps were
approaching closer and closer.

"It looks like they're here for you." Nightingale made a gesture towards Lightning,
indicating she should leave first, "You still have time to leave, we can protect
you."

"No, I'm not going anywhere! This is my territory; how could they be so
presumptuous... "

She hardly finished speaking when the door was broken down by a group of heavily
armed Judgement Warriors. The Lord was fully surrounded by warriors holding up
their swords and shields.

Nightingale hid in the Mist, taking a step back into the corner where it was both
convenient to escape and suitable for observation. She noticed that neither
Lightning nor Maggie left. The former was peeking her head out from the top of a
window, the latter was simply squatting on a beam, arranging her wings.

"These two brats are totally reckless. I�ll get His Highness to discipline them
well when we're back..." She shook her head helplessly and shifted her eyes to the
Judgement Warriors. Every one of them was wearing the God's Stone of Retaliation.
The dark holes were intertwined and totally obscured Spear. She could only hear the
Marquess' angry rebuke. "Redwyne, are you crazy? You let them into my castle
without permission?"

"Of course not, wise sister." A man's voice raised within the crowd. "Father was
wrong to give the title to one of the Devil's minions. I'm simply correcting his
mistake."

Chapter 414: The Conspiracy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"What... What are you talking about?" Spear asked in disbelief. "The devil's
minion? This is a complete fabrication!"

"Fabrication or not, His Reverence will draw his own conclusion," Redwyne raised
his voice and said. "Just because you managed to deceive Father, it doesn't mean
that you can deceive everyone else! Soon, people will know who you really are. You
belong in hell!"

"Did you make all these up?" Spear's tone suddenly became icy cold. "Or someone
else put you up to it? I think the latter is true. After all, father chose me
because you and our third brother were completely useless."
"Shut up!"

Nightingale heard a rattle and the Marquess groaned in pain.

"Enough, bring her to the church for questioning," someone said, "but she's still a
member of the nobility before her verdict, so maintain your etiquette."

As Spear Passi was carted away, the Judgement Warriors followed right behind her,
and soon there were only two people left in the room. Nightingale couldn't see
their faces clearly because of the effects of God's Stone of Retaliation, but she
could tell that one of the voices belonged to Redwyne, the man who spoke to the
Lord. If she was not mistaken, this person seemed to be Spear's younger brother.

"You're doing really well, Mr. Redwyne; perhaps, I shall address you as Earl going
forward."

"So that's it, Mr. Rosad?" Redwyne could not hide his excitement. "I really can
inherit the title of Earl and become the Lord of the Fallen Dragon Ridge?"

"Of course. As long as you abide by our agreement, you may even go further," came
the reply.

"So, what should I do next?" he asked eagerly. "Can I move into my sister's room?
She won't leave her cell, right?"

"Spear Passi will soon be hanged to death as a witch in the square as per the terms
of our cooperation." The other man hesitated for a moment, and continued, "As for
what to do next, I suggest you relay this incident to all her ministers, knights
and men and divide the rights of the Marquess."

"Do... do I really have to do that?"

"If everyone can benefit from the incident, your position will be much more secure,
which will help our future plans to proceed smoothly," Rosad said. "If you're still
confused, I can always assign a priest to you. He's very good at handling
government affairs and can always advise you on any questions you may have."

"Yes, please," Redwyne replied quickly.

"It'll be very helpful for us if you can hold the Lord's position, so the church is
happy to help with these issues." His peals of laughter filled the room.

After the men left, Nightingale emerged from the Mist, followed by Lightning and
Maggie.

"We're in trouble." She stared at both of them and said, "How could the church show
up at precisely the right time and place?"

"I thought they said her brother found her true identity and revealed it to the
church," Lightning said, her eyes flashing with excitement. "Now we have something
to do."

"Why didn't they find it out earlier? Why right now? I feel like something's
wrong." Nightingale frowned.

"No matter what, we are not going to watch them execute Spear." Lightning held her
head up high and said, "We must save her and annihilate the church!"

"Annihilate it, coo!"

"The confidence of this blonde girl has inflated since defeating the demons. This
is not a good sign." Nightingale shook her head and responded, "We can't defeat the
church for the time being. They must have participated in this conspiracy, so if we
removed these people, Spear would naturally return to her position as Lord. This
might be an opportunity for us. If we sneak her out, she'll probably agree to go
back to Border Town with us under these circumstances."

"Awww, we're not fighting the church?" Lightning asked, disappointment in her
voice.

"Battling will be the very last resort since they outnumber us and have a large
amount of the God's Stones of Retaliation. It's pretty risky to try routing them
all at once." Nightingale contemplated for a moment and said, "I'll go to the
church first and find out what's going on."

There was one concern that she didn't mention. Spear Passi might be thinking that
His Highness was the one framing her if the situation wasn't explained clearly.
That, Nightingale knew, should be avoided at all costs.

"What about us?" the little girl asked.

"Just be ready to meet me outside."

...

The church of the Fallen Dragon Ridge was located on the outskirts of the city. It
was small and had a prayer hall, a residential area for the believers, and a three-
story tower surrounded by a wall with only one exit. None of these obstacles posed
a problem for Nightingale.

She had familiarized herself with the entire area by the time all of the faithful
had departed in the evening. Although there were many more God's Stones of
Retaliation here than in the castle, Nightingale still managed to find her way.
There was a huge God's Stone placed right in the middle of the hall to stifle any
magic in the room, and the same was true for some corridors. However, she could
always take a detour or even hop over the floor.

Nightingale found the place where Spear Passi was imprisoned in the basement of the
tower. She didn't seem too hurt, just a little frustrated. She intended to rescue
the Marquess during the middle of the night.

Nightingale snuck back into the tower after sharing her plan with Lightning and
Maggie. She ascended to the top floor and hid in a magnificent room.

"This," she thought, "would be the Priest's room. He would probably spill the beans
if he found me here with a dagger."

When the bell of the Fallen Dragon Ridge struck nine, swung open.

She drew out her dagger stealthily but didn't attack. She judged from the footsteps
that there were two people.

"What an unexpected joy!" said a woman's voice. "Little did we know that Marquess
Spear is actually a witch. It seems that we need to tweak our plan."

"Uh... Lady Saint," Rosad answered with a very respectful tone, "isn't it more
convincing if she's a witch?"
"It's different from before, because according to the will of the Supreme Pontiff,
any new witch who comes to realization shall be handed over to be executed in the
Holy City as soon as possible," The woman said. "As for the execution, let's not
hang her, but burn a masked death-row criminal with a similar build."

"Yes," Rosad answered. "But why did His Holiness set such a troublesome rule of
delivering a witch to Hermes?"

"I've no idea, but according to my superiors, it's simply returning to tradition,"

she replied.

"Returning to... tradition?"

"You don't need to know too much. Just fix the matter at hand hand." The Saint said
brusquely. "I'll have to head towards the Redwater City once everything is done
here."

"Understood," Rosad answered crisply.

"Who is she exactly? How come even the Priest is so respectful towards her? It
seems they didn't know that Spear Passi was a witch before they captured her. Could
it just be all a conspiracy to seize the throne of the Fallen Dragon Ridge?"

Nightingale couldn't help but come out from her hiding place and looked at the lady
while hidden in the Mist, only to find that she was not wearing a God�s Stone of
Retaliation. The magic power inside of the Saint was as bright as a fluorescent
light in her world of black and white.

"She's a witch!"

"Who's there?" She responded in an instant, and a dazzling silver light shot
towards Nightingale!

Chapter 415: The Fight

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Nightingale's years of fighting experience kicked into gear, and her body
immediately responded before she could even think.

She leaned back instinctively, and the silver light grazed her cheek. Even in the
Mist, she could feel the immense power of the light�extraordinarily scorching and
intense. After dodging the sudden attack, Nightingale tucked into a roll and
distanced herself from her opponent.

"What... what's happening, Lady Saint?" Rosad asked frantically.

"It seems like a rat has snuck in." The witch licked her lips. "Find somewhere to
hide and protect yourself."

"You mean... there's a witch here?!" The priest's expression suddenly changed.
"I'll summon the Judgement Warriors!"

"No need. I haven't hunted a witch for a long time. How could I let someone else
have this priceless opportunity? Just stand by and watch me."

Nightingale was observing the so-called Saint during the conversation. Although she
knew that the church was probably secretly raising their own witches, it still
broke her heart to see the proof of this theory. This witch had entirely owned by
the church, she may even have a high rank, and it sounded like she enjoyed hunting
witches and did not see herself as one of them.

Nightingale could not help but remember the determined eyes of the witch who
attacked them at the harbor outside the King's City and stabbed Wendy.

These people were no longer witches since they had chosen a completely different
path.

With this thought in her mind, Nightingale did not hesitate to pull out her
revolver�although she hated this kind of battle, she had no choice but to kill to
stop the killing.

"Where do you come from?" The Saint tilted her
Nightingale was standing. "If the priest can't
conceal yourself; if you can dodge my attacks,
you have fought in many wars. Either way, it's
you."
head and stared towards where
see you, you have the power to
you have been trained for battle or
quite rare for wild witches like

"Wherever I come from is none of your business," Nightingale said coldly. She
noticed the ribbon that blindfolded the opponent, and it was what a blind person
would do. The "silver whip" in the Saint's hand was still curled by her side with
its tip raised like a snake, waving at her.

Only magic power displayed color in the Mist. Was she using this strange whip to
locate her?

"Maybe you are not aware, but the church has crowned a new Pope who is
compassionate, forgiving, and believes that even wild witches deserve to be saved.
As long as you are willing to serve the Lord, the church can cleanse your sins off
and accept you as a Pure Witch," the Saint said with her hand on her chest. "This
is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. If you didn't come alone and are
accompanied by other fallen witches, you can all go to the Holy City of Hermes
together to seek your rebirth."

"Wow, that sounds great." Nightingale chuckled. "But if awakening as a witch is a

sin, and you had a way of cleansing it, why would you establish this law now
instead of helping all my lost sisters from the beginning? Do you think I'm a
toddler who has never heard a blatant lie before?"

She inhaled deeply and narrated. "I have not sinned!"

As she said this, Nightingale broke out of the Mist and pulled the trigger, and the
barrel erupted in flames with a thunderous roar.

The "silver whip" immediately flicked upwards and blocked it off the Saint, spewing
sparks everywhere. Then, the tip of the whip relaxed and tossed a twisted metal
nugget onto the ground which was the bullet that Nightingale just shot.

This thing could block a flintlock!

"Oh?" Her opponent raised her eyebrow. "What kind of weapon is this?" Her voice
cooled down suddenly. "I've changed my mind. It looks like you'll be dying here
tonight."

The silver light lunged towards Nightingale once again, this time it was divided
into dozens of whips that completely surrounded her.
Nightingale used her Mist to swiftly back away. Unlike common objects, the whips
containing magic power were immune to the Mist, so she couldn't pass through them
and could only try to avoid them. However, her enemy's range of attack was far too
big, and the silver light struck by her side. She felt a slight numbness on her
shin and she lost her balance, crashing onto the ground. The magic whips pierced
into the ground behind her and pulverized the stone floor into dust. If she had
been hit directly, she would have immediately lost her fighting power.

Nightingale ignored the wound on her shin and shot all the bullets in her gun at
once from the ground.

The silver whips recoiled and turned into a spinning band of light, blocking all
the bullets.

She knew she had no time to reload her bullets in the Mist and that once she wasn't
able to hold off her enemy with her flintlock, she would be in huge trouble�it was
too cramped to distance herself from her enemy, and not being able to dodge any
attacks would only shrink her range of movement. She pulled out another gun in a
panic, shot all the bullets randomly and ducked into the Mist, and fell two stories
down through the floor.

*******************

"She escaped!" The Saint screamed. "Summon the Judgement Army to lock down the
church, and send guards to the Marquess' cell as well since the witch might be here
to see her!"

"Escaped?" Rosad glanced around him, not seeing any damage in the doors nor secret
exits. "Through what?"

"The walls, the ceiling, or the floorboards�her powers go way beyond invisibility.
There isn't any magic power left in the room!" The Pure Witch gnashed her teeth and
said, "Do exactly what I told you to, She's injured and won't make it too far. Tell
all your men to put on the God's Stone of Retaliation bolts!"

"Yes!"

After the priest left hurriedly, the Pure Witch immediately collapsed helplessly to
the floor, her hands trembling powerlessly.

Damn, what kind of weapon is this?

Her abilities were all-powerful, and her defense power, the magic light that could
block any attack, was seen as the strongest among Pure Witches�no sword or bolt
could ever penetrate it.

In order to strengthen her powers, she was constantly using her magic light. After
more than ten years, she was able to carry such an immense amount of magic power
that hundreds of arrows were futile, and she had never exhausted her magic power
due to blocking anything.

However, her opponent's attack drained her magic power instantly, and she was no
longer able to even maintain her abilities. She felt an extreme fatigue that she
hadn't experienced in years.

"I must get my hands on this Fallen Witch, dead or alive," she thought vengefully.

Chapter 416: Retreat

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Nightingale followed the path she had scouted out before, passed through three
rooves, and landed straight in the dungeon that the Marquess was held.

Spear Passi heard the sound and stared up with wide eyes. "How... did you get in?"

Nightingale raised a finger to her lips as a sign for silence and limped out of the
steel door. Judging from their clothing, the two guards in the pathway were
probably followers of the church. She used the Mist to instantly move behind the
two men and slit their throats with a dagger�they would never have expected an
attack from within the dungeon, so they didn't even turn their heads as they lay
dying.

After returning to the dungeon, Nightingale finally had a chance to examine her
wound.

The wind-resistant pants that Soraya made for her were cut open, and blood was
gushing from a wound on her shin that was half an inch deep. Her enemy's magic whip
must have scraped through the pants and cut through her flesh, but thankfully it
had not damaged any bones. If not for the sturdy coating on her pants, she would
have been injured even more seriously.

"You're hurt," Spear said with a frown.

"It's not too bad. We have to leave before you turn into a corpse." Nightingale did
not tell the Marquess about the Saint's plans of taking her to Hermes, for it
seemed just as bad as dying, or even worse. "They had no idea that you were a witch
before they captured you, so it must be the church's conspiracy to gain control of
Fallen Dragon Ridge."

"How about my brother..."

"He's probably already become the church's puppet. There's no time to waste, so
I'll explain to you on the road." Nightingale tightly tied a sash right above the
wound. "Where is the God's Locket of Retribution?"

The Marquess pointed at her neck. "At first, they only tied my legs with a chain,
but then they replaced it with this."

Nightingale's heart immediately sunk upon seeing the metal ring as thick as her
thumb�this kind of God's Locket of Retribution was made by stuffing magic stones
into a metal tube and sealing it with a special technique, making it practically
impossible for someone to undo it.

"Do you remember where the locking device is?"

"It's inside the dungeon near the entrance, where they brought me to be locked."

It was obvious that after discovering the Marquess' real identity, the Saint
decided to use the strongest restrictions that could almost trap any witch except
an Extraordinary.

She would have to remove this contraption in order to take Spear into her Mist and
escape.
"Let's go to the first dungeon," Nightingale said decidedly. "Come with me."

She fought against the stabbing pain in her shin, returned to the fallen guards,
took their keys, and opened the cell door.

Suddenly, the tolls of ringing bells broke the silence and echoed throughout the
tower, which made her heart race.

"That's the church's alarm," Spear said with a panicked expression.

"I knew they would come eventually," Nightingale whispered. "Our only chance of
surviving is to move faster than our enemy."

The alarm might have actually helped her because all the men in the basement would
swarm towards the only entrance at once, making it easy for her to eliminate them
together.

She descended on them with her Mist and aimed her gun at these men. After her
bullets pierced her first target, they immediately struck her second, splattering
blood everywhere. The God's Stones of Retaliation that they wore served as clear
targets in her black-and-white vision, while her invisibility rendered the men
clueless about where to attack. After two rounds of shooting, there was not a
single living guard left in the dungeon.

However, she knew that these were the lowest-rank followers and that an armed
Judgement Army was headed their way soon. If she couldn't take off the God's Stone
of Retaliation before their arrival, it would be very difficult to escape.

"Come here!" She quickly spotted the locking device�a metal instrument resting
against the wall with two rusty clamps stretching outwards, resembling a terrifying
torture device.

Spear pressed her neck against the clamps, and Nightingale fastened the device onto
her and furiously turned its handle. With the help of the pulleys, the clamps
pulled in opposite directions and created an opening in the God's Locket of
Retribution.

At the same time, the sound of the Judgement Army's armor rattled near the cell
door.

"That's them right there!" Someone yelled.

"Take aim�shoot!"

"Let's go!" Nightingale brought Spear into the Mist, but small black holes shot
towards her and tore her Mist apart.

There were God's Stones of Retaliation on the bolts! Nightingale felt a cold sweat
break on her forehead as she and the Marquess became completely visible to the
Judgement Warriors�it was clear to see that these men were trained very differently
from regular followers. They shot their first round of bolts all throughout the
passageway to close off their exit, and only half of the men participated in the
first attack.

Meanwhile, the other half waited for the witches to expose themselves.

After spotting their target, the second wave of arrows flew towards them.
Nightingale heard the buzzing of arrows behind her and pulled the Marquess in front
of her body, yelling. "Duck!"

A searing pain spread like fire through her back as she was hit by countless
arrows, but she didn't stop running.

As they rounded a corner, Nightingale tasted blood in her mouth, probably from
biting her lip in pain before. "Are you OK?"

"I'm... I'm fine," the Marquess said blankly. "Did, did you just block the bolts
for me?"

"If you were shot, you would be gone for, but I might make it." Nightingale reached
behind her and found that none of the arrows had pierced through Soraya's
windbreaker�although her back hurt like it was on fire, there were only bruises,
and no stone powder had entered her body.

The Judgement Warriors hurried towards them. They probably did not expect the two
witches to survive the second wave of bolts without a shield, so they were a
considerable distance away.

After escaping the binds of the God's Stone of Retaliation, Nightingale grabbed
Spear and entered her Mist. She rushed upwards through the floorboards and soil to
the outside of the tower, took a bamboo tube from her bag, and pulled the string on
its end.

A blinding red light shot out of the tube into the sky and exploded into a shower
of sparks that looked like stars dotting the sky.

When His Highness gave this to her, he kept boasting about how one flare would
summon a thousand troops to her aid. Right now, she didn't need a thousand troops
and only prayed that Maggie could see her signal.

Soon, a giant shadow descended from the sky as Maggie landed next to the tower, her
large body crushing its walls and her wings fanning away the fog around them.

"What... what is that?" Spear Passi stared in awe.

"That's my friend." Nightingale had Lightning fastened the Marquess onto Maggie,
used the last of her strength to crawl onto her back, patted her body, and said,
"Let's fly."

"Aooooo... aoooo... " Maggie roared at the incoming Judgement Warriors, flapped her
wings, took off, and disappeared into the night with the two witches.

Chapter 417: Strike back

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

On the Fallen Dragon Ridge, Lightning expertly set up a tent big enough for four
beyond the wind's reach.

Nightingale sat by the fire to warm herself. She rolled up the cuffs of her pants
and found her calves stained with blood. The places hit by the Saint were swollen.
She had not felt it at the time with adrenaline coursing through her, but now, as
she relaxed, she struggled to lift her legs. If Maggie had not come to her rescue,
she probably would not have been able to run any further with carrying the
Marquess.

It was extremely dangerous to move in the Mist in her current condition. The
changing lines inside of it were staircases lined with sharp blades waiting to cut
her to pieces if given the opportunity.

"Let me help you, coo."

Maggie took first aid supplies from a big backpack. Besides cotton and a small
bottle of rubbing alcohol, she found an herbal remedy prepared by Leaf, the
medicinal mainstay of the Witch Cooperation Association.

Try as she might, Nightingale could not stifle her gasp with accompanying grimace
when the pungent alcohol was poured over her wounds. If His Highness hadn't
mentioned that it could kill the bacteria that caused the demonic plague, she would
think this was some type of torture.

To Nightingale's great relief, the scorching burn was relieved quickly by the
herbal preparation. As soon as her wounds were bandaged, she felt much more
comfortable.

"Your back... " the Marquess said in a low voice, "Is it alright?"

"What's about her back?" Lightning crawled into the tent with a bundle of firewood.

"To save me... she was shot by their bolts," Spear said forlornly.

"No big deal. It's like taking a couple of punches." Nightingale twitched her
mouth. "It's not a problem as long as I don't sleep on my back tonight."

"It's better to apply some herbal medicine on it," Lightning said while fiddling
the branches in the fire pit with the sparks flying. "Leaf's medicine, not only can
stop the bleeding, but also is very effective for bruises."

"Lay down on me, coo." Maggie sat down and patted her lap. "Let me apply the
medicine to your back, coo."

Seeing the serious look in the white-haired girl's eyes, Nightingale could not
disobey and acquiesced without argument. "Alright."

She took off her clothes with her hands covering her chest and reclined in Maggie's
lap. The Marquess let out a muffled gasp.

She knew without looking that her smooth back was now mottled with darkening red
bruises. "But it just looks scary. Since witches have strong self-healing capacity,
these wounds will heal after two or three days," she thought, shrugging it off the
best she could.

During this tender evaluation and treatment, Nightingale coughed twice and said,
"Marquess, do you have any plans for the future? Your brother Redwyne, deluded by
the church, has betrayed you. Actually, before that military coup, neither he nor
the church knew you're a witch." Then she briefly repeated what she had heard in
the tower to the Marquess. "They worked in collusion to deprive you of your title.
Even if you aren't a witch, you'll be put to death as a devil's minion. It'll be
easy work for the church."

"If they dare to murder a marquess," Spear said, gnashing her teeth, "I'll make
Redwyne and the church pay the price!"
"The church's deeds are far beyond your imagination." Nightingale shook her head.
"They kill even kings without blinking. Think of the Kingdom of Everwinter and the
Kingdom of Wolfheart."

Spear was stunned for a moment and then opened her mouth to ask, "Does the church
really dare to swallow all four kingdoms? I've only heard about it from merchants
of neighboring countries, but most of the nobility in the King's City thought it
ridiculous."

"The nobility in King's City also said Roland Wimbledon was a rebel king."
Nightingale shrugged. "If His Highness guesses right, conquering the four kingdoms
is only the first step in the church's plan, but unless you join the Witch Union, I
can't tell you the conspiracy behind it. Besides, the church must spend some time
plotting this military coup and most of your men should have already swung to
Redwyne who has promised them more profits. If you want to take back Fallen Dragon
Ridge, you can turn to His Highness for help."

"Will he really help me?"

"Of course, it's our solemn duty to wipe out the church," Nightingale said with a
trace of a smile touching her lips.

Marquess was silent, and she looked like she was hesitating to say something.

"Believe me," Nightingale said, recognizing the Marquess' hesitation. "You're free
to leave the Western Region anytime you want. His Highness never compels anyone to
stay."

"Is he really establishing a place where witches and ordinary human beings live
together?"

This was the second time she had asked Nightingale this question, and again
Nightingale answered proudly, "Yes, His Highness' territory is a place like that.
It's the witches' Holy Mountain."

In the firelight, the expression seemed uncertain on Spear Passi's face. After
quite a long while, she nodded slightly and asked, "Are we going to set off
tomorrow?"

"Not yet," Nightingale and Lightning spoke with one voice. Then they gazed into
each other's eyes and burst into laughter.

"The local church will try to report to Holy City what happened here, so in the
following two days, we must catch all the pigeons sent out by our enemy,"
Nightingale explained to the Marquess. "After that, Maggie will carry you to Border
Town. I have some other pressing demands here."

She remembered what the Saint had said in that room atop the tower: she would leave
for Redwater City soon after the military coup.

Apparently, wherever the Saint went, an undercurrent of tension soon followed.

Troubles big or small were sure to find His Highness. If she could impede the
Saint, she would not only sabotage church's plan but also collect a bounty of
information from the Saint.

Nightingale took a deep breath and made a plan to kill every member of that church
platoon, but she was not sure whether Prince Roland would agree to her plan. If he
insisted on her giving up the plan and going back, she would do as he wished.
...

Three days later Maggie, who had already sent the Marquess on to Border Town,
returned to Fallen Dragon Ridge bearing two witches from the Sleeping Island on her
back.

"Why are you here?" Nightingale asked, the surprise evident on her face.

"Prince Roland sent us to help you," Andrea said, gracefully hopping off the big
bird's back, doffing her hood and giving her blonde hair a nice shake. "We'll get
two pieces of ice cream bread in return."

"Wiping out a church platoon, you can never do that without me!" Ashes said with a
smile.

"His Highness said you can do what you've planned, but take safety into account
first, coo." Maggie changed back to a girl and continued, "He said he was waiting
for you to return to the castle."

"Really... " Nightingale mused, suddenly aware of warmth in her heart. "I get it."

"So how many are there?" Ashes raised her eyebrows slightly. "I heard there's a
witch among them?"

"I don't know the exact number yet, but there are at most 20 Judgement Warriors
along with their servants and some believers," she said in a measured voice. "You
take care of the others and leave the witch to me."

Chapter 418: Finish the Fighting

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

They had been on the ridge for a week when Lightning detected the platoon at the
north gate of Fallen Dragon Ridge.

As Nightingale had expected, the church's emissary delegation was composed of 25

fully armored Judgement Warriors, who were riding stallions at the head of the
platoon. There was a transport corps of around 100 mercenary fighters and believers
walking behind the Judgement Army.

Among them, there were two coaches. She assumed the Saint was in one of them.

The five witches secretly followed the platoon, as it headed toward Redwater City.

According to the plan, they would initiate the attack when the platoon was out of
the monitoring area and thus would be unable to call for backup quickly.

Nightingale quietly watched a coach in the platoon from her mist and vaguely saw a
silver light of magic power coming out through the distorted silhouette of the
carriage.

If Nightingale acted alone, she could probably kill the Saint of the church, but it
was not guaranteed that she could kill all of the enemies here. But now, with the
help of the witches from Sleeping Island, it was highly possible that they would be
able to block the news in the Southern Territory.

Once this platoon was eliminated, Hermes would not know anything, at least until
next spring. And by then it would be very difficult for them to investigate what
had happened to the emissary delegation.

Nightingale did not like killing, but this time it was an intentional decision.

It would lighten the burden on His Highness and help to defend the witches' Holy
Mountain.

She would not regret it.

When the emissary delegation entered the forest, Nightingale saw a dark shadow
coming close.

It was Maggie. She folded her wings and swooped down, roaring. Horses suddenly
neighed in fright and went off uncontrollably. All the people were shocked,
dumbfounded and only stared goggle-eyed at the scene.

But the giant beast did not burst into the crowd to bite and stomp on them as they
had expected. Instead, it spread its wings just over their heads and flew away
close to the ground, leaving a storm behind it. The strong wind made it hard for
them to open their eyes. Suddenly, a person jumped off the beast's back and landed
on the ground.

"Enemy attack!" the Judgement Warriors shouted among the emissary delegation.

Hearing this, the believers began to recover themselves, drew out their weapons and
struck at the unknown enemy at the center of the platoon.

Nightingale's vision filled with black and white lines. They were fully covered
with lightless black holes which could protect them from ordinary witches, but not
from Ashes the Extraordinary.

She cut all the believers within her range in two, at their waists, like reaping
wheat. All the people around her fell swiftly. She used an ordinary iron sword
instead of her symbolic heavy sword, in order for Maggie to carry one more witch
besides herself. The iron sword quickly cracked and broke during the fight. She
seized the weapons dropped by the enemy, a halberd, a stick, sometimes an iron
hammer or a cutlass. Anything in her hand became a lethal weapon.

Blood splashed and bodies were torn apart. In the middle of the platoon, Ashes cut
them in two all by herself.

In the rear part of the platoon, the mercenary fighters could hardly offer the
middle section any help because they had their own difficulties.

Andrea kept skipping through the forest like a fairy. She used the branches and
trunks of the trees to cover herself and shoot arrows every time she changed
position. Every one of her arrows would hit someone between his eyebrows and every
one of her shots was to kill.

In less than ten minutes, the whole platoon was a mess. Screams, cries and fighting
noises resounded in the forest.

Nightingale joined the fight immediately. She dashed through her mist, closely
following her target, whowas her only target in this fight, the Saint of the church
and the witch hunter. The coaches were drawn by the frightened horses. They ran
wildly for a long way before the horses finally calmed down, but then they did not
return to the platoon. Instead, they left the main road and burrowed into the
forest in two different directions.
It seemed that the Saint had already noticed that among her enemies there was a
tough opponent, an Extraordinary. For most witches, an Extraordinary with God's
Stone of Retaliation was unbeatable.

Unfortunately, she could not escape from Nightingale's control.

Nightingale had already spotted her position earlier on. The one in the other coach
was likely a high-ranking priestess or priest.

Nightingale left it to Lightning and Maggie.

Despite the fact that the Saint's coach tossed heavily on the bumpy road in the
forest, the coachman kept whipping the horses, looking like he was urged by someone
to speed up.

Nightingale approached. In order to shoot fatally every time, she only fired when
she was less than ten meters behind the target and in line with it. She aimed at
the four Judgement Warriors following the coach and pressed the trigger to kill
them one by one. The Judgement Army immediately split off at the sound of the gun,
but the distance now was still only several steps for Nightingale in her mist.
Further, their full armors were doing more harm than good in a fight against large
caliber bullets. The bullets became more harmful to the human body after going
through these deformed, cracked armors.

After getting rid of the four Judgement Warriors, she pointed her gun at the
horses.

As the two horses fell down, the fragile wooden carriage promptly flew off from the
force. It then hit a tree trunk and immediately fell apart.

Through the flying pieces, a person wrapped in silver light rolled out. Nightingale
aimed and shot without hesitation, but the light formed by magic power seemed to
have consciousness and blocked the bullets one by one.

She moved away to reload a new cartridge.

"Traitor!" the Saint shouted angrily, charging towards where Nightingale hid.

This time, the situation was different.

They did not fight in a small room anymore. Now every step Nightingale took would
cost the Saint more than ten steps to catch up and the effective range of a
revolver which was around 50 meters was much bigger than the area a witch could
affect with her ability. The Saint's "silver whip" could hardly reach Nightingale
while a bullet could put the Saint to death anytime.

At this distance, merely one or two out of five shots could hit the target, but
luckily Nightingale had enough time to reload new cartridges and keep aiming and
firing.

After five catridges, the silver light dimmed out. One shot hit the Saint's left
shoulder and another went through her stomach. She could no longer stand. She
staggered a few steps, and then fell to the ground.

Nightingale was not in a hurry to approach her. She went back to the place where
the carriage had fallen apart to pick up a God's Stone of Retaliation before she
walked to the Saint. During the fight, she had kept moving around the carriage so
it would be easier to search the site afterwards.
The moment Nightingale appeared beside the blood-covered witch, she suddenly
stretched out her right hand, the only part she could move now, only to find that
her silver light could not pierce her enemy as she wanted.

"You damned demon, the gods will put you on trial!" she said, gritting her teeth,
blood was spewing out of her mouth.

Nightingale pointed the gun at her chest expressionlessly and replied, "Really?
I'll wait for that day."

Then she pressed down the trigger.

Chapter 419: Faith

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After the smoke caused by the battle dissipated, the forest returned to silence.

The witch's long braids had unraveled, and her hair spread like white petals over
her body.

Blood streamed down her back and quickly formed a dark red puddle, slowly immersing
into the ground and melting the cold, hard soil. After that, the air was filled
with a smell of iron.

Nightingale squatted and untied the blindfold on the witch's face. She found the
face looked unexpectedly young, probably similar to her own age. However, the scars
by her eyes destroyed her overall beauty�her eyes looked like they had been
repeatedly burned by red-hot iron, and her skin was red and wrinkled, so she had
lost the contours of her eyes.

This was undoubtedly caused by men. Nightingale gently touched the wrinkled scars;
as for whether she suffered these wounds before becoming a witch or after serving
the church, no one would ever know. However, this was no longer important because
from now on, she couldn't hurt any more witches and wouldn't suffer any more
torments.

After searching the Saint's body, Nightingale found a letter, a seal and an emblem
in the pocket of her robe lining. The emblem was a circle split by a cross with a
clenched fist in the center.

She carried nothing else�no gold royals or jewelry.

"Perhaps she never enjoyed anything in her life," Nightingale couldn't help but
think.

"Hey, look at what I caught." Lightning's voice sounded from the air. She looked up
and saw the little girl carrying a struggling man, whom she threw onto the ground.

The man groaned in pain and rolled around, trying to get up, but he was hog-tied,
so all he could do was to twist around helplessly.

The man's outfit revealed that he was probably the Priest who was sitting in the
other carriage.

"Where's Maggie?"

"She's guiding Ashes to chase the runaway Judgement Army." Lightning walked over to
the Saint. "This is the witch trained by the church?"

"Uh-huh," Nightingale said softly. "She won't ever hunt us again."

"From her appearance, it's difficult to believe that she saw us as enemies who must
be killed... " The little girl sighed.

"If not for the church, none of this would have happened." Nightingale turned to
glare at the captive man. When he saw the witch lying in a pool of blood, his eyes
immediately widened, and he tried to say something but couldn't because of the
cloth gag in his mouth.

She took out the cloth. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Ahem... you, you've killed the Pure Witch of Bishop Tayfun, reckless devil! You'll
sooner or later be hung by the church at the city gate and left to the crows!"

"Even if we didn't kill her, being caught by the church is no better," said
Nightingale, "and compared with this, you'd better worry about yourself first."

"Even if I die, I'll have the salvation of God, and you guys will only sink into
Hell and be tortured forever!" He yelled.

"That's why I have to block his mouth," Lightning said.

Nightingale stuffed the cloth back into his mouth. "Let His Highness deal with him.
He said that the Iron Axe is very good at interrogating such kinds of people."

...

By the time Maggie brought over the two witches from Sleeping Island, it was
already afternoon. Ashes jumped down from the back of the beast and landed steadily
next to Nightingale. " You're not hurt, are you?"

"Everything went well," she said. "How about you?"

"Obviously, not a single man escaped." Ashes laughed proudly.

"Is she dead?" Andrea landed and looked at the Saint. "I thought you'd keep her
alive."

"The enemy was a witch, so hesitating would have been extremely dangerous," Ashes
twitched her mouth and said. "If I were you, I wouldn't keep her alive either."

"Gee, you have no mercy for your own kind."

"She isn't our kin, but a puppet controlled by the church," the Extraordinary said
casually. "Besides, sometimes our own kind can be even crueler than others. I've
never seen demonic beasts or demons imprison and torture people for several years."

After saying that, she took off her blood-stained gloves and offered her hand to
Nightingale. "Your actions and performance were amazing, and you did the right
thing in this situation."

"... " The latter stared at her for a moment before holding her hand. "Thank you."

"Who would have thought that someone like her would comfort me," Nightingale
thought. "She probably didn't want me to feel guilty for killing a witch."
"I think this victory is worth celebrating," Lightning said.

Maggie agreed with a "Coo!"

Andrea rolled her eyes, reached out her hands, and placed them on top of the
others'. "I have to clarify that if it were only your hand, I wouldn't touch it, so
this's for Nightingale's sake."

"OK, I get it," Ashes said, raising her eyebrow.

Then, the five witches raised their hands to the sky, looking like an unwavering
tower in the cold wind.

...

Next, they needed to collect the information carried by the emissary delegation and
hide the traces of their battle. After properly dealing with these issues in the
forest for two days, they arrived back in Border Town three days later.

After landing in the castle backyard, Nightingale was immediately surrounded by her
sisters.

"I heard you were hurt. Where is the wound?" Nana asked.

"She has been waiting for you for a long time. Why did you come back so late?" Lily
asked, annoyed.

"Does it... still hurt?" Lucia asked urgently.

"This batch of herbs was made especially by me. They can't only stop bleeding, but
also calm swelling, so their effect should be pretty great," Leaf said with a
smile.

"How could you be so careless to scurry into the church alone! You might not be
this lucky next time!" This was Wendy's voice.

"It's alright as long as she can return safely." Scroll chimed in.

Seeing their concerned faces warmed Nightingale's heart, and she didn't understand
how the Church's witches lived, but she knew what it was like to belong to the
Witch Union. There was no doubt that this was worth devoting everything to.

Then, she saw His Highness Roland.

Lightning jumped into his arms and stuck to him like a gecko.

Maggie also flew onto Roland's shoulder, rubbing his cheek.

Although Nightingale wanted to do this too, she knew that she wasn't a child, so
she held back the impulse to embrace Roland, walked up to him, and said with a
smile, "I'm back."

"Uh-huh, I've waited for you for a long time." The prince smiled his familiar
smile. "Take a hot bath and get some rest. I put a few bags of honey grilled dried
fish in the office drawer."

"OK, then I'll go help myself."

Nightingale smiled.
She reassured herself that she had done the right thing.

Chapter 420: The Lord's Response

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

That night, Roland held a magnificent banquet at the Lord's castle.

Since they not only rescued Spear Passi but also captured a Priest from Hermes, it
was technically the Witch Union's first unprovoked attack on the church.

As the five witches who had participated in the battle walked on to the stage, the
hall erupted into applause, and even Roland, who rarely drank, drained two glasses
of Evelyn's chilled white liquor.

Although it was only a small triumph, the Months of the Demons were long and
stressful, and he wanted to take this opportunity to help everyone relax.

When Roland stumbled into his office the next morning with a raging headache,
Nightingale was already waiting for him, sitting cross-legged on his table.

"Don't you need more rest?" he asked with a smile.

Ever since he agreed to let her attack the emissary delegation, he had been
worrying about her�even if he knew she was in a spacious area and could use the
Mist to remain invincible, he still fretted about accidents. Afterall, this wasn't
daily practice, but a true battle of life and death. Now seeing her energetic and
vital, he felt much better.

Nightingale swallowed her dried fish and said, "Of course I don't. I'm in a great
shape right now."

As soon as Roland returned to his seat, she jumped off the table, walked to the
back of the chair, and hugged him. "One more day of rest is one more day without
seeing you."

The prince was slightly startled.

"I actually wanted to do this yesterday in the castle garden... but now isn't such
a bad timing either," Nightingale whispered into his ear.

...

She did not let him go and disappeared into the Mist until she heard the footsteps
outside the door.

"Your Highness." A guard shouted. "The Lord of Fallen Dragon Ridge, Marquess Passi,
is here to see you."

"Send her in." Roland cleared his throat and adjusted his posture.

Spear Passi walked into the office, bowed, and sat in front of his desk. "I've
thoroughly considered your proposal."

"What do you think?" He poured a cup of tea for her.

While Nightingale, Ashes, and others were battling against the church, he had also
been busy with showing the Marquess around the town and negotiating with her.
Roland briefly told her the crisis that the kingdom faced, the origins of the
church, and the threats of the demons, as well as his future plans.

When Spear heard about the church's origins and their reasons for hunting witches,
she was so shocked that her eyes widened to the utmost. If not for the testimonies
of Tilly and Agatha, she would have never believed that witches once had ruled the
entire Barbarian Land, but her attitude changed greatly afterwards.

"Repealing feudal power, universalizing laws and administration institution,

prohibiting the inheritance and sale of titles... I can accept these requests,
but..." She paused. "I'm just curious. Do you really plan to spread this to all the
territories?"

"Yes. If we don't do this, Kingdom of Graycastle will be nothing but loose sand,"
Roland said, nodding. "Before our final enemies arrive, we must gather as much
power as possible."

"Your plan will offend all of the nobilities," said Spear slowly, "especially the
part prohibiting the inheritance of titles�if I'm not mistaken, the Lord of a
territory is also a title. Doing so will confirm your reputation of the 'rebel
king'."

"That's why I don't expect them to back down voluntarily," he said, knocking on his
desk. "Before the fateful Battle of Divine Will, the nobility's discontent is not
my priority. I don't have to kill them all, either. As long as these people accept
my new terms, they may even be able to keep their territories, just not their
feudal power�I believe they'll make the right decision."

Centralization of authority was only effective when all the power was held by a few
people, so if local authorities had too much power, they would threaten this
centralization and even his position as a ruler. Unlike one year ago, the town now
had the ability to undergo a revolution. After this step was completed, he would be
the only ruler of Kingdom of Graycastle in a real sense.

"You seem to have made up your mind." Spear sighed. "If I don't accept them, your
army will probably overturn my ruling anyways."

"I desperately need manpower for my plan," Roland said earnestly, "especially
someone with experience in governing a city. Like I said, you won't lose your
territory, and you can proudly reveal your identity as a witch to your people
without fear of the church."

The Marquess was silent for a while. "I also have a request."

"Please, go ahead."

"After you take back Fallen Dragon Ridge for me, I don't want anything to change,"
she said bluntly. "I can only fully support you when Timothy is no longer the
king."

"What a clever answer..." Roland thought. "She avoided giving a strict refusal and
gave herself some room for changing her mind. Basically what she meant is that in
order to earn her support, he needs to prove that his plan of unifying Kingdom of
Graycastle isn't just empty talk and that he's truly capable of doing it."

"It's a deal then." He didn't think much of the Marquess' secret calculations. If
his attack in the spring went well, it might be easier to overturn Timothy than
retrieving Fallen Dragon Ridge.
"Oh, by the way, Your Highness." Spear hesitated. "The witches are attending class
tonight, and I'm wondering if I could join them..."

Roland was a bit surprised. "Those are all very basic beginner courses. You
probably won't learn anything new."

"I'm intrigued by their calculating methods," she said, shaking her head. "I've
never seen anything like them before."

"Is she talking about the Multiplication Table or algebraic equations?" He mused.
"Of course, as long as you're willing to join the Witch Union."

...

After lunch, Iron Axe brought him some good news.

"He's willing to talk?" Roland was slightly surprised. "That soon?"

According to Nightingale, the captive Priest was quite stubborn.

"Not everyone has a will of steel, Your Highness," answered Iron Axe seriously.
"The Sand Nation has some unique interrogation methods that barely damage the body
but destroy the mind, even making some people view death as a relief. He has
already lingered longer than most people."

"That's right," he thought. "Professional spies not only have extraordinary

willpower, but are also trained not to crack under any interrogation, but no one in
this era has received this kind of training."

"Take me to see him," said Roland. "I have quite a few questions for him."

Chapter 421: The Interrogation

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The prison of the town hadn't changed much since he arrived one year ago.

His mass infrastructure development did not extend to this place, and although the
houses and roads above the ground had been renovated, the prison below still reeked
of decay. Moss grew on the stone walls, and muddy water dripped down the stairs.

The only difference was that the cells held very few prisoners.

Due to the the expansion and development of the territory, anyone who was willing
to work was able to find a job. The scoundrels who were unwilling to change were
sent by Roland to the mines, where they were whipped into shape.

Since Anna had wrecked the cells at the bottom of the prison, and there was no need
to repair them, the entire lower floor was sealed off and abandoned. Roland
followed Iron Axe to the middle of the third floor and saw the captive Priest�the
only criminal on this floor.

The man was not hanging on a torture rack nor beaten to a bloody pulp, which
completely defied Roland's idea of an interrogation. He was huddled in the icy
corner of his cell, and although his clothes were all intact, he seemed completely
lifeless and pale with hollow eyes without focus.

"Is he alright?" Roland asked quietly.

"It's not an issue, Your Highness," Iron Axe answered with a bow. "If you have any
questions, you can ask him directly."

The prince nodded. The Sand Nation's interrogation methods were indeed unique, but
he was not interested in the specifics or the humanity of Iron Axe's process, as
long as it got the job done. He cleared his throat, sat down on the long wooden
bench near the cell, and asked the Priest through the bars, "What's your name?"

"Are you the Fourth Prince of Kingdom of Graycastle... Roland Wimbledon?" The man's
expression changed. "Look... look at what you've done. You've unleashed the demons'
powers."

"His Highness is asking your name," said Iron Axe coldly. "If you don't want to
undergo last night's punishment again, then cut the crap."

The Priest's face froze, and after a short pause, he lowered his head and said,
"My... my name is Campus."

"I heard you're from the Holy City of Hermes?" Roland glanced at the man. "Who was
the witch traveling with you? Was she also from the Holy City? What was her role in
the church?"

"Her..." Campus seemed hesitant and was silent for a long time before answering,
"Her name was Aurora, and she was one of Master Tayfun's Pure Witches. She didn't
take any positions in the church."

"Tayfun?" The prince pondered for a while upon this familiar name.

"He's one of the three Archbishops of the Holy City, in charge of the church's
external affairs. His position is second only to the Supreme Pontiff." The Priest
explained.

Roland suddenly remembered that he had met this person before�at a ceremony in
King's City. That day, King Wimbledon III organized a big coming-of-age celebration
for Tilly Wimbledon, and Tayfun was the Bishop sent by the church to the ceremony.
In his memory, Tayfun seemed like a benevolent old man with a caring and forgiving
smile, as if he had nothing to do with anything evil in the world.

"What's a Pure Witch?"

Campus hesitated once more, but after Iron Axe threatened him again, he grudgingly
responded. "Pure Witches are witches who are raised by the church and directly
managed by Bishops and the Supreme Pontiff, so I don't know too much about them."

Roland scratched his ear to signal for Nightingale's confirmation and learned that
the man was not lying.

"How many people know about the church's hidden witches?"

The Priest shook his head. "Master Tayfun only told me about this two years ago and
ordered me not to tell other believers, so... I'm not sure how many people know."

"The church is obviously very secretive about raising Pure Witches, which at least
means they aren't publicly holding a double standard," thought Roland. "This is
definitely good news." This finally confirmed his suspicion and gave him another
piece of evidence to hold against the church�if the believers found out that the
sermons they received were all false and that the church was secretly raising the
very enemies they were taught to fight under their noses, how would they react?

"What was your motive in sabotaging the Lord of Fallen Dragon Ridge? Why did you
want to take her back to Hermes?"

"I don't know. My only mission was to monitor Aurora, so only she knows the exact
motive. There was a change of plans because Aurora discovered that the lord was
actually a witch, and the new Pope thus ordered us to send all captured witches
back to the Holy City to be purified."

"Purified," Roland snorted. "Do you actually believe that? If purified witches...
no, Pure Witches are sinless, why would the church keep their existence as a
secret?"

"Because... because some believers aren't devoted enough, so this's the only way
for now..." His voice trailed off, and he eventually closed his mouth.

The prince sneered. "Where did you plan to go after leaving Fallen Dragon Ridge?"

"Redwater City."

"After that?"

"Impassable Castle."

"Anywhere else?"

"Just these three cities." The Priest responded numbly, having given up resisting
after disclosing the information about Pure Witches. "Master Tayfun didn't tell us
when to return, so we were going to stay at Impassable Castle awaiting new orders."

His answer matched the letter found on the witch's body. "Why these three cities?"

Campus shook his head.

It seemed that he didn't know much since for the church, he was probably just a
monitor for the Pure Witch. Roland stroked his chin and thought, "Fallen Dragon
Ridge is in the Southern Territory, Redwater city in the center of the kingdom, and
Impassable Castle between the Northern and Western Territories, so they have
nothing in common, and they aren't important passes or intersections. Even if the
church wanted to overturn the Kingdom of Graycastle, they wouldn't start with these
cities."

If he had to name a similarity between them, it would be that they all lay on the
border of the Western Territory�a thought suddenly sprang into his mind: Was he
actually the person the emissary delegation was targeting at?

...

The interrogation didn't stop until evening. Roland collected his information and
stood up. When he was about to leave, he noticed that the Priest was sitting
motionless against the wall, as still as a corpse, neither begging for mercy nor
cursing in fury. This surprised him greatly. "Aren't you asking what I intend to do
with you?"

"You tortured me into confessing all this... and God will bear witness," Campus
said with his eyes closed. "God is my final judge, not you. It doesn't matter what
you'll do to me."

"Your Highness, give me another night with him," said Iron Axe. "I'll turn his
attitude around."

"Not necessary. This is enough." Since the Priest had already confessed everything,
Roland had no interest in continuing to torture him. "He'll be judged, not by
God... but by the people."

Chapter 422: Public Trial

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Shortly after winter began, a wooden stage was built in the center of the square.
It was the first of its kind for the people of Border Town. It wasn't for a
theatrical performance but rather to conduct the first public trial.

A notice had been issued two days prior. On the day of the trial the stage was
surrounded by a large crowd. The square area was much larger after the extension
but it still wasn�t large enough to accommodate the entire community. There were
scattered snowflakes falling from the sky, but everyone was too excited and
completely ignored the wind and snow.

The atmosphere suddenly reached extremity as Roland appeared on the stage.

Watching the audience at the bottom waving their arms at him, he was emotionally
touched. Once he had been almost a laughing stock in the eyes of the nobility and
he'd had little influence on his subjects. Now, after just one year, the situation
was reversed.

With shouts from the crowd, the Priest Campus was pushed onto the stage. His facial
expressions changed a little while facing the crowd. Perhaps this parade was common
for the top management from the church. They were accustomed to worship from the
believers, and could easily influence the lives of these people with a single word
or action, Roland thought. Except that this time, he probably wouldn't go through
the brilliance of the past.

With excitement in their eyes, the witches from the union walked up to the wooden
stage. They had always been slandered, hunted, unjustly treated and tried. But this
time the roles were reversed. Witches were the victims, accusers, and jurors, and
the trial object was the church. They had always imagined such a scene, but never
expected that such a day would come so quickly.

Roland waved his hands and the people quieted immediately.

"Greetings, my people."

"The purpose of today's gathering is to reveal a shameful crime. The church has
hidden the truth from the very beginning. I wouldn't have discovered this shocking
news if the Priest of the Holy City had not been captured in a rebellion case."

Roland had been thinking about how to reveal the church�s crime effectively for the
past two days. The rebellion case of Fallen Dragon Ridge shouldn't be the key
point, because the story from a small town far away from them wouldn't gain their
attention; the Battle of Divine Will and the Kingdom of Witches shouldn't be
mentioned, for the story of a few hundred years ago was irrelevant for them and it
might cause panic if it revealed the existence of demons. He needed to share
something that they cared about in order to arouse the indignation of the masses.
In other words, it had to touch their hearts.

With no doubt, the witches who lived here shared the same daily lives with the
people.

"The church has claimed that witches are the devil's minions, persons that are
neither clean nor fortunate, but in fact, both the Pope and the Archbishop have
been sheltering witches in a surprisingly large scale! This was said by the Priest
himself." Roland faced the Priest and said, "Am I correct?"

After a long silence, Campus replied, "Yes."

Discussions broke out in the crowd.

"Your Highness, is he really a priest from the Holy City?" someone asked.

"Of course," said Roland, showing an expression of praise in the direction of Echo.
"He was sent to the Kingdom of Graycastle in the name of the church as a Saint, and
all the documents he�s brought reveal his identity!" Roland pointed to a small
table beside the wooden stage. "Priest�s robe, badge, circular letter, all can be
used as evidence."

The crowd was liable to doubts about these, so he would let Echo ask first and then
answer them accordingly. Furthermore, these items were real, he didn't need to fake
it.

"My people, come back to what I said before," continued the prince. "Take note of
the term I used�sheltering! Yes, they gather female infants and orphans from all
over the country to the monastery of the Holy City and these women are treated as
animals. Only a few turn into witches, and proceed to further their training. The
rest simply become trinkets for Church believers."

"No, these ..." Campus raised his head and opened his mouth, but he could hardly
make a sound.

"In order to get more witches, they shelter female wanderers in the name of relief,
and even collude with Black Street Rats to steal infants! Please think, my people,
if there were a church in this town, you wouldn't only lose Miss Nana, but also a
family member of yours could be missing too. They claim that the witches are evil
spirits, seduced by demons, and drive believers to persecute these innocent women.
Could you tolerate if Miss Nana was framed by them?"

"Never, Your Highness, never!"

The atmosphere of the square was hot, and people shook their fists, expressing
their anger at the Priest.

"Miss Nana can't be evil, and she is the one who cured my injury!"

"I've know her since she was little. She was my daughter's classmate in Karl's
college."

"I would have been killed by demonic beasts if not for her healing. She is an angel
to the First Army."

Roland paused for a moment so the crowd could voice their dissatisfaction, then he
continued. "So, why did they do that?"
The question caused a commotion among the subjects.

"Because the church needed witches to maintain their rule!" Before they could make
more speculation, the prince said, "As you know, the witches� abilities are varied
and incredible! Besides Miss Nana's healing and Miss Lily's elimination of demonic
plague, they have many other abilities that can improve our lives. The water supply
equipment in our town was made by Miss Anna and Miss Soraya. The flintlocks used by
the First Army and the steam engine that pulls the miner's truck, all these are
gifts given by the witches. Our town wouldn't have achieved any of this without
their contributions."

"But everything has two sides. Like a sword, it can be used to fight the demonic
beasts or used to kill the innocent. The church is using the witches' abilities to
hurt good people. And those who don't obey them are regarded as God's outcast. In
fact, the top management of the church is committing a heinous crime which is
recorded in the doctrine, and they completely disregard that their God is watching
them."

"My dear people, if your children were to be kidnapped by the church and used to
hurt you after being trained. If they became the church's whip and razor, how sad
that would be!"

Roland turned around, walked to the front of Campus, expanded the long roll of
paper, and asked loudly, "Do you have anything else to say about the accusations
recorded on this paper?"

"These... are all true." Popping his eyes, the Priest looked as if he couldn't
believe he had uttered these words. "I... admit guilt."

The masses became very angry.

"I hand over the right of judgment to you all!" Roland said loudly while the crowd
was agitated, "For this evil, your choice is..."

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

Everybody was shouting the same words, soon there was only one voice left in the
square.

In Border Town, with scattered snowflakes floating above, the people made their
choice.

Chapter 423: The "Connection"

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Spear Passi solemnly signed her name at the end after she read both contracts
several times.

One was the Memorandum of Unification and the other Memorandum of the Witch Union.

The first contract agreed that Spear would lead Fallen Dragon Ridge to give
allegiance to Roland Wimbledon after Timothy Wimbledon's rule was overthrown, and
in response to the request of the new king, she would surrender her power, and
Roland would guarantee her position as the Lord of Fallen Dragon Ridge and other
rights. The memorandum categorized those to three categories which were human
affairs, administrative and finance. Although such a categorization was new but
easy for her to understand of which her daily routine was also included too.

Spear thought about the second contract for a long time before she made up her
mind, as this time the union was to serve Prince Roland without any doubt. She
didn't want to join Prince Roland so fast, he just occupied the corner region of
the Kingdom of Graycastle. But the content of the evening lecture was attractive,
and she vaguely sensed that the unique method of calculation would be helpful in
managing her territory.

Fortunately, the constitutions of the Memorandum of the Witch Union were very
loose, more like a formal consensus, and didn't even limit the whereabouts of its
members. She consulted with the prince regarding this, and his reply was that the
members could leave any time they wanted.

"I've signed it."

Spear placed two elegant parchments on the table, but Roland didn't respond. He
looked at the empty side as if thinking about something.

"Your Highness?"

"Ah..." He blinked eyes as if he had come back. "Let me have a look at it."

He had seldom been so absent minded before the negotiation, and it seemed like
after the trial yesterday, His Highness felt confused. This made it difficult for
her to understand. The trial was an absolute success, and people were on his side
and cheered him. Before that, Spear had never thought the ordinary people would
support a nobility. She thought that she and they were in two different worlds, and
the nobility needed neither the understanding nor supporting of the people. But she
changed her mind one day ago. After seeing people surrounding the square waving
their fists, shouting with a strong voice that shook the sky and land, she realized
that they might contain a power that she had never felt and it was more powerful
than the noble.

Besides, the decisive judgment displayed by His Highness was also one of the
reasons why she signed these two contracts.

Regardless of whether he's trying to protect the witches, it's some kind of good
faith to punish rebels who are against his royal power. Considering this, she
should respond accordingly.

However, His Highness doesn't seem satisfied... Is he regretting being against the
church publicly?

Spear was clear that it was not an enemy they could easily deal with.

It's better to figure it out since it's related to the direction of the future co-
operation. She hesitated, and then mentioned it diplomatically.

The prince was astonished for a while after he heard this, and then he shook his
head and smiled. "I never regret fighting against the church, after all, they're
enemies that must be defeated from all aspects of the view."

"So why..."
"I just have some mixed feelings now."

"Mixed feelings?"

"I feel a little embarrassed, although what I said was true and what I disclosed
were the crimes committed by the church." He shrugged, "It seems as I'm not a
qualified politician."

Politician? What's that? Like an astrologer devoting himself to studying stars, is

a politician someone devoting himself to studying politics?

His Highness stopped the topic before she could ask. "I'll keep these parchments. I
heard that your ability is related to controlling magic power?"

"Yes." Spear stopped questioning. "To be more precise, it's to extract the magic
power of one witch for other witches to use. Of course, I can also retrieve and
recover my own magic power for the purpose of consumption. As this process doesn't
have a big impact on the outside world, I can repeat the process anytime in the
castle."

"How did you find out you have such an ability?" the prince asked curiously.

"After my awakening." The Marquess answered, "I've no idea how other witches got to
know their abilities, but I could feel it, and the feeling was like... you suddenly
owned an extra organ."

"Interesting description." He nodded thoughtfully. "You should know that the reason
I sent Nightingale to Fallen Dragon Ridge is to pass you an invitation."

"You need my ability." Spear paused a moment and bowed. "It's my honor to serve
you."

Anyway, since there was no way for her to return to Fallen Dragon Ridge at the
moment, it was better for her to see what the prince usually do, despite the fact
that she had just being in the town for a week. She realized that the town was
different from others, a secluded land that was far away from the center of the
Kingdom, but as energetic as the capital. As a Lord, she was curious.

What made Spear more surprised was that the life of the witches here was completely
different from what she had imagined. The prince didn't over control them, but
rather allowed them to live freely, and this could be seen from his waiting for the
return of Nightingale�he obviously hoped that she could return early, but still
agreed with her requisition.

His Royal Highness didn't treat them as servants.

Some nobles sheltered witches because of their beauty. She thought it would have
been done more unscrupulously because His Highness openly recruited witches, but he
was surprisingly self-disciplined.

Was the rumor true? Was the prince both prurient and incompetent?

She had more faith and felt ridiculous at the same time. When she thought it back,
she felt what Nightingale had told her was totally true.

...

She left the castle with the prince and they came to a yard at the back of the
town, where Spear saw two other witches.

"This's Anna and this's Mystery Moon." Roland introduced. "The Magic Power of
Mystery Moon is considered at a relatively low level, but the consumption of her
magic power is astonishing."

"I'm obviously at a middle level!" Mystery Moon protested.

"Among the awakened witches," the prince added.

Mystery Moon kept quiet immediately.

"Do you want me to connect their magic powers?" Spear looked at Anna. "Does she
have the strongest magic power in the union? I suggest that you invite a few more
witches to come over. The stock magic power is related to their age, even if
there's a difference, it wouldn't be big."

"It's just an experiment," His Highness said, touching his chin, "and if it works,
I'll ask them to come over."

The Marquess nodded and summoned the passage of magic power�it was a sphere shining
with blue light, quietly floating in the air. Under her control, two thin tentacle-
shaped threads stretched out from the sphere to Anna and Mystery Moon.

"You'll feel weird in the beginning, so just relax and it'll be fine," Spear
explained. "It'll fail to transfer the magic power if you resist it."

Anna was shocked when the tentacle touched her chest.

What's� happening here? It seems the tentacle is connected to a solid metal cube
instead of the rotating magic power. It's so huge that I feel like an ant standing
at the bottom of it, and I can only see its top while raising my head.

Chapter 424: The Dawn I

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

How is magic power with such a form possible?

Spear "touched" the edge of the metal in disbelief, which was her unique way of
sensing magic power. As soon as the passage was connected, she could see, touch,
and even smell the magic powers of witches, as if she were entering their bodies.

Hard and cold, the surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting every detail of
the tentacle-shaped thread. When the antenna-like cord of energy reached the cube,
it swiftly bounced back.

"Relax." Marquess comforted her. "They're harmless." She wasn't sure whether her
ability could affect this metallic cube since Anna's magic power seemed unable to
flow.

After trying a few times, the antenna finally stuck to the cube.

But there was no transmission of magic power.

"What's going on?" Nightingale noticed something was wrong.

"I've never... transported magic power of this kind. It's too massive and doesn't
look like the air that can be transferred." Spear felt her throat dry. "As soon as
the channel is connected, the magic power should have been absorbed by the
'pivot'."

"I'll try to charge it with magic power." Anna suddenly spoke. "The same way as
using the Sigil of God's Will."

"Be careful not to expend too much each time." His Highness nodded.

What was the Sigil of God's Will? Spear found that she'd heard several new terms
since she came to this little town.

As she was pondering, the magic power in Anna's body suddenly transformed.

The perfect mirror was broken, and the surface of the metal rippled. The liquid
without light rushed into the pipe and then became a floating ball as if pushed by
something.

She then felt some weight.

Different from the cyclone of magic power, the liquid was very heavy. As it flew
into the pivot, it was like putting in chunks of iron ingot. Spear found that she
was consuming an increasing amount of magic power.

It was rather unbelievable. Prior to this, she could easily exhibit her abilities
for half a day. Now at this rate, she might not be able to last a few hours.

Out of desperation, she drew out another cord from the pivot, connected it with her
own body, and sustained the channel using Anna's magic power.

When the light ball was full, the metal cube in Anna's body was still in its
original form, as if the magic power it lost was only a very insignificant portion.

Spear really wanted to take back what she had just said. She coughed twice. "Hem...
now the channel can supply enough magic power for Miss Mystery Moon. What do we do
next?"

"Stick to it." His Highness Roland handed Mystery Moon a copper cylinder. "Now show
us what you can do."

"Ok." Mystery Moon took a deep breath, held the copper object in her hands, and
closed her eyes.

All of a sudden, the Magic Power began to flow furiously.

Spear saw that the metal cube in Anna's body gleamed, the fluid in the pivot came
out, and filled again; the entire channel kept on trembling. It looked as if it
would be torn apart by the turbulent magic power. The Marquess had sweat on her
forehead. She felt as if she was standing in front of a tsunami.

On the other side, Mystery Moon had a frowned forehead and red cheeks. Obviously,
she was also under the impact of the fierce waves. But considering Spear was the
one transferring the power, Mystery Moon must be under tremendous impact. Even so,
she didn't stop using her abilities, and the rapidly consumed magic power was the
proof.

These girls were monsters!

Spear didn't know how she managed to last to the end. When the magic power in
Anna's body was drained, Spear felt she could barely stand on her own feet.

"Fi... finished." Mystery Moon opened her eyes and excitingly held up the copper
cylinder. "I made it!"

"Well done." Roland carefully clamped the copper object with a pair of wooden
tongs, as if it was a red-hot iron.

"What's this?" the Marquess asked. "It looks exactly the same as before."

"A strong magnet with ever changing magnetic force," the prince replied. "I don't
know whether it'll form an access with the earth while being held in a person's
hand. If so, it would discharge. So we'd better be cautious."

Spear blinked her eyes. "What?"

Nightingale smiled. "Don't mind them. This is such a topic that only Anna can
participate in."

"Then... what can it be used for?"

"Let's try it out." Roland put the copper cylinder into a black iron machine
standing in the middle of the yard. Judging from the silhouette of the machine, it
looked like a giant iron tube. It had a wooden pedestal at the bottom. An iron pole
as thick as an arm stuck out from the middle. The prince looked at Mystery Moon.
"Turn on the switch. If it works, it'll bring a whole new source of power to the
town."

Mystery Moon nodded. She held the wooden handle on the machine and pulled it
downward with effort.

Sparks burst out from the downside of her hands, making a crackling sound. To
Spear's surprise, the iron pole in the middle began to rotate rapidly. The pole
must have been as heavy as one or two people. How could it rotate so fast?

"Have we... succeeded?"

"Not yet." The prince found a chair and sat on it. "It depends on how long it can
work."

Spear noticed there was something glittering in Roland's eyes as he looked at the
plain rough iron machine. It was as if he was looking at a piece of shining
jewelry.

*******************

Three days later, Roland pushed open the door to the backyard of the North Slope
Mountain. Upon hearing the sound, Anna stopped her work and rushed to greet Roland.
She couldn't conceal her excitement. "It's still working."

There was no need for her remark though. The prince also heard the noise made by
the operating electric motor. To him, this noise was almost as euphonious as the
sounds of nature. Because it meant that the variable magnetic core cylinder, being
filled with Mystery Moon's magic power, was still operating properly. As a whole
new power source, it had shown its practical use.

Roland came to the center of the yard and saw that Mystery Moon was sitting beside
the electric motor. With her hands on her chin, she looked at the black machine,
feeling bored. "Your Highness, when you said my abilities are full of potential,
did you mean this thing ? It doesn't look any different from a steam engine."

"This is only the first step to change the world," Roland said beaming. "You'll be
able to see what changes it can bring to our little town soon enough."

Every step forward in the history of the human race was related to the utilization
of energy. To some extent it could be used to measure the level of a civilization's
advancement. From steam to electricity, from electricity to nuclear, the
breakthrough in energy would usually boost the industrial production. The variable
magnetic core cylinder filled with Mystery Moon's magic power was such a kind of
new energy. It resembled a super large battery and transformed magic power into
electric energy. Its small manufacture scale limited its application, which meant
it couldn't lead to an energy reform. But as a supplement to the steam engine and
internal combustion engine, it was still a perfect power source.

Besides, with the growth of Anna's magic power, it still had the potential to be
used in other areas. And when Leaf gained control of the Impassable Forest and
obtained the massive magic power supply, the potential was unimaginable.

"The name 'variable magnetic core cylinder' is too long," Roland said, smiling.
"Let's call it Dawn I."

Chapter 425: The Utilization of Energy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

On the afternoon of the fifth day, the electric motor stopped working.

In other words, a single Dawn I could provide energy for a large-scale electric
motor to work for five consecutive days. If an electric motor didn't run
continuously, then its work time could be extended. When the magnetic effect of the
copper column was lost, it could be recharged with magic power, which was purely
low-consumption, recyclable, and pollution-free energy.

Its flaw was also very obvious�recharging it would exhaust all of Anna, Mystery
Moon, and Spear's magic powers. So if the three of them produced a Dawn I per day,
it could only sustain five electric motors (non-stop). At the moment, Anna was
irreplaceable for the fine machining and steel smelting in the little town. Roland
had tried his best to distribute most of the manufacturing work to ordinary
townsmen, but without the machine tools produced and maintained by Anna and her
supply of materials, the production of revolving firearms and bullets would
instantly bog down in stagnancy.

Furthermore, Anna was also essential for the production of the 152 mm Longsong
Cannons, new-style light weapons, and Roland's other new ideas. So he wouldn't want
Anna to strain her magic power on charging the batteries.

Roland leaned back on the wing chair and deeply sighed.

There were two solutions for this problem. First, increasing the duration of Dawn
I. To this end, they needed greater resources or more witches to supply magic
powers. Unfortunately, the Marquess' passage was just strong enough to transfer
Anna's magic power and the process almost exhausted her, so she couldn't manage to
transfer any more witches' magic powers to Mystery Moon. Hopefully, Spear could get
used to it gradually�after all, she might not have the time to study how to improve
her abilities while she was a lord.

Second, substituting other witches for Anna. Compared with Anna, Soraya, and Agatha
(who were usually busy with work), most of the other witches didn't have to exhaust
their magic powers during the day. So if the rest of their magic powers could be
used to produce variable magnetic core columns, it seemed plausible.

As long as the total volume of the magic powers didn't exceed that of Anna's, Spear
would be able to handle it. She had once said that the passage for magic powers
could be connected with more than two people at a time.

Thinking of this, Roland wrote it down. Questions like who had more magic powers or
how much of the magic powers should be used per day were left for the Witch Union
to calculate.

Undoubtedly, Wendy would be a perfect candidate since everybody trusted her.

After finding solutions for this problem, the next question was how to make use of
this whole new energy.

Different from the steam engines, of which four to five pieces could be produced
per month and would operate as long as boiling water was supplied, the number of
terminal conversion machines was dependent on the number of Dawn Is. Considering
the magic powers that could be used, he estimated that only three to four terminal
conversion machines could be sustained in the little town. Whether to use them as
source power, for boiling water, or supplying energy for light bulbs, the correct
choice was imperative if the system was to operate steadily.

Roland thought for a long time and finally drew a circle on the light bulbs.

As for source power, electric motors exceeded steam engines in such aspects as
stable rotating rates, easy maneuverability, and automatization. But the power
supplied by steam engines was enough for the time being. He had also visualized
some high-end electric equipment, such as electric cars that commuted between
Longsong Stronghold and the little town, or electric airships that were accessible
to ordinary people. But such equipment wasn't so cost effective�to make it work,
Anna or other witches had to stop their work for a day.

The same was true with boiling water, which could simply be solved by a boiler and
firewood could. Even though several workers needed to be hired to attend to and
maintain the steam engines, it was still more economical than using magic powers.
After all, the magic powers weren't that abundant.

Furthermore, lighting is more significant�a stable and clean source of light could
greatly increase the residents' happiness and render them better study conditions
at night. After all, not everybody wants to read a book under the dim candle light
after a day's stressful work.

Besides, doing something like seizing the legendary thunder power and using it for
daily life would help eliminate suspicion and enhance scientific spirit. This was
probably the civilians' most intuitive understanding of electricity's applications.
As astonishing as airships and electric cars may sound, they were too far away from
people's daily life.

More importantly, the weak candle light simply couldn't meet the needs for night
production. With light bulbs, the factories would be able to sustain production
even at night, and the workers could even work on three shifts if necessary, which
meant the work efficiency in the little town would be further improved.

After setting the direction of development, there were still a series of problems
to be solved to achieve his goals, such as light bulb manufacturing, line
construction, power supply schemes, and the promotion of electricity utilization,
etc.

But these problems could be considered later.

With this thought, Roland called Wendy.

"Do you intend to calculate the daily consumption and the surplus of my sisters'
magic powers, and transfer them to Mystery Moon according to the plan?" Wendy
asked, after hearing Roland's statement.

"Yes. Those combat witches who have fixed missions can be excluded from your
calculation though." The prince nodded. "What do you think?"

Essentially, they were to gather the magic powers left after the witches' ability
practice, mission consumption, and emergency preparation, and use them to produce
the Dawn I. Such an arrangement could not only put the magic powers of witches into
full play, but could also enhance the effects of their practice, which was helpful
to the promotion of their magic powers on the annual Days of Awakening.

"I think Hummingbird and Echo would be happy," Wendy said with a smile, "because
they can then be as useful as Anna. But how will the magic power surplus be
measured?"

"By using the Stone of Measurement, which was a universal method used by the
Union."

"Yes, Your Highness." She bowed slightly. "Right, today is the Day of Adulthood for
Lucia. Should we gather all the members of the union to accompany her?"

Roland was shocked a bit. "Oh... I've almost forgotten it."

"There are so many things for you to remember," Wendy said softly. "I've written
down every sister's growth history on this notebook so that nothing will be
missed."

After Anna's Day of Awakening, Lightning, Nana, and Echo had also passed their
"second birthday" in succession. But the Day of Adulthood was actually more
meaningful and it could be taken as a special Day of Awakening. Although they
happened on the same day, the bite of magic power that one suffered on the Day of
Adulthood was several times stronger than usual. Unless the witches could master
how to eliminate the pain caused by biting, the Day of Adulthood could be a matter
of life and death.

After adulthood, the witches' abilities would be stabilized while getting

considerable improvements at the same time, and some witches could even develop
derivative skills, which was as significant as evolution.

"OK. I'll prepare a rich dinner tonight." Roland said softly, "Besides the Witch
Union, I'll be there to accompany her as well."

Chapter 426: The Shining Starlight

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After dinner, the witches gathered in Lucia White's room.

Touched by their encouragement and comfort, she could feel her tear-filled eyes.
She inhaled deeply with her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry.
"No crying. It's embarrassing enough to cry out loud in front of Nightingale, not
to mention in front of my little sister. I must set a good example for her," Lucia
chided herself.

She had only heard about a witch organization situated here before she boarded the
boat towards the town. She was not hoping to live a good life here but simply to
find a cure for her sister's demonic plague and a shelter.

What they found was not only a comfortable life, but a group of people with so much
in common that they soon became like family. She felt at home again for the first
time since her parents� death in the pirate attack.

"Is my sister really in danger?" Bell asked while resting in Lucia's arms, "How
painful is a magic power bite?"

"Unbearable pain, it feels just like thousands of knives stabbing you from the
inside of your body." Nightingale grinned. "Only a few witches can survive this.
There are probably only one or two out of ten witches who can survive their Day of
Adulthood."

The little girl shivered.

"You don't scare her." Wendy stared at Nightingale. "That was all the way back to
the time of Witch Cooperation Association."

"All you need to do now is to keep on practicing every day and release all your
magic power before the Day of Awakening, then you'll be fine," Scroll said,
smiling. "I heard that even Anna was asleep when she was growing into her
adulthood."

"And her first High Awakening appeared at the same time," Agatha yawned. "It'd
definitely cause a stir if it happened 400 years ago back in Taquila, as there's
never any witch who could come to enlightenment in their sleep."

"Are you alright?" His Highness looked at her and asked, "Even though work's
important, you should not push yourself too hard."

"The Battle of Divine Will is approaching. If I'm not busy with it now..." Agatha
said with her hands covering her mouth, "it would not be an issue to sleep forever
if we fail this time."

"We won't fail for sure this time." Prince Roland assured.

"I decided to do a little bit more as I was feeling optimistic about your
invention." Ice Witch rolled her eyes at him, "Otherwise, do you really think that
I like to stay in the lab every day?" With these words, she turned around and
muttered to herself softly, "I wouldn't be able to do anything to you even if you
don't fulfill your promise..."

"Well, you shouldn't discuss such a heavy story at this time." Wendy interrupted
and said, "Oh yeah, didn't Miss Agatha mention before that each of the witches
shall be granted a wish on the Day of Awakening? It's Lucia's turn this time; what
would you like to wish for?"

"Uh... me?" Lucia was shocked to find that she was the center of attention in the
knot of witches.

"Get the ice cream bread in exchange, sister!" Bell said with her eyes sparkling,
"10 of them will do, and we'll have a half each!"

"This one... all you can think of is food," she thought and gave her sister a good
knock on her forehead. Then she looked towards Roland. "May I keep this wish for
now?"

"If you wish." He could not help but smile and say, "However it would not increase
even if you keep it."

"Only one will do," Lucia answered with gratitude. She had nothing more to ask for
herself as long as she could live in this town. All she could hope for was for Bell
to live a happy life. Her younger sister was not a witch, so she would have to
leave her and build her own family with someone someday. This wish might be able to
help her if there were any changes by then.

It was then that Lucia felt her empty body tremble suddenly and the magic power was
regenerated as if it was appearing in the void and pouring into her body
continuously.

"It's started." Nightingale reminded.

Even though the sisters told her not to worry, she grasped the blanket tightly, as
a chill washed over her palms and the soles of her feet. This she ascribed to an
overwhelming sensation of tension.

"Relax," Wendy said, reaching for her hands. "The magic power is part of our body."

"Should we talk about something else to distract her?" Lucia heard someone, perhaps
Lily, ask.

"What should we talk about?" Mystery Moon asked.

"What about the result of the second test?" Lily's voice seemed to come from far
away. "Normally once the topic's brought up, she immediately changes the subject
and diverts attention, like what about Mystery Moon's results..."

"Don't say!"

"Look, it works."

Lucia wanted to laugh but she realized that the expression on her face was very
stiff and it was scorching hot inside her body. At the same time, there was an
undefinable sense of contraction and increasingly more magic power as if she was
sucking everything around her into her body.

Will every witch experience this feeling in her Day of Adulthood?

"What was Lucia's result?" She could only hear Mystery Moon intermittently.

"Her average was 86," Prince Roland replied.

"Wh... what?"

"That's very high!"

"You see, she didn't even try to stop us."

"You've failed, so it's time for punishment!"

"Go away!"

"Hold on... Stop fighting, Lucia doesn't seem to look right."

She could hear the conversation between Mystery Moon, Lily and finally
Nightingale's voice, but she realized the voices of the witches had become distant
to her. Lucia was clenching her teeth and she held her head up to look at the
sisters around her. She was shocked to see the completely changed scene. Everyone's
appearance became hazy and pixilated like a composition of innumerable squares�some
big, some small and each of them had a different color.

She wanted to scream in terror but all she could hear was the hissing sound in her
breath.

The contraction in her body was getting stronger and it started to cause a vague
but growing sense of pain. Lucia could only hold her breath and see people around
her starting to get busy.

It was exactly like Nightingale said, the pain in the Day of Adulthood was far
beyond the pain of the awakening. The more persistent she was, the stronger the
pain became; it felt as if she was being cut into pieces.

Suddenly, a strange magic power probed her body. Lucia could clearly feel the magic
power did not belong to herself. It was just like a tube ridden in the magic
whirlpool.

She could not bear it any longer, subconsciously yielding to the overwhelming power
and allowing the current to carry her. As if she had finally found her savior,
Lucia kept injecting the magic power into it to suppress the pain in her body.

The strange contraction eased after a period of time. The magic power no longer
twirled around but it felt substantial and solid; it was a completely different
experience.

She blinked and was relieved to find that her vision had fully returned.

Looking at a fearful Bell, Lucia patted her head and reassured her in a hoarse
voice, "It's alright now."

This was when she realized that she was soaked in sweat. She could feel the chill
on her back when the cold wind blew.

"Wait, how could there be any wind in a room with the heater on?"

When she turned her head, she was shocked to see the huge gaps in the wall facing
the garden and the two missing windows that allowed the cold air to swarm in. She
could see the dark night and the tiny little lights of the small town through the
gap. Standing in front of the wall was Anna, looking at her with concern. The Sigil
of God's Will in her hand glimmered.

"Her ability has crystallized," Nightingale said.

Chapter 427: The Aftermath

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland walked into the office yawning as the sky turned bright.
He had not expected so many accidents on the Day of Adulthood. It was supposed to
be an easy day.

The magic in Lucia's body became extremely turbulent. Nightingale realized

something was wrong with her expression. It was exactly the sign of the magic power
bite. It was incredible that this was happening to a witch who practiced
frequently, especially since she had released all her magic power prior to her Day
of Adulthood.

Agatha came out with a solution.

As an ex-member of the Union she had witnessed countless witches awaken. She
quickly thought of a remedy.

Ice Witch made Spear Passi summon the magic power channel and release the bite from
Lucia's body. Then it was transferred to Anna who had the greatest capacity.
Finally, the restless magic power was absorbed by the Sigil of God's Will.

Surprisingly, the released magic power had lit up four God's Stones and activated
the Sigil of God's Will. Anna released it into the open space without further
hesitation.

Suddenly, the town was brightened by the golden sun. The dazzling light shone
through the castle wall and pierced through the dark, starless sky. The thick
clouds could be seen in the dark sky and there were thousands of tassels flowing in
the sky. It was incredibly beautiful. Although it only lasted for a few moments,
the scene was undoubtedly miraculous.

Lucia was finally safe and she had developed a new ability during this adulthood
transformation, just like Anna had a year ago.

However, it was not without trouble. The accident had happened around eight o'clock
at night, when most people were still awake. Quite a number of people must have
witnessed this spectacular event. Roland would have to come up with an explanation
to the public when he returned to his room.

"Your Highness, Director Barov asked to see you," the door guard informed after
knocking on the door.

"Let him in."

Barov with a head full of white hair walked into the office. Before he paying his
respect, he blatantly asked, "Your Highness, what happened last night? How come
there was daylight appearing in the night?"

He was indeed here about the light. Roland took a glance at his face and saw dark
circles. He probably had not slept either. If outsiders were not strictly
prohibited from entering the castle at night, he would have come to the door last
night.

"No hurry. Have a seat." Roland pointed at the chair in front of the table and
said, "Have a cup of black tea first."

Roland mentioned the incident of Lucia's adulthood after pouring a glass of hot
tea. "It was just an accident, don't worry too much."

"So... this was caused by a witch?" The City Hall Director frowned.

"Don't be silly. It was not the demonic side." Roland quickly guessed the other
party's thought. "No one was hurt aside from the missing wall of this old, broken
castle."

"But the villagers will think this," Barov shook his head. "Most of them accepted
the harmless healing power of Miss Nana but not the ability to destroy the castle
like this, causing astonishing changes in the sky."

"That's why I came up with a solution," said Roland while sipping his tea. "You'll
arrange for your men to spread this news: the golden light that appeared last night
was from when His Highness captured lightning, in order to bring light to his
people."

"What?" Barov was stunned.

"I'll soon be building the power supply equipment in Border Town. It has a similar
essence to the lightning in the sky." Prince Roland explained briefly. He knew he
was speaking technically and the other party could hardly understand. "This
equipment can light up the town brightly even during the night. It coincides with
the news."

"Is that... Is that true?" The director asked in surprise, "Can you really make
lightning?"

"It's everywhere by itself," Roland shrugged and said, "however, please remember
that it's just hearsay, so it shall be spread according to 'the Art of Rumor'. Do
you understand?"

In order to prevent any impact on the universal education in the future, these
statements should not be too democratic. It would be fine as long as an ambiguous
explanation could temporarily be given to the public to redirect the discussion
towards himself.

Not too long after Barov left, Karl Van Bate, the Minister of Construction came to
the castle.

"Your Highness, regarding last night..."

"I know what you want to ask," Roland put his hand on his forehead. "Sit down first
and we'll talk."

He sighed silently to himself. Perhaps he would have to explain this incident for
the entire day.

Fortunately, Karl was not a deep thinker like Barov, and he simply sighed after
listening and said, "It turns out Anna has already become so strong."

"It was indeed a decisive disposition at the time." Roland agreed. "If there was
any further delay, I'm afraid it would have been not only the wall that disappeared
but the whole bedroom instead."

"The gap in the wall..."

"Just fill it in with bricks. You can go ahead to arrange an exact plan as long as
it's done before the nightfall. I'll get Lightning and Hummingbird to help you with
this." Prince Roland said. The appearance of the castle would need to be restored
after mending the wall. He would get Soraya to paint a simulation coating on it.

"Yes, Your Highness."

As expected, Carter Lannis, the Chief Knight; Iron Axe, the instructor of the First
Army and Kyle Sichi, the alchemist, were taking turns to ask about yesterday's
incident and each of them had a different concern.

Carter was concerned about whether she was hurt.

Iron Axe was concerned that the light had been caused by the demons' attack.

However, what concerned Kyle was... which was more powerful, the Sigil of God's
Will or the nitric acid glycerine?

The men were finally dismissed after a series of non-stop talking and explanations
by Roland. He leaned back in his chair, getting ready to take a nap but someone was
knocking on the door again.

The last to enter was Tilly Wimbledon.

"No worries. Yesterday was..."

"I already know about it." Lady Tilly interrupted. "I asked Miss Anna before I came
here and she told me what happened."

"Oh, I see." Roland cleared his throat and sat up straight. "Anything else?"

"I'm just a little concerned with the cause." Tilly said slowly, "According to Miss
Agatha, be it awakening or adulthood, as long as a certain amount of practice is
carried out normally, it shouldn't cause any sign of magic power bite. It's
basically in line with what we've learned from past experience. It's never happened
to any of the witches on the Sleeping Island, so how could Lucia be the one who
fell into the bite of the magic power?" She paused here for a little, shook her
head and said with a smile, "As for the High Awakening, I'm not surprised... I've
seen a few of them each day since I arrived in Border Town."

A few of them each day, that's an extreme exaggeration... Roland thought, he poured
her a cup of tea. Contemplating for a moment, he said, "I do have a preliminary
guess regarding Lucia's misfortune." He pulled out a transcript from the drawer and
handed it to Tilly. "This's probably the reason."

Chapter 428: An Exploration of Magic Power

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"... Grades?" Tilly took the transcript, glanced at it doubtfully, and said, "She
did improve a lot."

"Yes," Roland nodded. "As a businessman's daughter in Valencia, Lucia White already
had basic writing and arithmetic skills, and she also performed well in the natural
theory course. That's why her grades are so good."

"I'm not questioning your theory that 'a better understanding and cognition of the
world can help develop abilities,' " replied Tilly, twitching her mouth, "but what
does it have to do with the bite of magic power?"

"Judging from the evolution of Lily, Leaf, and Mystery Moon, as well as other
witches, we can tell that evolution also increases witches' magic power limits. I
think such limits have a lot to do with how well witches perceive the world."
Combining what Agatha referred to as "ancient High Awakening" and the evolution of
the town witches' abilities, Roland explained his theory in details. "They're
essentially the same thing. However, witches who evolved by partial or random
enlightenment are far less powerful than those who evolved by a full, comprehensive
understanding of the world�Mystery Moon is a typical example. Although she's a
member of the Witch Union, her evolution was achieved through enlightenment, so her
magic power isn't in the same league as Anna's and Soraya's."

Tilly soon learned what Roland meant after a moment of reflection, "You mean the
reason Miss Lucia's magic power was low both on normal days and her Day of
Awakening is that her body has adjusted to a certain level of magic power? Yet her
ability evolved when she entered adulthood, which resulted in an instant surge in
her magic power, and so much power was far more than she could take, right?"

"Pretty much like that, but I prefer to think there are two different types of
power increases." Roland continued, counting on his fingers, "Magic power increases
on the Day of Awakening, on the Day of Adulthood, and during evolution. The effects
seem the same, but I believe the first two are passive, while the last is
voluntary."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because evolution won't cause magic power bites," the prince replied slowly. "If
this wasn't the case, Anna would have been killed by the surge of magic power
during her evolution. I assume there's a magic power redline for witches. Once they
go beyond it, they'll suffer from bites. Daily practice can gradually increase
their limits, and that's also why witches need to empty all their magic power
before awakening."

"Redline? It sounds interesting..." Tilly murmured, sinking into her thoughts. "Do
you think the outpouring of magic power that was generated by Miss Lucia's
evolution resulted in insufficient space for magic power on the Day of Awakening,
which led her to exceed the power limit and thus caused the accident?"

"Correct. Like Lucia, Anna experienced her first evolution when she reached
adulthood, but her magic power capacity was incredible, so she had a much higher
limit for bites than ordinary witches." Roland paused for a moment. "This also
explains why Lucia went back to normal after Spear extracted the agitated magic
power�that power didn't belong to her anyway."

"Your theory... does clarify a lot of problems." Tilly pushed her hair behind her
ear and propped up her chin on her hand, apparently absorbed in thoughts. "Why
witches present different forms of magic power despite their power sharing the same
origin? Why free magic power can only be seen upon witches' awakenings? Because
witches can't integrate it unless they accept it."

Roland said with a smile, "We can view awakening as drawing magic power in, but
only a small part of it can be retained. Evolution expands and develops this small
part, and the greater cognitive breadth a witch possesses, the better strengthening
effects she'll obtain. It's also reasonable to assume that there's no limit on the
number of times a witch can evolve, since the exploration of the world is endless."

"I'm suddenly curious."

"What?"

"If you were a witch, how extensive would your power be after evolution?" asked
Tilly, covering her smile.

Roland nearly choked himself. Although he really wanted to personally experience

these extraordinary powers, he would rather turn them down knowing the sacrifices
he had to make.

"Can I bring a copy of the textbooks you wrote back to Sleeping Island?" Tilly
asked, while raising her eyebrow.

She sounded pretty casual, but Roland noticed her right hand gently grasping her
skirt's hemline.

"Absolutely." He would not miss a single chance to leave his sister a good
impression, and generally speaking, it was better to respond as quickly as
possible. "It'll also be helpful to Border Town if the witches on Sleeping Island
evolve. Besides, you're my sister."

Nightingale immediately pinched his left shoulder with immense strength.

"..." Tilly did not respond back, but simply showed her gratitude with a slight
nod. "Thank you, I'll be excused then."

"Sure."

It looks like my performance was overdone. She probably won't be interested in this
kind of approach before hearing a convincing explanation.

Yet to Roland's surprise, Tilly stopped at the door, turned her head and answered
quietly, "Sometimes, I'd rather hope that you aren't my brother."

...

After Tilly's departure, Roland sat at his desk in a daze, with her last sentence
reverberating all around his head.

Would rather hope I'm not her brother. What does that mean?

"Hey, are you OK?" Nightingale revealed herself, waving her finger in front of the
prince.

"What do you think her last sentence meant?"

"How do I know?" Nightingale commented with a shrug. "Perhaps she thinks you're
better as an ally than a sibling."

Roland would certainly not assume anything inappropriate, since he had already
known this royal princess pretty well after cooperating with her for half a winter.

Could she mean that she doesn't want Prince Roland to come back? Or was it just the
backlash of his lame approach?

"You aren't her brother anyway. Why do you even care?" Nightingale turned over to
sit on the desk, crossing her slender legs. She thrust a piece of dried fish into
her mouth and added, "Plus, I could tell you were lying without even using my
ability when you said 'you're my sister'."

"Um, is that so..." Roland stroked his nose. "So the answer is the latter then?"

"Also, since Tilly isn't your real sister, is it alright to give her that Natural
'Something' Theory?"

"That's Natural Science Theoretical Foundation," the prince corrected her with a
sigh. "There are several months of winter. Don't you think she can produce a copy?
I bet she already knows everything by heart, but she still requested my formal
permission. This definitely says something about her attitude."

At least from the standpoint of political alliance, there's no question in Tilly's

sincerity.

He waited for a moment before continuing, "The residents on Sleeping Island are
primarily witches. Even if all of them have evolved, they still rely on witches'
power. However, I'm different. The knowledge not only enables witches to progress,
but ordinary people as well... It's the power of all the people that I'm relying
on."

Chapter 429: Element Separation

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Accompanied by howling wind and raging snow, Lucia entered the backyard of North
Slope Mountain and closed the door, shutting the chill out of the room.

A circle of wooden sheds was pitched in the yard after winter kicked in. Although
the lighting was somewhat affected, the houses here would at least not be buried in
piles of snow.

There was a bonfire in the yard, and Lucia could even feel the heat of its
flickering flames by the door. She took off her gloves and put her freezing hands
above the blazes to warm herself up.

"Are you cold?" Anna, who stood at the workstation, turned her head and beckoned.
"Come here, I'll warm you up."

"Ah... thank you." Lucia trotted to her. Soon bathed in warm green flames that gave
her a languid and relaxing sensation from head to toe, she felt like she was
soaking in the bathtub of the castle.

"Such a convenient ability..." Lucia thought enviously. "She's never afraid of the
bitter cold."

"Are you warm now?"

"Yes!" she affirmed, nodding vigorously. "What are you making?"

"Some parts for new guns." Anna grabbed a long slim steel tube with a piston in the
middle and pulled it back and forth. "His Highness says he's not sure if it'll work
with the first shot, so it needs to be tested repeatedly."

These parts, bright and shiny from the outside, were apparently made from the best
rolled steel and were carefully carved by the Blackfire. Before coming to the town,
Lucia would have never thought that the surface of iron objects could be as smooth
as glass, like artwork.

She had also made a contribution to their creation. Lucia could not suppress a
smile at this thought. Both Roland and Anna had said that without high-quality
materials, the finished products would still be damaged goods, even with precise
and refined processing methods.

"His Highness didn't come with you?" asked Anna, who withdrew her green fire.

"He said that he still needed to take care of something and would come a little
later. He asked me to first get familiar with my new ability," Lucia answered,
twitching her mouth.

"What does your ability look like after the evolution?" Anna inquired with great
interest. "There's probably no one in the Witch Union who created a bigger stir
than you did upon entering adulthood."

Lucia scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed. "I probably couldn't have made
it without you and milord Spear."

"You already thanked me, no need to worry about it." Anna dismissed it with a wave.
"Let's see your new ability."

Lucia agreed. She summoned the magic power in her body and again sensed the same
odd feeling enveloping her heart�everything became strange and obscure, dividing
into numerous tiny squares that grouped together by color, forming different color
speckles. However, this time she did not suffer any pain from magic power bites, so
she could calm herself down and carefully observe each single square.

She took one of the parts processed by Anna. There were lumps and bumps on its
surface, which had been smooth and shiny earlier. With the help of the magic power,
she could clearly see the color speckles on it�there were around seven or eight
color blocks, the largest of which was cyan. As if an artist carelessly spilled
various pigments on the floor, there were no patterns whatsoever in their
arrangement. The only difference, however, was that each color speckle had visible
boundaries that prevented them from mixing with each other.

It occurred to Lucia that these were not the tiny particles His Highness had
referred to. These "squares" and "color speckles" were just too big to be
considered as the fundamental elements of everything.

There's a larger classification than the particle, which is the element.

Small particles form larger ones in accordance with different patterns and rules,
and these larger particles will exhibit entirely different properties due to their
various structures.

Lucia used to have no idea about her own ability or its specific functions back in
Valencia, but now she thoroughly understood the concept of elements. According to
His Highness' description and classification, she believed it was elements that she
had just observed.

After hearing what Lucia saw and thought, Anna pondered for a while and said, "It
may be a type of derivative skill."

"Derivative... skill?"

"That's a rare talent," Anna explained, smiling. "There are only a few adult
witches in the Witch Union who possess such a talent�according to Agatha, it only
occurs on the Day of Adulthood. Once you miss it, you miss it forever. I believe it
has a lot to do with the witch�s primary ability, or we can say, it supplements and
strengthens the primary power. For example, Soraya needs to first mix pigments into
paint if she doesn't have the magic brush. The same applies to Miss Scroll's Book
of Magic. She once told me that although she could quickly memorize most of the
books prior to adulthood, she couldn't share the contents with others because she
didn't have any money to purchase pens and paper."

Anna paused for a moment before continuing. "Your main ability is separation and
restoration, so I reckon these color speckles may be assisting you in accurately
separating a specific type of element�you can give it a shot to see whether you can
separate a particular color block or not."

Lucia nodded. She started to once again apply her power to the pig iron ingot by
the workstation. Unlike the separation earlier, this time she cautiously
transformed her magic power into a filament to pull the cyan squares.

The whole process was much harder than she expected. Lucia had never manipulated
her magic power in such a laborious manner, but she was delighted to see her
progress. Compared with her confusion prior to adulthood, she was now able to truly
feel the magic power, as if it had become her own fingers�even an extension of her
consciousness.

As more filaments clung to the color speckle, the squares finally started to loosen
up and wriggle out of the iron ingot. Meanwhile, the rest of the color speckles
also changed�their distinct boundaries began to wobble, and the whole iron ingot
collapsed and crumbled into a yellow green crystal as small as half of a nail, next
to which appeared a box-like iron block.

Lucia withdrew her power and wiped the perspiration from her forehead. She noticed
the crystal and the block displayed different colors under the magic power than
with normal vision�the previous cyan speckle had turned silver white, which was a
color usually seen among pure iron. Nevertheless, the crystal still remained
colorful, but if she did not look at it using her magic power, it just looked like
a polished gemstone.

"What's this?" Lucia gently took the tiny crystal. Its size was not even close to
that of the iron ingot, but it looked much more beautiful.

"It's probably a compound formed by the other elements in the pig iron," Anna
suggested, her eyes glistening. "I'm not sure, but I can do a small experiment to
verify it. If I've guessed right, do you know what that means? It means that you
can separate some elements from an object and reorganize the rest of the elements,
instead of breaking them up... Any useless, poor-quality materials can be reborn
with the help of your power."

Chapter 430: "The Star of Steel"

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It was the last month of winter in Border Town after Lucia's day of adulthood.

As for the Months of Demons, the end of winter did not mean the end of the snow.
The snow would often continue to fall until the spring of the second year, and it
was totally in God's hands as to when it would cease.

Based on past experiences, the Months of Demons would end within the first half of
the first month of spring, and it would be a very difficult period. It would be an
extremely tough time if it ended within the second half of the first month. The
days could become hard to survive if it delayed until the second month.

However, it was a situation that only the local people ever encountered.

The situation this year had been greatly improved. The wheat being stored in the
granary would be enough to make sure everyone was adequately fed, even if the
Months of Demons continued to the end of the second month of spring.

Roland naturally would not be satisfied merely by no one being starved or frozen to
death. Over the last few days, he had been sprawling across his desk, exitedly
working on many drawings and the ideas for the next stage of his big plan, The
entire plan was divided into both military and civilian aspects. The former
included the construction of the weapon factory, the bicycle plant, and the dock as
well as the shallow water gunboats and other locations. The latter mainly involved
the connections for the water, heat, and electricity of the residential area in
addition to the promotion of the universal use of the iron farming tools.

It was Lucia White who motivated him. After he realized what her ability was,
Roland clearly recognized that the final limitation of the mass production was
resolved, and the productivity of the town could usher into a new peak of the
growth in the population.

The limitation was the supply of materials.

The modern way of smelting was very complicated, and the output of steel iron was
one of the most important parameters to measure an industrial country. However,
Roland did not know much about it, and this was the main reason that the iron
making capacity of the town was still outdated. Not only were the techniques not as
advanced, the scale was not nearly comparable with the private smeltery owned by
some mining businessmen. When the iron ore in the brick blast furnace was smelt
into pig iron, quality pieces would be sent away to become parts of steam engines,
while the poorer quality ones would be passed to Anna for further processing into
steel. However, this process was totally out of control, and the carbon content was
not stable. Sometimes, the useful materials could only fill up one to two carriages
after an entire workday, which greatly limited the production of the steam engine
manufacturing plant.

Although the low-quality pig iron could be processed into the quality-controlled
rolled steel with Anna's special smelter, the production quantity was only enough
for military plant use. It would basically meet the need of the small town in the
fall, but with the two expansions of the army and the development of new firearms
and cannons, the limited quantity of rolled steel could potentially be
overstretched come winter.

Lucia�s evolutioncould be described as a cardiac stimulant; her targeted separation

ability would allow easy removal of undesirable components in the material and
regulate the elements proportions in the smelting phase, allowing each furnace of
molten steel to be maintained at the same performance.

The smelting standard of Border Town would instantly increase exponentially with
the help of both Anna and Lucia.

Roland had already got Anna to put down all the other projects on hand in order to
concentrate on the creation of the enormous, latest generation smelter for this
reason.

The new smelter was 10 times bigger in size compared with the old special smelter
designed by her previously, extending to 50 meters in length, 10 meters in width
and four meters in height. It looked like a slender swimming pool at the first
glance. It was essentially similar to the last generation special furnace; it was
still a metal box without any heating equipment and fully independent on Anna's
Blackfire. However, it was buried in the ground, relying on the soil to support the
pressure of the molten iron on the walls. There was also an aisle built in the
center for Anna to heat up the iron ingots on both sides at the same time.

The huge volume was its only advantage. Based on the previous smelting method, it
would contain too much of product for only the limestones used for removal
purposes; it also required a lot of effort to clean the impurities generated and
would be very painstaking to reinforce and stir them. Thus, it should not be mass
produced or used with the old method. However, there was no such concern now. As
long as the pig iron was melted, Lucia could eliminate the harmful components, such
as phosphorus and sulfur.

Roland intended to build a batch of kilns along with the old blast and shaft
furnaces. He was only responsible for the initial smelting, and he did not care
about the quality of the finished product as long as the ore could be melted into
the rectangular iron ingots, all of which were then put into the new smelter for
secondary refining. The molten steel formed would flow through the strobe into the
mold at the lower terrain and directly form the materials to be processed. After
that, the steam engine plant would be converted into rolled steel production, and
it would bring a powerful new source of motivation to the town.

Roland was going to name the latest smelter "Star of Steel".

As soon as Anna completed the manufacturing, the steel production of the town would
be more than 10 times higher with the Star of Steel officially in use.

It could be said that the latest large-scale production plan was built on this
basis.

Furthermore, the development of the state-of-the-art light-weight weapon had come

to a conclusion.

Roland discovered that his initial idea was not appropriate. He had designed a few
prototype weapons himself based on the principle of the latest pneumatic automatic
rifle, which simply used some of the high pressure gas generated while the bullet
was fired to finish the process of ejecting, chambering and re-filling.

This project took about half a month. It was not difficult but it needed to test
each of the components repeatedly to make sure it operated normally. He did not
bother to memorize the specific structure of the rifle. As long as he knew the
operation of the weapon, he thought he would definitely be able to piece together a
useful weapon after a few tries.

That was exactly where the problem lay.

The completed prototype machine was not only humongous, it also consisted of almost
one hundred different components which were all custom-made by Anna. These included
small little gadgets like springs, the firing pins, and the induction pistons. It
was really hard to mass produce such a weapon with the current machine tool. If all
the revolving rifles in the soldiers' hands were to be replaced by automatic
weapons, it would not only increase Anna's burden, but the current firearms
processing equipment units that had been put into production would be wasted as
well.

Additionally, the ammunition consumption was undoubtedly going to increase

significantly if all the soldiers were equipped with the automatic weapons. Roland
did not care too much about this in the beginning as he felt that it could be
resolved by increasing manpower. However, he soon discovered that as soon as the
new weapon was put into production, it could easily overtake the entire production
of the acid plant.

The frequent cartridge jamming during the shooting test, failure to fire, and the
other small issues had become less important as he reaized that the weapon
production was not feasible.

He finally dispelled the idea of mass replacement of the automatic weapons after
repeated contemplation. However, increasing the firepower of the military had
become an urgent need. He began to shift his focus on continuous firing weapons.

He was considering the heavy machine gun.

A heavy machine gun could be assigned to 20 to 50 people in order to significantly

reduce the number of weapons. In this case, both of the most critical problems
would be solved easily. It could also be self-loaded with the use of a ventilation
method; the structure was similar to the trial manufacture of the prototype
weapons. It could be put into the principal test after a few alterations, and it
could be built in a bigger size with bigger components. The difficulty to himself,
Anna, and Lucia would be greaty reduced.

Chapter 431: From the Kingdom of Dawn

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Apart from the upgraded heavy machine gun, Roland also planned to develop a bolt
rifle which would have a mid to long shooting range. He did not need many, a mere
hundred or so would suffice. The rifle would have the same caliber as the heavy
machine gun, and could be easily transformed into a sniper rifle by simply
installing a gun sight.

In this way, he could continue to manufacture revolving firearms and black powder
bullets without a huge waste of the products.

During a battle, soldiers could use field artilleries to suppress enemy forces
within 800 to 1,000 meters and heavy machines guns 500 to 800 meters. Snipers could
take care of enemies in less than 500 meters, and revolving rifles could be used to
clear out enemies within the last 200 meters. Therefore he could, in theory, make
sure every inch of the battle field was covered.

Of course, it would probably take three or four months to fully equip his army with
the whole set of weapons he planned to make. He might not be able to complete it
before the spring attack. Therefore, he needed another weapon, an inland river
gunboat equipped with a culverin with a 152mm caliber. One would be enough to
pressure on enemies when he launched the attack.

Roland felt he held more responsibilities upon his shoulders than before. He
thought of the founding ceremony subsequent to the Months of Demons, the
unification of the entire Western Region and the new population that would swarm in
after he kicked Timothy off the throne. He even wished time could have slowed down
its pace, and that the Months of Demons hadn't ended so soon.

*******************

Upon entering the Western Region, the landscape started to change.

Otto Luoxi lifted up the blinds and peeped through the window. Heaven and earth
were washed out altogether. The sky was covered with dense snowflakes which swirled
in the harsh wind, drifted down to the ground and blended into the vast canvas of
whiteness.

It seemed that the heavy snow would never cease. He could see nothing other than
piles of snow cloaking the soil, rocks and woods in the past two days. If the boat
was not wobbly, he would even think it remained on the river.

"Shut the blinds." The captain grunted. "Go out on the deck if you really want to
see it. Nobody will care."

He did not take the captain's words personally, but shut the blinds and asked,
"Does it always look like this here?"

"Of course, do you think I was bluffing?" The captain sipped wine from his decanter
and said, "Every year when the Months of the Demons arrives, the Western Region is
cut off because of the snow. There's no way to get here except through the Redwater
River. I can use my fingers to count how many people in the entire King's City are
willing to ferry you over here in this bloody weather. Well, they also gotta have a
boat." He grumbled, letting out a burp. "So five gold royals is an awfully good
deal. You got it?"

"It's a bit expensive, but I didn't bargain with you when I paid," said Otto,
smiling.

"That sounds better." The Captain tossed the decanter to him and said, "It's warm.
Drink some. It'll warm you up." He wiped his mouth and continued, "There was once
this tradesman who wanted to purchase goods from the Western Region faster than
anyone else, but he didn't want to pay a little more for the fare, so he asked the
rats on the black street to ferry him. You know what? That fellow was killed
halfway. Those few mercenaries he brought with him were craps. They all ended up
feeding the fishes."

"That was... really unfortunate." Otto took the decanter, but did not pull out the
cork to drink the wine. Instead, he took off his gloves and held the decanter in
his hands. He really did not feel comfortable sharing drinks with others.

"You get what you pay for. It's a universal rule. There're always people who think
they can get away with it. Did it never occur to him that if rats agree to provide
him with the service at such a low price, how are we going to run our business?"
The captain added, twitching his mouth, "By the way, what's your trade in the
Western Region? Don't you blame me for not reminding you. There used to be jewelry
and furs in this damn place, but you can't get anything from here now."

"Really?" Otto marveled, pretending to be interested. "As far as I know, don't they
make a living on these trades? Have people in the Western Region all become bandits
now?"

"They're stale news now." The captain lit his pipe with the charcoal fire and
inhaled deeply. "Ever since Prince Roland ruled Border Town, the Western Region has
become weird. You know the town is well known for its furs and jewelry, but nobody
knows what the hell the prince is messing around with in his territory. Now
there're only imports but no exports. Some jewelry still gets sold in the Longsong
Stronghold, but the noble has their specific ways to get a hold of it. You can't
butt in."

"Only imports but no exports?" He echoed, stunned.

"Yes. Although you can't purchase local products, sales are pretty good. You can
pretty much sell out everything from food and garments all the way to fabrics and
general goods. No one knows where Prince Roland got so many gold royals from." The
captain breathed out some smoke and concluded, "So you're very likely to return
empty-handed this time."

Otto put on a worried look without giving any response. In fact, he did not really
care whether this would be a fruitless journey, as his sole purpose was to meet the
lord of Border Town. However, due to the hostile relationship between Roland and
Timothy, he had to be disguised as a tradesman and come to the border in secret.
Before taking off, he had already conducted a thorough investigation of his
destination.

As its name suggested, Border Town was insignificant to neighbors. It was initially
built for the purpose of monitoring the intrusion of demonic beasts, and was later
transformed into a town for permanent residence. From the prince's widespread
notoriety and the wasteland he was entitled, it was widely believed that Prince
Roland was the least favorite of the king, and had been abandoned to his fate on
the border.

However, the truth was, not only did he settle down in the Western Region, but he
had also become a big threat to the new king. This was what confused Otto the most.
If Prince Roland was indeed a capable man, what was his infamy based on and how had
he put himself in such a desperate position in the first place?

According to his information, the rise of Roland Wimbledon was just incredible.

As a matter of fact, it was more like the prince had been banished to Border Town a
year ago, accompanied by no ministers or guards. Even the knights with him were
dispatched by the king. It was almost impossible for him to force the local noble
to submit to his rules with such inadequate resources, not to mention the
implementation of his policies. Therefore, a lot of people treated his arrival as a
joke.

Nevertheless, Prince Roland defeated Duke Ryan and conquered the Longsong
Stronghold, becoming the true ruler of the Western Region in merely six months.
There were various rumors about the battle among the mass. Some believed the duke
was killed during an internal rebellion, while others thought he'd been thrown from
horseback, which was why the knightage failed to compete against a group of miners.

Roland thus secured his position as ruler of the Western Region. The wars induced
by the Royal Decree on the Selection of Crown Prince had become increasingly
intense. With Prince Gerald and Princess Garcia being killed in succession and
Princess Tilly missing, cities in the Southern Territory and the Eastern Region
were devastated by the constant chaos. Only the Western Region remained tranquil
and peaceful.

This was certainly not due to the benevolence of the new king, but that the armies
sent by Timothy had never come back. Otto was very curious about what on earth
Roland had done to foster such fierce soldiers.

"Captain, Border Town is right at the front." The sailor pushed the cabin door open
and reported, "We're almost there."

"Ah, finally!" The captain tapped the pipe and yelled, "Lower the sail, raise the
flag and tell the dockmen that we're here! I'm going to a tavern to have a good
sip." He looked at Otto and reminded him, "Hey, don't you forget your luggage. See
you in a week. I'm not waiting for you if you run late."

Otto shrugged his shoulders, showing no objections.

Out of all the rumors about Prince Roland, the one he cared about most was that the
prince had given himself up to demons and was hiring witches in secret. This was
believed to be the real reason he was able to quickly crush the duke and occupy the
whole Western Region, the evidence of which was the burned church in the
Stronghold, the murder of the Priest and the expulsion of believers.

He came here actually because of this rumor.

Otto did not care about whether the prince was trading with demons or hiring
witches, as long as the prince was on the opposite side of the church.

In this regard, Roland was more beneficial to the Kingdom of Dawn than Timothy.

The cabin suddenly shook violently when the boat was ashore.

Chapter 432: An Encounter

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Since his trip was kept confidential, obviously there would be nobody greeting him.

Therefore, Otto did not plan to go straight to the castle, but to first spend one
or two days looking at the prince's territory before turning to local rats for
information, as a picture was worth a thousand words.

He walked out of the cabin and onto the trestle, and was immediately astonished at
what he saw.

This is... really a borderland wharf?

The dock areas were built with russet colored bricks within several hundred paces
from the river bank. Trestles were built at certain intervals, with a sign where
the trestle and the dock connected, on which there was a number. Otto counted them
roughly. There were 26 in total, all of which were neatly displayed like tentacles
extending from the bank. Some were covered with snow while others revealed the
tawny planks beneath. This indicated the town's wharf was well taken care of even
during the Months of the Demons.

In comparison, the trestles at the dock of King's City were less than half the ones
here in terms of both length and number!

However, what stunned him more was the boats at the wharf.

A line of colossal gray boats he had never seen were at berth not far away. There
were seven or eight in total, each of which had a shallow waterline with no sail or
mast. Nonetheless, they were definitely too big to be operated by poles. One unique
feature of these strange boats was the giant wooden tire on either side and the
bulky iron pipe in the middle. They looked different from any inland river boats.

Otto stood there and watched them for quite a while. He was still trying to figure
out how these weird "tire boats" were operated when it began to snow.

He brushed the snow off his head, put these thoughts behind him, and decided to
follow the crew to the town.

Apparently, Otto was not the only passenger on the "Downwind" from King's City. He
watched the crew unloading cargo and piling it up at the wharf. Several guards
wearing black uniforms were jotting something down on the paper. They seemed to be
examining the goods, as they picked out a couple of bags every now and then.

"Who are those people? The mercenaries hired by buyers?" Otto went to ask the
captain.

"Huh? Mercenaries?" The captain beamed, "Those guys are patrollers in Border Town."
"Patrollers?" He was puzzled. Weren't they the same as bandits? He remembered the
first time he left King's City, the patrollers there blackmailed him for two silver
royals, which he later learned was actually a common practice everywhere. These
patrollers were sort of the rivals of underground rats, but they basically did the
same thing. The difference was they charged more and often charged for nothing.
However, to Otto's surprise, the captain seemed pretty relaxed, still smoking his
pipe leisurely without any intention to stop them, nor did he thrust them silver
royals or ask the patrollers to leave.

"I thought the same thing when I came here for the first time." The captain
explained, seeming to have read his mind, "The patrollers here are different. As
long as you follow their rules, you don't need to pay anything before entering the
market."

"Patrollers' rules?" Otto doubted, frowning. "Even the bandits here talk about
rules, and they also note things down. They probably write nothing but wriggly
symbols, but this is already more than enough to blow my mind."

"What are they recording?" he questioned.

"The types and numbers of goods... especially wheat," the captain answered,
throwing up his hands. "Goods will be checked after being delivered to the market.
This is to prevent you from selling them to others halfway. The food here can only
be sold by the lord. Of course, I don't have wheat in my cargo, so it's going to be
fast."

All the bags were loaded to the carriages and everybody departed from the wharf,
ready to set out for the market. Otto was suddenly dazzled by the scene.

Is this really the most deserted territory in the Kingdom of Graycastle?

Looking at the smooth, hard-surfaced road, the handsome houses along the street and
people going to and fro, Otto felt the town was as thriving as City of Glow, the
capital of the Kingdom of Dawn.

As a noble, he had seen many magnificent buildings. Compared with the Spire of Dawn
and the Great Hall of Sun, these two or three-story buildings were definitely not
in the same league.

Yet there was only one Spire of Dawn, which was surrounded by tumble-down houses,
swampy paths, and muddy water.

However, he could not find a single house here that looked even slightly worn, as
if all the residences had come about at the same time.

"You look quite surprised," the captain said, laughing. "Nothing to be embarrassed
about. Everybody was as stunned as you when they first came here. I ought to say
Border Town is an amazing place. See the three-story building over there? It wasn't
there when I was here last time."

"I heard... that it used to be a mining base here."

"That's what I've heard too, but who knows the truth," he commented, picking the
nose. "You know a lot of times rumors fly and truth walks. Perhaps there's tons of
gold hidden in the North Slope Mine, and that was why His Majesty sent his son down
here... After all, they're blood-related."

"Hang on. What's that?!" Across the square, Otto suddenly caught a glimpse of two
big colorful balloons floating in the air. Below hung a banner, which read "Welcome
to Border Town" on one side, and "Join Now to Obtain the Citizen Welfare" on the
other.

"The stuff above or below?" The captain replied, pouting, "I don't know much about
the floating balls up there, but as to the one below... You can go to the east of
the square where the Lord's notices are usually posted. The banner says they're
recruiting tourists, tradesmen, and refugees from all over the world."

"Even refugees?" Otto asked in dismay, "What's the citizen welfare?"

"Allowance for work, food for the first two months and a shelter. Sounds pretty
awesome, eh?" The captain explained airily, "It isn't that easy to get approved.
Many of my crews have tried, but none of them passed. The Lord wants someone who's
loyal, not a believer of the church and has no criminal records. But holy cricket,
theft is also a crime. All sailors stole at some point in their lives, don't you
think? Plus, it looks very bustling here, but in fact, there're also lots of
downsides as far as I can tell."

"Such as?"

"Barely any entertainment. No casinos or whorehouses, not even a hooker on the

street." He coughed out a spit and continued to complain, "Wouldn't you be bored to
death living in a place like this?"

The marketplace was to the north of the square. Otto decided to first take a look
by himself while the captain and his crews were delivering the goods. According to
the captain, there were plenty of rare finds in the convenience market on this side
and the high-end market on the other. Indeed there were. Otto saw lines of racks
filled with various goods. Once he lingered a little longer at a booth, there would
be someone coming up to greet him. No matter what the result of the negotiation
with Prince Roland would be, Otto knew this town had already drawn his attention.

Just then, there was a stir among the multitude.

Otto turned around and saw two ladies heading toward this side.

One of them was wearing a black gown with a long dark ponytail. She had fine eyes,
a cute nose and plump lips. But the coldness on her face made her look
unapproachable. The other one, was completely different, looking soft and gentle.
The traits of her every character were elegant and graceful like a warm spring
breeze. Her gorgeous blonde hair reflected a shimmer of golden rays of the dawn.

Otto felt all his blood rushed to his head at the sight of the blonde lady.

He rubbed his eyes over and over again, hands slightly trembling, and was sure it
was her...

"Andrea Quinn!" Unable to restrain his excitement, Otto shouted aloud in the crowd.

Chapter 433: Unrequited Love

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

"Enjoy." The maid placed some wine on the table and gave the three people a strange
glance. "If you need a refill, just pull the rope near the door."
"Got it. You're excused." Otto waved his hand, and the maid bowed and left. When
the door closed, the ruckus in the lobby was blocked out, and the room immediately
fell silent.

Even now, his heart was still racing, and he stared intensely at Andrea, as if he
was afraid she would suddenly disappear. "I thought this was a dream. Belinda and
Oro both think you're dead, and I never thought I'd see you again..."

Otto's loud outburst in the market caused Andrea to stare at him; since she
responded to this name, this meant that she wasn't just a lookalike.

In fact, she couldn't be anyone else, since Andrea's outstanding beauty and air of
elegance were unparalleled among other girls.

However, she wasn't as excited to see him as he had expected, and instead, she
frowned, walked up to him, and sternly ordered him to follow her as she exited the
market.

"She probably didn't want to cause a scene. Yes, that's right, the noble shouldn't
draw attention to themselves when among commoners. I was being rude."

He followed the two people into a private room in a pub and finally got a chance to
take a closer look at Andrea. Even after five years, she still looked the same as
he remembered. If this was a dream, he hoped that it would last a little longer.

"This is your ex-lover?" The dark-haired girl whistled in awe.

"Since you insisted on coming, you should know when to keep your mouth shut,"
Andrea said with a glare. "Even if you stay quiet, no one will think you're mute."

"I came to protect you," said the other girl with a grin. "Besides, you dragged me
here to buy Tilly a birthday present, so kicking me out now would be an improper
behavior for a noblewoman."

"That depends on who the behavior is directed to." Andrea scoffed. "I don't have to
be proper towards you."

"This is ..." Otto didn't get a response from Andrea and felt a little awkward, so
he turned to the equally stunning dark-haired girl. "... your friend?"

"Ashes," she said quickly before Andrea could respond. "Who are you, and why do you
know her?"

"I'm Otto Luoxi, and I come from the Kingdom of Dawn." He was slightly taken aback
by her interrogating tone�this Ashes girl spoke too bluntly and incisively to be an
educated noblewoman, so why was Andrea in her company? "I've known Andrea since we
were children, along with my sister Belinda, Oro Tokat, and the eldest son of the
King of Dawn, His Highness Appen. We were all extremely close."

"Sounds like a bunch of rich brats." Ashes shrugged. "You said she died?"

"That's because..."

"That's enough." Andrea interrupted. "Belinda and Oro are right�the lady of the
Quinn Family whom you knew is dead."

"But you're right here." Otto shook his head. "What happened?"

Besides the royal family, the most powerful families in the City of Glow, the
capital of the Kingdom of Dawn, were the Tokat, Quinn and Luoxi families, because
their heads were the King's trusted friends and held high positions. This tradition
had been passed down since the founding of the Kingdom of Dawn and remained the
same for Otto's generation.

Andrea was the eldest daughter of the Quinn family and was outstanding in her
appearance and background, so she naturally had many suitors, including Otto and
Oro.

However, no one expected that during a spring outing, Andrea's carriage would go
out of control and fall into a canyon, an accident that even startled the king. The
three families combined their efforts to search for her, and ages later, they found
her battered body at the foot of the mountains.

After hearing about this, Otto was depressed for a long time, because while Oro had
already begun pursuing Andrea, he had not yet expressed his feelings to her. He
never thought he would get the chance to do it, and he would never have expected to
see her again in this foreign land.

After a long pause, Andrea sighed. "It wasn't an accident.

"W... what?"

"The carriage accident five years ago was all planned by my family," she whispered.
"Father found out that I was a witch."

Otto was startled. "A witch?"

"Seems like you did a pretty good job of hiding your powers," Ashes said, covering
her mouth, "since you were even able to fool your childhood friends."

Andrea ignored her. "Yes. After father learned this, he immediately arranged for
the accident to be staged�I wasn't even in the carriage, and a driver and maid lost
their lives for me. Then, I was sent away from the Kingdom of Dawn and settled
secretly in Palisade City of the Kingdom of Graycastle." She paused. "He never
actually asked for my opinion on the matter and didn't care what I thought because
he was only focused on getting rid of me as quickly as possible."

"So that's what happened..." Otto fell silent. "The beloved 'Flower of Glow' is
actually a witch. If word of this gets out, it'll greatly damage the Quinn Family
name." However, the staged accident also protected Andrea from harm�as a member of
the upper noble, he had heard many tragic stories about the sufferings of witches
who fell into the hands of the church.

After some hesitation, he shared his thoughts with Andrea, but she interrupted him
with a cold chuckle.

"Protect? As long as father didn't give me up, what could the church have done?
Sent the Judgement Army straight into the inner city to arrest me?" She raised her
voice. "He was Prime Minister to the King of Dawn and controlled the outer city's
surveillance teams, but he didn't do anything to help me. Nana's father was only a
Baron, but for the sake of his daughter, he went straight to the Lord's castle and
demanded mercy from His Highness Roland, while my father simply banished me from my
home. Do you call that protecting me?"

Otto was at a loss for words, and after a long and awkward silence, he finally said
hesitantly, "Are... are you going back?"

"Never." Andrea stood up. "I already said that the lady of the Quinn family died
five years ago, which was exactly what father wanted."

"Oro still leaves flowers at your grave every year. He can't forget you."

She walked up to the door and whispered, "His love is one-sided, so he'll forget me
one day."

As Otto watched the two people disappear from view, he lay helplessly on his chair.

He was beginning to hate his cowardice.

Even at that moment, he still only mentioned Oro instead of expressing his own
feelings.

I can't forget you either.

He closed his eyes.

Chapter 434: The Birthday Gift

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland learned from Anna that Tilly got her twentieth birthday coming.

He hadn't thought about such a thing until now.

It wasn't because he was careless, but because Prince Roland's memories were like a
database that he would only delve into when necessary. However, his memories rarely
contained anything related to politics or occultism and mostly consisted of
mischievous wrongdoings and ideas for pranks, so he revisited them less and less.

Moreover, Tilly was a sore spot for Prince Roland, so everything related to her had
little significance and had been buried away, as if he didn't want to recall them.

Tilly's birthday didn't mean her Day of Awakening, but her actual day of birth�as
an Extraordinary, she didn't even know the time when she awoke as a witch, and she
wouldn't experience the feeling of biting by magic power when the Months of Demons
came around. Therefore, her birthday was her only important milestone.

Roland scrolled through his memories and realized that since Tilly was the Queen's
youngest child, King Wimbledon III used to throw her a birthday celebration in the
Inner City every winter when he was still alive, which was a luxury that even his
favorite child, Timothy, never received. However, besides this, he usually ignored
Tilly and showed no interest in her life. Otherwise, Prince Roland wouldn't have
dared to bully his little sister so much.

As he continued scrolling back, he found another interesting piece of memory.

Tilly's celebration on her eighteenth birthday was her most extravagant one, even
surpassing the rite of passage ceremony that followed. Not only did the four border
guardians come to the King�s City for this celebration, but there were also gifts
from the Kingdom of Dawn, the Kingdom of Wolfheart, and the Kingdom of Everwinter,
and even the Fjord Islands sent an emissary delegation.

Timothy and Garcia were extremely jealous and wanted to teach Tilly a lesson that
she wasn't father's favorite child�the only one reason why King Wimbledon III threw
her these celebrations was to make up for the loss of his queen and to console the
spirit of Tilly's deceased mother.
No matter how Roland felt about this theory, they both believed it at the time, so
they tried to convince Prince Roland to carry out their plan on his sister.
However, after Tilly taught him a lesson eight years ago, he was too scared to mess
with this girl who seemed meek at first glance but had the spirit of resistance in
the depth of her heart , so he refused. The two siblings were forced to act on
their own.

Prince Roland didn't know how they did it, but Tilly's favorite gift, the bear cubs
from the Kingdom of Wolfheart, was somehow poisoned�as he watched his little sister
dully cradling the dead bears, Roland realized the prince had actually felt
entertained.

No wonder he was the scum of the royal family. Besides murder and arson, Prince
Roland had done every awful thing under the sun.

Either way, this was definitely an awful memory for Tilly Wimbledon.

After he finished scrolling through his memories, Roland suddenly came up with an
idea for a gift.

He took out a sheet of paper and began drawing the picture of his gift.

"What's this?" Nightingale peeked him from behind. "A bear?"

"Yes, a stuffed bear, the one you can sleep with at night." Roland smiled.

Judging from his limited gift-giving experience, he knew that most girls loved cute
and furry gifts, and a life-sized stuffed aminal was the perfect combination of
these two features. Of course, a simple stuffed animal was too easy and common. As
a prince with a group of witches to assist him, he could do much better.

...

On Tilly's birthday, Roland carried her gift to her room.

She was alone when she opened the door and was slightly surprised to see him. "Why
do you come over?"

"Today is your birthday, so I'll host a celebratory feast in the castle tonight,"
Roland said with a smile, "but before that, I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" Tilly said, taken aback. "Is it what you're carrying?" She turned around
and said, "Come in."

"Um... It's a little bit big, but I promise it's very special." The prince mopped
the sweat on his forehead and placed the gift on the floor. The noble during this
time usually gave small and delicate gifts, such as flowers and rings, so that they
could hide them in their robes and take them out as a surprise. Roland carrying a
large wrapped paper box was definitely a rare sight�and this thing was much heavier
than he imagined.

"You've never given me anything before," Tilly said in a mysterious tone.

"I gave you a goose feather quill when you were born." Roland corrected it. "But it
wasn't anything valuable."

"Alright, it's a Graycastle royal tradition." She shrugged. "What about this? Can I
open it?"
"Of course."

Roland smiled as he watched her untie the ribbons, and when the box fell open, he
heard her gasp quietly.

"What... what's this?" Tilly blinked.

"It's a bear!" Roland said with a grin.

"What kind of bear looks like this." She circled the stuffed animal curiously and
patted it. "It's so soft..."

Its fur cover was specially made by Soraya according to the fur of Northern wolf
cubs and added a silky soft touch. As for the design... Roland completely based it
off of the future's pandas. As an animal that had survived millenniums by simply
acting cute and had even been used as diplomatic gifts, it was exceptionally cute.

"I've never seen this kind of bear... Its color is so strange..."

"You don't like it?"

"No, I mean..." Tilly seemed to be at a loss for words, but her eyes, which were
flashing with excitement, revealed her true thoughts.

"It's called 'panda', and it's a... widely-loved animal."

She quickly understood what he meant. "This belongs to your other world..."

Roland nodded. "And it's not just a stuffed animal you can hold. Try pinching its
neck."

Tilly did as he adviced, and the panda suddenly started to move, wave its legs and
try to climb on top of Tilly. She covered her mouth in shock and backed away, while
the stuffed animal continued to move its legs and walk slowly towards her.

This was why it was so heavy�Roland had installed connecting rods and gears in its
body with small generators in each leg, and the generators' power came from
miniature Dawn I engines. As he lowered the magnetic flux, its shelf life was
greatly extended, lasting up to three or four months without use or four fifths of
the time if used frequently. Even if Tilly returned to the Sleeping Island, the
panda would still accompany her for a long time.

"Pinch its neck again, and it'll stop." Roland smiled. "I hope you'll like this
gift."

This time, even though Tilly didn't respond, her expression told Roland everything
he needed to know.

Chapter 435: Arrested

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Why do you... want to give me this?" After a while, Tilly put down the muppet.

"Do you remember what happened on your 18th birthday?" Roland asked slowly.

"..." She pursed her lips and asked, "You did that?"
"No, it was Timothy and Garcia." The prince told the story again. "But I should
also take some responsibility. If I had told father, it wouldn't have happened."

"And they also would have beaten you up," Tilly said, "so it was reasonable for you
not to tell."

"This sort of thing will never happen again."

"I thought that the extra space in your head was used to store knowledge." She
didn't respond and changed the topic. "Now it seems that's not the case. Besides
this 'panda', is there anything else new? "

When he heard her get tongue-tied trying to pronounce this strange word, Roland
couldn't help but smile. "Of course... countless things. When I get a chance, I'll
tell you more."

There was no doubt that Tilly was smart. He believed that she would understand him
even if he didn't tell the whole story.

Sure enough, after pausing for a moment, she stared at Roland with thoughtful eyes.

Suddenly, Andrea's voice sounded through the door. "Lady Tilly, I want to give you
a gift... You, go away!"

"I came first, OK?" Ashes' voice immediately followed.

"I was the first one!"

Roland laughed and stood up. "Indeed, a lot of unpleasant things had happened
before, but the past is the past. No matter what, you and me, or Border Town and
Sleeping Island shouldn't be bound by bad memories. If you have any trouble in the
future, you can come to me anytime... I'll be your elder brother forever." He
paused for a while and said, "Happy birthday, Tilly."

He opened the door. The two witches were immediately stupefied and stared at each
other with confusion.

The prince smiled and said, "Stop quarreling, I was the first."

*******************

Otto wandered the streets dejectedly with Andrea's words still lingering in his
mind.

"...the lady of the Quinn family died five years ago, which was exactly what father
wanted."

He didn't agree with her, but he couldn't find any excuses to contradict her with.
These days, besides observing Border Town, he spent the rest of his time wandering
near the market. He hoped to see her again, but was ultimately disappointed.

Otto went to the stone bench next to the square, flicked away the snow on top, and
sat down slowly.

Although thoughts were surging in his heart, he still didn't forget the reason why
he came here. Except for the corps and battalions, he had gone through every corner
of this village and had a comprehensive understanding of this area. For example,
the villagers' lives weren't so affluent at the very beginning and had been no
different from those of regular slums. All these changes were due to the Lord, His
Highness Roland Wimbledon. He led the people against those bloodcurdling demonic
beasts and invented various magical machines and tools to improve people's lives.

Otto had witnessed the black machines operating in the mine area. Just two or three
iron lumps could easily finish the work of tens of people.

Also, it was said that the high tower alongside the Redwater River could send water
to each resident's home.

There were the quickly built city walls, residential communities, and docks as
well.

In addition, it seemed that the ditches that were being dug would make the
installation of heating equipment easier, and the inhabitants would no longer fear
the cold�news like this could be seen on the bulletin board in the center of the
square every day. More astonishingly, most of the villagers could understand the
official documents on the board.

The more he observed, the more astonished he felt. Changes were happening
everywhere in Border Town and were totally beyond his imagination.

Opening his notebook, Otto intended to take down today's new discoveries, but
someone suddenly grabbed the hand holding his pen.

Looking up, he saw two patrol officers with black uniforms in front of him. "Are
you Silver Eye?"

That was a false name he used when disguised as a businessman. Otto answered calmly
and when he looked around, he found out that there were also people with black
uniforms appearing on the other two sides of the square. However, they just stared
at him and didn't come closer.

They came here for me.

Otto's heart sank. Before, he thought that the patrols here weren't like what he
saw elsewhere and behaved appropriately, so he didn't expect to get into trouble.

"What's up?" he asked with a cold voice. Faced with these bullying and greedy
people, there was no benefit in flattering them. Even if they wanted to blackmail
him, he wouldn't let them run their mouths. In the worst case, he would have to use
his identity as a nobleman.

However, the uniformed officers' answer surprised him. "According to the report we
received, we suspect that you are conducting espionage. Now, keep your hands behind
you and follow our instructions. If there is any resistance, we can't guarantee
your safety."

"Espionage? What a strange reason... Could it be that they want to find a fall
guy?" Otto thought silently. "I don't understand what you are saying." He shook off
their arms. "I'm from the Luoxi Family in the City of Glow, a noble of the Kingdom
of Dawn. I'm not a..."

As soon as he shook off their hands, his belly was suddenly punched severely, and
more than half of his strength disappeared immediately with an acidic taste filling
his mouth and his body curling up involuntarily. Then, the two men knocked him down
into the cold snow, and his hands were tied together with ropes.

"A noble? You said you were a businessman several days ago." One of them sneered.
"I told you not to resist." The other man gave him another hard kick. "You asked
for it."

"Several days ago? Does this mean they have targeted me for a while? This is
impossible... At least no patrol guards noticed me in the first two days."

"Ahem... I'm indeed a nobleman, and the writ... is in my bag." Otto struggled for a
while, but the men ignored him.

"Save your excuses for His Excellency Carter." Two men lifted him up. "If you're
honest, you may get to survive."

...

After staying in jail for a day, Otto felt hungry and thirsty and finally saw the
one whom people called His Excellency Carter.

Before the knight could say a word, he gripped the iron bars and blurted, "I'm
really the Otto Luoxi from the City of Glow in the Kingdom of Dawn. Entrusted by
the King of Dawn, I came to this Kingdom of Graycastle for allies to confront the
church. I'm not the spy you accused me to be! I want to meet with your Lord, His
Highness Roland Wimbledon!"

He had long heard about the shady dealings in jail. Patrols always colluded with
Rats and imprisoned foreigners to be scapegoats. If they thought that he was an
unimportant stranger, he probably wouldn't live to see another day.

Carter was shocked. "I haven't asked you anything yet." He turned his head. "What
do you think my answer will be?"

Then, in a scene that shocked Otto, a girl came out from the shadow, her body
covered by a white robe and her face concealed by a hood. However, judging from her
figure, she seemed no different from the "Flower of Glow".

"What he said is true," she shrugged and said.

"Really? Does this mean he's indeed an envoy from the Kingdom of Dawn?" Carter put
his hand on his forehead. "It seems that we caused some trouble for His Highness."

Chapter 436: The Indeterminable Appointment

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Finally, Otto met the legendary Prince Roland of the Kingdom of Graycastle.

After confirming he was a nobleman of the Kingdom of Dawn, Carter brought him into
the castle. Then, as the attendants served him with toiletries, new clothes, and
some hot food, Carter frisked him.

This might be the most offensive reception that Otto had ever seen.

Prince Roland was in a north-facing room on the castle's third floor. The French
windows, which occupied half of the wall, first came into sight as the door was
opened. The snow-covered landscape brightened up the room, which was particularly
warm, despite there being no lit fireplace.

The prince was sitting at a mahogany table, reading a black-covered book in his
hand, which Otto realized was his own notebook. In addition, the diplomatic
documents and the family seal were set on the side. It seemed that the hotel that
he was staying in had been searched thoroughly.

Although Prince Roland had the same gray hair as Timothy, and there was some
resemblance in their features, they gave people an entirely different impression.
Both his sitting position and expression seemed to be very casual which conformed
to the rumors that Prince Roland liked to persist in his old ways.

Noticing Otto, he closed the book, smiled and said, "Are you the envoy from the
Kingdom of Dawn? Have a seat."

Otto bowed in accordance with noble etiquette. No matter how awful the prince
behaved, he had to do this�after all, although Prince Roland might not care if he
was treated as a joke, he represented the royal dignity of the Kingdom of Dawn.

"I have read some of your notes," the prince laughed and said. "Some were recorded
in great detail, so it's not surprising for them to mistake you for a spy. Also, my
people didn't know where you were from, and they enthusiastically reported you to
me because of my orders. I'd like to apologize to you here."

"The people... reported me?" Otto frowned and thought. However, no explanation
could excuse rudely offending a noble, not to mention that the offender was just a
man without any title of nobility. If it wasn't for his mission, he would
definitely ask the prince to bring the man who assaulted him to justice. Otto
restrained his innermost negative emotion and said, "No, you don't have to. Your
Highness, you just do this for the peace of the people. It's just� that it may hurt
innocent strangers, and I'm afraid most people couldn't provide documents to prove
their identities like me."

"You don't need to worry about that. The collection of evidence by the judicial
department is irrelevant to the identification documents, and we have all kinds of
measures to protect the innocent people." Prince Roland waved his hand and
continued, "What's the saying? We would never wrong a good man or let a single bad
one go." At this, he smiled and said, "I heard about your arrest�if you did as they
commanded, then you wouldn't have been harmed. The process was a little brutal but
it's also done with reluctance. You know, some of the most vicious people may take
out a weapon and fight back at any time. Since the winter, two police officers have
been injured while making arrests. "

"Police officers� It might refer to those patrols. What's a judicial department?

The administration to supervise patrols?" Otto wondered and asked, "Does this kind
of thing happen often?"

"Once or twice a month," said the prince, "and it's probably because Timothy is so
bored in this endless winter."

The prince openly showed his hostility toward the new king. Otto realized that the
contradictions between the two sides couldn't be reconciled. Then he hesitated for
a while and said, "When I went to the King's City, I heard a rumor� Your Highness,
are you really going to overthrow Timothy's authority?"

"Did the rumor say that the new king's throne is hung by a thread?" The prince said
bluntly, "Timothy shouldn't be the new king�in order to usurp the throne, he
murdered his father, blamed it on his elder brother, and expelled Garcia out of the
Kingdom of Graycastle. The entire Southern Territory was destroyed in the war, and
the people became destitute and homeless�these are all the crimes he had committed.
The only way to restore the past prosperity of the Kingdom of Graycastle is to
overthrow him."
Otto held his breath for a second and thought, "Roland Wimbledon is more active
than Timothy; at least Timothy's fighting resolve isn't so strong� It seems to be a
reversal of both status and momentum."

He cleared his throat and said, "So, as a friendly neighbor, the Kingdom of Dawn
hopes that the Kingdom of Graycastle could soon regain peace. I came here at this
time to bring the alliance agreement of Deegan Moya, the King of Dawn."

"Oh?" said the prince with interest, "Where is it?"

"In order to avoid the message being leaked, I didn't carry the document with me.
However, His Majesty has granted me the right to sign the agreement." Otto repeated
the alliance agreement again. "If the two countries can help each other, we can
effectively hold the church in play and avoid going down the same road as the
Kingdoms of Everwinter and Wolfheart."

"That's it?"

The response of the prince perplexed Otto. "What does 'that's it' mean? I've made
myself quite clear," he thought. As he was about to repeat his words, the prince
shook his head and said, "The project might not work. The determination of the
church to annex the Four Kingdoms is much stronger than you think, let alone the
combative God's Punishment Army and witches�your troops stationed along the border
might be surrounded and destroyed by the enemy before they've even departed."

"God's Punishment Army and... witches?" asked Otto in surprise.

"It seems that you know nothing about the ambition of the church," said Prince
Roland. He took a sip of tea and continued, "I'll tell you all the information we
know, and I hope you can bring these messages back to the Kingdom of Dawn so that
your king can re-examine the alliance agreement. If we want to defeat the church,
we need not only a deterrent, but one big attack. "

The meeting didn't come to an end until the evening when the Prince put his cup
down, and the wilderness and forest behind him were all in the dark. A strange
light lit up in the room, which was brighter and purer than a candle, but Otto had
no mind to notice this. He felt his clothes soaked with cold sweat on his back, his
hands inadvertently held into a fist, his palms were creamy, and the words of the
prince were echoing in his mind.

"The extraordinary warriors created by utilizing wild witches, secret combat

witches, and pure witches... And the purpose of the church to eliminate the Four
Kingdoms at all costs is to usher in the coming Battle of Doomsday! The news was
just too incredible!"

However, many details coincided with the information that he had collected, such as
the Pill of Madness, which the church used to weaken the resistance of the kingdom;
the carriages transporting female orphans to the Holy City; and their attitude
towards the defeated nobles�if it was to completely erase the influence of the
nobility to achieve a completely united kingdom of the church, all these things
would make sense.

"I... I can't make a decision," Otto stammered. "These matters are too important. I
have to report to His... His Majesty first."

"Of course, this is a matter of life and death for the two countries," the prince
calmly said, "and you can't be too careful. But don't forget, our time is running
out."
...

Ready to leave, Otto went to the door, hesitantly turned around and said, "Your
Highness, I heard that a group of witches was recruited to Border Town... I wonder
if you've heard of the name Andrea."

"Ah, she used to be a noblewoman of the Kingdom of Dawn, but unfortunately she
became homeless and came into the Kingdom of Graycastle afterward." The prince
lifted his eyebrows and asked, "Why? Do you know her?"

"Yes!" answered Otto with his heart beating strongly. "Could you... allow me to see
her?"

The prince nodded and said, "I can help to arrange it, but whether or not she'll
meet you will be up to her."

"Isn�t Andrea your..."

He shook his head with a smile and said, "The witches are just the citizens who
live here, not my servants�I can 't manipulate their minds."

Chapter 437: A Silent Farewell

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After Otto Luoxi left the office, Nightingale stood by Roland. "What he's said
isn't completely true, especially the part about his experience before he came to
Border Town."

"No surprise. He must have negotiated with Timothy in King's City before coming to
the Western Region." Roland smiled. "It would be very strange if he came directly
to me first. A diplomat always hedges his bets. If I were him, I wouldn't put all
my eggs in one basket either."

"You mean... they might not stand on our side?"

"At least, they won't hurry to make a decision." He picked up the kettle to refill
his tea cup. "When the King of Dawn receives this news, how much of it do you think
he will believe?"

Nightingale searched for an answer for quite a while until she finally said, "I...
don't know."

"Me neither." At these words, Nightingale pinched Roland's shoulder. He was not
telling the truth. "One thing is obvious though. The King of Dawn is probably not
going to swing to us because of this news. It sounds terrifying but it's something
that will only happen several years from now. Besides, we can't even give him an
exact date. The threat of the church, however, is right under his nose. Given that
the church may launch the attack in the coming spring, he's most likely to stand by
watching battles between Timothy and me until either of us wins. If he's clever
enough, he'll probably be on good terms with both of us for future returns."

Politicians often handled these kinds of issues this way. They preferred smooth
gains to risky investments, especially in the case of wars which were normally
highly profitable. If there had been no threat from demons, Roland would have been
happy to join this game, setting a trap for his opponent and then reaping some
profits. But he was not in the mood for this diplomatic game now. In the following
year, Border Town would have to launch an attack and stabilize the situation. A
storm was brewing, and the ones who had a narrow vision and concentrated on
immediate interests would have no future.

"Is it... good for us to tell them the news?" Nightingale asked in doubt.

"The Kingdom of Dawn isn't our real enemy, after all. I'm not sure how much the
nobles there will believe the story about demons, but they'll definitely spread the
word about the church's ambition. It'll weaken the ruling of the church," Roland
explained. "Without people's support, the church won't be able to use the kingdom's
resources that easily."

When he broke the news to Otto, he only mentioned the part about demons, but not
the part about the witches' empire and the two Battles of Divine Will.

The former was even more unbelievable than the existence of demons and might cause
unwanted effects. It could be purposely distorted into a "witches' scheme" because
of people's general hostility towards them.

The latter might shake people's confidence in fighting against the demons. They had
failed twice before. What were their chances of winning this time?

Anyhow, he had already hinted that the two kingdoms should fight the demons
together. As to the result, it would depend on the reply from the Kingdom of Dawn.

...

Three days later, Roland met Otto Luoxi again,

He could guess the answer from the disappointment in Otto's eyes.

"Personally, I'm more inclined to the alliance, but the priority now is to send the
news to the Kingdom of Dawn as soon as possible instead of talking about the
agreement details." Otto bowed and said, "so I'm here to bid you farewell."

"Hope to hear good news from you then." Roland nodded.

"Besides... Your Highness," Otto hesitated for a moment and said, "I would like to
ask you a personal favor."

"What is it?"

"Please take good care of Andrea Quinn for me."

"Andrea was a witch from Sleeping Island. You should actually ask Tilly Wimbledon
to do that, not me," Roland thought with a sigh, but still he gave his promise.

*******************

At the top of the castle, Andrea stood, facing the howling wind and looking south
toward the Redwater River.

"Aren't you... going to the dock?" Shavi shivered in coldness, hiding behind her
invisible barrier. "I hear he's going to lea-leave by boat. As a childhood
playmate, you shou-should go to wish him a good trip."

"I can wish him one here, too." She heaved a sigh.

"A-Ashes said he never stops thinking about you."

"Don't listen to anything she's said," Andrea grunted. "She even praised that guy
in front of Lady Tilly. A filthy mouth will never utter decent language."

"Eh, is, is that so?" Shavi said, her teeth chattering.

"Yes." She snorted. She noticed Shavi shivering. "If you feel that cold, go down
now. You can come back to fetch me later."

"It�s, it's OK, I'll wait for you here." Shavi shook her head. "If, if I catch a
cold, Miss Lily will cure me and I can take two, two days off. Then I'll have more
time to play cards."

"That sounds reasonable." Andrea gave her a thumbs up and turned her gaze to the
Redwater River. Through the falling snow, she could vaguely see some rising sails
and something red fluttering at the top of a mast.

It was the sailing signal.

This was good. Time would dilute all the attention and forgetting would be better
for everyone, she thought.

Andrea somehow knew Otto's love for her, but she still chose to avoid him. Both he
and Oro Tokat should marry someone more suited to their status. They were the most
famous noble families in the City of Glow. A relationship with either of them was
doomed from the start. Besides, she was not willing to return to the land which had
abandoned her.

Avoiding him was the best choice.

"Farewell, my friend," Andrea thought.

The looming sails soon disappeared on the horizon.

*******************

After sending off the messenger, Roland threw himself into the construction of
Border Town.

The Tee Project which included a water supply, a power supply, and a heating system
had officially launched. The three pipes were embedded in underground tunnels,
reaching every residential community. It was easy to adapt each household because
every residential house had been designed with reserve openings for the pipes. The
key lay in the location of boilers and water towers.

In order to save materials and reduce loss during transportation as much as they
could, Roland changed the plan. Instead of drawing water from the Redwater River,
they would draw from underground springs. Given that Border Town was rich in
underground water and the it was not deep, it was easy to dig wells. Besides, in
this era, there was no need to take water pollution into consideration. With the
help of Sylvie, Roland quickly picked out four spots as water access points for the
town. They could purvey water not only for daily uses such as drinking and
cleansing, but also for the heating system and boilers.

Chapter 438: Electricity and Light

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Based on the construction plan, Roland set up a workroom with all the equipment to
build an efficient Tee Project system.

The complete set of equipment included a steam engine, an electric motor, a power
supply unit, a boiler, and two water tanks. Together with the water tower outside
the room, they formed the workings of the Tee Project system.

The steam engine pumped the water up into the water tower and the water tanks. The
former was to provide the residential communities with water for domestic needs.
The latter was the water supply for the boiler and the heating system. The first-
level water tank was higher. Limestones and washing stones which were used to
soften the water by precipitating magnesium and calcium ions in it were put inside
the tank. The water in it would then flow into the lower second-level tank through
a filter screen specially made by Soraya, which would stop the floating objects in
the water from entering the second-level tank.

The boiler's water supply was controlled by an electric motor. When the water level
inside the boiler was too low, the ballcock inside would start the electric motor
to bring water in until the water level got back to normal. This process was more
stable than both the manual control and the steam engine system, saving the trouble
to arrange someone to observe the site all the time.

The water supply and heating systems had already been successfully tested. Roland
was confident that their construction would go smoothly. His current focus was on
the power supply. It was a brand new thing for the town. Neither Karl nor other
members of the Mason Guild had any idea of electricity. Given that Roland did not
know much about electricity himself either, and that all his knowledge of
electronic circuits remained at the high-school level, he decided to build a model
in his courtyard first. If he succeeded, he would explain it to the Ministry of
Construction.

Once he had a stable power supply, the first step then was to create that
traditional emblem of electrical power: a light bulb.

With that in mind, Roland put on a thick coat and set out for his courtyard on the
North Slope Mountain.

It normally would take a quarter of an hour to walk to the courtyard, but with the
help of Nightingale's mist, they arrived in scarcely four minutes.

When the wooden door was pushed open, Anna and Lucia immediately noticed Roland.
Anna, busy with her work, just nodded to him. Lucia happily ran to him and said,
"Your Highness, good morning."

"Good morning," Roland nodded with a smile and then walked to Anna. "What're you
busy with?"

"The new gun barrels and locking mechanism." She pointed to several long steel
pipes on the desk with a serious look on her face, "Some aspects of your drawings
don't make sense. I think it'll be better this way."

"My amazing Anna," Roland thought and could not help stretching out his hand,
trying to touch her head but she refused it by rocking back and forth. "Well...
this scene seems familiar." He coughed, banished his thoughts of Anna and said,
"Good, do whatever you want."

Roland did not mind her questioning his designs. He knew and would naturally have
mistakes and shortcomings based on his minimal design experience. He felt like Anna
was not only more talented but also had a keener eye for fine detail and he was
convinced that one day she would surpass him in skills.

After a while, Anna finished her work and put down her tools . She walked to Roland
and lowered her head a little.

"Eh? Is it to make up for the touch just now?" Roland thought in surprise.

He ruffled her soft hair. Anna looked up in satisfaction, "What are we making
next?"

"Ah... yes." The prince turned to Lucia. "How did your separation work of ores from
the mines go?"

"Almost done and here are the results," Lucia gave him a stack of books and said,
"but I'm afraid it'll take a long time to test on the mixtures of them and rolled
steel. There are just too many individual elements."

"It's already pretty good," Roland encouraged her.

This was part of his material improvement plan. He had already improved the rolled
steel quality by reducing carbon content and eliminating impurities, and now all
the elements in the North Slope Mine area could be utilized. They had to try one by
one. There was no shortcut.

Roland glanced over the books, looking at the features of the elements separated
from ores in the mines. He soon found the element with the highest melting point.
He poked his finger at the testing sample marked with No. 12 and asked, "Where are
they?"

Lucia quickly found them. They were a crude stone and a bag of elementary
particles, both sealed in plastic bags.

Roland thought he recognized this crude, black stone from somewhere else.

"Wait, isn't it the same as the black stone sent to my office earlier? I gave it to
alchemists and then totally forgot about it. I've never thought twice about it
since then.

Could it turn out to be the mineral that has the highest melting point on the North
Slope Mountain?"

Anna could not measure the exact temperatures at which the materials melted, so she
described them roughly by words such as "normal", "high" and "relatively high".
Only the melting point of No.12 testing sample was described as "extremely high."

The elementary particles in the bag were silvery white, similar to most of the
other metallic elements.

He thought, "Is it wolfram?

Whatever, as long as it is difficult to melt."

Roland let Anna make the particles into very fine wire, twisted the wire into a
spiral and fix it onto a glass shelf which was then put into a glass bulb. The main
part of an electric lamp was completed.

To make it a stable light, there were two more steps which were also considered to
be the most difficult part in making electric bulbs. The first one was to evacuate
the bulb, preventing the filament wire from reacting with oxygen. The second was
sealing it to ensure that the air could not enter the bulb.

Without a doubt, only witches could realize those two steps.

Roland soon thought of Agatha.

The filament would become extremely reactive at high temperatures. It would easily
oxidize, produce new oxides, and eventually melt down. That was why the bulb needed
vacuum inside, but filling the bulb with inert gases could achieve the same or an
even better effect.

Pure nitrogen was an excellent choice for this.

As nitrogen was lighter than the air, using a simple downward exhaust method, the
bulb could be easily filled with nitrogen. It was much simpler than the vacuuming
process. When the other end of the exhaust was also pure nitrogen, Soraya quickly
sealed the bulb. A simple incandescent lamp was made successfully.

Looking at the electric bulb as small as his palm, Roland felt all sorts of
emotions welling up in his mind. It was something outdated but now represented the
most advanced manufacturing skills of the town.

The following night, he summoned all the members of City Hall to gather in front of
the castle and ordered his guards to put out all the torches in the courtyard.

In this dark, snowy night, Roland switched on the circuit.

All of a sudden, at the center of the courtyard, an orange light lit up. It would
not sway and extinguish in the wind like the light of a candle and it never
flickered like fire. Though it could merely light up within a radius of a few
meters, a stable light in the wind was something that the people had never seen
before.

At this moment, everything was self-explanatory.

The fixed look on everyone's face and the silence of the scene told everything.

He had brought electricity to this world.

Chapter 439: The Crime Scene

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Brother Vader, is... this really Okay?" Firehead said while fiddling with her own
clothing. "Chief Knight said that our uniforms are the symbol of our status, and
thus we must wear it neatly when we're on duty."

"What's more, there's a punishment for dirtying the uniform, let alone for not
wearing it." Whistle kept looking left and right as if he was afraid of being
spotted by a colleague.

"Stop nagging. It's symbolic enough to wear it. Standing in the midwinter snow in
the black uniform will alert everyone in the vicinity that policemen are around.
How are we supposed to catch any criminal?" Vader spat on the ground and then
continued, "You're both from Border Town, right?"

The two policewomen became more spirited the moment Vader mentioned this. "Yes, I
am. My father was a hunter who used to live on Old Street, and his skill was
remarkable. He was able to strike the neck of a fox scampering about in the woods
with only one arrow."

"Me too. But my father often told me that hunting was an unstable career, and he
preferred I became a miner. He'd even prepared a hoe for me. Had His Highness
Roland not become the new Lord, I would have spent my days in the mines."

"I can tell." Vader shrugged his shoulders. "Only the children of hunters would
have such uncommon nicknames," he silently thought. "Since you're both locals,
surely you're more concerned about the public order in the town than I am, right?
If even I'm not afraid of being punished, why are you afraid? Is wearing the
uniform more important than enforcing the rules and laws laid down by His
Highness?"

"Hmm..." The duo hesitated briefly, before they replied with conviction, "You're
right."

"But, Brother Vader, you're not an outsider. Haven't you already received your
identity card? His Highness once said that anyone who possess the identity card are
considered to be his subjects," Whistle muttered.

Vader laughed and did not say a word. Instead, he fixed his gaze on a row of cave
dwellings on the eastern side of the temporary housing area.

After serving as a policeman for nearly three months, he had grown fully accustomed
to life in the Western Region. Before he became a policeman, he thought that a
"patrol team" would have nothing to do apart from extorting and cheating the
people. Little did he know that there would be more work than could possibly be
completed every day.

The police were required to accept refugees and handle disputes among the
citizenry. It was also the police's duty to catch criminals and spies. Whereas,
apart from fighting against the demonic beasts, the First Army did not help or
intervene in the internal peacekeeping of Border Town.

This was completely different from what he had initially expected.

In Valencia, the patrol team was more like the city guards' backup. They handled
menial tasks and were not of much use. This was the reason why many patrollers
would seek money from illicit sources. However, in Border Town, the police and the
First Army belonged to different systems. The former handled internal affairs while
the latter handled external ones.

What surprised Vader more was that the majority of the patrol team's targets came
from public reports instead of direct orders from their superiors. Indeed, the
citizens of Border Town had changed his perception of commoners. This bunch of lazy
and stupid people would actively watch out for suspicious characters and report
them to the City Hall. Whenever a foreign merchant ship arrived in the town, the
Ministry of Justice would receive a handful of such reports.

Vader soon realized the tremendous power that lied within the town�no foreign spy
could shut himself off from the public or integrate into society quickly unless he
grew up here. With everyone serving as a vigilant watchdog, what enemy could hide
among the populace?

But of course, not every arrest operation would be successful. For example, the
sneaky characters whom they arrested during the previous operation turned out to be
a noble from the Kingdom of Dawn. Vader was prepared to be punished, but his
superiors showed no reaction and seemed unperturbed that he had beaten up a noble.
This served to consolidate his current mentality towards his job.

"Gold's here!" Firehead exclaimed softly.

"Ignore him and just pretend that you're sweeping the snow," Vader said calmly. "He
didn't bring any goods, which means he's only here to check on the situation."

"Gold" was the code name of their current target. The Ministry of Justice received
a report two days ago that a serf was trafficking grains. His Excellency Carter
attached great importance to this issue and immediately assigned the task to Vader.
He demanded that the serf was arrested alive together with the goods, and called
this the "Gold Hunting Mission".

However, the mission did not start out smoothly. After making some inquiries, they
began to uncover the identity of the target. Subsequently, a team of six people
took turns to monitor the temporary housing area, but not a single trace of the
target was found.

To Vader, it was clear that the reason for the lack of development was because the
policemen's uniforms were too conspicuous. He had lived in the Western Zone for
some time, and naturally knew that whenever a City Hall official was in the area,
news of it would spread rapidly among the residents. It was no different in the
Eastern Zone. The people who lived here were serfs, and thus the black uniforms of
the policemen were as striking as fireflies in the night sky.

That explained why he was adamant that Firehead and Whistle should take off their
uniforms and put on a tattered coat. In this way, they could disguise as snow
sweepers and stand on the thoroughfares of the Eastern Zone and Border Town. The
suspect would not be able to escape their sights as soon as he appeared.

They saw Gold walking around the Eastern Zone briefly before returning to a cave
dwelling. When he reappeared, he was carrying a large sack on his back.

"He's indeed trafficking wheat..." Whistle clenched her fists tightly.

"Damn it! He simply doesn't respect what His Highness has said." Firehead cursed
angrily. "We shall arrest him right now!"

"Don't be rash," Vader said and beckoned with his hands. "His Excellency Carter
said that he wanted the target arrested alive together with the goods. We shall
split three ways and act." His instructions were in accordance with the previous
operation to surround Rat. "Firehead, you'll mobilize immediately and go to the old
city wall area first. There's only one route for him to enter the inner city."

"Yes."

"I'll follow the target. This requires a lot of skills, and thus I'm the most
suitable for this role." He licked his lips in anticipation. "Lastly, Whistle, you
shall stalk me from about a 100 steps back. Remember not to make eye contact with
Gold."

"Understood."

"Then, let's begin!"

Although the three policemen were similar in rank, they acted in full compliance
with Vader's plan.
Vader carried a broom and calmly walked a couple of steps in front of Gold.
According to his experience, following the target from behind would easily arouse
the target's suspicions. Instead, by "leading the way", the target would be much
less cautious. If he was fairly certain of where the target was heading, this would
be the safest method of tracking. He fully concentrated on Gold�he was confident
that the instant that he heard a slight change in the target's footsteps, he could
trip the target and prevent him from fleeing.

After passing through the old city wall, Gold stopped walking and rested by the
corner of a street. He was ostensibly aware that if he headed towards the center of
the town, there would be a high chance of encountering policemen. Vader took a
dozen more steps forward and turned into a side path, where he waited for the buyer
to show up.

A short while later, a local who was pushing a handcart appeared. He looked around
the vicinity before he slowly walked up to the serf. After inspecting the contents
of the sack, he took out a handful of coins to close the deal. At that very moment,
Vader gestured for the two policewomen to act.

The three of them dashed towards the target from different directions. The dealer
was so dumbstruck that he did not move at all.

Vader pressed the serf down on the ground, accompanied by the clinking sound of
coins scattering all over. He yelled, "You're arrested!"

Chapter 440: The Court Trial

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland was studying the power grid layout of a residential district when he heard
the news. After Carter had concluded his report, Roland put down his quill pen and
sighed lightly. Although he knew that something like this was inevitable, he felt
helpless and sad that it truly happened. He had repeatedly publicized the strict
ban on private sales of food, yet there were people who still took the risk for the
sake of a small profit. As this was the first case of its kind, it was clear to him
that a heavy sentence should be issued to deter others.

In addition, he felt the urge to finalize the laws, and then to recruit specialized
legal officers to conduct interrogations and handle cases. After all, when the city
was fully constructed, criminal cases would only increase, and he would not have
time to play judge to all of them.

It was decided that the trial would be conducted in the castle hall.

Roland had requested for Barov to come to the castle, and together, they would hear
the case of this food smuggling crime.

In the hall, the two suspects knelt on the floor. Their ghost pale faces and vacant
eyes suggested that they were new to this sort of occasion.

Roland took his seat on the throne, cleared his throat, and said, "Explain
everything that you did. You'll be doubly guilty if you hold back or lie about
anything."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness." The two suspects seemed as if they had just awoken from
a dream. They scrambled between themselves to tell their personal accounts of what
happened, particularly the serf, who shouted at the top of his voice, "Your
Highness, Lord! I know that what I did was wrong, but if I didn't sell the wheat...
I wouldn't be able to live on! Those officials didn't buy wheat according to your
demand. I'd no choice but to do this!"

The case turned out to be very simple, and Roland cleared his emotions halfway
through listening.

In order to reassure the citizens, the City Hall had set the individual quota for
purchasing grains to be slightly higher than the actual consumption. Therefore,
there would be a small excess of wheat every month. Parker, who resided in the
Sixth Residential Area, smelled a business opportunity. He would grind the excess
wheat into flour and add in a few of his self-grown herbs to make savory pancakes.
It sold well�fortunately, the sale restrictions in the Convenience Market only
applied to staples, while poultry and eggs could be freely sold in the stalls.

The business brought in some silver royals for him every month. However, there was
only so much excess wheat, and hence, he had to reduce his own consumption in order
to expand the scale of the business. Parker thus set his sights on serfs who did
not sell all of their food to the City Hall, and soon got in touch with "Gold" to
establish this trafficking deal.

However, the serf's final words puzzled Roland. "Why didn't the officials purchase
wheat according to the rules? Does this affair involve the City Hall?"

Roland looked at Barov. The latter faced him back and said softly, "The Ministry of
Agriculture is in charge of purchasing. The minister is Sirius Daly, whom I believe
is unlikely to have made such a grave mistake. You can call him in for
questioning."

Roland nodded and had his guards summon the Minister of Agriculture to the castle.

Sirius Daly rushed to the castle hall, and after making a very impressive Knight's
bow towards Roland, he enquired if His Highness had any decree for him. His
mannerisms retained the style of the Wolf Family's knights.

The prince delineated the parts of the case which he did not understand. "Did you
ever refuse to purchase the serf's grains?"

"Your Highness, this was what happened," Sirius answered without hesitation. "As
per your demands, we didn't stop the purchases after the bumper harvest. However,
we lowered the purchase price according to the diminishing quality of the wheat. In
the first two months, there was little difference between our purchase price and
the original price."

Sirius paused before he continued, "After winter arrived, because the majority of
serfs didn't have proper storage places for the wheat and they were relocated from
the shacks to the temporary housing areas, the quality of the wheat deteriorated
substantially. When we do the purchases, we would often find wet, discolored and
moldy food, and therefore our purchase prices reduced by 20 to 30 percent. The food
of this particular serf was largely wet, moldy, and couldn't be stored any longer.
Therefore, the price that I offered was five times less than during the bumper
harvest."

"Your Highness, that's as good as not buying!" The serf shouted. "I spent my entire
year working on the farm. This price was even lower than what I would get on Black
Street! Didn't you say that the prices wouldn't change?!"

"But you have to sell it on time, idiot!" Barov snapped angrily. "Do you think that
nobody knows why you hoarded wheat? Had there been a food supply problem in town,
you would have sold your stock at three to four times the usual price!"
Everything about the case became clear. However, the result slightly surprised
Roland. He had thought of it as a simple issue of food trafficking, but instead
discovered a case of black-hearted food selling. Parker was obviously aware that
this batch of grains was of extremely poor quality, and yet he was fine with buying
it at half the price on multiple occasions. He probably did not care whether the
moldy wheat was actually edible.

While there was no doubt that the serf had committed a grave crime and should be
punished heavily, Roland was uncertain about how to punish Parker. He had heard
Scroll's stories about the life of the poor. When they had no food to eat, they
would satiate their hunger with branches, grass and leaves, let alone moldy bread.
This was precisely why Scroll had repeatedly emphasized what a noble and great
thing it was for all citizens to be able to eat wheat. Parker used to be poor too,
and he was probably not aware that it was a severe crime to use low-quality
ingredients to make pancakes.

After discussing the issue with Barov for a while, Roland finally passed his
judgment.

He stood up, looked over the entire audience, and then said solemnly, "I
pronounce... the two men guilty! The serf disobeyed the ban and trafficked grain.
He knowingly violated the law and hence is doubly guilty. I shall sentence him to
ten years of labor in the mines. If his performance and behavior are good, the
number of years may be reduced."

"Resident Parker also violated the ban, and furthermore used low-quality wheat to
make pancakes which he sold to other citizens. For these two crimes, I shall
sentence him to ten years of labor, and a fine equivalent to three times of his
earnings from the sale of pancakes. My judgments shall be enforced immediately!"

The two convicts turned feeble and fell on the ground as if paralyzed. The guards
standing on one side walked up to them and dragged them out of the hall.

The prince then instructed Sirius. "Write this matter into a bulletin and then hand
it to Barov for review and publication. I want to let all citizens know the entire
sequence of events, and make sure that this never happens again."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After the trial ended, Roland summoned Chief Knight to his office. "Did you hear
that the person who arrested the criminal was Vader again?"

Carter nodded. "However, they overdid it this time. They took off their uniforms
while arresting the criminal, and in the process, they were also reported for
getting into a fight with commoners. I'll warn him about this."

"Don't do that. In fact, you should commend him," Roland said, stroking his chin.
"Isn't it expected of a plainclothes policeman to adapt to the situation and to
understand how to apprehend a criminal? Vader was formerly a patrol team member,
and also understands the Black Street Forces well�he's, quite simply, a natural
born talent for inspection work.

When the time's right, I shall recruit him into the Security Bureau." Roland
quietly thought. "Nightingale's lacking some manpower after all."

Chapter 441: Storm Clouds

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It was a secret room of the Tower of Babel in the Hermes Cathedral.

Tayfun stared at the witch across him and couldn't help but sigh.

"Is His Holiness Mayne really so busy?"

"Of course he is." The witch stroked her golden curls. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have
sent me to meet you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Isabella, and I'm a Pure
Witch of the Supreme Pontiff."

"Your Excellency Tayfun, this..." The other two newly appointed Bishops, Soli Daal
of the Judgement Army and El of the Tribunal stared at each other. Although they
knew about the church's secret witches, they never expected them to be allowed to
participate in such important meetings.

"She's a direct subordinate of the Pope with the same rank as a Bishop�she just
doesn't have an official position in the church," explained Tayfun with a sigh.
"Bishops can also have their own Pure Witches, so when the Months of the Demons are
over, you two can choose a few witches to raise."

"I... I see." Soli widened his eyes. "So... so what kind of powers do they have?"

"This is highly confidential, and only the Supreme Pontiff knows about it."

"Why would we want to raise witches?" El seemed quite annoyed. "If the believers
find out, the church's reputation will be terribly damaged!"

"Of course, they can help you take care of shady business." Isabella raised her
eyebrows. "Also, they can sleep with you, let you vent your anger, or do many other
things... you should know that witches are completely different from regular
women."

"Absurd!"

"Ahem, that's enough." Tayfun coughed. "Your Excellency El, I already said that the
Pope's Pure Witches are of equal rank as bishops and should be seen as his
representatives, so you should show them some respect. And Lady Isabella, please
refrain from making these jokes. They aren't as old and near death as me, and might
get very angry at what you said."

"As you wish, Your Excellency," Isabella said with a smile.

"Hmph." El uttered a nasal sound and ignored the witch.

"Then let's get to business," Tayfun said, stroking his beard. "Do you have
anything to report?"

"I don't understand why His Holiness Mayne is suddenly asking all of the local
church groups to send their captured witches to the Holy City. Even if it's to
create God's Punishment Army, it's still a high price to pay." El took the lead and
said. Her tone sounded harsh probably because of her anger towards the Pure Witch.
"Ever since the order was passed, we've captured three witches. While they were
being sent over, one broke out of her cage and killed the accompanying guards, and
we have yet to find her."

"Wasn't she restrained by a 'metal leash'?" asked Soli.

"Not all churches are equipped with the most advanced God's Locket of Retribution,"
said El annoyedly. "We lost 16 believers to this witch, including four who were
supposed to become Judgement Warriors. If something like this happens again, people
might be too afraid to capture witches."

"But we all know that combat witches are a minority, and most of the Fallen aren't
capable of fighting back, so this kind of issue is very rare," said Isabella
nonchalantly. "Also, every time you bring back a wild witch, the church can gain
two new God's Punishment Warriors, so I shouldn't have to explain to you which is
more important."

"I agree with Lady Isabella," Soli said, nodding his head. "With the stress on
Hermes' line of defense increasing every day, we desperately need more God's
Punishment Warriors to fight the demonic beasts. One God's Punishment Warrior has
the fighting ability of three or four Judgement Warriors, and even more Warriors-
in-training."

"Since the Supreme Pontiff has made his decision, we should just carry it out to
the best of our ability." Tayfun turned to Soli Daal and asked, "What's the
situation at our line of defense?"

"Very difficult. Regular demonic hybrids are easy to deal with, but every time a
Fearful Beast of Hell appears, a God's Punishment Warrior gets injured or killed."
Soli shook his head. "Burying snow powder and detonating it is a good idea, but we
can't guarantee that they walk over the snow powder every time."

"His Holiness has also considered this," said Isabella frankly, "and he plans to
use the 'Siege Beast' ahead of time."

"What's that?"

"A siege weapon controlled by Pure Witches with a range, accuracy, and power that
far exceed those of the mangonel, and the key to conquering the Kingdom of
Wolfheart," explained the Pure Witch. "The 'Siege Beast' was originally used to
fight demons and giant demonic beasts, so since the Fearful Beasts of Hell showed
up early, we should start using it."

"Why didn't we use it from the beginning?" Soli asked confusedly.

"Because of the potential damage." Isabella shrugged. "We can't build new ones and
can only repair parts of it."

"So where did it come from?" El asked with a frown.

"This is top secret, so you don't have the clearance to know."

"You..."

As the secret room fell quiet, Tayfun broke the silence by clapping his hands and
saying, "Alright, since you all brought bad news, I shall share a piece of good
news. Besides a few cities in the Kingdom of Wolfheart that are still resisting,
all the other nobles have pledged their allegiance to us, just like the weaklings
in the Kingdom of Everwinter did. There'll be more believers joining the church,
and by next summer, the Holy City's resources and Judgement Army will double in
size. Also, the Kingdom of Dawn caused an uprising because of its hostility against
believers, and our people are secretly helping them fight the noble, which might
last until the end of the Months of the Demons."

"Finally, some good news." El sighed. "I thought the church was done for."
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Soli glared at her. "Aren't we
progressing exactly according to our plan?"

"Good job." Isabella nodded approvingly and glanced at the three bishops. "Since
you're all done talking, I'll share the Supreme Pontiff's new order."

The three archbishops all immediately looked at the Pure Witch.

"His Holiness orders that we adjust next year's attacks by targeting the Kingdom of
Graycastle first and the Kingdom of Dawn last."

"What?" Soli Daal was stunned. "But all of our strategies were made in accordance
with the Kingdom of Dawn, including our resources and reinforcements, so if we
change our plan now, we'll have to delay our date of the attack."

"Wasn't this plan already in place when Pope O'Brien was in power? Why are we
changing it now?" El asked curiously. "Both kingdoms will fall eventually, so why
does the order of attacks matter?"

Tayfun was silent. When His Holiness Mayne ordered him to send Pure Witches to the
Kingdom of Graycastle to plot the Western Region, he had already predicted this
change. "His Holiness wasn't interested in King's City, but in the border area of
the Kingdom of Graycastle."

After the two men stopped bickering, Tayfun said quietly, "I've nothing against the
order itself, but there's a lot at stake, and I want to see His Holiness Mayne
before we carry it out. Can you pass the message for me?"

"No need for such trouble." Isabella smiled. "It just so happens that His Holiness
wants to see you too."

Chapter 442: The Approval of God

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

As he walked down the stairs to the bottom of the church, Tayfun felt an
inexplicable chill.

In the eerily quiet church basement was the core secret of the church�the Hermes'
underground castle.

It was the first time for him to come to this place.

"His Holiness Mayne really wanted to meet me here?" According to the convention,
only the archbishop who was in line as the Pope was allowed into the Secret Area,
but he was too old to be Mayne's successor.

"You've served the church for so many years and have worked together with His
Holiness, so he trusts you deeply," Isabella said with a smile. "Also, past rules
don't apply to war-times like these, and God's will shouldn't be hidden underground
but used to guide the lost believers and lead us to face our final challenge."

"Is this... His Holiness's idea?"

"That's right," she said gently.

When they entered the Secret Area, they were greeted by two Judgement Warriors.
"Milord Bishop, His Holiness is currently testing Magic Stones, so if you are
carrying a God's Stone of Retaliation, please give it to me for now�it might affect
the stones' magic power."

Tayfun nodded and handed a string of stones to the Judgement Warrior.

"His Holiness is right here, please follow me."

Isabella turned into a long passageway and pushed open the metal door at the end.
Following the screech of the hinges, Tayfun saw another masked Pure Witch. She
blocked the doorway like a ghost, her white skin peeking through the black silk
covering her body, and she wore nothing else besides this chiffon. The most
striking thing about the witch was her dull gray eyes that were different from
those of ordinary people. They seemed to have whirlpools inside them that sucked
him in if he looked for too long.

Tayfun subconsciously lowered his head.

It was only then that he noticed that she was barefoot and her toes were covered
with flecks of red.

The archbishop recalled Isabella's sentence that "witches are completely different
from regular women."

Damn it; are all these witches demon spirits?

Those delicate feet soon moved out of the way, and Tayfun heard Isabella's voice.
"Milord?"

"Ahem." Tayfun broke out of his thoughts and walked into the room.

The room was not big, and even though the rosin torches on the walls were burning
brightly, they didn't give off their usual sweet smell.

Four Pure Witches sat around a stone table and were fiddling with a clear stone,
while the incumbent Pope, His Holiness Mayne, stood by the table.

Tayfun was about to kneel in respect, when Mayne grasped his arm and stopped him.

"There aren't any outsiders here, so there's no use for all this red tape." He
smiled. "We go way back, Milord Tayfun."

In two months, Mayne's forehead had become much more wrinkled, and he had grown a
few more strands of silver hair, but his humble tone was still the same.

"You can't do this..." Tayfun's heart suddenly felt warm. "Even if there aren't
other believers here, I still have to follow the church's rules."

"And I make the rules." The Pope smiled nonchalantly. "Anyway... are things alright
above ground? I originally wanted Isabella to bring me the news, but since you're
here, you can report directly to me."

"Yes, Your Holiness." Tayfun nodded. After he shared the recent state of the
church, he mentioned the order that Isabella had brought up earlier. "All of the
resources we prepared up until now are specific to the Kingdom of Dawn, so
adjusting our target will take a lot of effort. Why do you suddenly want to attack
the Kingdom of Graycastle first?"

"That's also why I called you here." Mayne sighed. "The Kingdom of Graycastle is
starting to show signs of decline because the Royal Decree on the Selection of
Crown Prince and Pill of Madness are achieving their expected results. Meanwhile,
the Kingdom of Dawn is in even more chaos, so both of them will eventually fall,
and it doesn't really matter whom we attack first."

"I agree, but... Graycastle is still a formidable enemy."

"I have two reasons for changing our plan of attack," said the Pope slowly,
clasping his hands behind his back. "The first is basically the reason why you're
worried: The Kingdom of Graycastle is vast and rich in resources, which means it's
a high-risk, high-return opponent. If we can make it a territory of the church
earlier, our benefits will be much greater than if we conquer the Kingdom of Dawn.
If I had ten more years, I would definitely act according to Lord O'Brien's plan,
but we don't have enough time. The appearance of the Fearful Beast of Hell means
that the Bloody Moon may appear even earlier than predicted in the Holy Book. In
times like these, a little risk and more sacrifices will be worth it."

Tayfun nodded slightly, thinking, "This is a good reason, but the problem is... it
doesn't seem Mayne will do it in this way."He continued, "And the second reason
is..."

"Roland Wimbledon of the Western Region," the Pope said decisively.

"You mean... Prince Roland of the Kingdom of Graycastle?" Tayfun was shocked.

"By combining the past year's reports, I've discovered something incredible." Mayne
patted the bishop's shoulder. "Both the church and the Kingdom of Graycastle failed
in all their attacks against him. The first failure can be traced back to the one
when Duke of the Western Region attacked him, and what did Roland have at the time?
Nothing but a run-down small town. Outsiders think that he defeated the Duke's
knightage by succumbing to the demons, but we all know that besides
Extraordinaries, a few witches have nothing against knights equipped with God's
Stones of Retaliation."

"Also, the reports have only become more and more confusing, such as the secret
letter sent to the Holy City two months ago, which stated that King Timothy once
sent 2,000 crazed soldiers to attack the Western Region and was immediately
defeated. What does this mean?"

Tayfun couldn't help but gasp. "2,000 crazed soldiers! Even in Hermes, this is a
considerable force."

"If these messages are read separately, they might seem normal, but when combined,
they're very shocking�Roland Wimbledon has never lost a single battle!" the Pope
said quietly. "Also, our reports show that his power is growing at a concerning
pace, and he seems to be preparing for expansion. If we delay for another year, the
entire Kingdom of Graycastle may fall into his hands, so it'll be even more costly
to try to defeat him." He paused and turned to Tayfun. "There are a lot of matters
to be dealt with in the Secret Area, and I have no time for the operation and
expansion of the upper levels of the church, so I can only entrust them to you."

*******************

After the Archbishop left, the appearance of the room suddenly changed.

The torches on the wall, the Pure Witch who was studying the magic stones, and the
stone table disappeared. The figure of the Pope also gradually faded, leaving only
Isabella, Zero, and the woman in black.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known that Prince Roland of Kingdom of
Graycastle was so interesting," said Isabella. "Why do I get the feeling that he,
rather than the church, is more likely to defeat the demons?"

"What does that mean?" asked the woman in black, frowning. "Do you want to betray
the church?"

"Betray? Don't phrase it like that." Isabella shrugged. "Isn't the purpose of the
church to ensure that human beings survive the Battle of Divine Will? If someone
else can do this, I don't care who I serve."

"You�!"

"Stop fighting," said Zero. "Isabella isn't wrong. In the so-called Battle of
Divine Will, only the final winner can be protected by God." She looked
expressionlessly at the two witches. "As for who will receive the approval of
God�the Union or a prince of the Kingdom of Graycastle, I think this war will give
us the answer."

Chapter 443: The Conspiracy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Somewhere to the north of Longsong Stronghold, the Western Region of Kingdom of

Graycastle

Sir Eltek was sitting by the fireplace contemplating.

They had not heard anything from Miso Eltek since he had left the night before. It
was morning now, and he had yet to return.

Sir Eltek felt a deep sense of unease.

Recently, Miso had been very close with the majorfamilies in the Western Region. As
the prince�s agent in Stronghold, the Honeysuckle Familyhad announced His Highness'
intention to integrate the Western Region. All territories would adopt one law and
the enfeoffment rights of the nobles would be taken back, which meant they could
not expand their subordinate nobles or recruit knights to fight for them.

As for lower nobles like the Elteks, they felt little influence and enjoyed many
benefits. As the rumor went, anyone who was loyal to His Highness would be rewarded
his favor. Right now, the less influential nobles were the safest people because
they would determine the success or failure of His Highness' reform plan.

Consequently, the smartest thing to do was wait and see.

However, Miso Eltek hadn�t shared that philosophy.

"My lord, the attendants looking for the second master have returned." said the
steward, pushing open the door to the knight's study.

"Have they found him?"

"No," the steward shook his head. "They�ve searched the taverns, casinos, theaters
and brothels and still can't find him."

Eltek was increasingly anxious. He had dispatched two companies of scouts to search
for Miso. The first one went to the homes of lower nobility nearby. Most of these
nobles were vassals in the employ of Duke Ryan and retained a status comparable to
the Duke�s family. Miso often went to these places for parties or dinners.

The second group went to the entertainment venues, popular spots for young nobles.

Seeing both parties return empty-handed, the knight's sense of dread intensified.

He stepped to the window, looking toward the eastern territory. The territory of
the Elk Family lay in that direction. It was the largest earl domain in the Western
Region. Since the collapse of Duke Ryan, Petrov from the Honeysuckle Family had
completely swung to Prince Roland and the Elk Family had edged ahead to become the
leading power against the prince.

Hell, had Miso gone there...

"My lord, the second master has returned!" Suddenly an attendant ran into the
study, breathless. "He's changing clothes in the hall, and it seems he is getting
ready to go out."

"What!" The knight immediately grasped his crutch and rushed downstairs,
disregarding the steward's pleas for restraint.

The moment Eltek stepped into the hall, he felt his anger rise to a new level. He
saw Miso replace his thick coat with a thin and soft leather. The shiny armor of a
knight was in front of him and two squires were doing their final preparation work.

"Where did you go yesterday?!" The old knight couldn't help shouting. "What are you
up to now?"

"Father, our chance is coming," Miso said excitedly, "A chance to be baron. Maybe
even viscount!"

Eltek felt his blood pressure increasing. "Who told you this?"

"Jacques Medde, he brought the king's confidential order!"

Eltek took two steps back, his heart sinking. Jacques Medde was the eldest son of
the Elk Family. Never mind the involvement with Timothy. Everyone knew that Timothy
wanted to eradicate Roland Wimbledon.

His worst nightmare had occurred and now it was even more serious than he had
anticipated.

"What did you hear?"

"Lord Medde summoned the nobility of the Western Region into his castle and opened
his Majesty's holograph. It said that if someone conquers Longsong Stronghold, the
king will promote his title and expand his domain!" It seemed that Miso was still
immersed in the grand scene. "Lady Miller from the Wild Rose Family, Lord Cavan
from the Maple Family and Lord Remy Noah from the Wolf Family all pressed their
fingerprints and pledged an oath of allegiance, without hesitation. The rest of the
nobles and knights are determined to follow the four families and remove the
Honeysuckle Family."

It was ridiculous. How could the four families make such a decision based on a
piece of paper? The knight lamented inwardly. Had you forgotten how they had
treated King Wimbledon III when Duke Ryan was guarding the Western Region? When had
they become so loyal?
The only answer was that this was a complete fraud to convince the lower nobles to
become pioneers in the movement. The plan would commence in a few months and the
four families might agree on the benefits after finding success.

Eltek opened his mouth but didn't share his thoughts. This was Miso Eltek, not his
eldest son Ferlin, and such dissuasion wouldn't convince him.

"Where are you going in this armor?" the old knight asked after short silence.

"To win honor and status." Miso wore a cuirass made of stainless steel. "Morning
Light, the top knight in the Western Region, only won honor for himself. While I
fight for my whole family. Father, when this is finished, you'll know that I'm as
worthy of respect as my brother."

"If Timothy vanquishes Prince Roland, your words may come to pass. However, the
army of the new king is still far away while Prince Roland's army is very near,"
the old knight thought.

"Don't you remember how Duke Ryan collapsed?" Eltek said in a low voice.

"Things are different this time. The king has shipped a number of snow powder
weapons, the same ones used by Prince Roland. He'll provide better ones to Medde.
Without the possession of superior weapons, can Roland seize Longsong Stronghold
again?" Miso clipped his sword to his waist and nodded to his father. "The battle
is coming soon. Please wait here for good news."

Looking at his back, Eltek threw his crutch to the ground.

"My lord, why didn't you stop him?" the steward came up to hold the trembling
Knight.

"It would be easy to stop him, but the family would suffer a great calamity," he
nodded slowly. A noble attending the 'rebellion' meeting hadn�t shown up at the
agreed place. What did this mean for the four families? The crime of escape or
defection could lead the whole Eltek Family to death.

"Look on the bright side, if the four families win," the steward comforted. "After
all, the months of the demons are long and it'll take two or even three months for
the snow to melt. When the army of Prince Roland arrives, the king's army may have
already besieged the Western Region."

If it were the past, he would view it in the same way. However, after having
visited Border Town once, the knight had a totally different view of Prince Roland.
Not to mention his eldest son Ferlin Eltek and his family's benefactor Lady Agatha
were all living in Border Town.

He turned to his steward and told him in a stern voice, "Go to Border Town
immediately and deliver this news to His Highness. If the city gate has closed, go
to the docks in the outskirts and find some ferrymen or fishermen. It doesn�t
matter how you do it, just do it quickly!"

Chapter 444: The Intelligence

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Before the housekeeper left the Eltek territory, Roland received a letter from the
Second Army of Stronghold delivered by a bird.
An hour later, Petrov's call for help also reached the town's castle.

Since the carrier pigeon could only carry limited information, Roland had to
combine the two messages and discovered a piece of astonishing news.

The four families of the Western Region had rebelled!

"Who on earth gave them the confidence to plot treason under my nose?"

Roland immediately summoned Carter and Iron Axe and showed them the notes.

"Your Highness, is this..."

"A message from Stronghold," Roland said angrily. The winter was drawing to an end,
and the new year was in three days. Not only were there various matters concerning
the city construction, but also the installation of the equipment for the Three
Supplies Project required his instruction. "Those nobles chose to trouble me at the
wrong time; they must be looking forward to dying!"

According to the secret letter, the inner city nobles led a bunch of squires to
attack the city guards. By the time the sentries on the city wall realized
something was wrong, the switch for the northern drawbridge had fallen into the
control of the enemies. The sentries could do nothing but light the beacon fire and
rely on the city wall to hold their positions.

When the other members of the Second Army saw the beacon signal, they followed the
emergency response protocol by dividing the camp's ten teams of about 50 soldiers
in total into two platoons. One platoon charged toward the north gate, while the
other went to the Stronghold castle. Petrov's secret letter was sent after the
second platoon confronted the enemies at the castle and realized they were fighting
the local nobilities.

"Petrov Hull mentioned that the attackers sieging the castle were carrying the four
families' banners, which means this rebellion was planned," Carter frowned after
reading the notes. "Since the four families are acting together, there must be a
leader among them."

Indeed, the four families, or five families including those under Duke Ryan, were
great nobles on equal footing. If they were to set aside their prejudices and
cooperate, it was most likely because a bigger force was behind them. Otherwise,
with the Earls looking down upon each other, it would take over a decade for them
to decide on a leader.

At the moment, there were only one or two people who would be interested in
meddling with the Western Region.

"Do you mean... Timothy in the King's City?" Iron Axe looked at the Chief Knight.
As a member of the Ironsand people of the Mojin Clan, he was far less sensitive to
the political situation of the Kingdom of Graycastle than Carter was.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's the church," Roland twitched his mouth and said.
"Judging from their actions at Fallen Dragon Ridge, it's only a matter of time
before they attack the Western Region."

"The problem is, in the second letter, Petrov mentioned the enemies might have
firearms." Carter frowned. "Does it mean they have learned the formula for
gunpowder?"

"Snow powder isn't unknown to the church and Timothy, but they have a long way to
go before they can use it smoothly." The prince knocked on the table lightly. "What
puzzles me is that with Border Town as the nearest town to Stronghold, the help
they get must be from somewhere further. So even with the support of an unknown
force, how did they gain enough confidence to confront the First Army?"

"Probably because we're in the Months of the Demons," Iron Axe replied after
contemplating for a while. "Although last time Your Highness defeated the Duke's
knights using thunder power, our troops didn't show extraordinary skills in battle.
Now with the snow blocking the roads and demonic beasts attacking the borders, it
seems like perfect timing for a successful rebellion, and it'll be at least two
months before you have the resources to attack Longsong Stronghold."

"And I'll be hindered by the lofty city walls and powerful flintlocks?"

"Yes," Iron Axe couldn't help but grin. "They have all the weapons that you have,
plus the insurmountable city wall and reinforcement of an unknown force, so they
have a very good chance of beating you at the foot of the city wall. That's
probably what they thought."

"Yet they're fully unaware of the power of Border Town." Roland stood up. "Iron
Axe!"

"At your command, Your Highness!" Iron Axe instantly stood at attention.

"The First Army must immediately prepare for an expedition. We'll set off tomorrow
morning," Roland said decisively. "Choose 500 soldiers. Carry six field
artilleries. You are in charge of making the specific arrangements."

"Yes, Sir!" Iron Axe saluted.

The scale of the First Army had quadrupled its original 500 soldiers to 2,200.
Revolving rifles were upgraded, and their firepower was drastically increased.
Besides, the efficiency of the First Army's executing instructions was greatly
enhanced due to the improvement of the soldiers' educational level. Upon command,
personnel would deploy ammunition and rations based on the number of soldiers on
the operation and the number of days. The logistics work for 500 people could be
done in almost one day. Compared with the knights or the mercenaries, who needed
weeks to prepare, Roland's army was functioning at an incredible speed.

The army headed towards the inner city of Stronghold on 11 paddle steamers. After
entering mass production, the production of a boat with a reinforced concrete hull
took only five days, which was even a deliberately lowered speed, because its
number was limited by the available crew and steam engines.

"Carter!"

"At your command, Your Highness," the Chief Knight said and raised his head high.

"You stay in Border Town."

The corners of the knight's mouth instantly fell down. "Wha-what? No. Your
Highness. How could you leave me behind again?"

"We're still in the Months of the Demons. Demonic beasts pose a greater threat than
the nobility," Roland said unwaveringly. "Guard the town well."

After the two of them retreated, Roland sighed. "This time the witches need to go
with me."
"I'll follow you, no matter where you go," Nightingale said with a smile.

Considering their opponent could be the church, Roland knew that only the witches
could effectively counter the Pure Witches' attacks without God's Stones of
Retaliation. After debating his options, Roland decided on the witches who would
accompany him: Lightning, Maggie, Sylvie, Nana, Lily, and Nightingale. "If I add
the three combat witches from Sleeping Island to the list, �t'll be very hard for
the Pure Witches to defeat us."

Roland stood at the window and looked at the snowy mountains and plains.

"If I view the Impassable Mountain Range as the city wall of Stronghold, then the
Barbarian Land in the north is also the domain of the four families, a territory
beyond the reach of my power. Elk, Wild Rose, Maple Leaf, and Wolf families... have
operated separately on their own lands for over a decade, forming their unique laws
and customs, so even Ryan, the overlord of the Western Region, seldom interfered
with their businesses," mused Roland. The prince had intended to slowly divide and
annex these aristocratic territories after building the new city, but the rebellion
gave him an early opportunity�one to swallow the vast land and population of
Stronghold in one gulp.

He didn't intend to let go of the nobles this time.

Chapter 445: Attacks

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Cacusim arrived at the dock as the first rays of sunlight started to peep through
the clouds.

Unlike the usual, the dock was packed with silent soldiers. They stood erect, with
their sacks and long-barrelled guns on their backs, looking like a thick forest in
a storm. Although the dock was crowded, everyone was moving in an organized manner.
Watching the soldiers board the paddle steamer one by one, Cacusim was filled with
an indescribable sense of power and strength.

He swallowed hard while thinking,

These are the soldiers trained by His Highness.

"How incredible!" The old man had traveled from Seawindshire to the Port of
Clearwater as a youth. This distance was over half the Kingdom of Graycastle, and
he had also led the commercial fleet to the Fjords and nearby islands. So, he had
personally witnessed the arrogant demeanor of the armored knights, as well as the
fierce demeanor of the barbarians who killed beasts bare-handed. To him, these
soldiers were undeniable fighters that could exercise extreme power. However, he
had not expected to feel that power once again, but while standing with the group
of ordinary people he could feel it and it was stronger than ever.

"No doubt these are just ordinary people..." He thought. It had been about four
months since Cacusim arrived at Border Town, and each day he understood the town a
little better. He knew that the First Army consisted mostly of locals and that many
of them were miners, hunters, furnace labors, and masons before they joined the
army. Because of this, they had never received any professional combat training.

Nevertheless, in just a few months, these people had become as brave and
disciplined as any knight. "What magic did his Highness use on them?"
"Are you... really going?" Cacusim heard Wade whisper from behind him. He could
tell from his lowered voice, that he too was silenced by the presence of the army.

"Why did I apply for the captain position if I wasn't going?" Cacusim answered
while taking a deep breath.

"But they are off to fight." Wade continued.

"They all offer their services to His Highness." The old man corrected. Without
turning his head he added, "And so do I."

Following the momentary silence, Wade then implored, "Stay alive."

Cacusim waved in response.

...

Cacusim boarded the sixth paddle steamer as it arrived with the swirling snow.
According to the tradition, a captain can name their own ship, and even though this
boat belonged to His Highness, he was still allowed to decide its name.

Yet, he still had not made up his mind.

This was the second time he had assumed the position of captain since his
retirement ten years ago. So, he wished to come up with a name dedicated to his
memory.

"Captain, there you are!" As soon as Cacusim stepped into the cabin at the helm,
the first mate came up to greet him. "We are now preheating the boiler, and I
promise it will soon be ready to go"

The young man was called Pike and he was from the Southern Territory. He had a few
years experience fishing on the sea. If he was a part of another fleet, he wouldn't
even pass as a sailor but on this boat, everyone was a newbie.

"Everyone's here?"

"All are on board. You were the last one," Pike replied with a wink.

"If you don't know how to respect your captain, I'll be happy to teach you through
a full day of deck cleaning."

"Yes, captain." The young man shouted, erecting himself immediately, "Of course I
do!"

"That's better," Cacusim commented. While stroking his beard he gave Pike orders.
"Tell the boiler house to stoke up the fire, but not to shut the damn steam valve.
I don't want to rear-end the boat in front of us!"

"Yes, gotcha." Without finishing the sentence, Pike had slipped back into his
previous playful manner. He quickly winked at the old man and dashed out of the
cabin.

"That rascal," Cacusim mumbled while shaking his head smiling. He was more at ease
after the interaction, as if he had slipped back to the good days of when he roamed
the sea. The old man went back to the wheel, where he gently stroked its wooden
handle. Slowly he began to remember the operating procedures for a paddle steamer.

The stone boat invented by His Highness was very different from the sailboat. It
didn't have a mast or a cabin below deck, instead, it had two chambers. The first
chamber is located at the helm and is called the wheelhouse. This room has two
large windows from which the captain can see the route and navigate clearly. The
second chamber is found in the middle and it contains the boiler that powers the
boat.

Behind the wheelhouse, there was a bare deck and this space was often filled by
miners during training. During this time of training, they would often travel west
along the Redwater River to drop the miners off at the edge of the Misty Forest,
where they could find coal. Coal lasted longer than wood and was the preferred fuel
for Seawindshire. Now, there was a makeshift shed constructed from cloth,
apparently set up in preparation for the boarded soldiers.

Although Cacusim was not familiar with the stone boat, he soon realized it was not
hard to operate and even simpler than a sailboat in many ways. First of all, this
boat didn't require wind and sails for direction and power. Overall it took less
man power to run. Furthermore, It would not be hard to teach a villager how to run
a stove, whereas it would take at least six months for them to master sailing. The
stone boat could run by itself for a long time as long as the engine was on and the
steam valve was shut.

Just then, the tranquility of Border Town's early morning was broken by a dull
steam whistle from the front of the line.

The first boat was sailing off.

"Captain, the water in the boiler is ready!" reported Pike who scurried back to the
wheel house.

"Ring the bell to tell Bigpad and Grizzly that it is time to shut the valve and
speed up. It's time to move." Cacusim solemnly gave the instructions.

"Yes, sir. Advance!" Pike pulled on the long iron string attached to the wall,
which would ring the bell in the boiler house and deliver the captain's command.

In response, the boat shook violently, and the wooden tires on either side started
to move slowly.

Cacusim held tight to the wheel at the helm and looked straight ahead. When Vader
asked him why he wanted to fight, he actually did not tell him the truth. Saying it
was to serve His Highness was only a small part of the reason.

The truth was he simply enjoyed being a "captain".

It didn't matter if it was a sailboat or a paddle steamer, Cacusim truly loved the
feel of the wheel in his hands as he navigated the bow through the thrusting waves.

This is the life he really wants.

"Full sail... No, continue to shovel coal!" The old man turned to face starboard
while hollering. "Hold on guys! We're setting out!"

*******************

"If you ferry me to Border Town the Eltkes will pay you well. How about five... no,
ten gold royals?" The steward asked while blocking the troubled boatman's cabin
door. The steward had placed his left foot in the crack of the door to prevent the
boatman from closing it in his face and effectively shutting him out.
"Y... Your Excellency, I'm happy to be at your service, but I just can't." The
boatman stammered, "L... Look, there isn't even a shed above my boat to protect you
from the snow. It wouldn't be a problem to ferry you across the river, but to
Border Town... that would take several days! "Just consider this freezing weather.
Where would we sleep?" the boatman implored. "We would become frozen like popsicles
in just one night on the boat, wouldn't we?"

"Are there any other boatmen nearby who can ferry me to Border Town?" the steward
persisted.

"No, not a one." the boatman denied while waving his hand. "We only have small
boats. Y... You should go to Stronghold to find a boat you can spend the night on."

If I could have entered Longsong Stronghold, why did I come here looking for a
boatman that fished and ferried for a living? the steward thought to himself as the
boatman shut the door.

The steward kicked at the snow. Ever since the four families started to attack
Stronghold, all the city gates had been closed. He spent a long time taking this
detour and now found that all of his efforts were in vain.

It will be getting dark soon. How am I going to complete my Lord's task?

The steward sullenly looked at the Redwater River, but he was soon stunned.

Good Heavens, what's that?

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, making sure what he was seeing was not an
illusion. A huge fleet was coming down the river and the boats were unlike any he
had seen before. Through the dense misty snow, the vessels roared and whistled
towards him at full speed. There was not any sail on the gray boats and yet they
were still proceeding against the wind, their bows cutting the water and cleaving
through the waves.

On the first boat, he could see a flag flapping in the wind with the embroidered
emblem of a tower and a gun. The steward held his breath in realization, "This is
the fleet of Prince Roland Wimbledon!"

Chapter 446: Here Comes the Giant Beast

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Longsong Stronghold was bisected by a branch of the Redwater River; to the West
laid the residential area and to the East laid vast farming lands.

Unlike the other big cities that were set in the suburbs of farmlands, the towering
city wall of the Stronghold encircled both the residential area and a portion of
the farmlands. It was built to defend against human beings, and not demonic beasts.
However, even if the city was under siege, Stronghold would still flourish and be
able to supply its people.

As such, the outer wall of Longsong Stronghold was split where the river divided
the two sections of the city. Between the divide in the walls hung several massive
chains which were the width of a man's arm. If an enemy decided to attack from the
river, the hemp cords holding the heavy chains would be cut and send them crashing
into the water to stop the enemy below.

Fortunately, the inner land of the Western Region had rarely been attacked by any
fleets. So, these cables had almost never come into use, and would not this time
either. Out on the water, Roland's fleet pushed through the storm. Around twilight,
they were able to see the silhouette of the fortress in the distance. Strands of
the beacon's fire could be seen flashing above the city, slashing through the
inkiness of the ever gradually darkening sky.

"The enemies have already reached the lord's castle and there are some militias
fighting with the guards at the north gate of the city wall. It looks like they
can't hold up any longer." Lightning, who had carefully investigated the situation
in the city, continued giving her detailed report to the prince, "There are around
200 people attacking the castle. The first round of attacks failed. The enemies
have weapons similar to our flintlocks, but they look completely different."

"Is Petrov alright?" Roland inquired, showing concern. Roland currently cared most
about the safety of his agent.

"He's fine, other than being a little frightened. But... "

"But what?"

"His family was killed," Lightning answered, her mouth twitching. "His Excellency
Petrov warned his father and asked him to get to the castle. However, his other
family members were taken as hostages, including the Countess. They were being held
by the four families in exchange for surrender and subsequently they were executed
one by one." The little girl paused for a moment before continuing, "I took an
opportunity to fly into the castle to tell him that you would be coming soon and he
had only one request."

Roland nodded and asked, "What is it?"

"Blood for blood."

There was an unwritten rule among nobles where people with bestowed titles were
exempt from being murdered in times of battle. In the case of the family of Earl
Honeysuckle, most of his loved ones had been honored with a knighthood. However,
the four families had betrayed that rule. Not only did they hate the Honeysuckle
Family because of the benefits of Roldan's support but they were also being driven
by a new political power.

In light of this, Roland was almost certain the power behind them was the new king,
Timothy Wimbledon. He now realized there was no room for mercy and that he needed
to crush them. Supporting the king and executing rebels was very different from
helping the church slaughter nobles. The prince looked towards Stronghold and
coldly gave the order, "Go straight into the city and take the dock!"

*******************

Ayt heard the sound of footsteps below the city wall.

He raised the flintlock numbly, aiming it at the dark hole below. This was the only
path to climb up the city wall from within. There had been several rounds of
attacks since the enemies captured the city gate, but they were still not able to
seize the northern part of the city wall.

The battle started yesterday at noon and had yet to cease. He hadn't expected to be
standing in the cold, brisk wind for so long. After watching his supporting
comrades fall one by one into pools of blood, all he could focus on was fighting.

"Are they coming again?" Seeing a long-barrelled gun pop up next to him, Ayt tilted
his head to the side and found that it was his unit leader, Bronzehill.

"I could hear them," Ayt replied feebly, "but I have no idea how many there are in
the darkness."

"They don't know how many of us are left either," Bronzehill comforted him.

"So... how many are left?"

Bronzehill answered after a moment's hesitation, "Only five. Raven just took his
last breath."

"And we probably won't see the sun tomorrow," Ayt said bitterly. After the initial
feelings of fear and panic, he then became numb. It was this experience that helped
him finally understand what his instructor had meant when he said, "Only a real
battle will quickly make you a man." However, this did not make the current
situation any better. Out of the three units, there were only five people left.
Even if the enemies didn't make it up the wall, they would likely die from
starvation or exposure to cold. "Can we still surrender?"

"Surrender?" Bronzehill snorted. "Didn't you hear what they were yelling? 'Kill the
rebels!' There's nothing but death ahead. We'd better take down as many as possible
while we can."

Ayt knew the unit leader was right. Many captured soldiers from the Second Army
were beheaded. They were not nobles, and nobody would pay a ransom. But... he just
hated the idea of dying up here.

The instructor had told them about how happy life in Border Town was and promised
that once the Months of the Demons had passed, soldiers who did well in the Second
Army would be transferred to the First Army and receive free housing there. There
was plenty of food in Border Town, as well as running water and a heating system
that could warm up a whole room without ignition...

He wanted to survive and see the amazing things that his instructor had described.

"Here they come!" Bronzehill suddenly shouted while pulling the trigger. In the
muzzle flash, Ayt could see the figure of the enemy revealed in the darkness. Six
or seven people were creeping slowly up along the wall, holding up their shields.
He even caught a glimpse of the terror in their eyes.

The unit leader missed his target, fortunately, he was already pointing the gun in
the right direction.

He aimed at the fleeting figure and fired again.

There was the muffled sound of a bullet hitting a wooden shield, and then a shriek,
followed by the sound of a heavy object rolling down the stairs. Realizing that
they had been exposed, the rest of the enemies rushed to the opening recklessly.

Bronzehill was struggling to reload his gun, but his frozen hands hindered the
process, slowing him greatly. Ayt jumped back from the open pit and groped
frantically for his gunpowder sack. His heart sank when he found it empty and he
realized that he had already used it all.

According to his training, now was the time to use the bayonets.

He pulled out the bayonet and struggled to attach the knife to the front of his
gun. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he finally got it to attach and lifted it
just in time as the enemy breached the hole and rushed at him.

Instantly firing, Bronzehill took the first man down, but there was a second close
on his heels and this one managed to slide a sword into Bronzehill's chest.

Ayt was stunned and his training took over. He mechanically thrust his bayonet in
futility, only striking the enemy's shield. The enemy easily kicked him to the
ground, disarming him completely.

Am I really going to die here?

Looking up at the night sky in despair, he noticed a dark figure above him.

He normally wouldn't notice something so dark against the inky sky that night, but
the shadow was close and rapidly getting closer still. It plummeted towards him
like a collapsed curtain made of night.

Ayt's eyes bulged as the shadow became more defined and he realized it was a giant
beast!

This was a beast only found in nightmares. Its huge crimson mouth was gaping, head
larger than a bull's, and giant wings that almost covered the entire length of the
city wall.

The giant beast descended right in front of Ayt, crushing the enemies who just
surfaced from the opening.

"Ow... Ow...!"

It released a thunderous growl that was loud enough to wake the dead!

Chapter 447: The Reaper

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Ayt was paralyzed with fright. He helplessly stared at the beast, who now also
turned to look at him. He could clearly see mucus dripping from its beige fangs.

"Relax. I'm not going to eat you." The beast suddenly spoke in human language with
a muddy voice, which almost horrified him enough to shriek.

He was astounded again when seeing a girl jump off the beast's back. She walked
towards Bronzehill, turned him over and checked him out. She said to the beast,
"He's alive. Maggie, send him to Nana."

"Ow!" The beast seemed to understand what she said. It grabbed Bronzehill with its
claws and flew up again. The flapping of its wings stirred up the air, producing
strong winds, which made Ayt unable to open his eyes. When the wind and snow
finally stopped, he squinted at the city wall but saw nothing at all�as if
everything that had happened was just a dream.

"No, it's not a dream... That girl is still here!" he thought.

He vaguely saw the girl's figure in the darkness. There was apparently no light
around, but her pupils were emitting weird golden lights, like stars in the night.

"You... you're..."
"I came to help you." The girl's reply left him dumbfounded.

"Wh-what?" Ayt felt this was more implausible than a dream. "You're here to help
me?"

"Yes. His Highness Roland sent me here." She squatted down, dug out a long sword
from the flattened corpses and swung it, completely disregarding the fact that the
sword was covered with flesh and blood.

Ayt was overcome by a feeling of sickness. He retched twice but vomited nothing
except bile. Just then, outside the city wall, a battle cry resounded again. The
beast had just terrified the enemies?but now that they saw it had left, and they
had no idea what had happened up there on top of the city wall, they began to stir
again.

"By 'His Highness'... you mean the prince of Border Town?" He wiped his mouth and
gasped.

"Is there another Roland besides him?" the black-haired girl asked, as she started
to dig another weapon from a corpse. Ayt immediately turned his head away from her.

"But it takes at least three days to get here from Border Town... How did His
Highness know about the noble's rebellion so quickly?" Ayt swallowed hard and
continued, "and the beast just now..."

"It's not a beast, but a witch that came here to save you." Her voice turned cold.
"I don't have time to answer all your questions. Just keep quiet."

As there was no flintlock blocking them this time, the enemies easily came up on
top of the city wall. When torches lit the place up again, they were surprised to
find only a girl standing in front of them.

Malicious laughter soon broke the silence.

Ayt immediately knew what they meant by the laughter.

"Stay alert. Don't give them any chance to play any dirty tricks on us."

"Don't worry, my lord. We'll take care of it, but later..."

"When I'm done, I'll leave her to you."

"Hey... fine with me."

"Qui-quickly come back here to me!" Ayt struggled to stand up, but what happened
next made him stare in amazement.

A silver light chopped down and the laughter died abruptly.

The leader of the enemies was chopped into two pieces by the long sword. His shield
and armor could not stop it at all. In fact, he didn't even see the girl strike.

When the two pieces of his body fell down with blood spurting out from the wounds,
everyone's smile froze on their face.

However, this was just the beginning.

The black-haired girl took one step forward and swept her sword. Before Ayt could
clearly see her movements, he heard the sound of flesh scraping and bones
breakings.

The three men had no time to react as they were ripped open in their stomachs.

Their intestines fell out mixed with blood and spilled all over the ground.

"You..." Ayt opened his mouth a little but didn't know what to say.

The girl looked back at him and said, "Go find your surviving battle companions and
gather on top of the wall. Someone will come to fetch you later." With these words,
she jumped directly off the city wall.

"The city wall here was thirty feet tall!" He endured all the pains in his body,
fumbled to climb close to the edge of the wall and looked down. He saw the crowd
down there turning into a meat grinder. The girl killed wherever she went. She
freely dashed among the crowd, with her weapon moving around smoothly in her hand.
She easily cut down the entire enemy who dared to stand in front of her, like the
reaping of wheat.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the enemy collapsed.

They'd never seen such a fierce opponent, who was faster than a snow wolf and
stronger than a grizzly bear. Facing her sword, nobody could react, dodge, or
fight. The noblemen hurriedly retreated and the siege was extinguished, merely by
one person.

She followed the escaping crowd all the way, leaving a trail of blood behind her.
At this sight, Ayt dropped to the ground and cold sweat soaked his spine.

That's a witch?

Well. whatever... I survived!

*******************

The Stronghold castle was tightly besieged by the four families' armies. A dozen
bonfires around the castle brightly lit the place up.

After a day and night of fighting, the second floor of the castle had already been
conquered. The Honeysuckles now shrunk back to the very top of it and must be
suffering from both hunger and fear up there.

Jacques Medde looked at this towering lord's castle and began to feel excited.

After his father died, he traveled all the way back to the territory from the
King's City just to inherit the Earl's title, but now he had an even better chance.

Timothy mentioned in the secret letter that if he could take hold of Longsong
Stronghold for the King's City, the king's army would come here when the snow
melted to conquer the rebel king, Roland Wimbledon. Once the rebel king was
eliminated, Timothy would probably let him govern the Western Region.

Together with the territory of Earl Honeysuckle, Jacques would have both the land
and title of a duke.

Duke Medde. What a wonderful name!

This castle would also become my residence.

"My lord, the sixth platoon has come back down," a knight came and reported, "and
they said they heard a lot less flintlock sounds from the enemy. Is it time to send
iron armor platoons up there?"

Jacques Medde nodded and said, "Go and arrange it."

Iron armor platoons were specially developed to fight against flintlocks. During
the fighting, three or four soldiers formed a team�two of them held shields made of
wood with several layers of iron coating, which could cover them all up, and had
holes for aiming and firing. In order to make more shields like this, he made the
tough decision to tear down a dozen knight's armors. Of course, those thick iron-
coated shields had a weakness, too. As it was hard to carry and the whole team had
to move slowly, they would easily become targets for their enemies.

"Luckily, the Honeysuckles can't hold out any longer." Jacques sneered silently.
"They reacted unexpectedly quickly and withdrew part of their soldiers and knights
back into the castle before the four families' armies arrived, and they had just
only nearly a hundred men. It's impossible for them to fight a long, hard battle.

It'll probably take several days before Prince Roland receives the news.

If I send Petrov's head as a gift to Roland Wimbledon, how will he look like?

Chapter 448: A Hail of Bullets

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"My lord, the dock area in the west city seems strange," reported a guard who was
in charge of sealing off the street. "I've heard strange noises coming from there
and sent two platoons to investigate but none of them came back."

"What?" Jacques Medde said with a frown, "You must have misheard it."

"No, it's clear, like the sounds of heavy, rapid breathing. Wheeze, wheeze..." the
guard said, imitating the sounds.

"Maybe it's the snoring sounds of a tramp?"

"My lord, in this weather, anyone sleeping outside will be frozen to death," the
guard insisted, "and nobody can snore that loudly. It must be a giant almost as
tall as the city wall if they're really snoring sounds."

The Earl stared at him for a good long while and then turned away, shouting,
"Knight Dowcan!"

"My lord, what can I do for you?" a knight wearing the badge of the Maple Family on
his chest responded, striding toward the Earl.

"Summon your platoon and follow my guard to investigate the dock in the city."
Jacques patted the knight's shoulder and added, "Inform me at once if you've any
news."

"Eh... Could you send someone else there?" the young knight said, hesitating. "My
father urged me to enter the castle together with you."

"It won't take you long to go to the dock, but I can assure you here it'll take a
lot longer," the Earl said with a smile, "and if the Honeysuckle Family surrenders,
I'll wait for you here."
"Ah... fine."

After the knight left with his guard, Jacques' facial expression turned stone-cold.
"Keep dreaming! You think you can receive the same credit by sending a son here to
enter the castle with me? His Majesty mentioned only me in the secret letter!"

Before long, he heard the distant sound of gunfire coming from the west.

Jacques was instantly on the alert. "What's that? The eldest son of the Maple
Family has no flintlock."

When he was planning to send some of his knights there to check the situation, the
guard who had reported to him earlier stumbled back into the battalion. "My, my
lord... things have gone wrong!"

"What went wrong?"

"The rebel king... he came here!" The guard said with his eyes widely opened,
"Thousands of enemies are heading for the castle!"

"You meant Roland Wimbledon's army?" Jacques raised his hand and slapped the guard
on the face. "Thousands of them? If you dare to talk nonsense, I'll hang you up on
the city gate!"

"My lord, they carry the flags of the Kingdom of Graycastle." The guard did not
dare to dodge. He got down on one knee and continued, "I wanted the squire of
Knight Dowcan to catch one or two enemies to get further information, but the
moment they charged towards them, they were, were..."

"What happened to them?" the Earl pressed.

"They were shot down by intense gunfire." The Earl could tell from the guard's face
that he seemed to have witnessed very terrifying scenes. "At that time, it looked
like numerous fires popped out all of a sudden in the darkness and the cracking
sounds never stopped. Twenty people only charged forward for less than 100 steps
before they were all shot down and so did the horses!" The guard swallowed and went
on, "My lord, I've never seen such an intense gunfire. If there weren't more than a
thousand enemies, how could they eliminate the knight's platoon in just a blink?"

"Where is the eldest son of the Maple Family?"

"He's... run away."

The Earl sank, weak-kneed, into his chair and was completely confused. "How is it
possible? The four families started to act from yesterday at noon and Prince Roland
came to support Longsong Stronghold tonight. If we count the messaging time, does
this mean he needs only one day to come here from his town? Even when sailing
smoothly with the wind the entire time, they can't reach here that fast, let alone
while carrying a thousand people. To transport that many people, he needs at least
a huge fleet, but according to the intelligence, Border Town has no ship in the
winter!"

How could things turn out like this?

"No, I have to be calm in such an emergency." Jacques Medde wiped the sweat from
his forehead and thought that maybe the guard did talk nonsense. Without torches,
he could not see clearly how many enemies were there on the dock in the darkness
when he was obviously shocked by their firing flintlocks. "Flintlocks may seem
powerful. However, their shooting range was merely about 40 steps and their
reloading speed and hit rate were extremely low. Assuming that every enemy is
equipped with this kind of weapon, they won't be unbeatable for at most two dozen
soldiers who can march abreast in the street leading to the castle. If I inform the
Wild Rose and the Wolf Family now and gather all the knights, mercenary fighters
and guards to attack them after their first round of firing, maybe we could defeat
them.

Unlike battles in fields, the poor efficiency in flintlock reloading is a fatal

shortcoming in street fights.

"Damn it." Jacques slapped on an arm of his chair and said to the head of his
guards. "Go to invite Earl Wild Rose and the Viscount of the Wolf Family to come
here and order all the men with flintlocks to block the entrance of the castle.
Go!"

Compared with crossbowmen, it's much faster to train flintlock soldiers. Let them
block the enemies first. Their lives aren't worth much. If necessary, knights can
tread on them.

To his great surprise, the head of his guards came back and reported, "They've
already left the battalion with their men."

To besiege Petrov, the four families respectively held the four sides of the
castle. Jacques did not expect that the other families received the news earlier
than him.

Now, the sounds of gunfire were nearing the castle. As the guard had described,
they were the deep rumble of dense drums, loud and clear across the growing mounds
of snow.

"These bastards!" Jacques' heart froze. He looked at the castle for the last time.
He had no choice but to order a retreat. This time, only he and his guards had the
chance to flee. His men in the castle were left behind.

Outside the castle, the Earl was shocked by the scene.

The enemies were everywhere, and any knight who tried to break through the blockade
would be shot down remorselessly. Their weapons were nothing like the flintlocks
sent by Timothy. They could fire continuously and seemed to require no reloading.
It was chaotic. Members of the other three families were trapped, with the
exception of Knight Dowcan, who had been the first to flee.

"My lord, what should we do?"

"Send for the iron armor platoons!" he cried out. "We'll forge behind them and
we'll be covered by their iron shields."

After all the troubles, three iron armor platoons finally gathered and slowly moved
forward holding their shields. The other knights found it and followed them, too.
They knew that this might be their last chance to break through.

Unfortunately, Jacques Medde made a mistake. When they were only 100 steps from
their enemies, the latter's weapons exploded with dazzling bursts of fire. The iron
shields made to block lead balls were instantly riddled with bullets. The men in
the front holding the shields were killed. Splashing metal debris shot through
bodies, stirring up a thick fog of blood behind the shields.

Before the Earl could call out the order of charge, he was cut down in a volley of
fire.

Chapter 449: The Course of War

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

When Roland walked into the messy castle, Petrov and Earl Hull were kneeling down
on one knee in the center of the hall, awaiting his arrival.

All the bodies on the floor had been removed, but the smell of the blood lingered.
The pieces of broken furnishings and weapons could be seen everywhere; he could
almost imagine the killing-scenes between the two parties in the battle for the
castle.

"Rise." Roland walked towards Petrov, bending over to hold his shoulders.

"Yes," Petrov said in a choked voice, "Your Highness, you are finally here."

"You did a good job," Roland said with a heavy voice, "the four big families will
pay a heavy price for this, and the murderers shall be brought to justice."

"I didn't guard Longsong Stronghold well..."

"You did your best. It's not your fault." Roland sighed. Petrov was not a ruler of
war. This was evident from the seizure of the previous city by the light cavalry
and the rebellion of the nobilities this time. He was good at managing the
territory, proficient in trading, and skilled in capturing opportunities, but he
was not a Machiavellian. He was definitely not an expert at fighting and plotting.
If it wasn't for the Second Army that was stationed in the castle in accordance
with the emergency measure, he wouldn't have been able to hold more than two days.

However, that did not mean Petrov Hull was not a good manager. If he was not good
at war, he should be assigned to a territory without any war. Roland preferred
operators with a business mind to those with fighting talents.

"I believe there must have been an inducement for this riot," Roland looked at
everyone around him. "This is a downright conspiracy. The enemy seeks to subvert
the order of Western Region in order to obtain benefits that don't belong to them."

The scene quieted down. Everyone, including both the armed soldiers of the First
Army and the wounded knights behind Petrov, had their gazes on His Highness.

"They have committed a felony for this, murdering the nobility and killing the
civilians. After the war, we'll see that many people have lost their families, and
many houses will have been looted. But their conspiracy didn't succeed in the end.
It was your unyielding resistance that prevented Stronghold from falling into a
greater tragedy. Your performance was heroic and your willpower was laudable!"

The knights slightly lifted their chests without realizing it.

"However, the war isn't over yet. These rebels are fleeing in panic, and it's time
for us to seek our revenge! I swear no matter where the enemies are hiding, they
won't escape the coming trial, be it in the territories of the four families... or
King's City!" Roland paused and said categorically, "The culprits who caused the
rebellion are bound to be punished too! The blood you shed... will not be in vain!"
"Long live, Your Highness!" Petrov and Earl Hull knelt down once again.

"Long live, Your Highness!" The surviving knights and soldiers of the Second Army
also began to kneel.

Soon, everyone was kneeling on one knee with their upper body upright, right hand
on the chest, shouting the slogan in unison.

"Long live, Your Highness!"

...

After comforting the people at the scene, Roland summoned Petrov, Van'er, Brian,
and Iron Axe into the study on the third floor of the castle, which was the only
place that had not been invaded. All the furnishings were basically intact. Roland
knew that he would probably have to spend the next few days there.

The first thing he had to do was to understand the situation regarding the
battlefield within the city. He looked at Iron Axe, and the latter reported
immediately, "The witches have seized back the northern gate and the eastern gate
which was once occupied by the four families. The First Army is eliminating the
rebels within the city under Miss Sylvie's guidance. The order of the city should
be restored by tomorrow morning."

"What about the casualties?"

"A total of six people were injured so far, and all of them are from the rifle
battalion, but they�ve been treated and cured by Miss Nana."

"What about the Second Army? Has it been counted?"

"Not yet... But according to the latest news, there are more casualties." Brian
hesitated. "Both of the platoons sent to support the city wall have been defeated,
and they haven't been gathered so far. Out of the 50 soldiers who were sent to
defend the castle, 11 were killed, and almost none of the soldiers patrolling on
the city wall survived."

Roland nodded. The militancy of this era was not as high, enabling the 100 people
to persist for two days. The defensive party tended to have the bigger advantages,
especially when the enemy lacked effective assault weapons. If the other party
wasn't using firearms, the Lord's castle could not be broken through with only the
flesh and blood of the mercenary and guards. This was fully taken into account
during the design of this building to prevent enemy attack.

At this thought, he instructed Iron Axe, "Show me some of the rebels� firearms."

Roland was really concerned about the new hot weapons of this era. Although this
day was expected to come sooner or later since the birth of the snow powder, the
development speed of Timothy really surprised him.

Iron Axe carried out the order quickly. Only several minutes later, a few tube-like
weapons of different lengths and shapes were carried into the study by soldiers.

After seeing the actual objects, Roland quickly understood why the enemies could
build the weapons in a fairly short time.

These long tubes could not be called flintlock in the sense that they had no
trigger and percussion device, and they were nothing more than metal tubes with a
hole at each end. It was deeper at one end for loading gunpowder and bullets and
had a needle-like hole at the end for ignition. The other end was shallower and
could be used as the handle after inserting a bamboo stick or a wooden pole.

It was very similar to the prototype of the firearm, structure-wise.

The loading process of this primitive firearm was the same as that of the
flintlock, but the launch was more troublesome. It required a gunman to hold the
wooden pole under his armpit and ignite the gunpowder with the hand on the other
side. Due to the limitation caused by the holding position, it was impossible to
aim accurately and could only be roughly pointed straight ahead while shooting.

But it was still undoubtedly a hot weapon. Putting aside all the inconveniences,
its launch principle was completely consistent with the flintlock. Its barrel and
projectile were almost the same as those of the latter�s, so the power was far
greater than crossbow bolts. If shot, the armor of knights would not hold the
attack.

Timothy's efforts on the customization could obviously be seen from the unique look
of each firearm. Some were made of rolled-steel with clear thumping traces left on
the body of the pipe, while some were molded by wrought copper and looked smooth.
Considering they were simply testing products to assist the four families, the
firearm used by Timothy himself should be better.

However... even the best firearm was merely a firearm.

The King's City had no chance of winning as soon as the launch of the spring attack
began. They would be unable to face the Western Region army armed with revolving
rifles, bolt rifles, and HMGs (heavy machine gun).

Roland shifted his gaze back to the four of them and said, "The First Army will be
recovering the suburban territories of Longsong Stronghold one by one from tomorrow
onwards. Any nobility who resists can be put to death on the spot. I hope the
entire Western Region will be unified after this week."

"Yes, Your Highness!" The four of them answered in unison.

Chapter 450: Old Friends

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Rene Medde had been trapped in the basement of the Elk's mansion for half a month.

He thought he could've stopped Jacques, but he hadn't expected his elder brother to
make the first move.

"Here is your lunch. Hope you enjoy it." Sean, the long-faced steward, brought a
plate of sticky food to the cell. What was on the plate looked like a mixture of
oatmeal and vegetables, and the portion was only palm-sized.

"Set me free, you dumbass!" Rene threw the food on the floor. Holding the cell
bars, he shouted, "Jacques is a dumbass too. He has no idea what he's doing. It's
not too late to let me out!"

The steward shook his head regretfully, took out a handkerchief and cleaned up his
dirty shoes. "If I were you, I would've eaten that food instead of spoiling it. The
Earl told me to bring you food once a day all this week, to let you save some
strength."

"Damn it. Haven't you heard what I said?" Rene burst out with strong language.
"This isn't about a meal. If Jacques doesn't stop, he'll destroy the Elk Family.
For my father's sake, open this cage!"

Seemingly, the steward was moved by what Rene said in the end. As he was just about
to leave, he stopped. "Your father? I think if he were still alive, he would've
expelled you from this house." He then turned around and looked at Rene,
expressionless. "Master, you seem to have forgotten that it was Roland Wimbledon
who killed the Earl of the Elk Family. On the other hand, the Honeysuckle Family
has not only gone over to Prince Roland's side, but also assisted him in
suppressing the other four families. At this moment, your elder brother is trying
to correct this mistake, yet you're scared to death. How can you be a qualified
knight this way?"

"It's not for you to judge whether I'm a qualified knight," Rene said angrily. "In
the past three years, while I was defeating the demonic beasts in Hermes' defensive
line, Jacques was busy enjoying wine and women in the King's City. Do you think
it's out of bravery that he decided to attack the Honeysuckle Family? Don't be
ridiculous. He's only blinded by profit!"

Sean sighed. "Even if you're the younger brother of Milord Jacques, you should show
him some basic respect. After all, he is both an Earl and the head of the Elk
Family."

After this, the steward ignored Rene and left the basement along the stairs. When
the door was closed, the basement returned to silence.

"Damn it!"

The second son of the Elk Family smashed his fist down onto the floor forcefully.

Since the beginning of winter, Jacques had begun to visit the other families more
often. Rene didn't pay much attention to it at first�after all, he wasn't
interested in managing his family. Besides, when he was taken captive by His Royal
Highness the first time, Jacques refused to pay the ransom, and it was Petrov who
offered him a helping hand and got him released from prison. Since then, the
relationship between the two brothers had fallen to the freezing point. Even so,
Rene didn't plan to fight with his brother about who would be head of the
household. When he heard the news about the construction of Border Town, he even
considered going to the town and serving Prince Roland by becoming an official
guarding knight. But afterwards, there were some changes in the situation. During a
private feast held in the Elk mansion, Rene heard that the four families were
planning to unite and fight together against Longsong Stronghold.

That night, Rene rushed into Jacques' study and confronted him, but Jacques wasn't
happy about it and threw him out. Thinking about it overnight, Rene decided to tell
Petrov the news and lead his patrolmen to stop Jacques. Unexpectedly, his breakfast
was poisoned by Jacques. When Rene woke up, he found himself in prison.

Since then, despite his yelling and threatening, he hadn't yet earned himself a
chance to meet with Jacques. Every day, he could only judge time by looking at the
brightness of a louver in the basement corner, and the only person he had seen was
Jacques's personal steward.

"Grrr..."

With this lengthy growl coming from his stomach, he realized that he was hungry.
Taking a glimpse at the scattered food on the floor, Rene turned his head and lay
back onto the pile of straw on the floor. "I'd better go to sleep... I won't feel
hungry once I fall asleep."

The moment Rene closed his eyes, a series of footsteps resounded in the basement.

"Could it be... Jacques coming?" He instantly hopped off the pile of straw and
rushed to the bars. With the help of the dim light from the louver, he saw a small
and slim figure. Obviously, that couldn't be the arrogant Earl.

"Brother, are you OK?" When the person arrived at the cell, he found it was
Aurelia, the third daughter of the Elk Family.

"How did you get in?"

"Jacques wasn't around, and those servants couldn't stop me." Aurelia saw the
oatmeal on the floor and said incredulously, "Is this what they are serving you?
This is outrageous! Wait a moment. I'll tell the kitchen to cook something else for
you."

"Jacques isn't home?" What his sister said suddenly saddened Rene, and he almost
forgot about his hunger. "Where did he go?"

"I've no idea... He left two days ago," Aurelia shook her head and said, "along
with most of the house guards. Otherwise, I couldn't have come here."

"Damn it." Rene was disappointed. "Jacques left two days ago, and today is the
third day�even if I can get out now, I'm afraid it's already too late.

"Brother, I heard that Jacques was trying to hurt the Honeysuckle Family. Is this
true?" Aurelia looked worried. "Will Milord Petrov be alright?"

"Right... Aurelia has always had a crush on Petrov Hull. Although I've tried to set
them up as a couple, it seems my friend Petrov has somebody else in mind. But now
nothing can be done." Rene leaned against the bars and sat down, feeling feeble. He
knew Jacques fully well. "Jacques won�t show mercy on the Hull Family, which would
definitely cause Prince Roland to take his rage out on the whole Western Region."

"Jacques has spent too much time in the King's City, so he's no idea what he's got
himself into... " Rene closed his eyes. He couldn't stop thinking about the day
when he and his army attacked Border Town�fires continued blazing in front of his
eyes; thunder boomed all around his ears unceasingly; knights in the front rows
seemed to be hitting an invisible wall; and their skills, gained through years of
training and the courage of fighting for honor, had all lost their effectiveness in
the face of the enemies' powerful weapons.

From that moment on, Rene had totally lost the intention of fighting against His
Highness ever again.

Nobody could defeat His Highness' troops�at least no human beings could.

"But when Prince Roland gets to know what's happening in Stronghold and decides to
sweep through this area, what's the use then if the Elk Family gains a lot of
profit? This time... Prince Roland may not let go of the four families."

"What's the matter, brother?" Aurelia shook him, but he remained motionless.

"The Elk Family is screwed."

Just then, some indistinct roars spread through the thick ceiling, and then the
floor slightly trembled. It felt as if the mansion was hit by something.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rene turned around, and saw his sister with the same
surprised expression.

Then came another dull, yet much clearer, thundering and a series of noises. Rene
could hear panicked shouts from his family's servants coming from somewhere over
his head.

"Could it be... Prince Roland's army coming?" Rene was stunned. "How's that even
possible?"

"What's happening out there?" Aurelia stood up. "I'll check."

"Don't." Rene grabbed her hand. "Don't go anywhere. Just wait here."

"Huh?"

"Listen to me..." Rene swallowed, and said in a tiresome voice, "It might be
dangerous outside."

The roars quieted down before long. Only a few minutes later, a platoon invaded the
basement�they wore brown uniforms and held strange, long-handled weapons. At a
glance, Rene realized they were Prince Roland's troops.

He felt totally hopeless. He had expected retaliation from His Highness, but not so
quickly!

"Or maybe this is a drama directed and played by Prince Roland himself?"

"Who are you?! How dare you break into the Earl's mansion!" Aurelia stood up and
questioned them.

A tall, strong man stepped out of the platoon. With an angular face and a chilling
aura around his eyes, he looked as if he was from an alien race.

"Are you the second son of the Elk Family, Knight Rene Medde?" the guy asked.

"Since you know who he is, you... should retreat. What are you up to?" Aurelia
said, voice trembling, but still she stood in front of the bars.

"I'm Rene! Don't hurt her... She's innocent!"

Rene thought he was about to see something unbearable, yet the guy totally ignored
Aurelia, and what he said next simply shocked Rene.

"I'm Iron Axe, Commander of the First Army. His Highness Roland asked me to find
you specifically," the guy said in a low voice, "and he asked me to tell you that
Mr. Petrov wants to see you."

Chapter 451: Aspirations

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Rene walked out of the Earl's mansion, squinted instinctively, and took a deep
breath. It'd been half a month since he last saw daylight and snow.
To Rene's surprise, there were soldiers in uniform everywhere, not shamelessly
plundering the mansion, but guarding crossroads in an orderly fashion. A few blood
stains dotted the snowy ground, but there were neither bodies nor scattered
clothing around, which meant the soldiers didn't pillage the dead when they cleared
the battlefield. What he saw confirmed his supposition that these troops were
different from any he'd ever seen.

"Is Petrov alright? " He looked at Iron Axe. "How is... Longsong Stronghold?"

"Everything is alright." The tall, strong, foreign man spoke very little, but he'd
answer as long as Rene asked.

"That means Jacques Medde's plan didn't work." Rene was slightly relieved. "If
Stronghold is intact and the Honeysuckle Family is unharmed, Petrov is bound to put
in a good word for me." He didn't care about Jacques' fate. "That idiot almost
dragged the Elk Family into a catastrophe, so whatever happened to him isn't my
concern."

"Brother... what on earth did Jacques do?" Aurelia leaned over and asked quietly.

Rene hesitated, shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Aurelia instantly made an expression as if to say "you're lying".

Rene smiled bitterly. He really didn't know how to answer that question... He
couldn't simply say that Jacques intended to rebel, because he only knew about the
planning stages and didn't know how that plan turned out. After some silence, he
asked, "Do you really want to go to the castle with me?"

"Of course. I'm very curious about what exactly happened to give these men a reason
to break into the Earl's mansion in broad daylight." She stared at Iron Axe and
said, "I think Milord Petrov wouldn't just sit by and do nothing about it."

Rene understood that his sister was actually worried about Petrov, so he finally
nodded and said, "Alright. If you ask him in person, he might tell you the
details."

The group of people rode on horseback for about an hour along the snow covered
roads and reached the Stronghold castle at noon.

With Iron Axe leading the way, Rene and his sister stepped onto the third floor,
which was heavily guarded by sentries placed every few steps.

When he entered a room that looked like a study, Rene finally saw Petrov Hull, his
childhood friend. However, Petrov only stood next to his desk respectfully. A gray-
haired man sat by the desk, looking at Rene and Aurelia with interest and playing
with a quill pen. Almost instantly, Rene recognized who this man was.

He instantly went down on one knee. "Your Highness, Rene Medde is here to salute
you."

"He is ..." Aurelia was a little surprised, but Rene tugged her clothes gently and
hinted at her to bend a knee and bow.

"We met each other in Longsong Stronghold," the prince said with a smile, "right in
the castle's basement. According to what Iron Axe just told me, you were locked up
there again?"
"Uh..." Rene was embarrassed and didn't know what he should say.

Luckily, the prince wasn't expecting an answer. "Please rise. Before I ordered the
attack on the Elk territory, Petrov had repeatedly assured me that you would never
take part in Jacques Medde's rebellion, and it seems he was right about you. But...
how did you end up in the basement?"

Rene cast an appreciative look at Petrov and told the prince what had happened in
his family.

"I see." The prince nodded. "It's a shame. If you could have stopped Earl Jacques,
Longsong Stronghold wouldn't have gone through this disaster."

That remark shocked Rene, and Aurelia couldn't help but ask, "What... happened?"

"Jacques Medde colluded with the Maple Leaf, Wolf, and Wild Rose families, and they
attacked Longsong Stronghold two days ago." The prince said coldly, "The attack led
to mass casualties of innocent people, and two blocks were burnt down. To force the
Honeysuckle Family to surrender, they even hurt Petrov's family."

Rene couldn't believe his ears. "Even when fighting a rival noble, threatening them
with their families is considered very shameful. How could Jacques do that?"

"This rebellion involved many parties, but I assure you that no one involved in the
attack will escape the punishment of the law�all the rebels will be severely
punished!" The prince knocked on the desk and said, "I came to Stronghold to clean
the entire Western Region and not let a single rat slip through my fingers!"

Rene felt his back break into a sweat. "Your Highness, I..."

Roland waved his hand to interrupt him. "Don't worry, I won't take my anger out on
innocent people, and the Elk Family's offspring will be spared. Actually, I have a
question for you. Jacques Medde was killed in the rebellion, so are you willing to
inherit the title of Earl and serve me, just as Hull does?"

There was only one answer to this question. Rene Medde knelt down without
hesitation, a standard gesture of a knight, and he pledged to faithfully serve the
prince.

To his surprise, he felt quite calm while pledging his oath.

Actually, he had never hated this prince who took his father's life. "In a battle
field, anything could happen to anyone. Moreover, it was not the prince but Duke
Ryan and the other five families who started the war. After the war, the prince
didn't treat the defeated noblemen harshly, and he also exchanged captives for
ransom, a conventional practice among the nobility. If father hadn't died in the
battle field, he probably could've gone back to our territory safe and sound, just
as the Earl of Honeysuckle did."

Rene was trained as a knight and held the values of a knight deep in his heart�"A
battle is plausible as long as it's righteous, and what Jacques did was not only
unrighteous, but also had no purpose except to exacerbate hostility."

For the sake of Aurelia and all the other innocent members of his family, he must
accept His Highness' offer. Without the protection of the Elk Family, these people
would not be able to live a stable life ever again.

After the pledge, the prince smiled and nodded. "In the following days, you and
your sister can live in the castle. Petrov will arrange rooms for you. There are
still a few members from other families that escaped who are fighting in the
suburbs, so it's better for you to wait until this rebellion quiets down before
returning to your territory."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As Rene left the study, Petrov followed.

Looking at his haggard friend, Rene felt a range of emotions. "I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault." Petrov patted on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

Somehow, Rene felt his friend was a lot different. He could see in Petrov's eyes a
look he had never seen before?a subtle resolution and calmness that was as strong
as steel that had been repeatedly tempered with fire.

Rene realized that his friend was on his way to becoming a real leader.

Chapter 452: The Unification

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The rebelling nobles were powerless against the First Army, and it only took a
round of firing in every confrontation to decide the victor. The First Army didn't
even need to change cartridges before their enemies dispersed and ran away with
their tails between their legs. Moreover, the enemies usually didn't even put up a
fight, and the First Army only had to pursue and capture them.

Iron Axe cleared through one territory per day and quickly conquered the regions
governed by the Elk, Wolf, and Wild Rose families. However, when the troops reached
the Maple Leaf territory, they began slowing down.

They encountered some unexpected issues.

"Damn it. This is no different from Stronghold." Brian stared at the Earl's looming
castle and spat angrily. "It's protected by a moat!"

"Was anyone hurt in the past round of attacks?" asked Iron Axe coldly.

"Two unlucky men were wounded, one in the arm and the other in the back while
retreating, but it doesn't seem serious," said Brian, frowning. "The soldiers were
at a great disadvantage because they were shooting upwards from the ground, so even
if the enemies only had bows and bolts, they could still contend with us."

Iron Axe knew that Brian was right. No one had expected the Earl of the Maple Leaf
Family to have a castle built like a tower which was supported by mountains and
cliffs. The streams from the Impassable Mountain Range were led into a five-meter-
wide ditch that formed a small moat surrounding the castle. Since the water was
constantly flowing, although there were blocks of floating ice and snow, the moat
was not frozen solid. The gate was the only entrance into the tower, so in order to
reach it, they had to cross the bridge, where the enemy's force was most
concentrated.

There were no concealments around the Earl's castle, only plains of snow, so
standing on the higher ground made up for the enemies' disadvantage of using
crossbow bolts. After two rounds of probing attacks, the First Army only shot down
three or four people and suffered many casualties themselves.
"I wish we'd brought cannons with us," said Brian bitterly. "If we shot a few
cannonballs at their gate, they would surrender in no time."

"It's too bad that the troops can't bring them here because it's too far from
Stronghold, and the snow's too deep." Iron Axe glanced at the sky. "Let's call it a
day and arrange for the troops to set up camp."

The territory of the Maple Leaf Family was northwest of Longsong Stronghold, next
to Impassable Mountain Range, and it lay on the border of the Western Region.
Simply walking here took almost a day, and the uncleared snow on the paths made it
impossible to transport a 12-pound field artillery.

According to reports, the Maple Leaf Family barely contributed to the rebellion,
and even the Earl himself didn't participate. This meant that their resources and
power were all intact and stored in this guarded tower, making it very difficult to
deal with without siege weapons.

At night, bonfires were lit in the camp's tents.

"What should we do tomorrow?" Brian asked, tossing wood into the fire pit. "Order
the soldiers to rush against the rain of arrows? As long as we can blast through
that damn steel door, they're done for."

"But the First Army would also lose dozens of soldiers." Iron Axe shook his head
and didn't answer. If he were still in the Iron Sand City, he would gladly
sacrifice hundreds of soldiers to complete his mission without feeling regretful.
However, after he came to the Western Region, he felt somewhat protective of the
soldiers whom he watched improve and whom His Highness Roland put so much effort
into.

After a long pause, he sighed. "Let's use the witches."

Brian was shocked. "The witches?"

Iron Axe didn't want to do this either. He remembered the prince had once told him
that a decent army should be able to complete its mission independently at all
times. However, this was not important at the moment. In order to reach their goal
of uniting the Western Region in a week and to minimize casualties, he was willing
to give up his pride.

Also, His Highness also said that a good general accounted for his soldiers' lives.

"Send a messenger and tell the prince that we're in trouble and need Miss Maggie's
help." He ordered.

The next morning, Maggie and Lightning came to the camp. "What happened?"

"Coo coo?"

Iron Axe coughed and explained his dilemma. "The enemies are mainly concentrated at
the top of the tower, so rifles can do little damage to them. There's also a steel
door blocking the entrance, so the First Army can't get close enough to place
explosives. We can only rely on you to open the gates."

"We've got this," the little girl said, patting her chest.

Throwing explosives was a familiar task to them, and they were even trained with
the First Army in the small town. Iron Axe nodded and immediately arranged the
soldiers to begin the last attack�even if the explosives didn't have the desired
effect, they would at least scare the enemies and give themselves enough time to
break through the steel door.

"Are you fighting as well?" Brian watched surprisedly as Iron Axe strapped a rifle
to his back and stuffed a few cartridges of bullets into his belt.

"Rather than say 'charge for me', say 'charge with me'." Iron Axe smiled. "His
Highness always said this."

...

When the two men led their soldiers into the charging position, Maggie's figure
appeared in the sky.

She transformed into a giant beast and charged towards the tower, her claws
grabbing a bag of the new explosives. Everyone witnessed this stunning scene and
the First Army erupted in cheers, while the side on top of the tower descended into
chaos. The mercenaries and guards of the Maple Family all turned their crossbow
bolts around and began shooting at the beast with no avail.

Meanwhile, Maggie finished collecting her strength, flapped her wings forcefully,
rose rapidly into the air, and released the bag. The bag of explosives shot towards
the top of the tower like a cannonball...

Iron Axe felt his surroundings go quiet, and then he saw a glaring ball of fire
rise from the top of the tower. Suddenly, the earth began to shake! The entire
world seemed to be trembling, and huge columns of smoke shot up through the snow. A
heat wave struck him in the face, forcing him to stumble back a few steps with his
ears ringing.

This is... the power of God!

Iron Axe couldn't help but recall the first time when he witnessed His Highness'
gunpowder test, but the explosion this time was much more powerful. Even standing
almost a hundred meters away, he could feel the scalding heat of the fire ball. As
for the enemies close to God's Punishment at the top of the tower, their fates were
all easily imaginable.

He quietly prayed to the Three Gods, raised his rifle high, and shouted, "For His
Highness the prince, First Army, charge!"

"For His Highness!" The soldiers echoed his words and swarmed to the Earl's castle.

This time... no one dared to stop them.

When Iron Axe returned to Longsong Stronghold, it was already the sixth night.

The entire Western Region was finally under Roland's control.

Chapter 453: Dealing with the Aftermath

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The Stronghold's castle office was much roomier than that of the small town. Tall
bookshelves with gilded edges lined the walls to his left and right and were filled
with all kinds of books. The bookshelves provided any subject he could dream of,
from epics to travel notes. In order to reach the books on the upper levels, a
wooden ladder was placed next to the bookshelves for easy access.
Probably out of safety concerns, the only waist-high window in the office was
equipped with metal railings on the outside. When the daylight hit the room, he
could clearly see a stripe of sun ray splash over the old fur rug while feeling a
sense of aloofness as if he were standing against the world.

"Anna would definitely love this place," Roland couldn't help thinking. However, to
him, the brightly lit town office with large windows suited his taste better. Even
though it was small, it was comfortable.

As for Nightingale, he could tell by her habit of sleeping by the fireplace that
she would not like it here at all.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his door.

"Come in." Roland placed the Secret History of the Western Region he was holding
back onto the bookshelf.

"Your Highness." Petrov Hull entered the office and placed a stack of paper onto
his desk. "I've finished collecting the data you asked for."

Roland walked back to his desk and read through the list of the nobles carefully.
"These are all the nobles left in the Western Region?"

"Yes." Petrov explained, "They're divided into two main categories, guilty and
innocent. After that, I ranked them by family names. There are 64 people who are
guilty, and 137 people who refused to rebel or had no knowledge of the rebellion.
The innocent people are mostly free knights, knights, and lower-level nobles."

Roland flipped to the first page and saw the name of Roman Candy, the Earl of Maple
Leaf Family, listed on the top. According to Iron Axe's report, this great noble
hid in a wine barrel in his basement after his castle was seized, and he soiled his
pants out of fear when the First Army found him. He was also the noble with the
highest rank among the captured in the war of unification.

Next was an entire page of the nobles from the Maple Family, which included two
sons, other relatives, and knights.

Roland quickly finished reading the list and felt very satisfied. "Great job."

The six families of the Western Region had literally become history�Lion Ryan,
Maple Leaf, Wolf, and Wild Rose were completely crushed, and although Honeysuckle
and Elk still remained, they were no longer feudal nobles. Now, all the power in
the Western Region belonged to Roland.

"Your Highness..." Petrov hesitated for a bit before asking, "Sir Iron Axe
convicted the people on that list. Could there be any... misjudgment?"

Roland couldn't help chuckling. "He's a very skilled interrogator and didn't use
torture to force confessions, so I think his final judgment is trustworthy."

Meanwhile, his interrogation was just a matter of formality. After all the nobles
were locked into prison, Nightingale double checked each of them�it only took her a
few simple questions to determine if they had involved in the rebellion. This was
also why Roland felt confident in addressing the noble with a heavy hand. With
Nightingale's help, he could ensure that he wasn't missing any guilty people or
condemning any innocent ones. He didn't have to worry about shedding innocent blood
or exonerating the real culprits.
"So... what do you plan to do with the guilty nobles?"

"Why do you ask?" Roland raised his head and glanced at Petrov. "Are some of these
men your friends?"

"No, Your Highness." He shook his head. "I just think that if you hanged them all,
it might harm your future rule."

"You were talking about an eye for an eye a week ago." The prince raised his
eyebrow curiously. "Now you want to spare them?"

"I do want all these people to go to hell, but even if I strangle them all to death
myself, it wouldn't change anything... It might even cause the other nobles to hate
the Honeysuckle Family. Also, if everyone learns that you've executed the nobles,
other cities might resist your rule."

After hearing this, Roland was quite surprised. This was the logic of a seasoned
politician, who set aside personal emotion while weighing the pros and cons... "It
seems that this battle hasn't made him hate fighting but actually helped him become
mature."

"It doesn't hurt to tell you this beforehand." He stood up and walked to the
window. "I'm going to announce everything about this matter to the people and hold
an open trial for all the rebels at the square, including the nobilities, guards,
squires, and mercenaries... the ringleaders and direct organizers of the rebellion,
as well as scoundrels with the people's blood on their hands. They will all be
hanged. People who are guilty of following their orders will be stripped of their
titles and sent to the North Slope Mine."

"This way, only five or six noblemen will be hanged. The Earl of the Elk Family and
the Viscount of the Wolf Family died in battles, so those who survived will be
trading their titles for their lives. When the message gets out, I don't think
anyone will see this as too harsh a punishment�after all, rebelling against the
king is a capital offense."

Petrov sighed in relief. "Your Highness is merciful."

When the eldest son of the Honeysuckle Family left, Roland felt an unfamiliar
feeling of satisfaction.

This operation had cleared all the obstacles for him in the Western Region, so he
could easily make laws and distribute orders throughout this vast land.

More importantly, he gained the support from many people and nobles�after the
rebels were removed, only supporters would remain.

This was especially true for the nobles�after losing their feudal and legislative
power, they would have to wholeheartedly follow and spread his policies if they
wanted to continue living a comfortable life. Since the nobles had more resources
than civilians, it wouldn't take them much thought to figure out how to profit from
them.

Once they started to gain small profits, they wouldn't ever want to go back to
their old lives �after all, these low-level nobles had never gained much from their
territories, and sometimes even went into debt if they didn't manage them well.
They would soon realize that as long as they played by the rules, they would live
an unimaginably comfortable life.

There was no doubt that he had taken a big step toward his city-building plan.
Roland wiped off the water vapor on his window and looked at the city enveloped in
snow�since he still had to stay in Longsong Stronghold for a while to deal with
governmental affairs, he might as well refurbish this office to his own liking.

For example... he would start with the French windows.

Chapter 454: Pensions and Punishment

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland made a speech at the theater of Longsong Stronghold three days later.

To advertise the speech, he asked Petrov to relate the details of the rebellion to
the entire city beforehand and also instructed Maggie to bring Echo from Border
Town.

There was a smaller audience than he had expected. Although it was already spring,
the endless snow stopped people from going outside.

Fortunately, driven by the prince's promise that "soldiers killed in action will be
well compensated", all members of the Second Army and their families came to the
theater. It would take Roland some time to earn trust from the rest of his
subjects, but Roland believed the best marketing was word of mouth. Once the seed
was sown, it would spread its roots to more people. This was the reason he insisted
on an army consisting of ordinary men.

They were as sharp as swords, as impregnable as fortresses, and perfect role models
for publicity.

"Good morning, my subjects. I'm the lord of the Western Region, Roland Wimbledon. I
believe most of you have already heard my name." Roland surveyed the audience and
continued, "First of all, I'd like to express my deepest sorrow and grief for those
who were injured or lost their lives in the rebellion. This was a conspiracy
plotted in King's City. In order to disturb the peaceful Western Region, Timothy
has tried to wage war against us numerous times. Unfortunately, the four families
of Western Region didn't side with the people, but instead helped the wicked
perpetuate wicked deeds, thus causing this tragedy."

The prince did not linger on the details of the rebellion. Compared with a formal
speech, people were usually more interested in the rumors circulated in taverns.
Therefore, he soon switched to the more popular topic of compensation after a brief
introduction.

"During the rebellion, 56 out of 112 soldiers in the Second Army were killed in
action. In addition, rebels looted and burned the residences, leading to 48 deaths
among civilians and reducing 12 properties to ashes," Roland spoke in a low voice.
"I hereby apologize to the subjects in Longsong Stronghold. As the lord of the
territory, I've failed to fulfill my obligations."

The prince's words stirred up the audience, who apparently had never heard any
royal family members apologize to civilians. Many of them were shocked and
startled, but Roland thought this was the attitude a lord should have. He was not
as inscrutably arrogant as other nobles, who always treated civilians with an air
of scorn and condescension. History taught him that a ruler would not be truly
accepted by his people unless he viewed them as his equals.

"I promise that those people won't die for nothing! Not only would soldiers killed
in battle receive a proper burial, but their families would also receive a pension
of five gold royals. Plus, they can apply for food and charcoals from the City Hall
as additional compensation every month in the future. This pension plan is exactly
the same as the First Army's, and I assure you subjects who join the Second Army as
of today will also be equally compensated!"

Few people cheered for the prince's promise. Apparently, most of them were
skeptical about Roland's alleged pension plan. Corruption and briberies among
officials were normal on this land, so even winter relief rations were sometimes
mixed with sand and leaves. How could they possibly believe that they would receive
gold royals?

Nevertheless, Roland had already thought of a solution to maximize the effects of

his advertising. He clapped his hands, and two soldiers from the First Army came up
to the stage with a vault, followed by Petrov and Iron Axe. "I've got a list of the
soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the battle here. Now the governor of Longsong
Stronghold, Petrov Hull, will distribute pensions to you personally!"

When the soldiers dumped the shiny gold royals on the table, the audience finally
became a little more enthusiastic.

"Ayat, from the First Gun Battalion of the Second Army!"

"Chapiter, from the First Gun Battalion of the Second Army!"

"..."

As Iron Axe slowly read out the names on the list, the soldiers' family members
went up to the stage one by one and took the gold royals with excitement, bowing
and kneeling in gratitude. For a time the theater was so chaotic that Roland felt
Nightingale lay her hands upon his waist.

Fortunately, there were no accidents. By the time everybody had received their
pensions, it was almost noon. Roland waved his arm to silence the murmuring
audience. "Those who lost their homes during the war will also receive a shelter
and food. Food will be delivered to you by assigned staff until the Months of the
Demons end."

"Y-Your Highness, what about after the Months of the Demons?" asked someone in a
loud voice. Of course, the "inquirer" was created by Echo.

"By then, the City Hall will have created a great number of jobs with competitive
salaries and benefits. As long as you're willing to work hard, you don't need to
worry about food!" Roland raised his right hand and announced, "The Western Region
won't forget those who have contributed, and neither will I!"

This time his speech received a warm welcome as the audience raised their right
hands in response. While the subjects cheered for the speech, Roland instructed his
men to distribute the porridge, bringing people's high spirits to a peak.

By the afternoon, many more people had gathered at the theater. Since all the seats
were occupied, many people squatted in the hallway, obviously waiting to watch the
trial.

It seems everybody loves to see a prisoner be prosecuted, both in the world I used
to live in and the current one.

Roland asked Iron Axe and Petrov to conduct the execution, while he himself sat in
a box on the second floor of the theater as one of the spectators.
The verdict had been reached long before. The prisoners were led onto the stage and
lined up on their knees in front of the spectators, with armed soldiers standing
solemnly behind them. Iron Axe read out the counts, and Petrov the verdicts, after
which the soldiers escorted them to the execution ground, the Stronghold Square.

At the sight of the prisoners, some of the victims' family members went up to
tussle with them. As long as the fight was not life-threatening, the First Army
just stood by. Nobody took pity on these scoundrels, who should have known the
subsequent consequences the moment they committed murder and plunder.

In the end, 132 prisoners were sentenced to death, six of whom were great nobles.
The rest were mercenaries, guards, and servants. The execution methods varied.
Since gallows were limited in number, only the nobles had the privilege to be
hanged, whereas others were shot. It was also the first time firearms were used for
execution.

The other 900 people who had participated in the rebellion but had not committed
murder were imprisoned, awaiting to be sent to the North Slope Mine in batches.

Now, Roland had weeded out all the nobles who challenged his authority in the
Western Region.

The following day, he summoned the innocent nobles to the castle hall.

As it was just the beginning of the cleanup, he still had a lot of work to do
before he could truly rule this region.

The most important step was to establish a new order.

Chapter 455: The Second Step of City Construction

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland arranged a feast for the nobles to ease their minds.

A long table covered with a white tablecloth stood at the center of the hall, with
a large variety of delicacies, delicious wines, and beautifully arranged flowers on
it. The nobles were seated on either side of the table facing each another.

After drinking a few glasses of red wine, everybody seemed to feel more comfortable
and less stressful. Given that the Honeysuckles and the Elks were both Roland's
supporters and that all of the great nobles had been crushed, these petty nobles
were unlikely to strike up a discordant tune at this hour. On the contrary, they
voluntarily revealed their intentions to stand on Roland's side during the
conversation. Under such circumstances, Roland knew it was time to talk about his
new policies.

After they all had been fed, he distributed the booklet that was prepared
beforehand to each noble.

It was the "marketing graphic book" which he carefully designed and drafted.

"Your Highness... what's this?" As he expected, the nobles soon asked in surprise,
"Why are the drawings in this book are so lifelike?"

"Yes, they look so real."

"It doesn't look like a picture... No paint can express such delicate colors."

They were, no doubt, nobles from the big city, who knew how to properly appreciate
artwork. Roland clapped his hands and replied with a smile, "They are indeed
illustrated by a painter. The only difference is she's a witch, and the paints she
has used are actually her ubiquitous magic power."

All of the nobles were startled by these words, not sure whether they should put
down the booklet or not.

"The local church has fallen from power. What are you worried about?" The prince
said, raising his brows, "Witches are no different from us. I've confirmed that
myself many times."

"Uhhmm... Uhm." Petrov almost choked. "Your Highness is right."

"Of course Your Highness is correct. Haha..." the other nobles chimed in, managing
to summon up a laugh.

"Um... looks like I just said something that contains an unintended meaning."
Roland put on a look of indifference and switched the topic while thinking. Ever
since he became a prince over a year ago, he had noticed that his ability to remain
unflappable amid changes had improved by leaps and bounds�or rather he had become
increasingly bold. "The point is the story inside it. The drawings are just to make
it more readable and interesting."

While the nobles were still absorbed in the story, Aurelia, the Elks' girl, looked
up abruptly and asked, "Is this the family history of a noble?"

"Aurelia!" Rene reminded her while lowering his voice, "You should call the prince
Your Highness!"

"Correct. He used to be a noble in the Western Region." Roland gestured Rene that
it was fine and then continued, "Some of you may still remember him."

"Your Highness... I know him," answered one knight. "His name is Tigui Pine. We
used to be neighbors and his territory used to be adjacent to mine."

"I also met him once," someone else recalled. "He was just a Baron back then. His
father was a feudatory of Joe Kohl. But since Lord Joe left the Western Region, his
territory has diminished."

"Viscount Tigui is currently living in Border Town." Roland said, smiling, "The
graphic book records how we met... as well as what happened later. As you can see,
he's a noble living in a society regulated by the new system. He's now busy
practicing flintlock. I expect that right after the Months of Demons, he'll take
his daughter and guards to Misty Forest to have some fun hunting there. As far as I
know, ever since he sold his territory to the east of Stronghold and settled down
in Border Town, not only has he been promoted to a higher rank, but his properties
have increased by several times as well."

Fear originated from the unknown. The same held true for changes to the system. As
the nobles were ignorant of what impacts all these changes would bring about, they
abhorred anything foreign or unfamiliar. In order to reduce their fear and
resistance, Roland picked Tigui Pine as a living example and asked Soraya to sketch
out his life in a cartoon format. Compared with those dull biographies, cartoons
apparently presented the details of the story in a more vivid way.

"You may have known that I'm planning to build a city in the Western Region. In
fact, I've been thinking about that for quite a long time. By then, Border Town,
Longsong Stronghold, and the narrow land in between will all be consolidated into
one," Roland continued, "someone may ask how the two towns, so distant from each
other, can possibly be connected. I have to say that the unification will be
confined only to administration. In other words, the new city will be governed by
the same laws and policies. This is also the reason I take back nobles' feudal and
legislative powers."

"Your Highness, but our territories..." somebody asked.

"They'll still be yours," he interrupted. "Like I said, you won't lose anything
except these two types of power. The very nature of feudalism is to grant lands to
others who will then become your subordinates, and thereby expanding your
influences, leading lower nobles to defend against enemies and fight for profits
for you. However, a professionally trained army will be responsible for city
defenses under the new system. As long as you follow the rules, you'll gain far
more than you used to. After all, you benefit more from slicing up a bigger cake
than sharing a small one."

While the nobles were silent, Roland sipped tea before continuing his persuasion.
"You've never been to Border Town, so it's perfectly normal that you don't know how
much you can actually gain. In fact, the town's revenues for the latter half of the
year reached 30,000 gold royals. It could have been 10,000 more if the Months of
the Demons hadn't come so soon."

The nobles all gasped out. "30... 30,000?"

Roland had learned the annual financial situation of Stronghold from Petrov a long
time ago. The annual income of the City Hall was no more than 30,000, and these
petty nobles obviously earned much less than that. 100 gold royals would be a
fortune to them.

"As you'll be administrators of trades of all kinds in the future, you'll certainly
be well paid." Roland went on, "Back to the consolidation matter?aside from the
unification of administration, the two towns will also be closer geographically.
For example, it takes me one day to travel from Border Town to Longsong Stronghold
now. Once the construction of Kingdom Main Street is completed, it'll take less
than a day to cover the distance on foot, and half a day by horse or bike, not to
mention other faster transportation methods."

"What's a bike?" Aurelia questioned curiously.

"A manually operated riding apparatus that runs fast on a flat surface." The prince
mused, "I bet in five years... no, in three years we'll be able to work in Border
Town after having breakfast in Stronghold." As Kingdom Main Street ran straight
between Stronghold and Border Town, it reduced the distance to a mere 60
kilometers, allowing people to travel within half an hour by tram or car.

Nevertheless, most of the nobles cared little about transportation. The knight who
claimed to be Tigui Pine's neighbor asked cautiously, "Your Highness, by what you
just said, did you mean that you want us to manage Stronghold?"

"Yes and no." Roland shrugged. "Like I said, the consolidation of the two towns
will be limited only to administration. The Stronghold will become a district of
the city, directly administered by the City Hall. But considering commuting a day
to work still sounds quite unrealistic, for the time being, I'll set up a secondary
City Hall in Longsong District. It'll operate in the same way as Border Town, with
multiple secondary departments under it. You'll work in those secondary departments
dealing with local matters."
"Secondary... departments?" the nobles echoed, looking bewildered.

"It isn't simple to manage a town. Although you'll get paid well, it won't be that
easy to do your part," Roland said bluntly. "Therefore, I need you to come to
Border Town with me once we've re-established order here. I want you to see with
your own eyes what a well-functioning City Hall should look like. With respect to
city management, you've got a lot to learn."

Chapter 456: The Differences

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After explaining the administrative integration plan, Roland raised his cup and
took several slow sips while waiting for everyone to process the information.

He needed a lot of people in order to maintain the area's daily perimeter patrol.
In a time before the general literacy rate improved, he had to rely on the nobles.
Most of them had their primary education and they had experience in management. If
there was a noble that distinguished himself from the others, he would promote them
and place them in charge of a city or territory on behalf of himself. If he was
still living in his previous world, this position would be referred to as a
governor or a mayor.

Several minutes later, Roland brought up the next topic.

It was time to crack down on crime.

In his idea about the new order, the Black Street organization wasn't needed.
Everyone in the city could find work and they didn't need to pillage, so there was
no demand for stolen goods. He probably couldn't have accomplished this in a highly
developed, modern city with a population in the ten million range. The over
saturation of minimum-wage jobs in the market would create a high unemployment
rate. Fortunately, the population of the Western Region, including Longsong
Stronghold and the whole suburban area was no more than 60 to 70 thousand people.
Since the major development had yet to start, the townspeople could find work as
long as they wanted a job.

"How much do you know about Rats?"

"You mean... Black Street Rats?" Rene Medde coughed. "I've done business with them
before."

"What kind of business have you done with them?" Roland asked with interest.

"Um..." Rene swallowed hard, a little embarrassed. "I was the leader of the
Ragingfire, and I fought with several Rat gangs over territory."

"Bahaha." Several people broke into laughter.

Roland was astonished. He had never expected that the Earl's second son used to
deal with Rats. Besides, Ragingfire... was such a lackluster name. He started to
doubt the legitimacy of Rene being the Earl Medde's son.

"Your Highness, the truth is," Petrov started to explain, "several years ago, Black
Street Forces were running rampant at the dock. Almost every day both civilians and
foreign businessmen were killed, and the patrols would turn a blind eye to the
matter. Earl Rene couldn't stand it anymore, so he brought in his own guards and a
group of people from the refugee camp and together they drove the Rats out of the
dock. At the time, he was writing to me daily to keep me updated on the progress of
the operation. I was far away at the King's City during that time. In the letter,
he told me it was a war that equaled the one against the demonic beasts, so I
think..."

"Petrov, that's enough." Rene interrupted, embarrassed. "I was bored and just
wanted to do something to occupy myself at that time."

So that was the reason. It was just the impulsive, yet gallant, actions of a young
noble, which was a demonstration of his chivalrous demeanor. Roland believed that
the second son of the Elk, who loved fighting as a youth, enjoyed nothing more than
to command a group of followers. So, while Ragingfire was not a real army in the
sense, what they fought was indeed a real battle.

"What of this gang now?"

"Uh, I don't know." Rene scratched the back of his head. "After I went to defend
Hermes and fight against the real demonic beasts, I stopped all contact."

Roland nodded. "Actually, I'm going to eradicate all the Rats in Stronghold to
enable everyone to live a peaceful life."

"Your Highness, I'm sorry to say this," Rene hesitated before saying, "but...
that's probably impossible."

"Why?" He frowned. "I have the First Army at my side. Are the Rats more difficult
to deal with than the knights?"

"That's not what I mean." Rene seemed to be looking for the right words to phrase
it. "They're weak, timid, and with no weapons or armor. They don't even know any
operation tactics, basically, they're by no means comparable to knights. However,
if you execute them as you execute the rebels, that's to say, execute them just
because they used to be Rats, I'm afraid there won't be many civilians left in
Stronghold after the cleanup."

"You mean�" Roland said.

"Rats and civilians are mixed together, they are one and the same, Your Highness."
Rene replied respectfully, "After a particularly bad year, when the Months of
Demons are long, many civilians have to become Rats to sustain themselves. That's
why most lords turn a blind eye to the existence of Black Street. An internal
conflict is apparently better than an external riot caused by starvation."

Roland's face clouded over. He had never thought about how the Rats came into
being. "What about their organizers?"

"A few of these people are habitual criminals and some of them are supported by the
local nobles, but there are also some criminals from other towns."

"Well, I hope none of you are supporting any Rats now," the prince stated while
glancing around the long table, sullen expression clear. All the nobles hung their
heads in response. The prince sighed, "It doesn't matter now. As long as you help
with my cleanup plan, I will forgive your past misdeeds."After a pause, he looked
at Rene. "I have a task for you."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"In the coming month, I will be focusing on cracking down on all of the criminal
activities in Stronghold. You should cooperate with the First Army to eliminate all
of the Black Street gang leaders and completely break down all their organizations.
As for the specific methods, I'll send someone to you with instructions."

"Your Highness, what about the citizens that are depending on them? Without the
gangs to provide them with food, they are not likely to survive the Months of the
Demons." Rene was worried. "Plus this year the Months of Demons arrived earlier
than usual, so there might be even more people depending on them than in the
previous years."

"I'll let Petrov open the barn and distribute food to the citizens until the end of
the Months of Demons."

The nobles around the table started to protest, "Your Highness, that's not going to
work!"

"That type of support will just make things worse!"

"After that, everybody in the town will become a beggar!"

All of the nobles ventured to prevent him.

Roland slammed his fist down, hitting the table hard. "I've made up my mind and I
don't want to hear your protests any longer!"

Roland knew the nobles thought the worst of people and believed them to be lazy,
ignorant, incompetent, and filthy. They believed that the citizens were very greedy
in their nature and considered them to be absolutely hopeless. However, Roland
thought differently and knew the strength of the people. They may appear dumb, but
with guidance and a role model, they could be a game changer. If people were really
as useless as the nobles thought, how were they able to keep changing the world?

In fact, trying to better people was the best investment. Even the slightest
positive change would have a larger payoff than could be expected.

"Finally, I want you to spread this message as soon as possible." Roland looked to
Petrov, "You have experience in this, so I want you to work on it. If the subjects
can't read the message, get someone to read it to them. Just make sure the written
message contains what we have talked about here today."

"All of what we have discussed?" Petrov asked with a surprised look. "Even the
information about the Rats clean-up plan?"

"Yes, include that and the information about the barn opening to distribute food."
Roland glanced at the nobles around the table, challenging them. "These are the
conditions that create a well-functioning City Hall and are a necessity in order
for it to run properly. Publicize the policies, answer the people's questions, and
accept feedback. This is the best way to implement a change to policy."

Roland believed he needed to first teach the nobles, and then unify the law by
consolidating the administration, as well as enhance public safety, all the while
carrying out political propaganda before re-establishing order.

Chapter 457: The Music of Fantasy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"You don't need to come with me." Echo walked along the Redwater River, the snow
under her shoes crunching.
"Here the city isn't safe. It's not Border Town." Iron Axe walked behind her, with
two steps between them. "His Highness told me to protect you if you leave the
castle without other witches accompanying you."

"I shouldn't have told him." She mumbled, breathing out into the cold air. "Also,
you don't need to call me lady anymore."

"You will always be the head of the Osha clan in my heart, my lady Drow
Silvermoon."

When he mentioned Osha, Echo fell silent. Even though Iron Axe couldn't see her
expression, he could feel Echo sadden at the mention of her clan. He wanted to
console her, but he didn't know how or what to say. So, he just kept his mouth shut
and followed her silently.

The branch of Redwater River that wound its way through the field outside of the
city was different from the one that flowed into the inner city, which was almost a
straight line. The river levees on both sides were covered by masonries, stacked,
flat, and neat. About every ten steps, there was an opening with stairways to the
river, which allowed the people to get water from the river.

Today's snow fall hadn't been too heavy and there were several pedestrians on the
street. The men and women would look at Echo with surprised expressions on their
faces. Lady Silvermoon was tall, and shapely with a lovely figure. Her beige skin
and long blue-gray hair were quite special and eye-catching. In the inland of the
Kingdom of Graycastle, it was seldom that one would see a purebred from the Sand
Nation.

"Let's switch to the other side of the river." Echo obviously wasn't enjoying the
attention.

"Yes."

They cautiously stepped on a frozen arch bridge across over the river and then
arrived at the eastern zone of Stronghold. There were almost no houses and vast
areas of farmland were all covered by snow. What they could see was just limitless
flatlands and a dim, black figure of the city wall. This area was in sharp contrast
to the western zone of the city.

"This place is nothing like the Iron Sand City." Echo said. "When I was in the
Southernmost Region, I thought everywhere was the same. The sands covered almost
all of the ground. Water sources and the Oasis were the most valuable resources and
people would fight to the death over them. However, here, no blood would be shed
over the Redwater River. If they want to drink the water, they just need to crouch
down and drink it."

"However, here they would fight for other things," Iron Axe said seriously, "such
as gold royals, jewels, honor, status... There's no escape from fights."

"Really? But, Nightingale told me that our prince would end all disputes." She
looked up at the cloudy sky. "No matter who you are, people of the Sand Nation or
people of the Four Kingdoms, ordinary people or witches, you can enjoy equal rights
and live a free life."

"I... I don't know." Iron Axe hesitated. He couldn't imagine that everyone would
throw off all barriers and live together peacefully. He thought that even though
His Highness had the power of the gods and he would undoubtedly conquer all of his
enemies, it would just be impossible for him to make all of his enemies accept his
dominance willingly. Making enemies during the process of conquering was an
unavoidable by product of battle.

"Do you want to go back to Iron Sand City?" Echo suddenly asked.

"No, Lady Silvermoon," Iron Axe quickly came to his senses and answered without
hesitation. "I've sworn to the Three Gods that I'll serve His Highness, Roland
Wimbledon forever and help him to expand his territory. Don't worry my lady. His
Highness has promised to seek revenge for you. Please believe in him. When you go
back to Iron Sand City, no one will disrespect you."

"But I don't want to be the head of the Osha clan," she whispered. "I'd like to
stay somewhere the trees are evergreen. I'd like to stay with Wendy and
Nightingale. I'd like His Highness to teach me songs. I hope someday I can go back
to have a look, but I don't want to live in the desert and continuously fight for
water."

"Either way, you're the only successor of Osha in my heart." Iron Axe didn't speak
his mind fully. Instead, he just looked down and said, "No one can force you."

They walked across the white field to an open area where Echo stopped. "I'll
practice here. I don't think I will disturb anyone."

Iron Axe knew that her power was to make various sounds and she usually practiced
in the backyard of the town's castle. But this time, in order to not disturb the
important meeting between His Highness and the nobles, she intentionally chose here
to practice her power.

He nodded and took two steps back. "I'll stand guard for you."

"Oh, I made a song for our hometown." Echo turned around, "Would you like to hear?"

"A Song?" Iron Axe was a little surprised.

"Yes, I learned to use the arrangement method His Highness taught me. I now mix
various instruments' sounds together to add a layering effect and build
complexity," Echo talked about this with a relaxed expression on her face. "I've
tried it and to my surprise, it worked. I didn't know a song could be so pleasant.
Each added tone would add in a distinct feeling. I don't know where His Highness
learned this method though. When I was sold to King's City, I never heard anything
about something like this from any noble."

"Prince Roland was always special," said Iron Axe, he believed the Gods favored
Roland.

"Yes... No one treats witches as sincerely as him." Echo fully agreed with Iron
Axe. "However, His Highness gave me really strange and irrelevant names to the mix
performance methods, such as 'Electricity sound' and 'Agricultural heavy metal'."
She shook her head with a smile. "I think only he could think up names like that."

Before Iron Axe could reply, she started to sing.

When the mixed melody reached his ears, he was shocked and immediately stood,
frozen in place. What an amazing tune! It sounded like the sands had gently touched
the oasis. It was like a bright fire plum bursting from the earth's depths.

At the moment, Iron Axe felt that he had been transported to the desert and was
standing under the scorching sun. "Is this... an illusion?" He looked down and
found that the snow had disappeared and he was now standing in an Oasis. When he
looked into the distance, what he could see was only sand. The girl before him kept
her eyes closed. Her song resounded through the air as she stood in the shallow
water, disturbing its smooth surface. What a breathtaking beauty!

"Going through sand and dust

to seek the traces of the Oasis.

Your footprints were left in the sea of sand.

Your shadow was reflected in the spring.

Someday, the oases will become the new deserts

and the deserts will also breed new oases.

The only eternal thing

is the legend of you.

Someday

I'll follow your footprints

to find your shadow

at the sleepless and wordless moment

before dawn."

...

When the song faded out, Iron Axe was back at the snowy Longsong Stronghold. It
seemed that nothing had happened and that everything he had experienced just now
was an illusion. He swallowed hard for a while and then opened his hand, there was
a tiny grain of transparent sand shining on his palm.

?.

Chapter 458: The Song of Resonance

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland could not believe what he was hearing.

"You said that you saw a vast desert in Echo's song and you�ve brought back a grain
of sand?" Roland asked. His mind was racing.

Was this simply an auditory delusion? How, then, could he explain this speck of
powder?

"I didn�t bring it back, Your Highness," Iron Axe put the grain of sand on the desk
solemnly, "At the time, it rooted me in place and I never thought of checking
whether it was real. This grain of sand just suddenly appeared in my hand. Maybe it
was blown by the wind?"

It was becoming more and more implausible. Roland thought for a moment and asked,
"Did she sing only the one song?"
"Some other songs, too. But I couldn't understand." Absorbed in his memory, Iron
Axe continued, "It was like a miracle... Back in the Southernmost Region, if Lady
Silvermoon claimed to be the Three Gods Emissary, I would firmly believe her. Your
Highness, is it because she's evolved?"

This Ironsand man of the Mojin Clan had followed Roland more than a year and now
had a much better understanding of witches.

"I think so, but it's the first time I�ve seen such a situation." Roland answered.
After some thought, he decided to send for Echo and ask her in person.

When Iron Axe left, Roland picked up the grain of sand and looked at it carefully,
"Was it created by magic power?"

"I'm not sure," Nightingale's voice came from behind, "There's no trace of magic
power in it."

This did not necessarily mean that it was not made by magic power. It was a real
thing in the real world, like Soraya's pictures. Once created, it would maintain
itself without magic power and could not be affected by God's Stone of Retaliation.

Before long, Echo came into the study. Nightingale immediately stepped out of her
mist to stand beside Roland. With a smile on her face, she said, "Congratulations."

Echo was surprised, "To me?"

Nightingale nodded, "The magic power in you has cohered. Don't you feel it?"

"Re-really?" Echo shook her head in amazement, "You mean my ability has evolved?"

Finding that things had turned out just the way he�d expected, Roland asked
Nightingale, "What does it look like?"

"It's like a transparent blue gem, clear as water," Nightingale answered, "She has
almost as much magic power as Maggie."

Echo's evolution seemed to be unrelated to enlightenment. She had condensed her

magic power even before she knew it. When Roland told her what Iron Axe had
experienced, she was astonished.

"He actually felt like he had returned to the Southernmost Region and was in the
sea of sand?"

"The phrase 'Felt like' may be inaccurate. He returned with a grain of sand from
the dessert," Roland said with smile. "Sand can be found everywhere, but I don�t
believe he went so far as to dig in the snow or mud for it only to deceive me." He
paused a little and asked, "What did you see at the time?"

"Nothing at all." Echo answered with some embarrassment, "I had my eyes closed and
wasn�t paying attention to my surroundings."

"So how about showing us?" Roland suggested. He propped his hands on his chin, with
interest. "Sing the song you created, the one about your hometown."

"Here?"

"Yes," he said, "Dinner isn�t ready for another half hour. It won't disturb
anyone."
"I want to hear an immersive song, too," Nightingale encouraged.

"Ah... fine."

Echo took a deep breath and soon a mixed sonata from a distant time resounded in
the office. It was a sweet feminine voice, slightly restrained at the start. Maybe
it was because she had never sung indoors. As the melody slowly soared, she became
thoroughly absorbed in the music.

As she was singing, Roland could hear hot winds blowing through green woods; he
even felt the temperature increase. He smelled searing sands under a scorching sun.
As the song faded out, he lingered lost in the aftertaste. Undoubtedly, this was a
wonderful, exotic lyrical song in which a tone-deaf guy like himself could never
find fault. However, he�d seen neither desert nor oasis with trickling streams. He
sat still in his study the whole time.

He glanced at Nightingale who shook her head. It was apparent that she had not seen
any miraculous scene, either.

Was it because her ability was not effective this time?

Roland contemplated, and then asked Echo, "Did you write this song?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Now, sing several songs I�ve taught you," he thought for a moment and decided,
"Let everyone come and listen."

Soon, the study was crowded with witches. The three witches from Sleeping Island
had even come, too. They were still holding their cards in hand. Echo was clearly a
little nervous, but with the encouragement of Nightingale, she calmed down. She
sang all the songs including the Guerillas' Song.

She received warm applause from the witches without exception.

After listening to the witches describe their feelings, Roland had a rough
understanding of Echo's new ability.

The amount the audience could be affected by her singing depended on their
respective experiences. If they had the same experience as depicted in the song,
they would be influenced more. He came to this conclusion based on the newer songs
he�d taught to Echo. Guerillas' Song was the most popular one, because the witches
had seen the First Army marching along to the beat of music. Therefore, they could
understand this song better. This could also explain why her Southernmost Region
song had resonated so strongly with Iron Axe.

Unfortunately, Roland could not tell from a test that how much her singing could
affect the audience. He was wondering if the scenes in her song could become real
things when a listener was fully absorbed in it.

Echo's new ability filled him with expectations. The ability to lift one�s spirits
should never be underestimated. She could encourage soldiers, pacify the masses,
and sing background music for dramas...

...

The next afternoon, Roland met Vader from Border Town in his study.
"Your... Your Highness... I... I'm here..." he said with chattered teeth.
Obviously, he had not recovered from the high-speed flight.

The fastest way to travel between the town and Stronghold now was Maggie's express
service. However, even wrapped up in a thick blanket, flying at a speed of 60
kilometers per hour under the claws of a large beast was not a comfortable flight.

"Good job," Roland patted the fat pigeon on his shoulder.

"Coo!", she proudly held her head up.

"I want you here to assist the Elk Family with training," he looked at Vader and
said. "The situation here is different from that in Border Town but similar to that
of Valencia. Here there are rats, refugees and violent criminals."

"You mean, you want me to train patrollers?" Vader asked. He had finally stopped
shivering after warming himself by the fireplace.

"No, I mean police." Roland explained his plan for taking severe measures against
illegal and criminal activities. "The First Army will take care of it in the
beginning, but public security work has to be handed over to the local police. The
most important thing in training the police is to infuse them with the 'people's
protector' concept."

"Treat the people warmly, like a spring breeze. And punish the criminals
ruthlessly, like thunder," Vader repeated what Roland had said.

"Yes," the prince said with a smile, "I hope you can train them well."

Chapter 459: Snaketooth (Part 1)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

During the Months of Demons, the streets and lanes in Stronghold were always
desolate and the Rats here huddled themselves up, hiding in their respective evil
territories. They were sharing the food that had been stored in the fall and
waiting until a new prey emerged when it would warm up again.

This is the way it should've been.

"Shit, why do I have to struggle through the snowstorm to listen to some damned
policy-preaching?" Snaketooth bitterly spat on the ground, "I don't give a damn
what the lords will do."

"Put your collar up," he said to Joe, a small boy shivering next to him. "You'll
die if you catch the cold-plague."

"He shouldn't have followed us out," Sunflower said, frowning. "Is it really
necessary to send all the four of us just to get some information? Kanas must have
it in for us."

"Save it, please. Even if he does, what can we do?" Tigerclaw, a strapping boy,
said with disapproval. "He's our source for food." Though he sounded unconcerned,
he still quickened his pace to walk in front of the other three kids. From then on,
Snaketooth felt that the cold wind was diminishing considerably.

"Th-thanks," Joe whispered.

When it came to Kanas, every one of them was reluctant to say anything.

Rats had social ranks too. Kings were at the top and tails at the bottom. Different
ranks had different places to stay. As for Kanas, he was neither a king nor a tail.
He was the ruler of the Endless Lane in the Western Zone of the outer city. If he
must be called something, he should be a waist or a belly. No matter what he was,
Snaketooth and his friends had to respectfully call him boss whenever they met him.

There were six rulers like him in the Western Zone, but their boss, namely the king
of the Western Zone, still remained unknown to Snaketooth.

Kanas had several teams of Rats and they were one of them. The only way to win more
favor from the ruler was to show stronger competency than the other teams.
Unfortunately, as street kids in the lane, they were obviously at a disadvantage in
both number and strength. But Tigerclaw was different?it was incredible for him,
who ate only half a piece of brown bread every day, to be so well-built.

The reason the brown-haired girl, Sunflower, thought that Kanas was aiming at them
was because of their prior mishap. They didn't take the witch that appeared in the
lane to Kanas because Snaketooth wanted to use her ability to make some money
first. Not long after they went out, they unexpectedly met the big shot from the
Honeysuckle Family and lost the witch before they made enough money.

Because of this incident, Kanas was extremely angry with them. He thought if they
had given the witch to him earlier, he would have made a lot more by selling her to
the noble or the church.

"It's easy to say," Snaketooth said with contempt. "Selling her to the church for
25 gold royals? Where can he find those priests? The church is in ruins. The nobles
won't honestly give gold royals to a Rat, either. He'll get killed instead of
getting paid."

"Snaketooth is, is right." Joe agreed, still shivering. "If he re-really thought we
made him lose 25 gold royals, he would have thrown us into the Redwater River."

"Kanas could only give the witch to the king of the Western Zone. He also needs to
protect himself from her magic power and doesn't have any God's Stones of
Retaliation." Snaketooth continued, "He's just disgusted with us."

"Stop saying 'selling'. She's Paper and one of us!" Sunflower gave Snaketooth a
painful pinch. "You talk about her like she's cargo!" She suddenly paused a little
here and asked, "Hey, did you sell her back then?"

"No, I didn't!" He exclaimed. "I tried my best to save her, but that person is the
lord of the city."

"Is she alright in Border Town?" Tigerclaw sighed.

"How can she be alright?" Sunflower snorted. "What's the difference between being
played by the prince and being played by the other noblemen?"

"Really... you say that now, but when you actually see the noble's lifestyle,
you'll desperately want to be played by them," Snaketooth said and twitched his
lips.

When they arrived at the square of Stronghold, they were taken by surprise. Several
hundred people there surrounded a wooden stage and there was a bonfire. It was such
a rare scene on a snowy day.
"Someone will actually come here to preach," Tigerclaw rasped. "What kind of tricks
does the noble want to play?"

"It can't be good news." Snaketooth shrugged. "I suppose it's about tax collection
or grabbing some able-bodied guys for military service. They've just fought a
battle, right?"

"Whatever, it's none of our business." Sunflower said, "Let's finish this quickly
and get home early. Joe, go over to the bonfire and warm yourself."

"Ye-yeah."

Snaketooth walked around the crowd to the edge of the stage. The man on it wore a
thick, cotton-padded jacket, a wool hood, and a pair of deer-leather gloves.
Snaketooth felt warm simply by looking at him. This was so much better than him and
his dirty, old clothes. He thought of how great it would be if he had a chance to
steal them, but also knew that was just in his imagination. The Elk Family label on
the man's cloak indicated his identity.

A Rat could never afford to offend an attendant of the four families.

"Go with Joe to warm yourselves, I can take care of this here," Snaketooth said to
the other two kids.

"Really?" Tigerclaw asked and raised his eyebrow a little.

"Of course, I've got a good memory." Snaketooth pointed at his head. "I remember
everything�the words, the people, and the bitter hatred."

"Pfft," Sunflower scoffed. "Listen to you. Since you say so, I'll go. And thanks...
Let's go, Tigerclaw."

"But you'll have to give me more at dinner tonight."

"We'll see. I don't know if there's any food tonight!" she said, throwing her hands
up.

After they left, Snaketooth patted his cold face to draw his attention back to the
wooden stage. The information was useless for a Rat tail like himself, but it might
mean profitable opportunities for Rat bellies and kings. Unfortunately, even if
they did make some profits, the tails at the bottom would still get almost nothing.

"My fellow citizens, here's a joint declaration by the lord of the Western Region,
Prince Roland Wimbledon; Earl of the Elk Family, Shalafi Hull; and the lord of
Longsong Stronghold, Petrov Hull." The man took a sip of his hot ale and continued
to read a piece of parchment in his hand. "The City Hall of Longsong Stronghold now
opens the grain market to the public. Any citizen who has extra grain at home can
sell them in the market freely now. But pay attention please, starting next month,
any unauthorized sale of grain will be considered a felony, and only the City Hall
has the right to purchase and sell grain! Once someone is arrested for the
unauthorized sale of grain, he'll be severely punished! The City Hall also welcomes
public tip-offs about this kind of offense, and will reward anyone who offers
correct information 25 silver royals!"

Snaketooth opened his mouth with surprise, for he never expected that he would hear
such incredible news!

The noble wants to forbid the private trade of grain!

Besides, both the grain purchasing and selling prices offered by the City Hall are
extremely low. Who'll sell grain to them at this low price? The grain price in
Stronghold has already increased threefold because of the early arrival of this
year's Months of Demons and it's impossible to drop before the snow ends. If the
City Hall sells grain now, no matter how much, the nobles and merchants will buy it
all. Did the prince and the city lord never think of this issue?

Wait... if they really do forbid private trade in grain, what will happen to us?"
Snaketooth suddenly shuddered at this thought. Most of the citizens bought most of
their grain from Rats. Once the policy was carried out and all the grain in the
market was bought by the noble and merchants, it would be a disaster for almost
everyone!

Chapter 460: Snaketooth (Part 2)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Snaketooth never expected that much more unbelievable things were yet to come�the
speaker's next announcement rendered him motionless.

"In five days, which is the second week of the first month of spring, the City Hall
will distribute rations at the square! Everyone can come here to collect two bowls
of steaming hot oatmeal, one for lunch and one for dinner. Citizens, let's all
thank the prince for his generosity!"

At this, the crowd began to stir.

"My god, Gayle was right�this was really in the notice!"

"Yes, I came just to confirm that."

"Do my ears deceive me? Free oatmeal every day?"

"Are you coming, too? Don't you have plenty of oats and dried meat at home?"

"It's still two free meals! My lord didn't forbid me from coming. Didn't you hear
that he said 'everyone'?"

"My Lord!" Someone suddenly shouted. "Is the oatmeal really free? How long will
this continue?"

This was the question on everyone's mind. The crowd quieted and turned to look at
the attendant in unison.

The attendant waited for the good news to sink in, and then announced calmly,
"That's right! The oatmeal really is free, and the distribution will continue until
the end of the Months of Demons! Tell all your neighbors and friends about this
news, because His Highness will always stay true to his promises!"

Hundreds of people instantly became excited, but Snaketooth still couldn't believe
his ears.

"Free food? What does this mean? It means that they can temporarily avoid being
threatened by Kanas and starving in the snow�No, not just them, but all Rats will
be able to easily obtain food. Now, they'll be even more difficult to control!

Kanas won't just sit by and let this happen, so what will he do? Send someone to
disperse the crowd, disrupt the distribution... or bribe City Hall officials to
dump all the oatmeal into the Redwater River?"

However, Snaketooth also noticed that the announcer kept mentioning "His Highness",
which meant it was the legendary Prince Roland that gave orders to distribute
rations, not the Duke or the Five Families. "Will he let these Rats roam
shamelessly, or will he really be different from the other noblemen?"

He didn't trust any of the noble, and the day Paper was taken away was still fresh
in his mind.

However, a small voice in his head kept asking him, "What if it was true, what
if... it was true?"

Luckily, his doubts didn't last long because the Elk attendant on the stage began
to read another notice�he used to think that these orders were simply the nobles'
tricks to mess with the citizens and had nothing to do with orphans like him, but
even more surprising than the last two notices was the third one, which directly
applied to the Rats.

"Citizens, listen up! There are brighter days to come!" The announcer shouted
something to calm the rowdy crowd and then said, "In five days, or when the oatmeal
distribution starts, His Highness will begin cracking down on crime in Longsong
Stronghold, including Black Street organizations, theft, and any behavior that
threatens the safety and belongings of the citizens! When the time came, please
don't hang around Black Street or visit pubs, casinos, and other unsafe areas to
prevent unnecessary harm!"

"Order in Stronghold needs to be maintained by all citizens, and the City Hall is
currently recruiting public safety officers and police personnel. Next, I'll
explain the requirements!"

Snaketooth didn't feel like listening anymore, so he made his way out of the crowd
and ran next to the bonfire. "Hurry, let's go back!"

"Are you done listening?" Sunflower rubbed her hands and asked reluctantly, "You
should get warm before you leave."

"No, we have to go now!" he said urgently.

"What happened?" Joe could sense that something was off.

"I'll explain to you on the road." Snaketooth stomped his foot. "We need to go back
right now, otherwise Kanas will hear about this through someone else and we'll be
done for!"

...

The gathering spot for Rats in the Western Zone was a two-story house buried deep
in the Endless Lane.

Kanas was an intimidating one-eyed man, and his temper and methods were just as
cruel as his appearance. Snaketooth personally saw him nail someone who was messed
up to a wall and then whipped him to death. At the same time, he controlled the
food supply of several Rat organizations in the area, so no one dared to disrespect
him.

Snaketooth felt the same way, so he knelt carefully in front of Kanas and told him
about the notices.
"Is the lord of the city targeting us?" Kanas asked with a frown, "What kind of
nonsense is that?"

"...It's not the lord of the city," reminded Snaketooth carefully. "The announcer
was talking about the prince."

"What the hell do you know?" Kanas spat. "No noble, no matter how important, can do
anything in someone else's territory. This's Longsong Stronghold, not Border Town
or King's City, and the lords of the Honeysuckles or Elks are here, so there's
nothing he can do. So what if he's the so-called protector of the Western Region?
Just look at who's sitting in the castle. The king still rules Graycastle in name,
but who cares about his orders?"

"You're right," a girl next to Kanas said softly. "Not to mention, even if power
changes hands, it has nothing to do with us. Nobles are Nobles, and Rats are Rats.
Just because the two groups live in the same city, it doesn't mean that they are
anything alike."

"Rats are Rats? That's what I love to hear." Kanas grabbed the girl's behind.
"However, the second notice is quite strange. Usually, if the noble want to improve
their reputation by distributing food, they would let us know beforehand. Also,
they usually restrict the amount they distribute, but how come it sounds like
they're trying to feed the entire city this time?"

No one could answer his question, but Snaketooth knew that everyone was thinking
about those two free bowls of oatmeal.

"Maybe... the noblemen want to get on good terms with Sir Bloodyhand?" The girl
chuckled.

"Who knows." Kanas shrugged. "I'll go ask the boss later. Only he knows and
understands these issues related to the noble."

The so-called "Bloodyhand" was the king of the Western Zone Rats, and it was
rumored that he was very close with the lower-level nobles. In a sense, he was no
longer a regular Rat, but a title-less "underground nobleman"�in fact, all Rat
kings had similar social connections.

At this thought, Snaketooth breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Kanas' lover
was right. "Both the noble and Rats have existed for hundreds of years, so no
matter how the upper level changes, the underground world will always maintain its
own rules... His Highness is also a member of the noble, so what can he do?"

"By the way, I know exactly what you all are thinking right now." Kanas chuckled.
"You want to try the City Hall's oatmeal? On the day of distribution, everyone must
remain in this room, and no one can leave. Understood? If anyone goes behind my
back to eat it, I'll make sure he never eats another thing in his life!"

Chapter 461: Respective Beliefs

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It was the strangest group of people Rene Medde had ever seen.

A detailed map of Longsong Stronghold was spread open on the square table in the
lobby on the castle's first floor.

Six people surrounded the table, including Commander of the First Army Iron Axe,
Police Chief of Border Town Vader, the current leader of Ragingfire Crack, head of
Security Bureau Nightingale, dark-haired witch Ashes, and Earl of the Elk Family
himself.

Rene never expected that he would need the help of Rats one day, let alone
cooperate with witches.

"My lords, there're about seven or eight different gangs in Stronghold," Crack
said, bowing and smiling ingratiatingly. "Sickle Gang, situated in the northern
outer city, is the largest group with 500 to 600 members, but Knell Gang, in the
inner city, is the most powerful. Knell consists mostly of escaped convicts and
mercenaries and rarely accepts commoners as its members, and they have more than
enough swords and armor, which is why they control the most lucrative area."

"The eastern city belongs to Dead Flesh Eaters and Vulture Gang, who sell slaves
and Dreamland Water through the harbor area through extremely cruel means. It's
rumored that these two Rat organizations are backed by the Wolf and Maple Leaf
families, but when our Ragingfire totally defeated them a couple years ago, no
great nobles stepped up to help them." He said with a tinge of pride.

"As for the western city, the gangs are much more complicated... Since they are all
small gangs, I've only interacted with their leaders. They are..."

"Information about gangs isn't important, so you don't have to go into details."
The tall Mojin man interrupted. "I only want to know if you can take us into the
lairs of these underground Rats?"

"Ahem, my lord..." Crack nodded towards him. "A common saying goes, 'The lairs of
Rats are riddled with caves and holes'. I know the main gathering points of all the
gangs, but I don't know every single one of their shelters, especially the hiding
places in dried wells and basements, so I can only rely on leaders and cronies to
find the specific spots."

"He's right about that." Rene sighed. "If we went face to face with the Rats, they
wouldn't stand a chance, but it'll be much more difficult to clear them all out."

"We might have a chance of success if we launch a surprise attack, but now that the
notice has been announced, the leaders will all hide away by the time we act."

"Hide?" The dark-haired witch laughed. "Unless they hide in Redwater City, if
they'll have to stay in Stronghold, there's no way we won't find them here."

"Yes, you're right." Crack wiped the sweat off his forehead and didn't argue
further.

The witch named Ashes gave off a terrifying feeling of pressure. Rene had been in
battle and fought demonic beasts in Hermes, so he knew what a true warrior should
be like... But even soldiers in the Judgement Army, who had faced hundreds of
battles, would falter in front of her. She didn't need to make some scary
expression because even when she was simply standing, no one could dare to look
into her eyes.

There was no doubt that she had not only seen blood and slain enemies but also
hovered between life and death. That was why she had such a menacing aura.

"His Highness has given us three days to prepare. When the first batch of rations
is distributed, the army will begin from the western city gate and clean up the Rat
gangs in all the areas." Iron Axe said quietly, "This mission is targeting only the
organizers so that we can take down the Black Street as quickly as possible."
"But... will this really work?" Rene couldn't help asking as Iron Axe walked
towards the entrance of the lobby. "No city has been able to get rid of the Rats.
As long as the citizens exist, so will they."

Iron Axe turned around and glanced at him. "Is that so? Border Town doesn't have
any Rats."

...

Everyone left, and only Vader was left.

"Earl, has anyone applied to be a policeman yet?"

"Not yet... but I heard from Petrov that dozens of people in the Second Army have
signed up for it." Rene sat down slowly next to the table with Iron Axe's words
still ringing in his ears. After a while, he whispered, "Are there really no Rats
in the town?"

"If you mean the conventional Black Street organizations, then there aren't any."
Vader shrugged. "No man or woman has to worry about food or shelter, and everyone
can find a suitable job. Even the salary from doing odd jobs is enough to feed
themselves. Honestly, before I went to Border Town, I didn't believe that a place
like that could exist in the Kingdom of Graycastle either."

"Why?" Rene couldn't help asking.

"I don't know, my lord..." Vader splayed his hands. "His Highness Roland is capable
of things that are far beyond any other noblemen I have known."

"No need to call me lord." Rene waved his hand. "His Highness wants us to work
together, so we can put our titles aside for now."

Vader nodded and didn't protest. Rene admired Vader's frankness. "Do you think the
prince can really eliminate all the Rats in Stronghold and purify the entire
Western Region?"

"I'm not sure either." Vader's answer surprised him. "After all, I used to be a
Patrol Leader and interacted with Rats for many years. Their existence was like the
shadows under the sun, so blunt force might not be that effective. His Highness
once said that if he was dealing with a large city with millions of people, he
might not be able to take care of everything. But if there were only ten thousand
people, he might be able to get rid of these bottom-feeding scums. Basically, he
plans to make people realize that it's too risky to become a Rat and there're many
other better options."

"Too... risky?" Rene ignored the statement about millions of people because even a
city with ten thousand people was already unbelievable. "This will take a pretty
long time to achieve."

"That's right, targeting Rats or crime can't be done in one day," Vader said and
nodded. "That's why His Highness Roland established the police force. I told you
before that this organization is completely different from a patrol team."

It was really different. They reported to the City Hall rather than the noble and
maintained order in an area rather than conspire with criminals.

"And most importantly, His Highness told me one more thing."

"What did he tell you?"

"I actually had the same concerns as you do now," Vader said with a smile, "but His
Highness asked, 'So you won't try because it's hard?'"

Rene Medde felt a sense of realization rush into his heart. If he did not try
because it was hard, he would not have been relentlessly pursuing his knighthood.
Although he inherited the title of Earl and felt like he was straying from his
desired life, as long as he could continue to fight for the people, he would be
still following the path in his heart. Now, this path was becoming even wider.

"Now... I understand." He took a deep breath.

"I was just as shocked as you." Vader recalled. "But I don't understand what His
Highness said next."

"Did he say anything else?" Rene asked excitedly.

"Uh-huh," Vader said, stroking his chin. "he said 'you'll feel incredibly fulfilled
after drinking this bowl of chicken broth.' But... what does it have to do with
chicken broth?"

Chapter 462: The Determination

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Joe fell ill.

He was the second weakest in the group before Paper was kidnapped, and since then
he had become the weakest. Joe was fine the night he came back from the square. But
the next day, Snaketooth found him lying motionless on the hay, moaning vaguely and
with bright red cheeks.

"He was infected by the cold plague," Sunflower said while touching Joe's head,
"and his head is burning hot."

"Will I... die?"

Joe, squinting his eyes, asked softly.

No one answered.

The cold plague was an extremely stubborn disease, and once contracted, you can
only rely on the body to resist the infection. However, people who were physically
fit seldom suffered from the cold�those who were infected were generally weak, so
very few patients could survive it. It was essentially a death sentence for Rats.

"I'll go and look for Kanas," said Snaketooth, breaking the silence.

"What do you want him for?"

"To beg him to give Joe more food." He stood up. "I've heard that the chance of
survival is greater if the patient is kept warm and adequately fed."

"He won't give you any food," Tigerclaw shook his head and said. "We all know what
kind of person he is."

"Exactly, you may even get beaten up by him," Sunflower said while gathering hay.
"Rats never feed any useless person."

"Joe isn't useless." Snaketooth retorted. "He can read!"

"Just a few words, and of what use is that to Kanas? He wants people who can steal
and rob others."

"..." Snaketooth clenched his teeth, turned around and walked towards the manager's
room in the Endless Lane. He had to try even if he would be beaten up by Kanas with
a stick.

Surprisingly, Kanas was not back yet.

"You're lucky." When he brought the message back to his companions, Tigerclaw
grinned. "Or we may have to take care of another one."

Sunflower sighed. "Each of us will give a portion of our bread to Joe later when
it's time for the bread distribution so that he can eat more."

However, Snaketooth did not feel lucky at all. He could feel something was not
right.

"It'd only take half an hour to send the message to Bloodyhand. It's understandable
that Bloodyhand didn't come back last night due to the discussion of
countermeasures�but it's already noon, the discussion should have been finished by
now." Furthermore, when his men opened the door, he took a peek and realized Kanas
and his lover were both missing.

The gang started to distribute food not long after, and Snaketooth realized that it
was distributed by Kanas' confidant.

What he received was nothing but half a slice of brown bread.

...

After four days, Joe's condition was still deteriorating.

He was yelling that he felt cold yesterday, but he couldn't speak a word today. His
once pink cheeks started to turn pale and his breathing was getting weaker.

"We've tried our best," Sunflower said languidly with her hand on her stomach.

They had given half of their food to Joe in the past few days. If it was not for
them, he might not have lived this long. Tigerclaw, who used to be very energetic,
was starting to look feeble as well.

Kanas had not shown up these past few days.

More than a hundred Rats gathered in the room and started to discuss this matter.
But it was just a discussion�after all, they were still getting food as usual.
However, it was especially noisy today.

It was the day of free food distribution, as announced.

"I'll go to the square," after a long contemplation, Snaketooth clenched his teeth
and said. "We need to eat more than just bread. Joe might be able to last if I
could get a bowl of hot oatmeal for him."

"Are you crazy?" Sunflower stared at him and said, "Don't forget how Kanas warned
us. Do you really want to get stitches on your lips?"

"That's if he knows I snuck out. We don't even know where Kanas is now. What if the
lord of the city is really going to attack them?"

"But his men are still here. Do you think they'll let you off if they find out?"
Sunflower looked at Tigerclaw. "Don't just stand there. Help me to talk him out of
this."

"I'll go with you," the latter said suddenly.

"Both of you..."

"This food distribution may have already been ruined. Or perhaps there's no food at
all, and it's simply the noble's act of disguising it. I suppose it shouldn't be
considered disobeying Kanas' warnings in this case?" Tigerclaw twitched his lips
and said, "I'm strong�I can run there and back while carrying Joe on my back, and
it won't take us too long. Kanas isn't around now and his confidants are hiding in
his room roasting themselves in front of the fire. No one will notice us."

"Um..." Sunflower hesitated.

"You just stay here," Snaketooth said, "so you can cover for us in case anyone
asks. Just say we have diarrhea and had to go to find a sheltered place to relieve
ourselves. No worries. We won't need long to rush back from there."

"Well, then," she looked around and said, "hurry up!"

...

Snaketooth and Tigerclaw snuck out of the log cabin, running all the way down the
alley. The elevated snow under their feet drenched their trousers. Even though the
cold wind that blew into their face felt as sharp as a knife, it couldn't stop
them. Panting while arriving at the square, they found that there were almost a
thousand people surrounding the podium.

Oatmeal really was being distributed!

Both of them ran over quickly, but were stopped by two guards in brown uniforms.
"Walk slowly, no pushing, and no cutting in line�otherwise you'll be prohibited
from receiving any free food."

Snaketooth noticed that there was a wooden fence set up around the center of the
podium. The crowd was moving along the fence in a line like a folded dragon. Guards
armed with strange iron bars could be seen at every short interval. They looked
like the defenders of order, because people were expelled from the line from time
to time.

"My friend is sick... Can you help us, please? I'm begging you!" Snaketooth knelt
down on the snowy ground.

"He's been starving for days. He's in need of food urgently!" Tigerclaw knelt down
beside him.

"What kind of illness?"

"It's... the cold plague."

One of them reached out to Joe who was unconscious and said, "Leave him with me.
Both of you get in line."

"Erm..."

"He knows the way back, doesn't he?" the other guard said, "Even if he doesn't
know, you can always come back here to look for him."

While saying this, the guard walked away with Joe on his shoulders.

"What should we do?" Both of them stared at each other. No one expected it to turn
out like this�according to their plans, the other party would either be totally
indifferent or let them bypass the fence to get the oatmeal in advance.

"Let's go back first." Snaketooth decided after some short contemplation.

"What... Go back?" Tigerclaw asked with surprise, "No oatmeal?"

"It'll take us at least half an hour to get there with this line. There might be
trouble if we take too long," he nodded and said. "We can sneak out again in the
evening to bring Joe back."

Tigerclaw looked at the oatmeal on the wooden table and said reluctantly, "Okay...
then."

There was something that Snaketooth kept to himself�since the announcement of the
free food distribution had come true, did it mean that the other two rumors would
eventually pan out as well?

He vaguely felt that an upheaval might be coming towards the Black Street.

Back at the Endless Lane, both of them tiptoed into the house but were caught by
surprise.

Sunflower was hung in front of the entrance with both her hands tied behind her
back, standing on a shaky wooden bench. Bruises could be seen on her face. All the
while, Kanas' men were standing by her side, sneering at both of them.

"You, finally back with a well-fed stomach?"

Chapter 463: The Elimination of Bloodyhand Gang

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Snaketooth's heart sank rapidly.

"Let�go�" Fear seized his throat. He opened his mouth but could only rasp in a dull
voice.

"You mean 'let go of her'? Alright." The man kicked the stool below Sunflower's
feet, her body stiffened instantly. The rope dug into Sunflower's neck. She kicked
her feet in panic, clenched and released her tied hands, but none of these helped.

Tigerclaw rushed forward to help, but his head was struck from behind with a stick
and he fell to the floor.

"If we hadn�t been waiting for you, I'd have killed her earlier." One of Kanas'
henchmen sneered. "What a good excuse, diarrhea! You probably don't know, but we�ve
had people watching you. He knows that mutts aren't disciplined. We knew we'd have
to teach you a lesson to ensure you abide by the rules of the Bloodyhand Gang."

"It's my fault." Snaketooth knelt down. "Please let her go! She never even stepped
out of this room!"

"This little b*tch lied to me," the henchman shrugged. "She swore you were just
looking for shelter from the wind. Even with her two teeth knocked out, she
wouldn't change her story. Why would I want her alive? So she can get back at me?"

"They want to kill us." Snaketooth came to the sudden realization. He struggled to
raise his head, seeing that Sunflower's struggle was getting weaker and her body
had begun to stiffen. He forced himself not to look at her, but instead paying
attention to the dagger hanging at the waist of the man. He was only six steps
away. If Snaketooth could rush up and get that dagger...

Suddenly, the rope broke.

Sunflower fell to the floor silently.

"What the hell..." The henchman frowned, but before he could finish his words, a
line of blood spouted from his neck, spraying the face of the closest Rat.

Snaketooth stared at the scene in front of him.

Meanwhile, sounds of a fight came from the outer room.

"Stop! This is the Bloodyhand Gang's territory!"

"Some... somebody broke in!"

"Oh... my hand!"

"Damn it. Come out and kill her!"

"Mon... monster! Help..."

Kanas� followers looked at each other and pulled out their weapons. Before they
could escape, an apparition flew in and overthrew the two front men.

Snaketooth then saw the attacker�a striking woman with black hair casually tied
into a ponytail at the back of her head. She was wearing a long black gown and her
eyes were golden. Snaketooth felt his blood freeze when she cast a glance at him.

"Drop your weapon, put your hands over your head and kneel down. If you want to
live." The woman stuck out three fingers. "I will count to three. Anyone who
doesn't follow my instruction will die."

"Three."

There were only a few seconds of silence before someone shouted, "God, such
skills... she must be worth 100 gold royals!"

"Everybody, let's move!"

"Catch her and boss will definitely reward us well!"

"Catch her alive!"

"Never mind. You'd be better dead." She held up a giant, oddly-shaped ornate sword
and charged into the crowd. Snaketooth couldn't believe his eyes. The sword was
made of cast iron, and whatever it touched shattered instantly. She moved at such a
fast speed that her enemies' lime powder and crossbows were barely useful. The once
effective hidden weapons couldn�t hit the target now. The crowd could not escape
from her, let alone fight back.

"Protect your friend, child," a voice came but the source of the voice was nowhere
to be seen.

He swallowed his saliva and crawled to Sunflower�s side in panic. He put his hand
to her nostrils to feel her breath.

She faintly exhaled warm air... she was still alive!

Snaketooth felt like crying, the happiness of having survived overwhelmed him.

What was written on the announcement was real. These people had been sent by the
prince to eliminate organizers of the gang! Now they had hope!

Bending over Sunflower, he burst into tears.

...

As more soldiers in brown uniforms rushed into the room, the fight ended quickly.

All the conscious Rats were told to stand in a line and walkout of the room one by
one.

"My head aches," Tigerclaw complained with one hand rubbing his head. "The bump is
so big."

"Be grateful you weren't beaten to death." Snaketooth glared at him with tears in
his eyes.

"What happened?" Sunflower massaged her neck on which appeared a black line from
the rope. "I thought I was dead for sure."

"I'll tell you after we get out of here," Snaketooth shook his head. He was afraid
if he spoke too much, he would burst into tears again.

"Your turn." The guard at the door twisted Snaketooth's arms to his back.

Snaketooth didn't resist, and he followed the guard outside. A woman in a white
gown was standing in the yard, a paradox to the lethal goddess in black. Her face
was covered by a hood, with only strands of curly blonde hair showing.

"You may leave after answering the Lord's questions."

"Yes," Snaketooth faithfully replied, he was in awe of this army's capabilities.

"Have you committed murder?" Her voice was brisk and pleasing as if it was from
another world. "How about rape? Robbery?"

Suddenly something struck his mind�she was the one who had warned him without
showing herself.

"None of those."

"Alright." She nodded. "Wait at the square for your dinner from His Highness."
Snaketooth stopped after two steps. It took courage to ask, "Are you a witch?"

"That's right." Snaketooth hadn't expected an answer, but to his surprise, the
witch gave an upfront reply.

"These are Kanas's followers," Snaketooth continued to speak, biting his lip. "He
hasn't been here for four days. He must be hiding somewhere with Bloodyhand!
Bloodyhand is the real head of the gang! Never let him go!"

"Don't worry. They can't escape." The woman smiled and said this with a tone of
unquestionable confidence.

...

"Do you mean... His Highness sent witches to hunt for the head of Rats?"
Tigerclaw�s eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Not only witches but also many common men," Snaketooth told the bizarre story he
had just witnessed. "What I've guessed is right�witches are accepted in His
Highness' territory. They can appear in public without worries, and even fight with
others." He paused, and then continued to speak with excitement, "If Paper really
was sent there, she must be living a fairly decent life."

"Sounds like you want to go there and meet her," Sunflower said, twitching her
mouth. "Witches are talented and it�s difficult to see them. You might embarrass
her if you go to see her."

"Oh..." Snaketooth was stunned for a moment. He knew what Sunflower said was true.
He was only a Rat, even if he could survive the winter, his identity would remain
the same. Paper must be living a whole different life now, totally out of his
league.

"Don't overthink it." Tigerclaw patted him on the shoulder. "Look, it�s time to
eat."

Chapter 464: The Changes

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Many people came for the second meal. Luckily, the three of them had arrived early
and were able to secure a position at the front.

When Snaketooth joined the queue, he realized why the fences were built around the
wooden stage. There was a speaker chattering about the new policy. He would
probably have to keep listening to him until he got his oatmeal.

The crowd moved forward slowly. After waiting for half an hour, he finally reached
the back of the wooden stage.

"Give me your right hand." A guard said.

Snaketooth followed the instruction, and the guard stamped the back of his hand.

"Next."

The wooden fence extended on both sides to encircle a large area, but the queuing
still continued. Everyone was guided by a guard to take a wooden bowl, receive the
oatmeal, go and eat on the side, and then return their bowl. It was hard to believe
that ordinary civilians and Rats could be this orderly.

Snaketooth looked at the long queue behind him and felt that this whole thing was
absurd. It was as if they were in a solemn ceremony instead of begging for charity.

"What did he stamp on our hands?" Tigerclaw stuck his head out from behind. "I
can't wipe it off."

"It's probably meant to prevent us from joining the queue again after we finish our
oatmeal," he said with a frown.

Tall tents were set at the perimeter of the empty space, and he could see through
the shadows that there were many busy people inside. Heavy wooden barrels were
being moved to the long wooden table beside the fence, and it was obvious that the
food had just been cooked. As he watched the steaming porridge flow into his bowl,
his hands could not help but tremble.

How long had it been since he had a hot meal?

The oatmeal was watery and did not come with vegetables or condiments, but just the
golden porridge and its overflowing aroma was enough to make him salivate. Compared
with black bread, which contained stones and husks, the food in his bowl made him
feel warm again.

Tears were starting to collect in his eyes again.

Snaketooth finished the oatmeal quickly despite how hot it was and licked the bowl
clean. Although he wished he could go back and beg for another bowl, he finally
dispelled the idea after he saw the surveillance guards. He put the wooden bowl
into the designated pot and followed the crowd to exit the fenced area.

There was another wooden stage at the exit, and the speaker was answering questions
from the public enthusiastically.

After eating some warm food, the howling wind did not seem as cold as before, and
the three of them slowly followed the crowd to the wooden stage.

"You asked why His Royal Highness distributed the oatmeal? That�s a good question!"
the man said excitedly. "It's because His Highness is determined to eliminate the
Rats. Those who are menaced by Rats and those who are forced to comply with the
Rats for food can be completely liberated and no longer subject to their threats!
At the same time, he did this so that the families that don't have enough food
storage can survive the harsh times! This is His Highness' benevolence!"

"You said earlier that the oatmeal would only be provided till the end of Months of
Demons, so what happens after that?" someone asked loudly.

The scene suddenly quieted as the people eagerly awaited the answer. Snaketooth
also listened attentively.

"It�s simple! You can support yourselves!" the speaker said with a smile.

"Support...ourselves?"

"But I don't know how to farm."

"Could you please explain, sir?"

"Don't worry, let me explain to you slowly!" He waved his hand. "After the Months
of Demons, Longsong Stronghold and Border Town will merge to form a new city, so
the empty areas in between will require a lot of you to reclaim and reconstruct!
Only hard work can create wealth, and only hard work can change destiny! You�ll
have a stable salary, and the money you earn will support you and your family! At
the same time, His Highness promised that those who officially have a job will be
accepted as citizens of the new city."

His words stirred a wave in the crowd, and Snaketooth felt his heartbeat speed up.

"Yes, I know what you are thinking," said the speaker loudly. "Many of you are
Rats, or citizens forced to become Rats. It doesn't matter. You can work for a new
life. You no longer have to live in the dark underground, and you don't have to
worry about being sent to the gallows. You can rely on your own hands to earn
legitimate rewards, whether it�s food, clothing, or even shelter!"

"Sir� do we only need to be willing to work?"

He smiled and nodded. "In the future, His Highness will need more than 10,000
people, so� yes, as long as you are willing to work."

Snaketooth suddenly understood something.

...

During the next few days, the three of them went to the Central Square for oatmeal
at noon every day. More and more citizens heard the news and came to the
distributions, until they occupied almost half of the square. Of course, some
people didn't go for the food. They just wanted to witness the end of the Black
Street Rats.

It looked like there was a festival going on in Stronghold every day.

After the oatmeal was done being distributed at noon, there would be trials and
executions on the other end of the square.

As the woman in the white robe had said, none of the Rats could escape their
arrest. Snaketooth saw Kanas in one of the trials. His face was pale as he knelt
and trembled on the scaffold, no longer domineering like before.

Then, as the iron pipe roared, his head was smashed into pieces.

Apart from Kanas, Snaketooth also heard the names of many other big figures among
the Rats.

These included Bloodyhand, Ironcrow, Ripper� they had all been fierce kings in
Black Street. Their appearances were not much better than Kanas. Every death of a
Rat king was met with warm cheers and chants of "Long live His Highness".

On the fourth day, Snaketooth saw Joe, looking completely recovered. The four of
them hugged each other excitedly.

"Where have you been?"

"I don�t know," Joe shook his head. "My mind was obscured at the time. When I woke
up I was lying in a tent, and my head didn�t hurt anymore. I only ate and slept
until the fever came down. There were quite a few patients like me in there,
drinking oatmeal with dried meat. I ate so much the first time that I almost
swallowed my tongue."
"Is there such a good thing?" Tigerclaw stared and said, "Damn, I want to be
infected with the cold plague!"

"Anyway, it�s good you survived," Sunflower said gladly.

After everyone was done catching up, Snaketooth suddenly said, "I want to look for
a job after the Months of Demons."

"Perhaps those nobilities are just fooling us, and there�ll be additional
requirements," Tigerclaw said. "When they recruited the new Second Army and police
members, they asked for a fixed address and a clean record, which means no
stealing. So we aren't even in their consideration."

Snaketooth shook his head and did not answer. The things in the bulletin were
gradually becoming a reality, and he realized that the "new city" was possibly
beyond his imagination. In these few yet long days, he had already felt a change.

If the speaker was telling the truth, would he be able to stay in the new city? If
he could get rid of his Rat identity, would Paper feel less embarrassed if he saw
her again?

Chapter 465: Inner Peace & Disturbance

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Wendy, Scroll, and Spear were sitting in the castle hall, enjoying the top-grade
black tea that was imported from the City of Glow.

Wendy took the whistling kettle off the pot hook in the fireplace and poured the
boiled well water into a tea cup. Watching the water surface gradually being dyed a
transparent orange and sniffing the mellow aroma that came from the rising steam,
she felt her whole body become lazy. After blowing on the cup to cool down the tea,
she took a small sip. The initial taste was slightly bitter, but it slowly turned
into a fresh and sweet taste that rejuvenated her lips and tongue. As the warm
liquid flowed into her abdomen, she uncontrollably let out a satisfied groan.

On the other side of the hall, Paper was still fiddling with the Sigil of God's
Will. She had already mastered the skill of injecting magic power into the sigil,
and was also able to accurately control the output of magic power. But no matter
how she tried, she was only able to light up the first magic stone on the sigil.

"Whenever I see her, I'll think of the days in the Witch Cooperation Association,"
Scroll said emotionally. "At that time, nobody thought that we would all be able to
live a life like what we have today."

"If we were able to foresee the future, Cara wouldn't have persisted so
stubbornly." Wendy placed her cup down. "It's good that in the future, our awakened
sisters won't have to experience the same suffering as we did." As she spoke, she
started laughing. "We're probably the last batch of witches who had to suffer."

"Also the oldest batch, which means we'll enjoy the least number of good days,"
Scroll added while placing her hand on her forehead. "Sounds like we got the worst
lot."

"That's why you came back early today just to enjoy a bit more leisure time?" Wendy
joked.
"I left only after completing my duties." The latter shrugged her shoulders. "His
Highness Roland is away and thus the amount of work is much less than usual. I'm
somewhat not used to it."

"Is that so?" Wendy raised her eyebrows. "When His Highness returns, I'll tell him
what you said word-for-word."

"Oh... then, for the next exam, I can't promise that you'll be able to understand
every question."

"You two have such a great relationship." Spear giggled as she listened to the
conversation. "Although I'm not young anymore, I've never enjoyed such a deep
relationship with anyone. You two are among the most fortunate of the witches."

"That goes without saying. Not every witch has a powerful father," Scroll said, and
drank a mouthful of tea before continuing, "and he would pass on everything he has
to his daughter�even in the noble, such people are rare."

"By the way, how's it going in the City Hall?" Wendy looked towards Spear. "I've
heard that you'll go there whenever you're free recently."

"There're many benefits of going." Spear exhaled deeply. "This's the first time
I've gained insight into a departmental management style that's so well-ordered and
demarcated, yet allows the departments to work closely together. Instead of having
the ministers of each department conduct their own employee recruitment and
compensation, the City Hall takes care of it for them. This way, there's less
difficulty in replacing employees, and also allows capable citizens to enter the
civil service without hindrance. I've no idea how His Highness conceived this
idea."

"She even had a very nice chat with Barov." Scroll jested.

"Ahem, he was simply consulting me about a few questions related to the laws of the
noble, which I happened to have a good understanding of," Spear said, shaking her
head. "Also, the new laws laid down by His Highness are very unique, and may even
be implemented in the Fallen Dragon Ridge. I discussed this with Barov for a little
longer."

"Oh? How are they unique?"

"Such as the part regarding the definition of citizenship..."

"Sister Wendy, when will I be able to light up the second magic stone?" Paper had
joined in unexpectedly and bawled as she held up the Sigil of God's Will.

"When you're a bit older." Wendy reached her hand out to the young girl. "Come, let
me give you a hug."

Paper held on to Wendy's outstretched hand and climbed into her embrace.

Wendy caressed Paper's head as she watched the other two witches discuss the new
laws, and felt a sense of calm.

It would be so good if this life could last forever.

At this moment, a guard entered the hall. He first glanced around the room before
walking up to the four witches with a slight hesitation.

"Something happened?" Wendy recognized him�he was a personal guard of His Highness.
"Lady Wendy, someone has arrived from outside the castle, and she claims that her
daughter has just been awakened as a witch..." The guard said while making a
salute. "His Highness has specified that when he's not around, you'll be in charge
of such issues."

"What?" The three witches were shocked simultaneously. "A new awakened witch?"

"That's what the person said."

"Quick, take me to her," Wendy immediately responded.

...

At the main gate of the castle, Wendy saw two citizens waiting in the cold wind.
One of them seemed about 40 years old, her hair already turned half-white, and the
wrinkles on her forehead were deep and long. She was wearing an old-fashioned coat
and her stature was slightly hunched. The other person was much younger, about 17
or 18 years old, and she stood reservedly beside the elder woman.

"This's Lady Wendy of the Witch Union." The guard introduced.

"Our greetings, Lady Wendy." The two citizens bowed respectfully.

"They claim to be migrants from the Southern Territory and that they moved into an
inner city residential district half a month ago. I've verified their identity
cards and found no issue with the information they provided."

"You're the witch?" Wendy looked towards the young woman and spoke in the tenderest
voice she could. "What's your name?"

"Lady Wendy's asking you a question." The elder woman tugged on the younger one's
sleeve.

"Summer," the latter murmured.

"You're her... mother?"

"Yes, yes, indeed. Her father is still working at the Furnace Area, so I brought
her over." The elder woman nodded repeatedly. "Lady Wendy, may I ask if what His
Highness stated on the bulletin is true... that witches are entitled to a wage of
one gold royal every month?"

"It's true indeed, but she has to be willing to join the Witch Union."

"I..." Summer opened her mouth.

"She's willing, she's definitely willing to serve and dedicate everything to His
Highness." The mother interrupted her daughter. "Do we have to sign a contract?
When will we receive the money?"

These words made Wendy frown uncontrollably. It was not hard to decipher from her
tone that the mother not only treated her daughter as an object for sale, but also
thought that the Witch Union was a place of pleasure for His Highness.

Wendy held back her unhappiness and replied placidly, "His Highness is currently
handling some affairs in Longsong Stronghold, and I'm not sure when he'll be back.
Furthermore, there'll be a few examinations and tests before she can join the
Union. You may leave your daughter to our care in the castle, and when His Highness
returns, we'll arrange for you to sign the contract."

No matter what, Summer was innocent, and thus Wendy did not want to impose her
anger towards the ignorant mother on to her. Even though witches were already
accepted by the majority of the town's inhabitants, the refugees who recently
arrived in the Western Region still possessed a gross misunderstanding of them.

"I'll entrust her to you, Lady Wendy." The mother made a deep bow and then patted
her daughter's head. "Behave well and don't disappoint His Highness."

"Mom, I..." Summer wanted to say something, but the elder woman had already turned
and walked towards the exit ramp.

Chapter 466: Reappearance

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Summer, right? Don't worry." Wendy walked up to the young woman and held her hand.
"The Witch Union isn't what your family thinks, nor do you have to stay in the
castle all the time."

"Really?" Summer asked softly.

"Of course." Wendy smiled. "We stay in the castle because we have nowhere else to
go... before His Highness took us in, we lived vagrant lives. Our families were
either broken or perceived us as strangers. You're considered fortunate to have a
family." She paused briefly. "Let's go inside, the wind is strong here."

"... OK." The young woman lowered her head and followed Wendy into the castle.

"This's the new awakened witch?" Scroll was already waiting at the door. "What's
her name?"

"Summer," Wendy replied, and then look towards the guard. "Can you help me inform
Lady Agatha to return to the castle? Tell her that there's a new witch. She should
be in the riverside chemical lab right now."

"My pleasure to serve you, Lady Wendy." The guard bowed before he turned and
exited.

"Indeed, when Nightingale and Sylvie aren't around, only Agatha is able to
distinguish magic power by type and capacity." Scroll nodded in agreement. "What's
her ability?"

"We don't know yet." Wendy then caressed the young girl's head and asked, "How old
are you?"

"18." Summer became nervous again in front of so many strangers.

"18?" Spear seemed surprised. "Isn't that the age of adulthood?"

"When did you realize that you were awakened as a witch?" Scroll asked. "Tell us
your story in detail."

"Just... three days ago, when I turned 18," Summer replied meekly. "That day, my
elder brother caught a fish for me as a gift, but it was taken away by my second
sister, and only half of the tail was left for me in the end. At night, I hugged my
quilt and cried. I then dreamt that the fish returned to my bowl. When I woke up, I
discovered that the fish was indeed there, and I also had a new elder sister."

"A new elder sister... what does that mean?" Wendy asked in astonishment.

"One was sitting at the table and eating fish, while the other one was paralyzed
with fear on the floor. However, the former soon disappeared together with the
fish..." Summer recalled what happened. "At that time, I could feel that... those
things that appeared had something to do with me. However, when I told my family
about it, I was beaten up by my father and told not to scare my second sister. I
really didn't scare her on purpose. Who would think that a dream could become
real?"

"That wasn't a dream." Wendy confirmed what the girl said. "It was an awakening
call."

Magic power would gather inside a witch's body on the aforementioned Day of
Awakening. During this process, a witch would not only be able to feel the weird
changes inside her body, but also, for a majority of witches, they would be unable
to restrain the strange magic power, causing them to use their newly-gained ability
involuntarily. Hence, apart from the extremely unbearable Day of Adulthood, the
second highest cause of loss of witches was the Day of Awakening�the consequence of
performing magical effects in front of normal people was obvious.

However, Wendy had never heard of a case whereby the Day of Adulthood and Day of
Awakening fell on the same day. Albeit this was no doubt possible�the Day of
Adulthood was just a more special Day of Awakening.

"After that, my second sister called me a witch and said that I had to leave home.
My elder brother retorted that there was no issue with me being a witch as there
were many witches in the town. My family quarreled over this..." Summer's voice
became even softer as she spoke. "In the end, they decided to send me here."

It thus seemed that even people who had recently arrived from the Southern
Territory were already being influenced by the town's propaganda. Fortunately for
Summer, she was not tied up and handed over to the church, like many witches were.
The unfortunate thing was that her family was ultimately unable to accept a witch.
However, Wendy was confident that this kind of situation would be improved over
time... the original inhabitants of Border Town were a good example.

After Wendy enquired about a few more details from Summer, Agatha walked into the
hall, looking worn out.

"Is this the newly discovered witch?"

Wendy nodded and recounted Summer's identity and awakening experience. "How does
the Union test a witch's ability?"

Agatha took a magic stone out of her waist pocket after she was done listening.
"It's usually divided into two sections. One is to observe a thorough performance
of the ability, and the other is to use the Stone of Measuring to measure the
aggregate level of the magic power." Then, she looked at Summer and instructed.
"Close your eyes and feel the magic power revolve inside your body."

"Does she need a partner to assist her?" Wendy appeared anxious. "She became a
witch only three days ago. I'm afraid that she knows nothing about her magic
power."

"No need." Agatha chuckled. "I'm only worried that she's scared."
As they spoke, the magic-filled stone emitted a ray of pale green light that
enveloped Summer. A mist gradually appeared around her chest. Its center was pale
yellow in color and it seemed like it could dissipate at any time.

"She wasn't lying." After observing briefly, Agatha stopped the operation of the
Stone of Measuring. "It's indeed a feature that only occurs when the Day of
Awakening and the Day of Adulthood are on the same day. The type of ability is...
the summoning type which you're all familiar with. The level of magic power is...
extremely low."

"Extremely low?" Wendy winced. "Did such a coincidence also occur in Taquila?"

"The Union had witnessed the awakening of thousands of witches. Something like this
was rather common." Agatha replied proudly. "As for witches who awakened only near
the end of adulthood, it was as if they never had a Day of Adulthood."

"What?"

"Their magic powers were never able to develop and thus remained in the pre-
adulthood form forever. Naturally, they didn't have the derivative skills and
steady growth that were unique to adulthood. I don't know if such witches were able
to have High Awakenings, but if they were unable to develop, the problems with
their magic power would bug them for the rest of their lives. She paused briefly.
"We should have a look at Summer's ability first. After all, magic capacity is only
one aspect. The ability itself is the best way to gauge a witch's value."

"Agatha!" Wendy exclaimed while frowning. Every witch should be treated as a fellow
sister, instead of being valued based on her ability.

"This is how it's done in the Holy City." Agatha was unmoved. "Sure... I believe
His Highness' saying that every ability has its own special use, but they're still
distinguishable by their quality."

"What are you... arguing about?" Summer opened her eyes, looking confused.

"Nothing much." Wendy forcibly smiled and said in a comforting voice, "Try to
demonstrate your ability to everyone."

"Yes..." The young woman held her breath and slowly reached out her hands. Soon,
the four people present were able to see the effects�they saw figures of themselves
positioned on the other side of the hall. Two of them seemed to be discussing
something, but not a sound was heard. Suddenly, Paper, who had left the hall a long
while ago, reappeared beside Wendy and slowly crawled into Wendy's arms, revealing
a sweet smile on her face.

Wendy subconsciously reached out a hand to the figure of herself, but her
fingertips passed through the figure as if there was nothing there.

Chapter 467: You're Irreplaceable

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After the illusion disappeared, the lobby fell into an eerily silence.

After a while, Scroll finally sighed and said, "No wonder your sister fell over in
shock. That's quite... terrifying indeed."

"The ability to place an entire group under an illusion is very rare, but not
new..." Agatha said slowly. "When I was in the Union, I knew at least two witches
with similar powers, one of which was a Senior Witch from Starfall City."

"How many times can you use this ability every day?" asked Wendy. "Can you control
the specific time period that the illusion shows?" According to His Highness' usual
practices, there should be a comprehensive test of her ability that sought to
understand its characteristics, efficacy and usage.

"About... two or three times," whispered Summer, "and what do you mean by time
period? Are you asking how recent the things I show are?" Seeing Wendy nod, Summer
stroked her own head in embarrassment. "I've never tested it, but I think earlier
things take more effort..."

Wendy couldn't help but laugh. "It doesn't take effort, but the magic power inside
your body."

"Magic power?"

"You should be able to feel it flowing inside you like water, or floating inside
you like fog. Using your ability requires magic power," explained Scroll. "There're
so many things to learn about magic power, and I'll teach them all to you in the
future."

"Uh-huh." Summer nodded.

Then, Wendy instructed Summer to use all her powers to display an illusion. This
time, the illusion was from a day and a half ago, when the lights were shining in
the lobby, and the sisters of the Witch Union were having dinner at a long table.
Afterwards, Summer completely exhausted her magic power and lowered her arms,
panting, with beads of sweat emerging on her forehead.

Wendy recorded the results of the two tests on a notebook, but she couldn't think
of a single use for Summer's ability. "Her illusions can only show the past but
can't predict the future, so we'll have to wait for His Highness Roland to return
and judge." At this thought, she couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. His
Highness once told her that he wanted to make the Witch Union a self-governing
organization and to appoint her as the director. However, she wasn't as nearly
knowledgeable as His Highness, so she couldn't think of all the uses for her
sisters' abilities as well as he could.

After collecting her emotions, Wendy was about to say a few words of encouragement
to Summer, when Scroll made a gesture towards her.

The two witches stepped aside, and Wendy asked, "What's wrong?"

"Were you planning on telling Summer that she could stay here if she didn't want to
go home?" Scroll asked with a frown. "Did you forget that witches need to be
verified before joining the Witch Union?"

Wendy obviously knew that witches needed to answer ten questions about their
identity and background under the supervision of Nightingale before being accepted.
"But Summer probably didn't lie... Her identification was made by Soraya, and her
background matches up. Not to mention that she just awakened and is a non-combat
type witch, so even the church won't be able to predict something like this."

"Magic power isn't the only thing that can harm someone. A dagger or a pack of
poison can have the same effect, if not better."

"No, how could she possibly..."

"But you can't rule out this possibility." Scroll interrupted. "The City Hall is in
charge of resident verification and won't inspect every household, so a sudden
awakening is actually the best way of getting into the castle..." She paused. "I
know that this possibility is very small, but don't forget that we can't afford to
lose His Highness Roland. Lady Tilly is also living in the witch building right
now, so if something happens to her, the relationship between Border Town and
Sleeping Island will completely splinter, and all of His Highness' work will be for
nothing. It's too high of a risk."

"..." Wendy was silent. She knew that Scroll's concerns were reasonable and weren't
targeting Summer, but she still found them hard to accept. As the first witch to be
awakened in the town under the rule of Roland, Summer was treated as a potential
enemy spy, which was simply heartbreaking. After a long time, Wendy said, "I
understand. I'll send her back."

"I'll go with you." Scroll sighed.

...

After they left the castle, Summer instantly became much more energetic and began
holding Wendy's hand and asking about the witches and the lord.

"What's wrong?" Wendy asked after answering all her questions. "Why are you so glad
that you don't have to live in the castle?"

"Uh... " Summer gulped and lowered her head in embarrassment. "I heard that the
lord, or His Highness, is a very scary person and ravages all the women around him
every day."

"Pfft!" Wendy almost choked in shock. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Isn't he Prince Roland of the Kingdom of Graycastle? I've heard this many times in
Eagle City, and there are even folk songs that say the Second Prince is conniving,
Prince Roland is lecherous, and only Princess Garcia of Port of Clearwater is a
good ruler," whispered Summer.

"I see..." Scroll said with great interest. "This's probably Garcia's way of
promoting herself. It's quite unique."

"Is he... not that kind of person?"

"Of, of course not," Wendy said, blushing. "You'll soon learn that he's the lord
who is worthy of the witches' trust!"

They came to the residential area where Summer's family lived, walked up to a two-
story house, and knocked on her door.

Summer's mother answered the door.

"Mom, I'm back!" shouted Summer excitedly.

"How did you..." She paused and stared at the two people behind her daughter with a
panicked look. "Did she do something wrong? Why don't you want her?"

"His Highness hasn't returned yet, so..."

"She can stay in the castle and wait for His Highness to return," said Summer's
mother impatiently. "Summer is very obedient. She might be a little slow, but
she'll do anything you ask her to do."

"Ma'am, the Witch Union isn't what you think it..." Wendy felt anger rushing into
her heart, but Scroll interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

Scroll took out one gold royal and waved it in front of the woman. "Your daughter
is indeed a witch, so we'll sign the contract when His Highness returns. Here's
your compensation for the first month."

"Yes, yes." The woman's attention immediately moved on the shiny coin. "Thank you,
my lady!"

"Remember, you're now taking care of her on behalf of His Highness. Understand?"

"Yes, my lady, I'll take good care of Summer."

...

After they left the house, Wendy couldn't contain her anger anymore. "How could you
pay such a terrible woman? Even if you were paying in advance, you should have paid
Summer."

"Would Summer be able to keep the gold royal?" Scroll's answer shocked Wendy. "If
she can't keep it for herself, the money will eventually fall into her family's
hands; if she can, she'll be completely alienated by her family. That's why I gave
the money directly to her mother, so Summer won't have to carry this burden, and it
might help to raise her status in her family. She has so much time ahead of her. If
we can use the gold royal to buy a better life for her, then it's a good deal."

"..." Wendy pondered for a while and said, "You're right. I was too naive."

The consecutive setbacks greatly discouraged Wendy, and she began to think that she
wasn't good enough to lead the Witch Union.

"However, no one cares about them more than you do," said Scroll with a smile, as
if she had read her thoughts. "After being in the Witch Cooperation Association led
by Cara, I realize that... a trustworthy leader would care about her witches whole
heartedly and always put their interests first, regardless of their abilities.
That's exactly why you're irreplaceable."

Chapter 468: The Return

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After two weeks, Roland was finally on his way home.

After clearing out the four noble families and Black Street Rats with an iron hand,
he could, for the time being, start the reform of Longsong Stronghold from scratch.
Relief and resettlement measures were underway in an orderly fashion. Although the
gold royals and provisions seized from the territories of the Maple Leaf, Wolf, and
Wild Rose families weren't as abundant as the ones seized from Duke Ryan, they were
still a shocking amount. That was why he could expand the relief program to the
entire city unscrupulously, and successfully promote his policies during the
porridge distribution.

By the day of his departure, the Second Army had reached its target of recruiting
500 people, and the police department had newly added about 200 new members as
well. Roland left half of his soldiers and Vader in Stronghold, so that they could
not only manage defenses and maintain order, but could also train the new recruits
into usable warriors.

He knew the time for him to implement his policies was limited. If he failed to
facilitate the direct communication between the people and the City Hall and did
not establish his authority among the masses quickly enough, the ancient power
would return to fill the current power gap. As the saying goes, there could be no
construction without destruction. He had already completed the destruction, and now
it was time to construct and boom Stronghold.

Roland's source of confidence was Border Town, whose population had grown to over
30,000 people, more than half of which were receiving elementary education. This
would equal to the size of two modern day middle schools, but it was a shocking
number for this era. Furthermore, elementary education was not just about reading
skills, but also included basic knowledge of science and politics, as well as a
universal sense of patriotism.

The increase in literacy rate would provide him with enough manpower for the
revolution. Also, compared to ignorant and meek civilians, a sense of patriotism
will enable them to burst out unimaginable power. The town's subjects were each
small sparks that would one day set off a great fire in the entire land.

As the sky dimmed, Roland saw the town looming against the darkness.

"Look... what's that?" a member of the nobility shouted behind him.

"A... bridge?" said another person, craning his neck. "My goodness, it's way too
long."

"That's impossible! How could such a long bridge be supported with only two
pillars?"

"Wait... it seems to be made of steel!"

On the way back, apart from the witches, there were dozens of lower-level nobles on
Roland's boat, who had not participated in the rebellion and therefore survived the
cleanup.

According to Roland's plan, those lower-level nobles would learn to hierarchically

manage the City Hall. After the city construction was officially under way, they
would return to Stronghold and help Petrov build the secondary City Hall to carry
out and give him feedback on his orders. After the nobles lost their feudal
privileges, they would all want to improve, and the only thing they could rely on
was their own abilities.

As the fleet passed the steel bridge, Roland heard the astonished gasps of the
nobles behind him. Everyone held their breaths and stared as the steel bridge that
stretched over the entire width of the river flitted over their heads.

The prince couldn't help but laugh at these people, who had not stopped exclaiming
since they boarded the boat. First, they were shocked that a boat made of stone
could float on water, and then they were amazed by the spinning wheel and the
puffing steam engine. "It's a shame that the town's Three Supplies Project isn't
completed," he thought, "otherwise their jaws would drop to the floor when they saw
the power of light bulbs."

The boats slowly docked with a sharp whistle. Barov, Carter, and a group of City
Hall officials had received the carrier pigeon and were waiting by the shore. When
they saw Roland, they set off celebration cannons and welcomed him with a set of
formalities fit for a king.

Roland smiled and patted the two men's shoulders, and then he brought Barov over to
the Stronghold nobles and introduced everyone to each other. "You're in charge of
these people's housing, lives, and education," he said quietly to Barov. "Don't
mind their identities and titles, since they are barons at most. There're all kinds
of people in the mines, and they all have to work to live an honest living. Train
them like you would do to new graduates. I want to see the results as soon as
possible."

"Yes, Your Highness."

When Roland returned to the castle, all the witches who had heard about his return
were waiting in the lobby. Before he could even feel the effects of the heating
system on entering the door, a warm body leaped into his arms. He smelled the
familiar scent of her hair and patted her head, smiling. "I'm back."

"Uh-huh." Anna raised her head, her blue eyes sparkling with joy. "I've been
waiting for you for a long time."

"Me too!"

"And me! Coo!"

Soon, Roland felt an extra weight on each of his arms... He didn't even have to
look to know that it was Lightning and Maggie, because no one else would interrupt
him and Anna.

"Hey, you two basically went along with him." Mystery Moon complained.

"Yeah." Lily scoffed. "No shame!"

"I'm just glad you're all back safe and sound," said Wendy gently.

"We should celebrate tonight," Scroll suggested.

"Yay! I want ice cream bread!" Andrea exclaimed. "With Ashes' and Shavi's portions,
I'll be feasting tonight!"

The last to walk up to him was Tilly Wimbledon.

She stuck out her hand and said casually, "You've had a long journey."

"Thank you." Roland smiled and grasped her extended hand.

...

After a hearty dinner, Roland returned to his office and sighed heavily. Although
the castle of Stronghold was much bigger, this small place was much more
comfortable.

Just as he was about to sort out the books he brought over from Stronghold, Anna
entered the room.

"You came just in time." Roland pointed to the books piled on the rug. "Look, these
are my presents for you. They're mostly historical records and legendary tales,
while others are secret stories of the Western Region, and they were all taken from
Duke Ryan's library. Oh, right, this one is..."
Before he could finish, he felt a pair of soft lips press onto his.

They brought a sweet scent mixed with passion and warm moisture.

"I really missed you," Anna pronounced each word with due stress after she
disengaged from Roland, looking deeply into his eyes.

As he stared back at her, Roland felt a sense of warmth swarming upon his heart.
"This book..."

"I'll read it later."

"Good idea."

The two became entangled in a kiss.

Chapter 469: Don't Make Her Wait Forever

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The next day, Roland walked into his office humming and found that Wendy was
already there waiting for him.

"What's the matter?" He stepped over the messy pile of books on the floor and
poured her a cup of tea.

"Congratulations, there's a new witch in Border Town." She smiled and told him
about everything that happened in the past few days. "If you need, I can summon
Summer to the castle anytime."

"The first witch awakened in my territory... She�s also the first witch recruited
after my public recruitment notice." Roland's face was instantly lit up, but when
he heard the second half of the sentence, he asked curiously, "Isn't she in the
castle right now?"

"No, because Nightingale wasn't there to verify her identity." Wendy repeated what
Scroll insisted. "We sent her home and paid the first month's salary in advance."

"That wasn't a bad idea." Roland nodded. "Tell her to come and sign the contract
this afternoon."

"Yes, my lord..." responded Wendy, who was obviously dying to say something else.

"What's the matter?"

"Aren't you angry about people's opinions towards you and the Witch Union? Also..."
she paused for a while before saying through gritted teeth, "Also, my ability might
not be suitable for leading the Witch Union. Scroll is more experienced and mature
than I am, so I think she should be in charge."

"I'm sure you also brought this up to Scroll?" asked Roland with great interest.
"And then she told you that you were the best candidate?"

"Huh?"

"I guess I was right..." He sighed. "And I feel the same way. Administration
techniques and methods can be learned through experience, but personality is much
harder to change. Haven't you realized that the most loved member of the witches,
besides Maggie, is you? Also, Scroll is mostly in charge of the education
department and will only be busier in the future, so she won't have much time to
communicate with the new witches, which happens to be your strength. You should
give yourself more credit. I'm an excellent judge of character."

Before Wendy could answer, the prince continued, "As for the misconceptions that
civilians have towards the Witch Union, I really have overlooked them. I never
thought that this body... no, my previous reputation would spread all over the
kingdom." He pondered for a while. "I must fix this rumor as quickly as possible.
On top of further advertisement, I also think it's best for the organization to run
independently."

"Run... independently?"

"Yes, I want to turn it into a department, just like the City Hall." Roland had
considered this issue before. There were only around a dozen witches in the Union
now, so he still could manage all of them. However, if it expanded to hundreds of
members or were on a scale as big as the Holy City of Taquila with thousands of
witches in it, he obviously couldn't handle them all alone. They needed to
establish a governing system that could operate independently and assign witches to
different positions, and he would only serve to give suggestions based on their
abilities and evolution.

After he explained his thoughts to her, Wendy said hesitantly, "But there're
hundreds of people in City Hall, while there're only about a dozen sisters, and
they all have their own issues to tend to... Also, how would this change the
citizens' opinions toward us?"

"Rumors are like fear because they both come from the unknown. The town residents
can accept witches because they personally experience the benefits that Nana and
Lily bring," Roland said with a smile. "Allowing commoners to join the Witch Union
will not only solve the issue of insufficient staff, but also help the people
better understand this organization�voluntary promotion through the people
themselves will definitely help improve the people's impression of witches, and
your work and contributions to the town will be well-known by the public."

Just like how academies of sciences didn't just hire scientists, a great number of
commoners were required for daily errands, administrative duties, and research
organization. If he wanted the witches to be accepted by all the people, he would
need them to understand each other better, so placing witches and commoners in each
other's lines of work made sense.

"I see." Wendy nodded. "This is a pretty good idea. But how do we select these
people?"

"Since you'll be operating independently, you'll also have to do your own

recruiting and screening." Roland stroked his chin. "You can ask Countess Spear
about this, because she should be pretty good at constructing an organization
centered around witches. However, there're only a few members in the Witch Union,
so you can start by hiring an assistant or staff member as practice. After the
Months of Demons, I'll build a new building next to the City Hall, which you can
use as the base for the Witch Union."

He didn't mention that since it was the Witch Union, they wouldn't only be in
charge of the Witches in Western Region or Kingdom of Graycastle. If he could build
the right infrastructure, the Union would be able to immediately cooperate with the
witch organizations of all the kingdoms he absorbed.

"I got it." Wendy inhaled deeply. "If you have decided to give me this task, I'll
try my best to carry it out."

...

After Wendy left, Roland continued to organize the books from yesterday.

Looking at the pages scattered all over the floor, he couldn't help thinking of
last night's fiery and passionate kiss. Anna's fragrant hair, sparkling eyes, and
soft body made him tingle with excitement. Although she once burned all of her
clothes to the ground without any hesitation when she first met him, he had not
been as tremulous as he was then.

It was probably because she was still a helpless little girl back then, and now she
was a strong and beautiful woman�in only a year, she had changed so much.

"Maybe I should take the initiative and respond to her..." Roland's thoughts were
interrupted when his hands touched someone else's finger, and he realized that
Nightingale was handing a book to him. "Let me help you."

"Um..." Roland paused with a start. Last night, when Anna followed him into his
office and embraced him, he didn't notice if Nightingale had also followed them
into the room from the banquet.

"Don't worry, I left immediately last night and didn't stick around to be the third
wheel." Nightingale rolled her eyes. "I guessed that after having not seen you for
a long time, she would throw herself at you�she never represses her emotions."

"Is... that so?"

With Nightingale's help, the books were quickly organized and put on the shelves,
filling up each vacancy.

"Alright..." Roland stuffed the last book into a remaining vacancy on the shelves.
"Thank you."

"Alas. How long are you going to drag this on for? Don't make her wait forever..."

Roland paused and turned around. Nightingale had already disappeared, but her final
words still echoed in his ears. Although her voice was very low, he was certain
about what he heard.

"... and don't make me wait forever either."

Chapter 470: The New Warship

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

As Roland walked up to the path leading to the North Slope Mountain, Nightingale's
remarks were still ringing in his ears.

He was suddenly enlightened. "That's right," he thought. "I'm no longer just a

regular man who only interacts with blueprints all day, and this is no longer the
world I used to live in. Now, I'm a lord of a great territory, and I might become a
king one day, so if my situation ever changes, I can't use my old approaches to
hold myself back."

"I just have to follow my heart," he told himself. "If I force anything because of
some insignificant 'principles', it could only result in continuing to hurt Anna
and Nightingale."

At this thought, Roland felt a weight had been lifted off his heart. He inhaled
deeply and pushed open the backyard door.

Opening the steel door was just like opening his heart and he instantly saw a whole
new world.

"Oh... Here comes His Highness!" Hummingbird and Lucia ran up to greet him.

"You're here." Anna smiled sweetly. Roland saw a faint red mark on her pale neck
and couldn't help but recall the passionate scene last night. However, since he
already made his decision, he didn't mind waiting a little bit more.

"Have you completed the model?"

"Of course." Anna made a beckoning motion. When the two walked out of the yard,
they saw a steel boat floating in the middle of a pond surrounded by snow. The
steel boat was about one meter long and twenty centimeters wide, seeming much
slimmer than those unwieldy concrete boats. The bow had a distinct thin point, its
stern was flat, and the unique part of it was that the hull was covered with
overlapping supporting bars as if it were pieced together with thousands of
squares.

"This is exactly what I wanted," Roland exclaimed. Compared to the concrete boats
that were poured into steel molds, the pure steel boat had a unique delicateness,
and the overlapping bars made it look like a work of art. He knew that every piece
of this model was cut with Blackfire according to shrunken proportions, without a
single junction missing. If this model were brought to the modern world, it would
be worth tens of thousands yuan.

"Is this the new kind of boat you want to build?"

"Yes." Roland nodded. "It's also the town's first regular warship."

Originally, Roland planned to use the concrete boats as shallow water gunboats, but
he realized that if the steam engines didn't provide enough power, the concrete
boats would be too slow. Even when only carrying fuel and crew, the fleet's average
speed during the journey to Longsong Stronghold was only eight to nine kilometers
per hour. If the boats also had to carry 152 millimeters Stronghold Cannon,
gunpowder, and other weapons, their speed could drop to as low as five kilometers.
This was equivalent to even less than three knots per hour. This was due to the big
dead weight of concrete, which wasn't an issue in simple supply transport, but it
was an undesirable feature in warships.

If the town was still suffering from a lack of steel like it was two months ago,
Roland would have to put up with this flaw. However, with the production of Star of
Steel, the current amount of steel inventory was enough to build a true steel-clad
warship. Roland chose the simplest technique of module assembly, which meant
soldering pieces of steel boards together with beams to form a large hollow unit,
and then connecting these units together to form the hull bottom. This piecing
method eliminated the traditional need for a keel, and since the enemy did not have
any cannons, he did not worry about defense mechanisms. The sides of the hull were
made almost entirely of thin steel plates, thus minimizing the cost and dead
weight.

As for the propulsion, Roland decided to use the propeller technology instead of a
paddle wheel. The power still came from a steam engine that turned the two
propellers by rotating gears. In the blueprint he gave Anna, he also left room for
it to be remodeled as a triple-expansion steam engine since he planned to invent a
new type of steam engine more suited for boats when he began mass-producing the
steel boats.

When they returned to the backyard, Anna began to cut the first steel plate.

The Blackfire in her hand acted like a precise ruler that instantly sliced a thick
steel block into seven thin plates, each exactly five millimeters thick.

Next came the soldering. Hummingbird reduced the weights of the steel beams and
placed them between two plates, and Anna's Blackfire turned into an extremely thin
and hot line and sewed the three components together like thread. This was
completely different from her original soldering technique, because her Blackfire
heated the steel from the inside, allowing the liquid steel to completely fill all
crevices. After the three were completely combined, the beam was lowered by about a
millimeter, which meant that its bottom had completely filled the space between the
two plates.

A cross made by steel beams could connect four plates, and more crosses could form
a hollow box unit. These units were lightened by Hummingbird and transported to the
Redwater River, where they were assembled together at the dock.

Meanwhile, Roland's eyes never left Anna's busy figure. Her flaxen hair swayed with
her cutting motions like a spirit dancing in the pure white snow.

...

In the afternoon, Roland met Summer, the newly awakened witch.

Since she was in his office, it meant that she had passed Nightingale's
verification. Wendy had already clearly recorded her ability, so Roland need not
perform any more tests but immediately placed the contract in front of her.

Summer held the pen awkwardly for a while before saying with a red face, "I...
can't write."

"That's alright." Roland smiled. "You can also sign with your fingerprint."

She carefully pressed her inked thumb onto the parchment. "Is that all?"

"Yes." Roland rolled up the contract. "Wendy has told me every detail about your
situation, so even though you signed the contract, you don't have to live in the
castle. You only need to come here every day to practice and attend classes. Has
Wendy told you about the characteristics of magic power?"

"Yes, Your Highness." As soon as she learned that she did not need to live in the
castle, Summer became much more relaxed. "Lady Wendy said that if I don't release
the magic power that's accumulating every day, I'll be in great danger on my Day of
Awakening."

"That's right, so you have to practice well. I know she'll continue to teach you
how to precisely control magic power and its connection with your ability." Roland
didn't correct her honorifics because he thought it would be best for a beginner to
have some awe. "If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask any member of
the Witch Union."

"I understand, Your Highness," she said with her head lowered. "But... do you think
this ability is completely useless? I asked Lady Wendy about this, and she said
only Your Highness would have the answer."
"Of course not," Roland said with a smile. "You have the ability of a detective, so
you'll be very helpful in fighting crimes."

"Detective?" Summer looked confused.

"Don't worry. Soon you'll understand." He summoned Nightingale from her Mist. "From
now on, this witch will be your supervisor."

Chapter 471: A Reunion

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It was evening. Ferlin Eltek was in his study looking over the newly issued
textbooks when he suddenly heard someone knocking on the main door.

"Dear, I'm busy toasting bread. Why don't you get the door?" Irene shouted from the
kitchen. "It could be Miss May."

"Okay."

He closed the book, walked to the front door in the living room, and unlocked the
latch. The person standing outside caught him completely by surprise.

"Father! What brings you here?" Ferlin exclaimed.

"I followed His Highness here," the old knight said while brushing off the snow on
his shoulders. "In fact, I arrived in Border Town yesterday. Though I told them
that my son is living here, they still arranged a house for me in a residential
area near the castle."

"Come in. It's cold outside." Ferlin hastily moved out of the way.

"Yes." The knight seemed surprised as he stepped into the house. "You have...
central heating in here?"

"You know central heating?"

"I only found out about it today. The last time I was here, I'd already felt that
the city was inexplicably warm. I'd thought that the heating equipment mentioned by
His Highness was a new type of fireplace. When I visited the City Hall this time, I
discovered that it could be equally warm indoors without fire. Only then did I
realize that it made use of steam to produce heat." He took off his coat and hung
it on the stand next to the door. "Wait... I recall that the last time we went
together to the City Hall, you weren't sure what it was as well."

"I only understood after reading a City Hall bulletin." Ferlin poured a cup of tea
for his father. "Before they do anything, they would always spend some time to
explain it to the citizens. The bulletin area in the square is now even more
popular than the Convenience Market."

"Does it mean that, within two months, His Highness was able to install the device
in the homes of ordinary citizens?" The knight said approvingly. "Wouldn't it have
cost thousands of gold royals?"

"Our residential area was among the first to be installed with it. The western and
northern zones are still in the process of ditching. It's said that water and
heating supply are part of the Three Supplies Project. When the construction is
completed, we'll be able to do things at night as we do in the day."

"Nights like days?" The knight's eyebrows were raised. "Does it mean more candles
or oil lamps?"

"Neither. The City Hall officials claim that electricity will be delivered to every
home."

"Electricity?" The old man was stupefied.

"I also think that it's beyond reason, but that's what His Highness' propaganda
states." Ferlin agreed with his father. "With electricity, nights will be as bright
as days." Curiously, the news sounded utterly absurd when he had heard it, but deep
down in his heart, he had a feeling that since it was His Highness' words, it was
not completely impossible.

After all, Roland was always creating new miracles.

"Good evening, Knight Eltek..." Just then, Irene scurried out of the kitchen, and
in her hurry, she almost dropped the plate of half-baked bread she was carrying
while bowing.

The old knight laughed gently at the sight. "Hello, Miss Irene. Don't panic. I'm
not yet hungry."

Ferlin saw his wife's cheeks begin to blush.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat before adding, "There'll be just two more dishes
today. Take it easy, the night is still young."

...

The small family had an enjoyable dinner together. Irene was finally able to
recover from her initial panic, and after the three of them chatted for a while,
she began to clear up the utensils. Meanwhile, Ferlin's father beckoned him into
the study. Ferlin could sense that his father had something important to say.

Just as he expected, when the old knight sat down at the study desk, he calmly
asked, "Do you know what has happened in Longsong Stronghold over the past few
days?"

"I know a little..." Ferlin tried to phrase his words tactfully. "I've heard that
there has been a rebellion by the four families. His Highness left Border Town to
suppress it. It was publicized on the bulletin board."

"The City Hall even mentioned this?" The old knight was astonished for a brief
moment before he explained the whole matter to Ferlin. "Though I sent someone to
inform His Highness, I didn't expect him to arrive so quickly. The result was
guessable. The four families were no match for His Highness' troops. The Maple
Leaf, Wolf and Wild Rose families were completely crushed, leaving only the Elk
Family in a critical state. Our family was nearly implicated in the event."

"What?" Ferlin was greatly surprised. "Father, you..."

"Of course it wasn't me." The knight sighed. "I'm already so old and don't wish to
participate in such risky affairs, but your brother's different. He's eager to
exceed your achievement and prove his qualities as the heir. Regrettably, he took
the wrong stand."
"Are you saying that Miso participated in the rebellion?" Ferlin's face sunk.

His father nodded. "After the rebellion collapsed, he was captured by His Highness'
soldiers. On the day of judgment, I went to the square to see him for the last
time."

"..." Ferlin closed his eyes. He thought of how, after he had become a superstar
knight, his brother constantly tried to make life difficult for him. Yet, Miso was
his younger brother after all, and thus it was saddening to see him come to such a
tragic end.

"Because he had no blood on his hands and surrendered compliantly, he was sentenced
to 10 years of labor. He should be in the North Slope Mine now."

The latter part of his father's words made Ferlin regain his spirits. "10 years of
labor? I thought you meant that he was..."

"Executed?" The knight shook his head in disagreement. "When I said I saw him for
the last time, I meant the last time he was a member of the family. From that
moment, he was no longer a part of the Eltek Family."

"You... severed ties with him."

"Correct." The knight inhaled a deep breath. "I'd warned him long ago, but he never
took my words to heart. Someone who fools around with the family's future and risks
the fate of every family member is definitely not suitable to be the successor."
Even though he spoke assertively, his facial expression betrayed his sadness, and
the wrinkles on his forehead deepened. "Now, I only have you as my child."

"Father..." Ferlin felt his eye sockets tingling, and he involuntarily held his
father's hands.

"I've never begged in my life. But this time, I hope that you'll succeed the Eltek
Family. I have a premonition that it'll prosper again in your hands." The old
knight said slowly. "I'd agreed to follow His Highness here also in order to occupy
a good position in the upcoming reforms."

"But positions can't be inherited, Father... the Knight's position will also become
an honorary title."

"I know, but you've ignored the benefits of connections and experience. His
Highness has stated that the positions will be given out based on merit and
outstanding ability. With the experiences and relationships that your predecessors
have built up, your chances of getting a good position are far greater than that of
the average person." He patted the back of his son's hands. "Even if you still wish
to become a teacher, I shan't stand in your way, as long as you continue the family
name."

Ferlin remained silent for a long before he finally nodded and said, "I understand,
father. I promise you."

"If that's the case, I can rest assured." Knight Eltek seemed greatly relieved. "By
the way, if you have the choice, which department do you wish to work in?"

"Well..."

"How about the Second Army? I've heard Chief Commander, Iron Axe, say that apart
from the battlefield soldiers, the army also wants to form a strategy department.
This plan will be tested out in the Second Army first." The old knight fixed his
gaze on his son. "Actually, I know that your current job isn't your favorite line
of work. If you were truly happy with reading books all day, you wouldn't have
chosen to be a knight in the first place." His eyes seemed to pierce insightfully
into Ferlin's heart. "You're still the Morning Light that I know, my child."

Chapter 472: A Pledge of Love

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

"Garments, shoes, mugs, spoons and forks." May checked off each item by counting
with her fingers. "Is there anything else I should take with me?"

The floor was littered with an assortment of household supplies, everything from a
water kettle to a wooden bowl.

"The bedding is the most important," Irene thought and then said, "you'd better
take a set of the pillow, sheets, and blanket."

Hearing these words, Rosia and Gait both burst out in a fit of giggles, but they
were soon silenced, however, when May shot them a cold glance. "The bedding isn't
necessary. Carter says he'll buy a new set from the marketplace. It's rumored they
once belonged to the four families and were dug up from their mansion's basements."

"Wow, then they must be made of fine silk," Irene commented enviously. "I've heard
there's a tailor in King's City retailing fabric and garments made of pure silk.
It's unfortunate that only great nobles and wealthy merchants can afford them." If
they came from the four families, they must be just as good."

"Yes, pretty much," May replied nonchalantly. "I remember he said one set was worth
five gold royals."

"Wow... "The three girls gasped in surprise.

"Five, five gold royals! God Almighty!" Rosia smacked her lips. "It would take me
nearly two years to make that much money."

"How can you compare to the Star of the Western Region?" Gait said derisively while
tapping her on the head. "Miss May is a celebrity who has performed in King's City!
As for His Excellency Carter, he's Chief Knight of His Highness. You can't compete
with either of them!"

"That's really awesome, May," Irene said, looking at May with her radiant eyes. "I
envy you so much."

May knew only Irene felt genuinely happy for her, and her sincerity was why Morning
Light was attracted to her in the first place. May also wondered how a girl like
Irene, who grew up in the theater, was impervious to worldly temptations and
desires all the while retaining the innocence and kindness of childhood. Although
she had put her past romance out of her mind, May was still delighted to see Irene
was a little envious of her. "When you rise to fame, you can buy a set for
yourself... You'll be paid several gold royals for starring in King's City just
once, not to mention the tips you'll get from the nobles after the show."

"But how long will it take me to become as good as you?" Irene asked in
frustration, mouth pulled tight.
"Looks like you�re pretty busy here. Are you rehearsing?" Right then the door was
swung open abruptly. A good-looking young man poked his head in and asked, "Am I
interrupting?"

"His, His Excellency Carter!" Gait and Rosia immediately bowed.

"Good morning, Mr. Knight." Irene turned to smile at him. "We're discussing what
May should take to your place and we were just talking about you."

"Really? What did you say about me?" Carter asked curiously, scratching the back of
his head.

"Nothing!" May stared at him and thought silently that he always appeared to be the
perfect gentleman when his mouth was shut, but the illusion was shattered once he
started talking. "Why did you come here today? Today isn't your day off, is it?"

"Um... don't worry. His Highness gave me some time off today. So... I brought you a
gift."

"A gift?"

May glanced about the room. Gait soon took the hint and said, "Oh, Miss May. I just
remembered that I've got something to take care of. Feel free to let me know when
you've finished packing."

"Me too. I have to do the laundry. It's been there for a few days now." Rosia also
took her leave with a bow and pulled Irene away with her as she walked out of the
room.

"Huh? I don't need to do anything. Hang on... I want to see May's gift too..." When
the girl's voice gradually faded away, May sighed in relief and bolted the door.
She turned to Chief Knight and asked, "So, what's the gift? I hope it's not a new
invention of His Highness' again."

Carter glanced around before breaking the silence. "Your father... "

"He's busy. Do you think everyone has 'free time' like you?" May snapped
impatiently. She had thought it would take a while for her father to become
familiarized with the new surroundings after he moved from Stronghold to Border
Town. However, to her surprise, he had found a clerical job at the City Hall in
only one week, and there was nothing she could do about it. Now he was a regular
employee at the Ministry of Construction.

"I'm busy, too." Carter threw up his hands in defense. "His Highness transferred
one of the most efficient employees from the Ministry of Justice to Longsong
Stronghold. Now I have to deal with all sorts of tasks. On top of interrogating
spies and verifying the status of the residents, I also need to hunt for criminals
at large. I don't even have time for meals these days. You have no idea how fierce
these criminals are. Unlike any of the locals in Western Region, these guys are
gangsters, initially hiding among refugees. Now, as things have gotten a little
better, they've started to make trouble. But don't worry, they only stir up on the
outskirts of town where the temporary camps are to the west and they won't get into
the inner city easily. And, I'll catch any of them when they're found messing
around."

Seeing Carter describe the matter so passionately, May broke into laughter.
"Alright, I got it. So, Mr. Knight, as you're so devoted to the peace and order of
the town, would you like to have lunch and a few drinks here before heading back to
your business?"
"I'd love to, but I'm afraid my break is almost over." Carter put down the parcel
in his hand. "Try this on to see if it fits. I asked His Highness to design it."

"His Highness?" May was a little surprised.

"Yes. When I told His Highness about our wedding date, he mentioned a type of gown
specifically worn for weddings. The only thing is that it takes a lot of effort to
make one. I begged His Highness for quite a while, and even bribed Miss Soraya with
ice cream bread before I finally got this dress."

When May unfolded the fabric, she saw a snowy dress in the parcel.

May's heart stopped beating for a moment when the knight spread out the garment. It
was a simple gown with elaborate and sophisticated details. The dress was simple in
the sense that it was not ornamented with any jewels, nor was it hemmed with a
gilding of gold. Instead, it was purely layered with white muslins. However, the
cut of the dress was rather showy. It was tightened with a girdle and flared out
into a contrasting, voluminous skirt below the waistline. The skirt rippled like
waves, perfectly showcasing the ingenious handicraft embedded in its design.

She knew any girl, whether noble or peasant, would be fascinated by and obsessed
with a gown like this just at the sight of it.

May gently caressed the snowy white gown that weighed almost nothing and retired to
her bedroom to put it on.

When she was back in the living room, Carter's jaw dropped, struck by the
breathtaking beauty he saw. "God, you are... stunning."

"Really?" A rare, vivid blush rose to her cheeks. She could imagine what she now
looked like without even looking into a mirror. Chief Knight's gaping expression
had already told her everything.

May went up to Carter and gently pressed her lips to his cheek. "Thank you for your
gift. I really love it."

The knight flung his arms around her in response.

Watching Carter's face slowly approaching hers, May closed her eyes.

"It doesn't sound too bad to be called May Lannis," she thought.

Chapter 473: The Third Step of City Construction

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After two weeks' learning and exploration, Barov, the governor of the City Hall,
held the first municipal plenary session in the castle hall at the end of the first
month in spring of the new year at His Highness' request. Aside from the directors
of all the departments, some of the nobles in Stronghold were also invited to the
session, bringing the total number of the attendees to 65.

Barov knew the learning process itself was also an evaluation. After working as a
City Hall governor for a year, he could now easily distinguish capable nobles from
useless dandies and idlers. It was why half of the nobles had already failed the
assessment.
As His Highness described, he had offered these petty nobles an opportunity to
"catch the express train", but the reality was ruthless. People who were unable to
keep pace with changes would be naturally obsolete as time went by. Barov shared
the same thoughts. Whether His Highness was a demon or a god, it did not change the
fact that his territory had manifested an atmosphere entirely different from those
in other kingdoms. If this was a new era, he would be happy to dive into it with
the prince.

The main topic of the discussion for today's meeting was the final vote on the
unification act which would be enacted after the city construction. He would also
need to inform the nobles in Stronghold of the act's contents. Barov had prepared
for this moment for a long time, and now it was finally the time to uncover the
details.

Everyone was given a thin hardcover book with gilded letters on its cover, which
read Basic Laws of the Kingdom. It contained some core subjects of law drafted and
edited by His Highness himself. He could tell just by its name that His Highness
had big ambition, and he also believed the prince had the capacity to make towns
beyond the Western Region flourish.

"Let's get started." Roland, who seated himself at the end of the long table,
instructed with a nod.

"Yes, Your Highness." Barov cleared his throat and ventured. "Perhaps all of you
have heard that we're going to build a city in the Western Region. The book in
front of you is the unification act to be enacted in His Highness' territory once
the construction of the city is completed. Feel free to read it through by
yourself, or you can listen to my presentation. If you have any questions or
concerns, interrupt me anytime, His Highness will answer them."

A slight rustle of pages swept over the hall. Barov flipped over the cover,
revealing the first page of the book made of fine parchment.

"The first thing you see now is the outline of the contents, which contains the
structure and institution of the new territory..."

"Article One: Roland Wimbledon shall reserve all the rights with respect to the
territories under his jurisdiction."

"Article Two: The City Hall is the highest authority of the territory,
administering all the matters concerning the territory under the supervision of
Roland Wimbledon."

"Article Three: Every person, upon entry to the territory, shall have the right to
gain the status of citizenship through multiple channels. The City Hall has the
obligation to guarantee the provision of at least three such channels to the
public."

"Article Four: Every individual, upon gaining the status of citizenship, shall not
be discriminated based on gender or their former status, namely freeman, farmhand,
servant, and slave. Every citizen of the territory has the right to the equal
protection and equal benefit of the law, and has the legal obligations to pay
taxes, defend the territory and serve in the military."

"Article Five: Every noble shall be treated equally as a regular citizen and shall
no longer be privileged based on his/her title. Titles shall be honorary without
granting the subject noble executive power, and they shall be conferred by
inheritance in accordance with the law."
"Article Six: Every citizen has the right to seek protection of life, security and
personal properties from Roland Wimbledon."

"Article Seven: Every citizen has the right to education, liberty of work and
marriage."

"Article Eight: Commercial interactions and free trade are encouraged in the
territory, provided that such activities are carried out in accordance with the
law."

"Article Nine..."

Barov ran his fingers through the pages while explaining the articles one by one.
Few codes drafted by the nobles concerned civilians. Even freemen in the city were
viewed as subjects of exploitation by great nobles. It was indeed a rare thing that
the laws made by His Highness involved so many rights and protections of civilians.
The prince probably believed they could only win the Battle of Doomsday with the
help of people's power.

Barov didn't care who His Highness relied on. To him, nobles and civilians were the
same. He only cared about trying his best to complete His Highness' tasks and
keeping a firm grip on power. In King's City, he had been transferred from the
Astrology Association to the Ministry of Finance, serving as an assistant to
Treasurer. He had thought he would soon stand on the highest level of authority in
the Kingdom of Graycastle, only to realize a decade of waiting had turned his
ambition into a desolate, hopeless dream. He had obeyed King Wimbledon III's order
to accompany Prince Roland to Border Town due to a faint and tenuous promise made
to the past king, and also due to his morbid disappointment brooding for years.
Yet, he had never expected his long-awaited dream would somehow come true in
another way.

Barov had not seen a real demon, but he knew well the strength and power of the
armored knights. If His Highness could defeat the knights at a single blow, he
could certainly sweep away all his obstacles in the Kingdom. Eventually, the prince
would ascend to the throne and become the reigning sovereign of the state, and he
would be the Hand of the King. If the Treasurer was still alive by then, what a
bitter countenance would he show to Barov?

...

As most of the contents in the outline had been read out to subjects in plain
language before, none of the directors were surprised. However, when he read the
part that stipulated the prohibition of human trafficking and the abolishment of
slavery, the nobles began murmuring. All the other articles were passed
unilaterally.

No one questioned the article on the reform of the noble. These petty nobles had
not benefited much from their territories since most of their lands were in
deserted areas, so they did not care much about the so-called feudal power and
legislative power. Besides, after two weeks of study, many of them had planned to
sell the territories to the City Hall and use the proceeds to start a new business,
such as a machinery factory and a chemical plant.

The conference started in the morning and did not stop until the afternoon.
Everybody was focused on the presentation. When it was time for lunch, the servants
placed the food on the table to let the attendees eat while reading. Barov had a
lot of water. Although he had a sore throat, he was happy to explain every detail
of the articles to the people present.
Finally, they entered the last topic of discussion, which was the only article in
the Basic Laws of the Kingdom that required everybody's opinions. It was the flag
and the name of the new city.

The conference hall was soon filled with a buzz of debate.

Barov asked everybody to come up with a name and an ideal design for the flag. The
attendees would have to place their work on the table and pick the best one.

After several rounds of voting, the flag and the name of the new city were nailed.

The design of the flag was based on the emblem of the royal family of the Kingdom
of Graycastle. Its basic pattern was a gun and a tower, above which was a big
pentagram with three smaller ones below. The big pentagram represented Lord Roland
Wimbledon, while the smaller ones each represented the City Hall, the Army, and the
Witch Union.

As for the city name, they picked "City of Neverwinter".

Chapter 474: The Killing Machine

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Two days after the enlarged meeting, Iron Axe was ordered to test new weapons
again.

Since the northwest side was vulnerable to the attacks of demonic beasts, the new
shooting range was set on the other side of the Redwater River. When Iron Axe got
there, the prince's guards had already surrounded the place with hemp ropes and red
flags, and set a checkpoint at either end of the steel bridge. Unauthorized
personnel were not allowed in that area.

Obviously, His Highness took the test on new weapons seriously.

Iron Axe walked quickly in the uneven snow, and every guard he met gave him a
friendly glance. Seeing this, he could not help but remember his first time
participating in a test of flintlocks. Back then, he was a nobody, and the people
of the Kingdom of Graycastle were vigilant and suspicious of him because he was
from the Sand Nation. He had lived in the town for five years by then, but only had
built up relations with huntsmen living near him because of his expertise in
archery, and no one knew him beyond the Old District.

At the time, he believed that he would live in seclusion in this desolate town as a
hunter until he died of old age, or got killed by demonic beasts or prey. He didn't
expect that His Highness would hand-pick him and show him the power of fire and
thunder. Then, fast changes began to happen. He fought against demonic beasts in
the Militia, which was then turned into Border Town's First Army. He was promoted
rapidly from Head of the Hunter Squad to Commander of the First Army. To his great
surprise, and to make up for his greatest regret of his life, he had met the
heiress of the Osha clan, Lady Drow Silvermoon, again in the town because of His
Highness' open attitude towards witches. Due to this trust, recognition, and
improvement of his fate, he swore allegiance to his new lord deep within his heart.

In the middle of the shooting range, Iron Axe saw His Highness Roland, Chief
Knight, and unexpectedly, several Sleeping Island witches.

"Your Highness, Iron Axe reporting to you!" He walked forward and saluted the
prince.
The prince nodded and said, "Everyone's here. Let's get started." He gave two long
guns to Iron Axe and Carter. "It's one of my newly developed weapons, still in the
prototype stage. The numbers are limited, so take turns trying them, please."

Iron Axe carefully studied the gun in his hand. It looked similar to a revolving
rifle except that it had no cartridge.

This made him wonder if its bullets had to be reloaded through the muzzle like the
oldest flintlocks.

"It's called a bolt rifle," His Highness quickly explained. "It uses the newest
smokeless gunpowder. The caliber is 8 mm, smaller than the 12 mm of a revolving
rifle, but it's more powerful." He turned the gun over to give a demonstration.
"The ammunition is inserted from the front of the trigger, and each clip can be
embedded with five bullets. However, it cannot fire continuously like a revolving
rifle, so you need to reload it after ejecting all the bullets."

Soon after the prince's demonstration, Iron Axe understood how to operate the new
rifle and shot a clip of bullets. The kickback of the rifle was quite strong. Every
time the gun was discharged, he felt a heavy kick on his shoulder from the butt,
and it was much louder than a revolver.

Five bullets shot out of an old gun would usually cause thick smoke that blocked
his sight, but now there was no smoke in front of the muzzle, which might be due to
the "smokeless gunpowder" that His Highness had just mentioned. Apart from that,
there was nothing special about this new bolt rifle. Iron Axe thought there was a
substantial improvement from the flintlock to the revolver, but the bolt rifle
seemed to have no improvement and even wasn't as good as a revolver. Its most
obvious shortcoming was the low rate of fire.

He could fire continuously while standing with a revolving rifle, but it was
inconvenient to do so with the bolt rifle, since he had to reload the gun by hand
and then raise it back up to aim at the target again after each shot. Though this
process took much less time than a flintflock, it wasn't effective in suppressing
the enemy in a short time. For example, it was obviously less practical than a
revolver in battles�like the ones against the noble rebels in Longsong Stronghold
with close combat in the streets or indoors.

Iron Axe told Roland his honest opinion, and Carter voiced a similar view.

The prince nodded and said, "Yes, it's not as convenient as a revolver, but it also
has a great advantage. Andrea, come here and show them." He gave the rifle to the
witch and said, "Remember to shoot using your ability."

"Uh-huh." The blonde witch picked up the gun and skillfully reloaded it. They could
tell that this was not her first time operating this new weapon. "Now, watch me!"

With three deafening shots, Iron Axe was shocked to see the three farthest wooden
targets fall down in turn. Her bullets shot the targets that looked as small as
fingernails at the distance, on their thin sticks below the target boards.

They were standing at least 400 meters away!

"Your Highness, it's..." Carter stuttered in disbelief.

"Andrea's derivative ability enables her to accurately hit the target with a gun or
a bow," the prince explained with a smile, "but her ability works on neither
bullets nor arrows. It only gives her proficiency for using weapons. For example,
she'll hit a target ten meters away if she throws a stone at it, but if she throws
a bird at it, her ability just won't work."

"You mean... ordinary people can also achieve that kind of proficiency through
training?"

"Exactly. The greatest merit of this bolt rifle is its greatly improved shooting
range and accuracy. Unlike the guns before, there's no gap between the barrel and
the cartridge, so there's no air leak in this new rifle," Roland nodded and
answered. "With a telescopic sight on it, any ordinary soldier can use it to
precisely shoot down enemies around 400 to 500 meters away, while a revolver can
only shoot accurately within 100 meters."

Iron Axe instantly realized why this weapon was so deadly. Most people would never
be on guard against attacks from this long distance. If the shooter hid himself
inside a residential area or at a higher point, he could easily kill his target.
And if the shooter was Lady Nightingale, nobody could survive bullets coming from
an invisible source.

"Your Highness, you agreed to give me one when it's put into mass production."
Andrea reminded Roland, covering her mouth.

"Of course," Roland said and put the two rifles away. He walked to the other side
and removed a cloth covering something. "In fact, bolt rifles are just the
beginning. This one is the focus of today's test."

Iron Axe took to the newly unveiled weapon as soon as he saw it. Different from
rifles made of steel and wood, this new, black gun seemed to be made of pure metal.
It was also bigger than all the other guns. Including the tripod beneath it, it was
about half of his height. Its long barrel was half as thick as his wrist. Connected
to the big gun, a long, thin piece of cloth carried shining bullets. It was
obviously nothing like the guns before in both design and size.

Chapter 475: The Light

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"This is a heavy machine gun. It uses the same bullets as a bolt rifle. You can
pull a bullet out of this pouch and shoot it from the new rifle," the prince said
and patted the big machine gun. "Its mechanism is far more complicated than a
rifle, so I won't bother giving you all the unnecessary details. I named it Mark I
type HMG. I'll show you how to use it."

He sat behind the firearm and pulled the trigger. What happened next was hard for
Iron Axe to comprehend.

All of a sudden, flames shot out of the muzzle, and the strong airflow caused by
the gunfire shot the fluffy snow into the air. The strip of bullets seemed to be
constantly pulled into the gun. Simultaneously, hot, empty bullet shells were
rapidly ejected from the other side one by one. Several dozen shells fell to the
ground in just a second.

This machine gun sounded fiercer than a whole team of riflemen in the Flintlock
Squad. No pause could be heard between the gunshots. The prince aimed at the ground
in front of him instead of the distant targets and shot continuously into the snow.
Before the snow in one place could fall back to the ground, the snow in another
place was propelled upward, making the snowy ground look like the surface of
boiling water. The hail of bullets formed a web of death and anyone attempting to
break through it would be riddled with bullets.

"It's, it's amazing," Chief Knight murmured.

Carter was not the only one who was astonished. Iron Axe glanced around and saw
that all the witches were dumbfounded, and only Lady Nightingale, who always stayed
beside Roland, seemed quite calm. Ashes, the black-haired witch carrying a giant
sword, showed a mixture of shock, confusion, and frustration.

Iron Axe could not help but feel the same way. He had become Chief Bodyguard of the
Osha Clan because of his proficiency in knife work and archery, skills he had honed
with regular practices since childhood. Like him, the most powerful warriors with
outstanding talent were popular among clan leaders in the Southernmost Region.
However, even the quickest and strongest fighter in the world could never escape
these bullets that moved faster than sight. Astoundingly, the Mark I didn't even
have the flaw of requiring a pause to reload bullets. If the First Army was
equipped with 20 heavy machine guns, the enemy's fighting skills acquired from more
than ten years of hard work would become a joke.

A fighter would naturally find it hard to accept the fact.

Fortunately, he found a new path.

*******************

Leaf moved rapidly through the heavy undergrowth of plants to drive the demonic
beasts that had intruded into the Misty Forest towards the city wall.

Now, she could control an area almost as large as the town. The trees and foliage
in the area were like her eyes and limbs. They could grow according to her will and
form a defense line against enemies, but His Highness kept telling her to inform
the army whenever she found any demonic beasts or demons instead of directly
fighting against them, especially demons. If demons sensed her existence and
destroyed the whole forest, it would be a significant loss, as the town now counted
on her to provide early warnings, and a forest that could be adjusted on demand was
a great asset.

Leaf reclaimed an empty lot near the town and planned to grow "Golden Ones" wheat
on it as soon as the Months of Demons ended. This time, with the Heart of Forest to
provide her with magic power, the seeds of the wheat would grow continuously and
produce enough seeds for all the farmers in the Western Region.

Suddenly, she sensed a group of demonic wolf hybrids approaching from the edge of
the forest.

Leaf immediately turned to look at these invaders and saw eight strong demonic
beasts fleeing into the deep forest. As she was about to send out a carrier pigeon
to inform the First Army and meanwhile drive them to the city wall, she felt
something strange.

They did not look as ferocious as usual. Instead, they seemed to be driven by
something. Even her branches and vines could not stop them now.

Could it be demons returning?

Leaf frowned, and as she was about to widen her range of sight, she felt a hint of
warmth on her head.

She promptly looked up and saw golden rays of light peep out from several cracks in
the cloudy sky, shining down on the snowy white land of the Western Region.

*******************

"How do I deal with this one here?" Tilly pointed at an equation in a book.

"Well... you put in equation four to create a new equation, and then you'll derive
it to get the one in the book." Anna quickly wrote down the derivation process on a
piece of scrap paper. "That's it."

"I see." Tilly clapped her hands and said, "If you put this variable in, the result
should be close to 1."

"Impressive! You can calculate the result in your mind," Anna gasped with
admiration.

"That's just because of my ability. You're the amazing one. You can learn
everything in the prince's new books so quickly," said Princess Tilly with a smile.

Anna gave her a soft smile. Only the mention of Roland Wimbledon could bring a
smile like that to her face.

Every time Tilly saw that smile, she could not help but think that it was
impossible for a simple, honest girl like Anna to like a wicked man. "Roland must
be different now," she presumed, regardless of whether he was the real Prince
Roland or not. Actually, Tilly herself felt that the new Roland was totally
different from all the nobles in this world as if he were from another world.
However, at the same time, she felt comfortable around him and liked his unique
charm more and more as time went by. Looking up at the cloudy sky, Tilly even hoped
for the Months of Demons to continue like this so she could learn all his
knowledge. That way, she might be able to truly understand the new Roland, even if
he never wanted to talk about himself.

She shook her head to dismiss these thoughts. Tilly pointed to the next question.
To her astonishment, the book was suddenly lit up.

The two witches looked out the window simultaneously. Traces of light had
mysteriously appeared in the snowy sky, and the long lost sunshine now rimmed the
clouds with golden light. The locals bustling about in the town sensed the change,
too. Soon, a growing number of people poured into streets, cheering.

Tilly looked at the sky in a daze, all sorts of emotions welling up inside her.

*******************

When the gunfire stopped, empty bullet shells were piled up beside the prince's
feet. A dull, light tint of red could be seen on the muzzle of the gun, and white
smoke was coming out of the barrel.

Even the drop of a pin could be heard now as nobody aired their opinions. Words
were unnecessary since the fixed look on their faces told the shock brought by this
new weapon.

Iron Axe could not control his excitement any longer and knelt down in the manner
of the Sand Nation.

"The world is yours, Your Highness."

He firmly believed that his new path was to lead the First Army which was equipped
with brand new firearms to expand the territory for His Highness Roland.

A hand reached in front of Iron Axe.

The prince pulled him up and did not look as content as Iron Axe had expected.
Instead, he looked at the Impassable Mountain Range and said in a deep voice, "Our
real enemy is demons."

"Even so, I'll still fight for you until I die." Before Iron Axe could speak his
thoughts, a dazzling ray of light pierced the cloudy sky, illuminating the world
below. The witches behind exclaimed in amazement, and Roland looked up and smiled.
More and more rays of light came down from above and became brighter and brighter.
Soon, it was hard for them to stare at the light. Meanwhile, dark clouds silently
melted away as the ice did with fire. The sun appeared again in the sky.

The Months of Demons ended.

Chapter 475: The Light

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"This is a heavy machine gun. It uses the same bullets as a bolt rifle. You can
pull a bullet out of this pouch and shoot it from the new rifle," the prince said
and patted the big machine gun. "Its mechanism is far more complicated than a
rifle, so I won't bother giving you all the unnecessary details. I named it Mark I
type HMG. I'll show you how to use it."

He sat behind the firearm and pulled the trigger. What happened next was hard for
Iron Axe to comprehend.

All of a sudden, flames shot out of the muzzle, and the strong airflow caused by
the gunfire shot the fluffy snow into the air. The strip of bullets seemed to be
constantly pulled into the gun. Simultaneously, hot, empty bullet shells were
rapidly ejected from the other side one by one. Several dozen shells fell to the
ground in just a second.

This machine gun sounded fiercer than a whole team of riflemen in the Flintlock
Squad. No pause could be heard between the gunshots. The prince aimed at the ground
in front of him instead of the distant targets and shot continuously into the snow.
Before the snow in one place could fall back to the ground, the snow in another
place was propelled upward, making the snowy ground look like the surface of
boiling water. The hail of bullets formed a web of death and anyone attempting to
break through it would be riddled with bullets.

"It's, it's amazing," Chief Knight murmured.

Carter was not the only one who was astonished. Iron Axe glanced around and saw
that all the witches were dumbfounded, and only Lady Nightingale, who always stayed
beside Roland, seemed quite calm. Ashes, the black-haired witch carrying a giant
sword, showed a mixture of shock, confusion, and frustration.

Iron Axe could not help but feel the same way. He had become Chief Bodyguard of the
Osha Clan because of his proficiency in knife work and archery, skills he had honed
with regular practices since childhood. Like him, the most powerful warriors with
outstanding talent were popular among clan leaders in the Southernmost Region.
However, even the quickest and strongest fighter in the world could never escape
these bullets that moved faster than sight. Astoundingly, the Mark I didn't even
have the flaw of requiring a pause to reload bullets. If the First Army was
equipped with 20 heavy machine guns, the enemy's fighting skills acquired from more
than ten years of hard work would become a joke.

A fighter would naturally find it hard to accept the fact.

Fortunately, he found a new path.

*******************

Leaf moved rapidly through the heavy undergrowth of plants to drive the demonic
beasts that had intruded into the Misty Forest towards the city wall.

Now, she could control an area almost as large as the town. The trees and foliage
in the area were like her eyes and limbs. They could grow according to her will and
form a defense line against enemies, but His Highness kept telling her to inform
the army whenever she found any demonic beasts or demons instead of directly
fighting against them, especially demons. If demons sensed her existence and
destroyed the whole forest, it would be a significant loss, as the town now counted
on her to provide early warnings, and a forest that could be adjusted on demand was
a great asset.

Leaf reclaimed an empty lot near the town and planned to grow "Golden Ones" wheat
on it as soon as the Months of Demons ended. This time, with the Heart of Forest to
provide her with magic power, the seeds of the wheat would grow continuously and
produce enough seeds for all the farmers in the Western Region.

Suddenly, she sensed a group of demonic wolf hybrids approaching from the edge of
the forest.

Leaf immediately turned to look at these invaders and saw eight strong demonic
beasts fleeing into the deep forest. As she was about to send out a carrier pigeon
to inform the First Army and meanwhile drive them to the city wall, she felt
something strange.

They did not look as ferocious as usual. Instead, they seemed to be driven by
something. Even her branches and vines could not stop them now.

Could it be demons returning?

Leaf frowned, and as she was about to widen her range of sight, she felt a hint of
warmth on her head.

She promptly looked up and saw golden rays of light peep out from several cracks in
the cloudy sky, shining down on the snowy white land of the Western Region.

*******************

"How do I deal with this one here?" Tilly pointed at an equation in a book.

"Well... you put in equation four to create a new equation, and then you'll derive
it to get the one in the book." Anna quickly wrote down the derivation process on a
piece of scrap paper. "That's it."

"I see." Tilly clapped her hands and said, "If you put this variable in, the result
should be close to 1."

"Impressive! You can calculate the result in your mind," Anna gasped with
admiration.
"That's just because of my ability. You're the amazing one. You can learn
everything in the prince's new books so quickly," said Princess Tilly with a smile.

Anna gave her a soft smile. Only the mention of Roland Wimbledon could bring a
smile like that to her face.

Every time Tilly saw that smile, she could not help but think that it was
impossible for a simple, honest girl like Anna to like a wicked man. "Roland must
be different now," she presumed, regardless of whether he was the real Prince
Roland or not. Actually, Tilly herself felt that the new Roland was totally
different from all the nobles in this world as if he were from another world.
However, at the same time, she felt comfortable around him and liked his unique
charm more and more as time went by. Looking up at the cloudy sky, Tilly even hoped
for the Months of Demons to continue like this so she could learn all his
knowledge. That way, she might be able to truly understand the new Roland, even if
he never wanted to talk about himself.

She shook her head to dismiss these thoughts. Tilly pointed to the next question.
To her astonishment, the book was suddenly lit up.

The two witches looked out the window simultaneously. Traces of light had
mysteriously appeared in the snowy sky, and the long lost sunshine now rimmed the
clouds with golden light. The locals bustling about in the town sensed the change,
too. Soon, a growing number of people poured into streets, cheering.

Tilly looked at the sky in a daze, all sorts of emotions welling up inside her.

*******************

When the gunfire stopped, empty bullet shells were piled up beside the prince's
feet. A dull, light tint of red could be seen on the muzzle of the gun, and white
smoke was coming out of the barrel.

Even the drop of a pin could be heard now as nobody aired their opinions. Words
were unnecessary since the fixed look on their faces told the shock brought by this
new weapon.

Iron Axe could not control his excitement any longer and knelt down in the manner
of the Sand Nation.

"The world is yours, Your Highness."

He firmly believed that his new path was to lead the First Army which was equipped
with brand new firearms to expand the territory for His Highness Roland.

A hand reached in front of Iron Axe.

The prince pulled him up and did not look as content as Iron Axe had expected.
Instead, he looked at the Impassable Mountain Range and said in a deep voice, "Our
real enemy is demons."

"Even so, I'll still fight for you until I die." Before Iron Axe could speak his
thoughts, a dazzling ray of light pierced the cloudy sky, illuminating the world
below. The witches behind exclaimed in amazement, and Roland looked up and smiled.
More and more rays of light came down from above and became brighter and brighter.
Soon, it was hard for them to stare at the light. Meanwhile, dark clouds silently
melted away as the ice did with fire. The sun appeared again in the sky.

The Months of Demons ended.

Chapter 476: The Victory Day

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

It was still dark outside, and someone had been knocking endlessly on Cacusim's
door. He yawned and subconsciously reached out to grab his coat, and then he
realized he no longer needed a coat.

The thick brick wall kept the chill away, and the incredible heating made the
inside warm. No matter how heavy the snow was outside, the house no longer let the
cold in like it used to, and the roof no longer leaked. Such a high-quality house
was only fit for the nobles in Valencia. Of course, it was a little smaller.

He opened the door and found a young boy, his assistant Pike, standing outside.
"Why aren�t you up yet? We have to hurry, Captain! Otherwise, we won't get a good
spot!"

"Do we need to leave so early?" Cacusim stuck his head out and looked at the sky.
The dawn was peeking through the clouds, and soft morning sunshine lit a small
section of the sky.

"Of course!" the boy exclaimed. "My neighbors told me there would be a performance
from the Star Flower Troupe during the celebration, and we won't get into the
square if we're late!"

"All right, wait a minute." The old man shrugged and returned to his bedroom to
change. He looked at the other empty bed and sighed softly. "The Victory Day... Is
there any celebration like this in Longsong Stronghold? If not, Vader would miss
it."

They went to the square and found that there were banners strung up on ropes and
tied to the trees on both sides of the street. The small town looked bright and new
under the morning sunshine. Every now and then, people joined them from the
pathways into the main road and walked alongside them. It seemed that they were
going to the square too.

Cacusim had heard about the celebration from Pike. The prince had named the first
day after the Months of Demons as the Victory Day to celebrate passing the months
safely. On that day, everyone in the town had the day off and enjoyed a grand
bonfire party in the square. Cacusim's assistant had learned about this and invited
him to go to square with him. After some thought, the old man agreed.

As they entered, they found a fenced-in area in the center of the square and
policemen with black uniforms maintaining order. Quite a few people had arrived
early and were standing around waiting. The two quickly found a place near the
stage and chatted as they waited for the celebration to begin.

At noon, crowds gathered in the square and the prince appeared in the center of the
theater. As soon as he showed up, Cacusim heard overwhelming cheers. The people
around him excitedly raised their hands and shouted, "Long Live Your Highness!"

Prince Roland smiled. He waited for the cheers to pass, raised his fist, and said
loudly, "We have defeated evil once again!"

The square exploded in instant cheers, the deafening sound shook the old man's
heart. He had not seen such a respected lord in a very long time.

"My people, no matter where you come from, the Western Region, the Northern Region,
the Eastern Region or the Southernmost Region, as long as you have made a
contribution to our town, the glory belongs to you! This glory belongs to everyone
who gave their blood and sweat to Border Town!" The prince's calm, emotional voice
seemed to have magic power and could be heard without him having to shout. "Today
is the Victory Day. It was set by all of you. Evil has not been completely
eliminated and will come back sooner or later, but no matter how many times our
enemies come, victory is ours as long as we unite and work together!"

The old man had never heard a nobility refer to the civilians and himself as "we",
but His Highness didn't seem to mind. He looked at the people naturally, without
arrogance or scorn. In the prince's eyes, he and his subjects were together as one.

It was incredible, but unexpectedly... harmonious.

"Now, let's cheer for this hard-won victory and raise our glasses to celebrate!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

"Long live Victory!"

The cheers rang throughout the square, and the people raised their right hand to
show their respect, including Cacusim.

"This is a Lord who is worthy of my loyalty!" Pike said passionately while thumping
his chest.

Next, it was the Star Flower Troupe's turn, and many people whistled excitedly.

"We haven't seen their performances in such a long time."

"Ms. Irene is still so beautiful!"

"But compared to Miss May, she still lacks lasting appeal."

"It's Ms. May now. Haven't you heard the news? She's about to marry Chief Knight,
and the prince has already sent a wedding gift."

Listening to the people around, Pike asked in wonder, "The name of a troupe is
usually either the same as the theater or the name of the town, so why does the
troupe of Border Town have such a strange name?"

"You aren't a westerner, are you?" asked someone immediately. "Ms. May and Ms.
Irene are both from Longsong Theatre, and Ms. May is called the Star of the Western
Region, while Ms. Irene is called the Flower of Tomorrow. Now, they both live in
Border Town, so the troupe's name is Star Flower Troupe."

"Look, it's beginning!"

This was not Cacusim's first time watching theatrical performances, but the story
was quite unique. Instead of a normal love story between nobilities, it told the
history of the Western Region. The actors played ordinary people living in Border
Town. In the beginning, they were helpless, confused, and chased around like lambs
during the Months of Demons. Then they decided to stay in the town and fight
against the demonic beasts. The whole story was full of twists and turns, which
were very gripping. When the characters died from hunger and cold or were killed in
the line of defense to protect their families, the audience felt as if they were
there.

The old man was quickly captured by the performance, and even people who had just
come to the Western Region could feel the sacrifices that citizens of Border Town
made and their unremitting efforts for survival.

When the play was finished, a thunderous applause rang above the square.

Cacusim was dumbstruck by what he saw next. A girl with long flaxen hair held a
black line in her hand. She cut the wood stage into various parts, and used them to
light a giant bonfire.

The crowd wasn't scared by this, and they even chanted her name. "Miss Anna! Miss
Anna!"

As sheep baked on the bonfire, the atmosphere in the square reached its climax. The
locals spontaneously stood in a long line and then began to dance strangely, the
last part of the celebration. According to the people standing around Cacusim and
Pike, as long as the dance continued, the barbecue would continue until midnight.

"Captain, let's go together!" Pike gulped. He was eager to join.

"I'm too old to dance," Cacusim shook his head. "You should join them."

"I'll go then." He stuck out his tongue. "I'll share some barbecue with you when I
get it."

Looking at the boy dancing with the crowd, the old man couldn't help but laugh. He
had been wondering how to make the name of the Concrete Boat assigned to him
memorable and unique, and now he had an idea.

"I'll name it Victory," he thought.

Chapter 477: Love and Affection

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Just like last year, the witches held the feast in the castle.

Leaf turned the backyard that had been expanded several times into an open-air
campsite fenced by olive trees. Around the raging bonfire, the witches could
appreciate the starry night sky anytime.

Compared with the last BBQ feast which was only attended by five witches, this one
was much more crowded, reaching a total number of 25 witches. All the witches from
the Witch Cooperation Association came, along with the seven witches from Sleeping
Island, as well as Maggie, Lucia, Agatha, Spear, Paper, and Summer.

Plates of finely cut food and various sauces were put on a small table by the
bonfire for the witches to eat freely. After the territories of the rebel nobles
were completely cleared, the supply of meat and cloth in Border Town had greatly
increased. Also served on the table was the low-alcohol fruit wine brewed by
Evelyn, as well as the ice cream provided by Agatha.

While Lightning was enthusiastically demonstrating to the crowd how to grill a

chicken foot, Maggie had begun to enjoy a hot-roasted steak. Having spent a year in
the mountains and jungles with Lightning, Maggie had got familiar with all sorts of
grilled food, and she filled her waist pocket with various spices, just as
Lightning did.

"I think this is a waste of time." Agatha smeared honey on the roasted meatballs in
her hand. "The demons are bound to attack us, but we're not seizing this precious
time to prepare... instead, we're just celebrating the latest victory. When the
enemy breaks into our city... everything is done for," she said while chewing the
food.

"Take it easy. It'll be OK." Roland handed her a bunch of stuffed

beefballs�obviously, she was very fond of the juicy meatballs. "A proper balance of
work and rest will increase the work efficiency. Besides, resting for one day won't
prevent us from defeating the demons, and even if we lose, at least we've enjoyed
the sweetness of life."

"Nonsense!" Agatha said while rolling her eyes. She then took the beefballs and put
them over the bonfire after dipping it in a bowl of oil�with the help of her
freezing ability, she could keep the meatballs at just the right temperature
regardless of the heat from the fire. Clearly, her recent work with the process of
cooling nitrogen had helped her to perfect control of her magic powers.

On the other side, the newcomer Summer apparently hadn't seen so much meat in a
long time. Although she could not stop swallowing saliva, her hands kept still.
Fortunately, after noticing Summer's timidity, Wendy pulled this newly awoken
sister to her side and shared the food that she roasted with Summer and Paper.

The three witches from Sleeping Island, Ashes, Andrea and Shavi, began to play
poker games while waiting for their food to be grilled. In the past few months,
they had learned all the variations of poker that Roland was familiar with. As long
as there was no attack from the demonic beasts, they would get together and play
poker in the castle hall.

And the other witches from Sleeping Island, such as Candle, Evelyn and Sylvie, who
had got familiar with the witches in the little town, were having a good time
talking with Leaf, Echo, Soraya and others, just like a family did.

Looking at the harmonious scene, Roland felt quite gratified�after a year's effort,
changes in the Western Region began to emerge. The people's enthusiastic cheers at
the square at daytime and the heartfelt smile on the witches' faces were all
payback for his efforts.

Such kind of payback was so sweet that Roland could not help but feel intoxicated
by it.

As the bonfire gradually died out, the time approached midnight. Roland asked
Nightingale and Ashes to escort Nana and Summer home respectively, while he stepped
onto the second floor of the castle, waiting for Anna to appear.

He decided to take the initiative instead of waiting passively, or rather,

postponing.

Silver moonlight cast into the castle through the corridor window. In the
moonlight, Roland saw Anna's blue eyes. The scene was quite familiar to him, but
their positions were reversed from the last time. Half hidden in darkness, Anna's
pupils reflected a faint luster, like stars in the night sky where all the other
stars could not be seen. The sky only belonged to her tonight.

Roland did not speak, but walked forward. Holding Anna's hand, they went to the
third floor.

This was not the first time that Roland had kept this close to Anna, but still, his
heart beat fiercely. Through the hand he was holding, he could tell Anna was
nervous too. Nevertheless, she followed him without any hesitation.

They entered Roland's bedroom. When Roland closed the door, turned around, took a
deep breath, and wondered what to say, Anna kissed him.

The tip of her tongue softly pried open Roland's mouth. Roland felt lost in her
luscious breath.

At that moment, the title of a song popped into his mind, Sealed with a Kiss.

When you don't know what to say, kiss; when you've no idea how to express your
feelings, kiss. Kissing is the speech without a sound and kissing is scorching
affection.

When their lips finally parted, Anna's cheeks had turned red.

"I have a present for you."

From his pocket, Roland took out two red Magic Stones, which had been polished,
rimmed with gold and strung together by a thin, red thread at the top.

"Is this... a Sigil?"

"Yes. After being connected together by magic power, a Stone of Pathfinding and a
Stone of Positioning make a Tracking Sigil." Roland helped Anna to put the Stone of
Pathfinding around her neck. "Now no matter where I go, you can find me with the
help of the stones."

Anna must have sensed something unusual because she stared at Roland, motionless.

Just then, Roland carefully spoke each word while softly holding her cheeks with
his hands, "Will you marry me, Anna?"

The peacefulness of the clear blue lake was interrupted by a pouring rain.

After a long pause, Anna nodded and said, "Yes."

...

What followed next was so natural�the long held emotions broke through the last
barrier at that very moment and entangled with one another.

Roland picked her up by the waist and put her on to the bed. He kissed her from her
forehead down to her neck with tenderness, and clumsily unsnapped her buttons. With
her eyes open, Anna stared at Roland as if she wanted to imprint every single move
of his into her brain.

When the girl's fair and smooth body was exposed, Roland hugged her gently in his
arms and covered them up with a quilt.

Without the barrier of clothes, he clearly felt Anna's rhythmic heartbeat, as if

her heart was about to pop out of her chest.

"This time..." Anna whispered in Roland's ear.

"What about it?"

"I won't fall asleep again..."

Roland couldn't help but burst into laughter, which eased the tension between them.
He lightly brushed her nose and said, "Even if you fall asleep, I won't leave you
alone."

Their mouths searched for each other once again, their bodies became one, and their
hearts merged together.

...

Chapter 478: Witnessing the Establishment of the New City

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After m*king love, Anna rested her head in Roland's arms and nuzzled up against him
like a cat.

"Your Highness, it's so good... to have met you," she whispered to him. Her
breathing had just returned to normal from all the excitement.

"Call me Roland." He stroked her long hair and smiled. "There isn't anyone else
around anyway, and I've never heard you call my name."

"Ro... land."

"Good girl." He tickled her ears until she laughed, and then he exclaimed,
"Actually... it's me who should have said that. In the past, I never imagined that
I would meet such a brilliant girl like you."

"Not even in the palace?"

"No." Roland shook his head faintly. "Sometimes, I even think I'm dreaming."

Anna remained silent for a while, and then cuddled closer to Roland before saying,
"I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

These words aroused his thoughts. He recalled that she had said the same thing to
him before.

"...living like a normal person, but I do not care about that. I just want to stay
at Your Highness� side, nothing more."

"What are you talking about? I�m not going anywhere."

She's the petite and frail lass who was rolled up in a corner of a prison cell, the
diligent girl who practiced her ability in maids clothes, the daring young lady who
conjured a huge fire and sealed up the city wall, the diffident maid who raised her
head and kissed me, and the lovely young woman who asked me to accompany her on the
Day of Awakening...

Such scenes flashed in front of Roland one after another.

Without realizing it, the two of them had built up so many memories together.

"... it's true." He slid his hand down Anna's silky hair and caressed her slender
back. "You're right here with me."

"Feelings are really intriguing," he thought to himself. "Though these are nothing
but meaningless and silly words, they warm and melt my heart like nothing else
can."

An even longer period of silence followed. Then, just as he thought she had fallen
asleep, she spoke,

"I'm a witch."

"I know."

"Sister Wendy told me that witches are infertile," Anna muttered. "This will be
troublesome for you."

"I'm not afraid," Roland replied assertively. "Compared to the impending third
Battle of Divine Will, this is nothing." He once spent time considering how to
arrange his succession, but discontinued it after hearing Agatha's report. The
battle that would decide Man's fate was around the corner. All kingdoms would be
completely decimated if they were unable to defeat the demons. Compared to this,
the succession issue was not important.

He paused momentarily when he thought of this. After a while, he continued,

"Actually, I was a bit worried earlier on."

"About what?"

"I was worried that you would use this reason to reject me."

"Why?" Anna looked puzzled. "I want to be with you, no matter I'm a witch or not."

Roland guffawed when he heard her reply. "Indeed, since I met Anna, she's always
been like that... straightforward, never beating around the bush, and expressive of
whatever idea she had. With her, there would never be a Korean drama case of 'I
mean well for you, but I can't tell you' misunderstanding. I've thought too much."

As they chatted, Roland began to feel his body revitalize. Sensing the changes,
Anna kissed him on the neck and climbed on top of him...

The night was still very young.

...

The next day, Roland woke up much later than usual. When he opened his eyes, the
sun was already directly above the castle.

He looked beside himself and was slightly shocked. Anna was nowhere to be found.
"Could it be that... what happened last night was merely a dream?" He bent his body
down and breathed a sigh of relief. Strands of flaxen hair were left on the pillow,
and he could smell a faint fragrance on one side of his clothes.

"What're you doing?" Anna's voice suddenly came from overhead.

Roland raised his head and felt awkward�he must have looked unglamorous sniffing
all around while lying on the pillow. "Ahem, I was just counting the strands of
hair you left. Hey, when did you get up?"

"I went to bring breakfast to you." She placed the plate she was holding on the
bedside table. Her actions and movements seemed a little unlike her usual self. "I
saw you sleeping soundly when I woke up and didn't want to disturb you."

"Sorry," Roland said apologetically, "I should have helped." After so many physical
activities during the night, Roland feared that she was feeling uncomfortable
despite her exceptional recovery capabilities.

"What nonsense." Anna laughed meekly. "You're a prince."

He shook her head and did not say one more word. Instead, he pulled her into his
arms. After embracing for a while, she patted him on the back. "Alright, that's
enough. Since you're awake, hurry up and eat your breakfast. I still have work to
do today."

"Shouldn't you rest for a few more days?"

"That won't do," Anna replied earnestly. "We have to face the demons soon. Miss
Soraya and Miss Agatha are working really hard, and thus it won't be right for me
to slack off." She smiled sweetly. "You too... Roland."

...

After kissing goodbye to Anna, the prince strode to his office in buoyant mood.
When he pushed open the door, he was surprised to see Tilly waiting for him and
sitting by the table.

"Good morning." he greeted. "Is there an issue?"

"Look, it's already noon." Tilly smiled back at him. "And you look like you had a
good dream."

"Do, do I?" Roland placed a hand around his mouth.

"Of course, you're all smiles today." She shrugged her shoulders and the smile on
her face disappeared. "This time I came to say goodbye to you."

Roland was stunned. "Goodbye? Are you returning to Sleeping Island?"

"I've stayed here for too long. Even though I've kept in touch with the Fjords by
letter, but... I've to go back sooner or later. Now that the Months of Demons are
over, the objective of my trip can be considered done." She stood up and walked
over to the French window. "Don't worry. Even though I'll be across the sea, I'll
give you my full support in fighting the church and the demons."

"Can't you settle here in the Western Region?" Roland made a last-ditch attempt to
persuade her to stay. There's a huge amount of vacant land on the south bank of the
Redwater River. It can accommodate all of the witches."

"We've discussed this before." Tilly sighed lightly. "This is not a problem of
finding residence."

"It seems like she has made up her mind," Roland reckoned. Though he understood
that the decision was a sign of her political maturity and responsibility as a
leader, he was very unhappy about it. "At least stay for another week. I'll prepare
a few useful things for the witches in the Fjords."

"Oh?" Tilly turned and faced him. "What are they?"

"Books, courseware, and a few exercises." He said while flicking his fingernails.
"This will not only save you the trouble of making copies but also enhance their
learning effectiveness. Also, I'll pack a few revolvers. These can be used for
self-protection in case you encounter enemies equipped with the God's Stone of
Retaliation. There'll also be two steam engines which can be used to pump water for
irrigation and salt extraction."

"I see..." Tilly turned away and said. "Thank you very much."

"And there's the Groundbreaking Day." Roland said, emphasizing every word. "I hope
that on that day, you can join me in witnessing the establishment of City of
Neverwinter."

Chapter 479: Choice of Nightingale's Heart

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Recently, Wendy spent her life in an exceptionally fulfilling way.

True to her name, Paper had quickly absorbed the knowledge regarding witches and
magic power. She made great progress in learning how to read and write as well as
knowledge about the natural world. At present, she was already able to learn new
vocabularies on her own. There was only a bit of concern about her tutoring. On
occasions, she would raise questions that even Wendy could not answer, and that
meant either Anna or Roland had to be consulted.

Compared to Paper, Summer's progress was much slower. This was perhaps a matter of
age. Every word had to be recited a few times to her before she could remember its
spelling. Furthermore, she seemed confused by natural knowledge. But Wendy was okay
with it. After all, what she did not lack at the moment was time and patience. In
fact, it would be more problematic for her if her students were all as smart as
Anna.

Every morning, she would call her two students into the living room to go through
the homework that was assigned the day before. This was in line with what His
Highness had told all of the Department of Education's teachers: The knowledge that
was learned without practicing would be forgotten quickly, and only through regular
practice would the knowledge be committed to memory. Wendy agreed very much with
this statement.

The next lesson was practicing magic power. For this, Paper could assist Agatha to
produce acid, or go to the shipyard to help in accelerating the hardening of
cement. Hence, Wendy mainly tutored the newcomer, Summer. She had heard that Summer
would soon be joining Nightingale in the Security Bureau and help His Highness to
recreate crime scenes. Thus, the most important thing to learn was how to precisely
control the reversal of time.

Fortunately, using magic ability was as natural as breathing to witches. Even the
slowest students could not go very wrong once they felt the operation of magic.
Wendy often raised the example of Maggie in order to encourage Summer not to be
disheartened by her lack of natural proficiency in magic power. If even a pigeon
was able to evolve, surely a regular witch could also do so? Of course, after that,
she would secretly bring a few pieces of honey roast meat to Maggie as
compensation.

Elementary classes were conducted in the evenings. In consideration of the

different learning paces of incoming students, His Highness had sorted the Witch
Union into two classes. The early comers would continue to receive lessons from
Scroll and also begin to learn knowledge about elementary physics and chemistry,
while the new arrivals would receive extra tuition from Wendy after their usual
lessons.

This was the most relaxing part of Wendy's day.

As the earliest witch from the Witch Cooperation Association to join the Union, she
had increased the gulf between herself and the other top-scoring sisters after a
period of learning. She would feel a great amount of pressure on her shoulders
whenever she remembered that His Highness had conferred on her the role of manager
of the Association.

Only while teaching the newcomers did she feel free and able to put her heart and
soul into the tutoring.

After assigning homework to the two students, Wendy went to have a hot bath. When
she returned comfortably to her bedroom, she was surprised to see Nightingale
sitting by her bed and dazing while holding a copy of Natural Science Theoretical
Foundation.

She's definitely dazing. If she was focusing on the book, she would have fallen
asleep within minutes.

"What's the matter?" Wendy uncovered her quilt and climbed on to the bed, sitting
next to Nightingale.

The latter shifted her head slightly and briefly glanced at Wendy, who gasped when
seeing Nightingale's vacant expression. Wendy had seen such an expression on
Nightingale's face only in Silver City, which was the first time they met. At that
time, Nightingale was walking alone spiritlessly through the snowy streets, in
complete disregard of the snowflakes that fell on her shoulders.

"His Highness Roland's together with Anna already..." she muttered, "and it was I
who encouraged him."

"..." Wendy was at a loss for words. She had also noticed that Anna and His
Highness had grown closer recently, but this was acknowledged by everyone and thus
it was not surprising. Anna was the first witch that His Highness met, and was
impeccable in all respects. Apart from her inability to give birth, she was
considered by Scroll to be the most suitable person to be Queen. The only
surprising thing was that the recent development was facilitated by Nightingale.

"I had made preparations and knew that this would be the outcome. Yet, seeing them
together, why... why do I feel so painful?" Nightingale grasped Wendy's hand
tightly. "I'd resolved about this long ago..."

Wendy also began to feel bad as she looked at Nightingale's appearance. Her deepest
impression of Nightingale was her strength and courage. Whether it was stabbing and
capturing her own distant relative in Silver City, or fighting against the church,
she was able to keep her cool and fight on despite the difficult circumstances. She
even showed no sign of fear while facing the menacing Cara. Yet, on this
relationship matter, she once again became a helpless child. And Wendy was unable
to provide any help.

There's no right or wrong with regard to feelings.

All that Wendy could do was to embrace her and pat gently on her shoulders. "If you
feel bad, cry it all out and you'll be fine."

Nightingale shook her head in disagreement and mumbled. "Since I left the Gilen
family, I vowed... never to cry again, never again..." Her voice progressively
lowered until she became inaudible. Wendy gradually felt a warm and moist feeling
in her bosom, but even so, Nightingale did not make a whimper. Because she was
restraining herself greatly, her shoulders began to shudder and she held on to
Wendy even more forcefully.

"I didn't cry..."

"Yes, you didn't.... I know." Wendy closed her eyes and started to regret what she
had once said to Nightingale. Staying around His Highness was a simple solution. In
fact, the majority of witches would choose to stay around him... because they did
not have anywhere else to go. They were also aware that there was only a minimal
chance that Roland would accept and marry a girl who could not give birth and
thereby could not carry on his bloodline. However, the problem with staying around
him was the distance. Just like with the sun, anyone can bask in the warmth and
glory of the sunshine, yet it was easy to get burned if one tried to move closer.
And Nightingale's intention was obviously not to gaze at him from a distance.

This was not an easy road to follow.

"How about giving up?" Wendy asked softly. "If you take a step back, you'll still
have the sisters to accompany you."

The ensuing long silence made time appear to freeze. Wendy felt as though she was
awaiting a trial, and even though she was not the defendant, it was still extremely
difficult for her to bear. A few times, she almost opened her mouth to ask more
questions, but her words would slip back just before she said anything.

This continued until Nightingale raised her head.

Her eyes appeared slightly red, but tears could not be seen�the wetness on Wendy's
bosom seemed to be her own false perception. Seeing the expression in Nightingale's
eyes, Wendy could tell that there was a conclusion to this trial... but it was not
the end.

"I won't give up." Nightingale shook her head and said, "No matter what, I'll stay
beside him until the very end..."

She did not mind being burnt to ashes by the sun.

This was her answer.

Chapter 480: The Wedding

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Three days later, the wedding of Chief Knight Lannis Carter and Star of the Western
Region May was held on castle grounds.

Besides family members, there were also members from the Star Flower Troupe, the
City Hall and the Witch Union.

In this age, a wedding ceremony was always witnessed by the church. Weddings of
royal families and the nobility were witnessed by a regional Bishop, while nobles
and businessmen High Priest or Priestess. Ordinary citizens needed to go to the
church by themselves and pay several silver royals to ask the Priest to preside
over the wedding. Of course, people who could not afford it just lived together
unwed.
Since there was no church in the Western Region, the City Hall was the wedding
witness. Roland planned for the City Hall to dispatch officers to issue marriage
certificates and do the registration for free. Carter's wedding would be a great
role model�he had already thought of the slogan, "Convenient, legitimate and free
of charge".

When the bride appeared in her wedding gown, everyone was impressed. She was not a
witch, yet she was a big star, and this drew crowds. Even Roland had to admit that
Carter had a good eye. If it were not for the publicity and pleading from the
knight, Roland would not have shown the wedding gown.

Dressed in his handsome black attire, the bridegroom Carter Lannis looked
extraordinary. The two of them standing together were like a heaven-made match.

"They look so great together." Anna said.

"We'll have our day eventually," Roland squeezed her hands gently and said, "by
then, everyone will know you."

"Mmm." She smiled sweetly.

Marrying a witch was easy, however, getting the recognition of subjects was
difficult. It could only be achieved by those with absolute might and great
prestige. Hence, the most fundamental thing was to subside the civil war within the
kingdom and become the only king of Graycastle. After that, he could marry Anna�he
did not want others to think that Anna was his hidden plaything, like previous
nobles.

However, Roland believed that it would not be too long. Since the Months of Demons
had finished, the town was fully preparing for the coming spring attack. Soon,
there would be a fierce attack and Timothy�s throne would be destroyed completely.

"The rings, please. Er, next..." The officer from the City Hall was unfamiliar with
the new wedding process written by Roland. He lowered his head to look at his
notebook, "you may kiss each other now."

"Wow!" Assembled guests broke into a round of applause, especially Irene, a member
of the Star Flower Troupe. She excitedly grabbed Morning Light and swayed from side
to side, and then grabbed others to clap and cheer for May.

"Just kissing," Lightning twitched her mouth, "each time, my father returned from
an expedition, he was kissed several times."

"Coo..." Squatting on Lighting�s head, Maggie turned her head away. She put her
wings in front of her face, however, the eyes of a pigeon are on both sides of the
head.

"Is this wedding procedure really suitable, Your Highness?" Scroll put her hands on
her forehead.

"It's a particular case. Not every couple needs to do this," Roland smiled. "After
all, it's used for publicity, the more attractive, the better." Speaking of this,
he turned to Soraya. "You need to paint this moment in detail!"

"Rest assured, leave it to me." The latter watched the two newlyweds without
blinking, the Magic Pen in her hands was shining.

Carter was obviously nervous. After his initial shock had subsided, May stood on
tiptoe and kissed him.

Applause broke out in the yard.

"Please welcome His Highness. He�ll give his blessing!"

Roland left the crowd and joined the newlyweds. He patted Carter's shoulder and
said, "Well done." Then he turned to May, "May you be forever happy."

"That, that's it?" Carter hesitated.

"Of course! Now go home and rest. I'll give you two days off." Roland smiled.
"Vader should arrive in the town this afternoon. Leave your work to him."

"Thank you, Your Highness," the newlyweds answered in harmony, smiling at each
other.

The wedding ended in the sounds of fireworks, which were simulated by Echo.

In the afternoon, Barov and Karl came to the castle office to report the progress
of the Three Supplies Project to Roland.

"So far, the water supply equipment has been installed in all the living quarters
and more than half of the heating pipes have been laid," Karl said. He pointed to
the town planning map and continued, "but the power supply will need more time.
Except the factory district under your guidance will complete the installation
soon, the four residential areas are still in the phase of trenching and slotting.
After you went to Longsong Stronghold, this part of the work almost stagnated."

Roland nodded and knew they could do nothing about it. No one other than him
understood what a circuit was or how electricity operated. Maybe in April, possibly
May, all the townspeople would have electric lighting. Roland said, "It doesn't
matter. Now that the Months of Demons is over, the heating can wait for some time.
Next, the most important thing is the power supply program and the building of
Kingdom Main Street. The former concerns the efficiency of time use, and the latter
is the key to strengthen the relationship between the two areas once the city
building is completed." He continued, "In addition, don't dismiss the redundant
workers after finishing the construction of Kingdom Main Street. We need them to
build the road to the shoal."

"Do you mean the spot towards the southern mountain area?"

"That's right. It�ll be the entrance to the sea." Roland affirmed. After Tilly and
her group returned to Sleeping Island, Lotus would come back to the Western Region.
At that time, with the help of Countess Spear, it would take less time to break a
new path in mountains. "In addition, once the City of Neverwinter is established,
these redundant workers will be my subjects and I want to confer citizenship on
them as soon as the construction of Kingdom Main Street is finished." He turned to
Barov, "I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, my lord!"

"Don't stop the construction of communities. You can expand them to the space
between the town and Stronghold or the south bank of the Redwater River. The
population expansion remains to be a major priority, and I want to triple the urban
population by the end of the year."

Barov sucked in a breath. "My lord, that will be close to 100,000 people."
"I believe we can afford them in the Western Region," Roland said with a deep
voice, "you can take it as your goal."

Indeed, the Kingdom of Graycastle had population potential. A big city of 20,000
inhabitants could afford a suburban population of at least 100,000. The more
prosperous a city was, the bigger scale the latter was�this phenomenon could also
be seen in modern agriculture. There was no limit in the Western Region, plus since
the steam engine had come into use, there was no need to have so many people
working on the material supply.

"Lastly, since electric lighting is now available in the factory district, you�ll
need to switch to working eight hours a day in three shifts once the city
construction is completed, especially the ammunition processing department," the
prince said to the supervisor of the City Hall, "The salary of each shift should be
calculated according to the past daily wage. The more they do, the more they get.
You can promote it from now on and I hope the factory can operate constantly until
we unify Graycastle."

"Yes, Your Highness." Barov answered and made a bow.

Chapter 481: The City of Neverwinter

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

On the designated Groundbreaking Day, Roland got up very early.

He shaved the stubble on his face, tied up his long gray hair with a simple band,
and used a small pair of scissors to trim his brows. After a year of living in this
world, he was very experienced in grooming himself and did not need a maid's help.

Looking at his blurry reflection in the silver mirror, he felt that he somehow had
the divine manner of a reclusive Taoist priest, if he put on a wide robe.

Roland nodded in satisfaction and left for his office.

There was Barov waiting for him in the room.

"Your Highness," he said with a bow, "a flying messenger has already been sent to
Longsong Stronghold and will probably arrive at the Stronghold castle in half an
hour."

"Uh-huh, is the venue set up?"

"It was all completed by yesterday afternoon, and right now it seems enough to hold
the entire population of the town," replied the City Hall Director.

"Great job." praised Roland, and he slowly walked to the window.

The Impassable Mountain Range and the Misty Forest in the distance were still
blanketed in white, and the rising sun scattered rays of golden light onto the
snow. He saw moving figures on nearby town streets heading for the rubble city wall
area in the West of the town.

As a defense line against demonic beasts last year, this rubble city wall that was
hastily constructed with concrete played a principal role in the fight. However, it
had now become a border between the inner and outer areas of the town. Roland
didn't like this kind of clear separation between the rich and the poor, so he
decided to tear it down sooner or later, except the symbolic gap area and gate
tower. However, before that, he could still utilize it. He chose the middle section
of the rubble city wall as the site for the Groundbreaking event since it could
hold far more people than the square.

According to his plan, in order to strengthen the impact of the Groundbreaking

event on citizens of both cities, Longsong Stronghold would hold a Groundbreaking
announcement at the same time, which would be synchronized by flying messengers.
When the first messenger reached Petrov, Roland would step on to the stage to give
a speech.

"Right now, the gray falcon carrying the news must be soaring among the mountains
and over the Redwater River, with a paper slip fastened to its claw as usual,"
thought Roland, "but it doesn't know the significance of the news it's carrying.
From the moment it lands, Border Town and Longsong Stronghold will become history."

"Let's go." He collected his thoughts and turned around.

"Yes, Your Highness," Barov said with a smile.

...

Petrov Hull walked slowly onto the constructed wooden stage and looked around.

There were not that many people on the square, at least not as many as during the
oatmeal distribution last week.

This was not surprising, since people were mainly only concerned with food and
clothes. Compared to the free oatmeal, a Groundbreaking ceremony would not matter
that much.

It even seemed rather unnecessary to Even Petrov himself.

The Months of Demons had ended, but the City Hall still did not receive as many
applications for job as they had expected. The notice calling for handymen and
construction workers was put up a week ago, but the number of recruits hadn't even
reached half of the target amount. Meanwhile, Rats seemed to rise back from the
ashes, as the police department received more and more reports every day and only
verifying these reports was a painstaking amount of work. His friend Rene Medde
complained to him that the arresting team needed twice the men to handle its
workload.

This actually met Petrov's expectations.

The people were just like that, lazy, greedy, and unintelligent... His Highness
spent so much time and efforts on them, but what could he get in return? The thing
confused him the most was that Roland Wimbledon was clearly a member of the royal
family, so where did that strange confidence in the people come from?

No matter what, he was firmly tied to the prince's chariot, so all he could do was
to follow him faithfully.

An eagle cawed in the distance, and a gray figure appeared in the sky.

Petrov opened his prepared speech draft.

...

"Your Highness, it's almost the time." Barov reminded.

The sun had risen halfway into the sky, and the sundial's shadow pointed to nine
o'clock. Roland nodded and walked to the tower railing. As soon as the people saw
the prince, their chatter turned into warm cheers, and they all raised their hands
to create waves throughout the crowd.

Area on both sides of the city wall was packed by a dense crowd of over 20,000
people, which meant that most of the town's residents were gathered here. Roland
was glad that he was not holding this Groundbreaking ceremony in the central
square, since it obviously could not offer enough space for such a huge, excited
crowd.

He waved his hands to silence the cheers. "Greetings, my subjects."

Echo's magnifying ability allowed his voice to reverberate over the entire town.

"I believe you already know what's about to happen today. This small town, which
was built for the North Slope Mine, is soon about to become a real city."

"In the past, the Months of Demons was a nightmare for Border Town, and everyone
had to escape to Stronghold for shelter. Now, we have built a strong base here.
Osmond Ryan, who wanted to ruin the Western Region, has fallen; the church, which
wanted to harm witches and enslave the people, has been banished from this land;
even Timothy Wimbledon, who dared to attempt to destroy me, failed�even if he set
the entire Southern and Eastern Regions on fire, the town would still be safe and
sound. I'm sure the refugees who fled here know this best."

Roland's words were quickly met with the crowd's responses.

"That's right. He burned down the Eagle City and plundered the Port of Clearwater!"

"The new king cleaned out Valencia. His knights acted no differently from burglars,
sometimes even worse!"

"He took away my son, saying he needed to join the King's City guards. Heavens...
he's only fifteen!"

The prince reached out his hand to quiet them. "And these tragedies will never
happen again. This is why the new city is being built! Only by uniting more people,
can we face our evil enemies and show them the consequences of their recklessness."
He paused. "And this is my city, too. I vow that Roland Wimbledon will never leave
any of his people behind, and even if the Kingdom of Graycastle is united, he'll
never leave this place!"

A wave of cheers erupted at the foot of the city wall.

"Your Highness, you..." Barov exclaimed from behind him.

Roland waved his hand to silence him. "That's right. This will become the new
capital of the Kingdom of Graycastle, and the kingdom will be reborn! I believe
that even if an endless winter arrived, this city would still be as warm as
spring!" He paused for a while and raised his right hand. "From this day on, Border
Town and Longsong Stronghold will become one, and its name will be..."

"Long live the City of Neverwinter!"

"Long live, long live the City of Neverwinter!"

Everyone became excited, and the deafening chants rang through the sky. A mist of
snow erupted on the mountainside, and the echoes rolled endlessly through the
peaks...
Roland looked at the cheering subjects and felt a great anticipation growing inside
him. The sparks of revolution had been ignited, and one day, he would see these
sparks turn into a giant flame that would engulf the entire land.

Chapter 482: Zero's Will

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The upper level of the Pivotal Secret Temple was brightly lit up with dozens of
Magic Stones that made the circular library as bright as day. When one was in this
room, it was difficult to believe that it was underground.

This area was equivalent to the Tower of Babel of the Hermes Cathedral above
ground, and it was Zero's favorite place. She could easily see all of the Pivotal
Secret Area through the window. Watching over the figures bustling around the God's
Stone of Punishment Pillar like ants, she felt a great joy in having control over
all of these lives. It was as if she was the Lord of the Kingdom of God, and the
people walking slowly in the dark were the believers that built the kingdom.

When she had free time, she would take a book containing the history and secrets of
the Union from a shelf and read it by the window. Of course, she also had to have a
cup of black tea with coltsfoot in it next to her.

After she became the Pope, Zero was actually more relaxed. She did not worry about
the impending Battle of Divine Will, but looked forward to it. After more than 200
years, her life had become quite dull, and the Senior Demons that were recorded to
be unbeatable seemed like exciting opponents. "I wonder if I take them into the
Soul Battlefield, will they still be as fearless and terrifying as they appear?"

However, this battle was still years away, so she needed to set a new goal for
herself to pass the time.

There were few people Zero concerned, and Roland Wimbledon happened to be one of
them... he was the only mortal to interest her so far.

He was belittled by everyone, but he came out on top after the Royal Decree on the
Selection of Crown Prince, fighting extremely well with his tiny territory against
two strong contenders for the throne. This was undoubtedly very rare. Also, she
discovered some interesting clues in Garcia's memories.

The Queen of Clearwater once placed a maid next to Prince Roland to feed him a
deadly poison, but it completely failed, and then the furious queen executed the
unlucky alchemist who made the poison. However, Zero had a member of the Secret
Pivotal Area replicate the poison according to the recipe in her memories, and the
product turned out to be just as the alchemist had promised. It was odorless,
colorless, soluble in water, deadly upon intake and incurable.

"So, did the maid deceive Garcia, or is the current Roland Wimbledon not the same
Prince Roland as before?" According to the information she had gathered, Zero was
more inclined to the second guess. "The question is... if he isn't Prince Roland,
who is he? Why no one doubted his identity before?" The more she pondered on this
issue, the more intrigued she became. He was able to change his ways to earn the
love of all his subjects, single-handedly redistribute the power in the Western
Region, and make both the church's emissary delegation and crazed army disappear...
If such a man was simply the lord of a small territory, it would really be a pity.

Thus, Roland Wimbledon had to be included as a member of the church, or in other

words, become part of her. Zero could not help but lick her lips. It was also why
she changed the sequence of attack. If her guesses were correct, then conquering
the Kingdom of Graycastle would bring in more benefits than she could imagine.

Of course, as a lord with great authority, he would stay behind the lines during
battles, so it was important to figure out how to force him out.

Just as Zero was contemplating how to avoid the direct battle and go straight to
Roland, Isabella pushed open the library door and walked in.

"Is the meeting over?"

"Yes." She rubbed her neck. "Lucky you, sitting here reading and sipping tea all
day, while I have to lie to those old men... no, it's actually one old man and two
madmen."

"It's not simply lying. It concerns the operations of the church's lower level,"
Zero said with a shrug. "Although witches are the actual core of the church,
without these men, we wouldn't be able to collect so many resources to achieve our
ultimate goal."

"Whatever." Isabella yawned. "Anyways, they said that we have to wait until the
second month of this summer for the resources to attack the Kingdom of Dawn to be
relocated to the battle against the Kingdom of Graycastle, and even this is an
optimistic estimate.

"This amount of time isn't too long, but it isn't short either," thought Zero, "so
the wait will both be torturous and make the reward even more enjoyable." "How's
the pill production going?"

"I think there are about 300,000 to 400,000 pills in storage right now," replied
Isabella. "But do you really plan to send all the civilians to battle against the
demons? Millions of people would completely exhaust all of Hermes's resources.
Also..."

"Also what?"

"Also we might not win." She shook her head. "There are so many people that they'll
cause trouble no matter where we place them. Not to mention, their days are
numbered after they eat the first pill, so what if the demons don't attack us in
time? If we feed too few, then they're useless; if we feed too many, we might waste
them. Even if the demons all attack at once and are defeated by the crazed army,
these people won't be able to fight anymore."

"You don't understand." Zero stood up, walked over to a large table, and lifted the
cover off of it, revealing a map of the Wild Places. "I never planned to use the
crazed army to protect Hermes, and the location for the final battle should be
somewhere on the Fertile Plains... I think it'll probably take place at the ruins
of the Holy City of Taquila, since it's closest to us." She pointed at a spot on
the map.

"Do you want to... initiate an attack?" Isabella froze in shock.

"We're desperately lacking time," said Zero calmly. "I've never dreamed of
completely wiping out the demons. The Holy Book says that only when the Bloody Moon
arrives and the Gates of Hell open can the demons build a black spire. Actually,
the spire isn't built... it grows."

"Are you saying that those stones are actually alive?" Isabella asked in disbelief.
"This information can only be found in the personal notes of the Union's Three
Chiefs... the demons' expansion depends on the black spire's ability to produce Red
Mist, and currently spires are founded in areas with many God's Stone mineral
veins, so their range of influence will continue to grow. In the beginning of the
Second Battle of Divine Will, an Extraordinary once led a division of soldiers to
approach the Red Mist area underground, and they found a startling sight�an
enormous monster was writhing under the spire, and its body was even larger than
the Taquila tower itself," Zero said slowly. "That enormous monster was decomposing
God's Stone and turning it into black crystals, which gave off Red Mist.
Considering the demons had Chaos Beasts that turned God's Stones into Magic Stones,
it wasn't difficult to comprehend that they also had this kind of ability."

"..." Isabella opened her mouth and finally spat. "That's disgusting."

"Unfortunately, once the spire is formed, small surprise attacks will be

ineffective, so our best bet is to attack them directly. I don't know how long it
takes for the decomposed God's Stone to grow out of the ground, but it probably
doesn't happen overnight. During this time, demons can only transport Red Mist from
their backup resources, so they'll have very limited strength. We need to use a
crazed army that is large enough to defeat the demons to create a path, so the
God's Punishment Army can kill the underground monster," said Zero with great
conviction. "If we're lucky enough, we'll buy ourselves another 400 years."

Chapter 483: The Distance to God (Part I)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Isabella stared at the map in silence for a while. "But the crazed soldiers aren't
God's Punishment Warriors. Although the pills can affect their resolve, it won't
give them unbreakable resolve. In front of truly terrifying enemies, they'll still
be afraid and may even run away�millions of defecting soldiers are enough to run us
all over into dust."

"Obviously it won't be that simple. It would be best if the crazed army mostly
consists of the church's lower level believers, and if the Judgment Army was the
core." Zero returned to the window. "And if we want these many believers, we must
unite the Four Kingdoms."

"What are our chances of winning?"

"30%? 50%?" she replied nonchalantly. "How can I know what our chances of winning
are? After all, we've never fought against them and can only get the information
through ancient books from 400 years ago. Don't forget what I said before... if
we're lucky enough."

This was exactly why it was so exciting�she was putting the fate of all mankind at
stake and placing the few bargaining chips she had all in one basket by fighting
the strong with the weak... in a battle where the odds were against them, an
unexpected triumph would be all the more sweeter.

"The continuation of mankind will depend on their courage, wisdom, faith, and
sacrifice in this battle," she thought. "This is probably what God hopes to see...
cowards can't earn his smile."

"I hope you're right." Isabella frowned. "I'm feeling more curious now."

"Curious about what?"

"If Prince Roland of the Kingdom of Graycastle was standing here, what would he
do?"

Zero furrowed her brows. "Why? Do you think he can beat me?"

"Bishop Tayfun said that he hasn't heard from the Pure Witch he sent to the Kingdom
of Graycastle yet, as if she simply disappeared. She was the one you assigned on
the mission to check out the Western Region. Besides her, we also lost Aphra from
King's City, the Bishop candidate Mira, and the church in Longsong Stronghold..."
Isabella paused for a bit. "Don't you think since the church began targeting the
Four Kingdoms, we've never suffered so many losses before? It's as if after we got
involved with the Western Region, we have been losing. It's like... God is
protecting him."

"Enough!" Zero slammed her fist on the table. "You know nothing about God!"

Isabella was slightly shocked. "I was only kidding... since when did you care so
much about God?"

Zero tried to repress her anger. "He's merely a mortal! Mortals can only rely on
calculations and knowledge, and this will all become part of me. Even though he has
ways to fight the demons, the Union will definitely do better!" Zero turned around
and stared at Isabella. "When the church's troops march into the Kingdom of
Graycastle, you'll know who really has God's blessing."

As Isabella left the library, she sighed and said, "You're becoming more and more
like a... Pope."

Zero sat silently next to the table, her emotions in tumult for a long time, which
was uncommon throughout her 200 years of life.

She knew what Isabella meant, but she could not explain herself to her... no matter
who was Pope, no matter what ideas they had before, as soon as they stepped into
the Prayer Room, they would all undergo unpredictable changes.

God... really exists.

Zero realized that her thoughts had been completely disturbed, so she closed her
book and walked to the top floor of the library.

It was the highest point of the Pivotal Secret Temple where the Prayer Room was.

Zero pushed open a secret door made out of bookshelves, walked up a narrow stone
staircase, and entered a windowless room. The room was only a few square feet, not
even enough for someone to lie down in. The roof was cone-shaped and encrusted with
Magic Stones that gave off a faint blue light. Under the dim lighting, Zero could
vaguely see the four walls and hard ground. Besides these, there was nothing in the
room, and it was hard to believe that this stuffy and cramped place was the closest
location to God.

Zero closed her eyes to feel his summoning.

Her dark world slowly began to change, as if something entered her mind and
displayed a scene in her consciousness�she knew that this wasn't a figment of her
imagination. Even her soul, which had absorbed hundreds of people, could not see or
even imagine such a sight.

When the twisting lines slowed down, five large paintings appeared in the expansive
world... one floated above her head in a giant ring, and the other four lined of
symmetrically in a cross next to her.

This was a sign from God.

Watching something in her mind was an incredible feeling. Zero knew that this
entire scene would disappear as soon as she opened her eyes, so she could only use
her consciousness to view every painting�when she was focused on the paintings, she
felt being brought into them.

The large ring-shaped painting on top of her was undoubtedly God himself.

It was a dark world with no visible boundaries, and a giant red sphere was
suspended in the middle. The sphere was made of magic power, and she could feel its
infinite power from simply looking at it. Half of it seemed to be cut off by a
knife or hidden in darkness, so only half could be seen.

The more closely Zero looked at it, the surer she was of her judgment.

It was just too majestic.

She was nothing compared to this ball of magic power. She could not even find the
words to describe how giant it was, only that even the world under her was dwarfed
by this red sphere. The swirls of magic power on its surface were even wider than
the ocean, and the light of the shining magic power was even brighter than the
sun�besides God, who else could have such vast powers?

This was probably the Bloody Moon recorded in the Holy Book�from the side, the
half-sphere truly did not look like a full moon.

Zero once tried to pray to it, but it did not respond and only floated calmly in
the darkness as if it was waiting for the results of the Battle of Divine Will.

This was why she was extremely enraged by Isabella's words. This thing did not give
anyone its blessing... she realized after witnessing it in person that humans were
insignificant in God's eyes.

After she separated from her thoughts, Zero looked towards the four paintings at
the bottom.

She believed that the reason the battles that occurred every 400 years were called
Battle of Divine Will had something to do with the content of these paintings.

The church's secret history recorded past Union leaders' and popes' interpretations
of the paintings, and most of them came to the same conclusion�the location of the
ending of the war was in these four paintings.

Chapter 484: The Distance to God (Part II)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The first painting had the richest contents.

It depicted a throne constructed with swords and bones, and blood red long windows
and tall black columns were behind it. It seemed to be a part of a palace. If she
completely submerged her consciousness into it, she could even see the city outside
the window with endless spires. What caught her attention the most was the Stone
Gate that peeked through the city�if the spires around it were the buildings of
Hermes residents, then the Stone Gates at least five times as tall as the church's
Tower of Babel, which completely went against common sense.

What was more unbelievable was that the inside of the gates was black, as if a
large and smooth cloth was covering its middle. However, as she looked closely,
there seemed to be an immeasurable depth to the darkness... The more she stared at
it, the more uneasy she felt.

Zero only focused her attention on the window for a while and soon turned it to the
throne.

She did not see the lord of the throne today.

The things she saw in her mind would sometimes change. For example, she could
occasionally see an armored warrior sitting on the throne, his head covered with a
frightening black helmet, only revealing a faint red light through his eye sockets.
However, this was not very common, and the throne was usually empty.

According to the records of secret history, this painting depicted the city where
the demons originated from and first appeared�the Northwestern corner of Land of
Dawn.

Zero agreed with this theory. The painting's blood red colors and black spires were
very similar to the demons' living environments, and the helmet of the owner of the
throne had a distinct demonic style. The only strange part was that its body was
exactly like that of a regular human, and not like the strong and horrific bodies
of the Fearsome Demons or Lords of Hell recorded in the Holy Book. Thus, there were
many speculations about its identity. Some popes believed that it was the source of
evil, while other witches thought that it was a member of the demons that guarded
the secrets of God.

The second painting was much more mysterious.

It had few contents, which seemed to keep moving. At least in Zero's limited number
of observations, she had never seen the same scene twice.

This time, she saw water.

The light blue water rippled backward against three large skeletons, which were
completely hollow inside, but the water was somehow held outside the bones by an
invisible barrier. It was as if the giant skeletons were keels supporting the side
ports, and she felt like she was in a boat and looking out through the
window�except these windows spanned the entire wall.

Zero was quickly enthralled by the strange scenery in front of her... She was
standing at the border between water and sky, with half of her underwater, and the
other half floating above. She could see the bright sunlight and sparse clouds
above her, but her legs were encased in water. Under the sun, she could clearly see
the color of the water changing from light blue on the surface to bright green, and
then dark green, as it went deeper and deeper.

Suddenly, the scene began to shake, and Zero felt the world tremble below her and
almost fell over. She subconsciously tried to open her eyes but stopped herself at
the last second. "This isn't reality," she told herself. "This is God giving you a
sign."

The water was quickly rising and almost drowned out the sky.

Or, perhaps the water was not rising, but she was sinking downwards.
Soon, everything outside the window was covered by water, and she even saw red fish
swimming by the skeletons. First, there were only a few of them, but then there
were more and more, and the dense schools of fish surrounded the invisible barrier
like a red ribbon. The water gradually changed from dark green to a dull black,
until the scene was shrouded in a complete darkness and totally disappeared.

Zero broke out of the painting, panting. This was the first time she experienced
such a clear vision, and when the darkness covered her eyesight, she felt like she
was about to choke. However, she did not find any useful clues�according to the
secret history, the contents of the second painting were always changing. Some
recorded seeing a giant eyeball, others saw a volcano spewing bubbles and yellow
smoke, and others saw a bottomless abyss giving off a faint light. No observers had
ever seen the same thing.

She rested for a while and turned her attention to the third painting.

However, there was still nothing in it... it was like the world outside the frame,
dark and dead silent.

The secret history mentioned that in the beginning of the first Battle of Divine
Will, there was something in the painting... but this recording was so ancient that
its pages were tattered and basically illegible. However, she was certain that a
hundred years after the Battle of Divine Will, this painting turned black and never
showed anything ever again.

The fourth painting was not at all mentioned in the secret history.

It was difficult for Zero to understand as if they were all in agreement to hide
something�if even the sole messenger of secrets, the pope, did not have the right
to know, then the secret would be unknown to everyone forever.

The painting depicted a wall.

It was an unassuming rough gray stone wall.

Parts of the gray paint were chipped off, revealing the cracked stone blocks under
it. It had obviously stood here for a long time. Besides this wall, there was
nothing else.

After staying in the painting for a while, Zero started to feel exhausted.

Reading God's signs took a lot of energy, and even she could not do it for a long
time.

Zero opened her eyes to disconnect from the sphere of magic power, causing the dark
world and giant paintings to disappear, and she was back in the dim small room.

She sighed deeply and stumbled down the stairs, only recovering after drinking off
her cold black tea in the library.

Although God did not give her any response, her anger before was completely calmed.
"Isabella knows nothing about God, but I do."

Zero looked out the window at the busy figures under the tower, and her feeling of
control returned. Her experiences during the past 200 years made her disregard
everything in this world, but after she became the Pope, she realized that she had
only scratched the surface in understanding the world�now, she faced a whole new
mystery, and her immortality was perfect for solving it.
Zero felt in her heart that she was the real person chosen by God.

If she could approach God, it was worth the 400 years' wait, even thousands of
years.

Chapter 485: The Day of Leaving

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Here comes the ship."

A sail peeked over the end of the light gray horizon. There were no other merchant
ships around, so it had to be a ship from Sleeping Island.

"Uh-huh," Tilly gently replied, her voice muffled by the sounds of the sea washing
onto the shoals. She had turned her back to Roland, so he could not see her face.

"We're leaving now," Andrea said regrettably. "I really liked your domain, and I've
no idea if I can make the same delicious ice cream bread as you have here when I'm
back at Sleeping Island."

Along with a bolt rifle, Roland had given her the ice cream recipe as well. "As
long as you have eggs and milk, it won't taste too bad. When you come back to
Border Town� no, City of Neverwinter next time, I'll have more delicious food for
you."

"Will it be even tastier than ice cream?" Andrea held her stray hair and said with
a laugh, "You'd better not lie to me. I have your word."

"If you're reluctant to leave, you could stay here," Ashes laid out her hands and
said. "Princess Tilly definitely won't mind leaving such a gluttonous witch like
you behind�you won't be allowed to eat as much as you want on Sleeping Island."

"Is that true? I won't give you any ice cream when we get back." Andrea stared at
her. "You should just eat your dried fish and drink your fishy soup every day."

As they continued to bicker, the sailboat neared the coast. The flying pink flag on
the top of the mast told everyone it was the Charming Beauty.

Shavi summoned the invisible barrier, which allowed her to travel and move between
the shoal and the ship, enabling her to carry all the books, goods and materials to
the ship, without docking. Then, she carried the card-playing three and Princess
Tilly, but as Tilly was stepping into the barrier, Roland called her name.

"� What?" She turned her head, her eyes revealing a complex mixture of emotions.

Roland was not good at saying goodbye and had stopped her without forethought. He
took a deep breath and shouted, "If you have any problems on Sleeping Island, you
can tell me. I'll do my best to help you. And remember that you're always welcome
in the City of Neverwinter."

"... " Tilly smiled after a moment. "Thank you, and you too."

"Goodbye, everyone." Andrea and Shavi shouted while waving their hands.

Ashes did not say anything and just waved her hand too.
After their farewell, the barrier carried the witches to the Charming Beauty
quickly.

"What's wrong? You don't want them to leave?" Nightingale asked from behind him.

"I just think it's a pity. There are 300 witches... It would be wonderful if they
all moved to the Western Region," said Roland with a fake casualness.

"Yeah, and then you'd feel even more guilty." Nightingale rolled her eyes at him.

"Guilty?" Roland felt terrified and asked.

"Why? Living here is better than living on Sleeping Island, isn't it?" Anna was
also confused.

"You wouldn't understand, even if I told you." Nightingale turned around and walked
towards the hot air balloon. "And that's the most irritating part."

Watching her walk away, Roland felt a sense of relief. Nightingale had disappeared
for the last two days, and now she was finally back to normal, so he had nothing to
worry about.

"Let's go. There're a lot of things for us to do," Wendy said while smiling.

"OK." Roland and Anna smiled and walked to Cloud Gazer while holding hands.

...

Back in his office, Roland opened his notebook and thought about how he would
develop his domain in the coming year.

Undoubtedly, there were two things of the utmost importance that needed addressing.

The first thing to do was to dethrone Timothy and stop him from diminishing the
countrymen with the Berserk Pills. This could also greatly expand Roland's
reputation and prepare everyone for the unification of the Kingdom of Graycastle.

The second was to absorb Longsong Stronghold as soon as possible to put the City of
Neverwinter on the track for construction.

Iron Axe, Carter, Theo in King's City, and he had already discussed the former many
times, and they decided to launch the spring offensive at the end of April, which
would be at the end of this month. It was the plowing time in many cities, which
would not affect the professional First Army, but would affect the traditional
noble, because people would be constrained by their crops and unwilling to start a
war at the risk of starvation. If the army suddenly appeared at the outskirts of
King's City, Timothy would be totally unprepared.

The steam engine plant, ammunition factory, and concrete boat plant were all busy
producing resources for battle. Meanwhile, logistics operations were at full speed.
Plus the City Hall boasted enough manpower, and the First Army was experienced in
battles. Roland had a good grasp on the necessary resources and their deployment,
so he was not worried at all about either.

The most important thing at the moment was to utilize the resources of Stronghold.

Thinking of this, Roland told Barov to come to his office.

"Have you cataloged all of the industries in Longsong Stronghold and its
surrounding territories?"

Barov pulled out a notebook.
was from the mining industry
high-quality gem mine to the
Mountain Range, whose output
income."
"It's all in here, Your Highness. The primary income
and salt industry, especially the former�there was a
west of Longsong Stronghold near the Impassable
accounted for more than half of the Stronghold's

"Gem mine?" Roland was not interested in luxuries. "Isn't there also a gem mine in
the North Slope Mine? Why did that town appear so poorly last time I visited?"

"It's not the same, Your Highness." Barov rubbed his hands and said, "The gems of
the North Slope Mine are the byproducts of other mineral veins, so the quantity is
very small, and they might not even be good enough to be made into jewelry when
they're cut. But the gem mine in Stronghold is full of colorful stones on the
prism, and each of them can easily be made into a high-quality multicolored stone.
The gems are worth dozens of gold royals once sold in King's City, and the output
and quality are far better than that of the gems from the North Slope Mine."

"A multicolored stone?" Roland asked curiously, "What does it look like?"

"It's generally transparent and has no fixed color. It reflects many different
colors under the sunlight, from light green to orange-red, and it shows multiple
colors after being cut. It's more like crystallized sunlight than a normal ruby or
sapphire." Barov paused. "The multicolored stone of the Kingdom of Graycastle, the
Ice Stone of the Kingdom of Everwinter and the luminary stone of the Kingdom of
Dawn are the most popular gems among the noble."

"That gem sounded pretty luxurious." Roland thought. "Maybe it could be used to
make a ring for Anna. But, the gem mine has little value when talking about the
improvement of people's livelihood.'" Roland asked, "Any other mineral resources?"

"The Maple Family and the Wild Rose Family each have an iron ore mine," Barov said,
"but, they're both smaller than the North Slope Mine."

"The domains of the two families are both surrounded by the Impassable Mountain
Range�these mountains crossing the Four Kingdoms may be full of treasure," Roland
thought. "Maybe I can explore along the foot of the mountain with Sylvie to find an
ore reserve for the City of Neverwinter. After all, steel is a powerful resource
for industrial manufacturing."

Chapter 486: A Call for Help

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"What about the salt industry?"

There were many ore resources in the Western Region, so it was not surprising that
mining was the primary industry of Stronghold. However, this was the first mention
of the salt industry, and Prince Roland had no knowledge of local specialties. In
Roland's opinion, salt should be the main industry in coastal cities.

"Stronghold, the Elk Family, and the Honeysuckle Family each have one salt well. In
fact, the three salt wells are very close to each other and basically located on
the borders of their domains. I heard that over 200 years ago, civil wars in the
Western Region often happened there and lasted for 50 years." Barov stroked his
mustache.
Roland wondered if the three nobilities occupying the area had then become the
biggest winners. He asked with great interest, "What�s the output of these salt
wells?"

"Besides supplying the Western Region, the salt was also sold to Fallen Dragon
Ridge, Redwater City, and some other small villages along the way." Barov leafed
through his notebook. "It accounted for almost 15% of the Stronghold income."

"Why such a low percentage?" Roland asked in surprise. "The market price for salt
isn't low."

"It's too hard to get the salt out of the deep pit." Barov shook his head. "I know
a nobleman in Silver City who has a salt well in his domain. It�s about the size of
a human head and too small for a cask. People mine it by putting water in and
scooping it up with a bamboo stick after the salt melts."

"Why not expand the well?"

Barov smiled smugly. "Your Highness, the salt bed is too deep. If we dig it like a
water well, its walls will collapse. According to him, the salt well has been mined
from his grandfather's generation, and now the well is as deep as a belfry in
King's City."

"I see," Roland thought. Limited by the depth, people here mined salt wells using
the brine method, but the process could be improved. Lifting the salt mine with
Lotus's power or extracting the brine with a steam engine would be more efficient.

An abundant salt supply would not only bring great profits to the City of
Neverwinter, but also popularize healthier and more delicious food to the subjects.
The salt they had at present was crude and saline with all kinds of impurities and
foreign substance.

"I see." At this thought, the prince nodded with satisfaction. "You can go now.
Don't forget to do population expansion work. The Months of Demons just passed, so
it's a good time to recruit before refugees starve without their crops."

"I had the same thought, Your Highness," Barrow said with his hand on his chest,
"The new emissary delegation will leave soon, and I think they will gain more than
last year."

After the chief left, Roland was about to plan how to deal with the Stronghold
resources, when he heard a knocking on the window.

He turned his head and found a gray falcon lying on the window grille with a note
on its foot.

Nightingale opened the window and let the flying messenger in.

It was a letter from Petrov Hull in Longsong.

Roland read the letter quickly and could not help but laugh. After Nightingale came
back to Border Area with him, it had been difficult to continue the fight against
crime. They received all kinds of reports from the masses, and it was difficult to
identify what was true, and what had been made up for the cash reward. Less than
half of the Rats had applied for jobs. The new Minister of Justice, Rene Medde was
busy all day long and could not control the Black Street Forces. If it went on like
this, public safety would deteriorate.

Petrov had written at the end of the letter that he wanted the prince to help him
with manpower and technology, but Roland knew he actually wanted Nightingale and
Vader to help the Earl of the Elk Family.

He gave the letter to Nightingale. She glanced at it and said, "They can't hold
Stronghold anymore?"

"The former Ragingfire was just a response to the war among the masses. He has no
experience in battling or capturing the Rats." Roland smiled and said, "As I
expected, they have a long way to go in fighting the Rats, and there�ll be many
relapses. But they�ll eventually be destroyed with powerful measures and given a
better way of life. Once they're on the right track, it'll be hard to stray into
evil again. This is the case for both people and cities."

"Do you want me to go?" Nightingale sighed.

"Don't forget that Longsong and Border Town are one city now. Don't separate them
from each other." He shrugged. "I said at the expansion meeting that there�ll be a
day when we could have breakfast in Border Area and work in Longsong Area half an
hour later. And you are in charge of the Security Bureau, you are expected to
travel between the two places and inspect the work."

"If I go, what will protect you?" She shook her head. "Don't tell me there�ll be no
danger. You are the thorn in Timothy and the church's side, and only I can stop
assassin witches."

Roland wanted to say that he had the God's Stone of Retaliation and would not be
hurt by a normal witch, but he realized that was not what she was worried about.
"Listen to me."

She cut in, "You can't make me promise anything, and Wendy and Scroll will agree
with me. You�re the most important person in the Witch Union�"

"I'll go with you."

"Ahem, re-really� " Nightingale choked in shock and turned her head to avoid his
gaze. "I guess I'm the only one who can help them."

The prince could not help but laugh. "Take Summer with you. It's time for her to
practice."

"And Sylvie and Soraya should go too to establish the identification systems while
checking out the mines, and maybe even build up the City Hall," he thought. "I
wonder how the training of the nobility in Longsong Stronghold is going."

...

Three days later, Roland boarded with the witches and the nobility in Stronghold to
go to Longsong Area.

Looking at the cement paddle steamer and the coal cinder in the deck seams in the
Redwater River, he sighed. It seemed impossible to reach Longsong Stronghold in one
day, this speed was still too slow for him. After all, time was money. Roland
planned to build an exclusive luxury high-speed ship.

Chapter 487: The Guarding Shield

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

By dusk, the ship reached the port of the inland river near Longsong Stronghold.

Petrov had heard about their trip and greeted them at the port with his followers.
When they returned the castle, a grand welcoming banquet awaited them in the hall
of the first floor. After taking over Longsong Stronghold, something changed in
Roland's heart. When watching the nobles giving toasts to each other, he felt the
money spent on the banquet came out of his own pocket.

After briefly greeted the eldest son of the Honeysuckle Family, he cut to the
chase. "Have the Rats come out again?"

"Judging from the reports we received, it seems so." Petrov made a gesture to guide
the prince to a corner of the hall. "Compared with the former organized Black
Street groups, the criminals we recently arrested mostly acted individually, such
as thieves, burglars, and murderers, all of whom were pulled to the square to be
hung. Since you asked us to judge with adequate proof, the criminals we executed
were only a small portion of all the reported criminals. Verifying the information
in hand took quite some time. Besides..." The eldest son of the Honeysuckle Family
paused. "We're in a great trouble recently."

"What is it?"

"Someone openly resisted your policies, Your Highness," Petrov said in a worried
tone. "Earl Medde knows more about it. I'll ask him to tell you in detail."

"Your Highness, the Elk Family greets you." After being summoned, Rene came and
bowed to the prince, and then he began to tell the whole story. "Recently,
something serious happened in North Street of the outer town... Um, Sheriff Vader
would call it a serial killing case."

"Um, it's actually what I would call it." This triggered Roland's interests. "Carry
on."

"Yes," Rene Medde said in a serious voice. "Since three days ago, a resident has
been found dead at home every night. The victims were all male, lived alone, had no
families, and most importantly, they applied for jobs in the City Hall."

The prince frowned. "Were they regular employees?"

"If handymen can be counted as full-time job, then yes." The Earl of the Elk Family
nodded. "In the room of each victim, there was a painting drawn with blood�a crown
and a cross. Because of the identical mark, I sought confirmation from the City
Hall and then found all the victims were among the list of people who were about to
be sent to the Redriver District to build houses.

"You think their intention is..."

"To sabotage your enrollment plan, Your Highness," Rene replied. "Rumors have been
spreading in North Street saying that whoever applies for a job in the City Hall
will be a target for killers."

"I believe that's what's happening." Petrov chimed. "We've employed less than we'd
expected, and there're barely any applicants from North Street. Moreover, there're
applicants who regret applying and say that they're physically unfit for going out
of town and hope that the officials can take their names off the City Hall's
enrollment list. Now, the rumor is only spread in North Street, but if it goes as
far as other blocks, it could sabotage your construction plan."

Roland contemplated for a moment. "Have you got any clues about the suspect?"
"We..." Rene opened his mouth and said after a while, "There were no witnesses to
the crimes, so we've no idea where to start the searching."

"Really..." Roland felt surprised. "How did you solve such cases on previous
occasions?"

"Do you mean the patrol team?" The young Earl of the Elk Family hesitated for a
while. "As far as I know, they didn't have standard handling methods. If it was an
influential case where the families of the victim appealed to the Lord, and the
Lord decided to show his subjects justice, he would pressure the Black Street
gangsters and order the Rats to hand over the criminal�the patrol team didn't care
if the person they handed over was only a scapegoat or not. If the victim was only
a foreigner or lived alone, the patrol team would usually ignore it."

"This is outrageous!" Roland was shocked. "The patrol party's way of handling such
cases is equal to handing over the jurisdiction to the Rats. No wonder people were
saying that Rats were the other party who ruled the city. Besides, in this era,
there seems to be no such a thing as a criminal investigation, so if there's no
witness in a murder case, it'll most likely become suspended�of course, that's only
the case for civilians.

Border Town has always been under Nightingale's supervision, plus it has a simple
population composition, so all the crimes here are instantly cracked, which led to
my neglect of this matter. Although Rene didn't say so, he might think that my
request of a verdict on verified evidence is too demanding.

But no matter what, I won't allow the using of scapegoats in my territory."

"I see. From tomorrow on, the Security Bureau will take over this case, and all you
need to do is to cooperate."

"Yes. Thank you, Your Highness," Rene said joyfully.

...

After the banquet, Roland returned to his study on the top floor of the castle. The
interior of the study looked very different now�the book shelves around the walls
were all torn down, and a soft couch, a tea table, and cushions were added. Behind
the desk, the wall was knocked open, and two French windows were installed.
Although they were not made of crystal glass, they greatly expanded the view of the
room. Through the slightly tinted glass, Roland overlooked Stronghold, enveloped in
darkness, and nodded with satisfaction.

It seems Petrov followed my orders with great care, which means my choosing him as
my deputy was a wise decision.

"How do you plan to handle this?" Nightingale emerged from the Mist sitting on the
desk with her legs crossed.

"I'm not planning to handle it at all." The prince smiled, shaking his head. "Now
that all the nobles have returned to Longsong, tomorrow the primary work is to have
them establish the secondary City Hall, divide them into departments, and place
some people in charge. The sooner the structure is established, the earlier Soraya
can draw identification cards. You'll be the one in charge of fighting crimes."

"Me?"

"You're the head of the Security Bureau, so it's totally up to you to decide how to
solve a case... The whole police department of the City of Neverwinter is in your
command; both Vader and Rene are your subordinates."

"But didn't you always say that the authority of the departments should be
separated, and administrative status should be equal?" Nightingale felt bewildered.
"I don't understand how the City Hall operates, but this arrangement seems to put
the Security Bureau above the City Hall."

"Territorial security is top priority, which is exactly why you report directly to
me," Roland said affirmatively. "Not only for the police department, but all the
examination work for the City Hall and the army will be carried out by you. Indeed,
each department should be separated and not interfere with one another, but there
needs a web that binds them together and stops power abuse and corruption. It'll
prevent the collapse of the new system from within. You must have heard the saying:
the firmest defense collapses from within." He paused for a while, looking into
Nightingale's eyes. "You're the most powerful shield to prevent all these things
from happening. Now, both my personal safety and the security of the territory are
in your hands."

."

Chapter 488: The Breeding Ground for Evil

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"We're going to catch all the criminals and stop them from perpetrating in the City
of Neverwinter!"

Nightingale held onto Summer's shoulder and said loudly.

"Uh, yes... Lady Nightingale." Summer then shrank back. "But it's time to go to
sleep�"

"It's still early. Let's talk about the countermeasures for tomorrow." Her eyes
were sparkling. "No one can escape our hunting, not even the most cunning Rat!
Right, you can call me sister instead."

"Yes... Sister Nightingale."

Oh, my God, Summer did not understand, why as an ordinary townsman, she had to
catch criminals. Wasn't it the patrol party's job? Plus, Lady Nightingale� no,
Sister Nightingale had been so excited since she had returned from the prince's
office. She had been saying "catching criminals" over and over again.

"She's really a witch who hates evils as she does her own enemies." Summer said to
herself. "But can I really help her?"

As Summer thought about this, she asked cautiously. "What shall we do? I've never
caught a criminal."

"It's my job to catch the criminals," Nightingale patted her chest proudly and
said, "And, you only need to rebuild the crime scene to show us who the murder
was!"

"You mean the exact moment of the killing?" Summer hesitated and continued, "But,
how can I know when exactly the killer did it?"

"Uh..." Nightingale paused. "You're right. How often can you use your ability?"
"I practiced with Sister Wendy for a week and four times is the limit now, I think
that's the best I can do," Summer said with frustration. "My magic power is very
limited and if the illusion lasts a little longer, the number of uses will
decrease. Besides, I cannot rebuild a scene from two days earlier, otherwise, the
magic power will run out very fast."

"How long can the illusion last?"

"Half, half a quarter."

"Um... that's rather short." Nightingale paced to and fro at the bedside. "It'll be
troublesome if the flashback doesn't reveal the criminal." She meditated for a few
minutes. "If you reduce the lasting time of each illusion, can you try a few more
times?"

"Maybe I can, but I'm not sure," Summer murmured, "Sister Wendy told me if I could
control the magic power accurately, I would be able to control the length of time.
But every time I summon my power, I always feel the magic waning quickly."

"It's such a pity Countess Spear isn't here," Nightingale said with a regretful
look. "Anyway, let's deduce a time and take a chance."

"Take, take a chance?"

"Yes!" Nightingale said, laughing. "I'm always pretty lucky; otherwise, I wouldn't
ever have met Prince Roland." She suddenly became sad at these words. "... if only
it could have been a few days earlier."

"How could that be considered as lucky?" Summer shouted in her mind. "Anyway, luck
is unreliable! My ability won't work even a few hours later, let alone days. Can we
really catch criminals tomorrow?"

"Well, now go to sleep." Nightingale blew out the candles and darkness soon
enveloped the room.

"Uh-uh." Summer answered and climbed onto the big bed. The soft bedding covered her
immediately.

"God, this is the bed of a noble? It's too comfortable." Summer buried her head
into the clean pillow and felt her body sinking into the bed. She stretched her
body and quickly started to fall asleep.

Do all the witches in the castle sleep with such comfortable bedding? If I slept on
such a bed, I wouldn't ever feel like getting up again.

She could hear Nightingale mumbling while she was trying to fall asleep.

"I'm his shield..."

And then Summer fell asleep.

...

Early the next morning, she was woken up by Nightingale.

"Hurry up. We ought to go," Nightingale said energetically.

"Yes..."
Summer struggled to get off the bed, put on her coat, and went downstairs with
Nightingale. In the lobby, there was a tall man with brown hair pacing back and
forth. When he saw them, he stepped forward and said with a bow, "Good morning. I'm
Rene Medde, the Earl of the Elk Family. I've been waiting for you, you must be Lady
Nightingale, and this is..."

"Summer, she's my assistant." Nightingale raised her head a little. " She's a
witch, too."

"Is that so?" He looked a little surprised but quickly nodded at Summer. "That's
great. The criminals will have nowhere to go if I get your help."

"Where is your staff?"

"They're all waiting outside the castle."

"Very well. Ask them to wait a little while longer, I haven't had my breakfast
yet."

"Of course, please take your time."

Summer fixed her eyes on them until Nightingale turned into the dining room. She
hurried to follow at her heels. "God, is this Sister Nightingale? She hadn't seen
Sister Nightingale so dignified and serious�No, not exactly. She's so supercilious
as if she were a noble."

That's definitely not something to be expected from a civilian.

Besides, the man is an Earl. In Valencia, the young Earl would be the perfect lover
in every woman's eyes. If I were Sister Nightingale, I'd be too nervous to say a
word. But Sister Nightingale seemed not care about this and kept him waiting for
her.

"Is this all right?" Summer asked with concerns.

"Take it easy. His Highness told me that a noble is just a title in his territory
and even the Earl won't devour you." Nightingale smiled. "Besides, Security Bureau
is superior to the City Hall and I'm his boss. Why can't I make him wait for me?"

Summer felt the woman was suddenly beyond her reach.

After breakfast, they left the castle to investigate the scene of the murder. Last
night, another victim died at home. This time, however, it was on the corner of
North Street and West Street.

"It is the fourth one." Nightingale frowned. "And the murderer is moving to the
west."

"It shows the killer realized the propagating effect of committing crimes only in a
specific block was unsatisfactory," Rene nodded. "After all, the Rats' organization
no longer exists."

Walking not too far down a muddy alley, the leading police officer stopped at a
tumble-down cabin. "Sir, it's here."

Summer walked into the cabin after Nightingale and her heart skipped a beat.

A man was lying on the floor with his neck cut open and his vital fluid everywhere.
There was a crossed crown on the wall facing the door and the heavy, metallic smell
of blood filled the room.

"Ugh..." She had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from throwing up.

Chapter 489: Tracking down the Criminal

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Is this the first time you�ve witnessed a scene like this?" Rene came up to her,
looking quite concerned. "Perhaps it'll be better if you go outside and get some
fresh air."

"No. No, thanks." Seeing Nightingale squatting by the body examining the wounds,
Summer declined the offer. If Nightingale was still able to keep her composure at
such a horrible crime scene... she must also stay here. Summer continued, "I, uh,
feel much better now."

"When was he found?" Nightingale turned questioning.

"Early this morning. The residents nearby found his body when they went to draw
water. It was before sunrise. The door was left wide open as it is now, as if the
killer wanted to announce the death to the whole community." Rene answered. "In the
past, it would take two or three days for us to hear about something like this. The
City Hall has been offering rewards for information, so it was reported sooner."

"Do you know the victim's identity?"

"Shovel, freeman." Rene glanced about the room. "Nothing valuable has been found.
Um... it looks like he used to be a Rat, too."

"Did anyone see him last night?"

"I checked. Nobody."

"Any noises heard?"

"None."

"It doesn't sound right; a strong man like him?" Nightingale frowned. "Even if his
throat was slit, he wouldn't die immediately. Someone should have heard him
struggling for life or banging on the floor. Are you sure they weren�t lying?"

"I don't think so," Rene replied hesitantly. "The murder has sparked panic among
the community. Plus, the residents get rewards for assisting the police. They
shouldn't have any reason to lie."

"Well, bring them here. I'll interview them myself. And, Summer?" Nightingale
looked toward her assistant.

"Yes?" Summer responded with a shiver.

"Go to the castle and bring Soraya here."

"Uh, sure."

Summer staggered out and ran toward the castle.

Somehow, she found the way in which Nightingale gave commands utterly beautiful.
Everything about her character demonstrated great confidence. No wonder His
Highness trusted her with the Security Bureau.

...

When Summer came back, there were another two people following her.

"Why didn't His Highness ask me to deal with such matters?" Lightning flew into the
room, exclaiming. "He's unfair!"

"Coo, coo!" Maggie rejoined.

"I couldn�t stop them," Summer said timidly.

"Shouldn't you protect Prince Roland while I'm away?" Nightingale's brows went up a
fraction of an inch. "This isn't an adventure game!"

"Relax. Sylvie�s there, nobody can easily approach His Highness," Lightning winked.
"Besides, His Highness is going to call a meeting with the nobles and there�ll be
no danger in the castle hall."

"How incredible..." thought Summer. How could these two girls act so airily at such
a horrendous crime scene? Especially Lightning. She was several years younger, and
her eyes were sparkling with excitement. What on earth had they been through since
becoming witches?

"Who are these?" Rene and the other policemen stared at the girl and the bird, eyes
wide open.

"They're witches." Nightingale grumbled. "Anyway, you ought to get back to the
castle before the end of the meeting. Got it?"

"Aw..." Lightning pouted.

"Um, you wanted me to draw the body?" Soraya was the last to enter the room. Summer
felt slightly relieved when she noticed Soraya looking as ghastly pale as herself.

"Not the body, the murderer." Nightingale closed the door and disclosed the plan.
"Once we've got a picture of the killer, we'll post it on the bulletin boards at
the square and offer cash rewards to people who provide tips. This should be the
fastest way to find him."

The Earl of the Elk Family gasped. "You mean the witch here, Miss Summer, can
reconstruct the crime scene?"

"It depends. She can maintain the illusion for only a limited period of time, so we
also need a bit of luck. You'll see." Nightingale gave Summer a nod of approval.
"Go ahead."

"Okay." Summer shut her eyes and traced time back to somewhere between midnight and
dawn as Nightingale instructed. In the darkness, her magic power streamed from the
tips of her fingers and intertwined, gradually forming a clear image. Slowly, some
wooden planks, a bed, a table and a room took shape. A house was constructed in her
mind. The victim was lying on the floor, his blood running onto the bumpy ground.
The previously locked door was pushed open.

"Is this the witch's power?"

"It's unbelievable!"

"Gracious! The illusion is so lifelike. It's almost like the demons' power."

"Hush! Shut up!"

The surrounding police hushed to a whisper.

"It seems he's already dead." Nightingale patted Summer on her shoulder. "Don't
waste your magic power. Switch to another time point."

The second time, Summer traced the event back to somewhere close to midnight. The
figure on the floor disappeared abruptly, and the victim was lying in bed,
appearing to be in deep slumber.

"Does this mean he was killed between the two periods of time?" Rene asked in
bewilderment.

"Correct. The killer took action between midnight and three o'clock this morning.

"I got it! Miss Summer's power doesn't last long, and we're likely to miss the
exact moment the murderer was committing the crime. That's why you said we needed a
bit of luck!"

"Precisely," said Nightingale. "It likely took a long time for the murderer to
leave these marks after he finished the business. Summer, you just start from
somewhere close to three o'clock."

Summer nodded and heaved a heavy breath. She summoned her power again and set the
time between two and three. The magic power swarmed toward the wall and revealed a
stranger standing at the bedside. He was drawing something on the wall with the
bloodstained sheet.

"It looks like we've found him." Nightingale smiled. "Lucky indeed."

"So this man is the killer, coo?"

"He looks like nothing special... I thought it would at least be someone stout and
strong." Lightning remarked in disappointment.

"I can only draw a side face from this angle." Soraya looked at the murderer from
the wall. "Is there any way to turn him around?"

"Summer, I'll leave it to you." Nightingale instructed.

"Alright." Without further explanation from Nightingale, Summer knew what to do.
She pushed the time of the last illusion a quarter backward. This time, everyone
saw clearly what the murderer looked like. He first strangled Shovel to death with
a rope, dragged him to the floor and then slit his throat with a dagger. During the
whole process, Shovel was sleeping like a log without any signs of struggling.

It suddenly struck Rene when he turned and noticed a water tank in the corner of
the room. "Did he drink Dreamland Water?"

"It looks like it." Nightingale nodded. "That's why there was no noise. The killer
slit his throat just to obtain some blood. The victim had already been dead."

"My, my lord! I've seen this man before!" said a police officer suddenly.
"What?" Both Nightingale and Rene rested their eyes on him.

The police officer paused a moment before continuing. "His name is Maans, and he
used to be a patroller. I've dealt with him before."

"Do you know where he lives?" Rene pursued.

"I remember he lives in the inner city... West Street, near the Sheep Tavern."

"Very well. We don't even need to search him out. It appears God is on our side."
Nightingale scoffed. "He can't get away with it. Let's go!"

"Yes, my lord!" The police shouted in unison.

Chapter 490: The Real Target

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Upon arriving at the Sheep Tavern, the group promptly obtained Maans' address
through enquiry.

"I'll go in first to take a look. You guys enter from the front door afterwards.
Summer, keep an eye on Lightning and Maggie. Don't let them in." Nightingale
entered her Mist and vanished after delivering the order. In her world of black and
white, the lines that constructed everything started to twist and distort. She soon
located a crack invisible to the naked eye and glided through the wall
effortlessly.

The man's abode was as humble as Shovel's. It appeared that Maans had been
destitute since losing his job as a patroller. She could see clearly so she knew
that there was no God's Stone of Retaliation in the vicinity. Nightingale soon
spotted her target in the bedroom. The man was sound asleep beneath the blanket.
His coat hung at the bedside with blood smears still on its sleeves.

Nightingale returned to the drawing room to open the door. The police swarmed in.
They pushed Maans, who had just woken up with a start, back on the bed and tied him
up.

"Who are you? Let me go!" He yelled with horror.

"You're under arrest for murders!" Rene silenced him with two loud slaps. "How dare
you plot against His Highness. It'd be merciful even to have you hanged at the city
gate!"

"No, I, I didn't..."

"You didn't!?" The slaps turned into punches. After a few muffled sounds, Maans
gasped in pain, his mouth full of blood and his front tooth falling out. "We saw
you murder Shovel last night. Do you think we'll believe your cunning excuses? You
used Dreamland Water to knock him out. Then, you strangled him to death before
cutting his throat to avoid getting blood on you. That was pretty smart, eh?"

Maans did not say a word, but his eyes were filled with shock and terror.

"Who gave you the order to kill Rats applying for jobs? Who instructed you to draw
a crossed crown with blood at the crime scene?" Nightingale picked up a glass
bottle from the night stand, it was filled halfway with light blue liquid.
"Dreamland Water isn't cheap, and it isn't easy to get a hold of it now that the
gangs have been eradicated."

"I..."

"We might exempt you from death penalties if you spit all out." Rene clasped his
hands. "Otherwise, I'll make you fully understand the consequences of infuriating a
noble."

Nightingale did not stop his threat, even though she knew the Earl of the Elk
Family was lying. Like His Highness had said, security was the top priority, and
anyone who posed a threat to it should be punished severely.

Maans hesitated, more punches landed on him.

The knight, who had received professional combat training, hit him between the
abdomen and the ribs with just the right amount of strength to inflict excruciating
pain, but not enough to cause death.

"Mercy! Mercy! I'm sorry, my lord! It was a guy from the inner city, he told me to
do it! He'll pay me four gold royals for each person I kill. He said by doing this,
people will nurse a grudge against the police and think those black uniform guys
are incapable of protecting the public. In this way, we can reassemble the patrol
party!"

Maans collapsed. He was not a strong-minded person. A person who stood firm in his
spirit would never choose to be a patroller and benefit himself through robbery and
pillage, and certainly would not take four lives for just a few gold royals.
Nightingale believed he had probably never expected to be tracked down by the
Ministry of Justice so soon after committing the crime, and definitely never
thought he would be found out in a city of 20,000 people in merely four days.

Maans confessed everything tearfully, smearing blood and snot all over his collar.

"I don't know how he found me. Our first meeting was at a tavern. He handed me that
bottle of Dreamland Water and told me as long as I did what he asked me to, I would
get a big chunk of money. I didn't have any savings at the time, and the police had
rejected my application. I was feeling bitter and resentful. So, I agreed."

"The police department will never hire a scumbag like you." Rene coughed out a
spit.

"Do you know the man's name and identity?" Nightingale questioned.

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I really don't know!"

Nightingale looked toward Rene who immediately took the hint and delivered a few
more punches. "The lady here is a witch. She can tell whether you're lying or not.
It's indeed very stupid of you to lie in front of her! Don't test our patience!"

"No, my lord, I'm just... just not sure." Maans cried in his shrill voice. "Because
he has never told me his name or identity!"

"What did you mean by 'not sure'?"

"I've also wondered why he pays so generously, as he doesn't look like a noble at
all. When we met a couple of days ago, I could tell he was in a hurry and his
attire looked a little weird too, like he layered one coat on top of another."
Maans panted. "But he seemed to wear a uniform inside, and I also saw an emblem
shaped like a petal on his collar."

"An emblem of a petal?" Nightingale and Rene exchanged a look. "Isn't that the
emblem of the Honeysuckle Family?"

"That's why I'm not sure. Everybody knows the Hulls are the lord's supporters, and
they would never plot against Lord Wimbledon." Maans said, hanging his head.

"It can't be Petrov, it must be someone else," Rene said firmly. "Since they meet
each other on a daily basis, why not set up a trap to catch the guy?"

This appeared to be the only feasible way. They would arrest the man when Maans met
with him and "asked for compensation". By then, everything would be cleared up.
Nightingale nodded, but still felt something was missing.

Maans wasn't lying, and what he said was all true. What had gone wrong?

"Nightingale, are you guys alright?" Lightning shouted from outside.

"They�ve almost finished the meeting, coo. We have to head back now, coo!"

Nightingale had asked Lightning, Maggie and Summer to wait outside because of the
violence that might have occurred during the arrest. A flash crossed her mind when
she heard the word "meeting" from Maggie. His Highness was now in a meeting with
the nobles, discussing the details of founding a new City Hall!

This meant there was not a single guard with the prince to protect him, and the
closest one would be outside the hall.

If this person was really a member of the Honeysuckle Family, he could go straight
into the castle and enter the hall on the first floor without raising any
suspicion, though he would be forbidden to access the second and third floors,
which were exclusive to His Highness. Yet she happened to be away from Prince
Roland at this very moment!

"Lightning!" Nightingale had no time to explain to Rene and Maans, she dashed out
of the room and grasped Lightning's shoulders, yelling, "Take me back to the castle
now! His Highness might be in danger!"

"Huh? OK... Hold on tight." Lightning was very surprised, but she carried
Nightingale on her back at once. She did not raise any unnecessary questions and
flew straight toward the castle. When she was loaded, she flew much lower but still
maintained a speed around 100 kilometers an hour. It would take her only half a
minute to reach the destination.

Nightingale hoped she was wrong, but felt her terror grow as she further examined
the details. The murders started three days ago, which was exactly when Petrov's
letter for help arrived at the Border Area. If this man's real purpose was to
distract everybody with several murder cases and put Roland in a defenseless and
vulnerable position, it would be the worst-case scenario.

When they were close to the castle, Nightingale stepped into the Mist and entered
the hall from the air. Her heart sank when she saw the meeting room in chaos. The
nobles seemed to be petrified and were all standing by the wall murmuring. The
guards were blocking off the scene. The host seat at the end of the long table,
where Prince Roland should have been, was vacant. A man was lying on the floor.
Nightingale could not tell whether he was alive or not, but could see his body was
covered by the black curtain created by the God's Stone of Retaliation.

Chapter 491: An Assassination Story

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

For a moment, Nightingale felt as if the entire world trembled.

As she walked out of the Mist, the scene before her eyes regained its usual color.
The darkness created by the magic stone also began to dissipate, allowing her heart
to stop beating frantically. The man lying on the ground was not Roland, but a
guard whom Nightingale had never seen before. He was wearing the standard uniform
of the Honeysuckle Family, and on his chest was a dark red mark which looked like a
gunshot wound.

"Why are you here?" She heard a familiar voice cry out from beside her.

She turned her head and realized that the person speaking was Roland himself. He
was surrounded by layers of bodyguards at one corner of the hall, which explained
why Nightingale did not notice him when she rushed in.

"I..." As Nightingale opened her mouth, she realized that her throat was terribly
hoarse, while her limbs were cold and numb. Her body felt so feeble that it was as
if she had just narrowly survived a disaster. All that she desired to do at that
moment was to hug Roland tightly, but she knew that she could not do so as there
were other nobles around. Therefore, if she truly wanted to lead the Security
Bureau and protect this territory, she had to avoid acting overly intimate with
Roland.

Although her brain forbade her from doing so, she entered into the Mist and walked
up to Roland, cutting through the lines of guards. Then, she hugged him with all of
her remaining strength.

At once, gasps were heard from the crowd. The onlookers apparently could not
understand why a witch appeared out of nowhere and disappeared without saying
anything.

In the Mist, Nightingale held on to the prince with both arms. She tucked her head
against his chest and listened attentively to his heartbeat. Perhaps, this was the
only way to confirm that it was all just a false alarm.

Roland also began to sense what was going on. He clapped his hands and announced,
"Everyone shall proceed to the dining hall for lunch first. No one is to leave the
castle in the meantime. We'll resume the meeting in the afternoon!"

When only his guards, as well as Petrov, Sylvie and Lightning were left in the
hall, Roland asked, "Does the murderer have anything to do with this assassination
attempt?"

When she heard Roland's voice speaking to herself, Nightingale began to calm down
gradually. She took a few steps back reluctantly and revealed herself once again,
pretending that she did not move towards the prince at all, and replied, "Indeed.
When I found out that the person directing the criminal was a guard of the
Honeysuckle Family, I immediately rushed here." She then explained her findings and
Maans' confession. "I couldn't tell that the real purpose was to divert our
attention in order to create an opportunity to lay hands on you... thankfully,
you're safe."
"His plan worked until the last step, and he accurately calculated the time that I
would arrive, as well as predicted the witches' movements." Roland gave a sigh.
"This person is wasted as an assassin."

Petrov immediately knelt down on one knee and said, "Your Highness, I really didn't
know that he's..."

"Stand up. You've said this before, and you know I don't like to punish people."
Roland interjected. "But it was no doubt that due to your negligence of duty, there
were agents among the castle servants and the outer guard."

"I..." Petrov opened his mouth to speak, and then lowered his head. "I'm guilty."

"Find out the identity and background of the assassin. I want to know as soon as
possible."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After the eldest son of the Honeysuckle Family took his leave, Nightingale enquired
about her worries. "How was the situation like?"

"Threatening but not dangerous," Roland replied, laughing. "Thanks to Sylvie's

warning... but then again, the assassin was already at a disadvantage when he chose
to do it in the meeting hall."

After listening to the prince's account, Nightingale began to understand how the
attempt took place�but in reality, it was not as easy as Roland put it. Though
weapons were not permitted to bring into the hall, the assassin had concealed a
dagger under his clothes, and because he was a castle guard, no one conducted a
body check on him before he was allowed in.

The assassin's only error was to carry a God's Stone of Retaliation. It was common
for the outer guards to adorn magic stones, but in the hall, it appeared
particularly prominent�in order not to distract Sylvie, all of the nobles would
comply with the request to take off their adornments. Hence, Sylvie noticed the
assassin the moment she saw the black cavity, and when he moved towards the prince,
she immediately issued a warning.

Although Roland described the following scene as simple, Nightingale broke into a
cold sweat as she listened to his story. The hall was approximately 20 meters in
length and width, and when the assassin heard the warning, he picked up speed and
charged towards the main seat of the long table, where his target was sitting. By
the time the prince pulled out his revolver and opened its safety lock, the
assassin had already struck him on his lower back with the dagger. As someone who
had undergone assassination training, Nightingale naturally understood that
compared to the chest and head, which a person would protect subconsciously, the
waist area was very difficult to protect, and the severe pain that could be
inflicted by a single strike might cause the target to lose his ability to resist,
enabling the assassin to easily go for the vital blood vessels in the neck next.

Luckily, Roland was wearing the protective clothing that Soraya specially made for
him. The dagger failed to penetrate its coating and thereby could not prevent
Roland's subsequent defensive action. He opened fire at the assassin while the gun
was literally pressing on the assassin's chest. The two 12mm caliber bullets fired
immediately killed the assassin, causing a loud booming sound which led to a huge
commotion in the hall.

Nightingale could clearly visualize just how risky this sequence of events was. If
His Highness did not manage to open the safety lock in time, or the gun failed to
fire off, the consequence would have been unimaginable... Nightingale turned her
head and cast a glance at Lightning, who immediately dropped her head as though to
acknowledge her mistake.

"Your Highness, we've figured it out," Petrov re-entered the hall and said. "His
name's Shio. He's not a native of the Western Region, but was formerly one of Duke
Ryan's castle guards."

"Duke Ryan?" Roland frowned. "Why did you choose someone like that to be your
guard?"

"He's just an ordinary guard. At that time, every family lost a lot of manpower,
and thus I brought in those who weren't so attached to the Duke. This is how it's
usually done in Stronghold..." Petrov answered cautiously. "I believe that it's
unlikely that he committed this attempt as revenge for the Duke."

"He's not lying," Nightingale thought. "When a large family fell, apart from the
subordinates who were given land and title, the remaining people were perceived by
the other families as resources that can be divided. To them, it's simply a change
of owner. Because the Honeysuckle Family had long surrendered to His Highness, plus
the fact that Stronghold was always managed by Petrov, this portion of people was
never examined."

"How many men with a similar background are there?" Roland asked. "Did you also
hire men from the Wild Rose, Maple and Wolf families?"

"There're only three or four of them in the outer guard," Petrov replied, nodding
his head. "The servants, citizens and serfs from the other three families were
assigned to the Honeysuckle and Elk families. I guarantee that they won't appear in
Stronghold."

"Okay, then I shall not concern myself with them. But remember, in the castle area,
even the men of the perimeter garrison must be chosen from your family, understood?
As for the inner castle, I'll arrange them myself."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Meanwhile, seal off Shio's residence. I'll find out the real reason behind his
attempt." Roland then turned to look at Lightning. "Inform Maggie to fetch Countess
Spear here."

Chapter 492: Reality & Illusion

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

As she followed Roland back to his office, Nightingale muttered to him, "I failed
to protect you..."

"No, you did well," Roland responded, shaking his head. "Think, why did the
assassin, Shio, choose the meeting hall of all places? Because he knew that I'm
being protected by an extremely powerful witch, and if he didn't trick her away, he
wouldn't have a chance. The more arrangements he had to make, the weaker his attack
became, and he was ultimately able to strike me with only a tiny dagger."

"But he nearly succeeded."

"It can't be considered a success without killing me right there, and your presence
served to restrict this possibility."
didn't have you? He would have waited
attack�there would be chances as long
that you've already protected me very
the safer I am as well."
Roland laughed. "What would he have done if I
patiently for a chance to launch a fatal
as he could remain in the castle. This shows
well. In fact, the safer the territory is,

"These aren't empty words of consolation..." Nightingale mused. "His Highness seems
to really believe so." She felt a warm surge run through her body, and the nagging
feelings of remorse allayed considerably. "Understood. But you mustn't let
Lightning and Maggie off the hook this time!"

"Uh, what did they do?"

"When I wasn't around, they should have been by your side to guard against lurking
enemies!" Nightingale pointed out. "Like in today's situation, the assassin
wouldn't have been able to hurt you at all if Lightning was there to fly you up."

"She's just a little more active..."

"That won't do! Wendy and Scroll will definitely agree with me if they're around.
If we don't let Lightning and Maggie understand their mistake, things may go wrong
the next time when something like this happens!"

"Oh..." The prince deliberated briefly while stroking his chin. "I got it. I'll
punish them by forbidding them to go outside until they complete three sets of MPC
(Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry) comprehensive exercises. How does that sound?"

Nightingale inhaled a mouthful of cold air. "Comprehensive exercises... the math

section is still okay, but the physics and chemistry sections are even scarier than
the basic natural principles. Just the first page alone can make you sleepy,
especially those weird formulas and diagrams, which are no different from the
incantations in the legends." If it was herself who had to do the exercises, she
would likely never be able to go out ever again. Yet, she was the one who came up
with the suggestion and thus she felt that it was inappropriate to take it all
back. Hardening her heart, she nodded at Roland and affirmed. "Great. This way,
they'll surely recognize their mistake."

...

The afternoon meeting proceeded smoothly, with Nightingale staying behind and
guarding Roland until it was dusk. The general framework and first batch of
candidates for the secondary City Hall were finally confirmed.

Petrov Hull was appointed as Chief Executive of the Longsong Region. Apart from
overseeing the City Hall, he was also concurrently Minister of Finance, while his
father, Earl Hull, served as Minister of Construction. Therefore, Petrov could be
considered one of the biggest winners among the Stronghold nobles this time. Even
Nightingale gasped silently at this decision. Indeed, His Highness did not place
the blame for the assassination attempt on the Honeysuckle Family�by the lords'
standards, this could be considered to be a wonderful expression of fairness and
clemency.

The other ministries were to be helmed by several outstanding people from the lower
nobles. These people were formerly barons or knights, who would normally not be
qualified for the higher levels of government. They were highly touched by His
Highness' decision to remove the restrictive criteria and thereby expressed their
willingness to serve him for life.

Although they sounded sincere, Nightingale had no doubt that should the situation
ever change, such as if Timothy or the church captured the Western Region, there
was a high chance that these people would quickly forget about their vows.

Before the meeting was dismissed, His Highness repeatedly emphasized two employment
principles�the manpower of each family could be used within the ministries, but the
proportion must not exceed 30 percent, and their files had to be reported to the
City Hall beforehand. Another point was that no matter whether family manpower was
used or not, the salaries of all employees would be paid by the City Hall, and any
ministry head who kept the money would be harshly punished as criminals.

Nightingale was completely uninterested in these details, and thus she yawned
repeatedly as she listened, until she caught sight of Maggie flying back into the
castle with Countess Spear on her back, and her spirits lifted at once.

After the dinner party, a line of people followed Earl of the Elk Family to Shio's
residence�it was a regular bungalow located in the castle quarter, and the inside
of the house was extremely clean, such that not a single shred of paper could be
found. Apparently, Shio was well-prepared and had destroyed all possible evidence
before he acted.

"Shio spent his days in the castle, and thus we only need to reconstruct what he
did at night." The prince advised Summer. "I'll need to find out everything he did
here from the first time he contacted patrol member Maans until today. Every
segment of activity in this house is important."

Countess Spear summoned her magic power to connect Maggie and Summer together.

Obtaining an abundant amount of magic power temporarily, Summer began to recreate

the details of each night. Shio seemed to come back to life. He would sometimes sit
in deep thought by the fireplace, and sometimes write things down on paper. All of
these segments were recorded by Soraya's eyes.

On the fourth day, he sat as usual by the fireplace, but this time he had an emblem
in his hands.

"Wait... I think I've seen this thing before." Roland's voice sounded surprised.
"Draw it for me."

By using a Magic Pen, the emblem was quickly drawn on paper. It was roughly the
size of a thumb, and its body was a gem that was polished into the shape of a
button. Identical logos, comprising of a tower and a spear, were engraved on both
sides�this was the typical emblem of the royal family.

"Could he be Timothy's man?" Nightingale asked unconsciously.

Roland frowned without saying a word, and seemed to ponder for a long while before
he shook his head faintly and said, "No, this is the keepsake of King Wimbledon
III."

"Are you saying... your father?" Rene looked completely astonished.

"Wasn't the king already.... by the eldest prince, Gerald..." Petrov was equally
shocked.

"When I was little, I saw this emblem on my father's study desk and even asked him
what it was. He told me that every piece of gem represented a warrior who was loyal
to the royal family, and therefore the more gems there were, the more stable the
throne was." The prince then took a deep sigh. "By the looks of it, Shio was a pawn
placed by my father by Duke Ryan's side, and helped him to monitor the development
and trend of the entire Western Region."

"If so, why did he want to kill you?" Rene asked.

"Most likely, Timothy found the gem list and ordered the assassination... to these
warriors, the emblem means everything, and hence any and every order must be
carried out."

"That's why..." Nightingale glanced at the illusion of the assassin�he observed the
emblem for a long time and eventually tossed the gem into the fireplace. His
expression seemed a little sad, and at the same time, he revealed a hint of relief
on his face. Probably, in Shio's eyes, the order represented a kind of freedom.

Having understood clearly the reason for the attempt, Roland did not seem relieved
nevertheless. With a grim face, he stared at the sparks in the fireplace and did
not shift his gaze for a long time.

...

Late at night, after Summer had fallen asleep, Nightingale quietly snuck into
Roland's room.

Ever since she was admonished by Wendy, she had not done this again, until now. The
assassination attempt had caused a constant undulation of her emotions, and without
the presence of Wendy and Anna in the castle, she felt a little more unfettered and
free.

Watching Roland Wimbledon in his deep sleep, she emerged from the Mist and quietly
walked up to the bedside. She bent down and kissed Roland on the forehead.

Sorry, Your Highness, I can't control myself.

Chapter 493: The Gem Mine

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland rolled out of his bed under the glare of daylight.

He put on his coat and walked to the window. The snow covering the buildings
outside had partially melted to reveal some areas of red roofs and gray walls,
which brought both colors and vitality to the landscape. Inside the room, it was
still cold, but if you faced the sunlight, you could also feel a little bit of
warmth.

The snow had begun to melt.

He stepped into his office and saw his breakfast arranged neatly on his desk. As
usual, there was a fried egg, two pancakes, and a cup of warm water. Nightingale
had prepared it for him just like always.

"Thanks," Roland said to the empty couch.

"How do you know I'm here?" Nightingale said from the couch as she gradually
revealed herself.

"You'll never sit if you get the chance to lie down." He smiled and then put the
egg between the pancakes and raised it up to his mouth. "Besides, the couch was
sinking where you are sitting. How could I not know?"
"No, I like sitting, too." She dashed to the desk and perched herself on the edge
of it "Like sitting here," she added.

Roland would never get tired of seeing her graceful, airy movements, especially the
amazing ones she made when she quickly stepped in and out of her Mist.

"You look good. Did you have any nice dreams?"

"Uh-huh, Indeed, I had a very a nice dream," she answered while raising her eyebrow
a little.

"Good." Roland hurriedly ate his egg and pancake "hamburger" and continued, "Today,
you ought to follow me."

"Because of the assassin?"

"Yes," he replied, "If Timothy gave orders to those on the gem list, perhaps there
are still other assassins in the Western Region. However, it's impossible for us to
check every single person." He felt it was a shame that people so brave and smart
and so loyal to the royal family were employed as assassins. People as capable as
they should be placed on more promising positions. With this in mind, Roland became
even more resolute to eliminate Timothy's influence as soon as possible.

"As you wish, Your Highness." Nightingale said with a smile, "Where are we going?

"The mine and the salt well. That's one of the reasons I came to Stronghold."

...

Having summoned Petrov and other relevant personnel in the castle, the exploration
group proceeded to the suburb of the city.

Roland actually cared more about the iron mines of the Maple Leaf and Wild Rose
families, but he still made the gem mine his first stop on the investigative tour,
given that gem trade was the primary industry of Longsong Stronghold, and the gem
mine was the closest one.

The road leading to the mine became spongy and muddy because of the melting snow,
making it impossible to access with a carriage. Therefore, the group rode horses
and moved very carefully and slowly. It took them almost the whole morning to get
to the edge of the Impassable Mountain Range. This experience strengthened Roland's
belief in the saying that "a good road is an access to wealth". Without a hard-
surfaced road to the mine, raising its output would be meaningless since any
inclement weather could easily hamper transportation of the ore.

They went through a narrow passage and walked into the spacious mine cave, where
the mineral vein lay. While 100 torches lined the cave, they could barely light the
space inside it. Roland looked around and asked, "Is this a natural cave?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Petrov nodded and continued, "It was found by accident. It
used to be a smooth rock wall, but about 300 years ago, it collapsed during an
earthquake and revealed this cave. At first, it was only used by local hunters
taking shelter from the rain in the entrance, but eventually, they ventured deeper
into the cave, and they found these colorful stones."

"You know its history very well," Roland said with a smile.

"These stories are known to every household in the Western Region." Petrov waved
his hands to beckon to a man and introduced him to Roland. "This is Denver Crain,
the manager of the mine. He will know much more than I about the details of the
cave."

"You're Duke Ryan's man?"

"No, Your Highness. The Crains doesn't belong to any lord," replied the man called
Denver. He looked as if he was in his early thirties, but he spoke like a composed
older man. "We've lived near this mine for generations and my ancestor was one of
the hunters who found this gem mine. We've worked for three Dukes, and the mine
maps my family has drawn could be piled up to the height of a man. No one knows
this place better than the Crains."

He was extremely confident with his knowledge of the mine as he spoke with ease and
fluency even in front of a prince of the Kingdom of Graycastle. His sedate manner
and black uniform reminded Roland of the stewards of aristocratic families in
movies he had seen before.

Due to the fact that everyone had been checked by Nightingale, Roland knew this man
was not a lurker. So he asked "Why is nobody working here right now?"

"It's because the Months of Demons has just ended, Your Highness." Denver answered
automatically, "The snow in the mountains will melt into water and flow down here.
Even though we've built drainage ditches and pools to carry water through the mine,
we can't take the water out as quickly as it flows in. As a result, we won't be
able to get into the mine hole at the bottom. Based on our usual procedures, we
have to wait until summer to resume normal mining."

"Are the iron mines in the territories of the Maple Leaf and Wild Rose families
faced with the same situation now?"

"I've never been there, but I've heard that their iron mines are located in higher
places, and their mine tunnels stretch upwards. I would guess that their situations
may be better, but they'll still have to wait another month before they can mine in
their pits."

"It seems that you may need several steam engines to draw the water out." Roland
shrugged.

"Steam... engine, what's that?" Denver looked confused.

"A machine that enables you to continue your mining job in all seasons." answered
the prince, smiling. "You have a lot to learn about mining."

Denver moved his lips a little in disbelief, but he was able to restrain himself
from refuting Roland's comment.

Roland did not notice Denver's expression. He thought it was only a matter of time
for this mine to be equipped with tram roads, water-drawing steam engines, and a
traction system similar to those widely used in the North Slope Mine of Border
Town. They had already successfully sold out a set to a mining tycoon in Silver
City. Only he had little interest in gems, so he would put his focus on the iron
mines first.

"Okay, we're done here. Let's leave for the next stop now." Roland turned around.

"Wait, Your Highness. The Crains have a little gift for you." Denver, surprised by
the prince's sudden decision, walked fast to catch up with him. He took out a small
wooden box and handed it to him.
"Ah?" Roland took it with interest. He opened the box and saw two glittering gems
inside, reflecting dazzling red and green beams in the light of torches. He was
startled. "Th-they're multicolored stones?"

"Yes, Your Highness. They were picked from the highest quality gemstones and a
treasure kept by my family for hundreds of years," said Denver, with a hand on his
chest. "The Crains are honored to work for the new lord of the Western Region."

Roland was so attracted by the gems that he missed the latter half of the sentence.
They looked very familiar, and even a layman in mining like himself had heard their
names.

They were called diaspores.

???.

Chapter 494: New Resources

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

When diaspore reached the gem class, it gave off a dazzling light due to its high
refractivity and was highly polychromatic. Unlike other gemstones, which changed
from one color to another, it gave off many different colors at the same time, most
noticeably red and green. It was obvious why locals called it the multicolored
stone. Roland did not connect the stone to diaspore when Barov was introducing it,
but he instantly recognized it when he saw it in person.

Also, when diaspore was dehydrated, it would turn into corundum and gem class
corundums were the famous ruby and sapphire. Compared to the former, the latter was
even more renowned.

However, it was not the gemstones themselves that excited him.

"What about the residue dug out from the mine?" the prince asked excitedly as he
closed the wooden box after a long time.

"Are you asking about... the debris from digging the mine tunnels?"

"That's right, and not just rocks, but mud as well. How did you deal with them?"

"They were all carted out and dumped at the bottom of the mountain." Denver seemed
confused about why the prince was interested in this. "Don't worry, Your Highness,
all good quality ores were carefully picked out and the remains were either broken
in the mining process or of poor quality and can't be polished into gemstones.
Moreover, the screening process is done by the most experienced members of my
family. They never miss out good quality ores."

"You're wrong." Roland smiled and shook his head. "Those things you dumped... might
be the real 'treasure'."

"What?" Denver froze in shock, and the other people also seemed confused. None of
them could see the mine residue as treasure.

At the time, Roland find it hard to explain this to them, because in this world
even steelmaking was difficult to imagine, let alone pure aluminum extraction.

Diaspore consisted mainly of aluminum oxide and was a by-product of bauxite and its
discovery suggested that there was probably a large amount of aluminum in this
area. That meant, the mud and rocks dumped by them could be used as raw materials
for aluminum extraction. As the most abundant metal element in the earth, aluminum
was more common than iron and could practically be found everywhere. Lucia could
extract small amounts of aluminum from any rock on the ground, but it was clearly
not efficient enough for industrial needs. Only places that were rich in aluminum
were worth excavating.

This cave in front of him was one of those places.

Roland called Petrov aside and asked quietly, "How has the Crain Family managed
this gem mine in the past 200 years? I mean... how did the past lords pay them?"

"I checked Osmond Ryan's checkbooks, and the payment methods were simple. Every
year, the Crain Family could choose a box of second-tier gemstones as their fee in
a similar manner as weighing grain," explained Petrov. "This box is as long and
wide as one hand and deep as half a hand, and as long as the cover could be closed,
they could take as many gemstones as possible. Of course, the rarest gemstones had
to be given to the lord."

"That means the two gemstones from their family treasure that he just gave me
aren't of the best quality?"

"They really are the best in terms of quality, since he wouldn't dare to deceive
you, but you know that gemstones are always more expensive when they're bigger."

"You've also accepted his gifts, correct?" Roland stared at the eldest son of the
Honeysuckle Family with great interest.

"Um..." Petrov replied awkwardly, "Yes, Your Highness, I'll give them to you as
soon as I get back."

"Keep them, I don't care," said the prince nonchalantly. "I'm just curious about
how we can assure that this payment is accurate. What if the family secretly takes
more gemstones during the excavation? Unless we turned their entire house upside
down, we wouldn't be able to detect it."

"There're people monitoring the transport and filtering each cart of ore, and even
if the Crain Family steals some, they wouldn't make it too obvious�this is a
relationship of checks and balances, since the family is afraid of being punished
by the lord, while the lord can't find other people who know the mine so well."
Petrov paused. "Anyways, if we replace them with our own people, we still can't
ensure that no one will steal."

"I see." Roland nodded. "Then let's continue with this practice. But besides the
multicolored stones, I also want the rocks and mud that they dig up. When we get
back, I'll draft an initial gathering plan for you to follow."

"Your Highness, is the mud... really more valuable than gemstones?"

"It depends on whose hands it falls into," replied the prince.

What's so important about aluminum? It has numerous uses. Having low density and
lasting quality, it plays a vital role in the industrial production and is a
crucial material used in aviation technology. To be honest, aluminum extraction is
extremely difficult now, since the amount of electric power required by the
electrolysis equipment is way beyond the capability of City of Neverwinter, but
Lucia can offer another solution to this problem and may be able to extract some
aluminum first with her ability. Then, weapons that are once impossible in this
time period will become a possibility, such as large airships.

Roland originally planned to focus excavation on the two iron mines, but now it
seemed that he had to adjust his plan.

...

When he returned to the castle after inspecting the two mines and a salt well, the
sky was already pitch black.

After dinner, Roland excitedly took out a pen and paper and began drafting a
utilization plan for the new resources.

First was the steam engine.

It would drastically increase the efficiency of the draining system in the mines,
transportation and brine extraction in salt wells. As the Maple Leaf and Wild Rose
families had fallen, he planned to relocate some experienced workers from the North
Slope Mine and recruit more workers in the Longsong Area, in order for the two new
iron mines to be operated first and their ores could be transported back to the
Border Area for refining. Meanwhile, the gem mine's excavation would have to wait
until Lucia got to Longsong Stronghold to determine the aluminum content in the
mine.

The other focal point was the salt well.

As Roland had predicted, besides using the steam engine to drain water and increase
production, he also lacked the vital step to refine the products into pure white
salt. Since the mineral contents were quite complex, he decided to take a tube of
brine from each well, take them back to the Border Area, and give them to Chief
Alchemist Kyle Sichi to find out the specific refining process. After the process
was obtained, he could set up a factory on the spot to produce table salt on a
large scale.

Of course, the salt industry would be managed exclusively by the City Hall, just
like grains. The Elk and Honeysuckle families' salt wells could receive the City of
Neverwinter's technological support, but the refined salt they produced must be
sold to the City Hall at the set market price, not sold to other buyers in order to
gain profit. If he could obtain large amounts of refined salt at a low price, he
could undoubtedly create a new commercial path for the City of Neverwinter.

Roland believed that this could all become a reality after he defeated Timothy.

Chapter 495: On Top of the Sealine

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

As the Charming Beauty slowly approached the harbor, Tilly walked out to see that
the dock was filled with witches who had come to welcome her.

"Lady Tilly, you're finally back!" Molly rushed up to Tilly first with the help of
the Magic Servant.

"Wow, how sneaky!" Honey complained.

"Yeah, where's Orbit? Open the door so we can go over too!" shouted Shadow.

"Stop it. My ability isn't for you to harass Lady Tilly!"

The crowd immediately erupted into a fit of laughter. Looking at everyone's genuine
smiles, Tilly felt her worries from the past few days disappearing.

No matter what, this was her real home, a kingdom built by witches.

Camilla Dary greeted her on the dock. "You've gone for so long that I was even
worried you wouldn't come back."

"No chance," Tilly said with a smile. "I just didn't expect the Months of Demons to
last so long this time. How has Sleeping Island been?"

"Of course, since you entrusted me with it, I wouldn't let you down," said Camilla
with one hand on her chest. "The situation has improved overall. Using the Sleeping
Spell was a good idea. I'll report the specifics to you later, but now... I'll hand
you over to the witches." She blinked. "Otherwise they'll eat me alive."

As a great noble from King's City, Camilla was very skillful at managing things and
played a key role in recruiting witches for Tilly. She was the reason why Tilly
felt confident leaving the Fjords for a long time and investigating the Western
Region.

Tilly shook her head helplessly, passed the Chief Butler of Sleeping Island, raised
her hand to the crowd, and was heavily surrounded by a sea of witches.

"Your Highness, did you see your brother? How did he treat you?"

"I heard that the town also has a witch organization, so will they come and live
with us?"

"Is it true that in that desolate little town, people don't have to worry about
food and clothing, and they all live in new houses?"

"I'm so glad you're back. Everyone really missed you."

Tilly responded to their questions and concerns one by one until Shavi flew onto
the dock with a pile of books, and everyone directed their attention to these
"priceless treasures".

"What're they?" someone asked curiously.

"Documents from ancient ruins?"

"They don't look like ancient documents. The pages are new, so they're probably
legends."

"Or maybe they're play scripts? Honestly, I haven't seen a play for a long time."

"Um... but what should I do since I can't read?"

Tilly clapped her hands to silence everyone. "This is His Highness Roland
Wimbledon's presents for you�they include reading and writing pamphlets, basic
mathematics, and natural science! Simply put, these are full of knowledge!"

"Knowledge?"

Most of the witches looked confused, while Camilla and some other noble witches
were surprised. "Do you actually want to spread knowledge to everyone?"
Tilly nodded. "This is the only way to improve our abilities."

Roland once mentioned that universal education was not easy to achieve and needed a
great amount of money and time�when people put their jobs on hand to learn, it
meant that the domain would temporarily lose some laborers. Also, encouraging them
to study required the support of money, which, combined with teachers' salaries and
the cost of building school houses, was not a small amount. Most importantly, it
would not have instant profits like businesses and needed to be carried out in the
long term by the ruler.

However, it brought profound changes, even more so for witches and normal people.
Tilly had already witnessed this at Border Town. Before she went to the Western
Region, she could never have dreamed that a group of commoners could have such
vigor and vitality.

After returning to the keep, when she was about to arrange the plan for universal
education according to Scroll's methods, Ashes knocked on the door. "Thunder wants
to see you."

"Ah, it's been for a long time, Your Highness." Thunder smiled as widely and
genuinely as usual. "How did it go? Did your trip to the Western Region address
your confusion?"

"Honestly, I didn't get my answer." Tilly shook her head with a smile. "He was
still reserved towards me. But in our current circumstances, these issues aren't so
important for the moment... by the way, do you know about demons?"

"Monsters from hell?" asked Thunder, raising his eyebrows. "I've heard a lot about
them in epics and legends, where brave knights killed these terrifying enemies with
spears dipped in dragon's blood."

"This time, they're no longer just enemies in books." She sighed.

"Um... what do you mean?"

"I don't know if those dragons exist, but demons... are real." Tilly briefly
explained the Witch Union and Battle of Divine Will to him. "Where the Four
Kingdoms settle on is used to be Barbarian Land, so if we lose again, humans will
have nowhere to retreat."

"How could this be?" Thunder exclaimed after listening to her silently. "All the
ruins in different locations are the works of witches, and an ancient witch from
400 years ago was discovered in Border Town? This, this is unbelievable! The
mysteries you uncovered in one journey are more than I did in a lifetime!"

Tilly was shocked. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid? Of course, I am..." he said excitedly, "but compared to the burning desire
for exploration in my heart, this fear means nothing! Damn it, I wish I could go to
the Kingdom of Graycastle to see this living fossil with my own eyes!"

Princess Tilly wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry�his motivation to go to the

Western Region was to see Agatha instead of his own daughter. She did not know how
to feel for Lightning.

"If not for my recent expedition, I'd probably have to give you the title of the
greatest explorer of the Fjords," said Thunder after a fit of exclamations, "but...
I also found something quite amazing."
"Please, go ahead."

"I sailed to the east of the Sealine again."

"Sealine?" asked Tilly confusedly. "What's that?"

"Ah, I forgot that you were still in Border Town the last time I returned." He
stroked the back of his head. "It's a cliff made from seawater that splits the sea
into two surfaces, but boats can still sail freely on it like... spiders climbing a
wall."

"What? That's impossible!"

"I had the same reaction as you did the first time I saw it, but the Sealine does
exist." said Thunder with great pride. "What's more incredible is that I sailed on
the Courage over the Sealine and was lucky enough to witness the tide rise�you have
to see it to believe how majestic it was. The flow of the sea water gradually
quickens and eventually rushes downwards like falling off a cliff. If Molly's Magic
Servant hadn't protected the boat, the Courage would have been snapped into two!"

"I turned the rudder to steer the bow directly towards the current, which formed a
delicate balance with the wind. The Courage couldn't move forward, but also
couldn't be brought down the cliff by the current." He panted as if he were
reliving the excitement. "Of course, the Sealine isn't a real cliff. We all know
what a waterfall looks like, with water dropping straight down, splattering
droplets everywhere and creating a loud rumbling sound�but there, there wasn't any
of that except an accelerating current. I was sure that even if the Courage fell
over the Sealine, it would have returned to the lower side, just like how it
climbed up."

"What happened next?" asked Tilly impatiently.

"And then the Swirling Sea was filled�I could only clearly see this standing on the
Sealine," said Thunder with a low voice. "By the name of Three Gods, I don't know
how to describe my shock at that moment. The height of the Sealine shrunk from over
200 meters to about 100 meters as the sea below rose up. This is the reality behind
tides!"

Chapter 496: Under the Deep Sea

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"The water from the Sealine flows downward to cause the lower level water to rise?
How is this possible?"

Tilly pondered for a while. "So when the tide falls, will the water flow
backwards?"

"Good question." Thunder clenched his fists excitedly. "Afterwards, my fleet stayed
near the Sealine for two weeks, until the tide fell. During that time, we tried all
kinds of ways to break through the Sealine, and the most amazing part was sailing
on the Sealine itself�do you know what kind of feeling that is? To outsiders, it
seemed as if we were stuck to the face of a cliff, with our sails completely
paralleling to the ocean, as if we could fall down at any second. But we couldn't
feel this on the boat at all, and it was like the Courage was sailing in a narrow
river, with the vast wall of seawater on one side, and the expansive sky on the
other. Of course, we had to wait for the water to slow down to do this, otherwise
even the Magic Servant couldn't protect the boat."
"This... makes no sense." Tilly felt her brain sink into total confusion. If some
other explorer other than Thunder was telling her this, she would have immediately
thought they were making it all up.

"I think so too, but I trust my own eyes more than common sense." He continued,
"After two weeks, the tide began to fall�it happened at exactly the same time as
the tides rose and fell in the Shadow Islands. The seawater did not regorge and
simply backed off slowly, and the Sealine raised from about 100 meters to over 200
meters once again."

"Do you mean that all this seawater just disappeared into thin air?"

"Maybe, but it might have also flowed to somewhere else."

"Where could it flow to?" Tilly said, rubbing her forehead. "The tides are drastic
in the Shadow Islands, much calmer in the Fjord Islands, basically nonexistent at
the shores of the Four Kingdoms�if this isn't vanishing into thin air, what is it?"

Thunder pointed at the ground.

She sighed. "I remember that you once said the sea level in the Shadow area dropped
very quickly as if there was a giant hole sucking it in at the bottom of the ocean.
However, no matter how big the hole is, it should still be filled up after a few
years."

"I'm only guessing. No one has actually seen what the ocean floor looks like... but
I'm very curious about one thing."

"What?"

"Why is the ocean we're in called the Swirling Sea?"

Tilly felt her heart skip a beat as she came to a realization and shook her head,
saying, "That's impossible and insane. If an underground cave expelled water to
create a whirlpool, how could we not notice it? Also, this name has been around for
hundreds of years, so who knows what our ancestors were thinking?"

"That's right. I conducted a simple experiment and found that the water must be
shallow enough for the whirlpool to show, but we don't have the ability to see the
ocean floor." Thunder smiled. "Meanwhile, that doesn't mean that witches can't do
it�I never thought of this before, but when you told me that witches ruled this
land 400 years ago, I realized that this sea was probably named during that time."

"I'm a witch," said Tilly with a shrug, "and not a single witch on Sleeping Island
can do it."

"I know who can."

"What?"

"The witch lives right on the Fjords but hasn't had any human contact for a long
time..." Thunder sighed. "She used to be a close friend of one of my crew's best
assistants, but after she awakened as a witch, she left the continent forever. Now,
you can only hear her beautiful singing when mist sets on the sea. You've probably
heard stories about her before."

"The mermaid that guides the ships... Are you talking about the subject of this
legend?"
"That's right." Thunder nodded. "Although I don't know if she'll help me, it's
still worth a try. I might need the help of my old friend Margaret."

"I see. Then you must hurry," said Tilly with a frown. "The merchants in the Fjords
seem to want to hunt mermaids. A month ago, Sleeping Spell received several offers
to capture mermaids. Honey sent me a carrier pigeon telling me the request, but I
refused."

"Her songs are the symbol of peace and safety to the sailors and explorers in the
Fjords. Those merchants are insane." Thunder asked quietly, "Can you tell me who
they are?"

"Sleeping Spell shouldn't reveal the identities of its customers, but..." Tilly
wrote a few names in the air with her hand. "You didn't hear it from me." Since she
was also a witch, Tilly could not sit by and do nothing as the leader of Sleeping
Island.

"That's right." He smiled. "They'll get what they deserve."

The two smiled at each other, and Thunder said, "I came to tell you about my new
adventures. Besides, I want to ask you a favor."

"Go ahead."

"I heard that Crescent Moon Bay has a new kind of boat that isn't powered by wind
and can sail much faster than sailboats. My sources told me that this kind of boat
was produced in Border Town," said Thunder. "If I want to keep exploring the
Sealine, I'll need a much bigger and faster boat that can withstand the currents
under strong winds." He handed her an envelope. "Money isn't an issue, as long as
the boats are fast. Can you give him this order?"

Tilly understood his intentions. "You don't want Lightning to know?"

Thunder said helplessly, "If she finds out, she'll insist on going with me.
There're too many unknowns in the Sealine, so it's too risky for me to take her."

"But she's already a great explorer. She was the one who found the stone tower
ruins in the Misty Forest," Tilly thought. However, she still nodded. "I
understand. I'll act as a temporary messenger between you and Roland Wimbledon."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After Thunder left, Tilly pondered for a long time and took out the ancient books
from the ruins in the Shadow Islands, hoping to find clues about the Sealine or
tides. Following the method Agatha taught her, she twisted her magic power
according to the shapes of the letters, and their meaning appeared in her mind. It
was as if she wasn't reading, but the books were telling her their contents.

Some of the books recorded the writers' experiences in the Barbarian Land, some
were sailors' diaries, and others mentioned important plans of the Union. The more
she read, the more confused she became. These books had nothing to do with each
other, obviously not written by the same person. To her surprise, none of them
mentioned anything about the Sealine, the spire under the sea, the telescope, or
the Giant Stone Gates, totally different from what she expected. She thought that
as long as she could read the Union's words, she could uncover some of the ruins'
secrets, or even find the reason why the Shadow area's sea level rose so quickly.
But now, she felt like she was piecing together random scribbles.
"Wait... piece together?" An idea popped into Tilly's head. She spread open three
of the sailing diaries, placed them together, and checked them carefully. Their
dates were far apart, some even decades apart, and their routes varied from the
seas near the mainland to the Fjords. It was like someone had gathered all these
things from different sources and placed them into the ruins.

At this thought, she felt a chill creep up her spine.

Who would do such a thing?

Chapter 497: A Chaotic Departure

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The Longsong Area Harbor, City of Neverwinter.

Two concrete boats were docked as workers carried linen bags onto the shore, and
the newly appointed officials in the Ministry of Agriculture counted them. The
entire harbor was bustling with energy, which was a rare sight for Stronghold, a
place still experiencing the aftermath of the Months of Demons. After being
inspected and counted, the seeds in these bags would be distributed directly to
every farmer.

"Your Highness, can the Golden Ones seeds really triple the wheat production?"
Petrov was still a little skeptical. "Won't that mean that the produce could feed
everyone in this city?"

Barov had said something similar to Roland before. To most of the noble, constant
hunger was quite common among the civilians. "Feeding everyone is the basic
responsibility of a lord. We're only taking the very first step. Also, it's not
just because of my benevolence. Hungry subjects can't fully devote themselves to
the construction of the city."

"But... this is no doubt an incredible accomplishment. I don't know of any other

city in this kingdom that can achieve it."

"It's indeed an achievement, but I contributed very little to it. This is mostly
the witches' work�without Leaf's modifications, there would be no Golden Ones."

Petrov was silent for a while. "Perhaps we really were wrong before."

"What do you mean?"

"We had the wrong attitude towards witches." Petrov sighed deeply. "Most of the
nobles didn't care about the church's propaganda, but we still despised and
distrusted the witches, so it wasn't hard for us to go along with the church's
violence. Even if we used the witches, we treated them like slaves... Only Your
Highness saw their true value and treated them like humans. This is the most
incredible part�they really are special."

"Not only did you ignore the value of witches, but also ignore the power of the
people, which is actually even stronger. Witches are like a catalyst and when they
work together with the common people, there can be great improvements in
civilization." However, Roland did not say his thoughts out loud. "We can still
make up for the lost time. After all, we're all the same."

"Your Highness, the boiler is ready, and the Victory is set to sail," reported a
guard.
"Tell everyone to board the boat. I'll be there shortly." The prince turned to
Petrov. "The instruction team of the Ministry of Agriculture should arrive by this
afternoon. They will show you how to plant the Golden Ones. As for the mine
construction, population growth, universal education, and building factories, we've
already discussed enough in the meeting. Just follow the plan and try to address
any problems you run into by yourselves before asking me." He patted the eldest
Honeysuckle son on the shoulder. "I'm leaving this place in your hands. If you
serve me well, you won't be just the executive officer of the Longsong Area
forever."

"I won't let you down, Your Highness." Petrov bowed.

Roland boarded the concrete boat and ordered to set sail. Following the long sound
of a horn, the Victory slowly left the shore and sailed towards the Border Area.

*******************

"How many Bald Boats are there already?" Joe clicked his tongue. "They're all
coming from Border Town!"

"It's called the Border Area. Didn't our Lord say that we're all part of the same
city as the town now?" Snaketooth twitched his mouth. Joe nicknamed the strange
sail-less boats "Bald boat", but he preferred to call them Concrete Boats�their
broad gray hulls looked like giant bedrocks, not even budging an inch as the movers
ran around on them. "What's it called again?"

"City of Neverwinter," Tigerclaw chimed.

"Who cares? It has nothing to do with us." Joe exclaimed excitedly. "You're going
to be taking this kind of boat to Border Town, right? Be sure to figure out why it
can move without oars and what the white mist and black fog it spouts are!"

"This really has nothing to do with us," thought Snaketooth. "At least the city
construction will give everyone a job."

"Are you really planning on leaving?" Sunflower seemed upset. "If you have to work
as a handyman no matter where you go, why would you go to a foreign place?"

"Because we can earn one extra silver royal," said Tigerclaw, chuckling. "We can
earn six silver royals if we stay here, but seven if we go there. If we can work on
either place, we're obviously choosing the one with more money."

"I wasn't asking you." Sunflower rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention to
Snaketooth.

For some reason, Snaketooth suddenly felt a little guilty. After the construction
of the City of Neverwinter, the Lord kept his promise, and countless recruitment
notices suddenly appeared in the square. However, the Rats had very few job
options, which were mostly handymen and mason apprentices, and they were offered a
lower salary than others. Of course, this was still better than their former lives,
when they lived lack of food-if the salaries could really be distributed on time.

He told his friends that he was going to Border Town for the higher salary, but
what he really wanted was to be closer to Paper. Faced with Sunflower's intense
stare, he decided not to tell the truth and said, "My reasons... are the same as
Tigerclaw's."

"Are you ever coming back?"

"Beep... Beep..." Suddenly, a siren began to wail at the harbor, and a red flag
began to wave.

"It's our turn to leave, hurry!" Tigerclaw grabbed Snaketooth's hand and dragged
him towards the harbor.

The crowd behind them also began to move as the siren rang. When they entered the
security inspection area, Snaketooth felt as if he was being carried by the masses.
He held his suitcase to his chest and kept staring back, but he couldn't see
Sunflower or Joe over the dense waves of people.

A few officers in black uniforms were checking tickets at the end of the line.
"What's your name? Assigned group? Take out your documentation!"

Snaketooth came immediately after Tigerclaw. He took out a crumpled piece of paper
from his pocket and handed it carefully to the officer. "Snaketooth, Fifth
Construction Team of Redflag Group..."

The officer ignored his introduction, scanned his ticket, and slapped it onto his
chest. "Boat on the left. Next!"

Tigerclaw was already waiting for him at the entrance. "They didn't ask for bribes.
That's amazing."

"Indeed... they didn't." Snaketooth half-heartedly folded his documentation, put it

in his pocket, and scanned the harbor for his friends.

When the Concrete Boat sounded its horn and slowly sailed away from the harbor, he
finally saw them on a flight of stone steps�Sunflower was waving Joe's jacket,
while Joe hugged his elbows and crouched behind her.

Snaketooth also took off his jacket and waved it furiously, ignoring other
passengers' stares of confusion.

Their eyes finally met once again.

"Take care!" he shouted. His friends also seemed to say something, but the sound of
the boat's engine drowned out their voices.

Sunflower followed the boat along the shore for a while, but the Concrete Boat was
soon too far away and disappeared from her sight.

Even then, Snaketooth failed to give her his answer.

Chapter 498: The Roland Gunboat

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It took Roland a whole day to return to the Border Area, and his back ached with
weariness. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he went to bed early, and
he didn't feel refreshed until noon of the next day.

He thought, "I must have a soundproof cabin, a soft desk chair, and a large bed on
my private boat. Otherwise, I'll have to sit on a trembling hard deck stool and
listen to the roar of the steam engine, which will torture both my body and soul."

The first thing Roland did when he walked into his office was to call his director,
Barov Mons, and Minister of Agriculture, Sirius Daly, to his office. Although there
was only one week left before the planned date of the spring offensive, he could
rest assured since Iron Axe was governing the military. The most important thing at
the moment was to manage the agricultural production well, namely spring sowing.
After all, he would be much less worried when he had a supply of grain.

"I saw seeds being transported at the Longsong Pier, so with enough Golden Ones,
the crops there won't be too bad this year. But we should focus on the Border Area,
since we're everyone's model, proof, and example!" Roland said with one hand
knocking on his desk. "How is the spring sowing going? Someone tells me."

"Your Highness, here's the situation," Barov spoke first. "Among the first batch of
promoted serfs, only 30% of them are willing to continue farming; plus the newly
employed ones, the agricultural population is about 10,000. According to last
year's average wheat yield, the grain that these 10,000 serfs produce should be
able to feed 40,000 to 50,000 people." He paused and then added, "And this number
is calculated according to the official citizen's quota for purchasing grains,
which is far more than the daily consumption of other cities' citizens. If we
calculate according to the minimum amount of grain people need to stay alive, this
number can increase by 20,000."

"That's about it, Your Highness," Sirius added. "But those conclusions are made by
the Ministry of Agriculture according to the statistics from two years ago. This
year, half of the serfs, mainly newly employed, will use the Golden Twos modified
by Lady Leaf. Honestly, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have
believed that one wheat straw could produce so many ears. Also, more than 2,000
serfs will change to planting potatoes and corn this year, which makes it hard to
predict the actual yield for this year."

"As for the sowing process, farmlands are currently being plowed. According to the
Crop Farming Brochure, farmland needs to be plowed three times, and raised compost
must be mixed in the soil�usually, this process takes three to four weeks,
depending on the number of laborers and the farm tools they're using. But the serfs
employed last year all rented iron tools, which should greatly shorten the plowing
time."

"As for the ditch depth and seeding distance, I've arranged apprentices to educate
the serfs to farm with the optimal methods introduced on the farming brochure."

It was easy to see that the former knight of the Wolf Family had done a lot of
research on farming. He obviously had considered all aspects and made points that
Roland could not help but agree with.

The excessive dependence on the land itself led to the agricultural

underdevelopment in this era. Namely, people believed that owning land was all
there was to farming. Sometimes, in order to protect the farmlands, they would let
farmlands rest for a few years, which was very inefficient. Now that the City of
Neverwinter had controllable water irrigation, natural fertilizer, and scientific
planting methods, plus Leaf's modified seeds, the land yields greatly surprised all
the residents. However, a third of the 30,000 total population was engaged in
agricultural production, which was too high of a percentage for Roland. He wanted
to efficiently reduce the agricultural population by improving farming tools, such
as manufacturing agricultural equipment which used animal or mechanic power.

"Well, keep the momentum going," Roland said with satisfaction, "and people who
have been assigned to the Longsong Area should keep everything well documented, in
case we want to extend this model to other cities."

After dealing with agricultural affairs, Roland left the castle. Accompanied by
Nightingale and the guards, he went to the dock of the Redwater River.

The ship, which was constructed by Anna, entered the weapons installation phase two
days ago. Now, with its hull painted with a gray and red anti-corrosion coating,
the ship quietly stood on the crossties. It was the size of about three concrete
boats and seemed extremely mighty. Unlike the cement paddle steamer, which had no
cabin, this ship's side port was almost three meters wide and could fit the boiler
and steam engine. There were also no paddle wheels on both sides. Another
characteristic was a bridge at the center of the hull. Although the bridge was only
about six meters tall, it looked very prominent.

Of course, as a shallow water gunboat, its most important equipment was its 152mm
giant cannon. In order to save the manufacturing time, Roland did not let Anna
produce the naval artillery, but tore down the one on the city wall and planned to
install it on the ship.

Now, it was standing in the dock, waiting for hoisting�the final step.

"Your Highness." Anna waved at Roland when she saw him. "Over here!"

The prince walked over with a smile on his face. "How is it? Is the construction
going well?"

During his absence in Border Town, Anna took care of all the manufacturing work.
Although she had all the blueprints of its key parts, it was entirely an
unprecedented huge project, so it was natural to run into all sorts of problems.

"Not so well." Anna shook her head. "There were some tricky problems�side hull
deformation, propeller leaking, hull tilting after being welded with a bridge, and
the gun platform couldn't hold a cannon, but I solved all of them."

"All... solved?" Roland asked surprisedly.

"Yes." With a big smile, Anna explained while counting her fingers. "There was a
hull deformation because the steel plate of the board was too thin, so I added
fixed carriages. The propeller leak was caused by the gap between the casing and
the gear lever, so I wrapped the gap with a sink so that the water inside won't run
everywhere and can be pumped out by a steam engine. The bridge tilting was caused
by uneven weights, which were fixed with a little modification. The gun platform
problem was the most difficult one, but I drew inspiration from the revolver
design�I first cut a row of indentations on the bottom ring, then I put in a
falcula, which could be inserted in between gears, and it could simply fix the
upper rotating gun carrier in any direction."

Roland blinked his eyes and spoke after a long pause. "You're a genius." For him,
those problems were not difficult to deal with, but he had drawn countless mechanic
sketches. Especially for the last problem, probably only someone as observative as
Anna could associate a revolver with the fixing method of the gun platform.

"By the way, Your Highness, does the boat have a name?"

"Not yet," he said, raising his eyebrow, "and why do you ask?"

"The soldiers from the First Army came every few days and fought eagerly to carve
their own names onto the bridge," Anna said with a smile. "They say you promised
that the best gunner could have a gunboat named after him."

"Ah... I see." Rodney from the Artillery Battalion and Nelson from the Artillery
Battalion came to Roland's mind. "But not for this ship, because the name of the
first warship not only represents the ship itself but also represents its rank and
model number." He tilted his mouth. "I can't hand over this honor to anyone else,
so I'll name it the Roland�the Roland No. 1."

Chapter 499: Prelude to the Spring Offensive

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Garden Mansion, the Inner City of King's City, Kingdom of Graycastle.

Since Roland Wimbledon's surprise attack on the palace which successfully destroyed
the Hall of the Sky Dome, Theo's status had greatly improved. Every member of the
"Dove and Cylinder" showed him great respect, and this intelligence organization
was finally established.

Along with several core personnel, Theo could also affect Skeleton Fingers'
decisions as a result of his contributions over the past six months. He also had a
good knowledge of the activities of the other Rats' organizations, since he had
informants in both the patrol team and the Black Street. They provided him with
privileged information only for the money, and they did not care at all who they
worked for. However, his gold royals still could not buy his way into the circle of
the upper nobles, who cared more about family background and titles. Fortunately,
through his connections with the heads of the Rats, who had close relationships
with the great nobles, he managed to get some less important information now and
then.

For example, he heard the news below.

"Timothy is sending a platoon of 500 men to block the Redwater River?" Theo tapped
on the arm of his chair and asked. "Is he really going to do that?"

"Yes," Rockhill answered, "half of his platoon will be Blood Sail Rats. That's what
the boss said himself. It's a profitable job, so the Rats fought each other over
it, and several of them even got injured or killed."

"Indeed, it's profitable," Clown whistled and said. "Just think about it... What
will they block in the river? The merchant ships! And what's the punishment for
violating the king's ban? Confiscating the cargo and imposing a fine! Who can do a
better blackmail job than Rats? Ah, of course... the patrol team is also good at
it?"

"Half of them are Rats, so the other half must be Timothy's guards," said Hill
Fawkes calmly. "I'm told that in the countryside this morning, there were four
hawk-headed ships in the harbor."

Theo could not help but frown. The hawk-headed ships were high-speed, inland river
warships that had slender hulls, with sails and oars, as well as embolons below the
water and iron hooks on both sides. Once they caught up with their target, they
could be tightly hooked together to enable the soldiers on one ship to easily jump
onto another one to fight, making it difficult for merchant ships to escape from
them.

"Based on all the information we've collected already, it's clear that Timothy is
going to send a fleet of four warships carrying more than 500 people, including
over 200 fully armed guards, to block the Redwater River." He sighed inwardly,
thinking that it was really bad news.

They had got wind of Timothy's intention to block the Redwater River trade route
before the Months of Demons, but most people did not take him seriously back then
and thought he would only set a blockade in the canal of King's City. Nobody
believed that he would dare to set a blockade between the Western and Central
Region to declare an economic siege on the City of Neverwinter. That would anger
the lords of Silver City and Redwater City, who would never allow this ban to cost
them any great economic loss.

However, now with four warships that could easily block merchant ships anywhere
they wanted, Timothy's situation was different, as the other lords could not
compete with him at all on the water. Even though this blockade would turn the
lords against him, nothing could shake his resolve to defeat Roland.

Theo looked at Hill, who nodded at him and voiced the same thoughts, "Timothy may
not set a fixed blockade on the Redwater River. He'll just attack any caravan he
spots, and his troops will act as pirates on water and bandits on land. An enemy
force of 500 people is indeed a nightmare for any caravan. By doing so, he'll
probably succeed in cutting off the Western Region's supplies."

"We have to report this to His Highness as soon as possible," Theo said in a deep
voice.

Last year, Border Town had bought a large amount of grain, clothes and ore, and
this year, because of the town's merger with Longsong Stronghold, it had a much
higher demand for resources. If Timothy succeeded in his attempt, it would
definitely cause Prince Roland massive trouble. They worried about this vexing
issue for His Highness and wondered if he could solve this problem.

Sounds of flapping wings then came from the backyard.

As Theo stood up to open the door to the backyard, a gray falcon flew in as quickly
as a flash of lighting and gently landed on his shoulder.

The circus members simultaneously lowered their heads, putting their hands on their
chests, to show respect for the message from the Western Region.

Theo took a piece of paper from the messenger and glanced at it. His heart skipped
a beat.

"Ha... haha." He could not help himself from laughing out loud, even though he knew
that he should hide his emotions as an intelligence officer. It was such timely,
good news for him. "We don't need to worry about it anymore," he said with visible
joy.

"His Highness already knows about it?" Hill asked.

"No, but he's going to solve it once and for all," he said in a low but excited
voice.

"Once and for all?" Clown was confused. "You mean..."

"Yes, the First Army of His Highness has already left for King's City!" Theo
clenched his fists. "It's time to overthrow Timothy!"

He had known that His Highness would launch his attack this year, but he never
expected it to happen so soon, as the prince had not told him any specifics about
the attack in order to keep the plan secret. Now, he finally knew that the attack
was actually scheduled for spring, just in time for the plowing season.

"It's finally time." Hill inhaled deeply, suddenly got down on one knee, and said,
"Just give us His Highness's orders."

"For the new King!" the other five people shouted and kneeled likewise.

The thought of the new kingdom also excited Theo. If Timothy was overthrown, Roland
Wimbledon would become the only successor to the throne of the Kingdom of
Graycastle. And if Roland was crowned king, Theo would probably gain greater power
and reach a new height that he had never dreamed of before.

He did not even have to think about their chances of winning. Anyone who had
witnessed the First Army in action would never doubt that Roland would be
victorious over Timothy in this attack.

"His Highness orders us to stay away from the west gate of King's City. He also
orders us to prevent the Rats from taking advantage of the chaos during the attack,
and to restore the social order as soon as possible after the war." Theo slowly
read out the remaining part of the secret letter. "Do everything in your power to
help the civilians suffering in the war, such as providing medical aid, free
shelter, and food, and hand over this job to the First Army when the situation is
stable."

"Th-that's it?" All of them looked at each other and were totally at a loss. "His
Highness didn't order us to trick the guards into opening the city gate, or set
fires in different directions in order to mislead the enemy?"

"No, those're His Highness's wishes," Theo put the letter away and said with a
smile. He thought it was just like Roland's style to care more about the people and
social order, not to compel any intelligence personnel to step onto the
battlefield. He felt that Roland's order also suggested that the prince thought
nothing of Timothy's forces.

Chapter 500: Body of Steel (Part I)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Roland stood on the balcony on top of the command room of his boat and felt his
heart stir with pride as he watched his fleet of boats lined up behind him.

Besides the flagship, the Roland, all
boats. However, with more than ten of
magnificent. The massive fleet puffed
chimneys and parted the river as they
be completely unstoppable.
the other boats were slow and clumsy concrete
them in a fleet, they still looked
long trails of white smoke out of their
crashed through the waves, and they seemed to

The gunboat was apparently the fleet's main attraction�its towering bridge and
sleek appearance separated it from ordinary sailing ships and concrete boats. It
dominated the inland rivers with its weapons, including a 152mm main cannon and two
Mark I machine guns, custom-made high-pressure steam engine, and a propeller
driving system that enabled it to reach a speed of 12 kilometers per hour.

"You seemed to be in a good mood." Nightingale observed as she tidied her windswept
hair. "Is it because you'll be returning home soon?"

"You mean, the palace? No way, I'm never going back there," he said, shaking his
head. "The Western Region is my real home. I'm happy because this conflict will be
over soon."
"Hm... half of that is a lie."

Roland remembered with a shock that she could tell when people were lying. "Ahem,
alright, I'm actually proud of myself for managing to produce many boats during the
Months of Demons."

"You're telling the truth this time." Nightingale blinked. "But you sound a little
full of yourself."

"That's why I lied."

"That's understandable." She chuckled and walked over to Roland. "I don't blame
you. I wouldn't mind if you told a little lie, as long as it has nothing to do with
me."

"... If you don't mind, then don't point out my lies," thought Roland querulously.

"By the way, I never thanked you," whispered Nightingale as she gazed into the
distance.

"Thank me for what?"

"For ending the conflict and bringing peace to the Kingdom of Graycastle. Both
commoners and witches will live happily under your rule," she said slowly. "I
always knew that you'd achieve this, but I didn't think it'd happen so soon."

"It's not that fast. Even after I dethrone Timothy, the noble will resist with all
their might. Uniting the entire Graycastle may take another few years." Roland
sighed. "Progress is never easy, so we still have a long way to go in achieving our
goal."

"This is already so much better than I imagined. Before this, I was worried I would
never live to see this day."

"Come on, don't say like that?" Roland glared at her. "Do you think I'll put you in
danger?"

"It's expected for a combat witch like me to always be in battle, and breaking
convention takes sacrifice." Nightingale turned her head. "I had prepared for this
the moment I swore my loyalty to you."

"I'm sorry I let you down," Roland said with a shrug. "There will definitely be
sacrifices, but our enemies will be making them. Anyway, I should thank you."

"Why?" Nightingale asked in surprise.

"Because if I never met a witch, I wouldn't have the confidence to do what I'm
doing now."

If not for Anna, he would not have decided to save these witches, and if there was
not magic power in this world, he would still be cautiously living his primitive
life in a run-down Border Town.

"You're... telling the truth." Nightingale looked up at him.

"Of course I am," said Roland with a smile.

Suddenly, a golden figure descended from the sky and landed next to them. "Your
Highness, four sloops with paddles on both sides are approaching us from 20
kilometers away, and they look like the hawk-headed ships described in the report."
said Lightning, "but I didn't see any hawk statues on the ships."

"The hawk head probably refers to the embolon under water." Roland patted her head.
"Good job, keep up the good work."

"So... can I do less practice questions as punishment?" The little girl stared at
the prince with begging eyes.

He could not help but laugh. "Alright. If you promise to keep still in the future,
you only have to do one set of questions."

"Yes, Sir!" Lightning's eyes lit up, and she immediately leapt up and flew towards
the East in a flash.

"You shouldn't have let her off so easy." Nightingale complained.

"She'll learn her lesson if she's rewarded." Roland dismissed her criticism with a
wave and turned to walk towards the stairs. "Let's go back to the command room. We
have work to do."

...

The small, square command room contained nothing but a wooden table and four
benches. The commander of the First Army Iron Axe, the leader of the Gun Battalion
Brian, the leader of the Artillery Battalion Van'er, and the captain of the Victory
Cacusim stood by the table to draft the battle plan for their first battle in the
river.

"According to Theo's report, Timothy's four battle ships are inland galleys.
They're about as fast as our concrete boats, but they're agiler." Roland said,
pointing to the chart on the table. "Usually, these ships will approach enemy
ships, so their crews can jump onto them and fight. They can also be filled with
flammables such as gunpowder or sulfur and crash into their target, destroying both
ships. However, since our enemies' goal is to block the river and plunder our
boats, they probably won't use the second method. "This is our first time to fight
on a river, so please feel free to share any ideas you have."

"Your Highness, it'll be hard to hit a moving target with a moving cannon, so I
suggest we fire when we're closer to their ships," suggested Van'er. "As long as
we're about 50 meters away, I promise every cannonball will sink an enemy ship!"

"But I hear that firing shells not only wastes a lot of gunpowder, but also
requires Miss Anna to make the shells," said Brian, shaking his head. "I think it's
better to wait for the enemy to board our ships and then riddle them with the
bullets from our heavy machine guns."

Roland turned to Cacusim and said, "What do you think?" He summoned this old man
into the command room because he was the only person in the City of Neverwinter who
had fought on boats before. According to him, he ran into pirates many times when
he was a merchant, and even being plundered still counted as a kind of experience.

"Um, Your Highness..." Cacusim hesitated for a while. "In my opinion, we should
just charge towards them."

"What?" the other two men all asked, staring in shock.

"Your ship is large, fast, and made of steel, so their wooden ships will probably
collapse upon contact. Even if you don't destroy them, any leaks will prevent them
from moving further." He glanced at everyone. "Of course, this, this is just my
personal opinion."

This tactic reminded Roland of a poem that said, "With the sun shining and waves
high, a D flag hangs from the mast."

"Alright, let's follow this plan." He finally decided. "Even though we don't have a
D flag, a flag with a tower and four stars will have the same effect." "I order the
Roland to raise the flag of City of Neverwinter, sound its horn, and proceed at
full speed ahead!"

Chapter 501: Body of Steel (Part II)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Eden was a newly promoted knight in King's City who had no land and no inheritable
title, placing him in the lowest rank among the nobles. Some great nobles even
believed that knights were not part of the nobles and only held honorary titles.
Thus, he was very excited to enforce Timothy's blockade order. Since he had sailing
experience from his younger days, and the king preferred new recruits, he
eventually became the captain of a hawk-headed ship.

He believed that he was a good judge of opportunity�this blockade was his chance to
prove himself and be crowned as a real nobleman, since most of the noblemen were
not willing to leave the comfort of their homes to fight on ships for months.

It was also easy for him to prove himself because both merchant ships and caravans
stood no chance against him. If local lords sent knights to protect the caravans on
land, the merchant ships would be left vulnerable. As long as he was not too
greedy, he would be able to complete this mission to His Majesty Timothy's
satisfaction.

"Of course, His Majesty's satisfaction depends on how much money and cargo I can
seize." At this thought, he glanced coldly at the happy Rats on the boat across
from him. They had intercepted a merchant ship from Redwater City yesterday, and
although the captain insisted he was sailing to Fallen Dragon Ridge, they still
seized all his cargo and killed most of the crew. The cargo mostly consisted of
furs, wine, and a jar of gold royals. "And these idiots dared to treat the seized
cargo like their own spoils and divided it among themselves according to Black
Street rules."

Eden chuckled coldly at this thought. "The Rats have no clue that their only
purposes in this blockade are to openly plunder ships and to appease local lords.
When the rebel king Roland is defeated, the Rat's heads will be sent to the lords
who were affected by the blockade as an apology from the king. Then, the seized
goods will definitely be added to the palace's vault.

But these Rats see this mission as a chance to strike rich and have no clue about
their imminent deaths. How ironic."

"My lord, there's movement ahead!" shouted the sailor from the lookout position.

Eden peered out from the bow and saw a puff of black smoke in the distance, as if
something was burning on the river. After a while, a gray smudge emerged and began
to approach them. It was definitely a ship, but he could not see its sail.
"Isn't it traveling a little too fast for a ship?" asked his assistant after
staring for a while.

Eden had also noticed this. Its speed was frighteningly fast, even for going
downstream, and it had grown to the size of his palm from a gray speck in less than
half an hour. He could also tell by its distance that it was much larger than
regular merchant ships.

The other two hawk-headed ships had also spotted the target, and one of them began
paddling quickly to reach this strange merchant ship before everyone else.

"My lord, should we approach as well?" asked Eden's assistant.

Eden pondered for a while and said, "Let's wait and observe first." He noticed that
the hawk-headed ship behind him that was commanded by Baron Derrick was also
holding back, while Rats' ship was already preparing to board the strange ship.

When he got a clear view of the approaching boat, Eden gasped in shock, and
everyone on deck also exclaimed. The sailor on the mast shouted, "My God, my lord,
what in the world is that?"

Unlike seaships with copper bottoms, the entire ship made of uniform glistening
metal, including the strange iron tower on top of it. Its bow parted the river like
a shuttle in fabric, and the foam it stirred up revealed how fast this steel vessel
was going.

"Hum..." The boat gave off a deep whistle as it plowed forward and turned to crash
straight into the first hawk-headed ship!

The hawk-headed ship was sailing sideways in order to board the approaching boat, a
tactic that worked with slow merchant boats but left them vulnerable against this
fast steel vessel�before it could turn around and escape, the vessel had already
crashed into its defenseless side.

Its wood side split open with a loud crack, and the entire ship almost turned over
into the river, as if it had been pushed by a giant hand. Fierce waves crashed onto
the deck, and many men were flung straight into the water

"God!" Eden's assistant stared in fear. "It's heading straight towards us!"

"The enemies are attacking!" shouted the sailors. "My lord, the enemies are
attacking!"

People began scrambling to set up bows and fill their flintlocks with ammunition.

Eden saw the flag of the tower and twin guns on top of the steel vessel, gulped and
ordered, gritting his teeth, "Tell the rowers to start moving and take us close to
shore!" He had never seen this flag before, but he guessed that such a terrifying
thing could only be invented by the prince of the Western Region, who was rumored
to deal with demons! Not only was it giant, but its speed was also faster than slim
galleys. A mortal could never achieve this!

"Aren't we going to retreat?" asked his assistant, trembling.

"Retreat?" Eden yelled angrily. "How can we outrun a ship that is faster than us?
Our only hope is to stay near the shore to prevent it from crashing into us and try
to board it by circling behind! Damn it, go relay my orders!"
He pushed his panicking assistant aside and felt a chill as he saw the damaged
hawk-headed ship. He could imagine how bad the situation inside the hull was. The
steel vessel's bow was completely stuck inside its side, wrecking, if not
completely splitting, the thin and flimsy hawk-headed ship. The unluckiest sailors
were the rowers, who were either smashed to death by the steel bow, or worse,
trapped in the hull and drowned.

Cries and curses erupted from the boat, and the fear they conveyed made Eden pity
even the Rats on board�their circumstances were reversed, the hunter had become the
prey.

As the current kept flowing and the steel vessel slowed down, the twisted hawk-
headed ship fell off of the enemies' hull and turned over, spilling bloody river
water from its hole. The second hawk-headed ship was desperately trying to turn
around and run away, but the ominous whistle sounded again, and with a deafening
rumble and long cloud of smoke, the steel vessel began advancing towards its next
target.

Chapter 502: Body of Steel (Part III)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The second hawk-headed ship was still turning around, so its side was directly
facing the steel vessel, making it even more vulnerable than the first. The Rats
were all terrified by the incoming steel vessel, but a few of them still attempted
to shoot the enemy with bolts. However, the bolts were as tiny as a needle compared
to the giant boat and did not even make a dent.

Soon, the unstoppable steel vessel directly smashed into the center of the hawk-
headed ship's side, instantly crushing a dozen of its paddles. Then, to Eden's
disbelief, the river current and force of the impact caused the hawk-headed ship to
flip sideways, which also lifted the bow of the enemy ship into the air.

The steel bow rose up and then crashed down heavily onto the hawk-headed ship's
deck.

The hawk-headed ship cracked with a shrill sound, and the unharmed Rats jumped into
the water to escape, while the others trailed blood all over the deck, screaming in
pain from their injuries. Eden watched the steel vessel slowly lower into the thin
hawk-headed ship, which fell apart under the weight with a series of cracking
sounds. Its hull could not withstand the pressure and suddenly snapped in half,
causing both ends to shoot upwards with a great splash.

The two halves did not immediately sink, but floated like corpses on the river with
only half of the side port above water. On the other hand, the steel vessel did not
have a single scratch on it and instead began to charge toward Eden's ship.

Eden heard the sailors around him gasp in fear. His hawk-headed ship was about to
be the fifth one to be instantly snapped in half, and he was preparing to abandon
the ship.

Luckily, he had given the right orders before!

His ship was completely pressed against the shore, and the enemy was turning to
pursue the remaining Baron Derrick, which was trying to escape.

"Raise all your bows and torches!" Eden took a deep breath and roared, "I want all
of these cowards hiding in this metal shell dead! I'll give you one gold royal for
every enemy you kill! Do you hear me? One gold royal!"

If he survived and escaped back to King's City, he would definitely never be

promoted, so his only chance of gaining Timothy's approval was to defeat the rebel
king's ship. Even though this ship might have been produced by demons, the crew on
it was still human and defeatable!

The sailors seemed to regain some of their confidence after dodging the last round
of the enemy's attacks. These men all dealt with murder in their previous jobs, so
they were used to seeing blood and gore�as long as they were not going to be
completely slaughtered, they were still willing to earn a gold royal or two.

When the hawk-headed ship was completely safe from being hit, it left the shore and
sailed parallel to the steel vessel, slowly inching toward its course, until the
two ships were sailing alongside each other.

Before the steel vessel passed them and when the two ships were only meters apart,
the sailors raised their various weapons. They would first fire at the passing ship
and then board it to attack the crew, which was the common tactic used against
merchant ships. However, there was not a single man on deck, only a dark tube
encased in metal and containing a row of small holes, pointing directly at the
sailors.

Before Eden could figure out what this thing was, the tube began to spit tongues of
flames!

Bursts of blood began to appear among the row of armed men, and wooden fragments
and gore flew everywhere. The sailors were cut down like rows of grass, while the
surviving ones immediately began to search for cover. However, neither barrels nor
masts were a match against the metal tube, which shattered the barrels and snapped
the masts with a loud crack. After the sails fell into the water, the hawk-headed
ship began to slow down.

Eden did not get the victory he had dreamed of. He realized that the tube was some
sort of flintlock, but it was much faster and shot out streams of bullets with a
hissing sound. However, he could not understand how the rebel king managed to
drastically improve such a slow and inaccurate weapon... perhaps this could only be
explained as the power of the devil.

Soon, he was struck by a shower of bullets.

*******************

This was Rodney's first time witnessing such a battle. The Roland barreled its
solid bow straight through the enemy ships as if they were dry weeds, leaving them
completely helpless. He waited by the cannons for an order to open fire, but that
order never came.

When the fourth enemy ship was left floating in pieces in the river, the battle was
officially over.

The enemies' screams and groans filled the air, while the survivors gave up their
faith, swam to shore, and escaped without hesitation into the forest. His Highness
did not order the crew to chase after these deserters and left them to run off on
their own. There were also some badly injured men who were holding onto their last
breaths and lying against the broken ships, but no one tried to save them from
their inevitable deaths.

"What a shame." Jop put the unused shells back in their cases. "I thought we'd be
able to show off the true power of cannons to those fellows in the Gun Battalion."

"Yes," agreed Nelson disappointedly. "Compared to the ammunition we used for the
heavy machine guns, a round of cannon shells uses about the same amount and is much
more effective."

"That's enough. Miss Anna personally made these, so they're much more valuable than
machine gun bullets, which are produced by the hundred every day," said Van'er with
a frown. "You'll get your chance when we attack the city, so be sure to aim well
and save face for the Artillery Battalion! I hand-picked all of you..."

"To join your elite team, commander, you've told us this many times," said Nelson,
splaying his hands. "Don't worry, it won't take more than three shells to blow open
the gate in King's City." He nudged Rodney. "Hey, say something."

"I want a battleship like this one..."

"What?" The other four men were shocked.

"I hope to own a shallow water gunboat like this one someday." He repeated, his
eyes glittering with excitement. "I'm going to call it the Rodney!"

"Wait, don't you think your elder brother deserves this honor first? The second
boat should be called the Nelson."

"No way... I'm not giving you that right."

"Save it, you two. The second boat will definitely be called the Van'er. Don't
forget that I brought all of you into the elite mortar team."

"Here we go again." Cat's Claw sighed.

"Could it be called the Cat's Claw or the Jop?" Jop mumbled quietly.

"No," responded the three men in unison.

After the concrete boats caught up to the flagship, the expedition fleet resumed
its journey. Two days later, King's City's gray city wall emerged into sight.

Chapter 503: The Battle of King's City (Part 1)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Your Highness, there's a platoon guarding the pier area," Lightning, who was
responsible for monitoring the enemy's situation, reported. "There are about 100 of
them, and judging from their uniforms, they seem to be militia."

"Only 100?" Roland was slightly surprised. It was predictable that Timothy would
deploy troops to the pier of the outlying district�the massive fleet was certain to
be noticed when it passed through Redwater City and Silver City. Though steamships
were much faster than sailing ships, and could in five days cover a distance which
the latter would require seven days for, they were still not as fast as messengers
who continuously changed horses and traveled round the clock. Not to mention
pigeons�if the new king's spies used pigeons to deliver their report, Timothy would
have received the news two or three days in advance.

But it was unexpected that Timothy would deploy only 100 men to defend the pier.
Roland had imagined that the first battle would take place in its vicinity. He
anticipated that crossbowmen, musketeers, and even mangonels would be stationed
along both banks of the river in order to prevent his troops from landing on shore
successfully. This was why he wanted to build inland river gunboats in time for the
spring offensive. The efficiency of transportation by water was much higher than
that of by land, but its disadvantage was that the troops had to alight at a dock
and thus could be easily ambushed. If his army had the capability to attack across
the shore, it would be able to handle any ambush easily and create a secure landing
point.

It seemed as though Timothy had already given up on the "massive advantage" he

would have while Roland's troops were landing. From Roland's perspective, although
this was the right decision, it was unjustifiable�it was impossible that Timothy
knew about the range and power of his 152 mm naval artillery.

As Roland thought about this, he beckoned Sylvie over. "Are the militiamen carrying
any Berserk Pills?"

Sylvie summoned her Eye of Magic and took some time to observe the scene. "I don't
see anything that looks like a pill. Some of them don't even have any weapons on
them. But... there's something strange about the ground."

"The ground?"

"They have buried a few things in the ground... there're also some on the pier."
Sylvie strained her brows to observe even more carefully. "Crocks and barrels...
they're filled with dark gray powder."

"Gunpowder?" Nightingale exclaimed uncontrollably.

"Well, that makes sense," Roland said, acting as calm as he could. "The militia is
just a bait to draw our attention. By presenting us with a false opportunity to
scramble ashore and capture the pier, Timothy will then ignite the gunpowder and
blow all of us up."

In his heart, he was not as calm as he appeared. This strategy was similar to the
landmine warfare of the past and was indeed a good plan. Though he saw through it
early, his troops would still need to land on shore�having made the choice to
travel by water, the pier was a necessary crossing, and it seemed that Timothy was
aware of this inevitability. He probably hoped to catch Roland by surprise by
setting up an ambush instead of fighting straight up. If Sylvie was not around,
there was a chance that Roland would have walked right into the trap.

The solution to this was fairly accomplishable. As Timothy did not have wireless
methods to ignite the gunpowder, he would have to deploy people near the barrels to
do the ignition. All that Roland had to do was to eliminate these people. In any
case, it was important to preserve the pier, or else he would not be able to
transport his cannons and ammunition on shore.

Through Sylvie's careful observation, Roland was able to pinpoint two places where
the ignition was likely to be carried out. One was situated in a shack on the edge
of the pier, as evident from a long iron pipe that connected it to the nearest
barrel. The other was situated in the pier's warehouse. The two places had a
similar feature - a shifting black hole formed by a God's Stone of Retaliation.

After some discussion with Iron Axe, Roland quickly decided the battle plan.

First, Nightingale would sneak into the warehouse, silently dispose of the ignition
crew, and guard the gate against substitutes running in and igniting the gunpowder.
Then, Roland would use the naval artillery to destroy the shack. There was no
problem even if it caused the gunpowder to ignite�so long as the pier remained in
good condition.

*******************

Leaning against a battlement on the west side of King's City, the Steelheart
Knight, Weimar, raised his telescope and observed the movement on the river.

The long and thin canal was like a strip of glittering gold ribbon which cut
through the brown and white plains, of which much of the accumulated snow had
already melted to reveal a vivid green that came from the sprouting of grass. This
was proof that earthly things were coming back to life. Such a view was always
pleasurable regardless of the occasion. The only things that did not fit the scene
were the billows of black smoke that drifted through the air directly above the
canal.

It's the fleet of the rebel king, Roland Wimbledon.

I never thought that he'd really dare to attack King's City.

Although Weimar felt that it was laughable, he also developed a hint of admiration
for Roland.

Ever since this capital city was built more than 200 years ago, it had never been
attacked. Once an enemy saw the towering and magnificent bluestone walls of the
city, the courage to attack would naturally fizzle away. Not everyone possessed the
audacity to fight when it was clear that the enemy held an absolute advantage.

At least, Timothy Wimbledon surely doesn't possess this courage.

While the person who does possess it is our enemy, unfortunately.

The knight was committed to his honor. As the Guardian Knight of King's City, he
was entrusted with the responsibility of defending it, and would have to fulfil his
duty until the very end.

"Sir, the rebel king's fleet is here!" A squire ran up to the battlements and
yelled.

"Hush, I saw it long ago." Weimar placed his telescope down and spat out some
saliva. "Convey my order that the 1st and 2nd Cavalry shall mount their horses and
await my command behind the city gate, while the mercenaries shall follow closely
behind the cavalries. Tell them not to piss their pants when the gunpowder
explodes. The oil boilers will also be set on fire, even though I doubt that the
enemy will be able to touch this side of the city wall."

The knights nearby burst into laughter at once.

According to the plan, after allowing the rebel king's platoon to occupy the pier,
flags would be raised along the city wall. At this time, the snow powder buried
near the pier would be ignited, which would be certain to disarray and damage the
enemy substantially. Then, the city gates would be opened for the cavalries to
launch their attack, ultimately delivering a comfortable victory.

"Those country bumpkins from the Western Region probably believe that King's City
is comparable to their grandest city, Longsong Stronghold. Just climb a ladder and
the city can be seized." The Ironfeather Knight, Scar, chimed in. "I think that you
can save the firewood and bring them home to burn."
"Just for precaution." "What a fool," Weimar silently thought, "even if things like
the boiling oil or the rolling stones aren't effective in battle, they must still
be displayed for His Highness' sake. Trying to be cheap just because the enemy's
too weak to break in�with this kind of mentality, he'll surely be kicked out of the
city's knightage by Timothy sooner or later."

He raised up the telescope once again, only to see the front most sailless ship
detach from the rest of the fleet and head towards the pier on its own. The top of
the ship billowed black smoke which could be seen from miles away, while there were
no paddles on either side of the ship. It was unclear to him how the ship operated.
But these were unimportant details. No matter how weird a ship was, it could not
come on shore and fight.

The sailless ship gradually reduced its speed and unhurriedly docked at the pier on
the opposite shore.

"What're they trying to do?" Scar raised his eyebrows. "Do they intend to alight on
the opposite shore? Don't tell me that 100 militiamen scare the rebel king?"

Weimar also felt surprised. Usually, when an enemy saw that the pier's defense was
paper-thin, it would try to capture the pier quickly. He opened his mouth to say
something, but just then, a blaze of fire lit up in front of the strange-looking
ship.

The orange-red flames seemed to create a new dawn.

Chapter 504: The Battle of King's City (Part 2)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

A few seconds after the flames blazed, Weimar heard a dull thunderous sound.

It came from a far distance away. Although its tone was not high, it was
nevertheless powerful. He saw that right next to the shack, a pillar of earth rose
up in tune with the sound.

"What just happened?"

"Was the snow powder ignited?"

"Doesn't seem like it. It seems to have been done by that ship."

"What a joke. It's about a mile away."

The knights were busy discussing among themselves. Weimar frowned and wondered.
"Could it be that... the enemy has noticed something strange about the ground?"

According to the intelligence gathered from various channels, the rebel king
possessed extremely powerful snow powder weapons which were superior in both range
and accuracy to anything the King's City blacksmiths were able to knock up. Hence,
from the beginning, Timothy had decided not to engage in direct combat, but instead
to use the snow powder barrels as ambush so that Roland's weapons would be rendered
useless. The things that released fire at the front of the ship were likely to be
enlarged versions of the weapons. They were able to load more snow powder and shoot
a more powerful projectile. The only issue was that they were much more difficult
to manufacture than handheld weapons. Already, despite Timothy putting all of the
city's blacksmiths to work throughout the winter, the devices they were able to
create were not even as good as trebuchets.
After a short while, the flames appeared once again, followed by the same
thunderous sound. This time, the earth pillar attached itself firmly to the shack
and flew up, causing mud to splotch all over the roof of the shack.

Weimar's guess was proven correct. Clearly, the enemy had conceived a plan to get
to the shack, which meant that they knew about the snow powder hidden near to the
pier! As such, Timothy's ambush tactic failed. Weimar quietly thought to himself,
"Perhaps they do have a chance to touch the city wall."

After this battle, it would become evident whether the snow powder weapons were
more powerful or the walls of King's City were sturdier.

Just then, a booming sound was heard from the battlements...

It was louder and more sonorous than anything the knights had ever heard, as though
thunder clapped right beside their ears.

A small hill began to arch upward in the space in front of the pier. Dirt and
stones were hurled into the air before smoke and fog burst out of the dirt, forming
a visible cloud-shaped gaseous mass. Violent quakes swept through the land, and in
an instant, the top of the city wall began to sway terribly. Weimar instinctively
crouched his body, but Scar suffered a foot sprain and fell to the ground beside
him.

After reaching its maximum height, the flying soil began to fall like torrential
rain. Yet, it did not make any noise when it hit the ground. Weimar's ears buzzed
for a while, and it took some time for him to regain his senses after the tremors.

Damn it, that fool didn't wait for the flag signal to ignite the snow powder!

The ground, which was originally flat, now looked as if it had been chewed upon.
Bumps and hollows were everywhere, while hot and white smoke emitted from the loose
black mud, filling the air with the smell of gunpowder.

Weimar leaned one side of his head out from behind the battlement. He saw that in
the distance, the fleet began to move once again. The ships formed a straight line
as they headed toward the pier. The decoy militiamen were either paralyzed on the
pier, or had dropped their weapons and fled in various directions.

"Who was responsible for the ignition?" Scar, who was angry from embarrassment,
held a guard by the collar and interrogated. "I'll wring his head off!"

"It was a person arranged by His Highness." Weimar snapped. "Watch the enemy
carefully. They're coming on shore any time now. Prepare to raise the blue flag."

"I hope the fella hiding in the warehouse will be able to complete his mission," he
thought.

However, there was no movement in the pier area at all, and the enemy's crews were
able to land the shore easily.

*******************

Allen Alba was busy maintaining his rapier when the thunderous booms sounded and
shook the earth. The violent explosions and tremors almost caused him to drop the
rapier out of shock.

Though he knew in advance that this would happen, he did not expect the sound of
exploding snow powder to be so loud and terrifying.

After all, it took place at least two miles away from where he was. "How does it
feel like on the scene?" He wondered.

Using his hands, he soothed his mount which had turned restless. Then, he kept his
rapier in its sheath and beckoned toward the cavalries behind him. "When the gate
opens, you'll follow my charge. Don't hold back your horses' energy. They have no
way to retreat!"

From the uncertain response he received, it was apparent that few among the
horsemen had recovered from the thunderous shock waves.

Allen cried out loudly, "This is a trap set by His Highness. The wrath of thunder
shall punish our enemies, not us! Gather yourselves; our enemies have nowhere to
run!"

"Yes..." The response this time was slightly more in unison.

The mercenaries waiting behind the cavalries were still in a dazed state. Allen
shook his head disdainfully. He had never taken these people seriously�they were
merely the back line responsible for cleaning up the mess on the battlefield.

After quite a long while, the city gate was still yet to be opened.

"What's going on?" He glanced toward the top of the city walls with suspicion. The
Steelheart Knight had not issued any new orders�however, as the charge could begin
at any time, Allen could not leave his position and inquire about the situation.
Time went by slowly. All of a sudden, he heard a dull and muffled sound which
seemed to originate from very far away. If he did not remember wrongly, it was the
enemy's signal to attack.

Did something go wrong with the plan? Didn't the snow powder trap cause the enemy
to disperse and flee?

Whew...

As Allen's anxiety reached its tipping point, he suddenly heard a strange wind
sound. Before he could gather his thoughts, the bricks beside the city gate split
open at once.

Ka-cha!

Stones and slags flew in all directions. He felt numbness around his waist and fell
off his horse stiffly. The startled horse even stepped on his thigh as it attempted
to flee.

The extreme pain caused Allen to howl. "Ahh, my leg...!"

"Captain!"

"My lord Allen!"

Two squires quickly gathered around him.

"Control the platoon, and stop them from running around!"

Allen shouted while trying to bear with the stinging pain.

The formation of the cavalries was in complete disarray. Nobody knew exactly what
was going on, and many rode on their horses as they tried to avoid the objects
flying through the air. Though the squires issued instructions as loud as they
could, it was difficult for them to take charge of the situation while this was
going on.

Allen tried several times to stand up but failed each time. Turning his head, he
was horrified to see that his thigh had twisted into an irregular shape, and was
badly ruptured and lacerated. His armor plate had deformed and tilted to one side,
while a dislocated white bone had torn through his flesh and trouser to expose a
small section with bits of tissue hanging on it.

Allen's heart began to turn cold. He knew that his career as a knight was
effectively over.

Just then, he heard the strange wind sound again.

This time, the city gate was where the change occurred.

Allen saw the two guards standing at the city gate instantly become enveloped by
large masses of debris, before flying pieces of wood and stone swept through them
like a swarm of bees. When the debris dissipated, Allen was astounded to see that
the upper bodies of the two guards seemed as if they had been sliced with sharp
knives. Fresh blood mixed together with their red-green innards and trickled on to
the floor. Behind them were another five or six horsemen heaped on the floor
unconscious. What had appeared to be harmless pieces of wood had turned into deadly
weapons and sliced through the bodies like knives. Even the pieces of stone, which
were only the size of a thumb, were able to penetrate the guards' helmets and
armors!

Furthermore, a gap of the size of a basin had appeared on the city gate, which was
nearly two feet thick. All these had happened while the enemy was still more than
three miles away!

"Demons, the enemies are demons!"

Out of nowhere, someone shouted something, and the scene, which was already
dreadful and chaotic enough, became even more disastrous.

The cavalries, which had been prepared for the assault, hastily turned their mounts
backward and galloped away. As they caught up with the fleeing mercenaries, they
trampled over bodies and created even more serious disorder. In the twinkling of an
eye, the situation near the west city wall had become completely out of control.

Allen had no more energy left to support his body. He collapsed on the floor and
looked towards the sky helplessly. The cries of panic from the crowd and the
continuous sounds of things breaking apart seemed to become more and more distant,
and his surroundings gradually became quieter.

He had one last thought in his mind.

It's so cold...

Chapter 505: The Battle of King's City (Part 3)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Meanwhile, Lightning, Wendy, Maggie and Hummingbird were executing the final attack
before the main offensive.

Because the main artillery of the battleships only fired solid bullets, they were
largely ineffective against the personnel and defense facilities on the city wall.
Hence, the witches aimed to destroy the first line of defense so as to puncture the
enemy's effective strength and open up a safe channel for the general offensive.

This was also the first time that the hydrogen balloon was used in battle.

Unlike the thousand-mile raid five months back, the balloon lifted off from just
beside the canal this time, allowing almost everyone to witness the ascent of this
colossal object. Under Roland's plan, the hydrogen balloon, which could move
anywhere without hindrance, was advanced enough to be used as a short-distance
bomber during this era. With the fleet behind it providing logistical support, this
earmarked the beginning of the generation of aircraft carrier combat.

Standing on the pier, the soldiers of the First Army burst into fervent applause.
They knew well that no enemy was able to resist an aerial attack and therefore
their wise and benevolent lord was certain to win this war.

Quickly, the hydrogen balloon drifted to the sky directly above King's City. From
its perspective, the majestic capital was only about the size of a palm. Lightning
pulled down her windshield goggles and gestured to Wendy to release the bomb. The
latter nodded back at her and pulled the mechanism.

Shortly, a bomb dislodged from its frame and fell towards the ground.

Another difference of this aerial attack from previous times was that Anna was not
onboard but was replaced by Hummingbird. Under the effect of the latter's sustained
magic power, the four carried bombs weighed only a fifth of their usual weight as
long as they did not detach from each other. This type of enchantment was a new
method discovered by Hummingbird while she was cultivating her mastery of magic
power. By maintaining the effect for a very short period of time, she could alter
the weight of multiple connected objects and reduce the expenditure of magic.

Lightning easily caught up with the bomb and guided it towards the mangonel
situated on one side of the city gate.

Halfway through the air, the young girl perceived the fear in the eyes of the
knights standing on top of the city wall. They raised their crossbows and
flintlocks, and fired towards the sky to shoot her down. However, she knew that it
was difficult enough for them to hit a bird flying freely in the sky, not to
mention that most weapons did not have sufficient range to hit her at her current
distance.

Subsequently, the bomb hit the mangonel right on, and following a huge boom, a
blazing red fireball lit up at once and swelled rapidly. The nearby guards were
unable to dodge it in time and were instantly devoured by the flames. As violent
blasts swept across the city wall, the oil boilers toppled and were quickly
ignited. The blazes followed the spill flow of the hot oil and ignited the
explosives that were placed at one corner. Explosions followed one after another,
destroying everything in the vicinity and filling the place with nothing but flames
and thick smoke. The knights, who were preparing for battle just a while ago,
hastily fled in all directions. Many lost their direction in the thick smoke and
fell straight down the city wall. Others floundered about in the sea of fire or
rolled on the floor to put out the flames on their bodies.

The top of the city wall had turned into hell on earth.
...

"Their defense line has collapsed," commented Sylvie. She was observing the billows
of thick smoke on the city wall, with a trace of pity in her expression.

"These people deserve it," added Nightingale, who was expressionless. "If we
failed, they would've become even worse."

"Someone has to pay the price in this battle. If it isn't them, it's us," Roland
opined, while pretending to be calm. He then beckoned to Iron Axe behind him. "Blow
the horn and order the seizure of this city."

He did not want to lament the
time. Above a fight for power
ideas and classes. Whenever a
stage quietly, but rather, it
bloodshed.
cruelty of war or expound the value of peace at this
or a battle for survival, this was a collision of
backward class was displaced, it would not leave the
needed to be sent off with a huge amount of

To Roland, it was always better that the blood was spilt by the enemies.

"As you command, Your Highness!" The latter bowed neatly and departed the ship.

Soon, the signal for the general offensive resounded through the pier area.

...

As a member of the Fourth Commando, Nail's target was to destroy the palace gate.

As the platoon entered the Inner City, its advance was abruptly impeded. Here, they
faced a strong counterattack from the enemy.

"Edgar's injured, carry him down quickly!"

"F*ck, where's the field artillery?"

"They are blocked off by debris and have to detour!"

"Prepare the weapons. These monsters are charging right up!"

Nail slapped his own cheek forcefully before he filled a cartridge with bullets and
handed it to a teammate in front of him. A volley of rifle fire sounded, puncturing
thousands of holes in the crazed people charging at them. Blood splattered all over
as they fell to the ground. Those who followed behind continued to pounce at the
commandos recklessly. They did not slow down even if their arms, abdomens or other
body parts had been struck.

These were certainly not militiamen. Nail felt his limbs become numb. The enemies
were wearing either half-plates or chain armors and wielded excellent weapons, with
everything from swords to crossbows. He had heard from the knowledgeable Jon that
only the king's guards possessed such a complete range of equipment. Unfortunately
for Jon, his knowledge was not able to protect him at last. During a previous
assault by the enemy, he was critically impaled by a bolt that was shot at him from
sideways.

Hope he can persevere until Miss Angel arrives.

"Retreat, the Fourth Commando, retreat!"

"The three squads are ready to fire!"

The veterans, with no concern about economizing their use of bullets, shot
precisely at their targets. In one breath, they emptied their cartridges and
immediately retreated to the back line, so as to shorten the time interval between
the suppression fires. Five commando teams took turns to shield the others along
the main street. This was the first time that Nail had seen this method of taking
turns to fire ever since revolving rifles replaced flintlocks.

However, their enemies did not attack from only one direction.

Suddenly, a platoon of crazed people leapt at them from a streetside house. Before
most of the veterans could turn their guns, the platoon was already in their midst.

Screams and curse were heard at once. Nail watched helplessly as a teammate was cut
into half by a red-eyed guard right in front of him. Although the guard was shortly
struck dead by the other teammates, Nail knew that this particular teammate could
not be resuscitated even by Miss Angel herself.

"Where are those bastard artillerymen?"

"Help me! Ouch... my legs!"

"Continue firing!"

As he heard his captain screaming instructions, Nail gritted his teeth and used his
sleeve to wipe off the blood stains on a cartridge. He picked up a gun on the floor
and reloaded it with the cartridge. Then, he aimed at an enemy who was tussling
with his teammates and pulled the trigger.

Although he was afraid, the trainings that he had attended reminded him constantly
that while facing a strong opponent, it was necessary to stick closely with his
platoon and make use of the team's collective strength in order to have a chance of
survival.

Just then, Nail heard the loud call of a support unit from behind him. "The
artillery battalion has run into trouble on East Street. Lord Brian has sent us to
assist you!"

"No matter who you people are, hurry forth!" The captain cried out without looking
back once.

The support unit pulled two carts up the street. Noticeably, the weapons equipped
on the carts were none other than Mark I type HMG. When their shooting positions
were fixed, the guns discharged long rows of fire at the new wave of charging
crazed army.

Chapter 506: No One Could Escape

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

In an instant, a cloud of dust and ashes sprang up from the street. As soon as the
"Crack! Crack!" sounds of shooting began, the enemies stopped dead in their tracks
and appeared to burst into plumes of blood. The dense hail of bullets seemed to
form an invisible wall that blocked the forward motion from the drugged soldiers.

"Nicely done!"

"Die, monsters, die!"

Nail clasped his hands in excitement. Sparks flew off the enemy's armor as they
were bombarded by the heavy machine guns. Compared with revolvers, heavy machine
guns were much more efficient and powerful. They were able to kill a man with just
a single shot to the head or chest, and they could easily cause severe injuries to
limbs as well. A revolver could barely stop someone from attacking. Best of all,
there was no interval between each shot of the heavy machine guns. The target would
likely be hit even if several shots missed their mark.

Strands of white smoke escaped from the muzzles of the guns and drifted into the
air after the sounds of shooting died down. Unable to compete with the heavy
machine guns, the crazed army retreated in a panic, leaving numerous bodies behind.
Those who sustained critical injuries from the bullets were lying on the ground
moaning and wailing, having completely lost their ability to fight, much less drag
themselves from harm's way. Nail caught sight of the terror in their eyes.

'Guns in the air!" The unit leader shouted aloud.

Thinking of the comrade who was violently slashed in half right in front of him,
Nail coolly raised his rifle without the slightest hesitation.

The army was finally able to march forward after the road had been cleared.

When the five commandos arrived at the palace gate, they immediately circled out a
shooting field as instructed during the training, while at the same time monitored
the movements on the streets. To prevent a pincer attack from the enemies, the army
responsible for taking the inner city was divided into three wings. Each wing would
march along one of the three main streets and serve as a flank for another. In this
way, the First Army would be able to defend against enemies coming from all
directions.

However, Nail noticed the real combat was far more complicated than the training.
The south street was devoured by the flames, and it was almost impossible for them
to pass. His own troops, on the other hand, were hindered by the crushed stones and
became scattered as the battle progressed. Meanwhile, the soldiers were overwhelmed
by the extent of the counterattacks they encountered, and they had completely
forgotten to watch for the flag signals from Miss Lightning. A commando that should
have belonged to his wing was missing, and gunshots could be heard everywhere in
the Inner City.

Fortunately, they were the first wing to arrive at the gathering place.

An hour later, the other wings trickled into the palace gate one after another,
slowly followed by the field artilleries.

The hot air balloon once again appeared above the palace. As the four bombs burned
the garden wall and the iron gate to the ground, the final storming of the
fortified castle began.

*******************

"Your Majesty, they're already at the palace gate. Please, run for your life!"
Osborne, the imperial bodyguard, urged in anxiety. "There isn't much time left!"

Timothy silently sat at the bedside in his bedroom, completely motionless. This was
exactly where his father had taken his own life many years ago. Now it appeared to
be his turn.

He had usurped the power of Prince Gerald, his biggest rival, by making him a
scapegoat for the death of King Wimbledon III, and he had thereby ascended the
throne. Within one year after becoming King, he had unified the Eastern and
Northern regions in succession, driven away Garcia, his third sister, and quickly
became the most powerful man in the country.

He had thought it would be just a matter of time before he occupied the Western
Region and unified the whole Kingdom of Graycastle. However, he had not expected
that the situation would suddenly take a turn for the worse. The turn was so sudden
and severe that he was caught fully unprepared.

First, the crazed army had failed its mission to attack and conquer Border Town.
Afterwards, the unexpected explosion had further shaken his confidence.

In a matter of three days, all of his advantages were gone.

When he received the message from Redwater City, he had never thought there would
be only three days to prepare. The snow in the Northern Region had yet to melt, and
it was still too early to start conscription since farmers were busy with the
spring plowing. He immediately sent a letter to the new Duke in the Eastern Region
for help, but it was likely that the Duke would just now be receiving the letter
and probably had yet to read its contents.

In the end, he was forced to fight against the enemies in haste. He had the help of
many well-trained fighters including knights in King's City, the mercenaries, the
patrol team, and the guards and squires of the nobles nearby. Nevertheless, to his
astonishment, the towering city wall that he had put so much faith in simply
collapsed on the very first day of the battle.

"Son of a b*tch!" Timothy suddenly picked up the candelabrum on the nightstand and
smashed it to the floor with all his strength. "You damn bastard... How can you
ever defeat me if you haven't colluded with the witches and surrendered to the
demons?!"

"Your Majesty..."

"Yes, the demons!" There was a tinge of dryness and tremor in his furious howl.
"The church is crap! They've promised to kill the witches, but instead they have
decided to just let Roland Wimbledon go! If it isn't the aid from witches, what
else has made his firearms so much more powerful than mine? What else has enabled
him to easily attack from above? I have far more laborers and alchemists, and I'm
hundreds of times wealthier than he is! There's only one possible explanation: The
demons in hell are helping him!"

Two explosions went off below the palace, and the glass windows started to rattle.
He could hear muted yelling outside. This was the sound of his guards' last
attempts to hold off the enemy.

"No, I can't die!" Timothy thought resentfully. "It would be too kind of me to
commit suicide now. My brother is the one that should go to hell."

"Let's get into the secret tunnel." He tried to stand up, but his legs were too
shaky to support his weight. The guard stepped in and grabbed his arm to steady
him.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Osborne was relieved. He carried Timothy on his back and asked
the guards at the door to join them. They walked toward the hearth together.

The secret tunnel had both a trap-door and a fixed gate. Once the fixed gate was
shut, the entrance of the tunnel would be blocked permanently. The underground maze
was filled with God's Stones of Retaliation and hidden traps. Due to the complexity
of the tunnel's structure, Timothy had not yet had a chance to fully explore it. It
was possible that the tunnel existed even before the construction of the palace.

When the group of six arrived at a large lounge area in the tunnel, Timothy ordered
that they halted and asked them to take a rest while they waited for a chance to
escape.

Although the tunnel had many exits, with the farthest one leading to the outer
city, it was still very risky to plunge into action in the broad daylight. Timothy
clearly remembered that Roland had a witch who could carry gunpowder to the sky.

The safest option was to wait until it was dark and quiet before exiting the
tunnel. Given that the tunnel was fully protected by God's Stones, it was
impossible for witches to sneak in.

"Your Majesty, since we won't set out until midnight, please take a nap here." The
imperial bodyguard took out a blanket from the chest and unrolled it on the ground.

Timothy lay down. His brows furrowed when he smelled the damp, musty blanket.
Feeling anxious and lost, Timothy could hardly fall asleep.

Where should I go next? The Northern Region or the Eastern Region?

There were nobles who supported him in both areas, and the dukes there were newly
assigned... However, would they still be obedient once they learned that King's
City had fallen?

Or... the church?

As soon as the idea of turning to the church for help crossed his mind, the thought
was stuck and would not leave. Anyway, all those great nobles were just hangers-on.
Even if they knew his brother was in collusion with the witches, they would still
knuckle down to Roland upon threats and duress, just as the nobles in Longsong
Stronghold. Yet the church... The church claimed that they would not tolerate a
single witch, and they would certainly not tolerate a noble who supported a great
number of them.

Although these church scoundrels were conceited and foolish, at least they were not
too stupid to condone the demons and allow them to spread their power in the
Kingdom of Graycastle so scrupulously.

If the church could support him, he would even be willing to sacrifice the kingdom
of his father's.

Until... Until he could send Roland Wimbledon to the guillotine and torture those
damn witches to death, he would never give up!

In the dim torch light, Timothy made up his mind.

After midnight, the group of people fled King's City via the longest passage of the
tunnel.

They exited the tunnel and quietly made their way through the outskirts of town.
However, they had yet to cover half a mile before the surrounding fields were
suddenly lit up by hundreds of torches!

"Your Majesty, run..." Osborne's words stopped abruptly on the tip of his tongue.
There was no need for any explanation at this moment. The enemies had apparently
planned out everything long before. They launched a perfect ambush and encircled
the six of them, blocking all possible exits through which they could flee for
their lives.

Timothy's heart turned cold. He knew there was no escape.

Chapter 507: The Wind-up

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Your Majesty, the road to the palace has been cleaned up, and the city is yours
now!"

Iron Axe exclaimed in excitement as he knelt before Roland.

The battle started yesterday and did not end until early this morning. After
entering the city, the First Army only spent four hours to complete their two main
missions, seizing the palace in the inner city and taking the great church in the
east. The next steps would be to clear out the enemies and eliminate Timothy's
resistance.

Roland glanced around and noticed that everyone was exhilarated. The soldiers in
the First Army and the witches were in high spirits. If he had made the official
announcement, they would have probably been cheering for victory, but he had not
yet. After Timothy's rule had been overturned, he was the King of the Kingdom of
Graycastle even without a coronation ceremony.

However, Roland felt surprisingly calm and peaceful.

This "magnificent capital city", the political and economic center of the Kingdom
of Graycastle, did not resonate with him, nor did he feel belonged to its soil. To
Roland, it was simply an ordinary city, even less developed than Longsong
Stronghold. The only thing that delighted him was that the chaos created by the
Royal Decree on the Selection of Crown Prince had finally come to an end. Now he
could concentrate on the development of his territory.

Having said that, it was still a victory, a significant triumph. Roland believed by
the time the news spread throughout the Kingdom, he would have built a greater
reputation and gained more booming authority in the country. Subsequently, he could
use his influence to recruit more talents and further the reforms. The plan for the
spring offensive that he had been preparing for the last four months was half
completed. The only territory yet to be conquered was the south. Roland looked
toward where Fallen Dragon Ridge and the farther Southernmost Region lay. That was
the territory he had to seize.

He took a deep breath, put the thought behind him. "Let's enter the city!" he
announced.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Iron Axe stood up with great respect and delivered his command
to the guarding soldiers who had been eagerly waiting for instruction. "Column of
Twos, protect your new King and advance!"

The soldiers raised their weapons in unison and shouted, "Long live King
Wimbledon!"

"Long live His Majesty!"

Roland stepped off the warship and set out for the palace.

...

There were few people on the streets when the army entered the city gate. Traces of
the fight could still be seen, more in the areas close to the palace than anywhere
else.

In the inner city, he saw property destruction, traffic barriers, broken limbs and
blood stains everywhere. Although the First Army was able to occupy the palace in a
short time, it was the most intense battle they had ever come across.

Roland's heart ached when he saw the ruins on both sides of the street. The
casualties were still unknown. However, there had been more than 20 soldiers'
bodies sent to the rear, despite the fact that Nana had come to rescue in a timely
fashion. If the little girl had not offered to help, the number would have been at
least three times higher.

When Roland entered the palace area, the guards knelt down. Two columns of soldiers
neatly lined up on their knees along the road leading to the castle. Such a scene
was rarely seen among the First Army, where military salutation was commonly
administered. Roland did not stop them. He could tell from their thrilled looks
that these people were not greeting him as a military member, but were paying their
respects to the new King as subjects of the Kingdom of Graycastle.

As Roland passed through the green castle garden, an old memory from childhood
suddenly struck him. Three blue stone edifices arranged in a triangular shape
surrounded the aquatic garden, it was where the Wimbledons had been living for
generations. On the left stood the Hall of Sky Dome where banquets and ceremonies
were often held. Unfortunately, it had been completely destroyed by a bomb, save
the ten soaring stone pillars. On the right lay the City Hall and the library, both
of which were guarded by the First Army at the moment.

In the middle stood the most magnificent Holy Temple of Double Towers. Its
structure was similar to that of skyscrapers in the modern world, with an oval
three-story podium building as its base. It was even bigger than the castle area in
Border Town. On either side of the podium building was a lofty tower. One tower was
shaped like a King's crown, the other a Queen's, both representing the supreme
power of the royal family. In the center of the double towers hung two crossed iron
cables, representing the two guns on the Kamon. Both the design of the architecture
and the theory behind it were masterpieces that could go down in history and remain
immortal.

Roland stepped onto the long spiral staircase and entered the Holy Temple. It was
strange that he knew every single chamber and hallway here, despite this being his
first visit. In the temple, aside from the armed soldiers, there was also a group
of fidgeting nobles. When Roland went in, they all knelt to greet him.

"Please rise."

Roland enthroned himself as a matter of course and surveyed them from above.

He caught sight of several familiar faces among the nobles:: Lauren Moore,
Treasurer; Bullet Flynn, Minister for Diplomacy; Pilaw, Minister of Justice;
Marshall, Director of Intelligence; Marquis Wyke, Prime Minister, etc.

These people used to work for King Wimbledon III, and some of their family
histories could even be traced back to the time when the Wimbledon family settled
in. When Timothy Wimbledon had succeeded to the throne, they had all pledged
allegiance to the new King. Now, they apparently planned to play the same trick on
him according to the usual practice.

Unfortunately for them, Roland did not need them.

This was not a negotiation but a trial.

"Timothy Wimbledon is suspected of the murder of Prince Gerald, treason, as well as

collusion with the church. He's now been taken into custody and will be subject to
severe punishment. Soon his conviction will be publicized and known by the whole
country. Do you want to say anything about it?"

"These are all capital offenses. I once tried to stop him but failed." Marquis Wyke
ventured first. "You've driven away a plague on the Kingdom of Graycastle, Your
Majesty."

All the other nobles chimed in.

"Really?" Roland sneered. "When he was committing these crimes, were you standing
with folded arms or holding a candle to the devil? Don't tell me that you tried to
stop him with your vain persuasions."

"Well..." The Marquis frowned. "Your Majesty, you don't know the real situation.
Timothy promoted a lot of his loyal followers, such as Lanry, Scar and Marquis
Morris, after he took charge. We could command neither the knights nor the
conscripted army."

"Yes, Your Majesty. That was indeed the truth."

"He didn't even try Prince Gerald before sending him to the guillotine." Pilaw
coughed while defending himself. "The executor was also a knight. We couldn't stop
him."

"So, you're saying that everything that happened this year had nothing to do with
you?" Roland despised these ministers even more. They were not handy assistants to
the King, but rather a group of bloodsuckers feeding on the benefits granted by the
royal family, only caring about their own interests. Perhaps, these aristocratic
ministers had been of great help to the King when the Kingdom of Graycastle had
initially been founded, but they had gone downhill in the past few hundred years.
"Well, since you insist on your innocence, let's play a game."

"G-Game?" All of them were taken by surprise.

"A 'trial game' where I question and you answer." Roland's eyes flitted across each
of the nobles. "There are ten questions in total. You'll be out of the game if you
lie. Remember, you only have one chance to answer each question."

Chapter 508: The Game

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Your... Your Majesty, I... I don't understand." Marquis Wyke wiped the sweats from
his forehead. "What... What do you mean by 'out of the game'?"

"Those who are out will either be hanged, banished from the kingdom, or sentenced
to heavy labor in the mines. Or, perhaps, all of their assets will be confiscated."
The prince explained airily. "The rules of the game conform to the royal laws. It's
fair enough."
"No, I've served the royal family faithfully since the reign of your father. You
can't..."

"But now I'm the king. I can do whatever I want." Roland interrupted him and
continued. "Don't panic. Those who have answered all of the ten questions correctly
will get promoted or rewarded. It'd be boring if there were only punishments and no
rewards, right?"

"I... can't accept this," said Sir Pilaw, shaking his head. "Those punishments
you've mentioned should only be ordered by the court. We can't take such serious
things so lightly. Your Majesty, I'm sorry I feel uneasy. Please allow me to take
my leave."

He turned around and tried to exit the room, only to find that the door had been
closed and that there were two expressionless soldiers now standing by the door.
They blocked his exit and would not budge.

"I'm not asking for your opinion, Sir Pilaw," said Roland, "and, if you insist on
quitting the game, I'm afraid I'll have to add one more punishment," he made a
gesture as if shooting a gun and added, "that is, to shoot you."

The frightened nobles opened their eyes wide and spontaneously stepped back a few
paces, while the soldiers around them lifted up their guns and calmly looked at
them.

"So, now, time for the game." Roland stood up and clapped his hands. "The first
question, did you get involved in the matter of forcing refugees to invade the
Western Region? Let's start with you, Mr. Prime Minister."

"..." After a moment of silence, Marquis Wyke said, "I did follow Timothy's order
to recruit refugees from the Eastern Region and the Southern Territory, but I did
not take part in the other matter you stated."

He felt Nightingale lightly pinch his right shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I told you that you'd only have one chance to answer each question
honestly." Roland waved his hand. "Take him down to the jail beneath this hall."

"Your Majesty, what I said is true..."

"No, you and I both know that you're still lying, even now." Roland promptly
rejected the Prime Minister's appeal. He watched him get dragged out into the
hallway and then slowly said to everyone, "If you're smart, you'll understand that
lying won't do you any good, because, I can tell whether or not you're telling me
the truth."

The nobles all stood with mouths agape, and no one dared to speak.

"If nobody volunteers to answer the question, I'll just call out names." Roland
looked at the Minister of Justice and said, "What about you? Sir Pilaw."

...

It had turned out just the way he had wanted. This was a trial.

He had to cut the Gordian knot by efficiently dealing with the nobles here in this
manner. As he also had to handle the situation with the area to the south of Fallen
Dragon Ridge, he could not afford to waste too much time here. The post-war city
management would be transferred to the personnel trained by the City Hall, and the
resistance they would meet was from the local nobles and Black Street gangs.

Given that he needed the city to smoothly get back to normal and that now there was
not enough time and energy left for a long screening, he held the trial to quickly
remove the guilty nobles who had worked in collusion with Timothy and to pick out
the clean, honest nobles to work with. As for the Black Street problem, he would
leave them to Theo.

After all, the purpose of the surprise attack was to prevent Timothy from using
ordinary people to wage a meaningless, long-lasting war. If he were to just step
away from the city after overturning Timothy's rule and leave the city in chaos, he
would be no different from their previous King.

He did not plan to absorb King's City into his kingdom, nor did he want to find
another agent to run the city for him. After a whole year of hard work and
development, he just did not have the strength.

No matter to act against the noble or the church, he had the ability to beat them.

"Now, the last question, have you ever bullied or oppressed the people, including
witches?"

After asking nine questions, less than 10 out of the over 50 still remained in the
hall. Such a high outing rate did not shock Roland at all, as he knew for sure
Timothy had already kicked the incapable ones out of the palace. They were the
people who either thought he usurped the throne or questioned the cause of King
Wimbledon III's death. However, what did surprise Roland was that there were still
seven nobles working in the City Hall who had nothing to do with either Timothy's
schemes or the church.

"Your Majesty, I'm guilty," said a noble, falling to his knees and sweating
profusely. "I've ordered my men to beat up a civilian because he smeared my
trousers with his feet. I failed to hold back my anger at that time and..., but I
just beat him. I did not kill him."

"I, I had a secret love affair with a shop owner's daughter, but she seduced me
first!"

"My housekeeper slept with my wife while I was out hunting. I cut off his penis
straight away instead of sending him to the court... But, Your Majesty, a
housekeeper doesn't count, right?"

Roland did his best to keep a straight face while hearing those various, funny
answers. Those trifles were not considered misdeeds or even mistakes by nobles
usually, but now they were apparently so frightened by the questioning that they
spat out all those things in fear that it would be regarded as lying.

After they had all given their answers, Roland cleared his throat and asked, "Is
there anything else?"

"No," the nobles said.

When Nightingale pinched his left shoulder, he finally nodded and said,
"Congratulations, you've passed."

The nobles were greatly relieved.

"I did say that the winners of the game would be rewarded... Trust me, I'll keep my
word, especially when there're so many vacancies in the City Hall, but I still have
one question." Roland looked at the two people standing at the back of the room,
who seemed to have never broken any laws since they hadn't said anything but "No"
in reply for every question and their answers were all approved by Nightingale.
"What're your names and positions in the City Hall?"

"I'm Alva Taber, Your Majesty," one of them replied, "and I'm in charge of the
issues related to the star image."

"Blanche Orlando," the other person, a woman, said, "I'm the ceremonial officer."

"That's the reason. People in positions like theirs don't get many chances to do
bad things... These two are indeed the only ones with clean hands in the City
Hall." Roland went back to the throne and said, "You can leave the palace now. I'll
send for you after I straighten up a few things with my family." He paused and
added. "My way of ruling will be very different from my father's and Timothy's.
You'll see that soon enough, and remember what got you through the game... Keep it
up. This isn't going to be the last game you play."

The nobles withdrew submissively and then Roland left the hall and headed to the
basement with Nightingale, thinking to himself,

"Time to meet my 'dear brother'."

Chapter 509: To Become a King

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The dungeon of the palace was a childhood nightmare for Prince Roland. The feeling
naturally came back to him as he was walking down the stone steps.

He started to search his memories and soon found the reason for this fear.

One day, Timothy invited Gerald, Garcia and little Roland to explore the basement
of the basement under the palace hall together. The 12-year-old Roland had been so
excited to finally get the chance to join their inner circle but had never expected
what would happen next. Timothy had stolen the keys from the guards, locked Ronald
into a jail cell and left with the other two kids while laughing.

Little Roland was left alone in the dark room. He had thought of the shrilling
cries he occasionally heard throughout the hall. A guard had once told him that the
cries were from wailing ghosts in the underground world beneath the palace. His
teeth chattered with fright but he had not dared to cry out loud since he had been
afraid of attracting the ghosts to him. At last, he huddled up in a corner, held
his knees and pressed his face against them, sobbing uncontrollably. When Timothy,
Gerald and Garcia returned to check how terrible he was, his face had been covered
with his snot.

After that, Prince Roland had been too frightened to step back into the basement of
the palace.

Roland now understood that the wails and shrills did not come from ghosts, but from
the prisoners being questioned and tortured in the basement. The jail could not
hold many prisoners which explained why little Roland had only been able to hear
them every now and then.

Roland met Timothy Wimbledon in a small cell on the bottom floor of the basement.
Compared with the jails in the Outer and Inner City, the place was pretty good. At
least, it was dry and clean, without rats, cockroaches or stinky smells. This was
the exact cell where the little Roland had been locked into and cried for an entire
night.

Ironically, now Timothy swapped positions with Ronald.

Hearing unexpected noises, Timothy, who sat silently against the wall, opened his
eyes and saw Roland.

This brother, that Prince Roland had feared the most in the past, looked almost the
same as before. Like all the other descendants of the Wimbledon Family, he was
gray-eyed and gray-haired. He resembled his father in appearance in that he wore
short curly hair and had his father's nose and handsome face. However, his long,
narrow eyes made his face a little ghastly, especially in the flickering
torchlight.

Prince Roland had never dared to look into his brother's eyes before, but now,
Timothy was just a helpless and defenseless stranger.

They looked at each other for a while during which nothing could be heard except
the burning sounds of torches. Finally, Timothy was unable to veil his gaunt face
any longer and gave up trying to overwhelm Roland with an aggressive attitude, for
he found that it was useless now. The look in Timothy's eyes changed, and somehow
he seemed to be terrified.

"Who the hell are you?" Timothy broke the silence.

His dry, emotional voice reverberated in the basement, from which Roland could
easily tell that his brother was scared. Compared with Tilly, Timothy had had more
interactions with Prince Roland and contributed a lot to his previous annoying and
fickle behaviors. He felt that it was natural for Timothy, who had known Prince
Roland quite well in the past, to spot something different in Ronald now and ask
that question.

"I'm Roland Wimbledon," Ronald said as he had squatted down until his face was
level with Timothy's and looked into his eyes, "You can't remember me?"

"No, you're not him," Timothy said in a trembling voice, "He could never look at me
like this. He dared not look directly into my eyes." He heavily panted and
continued, "I know... You're the real demon! You're not lured by demons. You're
evil incarnate, wanting to steal my kingdom!"

Roland did not even want to bother explaining anything to a dying man like Timothy.
Ronald said, "So what? You think you're better than the demons? You killed our
father, framed our innocent elder brother and then executed him to keep the throne
you stole. You collaborated with the church, who our father hated the most. You
compelled innocent people to invade the domain of Princess Garcia and you can't
even spare your weakest and most powerless brother Prince Roland. In only one year,
you conquered and destroyed so many cities, dragging the whole kingdom into chaos
and making the people homeless. Even the demons wouldn't do this!"

Timothy hurriedly refuted, "No! I didn't kill our father. He killed himself. Just
like you, he was controlled by demons!"

"Suicide?" Roland asked, frowning.

"Yes! He lay in the bed as usual and drove a dagger into his heart with a smile on
his face!" Timothy answered.
"Not the witches?" Ronald questioned.

"No, he wore God's Stone of Retaliation! Damn it..." Timothy shouted hoarsely and
added in a choked voice, "It just happened without any warning and I couldn't stop
it at all!"

Roland looked back at Nightingale who slightly nodded to him.

"It must have been an attaching magic witch. Once she performed her magic power,
she would not be affected by God's Stone," Roland thought, "And unlike witches from
other organizations, the pure witches of the church could possibly find a chance to
get close to the king." Prince Ronald quickly recalled an incident that happened
half a year ago when they were evacuating refugees. A witch tricked her way into
the camps to assassinate Wendy by her ability to change her appearance. Connecting
that incident to what had happened to King Wimbledon III, he thought the answer was
clear.

If the church was the creator of those incidents, it could also explain the reason
for the Royal Decree on the Selection of Crown Prince which clearly aimed at
creating wars and chaos. He still needed somebody to testify this speculation and
believed he would get something out of the High Priest of the King's City.

"But this can't be the justification of framing Gerald and expanding the war,"
Roland said in a deep voice. "You conspired with the church and used the Pills of
Madness to create crazed soldiers. Have you ever thought that how many people would
die of this?"

"Even if I didn't use the pills, who could guarantee that Garcia wouldn't use them?
If they recognized me as the legitimate king at first, why would I destroy them
mercilessly?" Timothy explained as he crawled to hold the railings. "And what do
all these have to do with a demon like you? How the hell do you want to deal with
me?"

"I want to expose your crimes, judge you and then send you to the guillotine.
You'll end up like Gerald, except that you're proven guilty of unpardonable crimes
for which even death penalty is not enough to serve the justice," Ronald said.

"No! You can't kill me. Demons like you can never stand in the light, since
powerful deities will wipe you out. If you want the Kingdom of Graycastle, you have
to rely on me." Timothy yelled.

"Deities?" Roland grinned. "You mean the church?"

"You don't know them! The church's hidden strength is unfathomable. There're
incredible things father had written down in his notes and they're the reason why
he could not make up his mind to banish the church in his life!" Timothy cried out.
"Pills are just one of their formidable methods. If they uncover your identity,
there'll be no escape for you!"

"No, Timothy Wimbledon. I know much more than you think I do and I've got a clear
idea of the road ahead. It's a hard road and you don't have the ability to lead the
people to a bright future," Roland said slowly, "Your life must end here for the
crimes you committed. But, relax, you aren't the only one who is going to hell."

With those words, Ronald stood up and walked out of the jail, leaving Timothy to
cry alone without even turning his head.

Chapter 510: The Flower of Revenge

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

When he entered the basement of the palace, Hill Fawkes felt his heart tremble, not
out of fear, but rather uncontrollable excitement.

The flickering flame of the torch seemed to dance for him, while his steps echoed
praises off the stone floor.

He never felt the dark, quiet basement could be so wonderful.

After arriving at the ground floor of the basement, Theo searched his body again.
He then patted his shoulder and whispered, "Go, and don't stay too long."

Hill nodded and walked excitedly into the darkness ahead... After a while, as he
passed through a darkened walkway and approached the cage, he slowed down so he
could fully savor this memorable moment.

He then saw the murderer who killed his wife,

Timothy Wimbledon.

At that moment, Hill covered his mouth, as his eyes were filled with tears...
Everything that he had done before was not in vain, and the outcome came earlier
than he expected.

"My wife would smile at this sight," he thought.

"Who... is it?" Timothy asked. He turned around, leaned against the rails, and he
desperately asked, "Is that you, demon... Did you change your mind?"

Hill came out of the shadows and paced to the cage.

Timothy was shocked and then became wary. He moved two steps back. "Who are you?
Who let you in? Where is Roland Wimbledon? I want to see him!"

This was the formerly haughty king.

Hill had only seen what Timothy looked like from a distance in the ascending
ceremony. At that time, he wore a crimson robe, a shining and noble crown, and he
held a golden scepter in his hand. Surrounded by the Knights of King's City, he
walked to the high platform step by step and accepted the coronation. Hill once
hoped that he would become a good king who would give everyone a stable life, but
the later raid tore the whole city, the acrobatic troupe, and the families apart.
As a result, all these expectations for the future disappeared.

Now, he finally felt the sweetness of revenge�it did not contain any pity for this
enemy or emptiness after success. Instead, all he felt was just sweetness and
happiness, which warmed his cold heart again... To his surprise, he found he
actually was fond of this kind of feeling.

"I'm Hill Fawkes, Your Majesty," Hill said as he bowed. "I'm a member of 'Dove and
Cylinder', and it's impossible for you to know me, but I know you."

"..." Timothy was stone-faced and speechless.

Hill did not care at all, however, and continued, "There should have been seven
members in this acrobatic troupe, but we lost a partner because of you. Since then,
the six of us left no longer focused on performing, but we hid among the Rats and
hotels to inquire about your movements. After that, we organized and analyzed the
information and sent it to Lord Roland." He paused, and then said, "By the way, we
told him about your plan of developing snow powder and impressing militiamen to
invade the Western Region. We also made the two saltpeter factories in the suburbs
close down and transferred them to other places."

"What're you talking about?" Timothy squinted and said, "A hidden traitor who is
proud of what he has done? A traitor who betrayed his king and reaped the benefits
of betraying his dignity? I don't know anything about the 'Dove and Cylinder' at
all. Stop your tricks, you lowlife!"

"Benefit? Betrayer? No... Your Majesty, I just followed my heart," Hill said
quietly. "That partner is my wife. She died in your witch-hunting campaign. In
prison, she was tortured and insulted, but the ultimate punishment for the murderer
was just 25 silver royals."

Timothy's eyes glittered.

"Do you remember now?" Hill spread his hands and added, "Although the City Hall
later gave three gold royals as compensation, it actually means nothing to me. My
wife will never come back. She was not a witch, but she died because of you."

After a while, Timothy said, "I didn't do it."

This rather weak answer was as sweet as honey. Usually, this response would have
been met by a sneer and a "so what?".

"At the time, Lanry, who executed the arrest, was your henchman. Even Steelheart
Knight couldn't stop him. I just wanted a fair verdict, but the court and the City
Hall rejected my appeal. There's no doubt that you were behind this..."

"No, enough! You lowlife!" Timothy could not help but roar, "Do you know what
you're doing? If that witch-hunting campaign only wronged your wife, what you've
done will ruin the Kingdom of Graycastle! Lord Roland? You idiot! Roland Wimbledon
has been dead for a long time! Your master is a real demon! You decided to serve a
demon just for a woman?"

"... Is that so?" Hill asked raising the corners of his mouth. "When I begged the
Gods, there wasn't any response. At that moment, I swore that as long as I could
get my revenge, even if he was a demon, I'd follow him to hell." He bowed with his
hand on his chest and said, "Goodbye, Your Majesty. I'm much honored to have aided
in your destruction."

...

When he returned to the basement's entrance, Theo nodded toward Hill. "Are you
satisfied?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, please take me to see His Majesty Roland," Hill said, as he
took a deep breath.

On the third floor of the palace, he finally saw the man whom he had served for the
past six months�Roland Wimbledon looked much kinder than Timothy. Although they had
the same gray hair and gray pupils, he did not have the arrogant temperament that
kept people at arm's length. He did not even... look like a royal nobleman.

"I'm very grateful for your undercover work in King's City," said Roland. Hill was
also surprised by his first sentence. "Thanks to your intelligence, I could prepare
everything to conquer King's City at the lowest cost."

"Don't mention it, and I was doing what was right..."

"Certainly, I know you did that for revenge. Timothy will soon have his due
verdict. Now that you have what you want, you can start a new life, but I hope that
you can continue to work for me." Roland got up, walked in front of him, and looked
at him. "There is still much to do to help the city restore stability and even
return to its past prosperity. For example, Rats need to be controlled, and the
restless noblemen also need to be watched, but Theo won't be able to cope with
these tasks alone. What do you think? The members of your acrobatic troupe and you
can work in a secret and formal position to protect the people of the city from a
similar tragedy."

"I'd love to, Your Majesty," Hill said and solemnly knelt down. "Even if you didn't
say so, I'd still follow you forever. You fulfilled what you promised before, and
now it's my turn to do so," he said slowly. "The rest of Hill Fawkes' life will
belong to you."

The flower of revenge finally bore its most delicious fruit.

Chapter 511: Whispers at Nightfall

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Nightingale lay by the window and watched the city under the night sky.

Dim shadows spread under the darkness and outlined the silhouette of King's City's
wall. Under the light, the three walls showed some minor differences. The nearest
palace wall was a light gray color, lit up by burning resin torches. At a glance,
it looked like a jeweled belt with overlapping areas of light and dark.

Far away was the inner city wall, which was gray mixed with black, and it looked
like a long snake that surrounded the city. Even after King's City had a new ruler,
the Inner City still kept its splendor. It was the first time that Nightingale saw
a place busier and livelier than Border Town. This short, yet fierce war did not
have any effects on the noble and the rich, so they still joyfully indulged
themselves at night.

However, beyond that, the sky was suddenly darker as if all the light was blocked
by the inner city's wall. The darkness covered everything including the most
splendid bluestone city wall, where Nightingale saw only some stones sparkle from
the moon's light. The Outer City just looked like most of the cities she had seen
before. These cities fell into silence after the night came. In the vast darkness,
the Inner City's light seemed a bit dull but it did not stop people from dancing
and singing. For some reason, Nightingale suddenly thought about how human beings
were cornered into this part of the continent, and the vast Land of Dawn was being
devoured by the darkness bit by bit. There were demons and evil beasts that lurked
about but most people had no idea and still partook in what little entertainment
they had.

"Phew, I'm beyond tired." Wendy's voice interrupted Nightingale's thoughts, as the
red-headed witch rubbed her shoulders and lay down next to Nightingale by the
window.

Nightingale asked, "Have they fallen asleep already?"

"Yes. They finally got tired after all the commotion they've stirred up today."
Wendy yawned. "I don't know where their energy comes from. They flew around on
hydrogen balloons the entire day and still they demanded to hear a story before
going to bed." Wendy finished.

"You should thank His Majesty for that." Nightingale laughed. "If he didn't punish
them to do three sets of exercises, I'm afraid they'd go out to explore the night
instead of listening to your story." Nightingale turned around to look through the
gap between the balcony and the bedroom and saw Maggie leaned over Lightning.
Maggie's white hair almost covered Lightning's entire body. "Those two seem to
really hit it off." Nightingale expressed.

Since the rooms in the royal palace were more spacious and each living room was
accompanied by two bedrooms. The witches that followed Roland on this expedition
lived in four-person rooms with each other. These rooms were the most splendid
places in the whole Kingdom of Graycastle. The carpets and bedding in the guest
rooms were all made of excellent materials, some of which Nightingale recognized,
like velvet and silk. Other things were made of materials she had never seen
before.

"Yes." Wendy also smiled gently. "I heard from Lady Tilly once that Maggie used to
turn into a pigeon and slept while squatted on the roof. Any little noise would
wake her and she only kept pigeon form to escape any possible dangers. Now, she
finally can have a peaceful sleep just like a normal little girl." She paused for a
while and then continued, her voice filled with emotion, "We're very lucky."

Nightingale did not answer her... She did not need to. All the Witch Cooperation
Association's witches who survived would feel the same way. When they struggled
between life and death, it was the Lord of Border Town who reached out to them and
promised them a new world. Now, not only did their sisters see hope, but they also
found that this new world was within reach. After the Holy Mountain, they pursued
for hundreds of years, became a reality, their gratitude and recognition could not
be expressed within a few words.

They fell into a long silence until the midnight bell ranged from far away, and
Wendy said, "Do you... want to go back and have a visit?"

Nightingale asked confused, "Go back to where?" She still was not fully awakened.

"Silver City, your hometown," Wendy pointed south and said, "It's only half a day's
journey from here. If you let Maggie carry you, it won't even take an hour. You,
you do have a little brother living there, right?"

Nightingale did not think she would bring this up, and after a little hesitation,
she shook her head and explained, "While we restore the city's order, there are
potential enemies everywhere. So I can't leave His Majesty now. Besides, when
everything in the Kingdom of Graycastle is settled, I'll have many opportunities to
visit Silver City. There is no hurry."

"I thought you'd emphasize that you've already removed yourself from the Gilen
family, just like you did in the past," Wendy said relieved, "You seem like... you
don't hate your little brother anymore?"

"Without his betrayal, I wouldn't have met you, let alone His Highness."
Nightingale smiled. "You always say to me, 'Getting rid of the past nightmares
doesn't mean separating yourself from the past.' Now I finally understand the
second half of the sentence. It's okay as long as I live a better life than
before."
"Well... it seems like a good proverb pieced together." Wendy raised her brow. "I
didn't know you had such literary skills."

"So I won't sneak out secretly, and you can go to sleep in peace." Nightingale
uttered as she held Wendy's hands. "It's late."

"Uh-huh." Wendy huffed as the two of them crawled on the big bed, and Wendy
summoned a slight breeze to blow out the candle. "Good night," Wendy mumbled.

Nightingale replied, "Good night."

After Nightingale was sure that Wendy was asleep, she got up from the bed, went
into the Mist, and walked to Roland's room.

Next, it was her time.

Darkness was on her side.

*******************

The next day, Roland received both good news and bad news from Iron Axe. The good
news was that after one night's interrogation, High Priest Ferry finally admitted
Hermes' plan of secretly replacing Wimbledon III and issuing the Royal Decree on
the Selection of Crown Prince.

The bad news was that the church had plotted this war for a long time, so they
could weaken the military potential of the Kingdom of Graycastle and occupy it more
quickly. They actually occupied many areas, like the two provinces in the southeast
of the kingdom. If Roland had not traversed time to become Prince Roland, this plan
would probably have destroyed the Kingdom of Graycastle already.

"Did you hear all of that?" Roland asked Theo, who stood beside him. "Go spread the
news, especially about the church's true intentions and Timothy's collaboration
with them. The more details you disclose, the better. I want every citizen of the
city to know what they have done."

Theo answered, "Yes."

Then Roland turned to Iron Axe and ordered, "Send out another paddle ship to bring
Barov and Kyle Sichi here."

Iron Axe seemed embarrassed, which was uncommon for him. "It's no problem to fetch
the director, but the chief alchemist... Will he really agree to leave the lab and
waste his precious time on the road?" Iron Axe questioned.

"I'll write to Kyle." Roland frowned. "There's a saying that if you don't come back
and visit your hometown when you get rich, it's like wearing a black suit in the
middle of the night. What's the point if people can't see it? When a man learns
impressive skills, he shouldn't mind showing it off. When Kyle was in Redwater
City, he always competed with the Alchemist Workshop in King's City. As they say,
two of a trade never agree. Now Kyle has a chance to beat his rival, so I don't
believe that he won't come."

This is also a good opportunity to enlist all the alchemists in King's City in one
swoop and make them serve me."

Chapter 512: An Old Friend and a New Friend

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

There was no doubt that King's City was a huge treasure trove.

Although it was a rather backward city, and those magnificent buildings meant
nothing in Roland's eyes, it was still the most brilliant pearl in the Kingdom of
Graycastle.

In terms of population, the number of noblemen here far exceeded that of other
cities�the first thing anyone who lost their rank and land would do was to come to
King's City to seek new opportunities. If landless nobles and knights canonized by
the royalty were counted, then the population was even bigger. For example, nearly
20% of the citizens in the Inner City were noblemen. Most of them received primary
education and could read and write, making them all potential officials who
deserved training in Roland's eyes. After all, without land and property, they
would not resist the new policy too much, and their excellent insight would allow
them to accept new things quicker.

In terms of industries, King's City also hosted the best men of all trades. Besides
the merchant and craftsmen unions, it also had the biggest alchemist association
and the only astrologer association. Roland coveted these talents and summoned
Barov and Kyle Sichi to utilize these men as much as possible.

In terms of wealth, the value of all the collections in the palace was ten times
that of Duke Ryan, with gold royals, jewelry, and golden handicrafts filling up
several storehouses. This, combined with the properties of the other ministers who
fell from power along with Timothy, totaled an astonishing number. If their
properties were all confiscated, then the City of Neverwinter would be well taken
care of for two or three years. However, Roland did not plan to take away all of
the treasures, since it would waste too much time. Besides, he would need a lot of
wealth to take over King's City and maintain its stability. Neither keeping the
money stacked up in the basement nor using it freely was meaningful, so it was best
to circulate it.

If possible, Roland would love to spend half a year to process all these resources.
But compared with King's City, which lay far in the middle, it was more important
to take Fallen Dragon Ridge and the Southernmost Region, which lay next to the
Western Region.

Soon after Iron Axe left, one guard reported, "Your Majesty, outside the palace, a
businesswoman called Margaret wants to see you."

Roland's eyes lit up. "Bring her to me."

When the businesswoman walked into the hall, he smiled and arose from his seat to
welcome her. "We finally meet again."

"I didn't expect we would meet in the palace of the Kingdom of Graycastle this
time." Margaret raised her hem and curtseyed to Roland. "You always surprise me,
Your Highness... no, now I should call you Your Majesty."

"It doesn't matter, the enthronement hasn't been held, so I'm not the king yet."
Roland waved his hands.

"You're not anxious about this, and you do behave in a kingly way." Margaret
covered her mouth and smiled. "From now on, there will be business opportunities
everywhere in King's City. As an old friend, you should take more care of me."

"Of course, even if you didn't come to me, I'd find you." He laughed openly. "You
may not know this, but Border Town and Longsong Stronghold are going to be
integrated into one big city. The steam engine company has opened several more
production lines, and the yield will triple. It'll also produce more new
commodities, and I promise they'll be unparalleled in the Four Kingdoms."

"I've already seen how creative you can be, so we can talk about these things later
in great detail." Margaret nodded. "But that's not why I'm here today. I want to
ask another favor from you."

"Oh?" Roland asked with great interest. "Tell me."

"Could... we move to another place to talk?" she glanced around the room and asked
quietly.

"If the Chamber of Commerce's financial resources can't solve this problem, and now
we have to be secretive about it... Has she really encountered so much trouble?"
The prince thought for a moment. "Then let's go to my study."

...

The study, located on the top floor of the Tower of Crown, belonged to King
Wimbledon III originally, and it was also where Prince Roland wanted to be the most
when he was a child�this was the only place where he could see his reticent father.
However, the reason that Roland picked this place was only that it was too high to
have any secret passages, and there was only one set of winding stairs leading to
the top of the tower, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

"Can you talk about it now?"

There were only him and Margaret left in the room, plus Nightingale, who had
already hidden herself.

"Sorry, Your Majesty, I swore to someone that I'd tell this to only you..." She
bowed respectfully. "Thunder wants to see you."

"Thunder?" Roland was shocked. "You mean the most famous explorer in the Fjords?
Didn't he... just die in a shipwreck?"

"A real explorer may believe in the three gods, but he wouldn't go to them so
easily." Margaret shook her head. "He doesn't want to reveal his whereabouts,
especially to Lightning, which is why I need to tell you in secret. Thunder had
planned to contact you through Tilly, but he didn't expect that you'd occupy King's
City so soon, so he changed his plan at the last minute." The businesswoman halted
for a while. "He also said that he found some unbelievable things in the east of
the Shadow Islands that you'd definitely be interested in, and that they may have
something to do with the ruins from hundreds of years ago."

"Wait... is he in King's City now?"

"Yes, he arrived here yesterday. He made this decision after meeting with me."

"You don't seem surprised by his coming back from the dead." Roland was surprised.
"Have you known about it for a long time?"

Margaret nodded.

"So the reason that you came to Border Town to do businesses the first time wasn't
that I sent the guards out, but to find Lightning, right?"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this from the start," she said while holding her hand
to her chest. "Lightning wore a Magic Stone, so Thunder could find where she was.
He sent me there just to make sure that she was safe. After learning that Lightning
was settled in your domain, he decided to hide his information to keep his daughter
far away from being an explorer."

"That's it." Roland understood it instantly. "I didn't ask for more details about
Thunder's death at the time, and Margaret did speak the truth in some sense, so
Nightingale couldn't detect her lies but could only tell that she had no bad
intentions towards witches. So there was a reason for this 'coincidence'. Without
Lightning, my steam engine trade wouldn't have found business routes so quickly."

"Now King's City is still a mess, so I can't leave the palace," Roland said, after
a minute's consideration. "If Thunder wants to meet me, you can bring him here. I
promise I won't divulge his information to Lightning."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Margaret looked very grateful and she
bowed again. "I'll deliver your reply to him as soon as possible."

Soon after the servants sent the businesswoman away, Roland heard his guard's
report when he got back to the hall. "Your Majesty, a nobleman outside the palace
claimed to be your old friend and made a fuss about coming inside."

It surprised him a little. He knew the lower noblemen who were not influenced by
the spring offensive would come here to snoop, but he did not expect they would
come so soon. Logically, they should have waited to see the policy trends, and they
should not come forward so proactively before Timothy was beheaded... He also used
to be a prince, so how could he be on good terms with a lower nobleman? "What's his
name?"

"Sir Yorko, Your Majesty."

Chapter 513: "Magic Hand" Yorko

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Pfft... ahem." Roland almost choked on his own saliva. A pale-looking, slightly
oversized man with stubby fingers and a curly Mohawk appeared within his mind.
Roland had almost forgotten about him, but he quickly realized who he was once the
name was mentioned. His appearance was as clear as if they had parted just
yesterday.

The visit was not a surprise; Prince Roland had once been so close with Yorko that
he would have given him the shirt off his back. Prince Roland had been out of his
mind and was self-loathing after being fiercely rejected by Tilly, realizing that
he would never fit into Gerald, Timothy and Garcia's circle. Yorko's appearance was
basically his salvation. Not only did he bring Roland along to the brothel,
allowing him a taste of the pleasures of a noble, but he also introduced him to a
gang of evil associates to boss around, giving him the prestige that he would never
have in the palace. Even though these things were not righteous, he had been Prince
Roland's best friend, at least at that time.

Roland wanted to reject Knight Yorko, but these memories made him realize that he
would not do that if he were still Prince Roland. Not to mention that he needed
someone to attract the rest of the nobility to serve him. After a little
contemplation, he finally decided to meet the popular "Magic Hand" of King�s City.

"Bring the knight to my study," he ordered, "and remember to confiscate his God�s
Stone of Retaliation."

...

Returning to the Tower of Crown, Roland soon met the "old friend" he was waiting
for.

"Oh my God! Your Majesty... I didn't expect you to come back so quickly and defeat
your demon older brother so easily!" Prince Roland used to address his siblings as
a clan of demons, and Yorko had gone along with this statement in private. His
image was very similar to what Roland could remember. Yorko dashed forward and gave
Roland a warm hug as soon as he opened the door and walked into the study.

Roland reluctantly patted his back like he used to and said, "I didn't expect you
to come so soon either."

Despite the fact that Yorko�s average appearance did not relate to his title of
"Casanova", his round chin always gave people a sense of inexplicable intimacy.
Considering his neatly-shaved beard, the clean-as-a-pin attire, the perfect smell
of his cologne, and his legendary techniques, it was no surprise that so many
ladies fell for him.

"I'm different from them! Those cowards are still worrying about Timothy's
remaining power, but I know that you would never let him off so easy!" Yorko
grinned and asked, "Since you're back, would you like to have a drink tonight at
the Golden Lane? Do you want me to make an appointment with Mrs Rother or Miss
Kingfisher? Ever since that one-night stand, they've been missing you."

Roland suddenly felt a chill from behind his back, an ice-cold gaze pierced through
his body, casted directly towards Yorko.

The knight felt the change too. His voice abruptly ceased, and he started to look
around in doubt. "How come it suddenly got so cold in here?"

"What one-night-stand? I had nothing to do with them," Roland immediately objected.

"Whatever they're feeling has nothing to do with me!"

Even if it did, it would only have something to do with Prince Roland... It was
totally different from his true self, so what he said was still the truth.
Nightingale should not be able to tell the difference.

As expected, the chilling sensation reduced drastically following his response.

"Oh? Is that so?" Yorko stroked his chin, "But you obviously spent a night with
them!"

"It was way past curfew time, and I wasn't able to return to the palace. Otherwise,
I would have had to sleep on the street," Roland emphasized. "Anyway, I didn't do
anything that night, understand?"

There was a glimmer of doubt on Yorko's face, but his initial smile soon returned.
"Well in that case, forget about them. Let's meet some new ones today. You probably
have no idea, but a classier brothel opened up right opposite the Golden Lane. I
heard that the quality can be compared to private reserves of the nobles, and they
only allow entry by invitation. I haven't had a chance to try it out myself yet.
I'm sure there'll be no problem for you. What do you think?"

"No, I'm not going anywhere at night. I'm staying in the palace. "
"Oh, I understand," Yorko raised his brows and said. "There are quite a few
beautiful attendants in the palace as well, so you should enjoy them first. In that
case, I'll teach you my famous skills so none of them will forget about you." He
sighed and said, "You used to be so eager to learn from me, but I thought it would
be useless for you back then, even if you mastered the stunt. Now that you're about
to become king, I'm afraid you'll have more lovers than I do. So, the stunt should
be able to come in handy for you. After all, human energy is limited."

"Stop." Roland was close to covering Yorko's mouth with his hand. He dared not let
Yorko continue. It was utterly a complete collection of dark histories. He did not
want to bear the responsibilities of the awful things Prince Roland had done,
especially not in front of Nightingale. "Listen, friend... I'm different now."

Yorko was stunned, but replied, "Of course. You're now the king, Your Majesty..."

"I don't mean that," Roland interrupted, "but you can also interpret it that way.
As a king of the country, I definitely can't be as ruthless as I used to be,
understand?" He recalled Prince Roland's way of intimate conversation, hooked his
arm around Yorko's neck, and said, "Speaking of which, just tell me what you have
in mind. I don't believe that you came here, simply to reminisce about the past.
You don't have to hide anything from me."

As expected, Yorko laughed and said, "In that case, I'll be straightforward. Your
Majesty, can you please grant me an official position?"

"What?"

"What about making me your minister? I don't need to be in a key position, such
Treasurer or Minister of Justice. Just let me manage the patrol team, like
Steelheart Knight." He patted his bulging stomach and said, "I can assure you that
the Rats would be obedient under my watch."

Roland could not help but silently roll his eyes. How dare he mention that? The
reputation of King�s City would be ruined if he held the Minister of Defense
position. He would bring the patrol team to fool around and summon the men to beat
up other Casanovas if he had any conflicts. It was scary to even think about it.

However, it could be good publicity if Yorko was given a suitable position. He

would have a chance to be promoted during the throne alternation as long as he was
willing to serve Roland. After all, Yorko had a clean background; he basically did
not have any bad habits other than the fact that he could not control his sexual
desire. The key question was what kind of position was suitable for someone like
him.

Roland contemplated for a while and said, "I see. There's no problem with granting
a simple official position, however, I'll still have to discuss the specific
details with the City Hall. After all, it's an official job." He patted the "old
friend" on his shoulder and said, "I'll send someone to inform you after I decide."

Chapter 514: The "Hypothesis of the Spirits"

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Nightingale appeared from behind him once Yorko left the study.

"Who are Mrs. Rother and Miss Kingfisher? What's the famous stunt?"

"Uh, this is a really tough question to answer." Roland walked towards the window
and pretended to be contemplating, but he was actually preventing Nightingale from
seeing his expression. "Just two ladies whom I was acquainted with. I don't know
them very well, and I don't even know their real names. This is the way of
interactions among the nobles. They're always hypocritical. Everything's simply for
show most of the time and they forget all about it after that."

"But he said both of them are missing you dearly."

"Ahem... about that, they're not missing me, but my gold royals, status, and power.
After all, I was still a prince back then. So they lost contact with me after I was
assigned to Border Town. They would not be so cold to me if they really missed me,
would they?"

Nightingale could only differentiate the truth of the statement, but she could not
directly determine the truth of the matter. Thus, Roland decided to use the art of
misleading and dispelled Nightingale's doubt with winding statements. Not to
mention that he indeed had nothing to do with this nonsense, so he was not at all
stressed about it. "Regarding the famous stunt... It's a little bit more
complicated. Simply put, Yorko can make a woman fall for him with the skills within
his hands, as he is named the 'Magic Hand'. I used to be curious because I knew
nothing about it, but I don't need any of these skills now, do I?"

He turned around and looked at Nightingale. However, she quickly avoided the eye
contact, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "I, I guess," she said.

"Phew... I should be safe now." Roland silently sighed in relief. Even though he
could always ask Nightingale to wait outside in the beginning, it would not only
hurt her trust but also put him in potential danger. After all, Sylvie was still
inspecting the entire palace, and the gem list was still missing; it was better to
be safe than sorry.

...

After dinner, Roland finally got to meet with Thunder, the great explorer from the
Fjords.

His body was solidly wrapped up, with his head in a hood and a gauze wrapped around
his neck. The guards would probably not have let them pass with the way he was
dressed if Nightingale had not personally picked him and Margaret up.

Thunder took off his coat and gauze after creeping into the study. He respectfully
bowed to Roland and said, "I�ve heard of your name from Margaret and Her Highness
Tilly a while ago. My respected Roland Wimbledon, Your Majesty, thank you for
taking care of Lightning."

"I'd like to thank you for taking care of Tilly as well," Roland excitedly
answered, observing him from head to toe. "I heard that you've helped her a lot
since she moved to Sleeping Island."

Thunder had the typical short blonde-colored hair of Fjords locals, just like
Lightning. He was brown-skinned and had a stocky body, rugged-looking appearance,
and thick sideburns that were conjoined with the stubbles covering half of his face
and his chin. His tone was full of energy, and he clearly spent most of his time on
the sea. He was completely different from when he first walked into the room
without making even the slightest noise.

"Don't mention it. She was a great help to my adventures. If it wasn't for her
help, I'm afraid that the fleet would have been limited to exploring the Shadow
Islands." Thunder smiled and said, "And, of course, I wouldn't have been able to
reach the sea that I've never seen before and witness the existence of Sealine."

"Sealine?" Roland curiously asked, "What's that?"

"A wall that's formed by the sea water that still allows the boats to cross over
freely." Thunder narrated what he had seen in detail. "It's also what brings me
here."

Roland was shocked to hear that sea water could overcome gravity and form into
ladder-like height differences, allowing boats to sail vertically upwards and cross
over smoothly. It sounded incredible! He felt a great wave of emotion in his heart;
it would be difficult for him to believe any of these if he had not heard them from
the most famous explorer, Thunder.

It implied that the gravity here was distorted, forming a unique gravitational
field. However, Roland was not able to make any conclusion at this time, as the
principle of gravity formation was still unclear. Since magic power was everywhere
in this world, he could only guess that perhaps magic causing the formation of
Sealine.

However, he could faintly feel in his heart that the answer was more profound than
he could imagine.

The planet looked very similar to Earth at a glance, so he quickly referred to the
theories he learned as scientific enlightenment and guidance. This was not a
surprise, since the existence of human beings and carbon-based organisms led to a
rough judgement: The law of substances here was basically similar to the previous
universe.

It was not metaphysics. The existence of life could be traced back to the speed and
direction of atomic spin; it was so precise that none of the machines in the world
could be compared. Any change in the constants would cause life to fall apart. Just
like a wise man once said, "Life is just like a set of flush in hand, so it'll no
longer be there once the cards are shuffled."

He even speculated that the past world might also contain magic, but it had never
been discovered due to the lack of witches as terminals.

"I heard that you can make steam-powered boats without sails that are faster than
any sailing ship," Thunder continued after Roland completely processed the news.
"Therefore, I'd like to ask for your help to build such a ship for me, so that I
can sail against the current and the sea wind. Money is not a problem. Please feel
free to state your price."

Roland said after a while, "Regarding this matter, gold royals are indeed not a
problem... No worries, I'll put the best technology into the ship construction and
charge you only the cost of production."

"Your Majesty, no, you don't have to..."

"Listen. It's no longer your personal matter. Exploring the unknowns of the world
is as significant as changing the fate of mankind," Roland interrupted and said.
"I'll fully support your adventure with only one condition�remember to update me at
once with any new discovery."

The discussion of the follow-up details continued for another half an hour.
However, Thunder probably noticed that it was very difficult for Roland to settle
down and concentrate, so he left after setting the next appointment time.
Afterwards, Roland continued to sit in front of the desk, frowning and feeling
unsettled.

"What's the matter?" Nightingale anxiously asked. "You look pale."

"Nothing..." Roland shook his head and sighed. "I just have a bad feeling about
this."

"What feelings?"

"Do you know about the spirits?"

"Uh, do you mean those tiny, glowing, heavenly individuals that could bring
moisture and recovery to all things on earth in the epic biography?"

"No, I'm talking about the creatures with pointed ears and human-like bodies, who
are elegant, long-lived, and generally prefer to live in the forest."

Nightingale contemplated for a moment and said, "I've never heard of them."

"I've only read about them in a storybook," Roland slowly explained. "These
fictional species basically spread their footprints through the entire continent.
However, they were forced to hide in the deep forest after the rise of mankind,
putting them on the verge of extinction. As intelligent as they were, they were far
less in number compared to the latecomers. Facing the Coalition of mankind that was
a hundred times larger than they were, the spirits appeared to be totally
defenseless, trapped themselves within the deserted mountains, and became
increasingly outdated. Their technology was eventually taken over by mankind, and
they ended up as pets... What do you think?"

He continued without waiting for Nightingale's answer, "We're just like the spirits
now."

As a member of mankind himself, Roland had totally neglected this, but now he
shuddered at that thought. Although mankind was indeed a thriving race comparing to
the spirits, it did not mean that they would always thrive the most among the
intelligent creatures. Nowadays, mankind was actually the minority, and they were
at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. They were trapped by the demons in a corner
of the continent and were totally oblivious to the outside world.

He decided to fully support Thunder in exploring the new maritime space for this
reason as well. If mankind was not more foresighted and did not actively assess
their situation within the world they were in, they could only be eliminated like
the spirits.

"Both Battles of Divine Will wasted nearly a thousand years. Hopefully, it's not
too late for all this," Roland thought to himself.

Chapter 515: The Magic Painting

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Good morning, Miss Soraya!"

As Soraya stepped into the bicycle factory, Jilly came up and said, "You're so
early."

This made Soraya feel a bit embarrassed because she had stayed up late last night
playing Fight the Landlord with Mystery Moon and Lily which made her wake up half
an hour later than usual. When Wendy was not around, everyone became slightly lazy,
of course... except for Anna and Agatha. Whether it was work or learning, they had
always set a great example for the other sisters, especially Agatha. She always
arrived early and stayed late.

Soraya asked Jilly, "Is the material ready?"

"Yes, please follow me," Jilly replied

As a student in the first graduating class, Jilly became Soraya's assistant after
graduation. Her main job was to inform Soraya of her daily schedule. A year ago,
Soraya would have never believed that ordinary people and witches could work
together in harmony.

"Are those the finished bicycles?" Soraya asked since she suddenly noticed that the
factory was a bit different today. The steam machine was not in operation and
everyone stood around and stared at a row of brand-new vehicles.

"Yes, these are the first batch of products," Jilly said with a smile. "20 bicycles
in total. It's not easy to make, especially the chains and wheels. The rate of the
finished products was less than 50%." She finished.

"It's not easy indeed," Soraya thought. The factory was built last autumn, but
since then, it had experienced all kinds of difficulties, such as the equipment not
being ready, a serious shortage of human resources and so on� It was clearly less
prioritized when compared to the steam assembly plant and chemical plant next door.
Both of the neighboring plants operated in three shifts and people were working at
all times. However, the bicycle factory only operated during the daytime. Once,
even Jilly complained that her friend, who had worked for the chemical plant, had a
salary three times more than hers, but she had never seen a single bicycle made.

Now Jilly finally obtained a bicycle of her own.

As Soraya walked into her office, she saw that the ground had already been paved
with a layer of white paper that was about 40 square meters. The white paper made
the floor look as if there was snow on the ground.

"Sorry to disturb you, the part we need to process today is the inner tire," Jilly
explained to Soraya and then bowed.

"Okay," the witch nodded and said, "You may go on with your work."

"Well, please call me if you need any help." She laughed. "I'm just around the
door."

Seeing Jilly leave excitedly, Soraya knew that she could not wait to ride the
bicycle.

Soraya smiled and shook her head as she took off her shoes and stepped on the tiled
paper floor.

Soraya usually painted the inner tires, outer tires and bicycle frames based on the
demand of the bicycle factory. Soraya's painting speed was faster than the
factory's production speed, so there were a lot of such things in stock. Given that
magical powers grew every day, it was a waste not to use it, so Soraya came to the
factory every three days to finish her painting tasks.

She recalled the color the inner tire should be painted and lifted her hand to
summon the Magic Pen.
As a film material that contained gas, it must be light, soft and ductile enough
and could be fused at high temperatures. From past experiences, she chose shaving
coating method for it. After hundreds of tests, she found that sky coating was too
flexible and ripple coating too thermal-resistant. When she was collecting raw
materials, she noticed the wood shavings left by the carpenters and finally found
the ideal painting materials.

Unlike Lucia, she was unable to break down materials into elementary substances and
then mix them at any proportion. She had to understand the materials'
characteristics by painting it out and she was unable to remember thousands of
materials and their properties. Therefore, the simplest way for her to remember was
to make a color card. She would choose the appropriate coating from the color card
when needed.

Of course, as the paint used for the inner and outer tires were common, Soraya was
able to draw without referring to the color card.

The Magic Pen gradually widened to six meters as Soraya was standing at the center
of the brush. Actually, the magic pen could expand at most to ten meters, but in
that condition it could easily get out of control. So, she would rather spend more
time drawing with a smaller brush to ensure the quality.

...

Within two hours, the 40 square meters of paper was coated with a layer of wood
shavings. Of course, the paint was not real wood shavings. It was just like her
steel painting was not real steel, but a material that was breakable like glass. A
thing could never be extremely hard and extremely ductile at the same time.

Inside the wood shavings, Soraya engraved her name as a signature. This is a
tradition among artists. Initially, Soraya signed at the lower right corner of the
coating, but later, she found out that after the coating was cut, her name would
only appear in one inner tube. So, she decided to sign everywhere. By doing so, no
matter how the cutting was, people could always see "Soraya's work". At first,
Soraya panicked when His Highness noticed it. She thought she would be punished,
but instead, his Highness praised her as a watermark inventor.

Although she did not understand the meaning of watermark, Soraya still felt happy
for a few days after being praised by His Highness and decided to continue to sign
her name on her work.

After the painting was completed, the next process was to burn the paper at one
side of the coating to obtain the raw materials for the inner tire. It then would
be sent to the cutting room to be cut into strips which would be welded into tires
by hot iron. All these tasks were performed by dedicated workers, and Soraya just
needed to prepare the raw materials for them.

The painting she made today almost consumed one third of her magic power and
reminded her of the importance of training. Training would greatly upgrade her
magical powers. In the past, this workload would make her exhausted, but now after
she said goodbye to Jill, she still had energy and power to go to the North Slope
Mine alone.

After entering the mountain, there was a sentry stationed almost every 100 meters
as well as a bunker and watchtower set up at the entrance. Even the lord's castle
was not so tightly guarded.

As Soraya entered the yard, the soldiers saluted her. She saw Anna thoroughly
focused on cutting some strange parts as usual. At this sight, Soraya suddenly felt
a bit ashamed of herself and at the same time felt some admiration for Anna who was
so talented and still so hardworking. Anna was also the favorite witch of His
Highness.

"Hey, Sister Soraya, you're here." Lucia announced and smiled as she heard Soraya's
footsteps.

Anna also put down the parts in her hand and waved at her. "Please, here are some
copper wires to be painted," Anna requested.

"No problem." Soraya smiled and walked towards them.

Chapter 516: The Music of Recovery

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

What Soraya did was to cover the cut copper wire with a layer of hard anti-
corrosion coating so that it could be used for the City of Neverwinter's Three
Supplies Project.

This process was easier than coating the inner wire, as the thickness did not
require much accuracy.

After choosing the color card, Soraya turned the Magic Pen into a round tube. Once
scanned from top to bottom, the "pigment" will become solid on the metal surface.
It was a trick she learned from Anna�to make better use of magic power by changing
its form.

However, there was still a big gap between them because Anna's ability to control
magic was almost perfect. Soraya witnessed the Blackfire as it was cutting metal
ingots. It seemed like a performance instead of a task� The three types of
Blackfire were in different forms, and they cut through the metal from different
angles, making a number of parts that were all the same size, or directly created a
complete machine. It was easy to remember the characteristics of the black fire at
different lengths. It was, however, hard to control the many types of it and make
them work together while maintaining the different characteristics of their magic
power. In order to do that, there should be no difference between magic power and
limbs, and the magic power might need to be more flexible.

"Is it� a vine?"Lucia asked as she stared curiously at the colors painted by the
Magic Pen.

"Exactly, this is a 10-year-old grapevine." Soraya explained, "It's hard and

difficult to break, very close to His Highness' requirement."

"10 years old... Is that necessary?".

"Of course." She could not help laughing. "Young vines are obviously softer and
less resistant to corrosion and heat. It's not just about their ages. Materials,
such as wood, paper, and cloth have different properties in wet and dry conditions.
That's why I need to use color cards to record them."

"If this is true, there'll be more color cards than metal formulas!" exclaimed
Lucia.

"Not really," Soraya thought for a while and said, "'Elementary Chemistry' states
that the characteristics of a material might undergo huge changes while its
composition has subtle changes. But, the color card of wood has no noticeable
changes when it's mixed with 10% or 15% water."

"Wow, you record the whole world with just a pen." Lucia was amazed. "This is
really an enviable ability."

She smiled but did not answer. She was thinking of Anna, who really had an enviable
ability. If the Magic Pen was recording the world, then the Blackfire was creating
the world. Most of the changes in the town were related to Anna. Several of the
machines at the corner of the courtyard displayed proof of that. As long as they
were connected to the steam engine, they were able to produce strong bursts of
power. The workers became an add-on to the Blackfire through a machine. In a sense,
Anna's creation enabled the ordinary people to have power close to the witches'.

Today's job was considered done after coating five bundles of copper wire�Soraya's
working life was very consistent. She would go to different places to complete
partial coatings every day. Since her painting speed had improved, only about half
of her magic power would be exhausted by midday.

When a witch consumed all her magic power, she would feel tired or even faint.
Therefore, they would usually retain 30% of their power during the daily
training�Typically, as additional training to consume more magic power, she would
continue to collect color cards and capture new colors. Still, Soraya became less
productive because Wendy and His Highness were not around. For that reason, she
decided to join Mystery Moon and others in Fight the Landlord game later.

She thought that this was definitely not slacking off. It was just a temporary
entertainment.

...

Time always flew fast while playing a game. The whole afternoon passed within a
wink. After dinner, Scroll announced some unexpected news.

"Today's evening course has been canceled and changed to Echo's ability test."

"Well, hasn't she done her ability test before?" Lily wondered and said, "Why does
she have to do it again?"

"This is great," said Mystery Moon almost immediately while covering Lily's mouth
with her hand. "I've never tested anyone else's abilities!"

Lily stared angrily at Mystery Moon till she stopped covering her mouth and
muttered softly. "The point is the class has been dismissed. Why don't you feel
happy...?"

"Teacher Scroll, what should we do?" asked Ring, the only non-witch in the hall.

"You just need to focus and listen," replied Scroll with a smile.

"I fancy not everyone needs to attend the test." Agatha stood up. "If not, I'll go
back to my room."

"That won't do." Scroll shook her head. "You're one of the reasons for the test."

"Me?" She asked frowning.

All of the witches looked at Agatha, including Soraya.

"Yes. You're too stressed and your body won't be able to bear it if you consume all
your magic power every day."

"In Taquila, senior witches do the same," said Agatha carelessly, "Are you not
aware of the brutality of the Battle of Divine Will? It'll never stop until the
opponent collapses. I believe that the Union is willing to sacrifice all its
members if they're able to find the path to victory."

"But His Highness said before, simply forcing yourself will reduce your efficiency.
Resting is necessary for doing things, both studying and working," Scroll said
softly. "I have told him your situation, so the test is an attempt."

"Test what?"

"The recovery skill of Echo."

The phrase surprised the witches. "Can she heal the wounded like Nana?"

Soraya doubted it. Echo's ability was to simulate all kinds of sounds. She was
useless in the Witch Cooperation Association. She would not have been despised by
Cara if she could heal others.

Scroll paused for a moment. "I don't know the exact reason. It's His Highness's
idea." She looked outside. "Are you ready? Let's begin."

Echo walked to the hall and ascended the podium. She was a little nervous. Everyone
was holding their breath and waiting for her to exercise her ability.

The music rang softly, like a clear spring ringing in everyone's ears.

Then she sang a melodious song in her own voice instead of simulating one.

Suddenly, Soraya felt that everything around her had changed. The stone castle
gradually faded into the darkness and her body was surrounded by warm springs� It
was as if she were enveloped by a white mist, and upon her was a sky full of stars.
The cool breezes blew through her warm body. She could not help humming out loud
and was completely relaxed and immersed in this very comfortable spring.

At the end of the song, Soraya slowly opened her eyes after a long time. She
understood the meaning of "Recovery" without any explanation. There was no increase
in magic power, but the fatigue of the day was swept away. Her body became active
and strong.

Chapter 517: The Real Alchemy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

When Kyle Sichi returned home, he immediately saw a dark envelope on the dinner
table.

"What's this?" He looked at his wife Cerra, who was busy at work in the kitchen.

"Oh, by the way, City Hall's officials came around this afternoon." His wife wiped
her hands clean and placed an appetizing bowl of meat broth onto the table. "They
said His Highness wants you to go to King's City, and a boat will come in two days
to escort you there."
"Isn't he going there to confront his brother? Why would he want me there? What a
complete waste of time," said Kyle with a frown. "It'll take at least a week's
journey. His demands are really going too far."

"He's your prince, Lord of the City of Neverwinter, dear," said Cerra, shaking her
head with a smile. "Also, City Hall's officials said that he wrote you a personal
letter to show how important this trip was. That's quite an honor, isn't it? You
should keep this letter safe after you finish reading it, so we can probably pass
it on as a family heirloom."

"Family heirloom? If only it were the complete edition of 'Intermediate

Chemistry'." Kyle curled his lip. "Let's discuss this after dinner... He'd better
have a good reason."

After his simple meal, he ducked into his study and opened the envelope.

A small strip of paper as long as a finger fell out. This was obviously a secret
letter sent by a carrier pigeon, which was then placed in an envelope by the City
Hall officials.

Kyle used one hand to press the paper and the other to fumble around the table for
his monocle and placed it on the bridge of the nose. Due to reading over a long
period of time under faint candlelight, his vision was getting worse day by day.
Luckily, his life in the town has been improved a lot, and he could light five or
six candles at a time in his office, but he did not know when his house could be
installed with the kind of bright lights that lit up the chemical plant.

There was only one short sentence on the strip of paper:

"Do you still remember the Alchemist Workshop of King's City? Now it's your chance
to show them what the real alchemy is."

Kyle gasped.

The Alchemist Workshop of King's City was the ultimate dream position for all
aspiring alchemists who searched for the truth of all things, and he was no
exception when young.

Only his wife knew that he had once applied to the Alchemist Workshop of the King's
City. He had planned to gain admission using the "gold-dissolving liquid" that he
had invented by himself at the age of 20. However, Kyle's formula unexpectedly
failed during the review process, and he could not produce the smoking brown acid
liquor even after two attempts. The reviewing alchemist Retnin was outraged and
accused Kyle of intentionally wasting the Workshop's valuable ingredients. He
denied Kyle a third try and even ordered the guards to seize his purse and kick him
out.

Outside the Workshop, Retnin coldly tossed five silver royals from the purse to
Kyle, saying that he should buy a trip back to Redwater City, while the rest of the
purse was compensation for the Workshop's loss. He left as soon as he was done
talking, leaving Kyle with only rejection and a great shame. This left a gaping
scar in his heart, and he never told anyone about it except his wife.

Kyle returned to Redwater City full of rage, but he continued to pursue alchemy and
spent all his time in his workshop, trying to find a new formula to prove the
Alchemist Workshop of King's City wrong. Finally, after ten years, when he was 30
years old, he developed a second formula. For this reason, he was promoted as an
alchemist in Redwater City. It took him another six years to become the chair.
Kyle had always viewed the Alchemist Workshop of King's City as his greatest enemy,
and he interacted with them a couple times in his work, as well. But their
alchemists were always extremely haughty and did not recognize any other alchemist
organizations except their own. They believed that Redwater City's alchemists were
only as good as their apprentices and students and did not deserve the title of an
alchemist. Their supposedly newfound alchemy formulas were mostly discovered by the
Alchemist Workshop of King's City dozen years ago.

The Workshop chair even said other cities did not need to build alchemical
workshops because this line of work required a great amount of money and manpower,
which regular lords could not afford at all. If people needed the help of
alchemists, they could seek it directly from King's City. If the lords invested
tens of thousands of gold royals into their own workshops, they would probably make
no progress with the end of a bunch of useless men.

Embarrassingly, Kyle knew that only the Alchemic Workshop of Redwater City saw the
workshop of King's City as a competitor, but the latter did not care about him at
all. He was overjoyed by his success in the double-stone acid-making method and the
production of crystal glass because he could produce large amounts of valuable acid
with the former, and the latter was the most highly demanded alchemic product on
the market. Even the proud Alchemist Workshop could not ignore his two
accomplishments.

In an unexpected and theatrical turn of events, Roland Wimbledon of Border Town

found him and opened his eyes to a whole world of possibilities with "Elementary
Chemistry".

From then on, Kyle realized that everything he had learned was meaningless. The
alchemy itself was a backward practice and doomed for extinction, while a new path
of exploration lay ahead of him�this time, the relationship between all things was
no longer murky, but clear and organized. His past squabbles were also pointless,
and he let go of his vendetta with the Alchemist Workshop of King's City and the
formulas that had taken him so much effort to develop.

It's reasonable to do so.

However, when His Highness mentioned this word again, Kyle Sichi's heart still
raced, and an indescribable excitement crept back into his heart.

Kyle's mind recalled the cold figure, the muddy silver royals, the door that
slammed shut, and the outrageous claim that there was no need for other alchemic
workshops except the Alchemist Workshop of King's City to exist.

"Now it's your chance to show them what the real alchemy is."

Kyle scanned the strip of paper one last time, stood up, and walked out of his
office. "Cerra..."

He paused in the middle of his sentence and noticed that his wife was bending over,
packing his clothes into an open bag in the living room.

"What's this?"

"It's for your journey to King's City. I knew that even if His Highness didn't
write you a letter, you'd still go," said Cerra with a smile. "Do you still
remember the stories you told me? There are things that you're owed in that city."

Kyle stared at her blankly for a while and then burst out in laughter.
"Take good care of our home. I have to pay a visit to King's City."

Chapter 518: The New Journey of Magic Hand

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It was a bright and sunny day in King's City, making it perfect for a sentencing
day.

A cannon would sound on the square every hour, signaling that another formerly
"prominent and important" figure received his deserved verdict.

Their convictions had actually already been decided, so this process was mostly
used as a propaganda for the citizens. It especially condemned the church and
Timothy for conspiring against the king and stealing the throne. After a week of
preparation, the evidence collected against them proved their guilt without a
doubt�of course, Roland did not actually give them a chance to argue for
themselves.

Only a few of the nobles were sentenced to hanging. Besides Timothy, his henchmen,
the Prime Minister, and judge, all the other sentenced men were the church
believers. Even the church of King's City was completely uprooted, and Roland made
sure that everyone who was involved in spreading the demonic plague got what they
deserved.

These scumbags will surely be met by cheers from the audience when they're brought
to the gallows.

"Are you not going to watch it in person?" asked Nightingale, standing by the
window.

"Iron Axe and Theo will take care of everything," replied Roland without even
raising his head. Public trials helped excite and unite the subjects in Border
Town, but they would not have the same effect here. The people would not
automatically side with Roland as soon as he killed Timothy, just like they did not
side with Timothy after King Wimbledon III and Gerald died.

He did not have enough support among the citizens here.

He was also concerned about his own safety. Sylvie eventually found the gem list
Roland remembered, which Timothy had hidden in a secret compartment in his closet.
However, there were twelve more names than the gems there, four of which were
hidden in King's City. It meant that they had all received Timothy's orders.
Although they were not necessarily the assassination orders, Roland still kept his
guard up. Execution grounds were too disorderly and unsuitable for him to visit,
and he had no interest in watching executions.

He had much more important things to deal with.

For example, the army.

The casualties in capturing King's City were finally calculated, revealing that the
First Army lost 33 men, which was their worst loss so far. Although they killed a
much larger amount of enemies than that, Roland still noticed many flaws in their
street battle tactics, especially in house demolition�most of the First Army's
casualties were caused when enchanted soldiers surprised them by leaping out from
civilian houses. If his soldiers could use rifle grenades or blasting cartridges to
demolish suspicious houses in their way, there would definitely be lighter
casualties.

His other concern was the size of the army. The First Army could take on the entire
Kingdom of Graycastle with its 3,000 men, but it was not enough to conquer
everything in his sights. He would have to leave at least 500 men behind to
maintain order in King's City, and after conquering Fallen Dragon Ridge and the
Southernmost Region, the army would be too small to maintain a peace war. He needed
to expand his army.

Roland wrote down the plans for death benefits and army expansion and handed them
to his guards. He ordered them to take the plans back to the City of Neverwinter,
where the City Hall would carry them out.

After that, the prince directed his attention to the lower-level nobles.

They did not have any substantial political power, but they were all well-educated
and desperately wanted to be promoted. All the great nobles in King's City had
already been cleared out. They were either exiled from the territory or sent to the
Neverwinter mines, leaving many vacancies in the office. In order for King's City
to run normally, the most effective tactic was to have these lower nobles work for
him.

Barov had years of experience in King's City and definitely knew some of these men,
so he would be in charge of organizing a temporary ruling system.

These men were willing to serve him, so giving them greater responsibilities would
increase their eagerness. Yorko was Roland's first try.

Over the past few days, he finally decided where he should assign his "old friend".

...

Yorko shouted as soon as he entered Roland's office, "Oh God, you really killed all
of the church scoundrels! I would never have guessed that they spread the demonic
plague, and I couldn't even believe my ears when High Priest Ferry confessed to it.
What a disgrace to the deities! Right now, the crowds on the square are praising
your name and saying that you saved them six months ago."

Roland smiled. Theo had ordered the Rats to spread this news to corroborate the
refugee camps from six months ago. It seemed that it was quite effective. However,
Yorko probably made up the part about praising his name to flatter him.

He did not question his words and handed a delicate lambskin letter to Yorko.

"Take a look at this."

Yorko opened the letter, glanced at it, and widened his eyes. "You're, you're
making me the ambassador of the Kingdom of Graycastle?"

"Yes, and a permanent one," said Roland with a nod. "You'll have an official letter
of appointment, scepter, and seal, and you'll reside in the City of Glow in the
Kingdom of Dawn. What do you think?"

This position had taken a great amount of consideration�as the famed "Magic Hand"
in King's City, Yorko had a bad reputation, just like Prince Roland did in the
past.

No one wanted to be made a cuckold, including the nobles. While their wives cheated
on them with other men, instead of simply catching them in the act, the husbands
also meddled in brothels and bars�but it was all in secrecy.

If Yorko was given an important position, or if Roland openly gave the Magic Hand a
job in the City Hall, it would have an unimaginable influence... All the nobles and
merchants would be worried that their wives would begin to openly pursue Yorko, and
the women that Yorko had slept with would all try to take advantage of him. Roland
did not want this to happen.

His best option was to place him in a foreign country. Kingdom ambassadors were
different from traveling emissary delegations, and they had similar authority as
Earls, so even foreign kings treated them with respect. This was an important-
sounding title that was perfect as a promotion. He also did not have to give him
any land, and he would not worry any of the other noble.

Let him go bother the Kingdom of Dawn. I heard that their noblewomen are exotic and
outstanding, so he might be able to make a new name for himself there.

Yorko obviously also realized this point. He knelt down without any hesitation and
replied excitedly, "I accept... my lord!" He was so eager as if he was worried that
Roland would regret his decision.

"Then it's decided," said Roland with a smile. "Before you leave, I'll have a
ceremonial officer to train you."

Besides Yorko, he also needed to send some of his own men to the Kingdom of Dawn,
so he could keep an eye on his neighbor and also form an alliance with them to
fight the church.

Chapter 519: The Secret within the Stars

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland shook his head with a smile as he watched Yorko excitedly bowed and left.

He did not mind helping the people who had helped Prince Roland in the past, as
long as they did not have any bad intentions.

"Where's Wendy right now?" He turned around and asked Nightingale after taking care
of this matter.

"She's probably on the top of the tower practicing her ability. Do you want me to
summon her?"

"Yes, and get Sylvie, Lightning, and Maggie as well... we're going to visit the
astrologers," said Roland. "And we'll be flying to them."

"I understand." Nightingale's eyes lit up.

"Even if someone wants to attack me, they can't pose a threat against a hydrogen
balloon, so this is the best way to travel."

Roland had learned via carrier pigeon that Kyle was on his way, so he postponed his
visit to the Alchemist Workshop. He was very curious about the Astrology
Association, the other main academic organization in King's City.

Roland also had a great point of confusion that needed to be confirmed.

...

The Astrology Association was located on a mountain in the northern area of the
outer city, and it was only the second in height to the twin towers of the palace.
The Astrology Hall had a pretty unique design and it looked like a hexagonal stone
tower with a flat top from above. It had a wide base and narrow top, and its
silhouette was precisely symmetrical.

Roland knew what symmetry implied in that era.

Without advanced measuring and positioning methods, it was nearly impossible to

build such a large yet perfect stone structure, a process even more difficult than
building a giant city wall.

The guards had left earlier and surrounded the stone tower. As the hydrogen balloon
released the air and slowly landed on the tower roof, its passengers were
immediately greeted by Brian, Sean and Alva Taber.

"Your Majesty, this area has been completely sealed, and I promise that not a
single rat will escape!"

"We have also confiscated all the astrologers' God's Stones of Retaliation,
allowing Miss Sylvie to use her magic power, so you can interact with them freely."

"Good job. Stay alert." Roland nodded in approval and shifted his sight to the row
of men in gray robes standing behind the guards. They were all aged over 30 years
old, and they kept peeking at the hydrogen balloon in panic. They were obviously
still rattled by his sudden appearance from the sky.

Roland turned to Alva. "Who's in charge around here? Tell him to come see me."

"Yes, my lord!" Alva spoke briefly with two old men in robes, and one of them
cautiously walked to Roland with him. "Your Majesty, this is King's City's Chief
Astrologer, Astrologer of Dispersion Star."

"Your Majesty Roland Wimbledon, your honored presence makes all the stars shine
brighter."

"Why don't you use your real name?" asked Roland, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a tradition of the Astrology Association," explained Alva hastily. "Every

astrologer dreams of naming themselves after a star image... and only people who
discover new star images are allowed such an honor."

"So you discovered... the Dispersion Star?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said the old man with his hand on his chest. "It forms a
Dispersion Star ring with three other Dark Stars, and it represents death and
rebirth."

"What about them?" Roland pointed at the other men in gray robes.

"These eight are star image masters of the Astrological Station, so they all made
their own discoveries." Dispersion Star respectfully described them one by one.
"They can explain the meaning behind anything from changes in the stars to dusk and
dawn... of course, so can I."

"I'm not here to have my fortune explained."

The old man paused in shock. "Then... Your Majesty, may I ask why you're here?"

"I'm here to explore the stars." Roland shrugged. "Let's continue this conversation
indoors. By the way, bring the diagrams of all the star images you've discovered.
You have records for these, right? Mark the brightest stars and connect them with a
thin line�yes, those things."

...

Stacks of parchment piled up on the table in the hall, some tinged with yellow due
to their age.

Roland took a deep breath and used a pen to draw a "spoon" and "hourglass" on a
piece of paper, and connecting the bright stars with lines according to the stars
diagram.

"Your Majesty, what're these?" asked the scholar confusedly.

"They're two star images." He picked up the paper and showed it to the group of
astrologers. "Have you ever seen images like these before?"

They all shook their heads.

"Search for similar images in all of these parchments," ordered Roland. "Everyone,
takes a pile, and be sure to look at every single one."

His great confusion was: "Am I on a different side of the same planet?

It's not surprising that this place also has a sun and a moon. The sun is just a
regular fixed star. There're billions of fixed stars in the Milky Way, and there're
billions of galaxies like the Milky Way in the universe, so it's not unlikely that
there's another fixed star system in the infinitely large universe.

However, I'm not sure about species' similarities. Biological evolution occurred by
the coincidental outbreak, so there could be completely different organisms
produced in the same environment. Whether it's demonic beasts or demons, I don't
think they evolved from the same natural world as earth's."

He decided to use star images to address this confusion.

Fixed stars had life spans of billions of years, and their location barely ever
changed, so they had always been used to determine the direction or hold symbolic
meaning. Roland only remembered two star images: the commonly-known Big Dipper, and
Orion. If he could find them among the constellations, he would be able to
determine his location.

After an hour, no one had found the constellations.

Roland also used this time to ask Astrologer of Dispersion Star about a few of this
world's most famous star images, but he had never heard of any of them. The Kingdom
of Graycastle astrologers also did not know of the Zodiac star images.

In general, the Bright Stars on these star images were far denser than the star
images he knew, which meant he was closer to the center of the galaxy. This was
because fixed stars were closer together towards the galaxy's center.

Then it's very likely that I'm not on Earth.

This answer slightly disappointed Roland. He sighed and glanced around the hall.
"How many members are there in the Astrology Association?"

"Your Majesty, there're 9 astrologers, 156 apprentices, and 67 handymen and

masons," replied Astrologer of Dispersion Star.

"I plan to shut down the Astrological Station. Pack your bags and return to the
City of Neverwinter with me."

The words instantly changed the expression on everyone's face. Alva said in a
terrified tone, "Your Majesty, how, how could you..."

"I don't believe in astrology. I only believe in personal choice," said Roland
nonchalantly. "And I'm the King of Graycastle, so I can shut this down if I wish
to. You'll learn the truth about star images in the Western Region, and you won't
see them as the meaningless pathways for fate anymore."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty Wimbledon, you can't do this." The Chief
Astrologer slowly rose and said, "We have to watch the stars at all times without
interruption�this order was passed by your ancestors."

Chapter 520: The Star of Extinction

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Ancestor?" Roland blurted out, "What the hell?" He noticed everyone staring at him
astonished. Roland cleared his throat and said, "No, I mean... who knows if it's
true."

Then he felt his left shoulder being gently pinched.

"Your Majesty, it�s true, and I can prove it," the Chief lowered his head and said.
"But you are the only one who can see it."

When the rest of the astrologers heard what the Chief said, they got up and left
the room on their own. Roland thought for a moment and nodded to the witches and
the guards, saying, "I'm fine. You guys go as well."

He would still have Nightingale with him as a last line of defense in case of any
emergency.

The Chief Astrologer, Dispersion Star, entered a chamber next to the hall. After a
long time, he returned to the long table with an iron box in his hands. He
respectfully placed it in front of Roland.

"What's this?"

"It is the instruction left by your ancestor. He�d expected that this kind of thing
would happen."

"You mean closing the Astrological Station?" Roland asked surprised.

"Yes, Your Majesty, and such a thing did happen before," the Chief said with a wry
smile. "Although astrology and alchemy are both called the academics of sages, they
are different. Alchemists can bring big profit to the kingdom while we have little
output. Besides, the Astrology Association consumes many gold royals every year to
purchase high-quality crystal and hire craftsmen. In order to prevent frugal future
generations from dismissing the Astrology Association, your ancestor engraved the
instruction and demanded that nobody interfere with it."
Roland opened the box. Unexpectedly, what he saw was a stack of gold sheets. It
seemed that the Wimbledon Family had been willing to spend heavily on preserving
this instruction.

He laid out the gold sheets on the table and counted. There were eight of them.
Each one was about 3 millimeters thick and 2 palms wide, heavy in his hands.

What the Chief Astrologer said just now was engraved on the first sheet. "Nobody
should interfere with the members of the Astrological Station in looking at the
night sky, where lay mysteries which can show the fate of the world."

The latter part of the words caught Roland's attention and he became lost in
thought.

In fact, this association itself was very strange. If the astrology really worked,
King Wimbledon III must not be replaced by the church without any preparation.
Instead, he should kill the High Priest first. Just now even the Astrologer of
Dispersion Star himself had mentioned the Astrological Station had 'little
output'... that meant he did not regard the divination as a product. Now he seemed
helpless, totally different from the first time Roland had met him when he had
looked like a church scoundrel.

As for the ancestor who had expended considerable funds and manpower to establish
such an association and engraved instruction on the gold sheet at all cost to deter
post-generations from closing it (for it had no practical use), Roland did not
believe that he was simply an astrophile keen on studying things outside of the
planet while his kingdom was so underdeveloped. Obviously, the astrologers must
hold a task that had nothing to do with divination, but was very likely related to
the latter part of the sentence.

He checked the other gold sheets again and again, only to find records of the basic
star observation methods and the history of the Astrology Association. The last
sheet even recorded the principle of enlarging crystal lenses and referred to a
supreme commander. It seemed that the ancestor of the Wimbledon Family had also
been Chief Astrologer of this association at the time. Roland recalled the
Wimbledon Family history but could not think of anything related to the description
on this sheet.

He picked up the first sheet again, pointing to the latter part of the sentence.
"What does this mean?"

"I don't know," the chief shook his head as he spoke.

Roland felt a pinch on his right shoulder before the Chief had barely finished his
words.

He could not help chuckling, saying, "Listen, the man is more flexible than the
rigid rule, and this order left by an ancestor was probably correct while he was
alive, but the times have changed, and I don't want to be bound by this rule from
hundreds of years ago. I'm the king of the Kingdom of Graycastle, and I can do what
I want. Do you understand?"

"What? No, you -" The chief stared at Roland.

"You yourself know it clearly. You're only wasting money. You remain ignorant about
the mysteries of the fate of the world. Besides, when my father was murdered by the
church, you couldn't even give him a warning. Why should I keep you here to stare
at the sky? You can�t exchange the stars for gold royals. So, please pack up and
come with me to the Western Region."

Hearing Roland�s words, Dispersion Star, who already had an unfavorable opinion of
Prince Roland, who had been intractable and unscrupulous in the King�s City,
suddenly looked dour.

After a long time, the chief said reluctantly, "You'll probably regret knowing this
secret."

"How do I know if you don't tell me?" Roland smiled. It was really advantageous
sometimes to intimidate others by pretending to be like the foppery Prince Roland.
With these old men, this was the only way to get an answer for it was impossible to
ask Iron Axe to grill them.

"We've been undertaking a mission that lasts for hundreds of years. It began when
the first lord Wimbledon arrived in this region." The Chief calmed down and said,
"This secret can only be revealed to the successor of the royal family when he
becomes King, and has reached the age of 30."

"Why?"

"Because your ancestor thought that the successors might be too confused and panic
if they knew it ahead of time and lead to the decline of the Kingdom." He hesitated
for a moment and confessed, "In fact, we're looking for the Star of Extinction."

"What's that?" Roland asked in surprise.

"A scarlet star, or the Bloody Moon. When it comes, the world will fall into a
disaster beyond redemption."

The prince suddenly felt a shock and began to wonder. The coming of the Bloody Moon
had been mentioned not only in the ancient book of the remains but also by Agatha
of the Union. Why did a secular association also pay attention to this? Did the
Astrology Association have inextricable links with the Union? "Please be specific!"
Roland demanded.

"What I know is all from the former Chief," Dispersion Star said in a deep voice.
"It's said that there's a red star floating in the night sky. When it comes out
like the crescent moon, the world will be destroyed. What we're going to do is to
find it before it becomes a crescent moon. If its orbit can be found, we can
predict the doomsday in advance. This is also the intention of the horoscope."

"Become a crescent moon?"

"Actually, it's natural that you don't know the star image," the chief explained.
"The stars are always following a fixed path, such as the sun and the moon, and
they appear at a fixed time. When they disappear, it doesn't mean they're gone.
They just temporarily move to a position where we can't see. We call this path
Orbit. In fact, most stars have an orbit of their own."

Chapter 521: The Star Watcher

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Though most of the astrologers' findings were just common sense in the modern
world, Roland still could not help being surprised by the fact that the astrologers
could be able to tell the orbital motions of the stars without any modern
observation techniques.
"The Star of Extinction also moves along a certain path," he said, "and it appears
every 400 to 500 years. That means, it must orbit within a much larger area than
the sun and the moon that are near us in space and can run a circle around us in a
day and a night." He panted for breath and continued. "Given that an object appears
big when it's near and small when far, the Star of Extinction in the sky will
change from dark to bright and then turn into a crescent when it's getting closer
and closer to us."

"Have you found it?"

Dispersion Star shook his head. "The secret mission has been passed down for
hundreds of years but doesn't specify the exact time when the Star of Extinction
will come. Maybe it's still in some distant position we can't observe."

"For decades... you've buried yourselves in this job?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The old man sounded very tired. "I became an apprentice in the
Astrological Association 40 years ago. Since then, I've been watching the little
changed starry sky every night. However, I had no idea of this secret mission until
I became the Chief Astrologer. Besides observing the stars and recording the time
and seasons, astrologers also work as fortune tellers in festivals and
celebrations, but we only say what the king orders us to, instead of truly
predicting the future. It's a secret between the king and us. Astrologers need to
be venerated as sages, in order for our association to recruit more apprentices."

"You regret it?"

Dispersion Star shook his head. "I would regret that ten years ago, but since I
became the Chief Astrologer and received this secret mission from my predecessor,
Meteorite Astrologer, I've understood what I'm doing is meaningful and it's really
about astrology and foretelling the future. The significance of the job is beyond
compare, but unfortunately, I don't have much time left."

Looking at his gray hairs, heavily wrinkled face and countless brown spots on his
forehead, Roland had to agree with him and thought, "That's true. I'm afraid he can
only survive for another two or three years."

"Is there any strategy left by your predecessors we can take to fight against or
escape from the devastating disaster?

"No, that's your problem, Your Majesty." Dispersion Star gave Roland a weak smile.
"You're the one who leads the people to get through hard times. The Astrological
Station is just your eye and will warn you about the coming disasters, thus
increasing the chance of survival for the people. Given that, you can't close it."

The Chief Astrologer's attentiveness to his duty commanded Roland's respect. For
most people, it was hard to persevere with such a boring job, but this elderly man
had searched for the Star of Extinction in the sky night after night for decades
without flinching. Roland now guessed the reason why ancestors of the Wimbledon
Family made the rule that the confidential information about the star should never
be revealed to the new king before he turned 30. If young successors of the royal
family knew about it, they would probably indulge themselves and do everything in
their power to enjoy the rest of their lives.

After a long silence, Roland raised his last question. "What about Astrological
Associations of the other three kingdoms�? They're searching for the Star of
Extinction, too?"
"I've no idea... I've never left the King's City and they've never contacted us
here in the Kingdom of Graycastle."

"I see, and that's all for today."

"You... decide not to close the Astrological Station?"

"No, let's keep it," Roland answered, stood up and then walked towards the hall
outside. Before he left the room, he turned around to look at the Chief Astrologer
and said, "I'll send you better equipment for observing stars and tell you about
the real knowledge of star image."

"What?" The chief astrologer looked confused.

Without explaining anything to him, Roland continued. "Besides, even when the
Bloody Moon comes, it's not our end." He paused a bit and spoke assertively, "We'll
survive it."

...

The hydrogen balloon was blown up. Roland and the witches got in the basket and
flew towards the palace.

"What were you talking about?" Lightning asked, clutching the basket from outside.

"I want to know, too, coo!"

"It's a story about a man who left his work half done," Nightingale said and
shrugged.

"In that condition, how could I insist on closing it now?" Roland rolled his eyes
and described what had happened in the hall to them. "I planned to send them to the
Western Region, but let them finish what they're doing now at the Astrological
Station. They've remained loyal to their duties for decades."

"You're indeed a merciful king," Wendy said with a smile.

"Coo, a kind man!" Maggie flapped her wings and crowed, stretching her neck.

"Ahem." Roland quickly changed the subject. "The Star of Extinction they're
searching for should be the Bloody Moon mentioned by Agatha. When it appears, the
world is going to come to an end. This prophecy must have something to do with
witches."

"I think so, too," Sylvie said after a thought, "and there's an obvious proof. This
used to be called the Barbarian Land. There were only villages and no cities at
all. How could the people here suddenly start to pursue something so impractical?
It must be the survivors from the Union. When they came here to rebuild their
homes, they brought the information about the Bloody Moon here and then passed the
task on to the earliest astrologers."

"And one of them is His Majesty Roland's ancestor?" Lightning said, excited. "What
a wonderful adventure!"

"An adventure? Where's the danger, coo?"

"You fool, not every adventure is dangerous. Finding out a secret is rewarding
enough for an explorer."
"Coo? But you've said that an explorer should pay more attention to the experience
than the results." Maggie blinked her eyes innocently.

"Uh... A great explorer can choose either to focus on the experience or to search
for the results. That's how we make each exploration enjoyable." Lightning said in
a low growl. "You're a long way from being an explorer!"

"Coo..." The pigeon gloomily fell on Roland's head. "Is that true?"

The witches burst into laughter.

After they went back to the palace, Roland immediately went through the records of
the Wimbledon Family history he found and then could not help frowning.

"What happened?" asked Nightingale.

"There's no record about astrologers in the family history." He pointed at the

yellowing page. "The first ancestor is Monde Wimbledon and the first king is Taraq
Wimbledon. Nothing about the Astrological Station or the supreme commander... Their
recordings were erased."

"Who did it?" She was surprised. "The writers of the book must be the kings in the
past, right?"

"Yes, recordings written by each king will be added to the family history. Nothing
should be left out," Roland said slowly, "and when the people started to build the
cities here, he or she already had the ability to have the orders carved on metal
sheets, but why are there no recordings about that person at all?"

Did someone try to conceal something? But why did that person leave a trail of
clues in the Astrology Association? Every king or queen of the Wimbledon Family
should know the real purpose of the Astrological Station... What happened to the
family 400 years ago?

Chapter 522: A Drastic Change in the Northern Region

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

..

"What?"

Calvin Kant, the Lord of the City of Evernight and Duke of the Northern Region
shouted. He rose suddenly and stared at the messenger with disapproval, toppling
his water cup from the side table. The cup hit the floor with a smash, making a
crisp, clear sound.

"Your Grace, I saw it with my own eyes!" said the messenger, further lowering his
head. "The rebel king breached the city wall of King's City in just one day. Even
the king himself failed to escape. I'm afraid he's probably dead now."

"How... could this happen?" Calvin murmured. "It's King's City!"

Its blue stone city wall is more
soldiers equipped with catapults
city's defenses unless he has an
had such a huge army, it's still
merely one day!
than 54 yards high and guarded by thousands of
and snow powder. No one can break through that
army of 20 to 30 thousands. Even if Prince Roland
hard to believe that he captured the city in
"They had invincible firearms," the messenger said in a trembling voice possibly
caused by tiredness from traveling the whole night or the shock he had experienced
in the battlefield. "They could fire without a break. Their weapons were just too
powerful for the knights and even the crazed army of the king. No one could stop
them. Anyone who got close to them died or was severely wounded... Compared to
their firearms, the king's flintlocks were cheap, useless iron sticks."

Calvin's mind was a blank. His whole world was turned upside down. He felt it was
all over.

He had received an order from Timothy, which had required that he should send an
army to support King's City. As the new Duke of the Northern Region, he must follow
the king's order and after some discussion, he had assembled an army of 2,500 by
choosing soldiers from troops of the Horsehead Haws, the Snow Fox Lista and his own
families. This army had been planning to set out after the snow melted and to
arrive at the King's City two to three weeks after he had received the order. He
had never thought that the army would miss the war in King's City as a siege
warfare usually took months.

The army was mostly comprised of mercenary and freemen. Not many knights or serfs
were in it, since the plowing season was about to start. However, no matter what
kind of army he had sent out, he had already done something that the rebel king
would consider guilty of rebellion. He was afraid that his good days were going to
be over very soon.

"Edith!" Calvin suddenly thought of his brilliant daughter. "Maybe she can think of
something to save us."

"Go! Bring my eldest daughter to my room!" he shouted to a guard by his side.

Edith soon walked into the study, wearing fitting clothes and carrying a training
sword. Her hair was done up in a bun, and her nose was dotted with small beads of
sweat. She had been practicing with her sword as usual and now seemed slightly
displeased. "I've asked you not to disturb me when I'm practicing."

"I know I promised but we're in big trouble!" Calvin urgently repeated what the
messenger had told him and asked her, "What should we do?"

He looked at his daughter, eager to hear a solution. Edith Kant, the brightest
Pearl of the Northern Region, was not only a beauty but also a naturally talented
politician and strategist. She had contributed greatly to the success of her
father's rising from an Earl to the Duke of the Northern Region and even the sons
of the Kant Family were overshadowed by her.

She was startled hearing that Prince Roland had conquered King's City in just a day
but quickly recovered and said calmly, "Now you understand why I didn't agree to
marry Timothy?"

Calvin stared in surprise and asked, "You knew that he would end up like this?"
Timothy had stayed in the Northern Region after he defeated the rebellious Duke Ise
and like many other men, had his eyes on the Pearl of the Northern Region. But she
skillfully turned down the messenger he sent to her. Her father was confused and
even blamed her for refusing the king since if she had married Timothy and become
the queen as many girls had dreamed of, the Kant Family's status would have been
further secured.

"You mean his city was occupied in one day? No, I didn't expect that." Edith untied
her hair band to let her long green hair down. "I just felt he was not the right
person."

"Not the right person... Who is the right person is for you? Though his reign
turned out to be quite short, he was still the king of the Kingdom of Graycastle at
that time!" Calvin complained in his heart but did not tell his daughter what he
thought. He had made his mind to pass his Duke title to Edith who he believed would
bring a brighter future to the family, compared with her two brothers, if she
refused to marry anyone.

"Anyway," Edith bent to pick up some broken pieces of the porcelain water cup.
"First, you have to order the army to retreat."

"But they've been out for four days, and I've no idea which route they took. I'm
afraid it's too late."

"That's not a problem," she arranged the broken pieces of the cup to represent the
three locations and said. "You can send someone to Deepvalley Town today. If he
sets out now from here, he'll arrive at the town by evening. Tomorrow, he can take
a boat to King's City and reach it at least one day before the army. No matter
which route the army took, they'll end up on the main road leading to the city's
north gate, so if the one you send walks in the opposite direction to the army,
he'll meet and stop them in the suburbs of King's City."

"I see." The Duke patted his head heavily and thought, "I should have thought of
this solution. The news was just too sudden and astonishing for me to react calmly
and quickly." He said, "I'll write a letter now! No, I'll send out a guard with my
keepsake to deliver the command! Guard!"

A guard came to receive the order and then quickly left. Edith said slowly,
"Father, do you think we can withstand Prince Roland's attack?"

A shiver went through Calvin. He knew that the outer wall of King's City, which had
been twice as sturdy as that of his City of Evernight could not stand long in the
suppression of Roland's powerful firearms. He replied, "I don't think we can."

"So, it's not enough just to withdraw the army." She shrugged and added, "Don't
forget that it was Timothy who made you a Duke. It's natural for Prince Roland to
consider us his enemies and it's just a matter of time for him to destroy us. Under
such circumstances, we have to be more proactive."

You mean that I should swing to Prince Roland?" Calvin hesitated. "But why should
he trust me?"

"Show your sincerity," Edith said softly. "Most nobles hearing the news will be
intimidated by Prince Roland's overwhelming victory over Timothy and won't be able
to fight in unison against him. Given that, we would have to surrender to him as
early as possible. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way, so we have to
show sincerity great enough to impress him."

"But... how?"

Before Calvin could work out what she meant, Edith drew out her wooden training
sword and smashed two of the broken pieces of the water cup with a smile.

"I think the Haws Family and the Lista Family would make great presents. What do
you think, father?"

Chapter 523: The Blood Pearl

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

In the evening, Calvin Kant summoned the nobles of the Northern Region to the
castle.

The fireplace in the banquet room burned brightly with swaying flames, causing the
guests' shadows on the walls to dance up and down as if they formed a very unusual
painting.

Four long tables traversed the hall, each placed full of steaming hot meat dishes
and wine. It appeared to be a highly sumptuous dinner, yet the atmosphere was not
relaxed at all. This was even more so after the Duke announced that King's City had
been seized.

"I've dispatched men to rescue the platoon that was sent out four days ago.
Thankfully, they've returned alive," he declared in a deep voice while sitting on
the host's seat. "But today, the question I want to ask you is... what should we do
about the Northern Region?"

The nobles looked around the room blankly. Perhaps, the news that Timothy was
defeated in a day was so astonishing that everyone in the hall was speechless and
afraid to reply. Calvin could see the fear and regret in the eyes of the lower
nobles. "Edith was right. We can't depend on these people to defend against Roland
Wimbledon. Dividing the land was never an option from the beginning�there's only
one path ahead."

However, for the nobles who had only recently sought refuge with Timothy, it was
rather embarrassing to openly turn around and switch allegiance.

"Why don't we send a spy to eavesdrop on Prince Roland?" Someone in the room
suggested after a long period of silence.

"If he doesn't disturb the Northern Region, we may as well endorse him as the new
king." These words immediately garnered the approval of another noble. "These are
the Wimbledon Family's issues. It doesn't make a difference to us who becomes the
king."

Upon hearing this, Earl of Lista laughed grimly. "No difference?"

Calvin frowned slightly and knew that the keynote was coming.

Indeed, after the Earl spoke, everyone in the room became silent, and this made
Calvin feel a little uncomfortable. In reality, the three families were equal in
strength, while the Kant Family was slightly inferior to the others. It was only
because he had heeded his daughter's advice and was first to play up to Timothy
that he was able to obtain the position of Duke.

Of course, he also understood that this was one of the new king's balancing
tactics. Timothy was probably glad that the other two families belittled and were
dissatisfied with him.

"Have you forgotten about Duke Ise? He was arrested for treason and executed."
Lista asked the room callously. "He didn't actively provoke Timothy. If we admit
defeat so early on, the noose may be tied around our necks at any time, and it
would then be too late to struggle! In Prince Roland's view, we've already
participated in treason and none of us can deny our relations with Timothy!"

"What else can we do but admit defeat? If King's City couldn't even last a day, we
would simply be throwing eggs at a rock..." One of Calvin's feudatories, who looked
like he had lost his usual vigor, retorted softly, in accordance with the
agreement. Under the incensed gaze of the Earl, he was unable to enunciate the
latter half of his sentence.

"Even if we only have eggs, I'll try my best," Ed Howes proclaimed. "The rebel king
murdered my elder brother! He has to pay for it!"

"It may not be us holding the eggs. The Northern Region's full of hills and
mountains, and dangerous roads are all over. Roland's army may be able to travel
quickly over plains and rivers, but it'll be a whole new game here." Earl Howes
followed up swiftly. "At worst, the Horsehead Family will retreat to Coldwind
Ridge, where I don't believe that his army will be able to reach."

"That's as good as baring your entire back to the church," Calvin silently thought.
"Those f*ckers don't harbor any good intention for the Northern Region either." He
had heard about what happened to the eldest son of the Howes Family. "It appears
that he died in a fight against the lord of the Western Region... but death is
inevitable in any war. If shouting could injure or kill enemies, there won't be a
need for weapons and armor."

The hall started to become rowdy. As the Lista and Howes families stated their
opinions, the voices which proposed to "halt the troops and get ready to fight the
advancing enemy" gradually suppressed the ones which proposed to "actively pry on
Prince Roland's position and express friendliness." Although Calvin remained silent
throughout this discussion, he was beginning to feel quite anxious.

Surely Edith hasn't run into trouble?

"What does the Honorable Duke think?" His long silence had become suspicious, and
Earl Lista was now staring straight at him.

Calvin's heart froze when he knew it was his turn to say something. "I brought all
of you here tonight because I wanted to listen to everyone's opinion. This matter
is important to the future of the Northern Region and we can't be too careful..."

Earl Howes interrupted him impatiently. "Enough! I've got a feeling that you've
already planned to swear allegiance to Prince Roland. Why else would all those who
expressed cowardly opinions happen to be your feudatories? If we're to hand over
power meekly now, we'll just become lambs to the slaughter!"

"You..." Calvin felt an urge to toss his wine glass at the Earl but managed to
refrain himself in time.

"Since that's the case, we have nothing else to discuss." Lista stood up and headed
towards the banquet hall's exit. "By the way, if you want Prince Roland to spare
your pathetic life, you may offer Edith, all tied up, to him. I've heard that he
highly appreciates beauty... ugh..."

The audience's laughter ceased as the Earl turned silent unexpectedly. A sword tip
visibly protruded out of his back. The blood stains on the blade seemed to shimmer
dimly under the light from the fireplace.

"Are you talking about me, Sir Snow Fox? I can't pretend that I didn't hear what
you said."

The Earl's body collapsed onto the floor feebly. The tall and lean figure of an
armored warrior appeared in front of everyone. She pulled her sword out
nonchalantly, stepped over the Earl who was still squirming in utter pain, and
walked into the hall.

It was none other than Edith Kant herself.

Calvin immediately felt a great sense of relief.

Her armor plates were stained full of blood, an evidence that she had just been in
a violent fight. Even so, she was as composed and elegant as ever�she had the face
of a beautiful smiling assassin. A platoon of warriors followed behind her and
surrounded the hall in the blink of an eye. By now, everyone that was present
understood what had happened.

"The guards!" Earl Howes' eyes widened as he spoke. "What have you done to the
guards outside..."

"How can I deal with you lot if I hadn't disposed of them first?" Calvin exhaled a
sigh of relief and smashed his glass on the floor. "You seem to have forgotten that
I'm the one in charge here!"

He had long awaited this moment. This kind of banquet was held every once in a few
days, and as such, most of the nobles did not take many precautions. They were each
accompanied by less than 100 servants, most of whom they instructed to keep watch
outside the castle area. It was the perfect opportunity to capture all of them
together. After the guards had been taken care of, the rest was easy.

Of course, the person who planned and executed this trap was his daughter�the Pearl
of the Northern Region, Edith.

As the exit doors of the banquet hall were slowly shut, the flames in the fireplace
seemed to wobble for the last time.

The feudatories of the other two families pulled out their swords. By contrast, the
lower nobles seemed shell-shocked.

"Are you out of your mind?" Ed Howes snapped angrily.

But Calvin had no time for a war of words. "If you put down your weapons and
surrender, you'll be spared." All resistors will be killed!"

As the words left his tongue, two factions of people began to brawl.

Chapter 524: A Night of Bloodshed

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Chaos and confusion erupted in the hall. Wooden tables were flipped, while bowls
and dishes fell all over the floor, creating a symphony of clanking and cracking
noises. Spilled soup flowed along the crevices in the stone slabs until it was
everywhere.

It was the first time for the Duke's two sons to witness such a life-and-death
fight from such a close distance. The older son, Cole, held out his sword and stood
in a rigid posture to defend his father. It was completely unlike his carefree
attitude during training sessions. Meanwhile, the younger son, 17-year-old Lance,
cowered behind his chair.

Calvin sighed in silence. If he did not have Edith, his sons would probably not
look so useless by comparison. The gulf of ability between her and them could not
be bigger. Perhaps, they were already resigned to this fact and had long lost the
courage and motivation to catch up with her.

The Duke looked towards the center of the banquet hall. His wunderkind eldest
daughter already had her eyes fixed on Ed Howes, the strongest challenger around.

First, she took a bottle of ale and flung it at her opponent, forcing him to turn
away. Next, she leaped up onto one of the long wooden tables and dived straight at
him with her sword. Her quick and agile movements were like those of a cat. Ed
adeptly parried her blows, and the clashing of swords caused sparks to fly.

She struck out half a dozen times within a split second, and her sword came
together with Ed's to form a continuous clinking sound which seemed to signal the
impending arrival of death. In this critical situation, Ed displayed frightening
technique and strength to negate every one of her strikes. It was hard to pick a
winner. While they fought around the long tables, many of the Howes Family's
knights had already succumbed in battle. Yet, Ed did not flinch or cower but
instead became increasingly aggressive.

Calvin began to worry.

As evident from the blood stains on her armor, Edith had earlier been involved in
another tough fight. Even if she was not wounded, her physical strength had been
expended considerably. Furthermore, as a female, she was naturally disadvantaged in
terms of strength. It would be unfavorable to her if the tussle drags on.

However, there was not a trace of fear on Edith's face.

Her eyes were fully focused on her opponent�her bright pupils were like twinkling
stars that could illuminate the world. Beads of sweat flung out of her hair ends
with every strike she made. Although her energy was visibly diminishing, she
continued to thrust relentlessly at her opponent, forcibly keeping him in a
defensive stance.

Ed seemed to take notice of this. With a loud roar, he changed to a technique which
would deal great injury to both of them. However, Edith was not keen on exchanging
blood with blood, and became the one deflecting attacks. The disparity in strength
between them finally told. Edith lost her balance as her sword was sliced into two,
causing her to fall off the long table.

The Duke's heart jumped into his throat. "F*ck, help her now!"

However, even the nearest guard was not able to assist�everything happened too
quickly.

Instead of attempting to stand up immediately, Edith astutely used the remainder of

her sword to slice off the legs of the long table. At this moment, Ed jumped onto
the table with both of his arms raised, intending to finish her off with a powerful
blow. He completely did not notice what she had just done.

Calvin stared in disbelief at what followed. The table, missing a leg, caused the
knight to lose his balance. If the table toppled normally, he would have been able
to leap off easily. But just at that instant, all of his strength was concentrated
in his arms, while his feet were fixed on top of the table, and his body was
hunched forward in the chopping posture. As such, he fell headfirst onto the floor
with a loud thud.

There was no chance of a comeback.

Edith jumped onto her opponent's back and pulled out a dagger from her waist. She
plunged it straight into his neck and twisted it. The knight's body began to spasm.

"Was it... a matter of luck? Probably not..." the Duke realized that Ed had fallen
into his daughter's trap the moment he jumped onto the table. When Ed took over his
opponent's high position, it made him feel as though he had turned defeat into
victory. The advantage that he built up over the course of the fight caused him to
think that strength and power alone would decide the outcome, and his confidence
grew at the sight of his opponent's weakening resistance. This was why he placed
all of his strength into his final blow. Under normal circumstances, Edith would
not have been able to survive it.

But this turned out to be the perfect opportunity to trick him into losing his
balance completely.

The resistance of the two families did not last very long in the face of opponents
who outnumbered them by three to one. After less than 10 minutes, the hall
quietened down again. The fireplace continued to burn calmly, while the only
noticeable difference in the hall was the strong smell of blood that mixed together
with the smell of spilled alcohol and other drinks.

The Duke returned to his seat and looked around the room. The lower nobles
hurriedly lowered their heads and did not dare to look straight at him.

"Earl Lista and Earl Howes conspired against King Wimbledon and have been duly
punished. Right now, you all have a choice. Do you all want to serve these two
corpses or the new king?"

This time, the responses were uniform and there were no extra remarks.

...

"So, it's settled?" In the study, Calvin used a handkerchief to wipe off the blood
stains on his daughter's forehead. "Will His Majesty Roland Wimbledon accept us?"

"You were calling him a rebel king only yesterday," Edith quipped teasingly. "Are
you going to pledge homage to him so soon?"

"Wasn't this what you said?" The Duke glared at his daughter. "Since we can't beat
him, we may as well surrender earlier. If we don't win his trust, the nobles will
hate us too!"

In fact, the execution of the two great noblemen without going through due process
violated the bottom line agreed among the noble. If it was not for the fact that
the Kingdom of Graycastle had been at war for two years and the lords of various
lands had changed rapidly, as well as Timothy being a bad example, Calvin would
never have dared to do things as his daughter had suggested.

"I don't know if we can."

"Wh-what?" The Duke quivered and nearly dropped his handkerchief. "You don't know?"

"Indeed. All we can do is to display our sincerity, but ultimately it'll be Prince
Roland who decides the fate of Northern Region. You should know this, Dad," Edith
said almost nonchalantly. "There's a chance he'll send his own people to take over
Northern Region, and it won't be surprising if your rank is lowered. But I know
that if we don't try, our Kant family won't have a chance to survive."

Calvin stood rooted for a long time before he sat back down, looking extremely
displeased. He knew that his daughter was right, but yet he found it hard to accept
her reply.

He did not want to lose the position of Duke.

Just then, Edith laughed. "Don't lose heart, Dad. You still have much work to do
tomorrow. We'll seize the mansions and fiefs of the two Earls. Besides, the outcome
of this matter will heavily depend on the level of competence we display to His
Majesty." She paused for a while, before continuing. "Sincerity is our ticket into
the negotiation, but ability is what will decide the outcome of the negotiation."

Calvin frowned in incomprehension. "What do you mean?"

"I'll bring these two heads to King's City, Dad." She laughed in a charming yet
wicked way. "Let me be your messenger to His Majesty."

Chapter 525: Return to King's City

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"King's City! After a year and a half, I'm finally back!"

Barov's heart stirred as he watched the cyan stone wall gradually become closer and
clearer.

In fact, he had been excited ever since he received the prince's orders. Prince
Roland had defeated Timothy smoothly and easily, as expected. This once again
showed that no one was able to resist the army of Western Region's Lord.

Of course, it was now rather inappropriate to call Roland the "Lord of the Western
Region".

He was now the only surviving son of King Wimbledon III, and thus was the bloodline
inheritor and rightful heir of the royal family.

The obstacles to his ascent had been completely swept away.

It was a matter of time that Roland would be crowned king.

As for Barov, he would soon become the Prime Minister, second in power only to the
king. This joyful thought made him become steeped in reverie. "When those 'old
friends' of mine, who're so concerned about me, see that I've attained a position
that they can't even dream about, how will they feel? Shocked? Jealous? Envious? Or
gnashing their teeth while putting on a fake smile and trying to please me?" These
imaginations gave him immense pleasure. It would be even better if his former
mentor, Treasurer Lauren Moore, could witness the scene of his promotion.

...

The concrete boat slowly docked at the pier in the outskirts of the city. Barov
sauntered down the trestle bridge together with Kyle Sichi and other companions.
Under the escort of the First Army, they walked through the familiar streets and
entered the inner city palace.

The Palace of Twin Towers was still as majestic as it was in his memory. In the
past, he could only look at it from far away in a small room in the City Hall. This
time, he could walk into the palace boldly.
He was led straight up to the study, where he once again met Roland Wimbledon.

In a state of excitement, he got down on one knee and greeted, "Your Majesty,
Kingdom of Graycastle is now yours!"

"Actually, not yet. Eastern Region and Northern Region remain under Timothy's
control." Roland laughed. "Get up you, there's much for us to discuss."

To Barov, Roland looked and acted exactly like he did before. He spoke in his usual
calm tone and was warm and friendly. He did not seem to be affected by his upcoming
coronation at all. Barov's attitude thus became even more respectful. He stood up
slowly, dusted himself and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Our prior task at the moment is to maintain the administration of King's City. I'd
made this clear in the letter." Roland poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in
front of Barov. "Do you have a preliminary plan?"

Barov hurriedly received the cup of tea. "It won't be difficult to maintain the
existing order. Your Majesty, how about you let me handle the lower nobles? They'll
know what's good and bad for them." Also, I've brought over 10 of my most
outstanding students from Border Area. Some are proficient in business and some in
tax administration. Even when I'm not around, my students will make sure that those
noblemen don't steal or do anything funny." He paused before adding. "But, Your
Majesty, I hope you'll assign the left-behind soldiers of the First Army to assist
in their supervision. Without military force as insurance, supervision alone may
not have the right effect."

Roland appeared a little surprised. "You don't wish to remain in King's City?"

"Of course not, Your Majesty," Barov replied without the slightest hesitation. "The
government affairs of City of Neverwinter are much more complex and important. As
such, I can't be away for too long. And it'd be too exhausting for you to go and
handle these issues yourself." Please, Your Majesty, let me continue to manage the
City Hall of City of Neverwinter for you. It has suited me well to serve under
you."

Barov had thought very clearly about this. His Majesty had confirmed that City of
Neverwinter would become the new capital of Kingdom of Graycastle, and therefore,
it was only a matter of time that it overtook this city. At present, the former's
population and development potential had already surpassed King's City, and after
the launch of the new batch of recruitment programs, its scale would be unarguably
greater than any other city within the Four Kingdoms. Of course, he would get to
listen to the mourns and wails of his "old friends" if he remained in King's City,
but over time, he would inevitably get bored and sick of them. Furthermore, such
mourns and wails could not provide him with more authority and influence, and on
the contrary, would gradually pull him away from the power center. He knew that it
was only by appearing regularly in front of His Majesty Roland that he would be
able to leave a strong impression.

Roland gleefully observed Barov for a long while until the latter lowered his head
out of his guilty conscience. Then, Roland consented. "Alright. But my condition is
that the change of city hall officials mustn't cause King's City to fall into
disorder. You should know that every single person in this city is important to
me."

...

Subsequently, His Majesty enquired about the details of the situation regarding the
mining and farming projects in Longsong Area. He paid particular attention to the
latter. Barov had known about Roland's preference beforehand and thus had obtained
information about the farming projects from Petrov. He replied smoothly to every
question, such that Roland continually nodded in agreement.

The afternoon passed quickly. After asking his last question, Roland patted Barov
on his shoulder to show his appreciation. "You've done well. I won't have to worry
when I'm out leading the army into battle. Go and have dinner. We'll discuss the
development plans of Longsong Area tomorrow."

"Yes..." Barov hesitated for a moment. He noticed that out of so many questions,
Roland had not mentioned his coronation. "Your Majesty, may I know when you intend
to be officially crowned and proclaimed King?

"Plans haven't been made," Roland replied calmly.

"What?" The City Hall Director could not believe his own ears. "These things should
be arranged as early as possible! With it, your prestige will increase
tremendously, and the people's hearts will unite as one. There aren't any
downsides. Why don't you..."

"It needs too much time." Roland cut him short, stood up, walked over to the
window, and looked down at the magnificent city under the dusk light. "I've asked
the ceremonial officer. He says that a full coronation will require many months of
preparation. Aside from making the gold crown and the gem scepter, invitation
letters have to be sent to the church and the other three kingdoms. The ceremony
can only begin after all of their emissaries have arrived. Even if we omit the Holy
City of Hermes, Kingdom of Everwinter and Kingdom of Wolfheart, it'll still require
more than a month to contact Kingdom of Dawn. This will severely slow down our
plans for the second half of the spring offensive."

"Your Majesty, you can simplify this process..."

"That would lower the prestige of the coronation, such that it might even have an
adverse effect." Roland shrugged his shoulders in rejection of Barov's idea. "Even
Timothy pays heed to this process. I can't appear to be more anxious and cheaper
than him. However, my ambassador to Kingdom of Dawn will set off shortly. He'll
notify them about this. When we get a formal reply from them, it won't be too late
to consider this matter."

*******************

After Barov took his leave, Roland could finally exhale a sigh of relief.

There was another reason that he had not mentioned. It was the deep and pervading
notion of "Focus on amassing grains, while slowly becoming king", in other words,
"Become rich silently". At present, he only occupied Western Region, which was not
even a third of the land area that Timothy occupied when he was king. It was best
to be modest before the church officially attacked Kingdom of Dawn, and it would be
troublesome if Hermes made him the prior target. Though he was no longer afraid of
falling out with the church, he did not want to draw aggro on behalf of others.

Shortly, Roland summoned Kyle Sichi to his study.

He was hoping that his Chief Alchemist had already thought of a way to intimidate
the Alchemist Workshop of King's City.

Chapter 526: The Alchemist Workshop

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The Refining Hall located in the east of the city was Retnin's favorite place to
stay.

It was a place always full of vitality, often filled with students and apprentices
constantly moving materials back and forth. He could see steam rising from various
vessels and perceive the smells of sulfur and acid water. Occasionally, he could
hear crashes of broken glass, usually accompanied by loud scoldings from
alchemists.

Even though he was promoted to one of the three chief alchemists two years ago and
had his own alchemical room, he preferred the busy and crowded Refining Hall for
inspiration. Just like the Refining Hall where people of different kinds gathered
and mingled, alchemy was a process of mixing various matters. Nevertheless, only a
few, such as crystal glass and snow powder, could distinguish themselves from the
ordinary and shine through the muddy mixture.

The charm of alchemy lay in the refining process, in which those grayish white sand
and black charcoals could turn into such a splendor that nobody had ever foreseen.
The same held true for people. The Alchemist Workshop accepted a large number of
new apprentices every year, but only a very few of them would eventually stand out
from the rest and become first-rate alchemists. Retnin was one of the very few. It
had taken him 34 years to go from apprentice to chief. Although he was now nearly
50, with one foot in the grave, he felt content with his life, for having learned
the aesthetics passed down from the sages.

The only thing that disquieted him was the recent round of incidents in the King's
City.

The biggest overturn was the change of the king. After Prince Roland hanged
Timothy, he had indubitably become the successor of the King. The news should have
had nothing to do with the Alchemist Workshop. They needed to be responsible for
alchemical production whoever the king was. However, he was not sure if they could
stay out of this trouble once Prince Roland found out they had provided Timothy
with snow powder as a war material.

King's City had gradually restored its peace. Yet the fact that the prince had
visited the Astrological Station instead of the Alchemist Workshop gave Retnin an
ominous feeling.

"Are you still worried about the Astrology Association?" asked a voice at his side.
"Its not like you to sit here in a daze, brows furrowed."

Judging from the unguarded tone, Retnin knew it must be another chief alchemist. He
turned around and found Rayleigh, whose hair was as frosty as his, sitting next to
him. "What on earth do you think His Highness is planning?"

"He�s thinking those fellows who only care about stars are wasting money. What else
can he be thinking about?" Rayleigh said carelessly. "It's a pity he didn't stick
to his opinion. Those guys shouldn't be crowned as sages anyway. They should have
been laid off a long time ago."

As the two major academies in the Kingdom, the Alchemist Workshop hired spies to
collect information about the Astrology Association. The Alchemist Workshop
somewhat knew the purpose of Roland's visit to the Astrological Station, but did
not know what exactly the chief astrologer had said to Prince Roland in secret that
made him change his mind about shutting down the Astrological Station.
"Are you worried that the Alchemist Workshop will be shut down as well?" He patted
Retnin on his shoulder heartily. "Don�t forget the profit we bring to King's City!
Once the limit in the production of crystal glass and perfume is lifted, the gold
royals we'll earn can probably fill the prince's entire bedroom. How can he resist
such a lucrative business opportunity and shut the Workshop down?"

"But we produced snow powder for Timothy."

"So what? Could we disobey the King's order?" Rayleigh grunted. "Any reasonable
person should know it isn't us to blame. Besides, he also manufactured loads of
weapons fueled by snow powder himself. I bet he must have gotten the formula from
Boer, the traitor. In this light, we actually made a contribution to his victory.
Perhaps he'll even reward us if we hand in the advanced formula."

"Hopefully." Retnin nodded, feeling a little relieved. Like Rayleigh had said, the
Alchemist Workshop was the largest gold production organization. The prince might
have been stuck in the middle of something and therefore failed to visit them right
after the war.

Just as Retnin was about to instruct a group of alchemists, a student dashed into
the hall. Out of breath he shouted. "M-Mr. Chief Alchemist, His Majesty is here!"

"What? Where?"

Hearing Retnin's exclamation, everybody in the hall was silent, looking at the
student.

"Above the yard in the air." The student swallowed hard. "His Majesty descended
from the sky!"

Retnin and Rayleigh exchanged an astonished look. "Bring Chief Alchemist Archer
here. Everybody else, follow me to greet His Majesty."

"Yes, sir!"

...

A giant balloon that covered almost half of the sky was floating in the air outside
the Alchemist Workshop. Soldiers armed with snow powder weapons surrounded the
yard. After they had searched the Association thoroughly, making sure it was safe,
the balloon started to land slowly.

"That must be the transportation device the prince used to visit the Astrological
Station with the witches," Rayleigh whispered in Retnin's ear. "I didn't expect it
could truly make a person fly."

"Anyway, he's here." Retnin felt alleviated. He grabbed Rayleigh's shoulder and
said, "It doesn't matter how we address him in private, but you ought to show some
respects in an official meeting. He is King of the Kingdom of Graycastle, even
without an inauguration ceremony. Be serious."

"Don't worry. I know how to behave properly." Reyleigh assured him with a smile.

After the basket landed safely, a beaming gray-haired man came up to them under the
protection of the guards. He was bareheaded, not splendidly dressed, and held no
scepter in his hand. He was not as marvelous as he was rumored to be, yet the
prince's every single gesture was majestic and dignified. Next to him stood an
elderly man in a cope, who seemed surprisingly familiar to Retnin.
"Your Majesty, welcome to the Alchemist Workshop." The three chief alchemists
bowed, followed by all the other alchemists.

Roland smiled. "My father used to talk about you often when I was still in King's
City. He said both crystal glass and perfume are quite popular alchemical products,
they have even been sold to the Fjord Islands. These products have brought great
profits to the palace. So, I built an alchemical workshop myself after my father
sent me to Border Town."

"Pft�" Rayleigh almost burst out laughing upon hearing these words, whereas Retnin
restrained himself and managed to conceal his amusement. "That must not have been
an easy business, Your Majesty. Every alchemical workshop requires a large amount
of gold royals to operate."

"Really? But I didn't invest a lot of gold royals. You know how deficient the
resources are in Border Town. At first, I could only do the experiments in a few
wooden sheds. But now I'm able to produce various products, including glass and
perfume." Roland continued casually, "So I'm wondering where those gold royals
actually go."

"Your Majesty, what... what do you mean by that?" Retnin's heart sank.

"This is my Chief Alchemist, Mr. Kyle Sichi," Roland replied, pointing to the
elderly man next to him. "He'll examine and evaluate your products. If there have
been no innovations in recent years, I might as well shut down the Alchemist
Workshop. After all, King's City was just ravaged by a war, and I believe tons of
gold royals are needed for reconstruction."

The alchemists were outraged by the prince's comment.

"Your Majesty, I can't accept this!" Rayleigh was so angry that he couldn't bear it
and stood to challenge him.

Chapter 527: The Ultimate Goal of Alchemy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Huh?" Roland turned to him. "Why?"

"Well, Your Majesty... You're likely to be deceived by someone since you may not
know alchemy well." Retnin interjected immediately. He knew Rayleigh took great
pride in his work and sometimes even failed to pay due respects to Timothy.
Certainly, he disdained the notorious Prince Roland. If Rayleigh accidentally
enraged Roland, the rest of them would all have to suffer the King's wrath.
"Alchemy is a process full of changes. Every formula represents a potential
product. However, not all products are as dazzling as snow powder. They may not
instantly bring you gold royals, but they can help with the production of another
extraordinary product."

"Exactly." Rayleigh rejoined indignantly. "Take snow powder as an example. One of

its ingredients, ice nitrite, is converted from feces. The conversion itself is a
sort of reaction. However, ice nitrite can also be mixed with other products and
turn into snow powder. All these reactions and conversions are the result of long-
term exploration and research. Even an experienced alchemy master can't readily
jump to the conclusion that one specific product is useless. Your Majesty, you
can't evaluate our work simply with gold royals." Rayleigh stared at Roland's chief
alchemist with deepened brows. "If someone promises you that every single product
can instantly bring you profits, he must be lying!"
"What's your opinion on that?" Roland the man beside him.

The chief alchemist looked quite unperturbed. He stroked his whiskers and remained
silent until nobody else was talking. "Your Majesty, they say this because they
haven't probed into the nature of alchemy. I can prove to you that their formulas
are all outdated. I already know whether their products are useful or not."

The alchemists all gasped at these words.

Retnin was speechless for quite a while. Did this man know what he was talking
about? He�d just said he understood every single alchemy formula! What a terrible
joke he was making! The Alchemist Workshop in King's City had discovered more than
ten new formulas in the past two years, and it would take several days just to read
them through. How could he say there was nothing new?" Retnin was stunned but at
the same time he was secretly delighted. It proved Kyle was completely insane. And
if there was a single formula he didn't know about, he would be accused of lying to
the King!

Just then, Archer, the quietest chief alchemist, came forward. He asked sternly,
"How do you want to prove it?"

"Very simple." Kyle strode toward the three chief alchemists. Confidently, he
suggested, "Give me the ingredients and I'll tell you the formula. How does that
sound?"

Rayleigh was so furious he was ready to burst. "Very good. There are all kinds of
ingredients in the Workshop. Feel free to use them. If you name one formula wrong,
His Majesty will know you've been lying!"

"What if I'm correct?"

"That's impossible!" Archer shook his head. "A few alchemy formulas can be
repetitive, but there's absolutely no way formulas can exhaust. You take alchemy
too lightly!"

Hearing this, Kyle suddenly had a strange look on his face, as if he were studying
them with sympathy or other mixed feelings. "I'm not taking it lightly. The truth
is that your perception of alchemy is mistaken."

Retnin could feel his temples throbbing. "What did you say?"

"May I ask what you think alchemy really is?" Kyle remained undisturbed. "Do you
think it is chaotic, volatile and too complicated to study? No. You're wrong about
alchemy all the way from the beginning�or rather you know nothing about the nature
of matter."

"Nonsense!" Rayleigh hollered. "Are you implying that the theories passing down
from sages are simple and straightforward? If so, why are there so many derivations
and why is every single rock different from another?"

To Retnin's horror, a winning smile fluttered over Kyle's face. "Ah, yes. It's
simple and straightforward, it is."

"What are you..."

"As to the reason why the world is diverse and manifold, it's beyond the scope of
alchemy," Kyle explained placidly. "In other words, it's a higher realm that I just
got a chance to set foot in."
"Enough." Retnin stopped Rayleigh who was about to explode. "Ask the students to
prepare the materials. I'm sure all this monstrous absurdity will be refuted by
facts later."

If he let Rayleigh keep going, the latter might raise his voice and lash out at
Kyle, and perhaps even start to criticize Roland who employed him.

The man was indeed crazy to think that alchemy is simple and straightforward,
Retnin thought bitterly. He would definitely teach Kyle a lesson afterwards.

...

A long table was arranged in the Refining Hall, with three vials and three pieces
of paper on the top. Each piece of paper contained the names of the ingredients.

After a heated discussion, the three chief alchemists each selected a formula for
Kyle Sichi to prove his theory. In order to show fairness, as well as to stop
Kyle's blabbers, the three wrote all the ingredients' names down. However, it would
not be their business as to whether Kyle recognized them.

When everything was ready, Retnin turned to Roland's chief alchemist and said, "You
can start now."

Kyle paced to the table and glanced at the first piece of paper confidently.

"Burn the mixture of saltpeter and green alum?" He was surprised by what was
written on the sheet. "It seems you've also learned the double-stone acid-making
method. The products of the reaction are multiple solids and acids, and the latter
can dissolve metals." He wrote a long list of symbols on the paper as he answered.

Archer, who wrote the question, suddenly was very embarrassed. "Correct." He
pronounced the word with gritted teeth.

The spectating alchemists started to exchange whispers. They had probably never
expected Kyle could give the right answer to the first question within a second.

"Silence!" Retnin bellowed. "There are two questions left!"

"It was pure luck." Rayleigh stamped about with indignity. "I don't think he can
answer the second question that easily. What is he writing on that piece of paper
by the way?"

Retnin shook his head. His heart sank rapidly. To both Retnin and Rayleigh's
surprise, Kyle gave the answer to the second question a great deal of thought and
even saw through the trickiness of Rayleigh's question. "Green vitriol acid and
copper? The reaction won't start if the acid is in deficiency. With sufficient
acid, the liquid will turn blue when heated, and it will bubble as well."

When it came to Retnin's question, Kyle did not linger either. "Just take out the
Stone of the Netherworld?" He picked up the vial, shook it, and studied the white
solid soaked in the water. "This is quite rare. It will burn on its own in the air
and produce white smoke and white solids. Am I right?"

"Um..." Retnin was totally shocked. He had obtained this queer chemical substance
from the alchemists in the Kingdom of Wolfheart. Few people had seen it before, and
even fewer people could name its properties!

"Please feel free to raise questions." Kyle turned around and glanced at the
spectating alchemists. "I can prove to you that I'm not lying."

The words stirred up the audience.

"What will happen when burning the mixture of ocher and charcoals?"

"Ocher is essentially a kind of special iron ore. If the temperature is high

enough, we'll be able to get iron from it."

"Why are the colors of glass obtained via smelting different? Didn't you say
alchemy is invariable?"

"Because of the different impurities in it. We need the purest gravel to produce
crystal glass."

"Sir Kyle, I have a question!"

"Me too!"

To Retnin's astonishment, the atmosphere in the hall was changing swiftly. The
alchemists were gradually convinced by Kyle's extensive knowledge and naturally
started to show some respect to him. It suddenly struck Retnin that the alchemists
were slowly accepting Kyle.

"Shut up, all of you!" Rayleigh cried abruptly. "These are all old formulas the
Alchemist Workshop has known for ages. If you really understand all formulas, then
write a new one that nobody has ever discovered. For example, the ultimate goal of
alchemy!"

"That'll be impossible," thought Retnin, who swallowed hard. He believed all the
alchemists here thought such a goal was as unrealistic as a mysterious legend.

However, he was astounded to notice a smile lingering on Kyle's lips.

Kyle Sichi smiled to all the members of the Alchemist Workshop, who rested their
eyes upon him. "Are you saying turning stones into gold? Of course, I can. Let me
show you."

Chapter 528: Turning Stone into Gold

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Could it be that... you've extracted the Philosopher's Stone successfully?" Archer

asked in a trembling voice.

The hall suddenly fell into pin-drop silence; it was perhaps an answer that
everyone wanted to hear.

The Philosopher's Stone the culmination of alchemy and the rumors claimed that it
had the ability to transform anything, which was the very reason why alchemy was
called the art of philosophy. When used as a medium, it could transform a generic
metal or lead into gold, creating unlimited wealth; it was also the origin of the
term "turning stone into gold".

"A stone that can transform everything... it was simply an invention of the ancient
alchemist who wanted to be lazy," Kyle waved a hand and said, "And, what I'm about
to show you is the mystery of the world."
He pulled out a strange-looking pipe, which was made of crystal glass, from his bag
and generously displayed it in front of the alchemists.

Everyone, including Retnin, was stretching their neck to take a peek at it. The
pipe was as thick as two fingers and was sealed at both ends. It contained some
matte-looking, brownish-red powder that looked just like some dried soil at first
glance. It was hard to imagine how that powder had gotten inside.

Kyle asked for a glass of clean water before he picked up a green alum stone from
the table and used it to smash one end of the pipe, shattering it into pieces.

This caused a stir among the crowd.

Even Retnin was feeling greatly distressed; the immaculate transparent color showed
that the tube was obviously made from first-class crystal glass, which must have
taken the craftsman a lot of effort to make into such a symmetrical shape. Yet,
Kyle simply smashed it to pieces. However, he realized that Prince Roland was not
lying when he claimed that the domain had developed crystal glass since the
Alchemist Workshop of King's City would definitely not produce this type of strange
vessel.

The water was quickly provided and Kyle poured the powder into the glass of water,
and then the color of the water gradually turned into a yellow-green hue and the
powder disappeared.

"Do you have any lead bars here?" he turned around and asked. "Give me two of the
best quality."

"Hang on!" Rayleigh said, "Since it's an alchemic reaction, it shouldn't matter who
does it. I've seen some street performers who're very good at covering-up;
switching bronze royals into gold royals in front of a crowd... I'm not doubting
you but it's better to be cautious on such an occasion." He looked at two of the
other chiefs and said,"What do you think?"

"Indeed," Archer slowly answered.

Retnin hesitated. It was obvious that Rayleigh was doubtful and comparing Kyle to
the street performers was indeed quite disrespectful. However, he had to support
the Alchemist Workshop in this situation. "I... agree as well."

He was expecting the Chief Alchemist of Border Town to be furious. However, Kyle
Sichi simply smiled and said, "Of course, there's no difference if the last step is
carried out by either the alchemist or the apprentice. Just as I mentioned, the
essence of alchemy is simple, orderly and straightforward. Who would like to do
it?"

"I'll do it." Retnin was so excited that he did not dare look at Kyle, but he was
not able to resist his curiosity towards learning the art of turning-stone-into-
gold. "Can the glass of yellow-green liquid really transform the lead into gold?"

The apprentice quickly presented the materials�some green-and-white colored refined

lead rods which were usually kept in a cotton-lined wooden box. They would be
considered the best of the inventories. Retnin picked one up and carefully put it
into the glass. To his surprise, he saw a golden tint appear on the surface of the
lead bar!

He could feel his hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Look! It looks like something is growing out of it!"

"It's golden... Oh God, it's gold in color!"

"Is that gold?"

"It could be copper as well!"

The sounds of discussion behind Retnin grew louder. He turned around and realized
that all of the alchemists and students were staring intently at the changes
happening in the glass on the long table, with eyes wide open. They sounded
surprised and unconvinced. All the while, Archer was looking lost and confused.

He was feeling the same at that moment... "Perhaps Kyle was right�alchemy is truly
constant itself, completely simple and concise; and any self-assumed chaos is
simply caused by making a wrong choice."

In that case, what's all of the decades of study for?

When the lead rod was lifted from the glass of water, there was already some
filament blooming on the surface, resembling coral.

"These are all... copper!" Rayleigh was biting his lips and yelling with his last-
ditch effort, "It's impossible for you to know the way to transform stone into
gold!" It makes no sense! Otherwise, you'd have bought the entire Kingdom of
Graycastle with gold royals, instead of simply becoming a Lord's Chief Alchemist of
a small town!"

"I'm choosing this path, not for the gold royals but to understand the world."
Kyle's voice seemed to come from far away. "If you don't believe, you can always
examine it... I think as the Chief of King's City, you would know the differences
between copper and gold pretty well, so do you?"

However, there was no reversal to be incurred for a post-verification, a piece of

the gold wire was sliced off and baked on a plate in the fire. It quickly melted
indicating that it was gold. It was obviously not copper because copper would
darken into an ugly solid mass under high temperature, while the flowing metal
solution on the plate looked as bright and golden as the sun in the sky.

True gold fears no fire.

It was indeed real gold.

The hall already seethed with excitement!

"The alchemic formula for turning rock into gold does exist!"

"Lord Kyle, what were the symbols you wrote down on the paper just now?" Was that
part of a higher-level formula?"

"Where exactly did you acquire all the knowledge from?"

"Lord Chief, do you still accept any student? I'm willing to start as an
apprentice!"

Kyle Sichi extended his arms, intending to suppress the cheering noise. "Listen,
everything you have seen today comes from a more ancient subject. It not only
includes all the possible alchemy formulas but also discloses the mystery formed
within the world! From it, you can even predict those alchemy formulas that have
never been seen before, and turning stone into gold isn't an exception! I could
teach you all this, as long as you follow me to the Western Region!"

"To the Western Region?" Retnin became stiff, looking at Roland Wimbledon, His
Majesty, who was sitting off to the side with a smile... "Is that the true purpose
of why they're here?" However, it was too late for him to realize how effective it
would be. The enthusiasm on the scene had totally gone out of his control. Imagine
that who wouldn't want to work for the association if he could master the art of
turning stone into gold? Perhaps, none of the alchemists in the hall would stay,
and the hundred-year-old Alchemist Workshop of King's City had unexpectedly
crumbled within a day.

Retnin noticed that Kyle was slowly walking towards him.

"Do you still remember the apprentice who wanted to configure the molten gold
solution 27 years ago?" He leaned forward and whispered, "After failing the test
twice, you took away his money and banned him from ever passing through the door of
the association... In fact, the failure was mainly caused by a lack of acid
concentration, which should have been provided by you."

"You were the apprentice who was audited by me..." Retnin said in shock�the pieces
of memory in his mind were overlapping with the silhouette in front of him.

"That's right." Kyle nodded. "I'm just claiming what I deserve."

---

I recommend a book titled "The Noble Evil King", whose author is Kaihuang; the
title may be slightly witless but the content is very good, please take a look if
you are interested in~!

Chapter 529: The Returned Witch

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Two days later, Kyle Sichi bade farewell to Roland.

"Don't you want to spend a couple more days in King's City?" Roland jokingly asked,
"This is the center of Graycastle, the best place to have fun within the Kingdom.
If you miss it now, it may not be here next time."

"I'm not you; I don't want to have an unfinished romance here." Kyle rolled his
eyes and said, "There's still a lot of work to do in the laboratory and the plant.
It's best for me to return to the City of Neverwinter if you want the production
line of gunpowder to run smoothly."

His reply made Roland depressed. After the situation settled down, the atmosphere
in the city was a little strange: First, many women claimed to be his lovers,
followed then by their illegitimate children. Of course, he knew these were all
rumors. Nevertheless, he could not stop the rumors from confounding the truth.
Especially, when his history was so notorious. No matter how bizarre the stories
were, they would still sound convincing to some... He could only get Theo to come
forward and compel the Rats to eradicate the rumors.

"Alright." He was speechless for a while before he nodded and said, "I'll arrange a
paddle steamer to send you back to the Western Region. Thank you for your hard work
over the past few days."
"As long as you know it," Kyle said while shaking his beard. He left after paying
respect by covering his chest with one hand.

"This guy's really ungrateful." Roland twitched his lips but didn't take it
personally. He even started happily singing.

"You seem very happy surrounded by so many women," said a cold voice behind him.

"Ahem..." He was almost choked by his own saliva. "What're you talking about?! They
were just trying to get some money out of me by saying that. I'm sure you know
that."

"How, how would I know?" Nightingale said in a panic.

"Oh? You really don't know?" Roland retorted. "I thought you've investigated
everyone here."

"... Okay," Nightingale revealed herself. She turned around and sat on the table.
Staring down at him, she said, "I have indeed gone on an investigation. It was,
however, because I was worried about your safety and afraid you'll let dangerous
people into the palace. Do you understand?"

"I understand," he said, trying not to laugh. But, the next words Nightingale said
froze the smile on his face.

"Most of their statements were false. What about Miss Kingfisher and Mrs. Rother?
They were not lying!"

"Damn Yorko, I didn't expect her to actually keep it in mind after the last cover-
up." Roland silently cursed the "old friend" a million times. While staring
seriously into her eyes, he said, "I didn't lie to you... The Prince Roland whom
they were talking about wasn't me. You should be able to tell that I'm not lying."

Nightingale was feeling slightly uncomfortable being stared at and averted her
eyes. "So, it's a misunderstanding? They thought it was you, but you weren't there?
"

"Of course not," said Roland righteously. "In fact, I haven't seen them before!"

She looked slightly calmer and said, "So, you're just going to let the ladies who
claim to have slept with you continue to make a scene? Theo said you didn't order
them to shut up."

"Of course, it's exactly what they want�to be paid to shut up. It's too much to be
violent, and it'll just increase the suspicion of the people." Roland was still
unable to kill for this reason. "It'll be easier distracting people with bigger
news than forcing those women to stop."

"Bigger... news?" Nightingale curiously asked.

"Yes, something they'll be discussing for weeks." He said smiling. "For example,
King's City is to be renamed the City of Dawn; the City of Neverwinter in the
Western Region is to be the new capital of Graycastle, etc. The rumors will subside
after I leave."

Of course, there was more news, such as that the king is not having a coronation,
as well as the competitive plan for skilled craftsmen recruitment... Cumulatively,
this news should be able to fill up the public's leisure time. Currently, the Rats
were slowly spreading fragments of the news to the crowd. This followed the posting
of the announcement of the City Hall in order to achieve the best publicity effect.
It was expected these would be the topics of discussions in pubs for a long time.

"So, you weren't happily smiling because of them just now?"

"Not at all!" Roland patted the list of names on the table and said, "I was happy
because of this." The chemical presentation led by Kyle was a huge success. The
effect was better than he thought�there were more than 320 people from the
association who were willing to move forward to the Western Region, including
alchemists, students, and the apprentices. The final number was confirmed at around
500, including the family members. "That's the sum of employees in the five
chemical laboratories and two plants in the Border Area. Now the number is doubled
in a blink of an eye and most of them are the proficients who could be assigned to
work after some slight training. It's the biggest accomplishment after we conquered
King's City." He paused and said, "It's not, however, what I'm happiest about."

"What's the thing you're happiest about?" Nightingale asked curiously.

"Take a look at this." He spread the list, pointing out the names at the bottom.

"Retnin... Rayleigh... Archer, aren't they the Alchemist Workshop Chiefs?"

"That's right, Kyle didn't refuse them," Roland softly said. "He said he had
already taken back what belonged to him." Roland thought Kyle would have a serious
initial retaliation after learning about the argument between the Chief Alchemist
and the Alchemist Workshop of King's City; without even meaning to continue the
hatred, Kyle had received the consensus he deserved and accepted the three of them
on behalf of the City of Neverwinter. It warmed Roland's heart to see there was
still a group of people taking the right path in a tough time; the kingdom would
definitely be continuously improving by having them in the realm.

Right then, a rhythmic knocking sound came from outside the window.

Nightingale flashed out of the window and came back to the table in the blink of an
eye with the messenger in her arms. "A secret letter is here."

"You scared it." Roland shook his head. He didn't know whether he should laugh or
cry while looking at the stunned gray falcon on the table. He quickly glanced
through the content of the letter lifted and said, "Ah... it was sent by Scroll. I
think we'll have to leave as soon as possible."

"Is there anything wrong in City of Neverwinter?" Nightingale frowned.

"No..." he twitched his lips and said, "Lotus and Honey are coming back soon."

"The two little brats..." Somehow Nightingale sounded unhappy. "Do we really need
to leave in such a rush? After all, there are only two of them. Lightning and
Maggie can always go pick them up. They're much faster than the hydrogen balloon.
They'll reach King's City within a day."

"We could definitely do that if it were just the two of them," Roland excitedly
said. "However, the letter says Tilly's sending along new witches."

Chapter 530: Lotus' Concerns

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The surface of the vast sea regained its former clear blue hue. The Charming Beauty
sailed forward, riding the wind and waves. The hull moved up and down in the
glittering waves, making rhythmic creaks.

"Set the sail full! Boys, move!" One-eyed Jack shouted, "We can make it to the
Shallow Beach today."

The sailors on the mast were singing a work song together and pulling the three-
finger thick hessian rope, releasing the sail bit by bit. With the ever-changing
weather on the sea, they had to repeat such release and roll-up movements several
times a day. Lotus watched the sailors, as flexible as monkeys, climbing back and
forth over her head.

"So troublesome," the old captain walked towards the witches and said. "It would be
so much easier if I had a boat such as those in Crescent Moon Bay, they can
navigate without sails. What's the thing called again?"

"Paddle steamer," Lotus said, raising her eyebrows. "It was made by His Highness,
Prince Roland himself."

"Why don't you ask His Highness to build one for you?" Honey asked, teasing the
seabird on her shoulder, " His Highness may not do others such a favor, but he may
do it for you."

"You little brat, you make it sound like I'm very close to him."

"Well, you're close to Lady Tilly," Honey stuck her tongue out and said, "and His
Highness Roland is very kind to Lady Tilly."

Jack smoked his pipe heavily, feeling a pain in his chest. "... Never mind. I heard
from those merchants that one paddle steamer costs more than 1,000 gold royals.
That's the amount I�d never have even if I were to sell all of you."

"That's not for sure," Breeze said jokingly. "In Sleeping Spell, the reward for
Lotus is counted by hundreds of gold royals. Besides, last time a merchant named
Durat Kimshoe intended to employ her for a long term with 1,000 gold royals. That's
only Lotus, so the four of us would be worth much more."

"Breeze!" Lotus punched Breeze angrily. "You knew what he was up to. I don't want
to hear that man's name ever again!"

"Just kidding." Breeze held Lotus into her arms and said gently, "How could I ever
sell you. When Lady Tilly heard about Kimshoe's proposal, she practically
negotiated with the entire chamber of commerce of Crescent Moon Bay. After that no
one would dare do such a thing anymore."

"You two seem to get along well." Jack spouted some smoke rings. "But the other two
over there do not seem to have much to talk to you."

On hearing that, the three of them fell into silence for a moment. A while later,
Breeze broke the silence. "They were witches from the Kingdom of Wolfheart."

The old captain felt confused. "Aren't you all the same?"

"They support Heidi Morgan more than Lady Tilly."

"Morgan..." The captain stroked his chin and thought for a while. "Is she a noble
in the Kingdom of Wolfheart?"
"Only from a branch." Breeze waved one hand. "Nothing serious. It's just we haven't
been together for long, so we can't open our hearts to each other yet."

The old man seemed to have realized something, so he did not pose more questions.

Lotus did not know much about the nobles in the kingdom. She only knew witches from
Sleeping Island were not as close as the witches in Border Town were. Among the
witches in Border Town, most of them were from the Kingdom of Graycastle, and a
small group of them were from the Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Wolfheart.
Since Tilly was the organizer of the migration operation and had the noblest
status, all of them, including the foreign witches, just regarded her as the
leader. But after the church in Fjord Islands was eradicated, the situation had
changed.

Lotus, who had returned to Sleeping Island after the Months of Demons, could
clearly sense it. After only a few months� time, the witches from the Kingdom of
Wolfheart had moved in together, and they seldom talked to other witches when they
ate in the dining hall. According to Molly, they were all members of the Bloodfang
Association, an organization similar to the Witch Cooperation Association of the
Kingdom of Graycastle, with Heidi Morgan as its leader.

In the beginning, there were just over 20 witches from the Bloodfang Association on
Sleeping Island. They were a minority on the island, which was nothing special. The
extraordinary thing was that 18 of them were combat witches. In other words, the
Bloodfang Association had carefully selected its members before the enrollment, and
only those witches who were powerful could join in, which was totally different
from the way the Witch Cooperation Association and Sleeping Island enrolled
witches. Because of this, the Bloodfang Association was very competitive. When
Tilly had carried out her eradication plan, the small group of witches from the
Kingdom of Wolfheart alone took care of the Twin Dragon Island cathedral which had
the most believers.

And because of this, Heidi Morgan thought the Bloodfang Association was the core of
Sleeping Island. Although Morgan did not express her opinion in words, Lotus could
feel it. Lotus did not like the argument that combat witches had higher status than
non-combat witches, and she agreed with Lady Tilly's idea of "witch equality".
Unfortunately, not everyone shared her opinion. While Lady Tilly was away, Heidi
had fought several times with Camilla Dary, Chief Butler of Sleeping Island.
Luckily, Camilla, who was also a noble in King�s City, did not appear dwarf in
front of Heidi and calmly quieted the conflicts.

At this thought, Lotus sighed helplessly. She was not worried about Lady Tilly's
safety. After all, Ashes, the most powerful witch from Sleeping Island, was a
faithful supporter to Lady Tilly. Ashes was the only Extraordinary who could fight
wearing a God�s Stone of Retaliation. In her presence, all the other witches from
the Bloodfang Association would not stand a chance to win. What worried her was
this trip. Honestly, she did not want to stay with the witches from the Kingdom of
Wolfheart.

And also, the witches being chosen for this trip were a weird combination�except
for herself and Honey, two of the other three witches were combat witches.
Normally, Lady Tilly should have known that His Highness Roland preferred
assistance witches because those bizarre weapons he owned were enough to enable the
commoners to defeat the Judgement Army of the church. To what end did she send the
witches from the Bloodfang Association?

She racked her brain but failed to find an answer, so she decided to put these
distracting thoughts aside.
Maybe Lady Tilly had her own concerns beyond her comprehension.

...

As the sun moved to the west, the golden Shallow Beach shone in everybody's eyes.

At the same time, a hot air balloon appeared, floating in midair along with a
strange, giant bird.

"Oh God! What's that?" The sailors on deck exclaimed when they saw the strange bird
fold its wings and dive towards the Charming Beauty. As the bird drew closer, its
sharp claws and bloody mouth became visible to the sailors.

"Is there an enemy?" Hearing the shouts, the Bloodfang Association witches rushed
out of the cabin and were startled by the giant beast. "What's that monster?"

"Whatever it is, just catch it!" The other witch soon calmed down. "A target's size
makes no difference to us."

"Wait a minute... That's not the enemy." Lotus hurried to stop them. "It flew
alongside the hot air balloon."

A witch from the Bloodfang Association quickly glanced at her. "A hot air balloon?"

"It's a vessel that His Highness Roland uses to transport witches." Breeze stepped
in front of them to stop their argument. "Relax. You can trust Lotus' judgement."

The horrible giant beast was getting closer and closer, making resounding roars.
But Lotus could feel the roars were not for intimidation.

"Oh-oh-coo!"

The giant figure of the beast disappeared just as it was about to hit the sail of
the boat, and a white pigeon landed steadily on Lotus' head.

"You're here finally," Maggie rubbed her forehead and said. "Welcome back, coo!"

Chapter 531: The Romance

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

"Is this really okay?"

"What?"

"Sending Iffy, Softfeathers, and Lotus to Border Town," Ashes hugged Tilly from
behind while Tilly sat at the desk, and said, "It must have been Heidi Morgan's
idea, am I right?"

Ever since she had heard about the existence of the Sealine, Princess Tilly spent
almost all her time in the study room. Stacked on her desk were piles of books,
some of which were from Roland, and the others retrieved from the ruins. Seeing
Tilly's figure behind all these books, Ashes felt sorry for her.

"Um." Putting down the quill, Tilly slowly leaned back. "Morgan didn't want me to
have connections with the commoners all by myself, and I had no reason to refuse
her."

"But the commoner is your elder brother. What makes her think she can choose for
you?"

"Because she's also one of the royal members." Tilly shook her head, smiling. "The
higher the status is, the looser the blood ties are. It's true in every kingdom."
Heidi knew full well about it, and that was why she had made the decision.

"She intends to fight for His Highness Roland's support with you?" Ashes frowned�

"Not just yet. This time I think she only wants to probe the situation."

"Then why did you agree with her?!" Ashes loosened her arms and said with a low
voice, "It seems like I need to talk to her."

It was Princess Tilly's affinity and leniency that won her the trust of the witches
who used to be abused and suppressed by the church, and now they could bond
together. But it didn't mean someone could regard her lenience as weakness, and
test her on the basis of her trust�

Ashes was about to turn when Tilly grabbed her arm. "Why not? As I said, I had no
reason to refuse her. Sleeping Island is our home. All the witches here are
freewomen. I won't stop them from doing anything as long as they don't harm anyone.
And..." She let out a sigh. "Sending them to the Western Region isn't a bad idea."

"Not a bad idea?" Ashes asked with bewilderment.

"Have you ever thought about why the witches at the Bloodfang Association were
initially the same as other witches, but gradually became different?"

Ashes pondered for a while. "Because their lives became stable?"

"Exactly." Tilly nodded. "In the past, the church posed a heavy burden on their
hearts. Everybody had to stick together in order to survive. But now the churches
in the Fjord Islands have been eradicated and Sleeping Island has offered a
relatively relaxing environment, so people think differently. This is quite normal.
The Witch Cooperation Association is different. We're a compound group made of
several witch organizations, so blindly suppressing them won't work. In order to
let them cooperate like in the old times, we need a powerful enemy."

Ashes frowned and asked, "Do you mean... demons?"

"The enemies deep in the Fertile Plains, the fiasco of the Union, the upcoming
third Battle of Divine Will... they can learn all these by themselves, which will
be more effective than me telling them." Tilly smiled and said, "Besides, in Border
Town, there're much more to be seen."

Princess Tilly stood up, and walked through the door towards the castle in the
backyard and opened the door. "They'll see that non-combat witches can play
irreplaceable roles, commoners can be as capable as witches, and they'll witness
the amazing effects when everybody works together. Just like this door. When it's
pushed open, a broader world can be seen."

Ashes quietly stared at this woman bathed in sunlight, and could not utter a word.
Tilly's gray hair flew with the sea breeze, reflecting the shining light. She was
astonishingly beautiful even viewed from behind. Time stood still. What was left in
this narrow study was only her and Ashes.
After a long while, Tilly turned and smiled slyly. "I have some special reasons to
have chosen Iffy and Softfeathers. This must be perceptible to Roland."

*******************

Anna nudged Roland sleeping beside her.

"Time to get up."

"A moment." Roland turned over, cuddled her, and smelled her hair.

After returning to the City of Neverwinter from King's City, he had spent the whole
night with Anna. The temporary separation had made their reunion particularly
passionate. As a result, neither of them got out of bed the next morning. For the
first time, Anna skipped her magic power practice, not because she did not want to,
but because Roland would not let her leave.

Of course, she did not want to reject Roland's wooing either.

From noon to the dusk, their bedroom was filled with romantic atmosphere. When
taking breaks, they just sat in bed and talked about the things that had happened
in the two cities recently, and their lunch was brought to the bedroom by a maid.
Of course, when the maid came, Anna sank her head into the quilt. Lowering his
head, Roland could see a pair of sapphire-like eyes sparkling at his chest area.

When he gently caressed Anna's back, she involuntarily moaned as lightly as a cat
purring. After a year's growth, Anna was not the weak, thin girl he had met in
prison a year prior. Now when curling up her body, she could perfectly embed into
Roland's arms. When he kissed her earlobe from the back, he could see her cheeks
gradually flush and her eyelashes tremble. It made her look very cute.

After a long while, she pushed Roland away once again.

"Wendy and the other girls will be coming back soon. This time there'll be new
witches. You need to go wash up." Anna turned around and faced him with a serious
look.

"Mmm." Roland briefly replied. He knew that he could not postpone anymore, so he
kissed her lightly on the lips and rolled out of bed. First, he helped Anna get
dressed, and then put on a coat for himself.

The basin of water on the table had already cooled down, but this was not a problem
for Anna. A line of Blackfire shot into the water, and steam began to rise in the
blink of an eye. After washing up, Roland sent Anna back to the bedroom and
returned to his office on the third floor. At least he could make it look like he
was working diligently, before the other witches came back.

Fifteen minutes later, Lightning and Maggie flew into his office through the French
window.

"Your Majesty, they're here."

...

"Who could have thought that you'd become the king of Graycastle in only a month."
Breeze entered the castle hall first, followed by another four witches, among whom
were Lotus and Honey. Roland was familiar with them, but he did not know the other
two. "If Wendy hadn't told me, I really wouldn't have believed it. If Tilly finds
out, she'll be very surprised."
Roland walked up to welcome them. "I haven't held an enthronement yet, so it's okay
if you just address me with my old title."

"But you're indeed a deserved king," Breeze said, bowing.

Lotus and Honey imitated Breeze's move and bowed exaggeratedly, but yet the other
two witches only greeted him by putting one hand on the chest. Two showed the joy
of reunion, while the other two showed skepticism.

Roland felt surprised.

However, under these circumstances, he would not show his emotion. Making a gesture
of inviting them, he said with a smile, "However, you had an arduous trip. Now
enjoy tonight's feast. Make yourself comfortable. This is your home too."

Chapter 532: A Tempting Idea

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

After the banquet, Lotus and Wendy were called into Roland's office.

"Did everything on Sleeping Island go well?" he said to Lotus with a smile, "I hope
I didn't bring you any trouble during Tilly's absence."

"Of course not." Lotus nodded and then whispered, "Oh... well, you gave me a scarf
as a present last time, and I haven't thanked you yet."

"Don't be so formal." Roland waved his hand slightly. He knew that they would
become less familiar with him after a period of time away, but this did not mean
their personal relationship would be broken. Actually, this unfamiliarity was just
temporary... He believed they would soon be able to be comfortable in this union
again as long as he treated them as usual. "It seems that a lot has changed here,
but it basically remained the same as when you left�please just make the City of
Neverwinter your home."

"Yes." Wendy touched her head. "You're still our sisters."

"Okay." Lotus lowered her head in a show of embarrassment, however, she seemed to
be more relaxed.

"After you arrived at the castle, I saw something weird... Aren't Iffy and
Softfeathers witches from Sleeping Island?" Roland changed the topic because he had
noticed that, whenever they discussed and talked about the old days, the two
witches seemed alienated from others. Although they would speak now and then, they
appeared to be less communicative than Sylvie, Evelyn, Candle and other witches who
talked with each other joyfully. He did not know if it was just an illusion, but he
felt that Evelyn and Candle feared these two witches a little.

"Yes, they did come from Sleeping Island, however, they're a little different..."
Lotus briefly introduced their background. "I don't know why Lady Tilly sent
witches from the Bloodfang Association here, either."

"Iffy is a combat witch?" Roland asked a little shocked.

"Yeah. She can summon a cage made from magic power and thereby capture more
powerful enemies than herself. Even Ashes, if she's not wearing the God's Stone of
Retaliation, would find it hard to get out of, once trapped.

"What about Softfeathers?" Wendy asked with curiosity.

"Although she is not a combat witch, she is also powerful," muttered Lotus. "Any
object she is touching becomes sticky as long as she touches it, and they can't be
separated once they're stuck together unless the magic power fails�but according to
what she said, the stickiness can last for a long time as long as she uses enough
magic power."

"This kind of ability could be widely used, right?" Roland was very surprised and
exclaimed. "That's unbelievable! The Wolfheart Kingdom's witch, Heidi Morgan,
agreed to send these powerful witches to us?"

"Well, the members of the Bloodfang Association are very powerful. They not only
have many combat witches but the rest of the non-combat witches have superior
abilities as well. They did a lot for the quick construction of Sleeping Island."
Lotus sighed and appeared to be very reluctant to admit this. "However, they always
feel they're superior to others, and often bully the witches with less abilities.
The number of witches in the Fjords would have dropped by more than half if it
wasn't for Lady Tilly's great efforts to stop them."

"So, this may be the reason why Evelyn and Candle looked afraid in front of them,"
he thought. "OK, I got it. Just have a good rest today." Roland comforted Lotus and
then looked at Wendy, saying, "Well, please arrange for their accommodation and
keep the witches of the Bloodfang Association away from them. I'll test their
abilities in detail tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wendy said while stroking her chest.

After the two witches left, Nightingale appeared beside him with a fillet in her
mouth and asked, "Do we need to ask someone to keep an eye on them?"

"There won't be much of a problem since they still belong to Sleeping Island."
Roland shrugged and said. "The witches to the Fjords have never had to experience
life and death together like the witches of the Witch Cooperation Association.
They're blended with many other witch groups. In reality, it isn't strange for them
to have such opinions." As the saying went, it was very odd for a party to form
without any smaller factions. Things like this will also happen in the Witch Union
sooner or later when it expands. However, the competition among factions also has
its merits. Internal competition will make the Union become stronger as long as the
competition is benign. I'm just puzzled about why Tilly sent combat witches here.
If she just wants me to train them on behalf of her, she can also send assistant
witches here, not to mention the fact that Breeze still stands by her."

"She probably clarified it in her letter." Nightingale guessed.

"Oh, you remind me of the letter." Roland patted his forehead and took the envelope
from the drawer. He spread it out on the table. In addition to the five witches,
Tilly also brought a stack of ancient books and a letter in her own handwriting.
Due to the banquet, he had yet to check them.

In her letter, Tilly introduced the background of the ancient books and the odd
parts of these books in detail. Then, she put forward her ideas about Sealine and
hoped that Roland could help Thunder build a ship that could go against the
current. Actually, Thunder had told Roland himself about the latter part. What
Roland was shocked most was about the first half. He thought to himself, "The books
are from different ages and places and they were collected and put into these
remains. Some of the contents of these books had even disappeared for hundreds of
years, which meant someone had come across the remains on the seafloor. Who were
these people?"

On the back of the letter was a brief introduction to the ability of the two new
witches, and what Roland cared about most was the last paragraph at the end of the
passage.

"What we know about this world is still vague and obscure, and our knowledge is not
even as thorough as the Unions four hundred years ago. If we want to defeat our
enemies, we should know about our enemies first�In this regard, their abilities
could probably help us."

After reading the letter, he couldn't help but fall into his thoughts.

"Know about your enemies... offer help... what's Tilly trying to say?" He thought.

Roland read the introduction to their abilities again, and suddenly he came up with
a shocking idea.

Does Tilly want...

"Oh, no, that would be insane," thought Roland. He shook his head quickly. However,
once the idea had crossed his mind, it would not leave. "Though risks do exist, the
reward would be very handsome. In fact, those boxes of magic stones left by Agatha
are really tempting. If they are made into sigils, then they would be as
significant as a steam engine..." Actually, he had thought about it before, but it
was very difficult to put into practice. So, he had to give it up. Now, with the
help of Iffy and Breeze, he seemed to suddenly get closer to his goal.

"What does the letter say?" Noticing his strange look, Nightingale bent down and
touched his forehead. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Not very good. I almost have a heart attack." Roland laughed helplessly.
"Unfortunately, Tilly just left me to make the decision without any explanation."

"What kind of decision?" She asked curiously.

"To capture the demons," Roland said slowly, one word at a time.

Chapter 533: An Unexpected Incident

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The next morning, Roland took the witches and other related personnel out of the
city. They went to a place located in the North of the city wall near the Misty
Forest to conduct a magic power test for Breeze, Iffy and Softfeathers.

Nightingale, Wendy, Carter and Iron Axe tagged along. The First Army sealed off the
grasslands nearby and Leaf guarded the forest.

Softfeathers was the first to take the test.

She looked as tall as Honey, was at most 1.4 meters in height and had long,
brownish-red hair with bangs just nicely covering her eyebrows. Around the age of
16, she had already been awakened for four years, which was quite early among
witches. It meant she had experienced the Demonic Torture four times. As a result,
she had much more magic power than most of the young witches. The amount of her
power was about half of the amount Anna possessed before her adulthood.

Softfeathers turned out to be very skillful in controlling her magic. She could
turn an entire object into something very sticky or precisely make one side or a
spot sticky. Softfeathers did this without consuming much of her power. Nightingale
could hardly notice any changes in her power during the test.

"How long can this object stay sticky?" Roland asked.

"If I use all my power to make one stone adhere to another, it'll last for
decades," she answered and then further explained, "but I've never tried that. It's
my own guess based on the consumption of my magic power."

"Then what's the biggest thing that you've applied your power to?" Roland asked

Softfeathers answered, "A seawall." A little satisfaction could be seen on her

expressionless face when she was talking about her accomplishment. "During a high
tide, there was an arm-thick crack in a section of the wall on Sleeping Island. As
Lotus was not there, I immediately turned the crack sticky and filled it up with
linen and pebbles to seal the break. Otherwise, the wall couldn't have sustained
the shock of the waves." She finished.

Listening to her, Roland somehow felt that she was asking for praise.

"Great job," he said while nodding.

Softfeathers quickly turned calm after she was recognized. From her words and
actions, it was hard to tell that she was an underage child. Unlike other children,
she was used to concealing her feelings. "It may be caused by her past. What kind
of life had the witches in the Bloodfang Association lived before they went to
Sleeping Island?" Roland thought and sighed.

Breeze was the next to take the test.

She gave a graceful curtsy and said, "I've regretted for a while that I couldn't
stay longer in the Western Region. I'm so happy to get this chance now to come here
again. If you need my help, just let me know."

"To make up for it, you must fully enjoy your stay here in the City of Neverwinter.
If you need anything, you can ask Wendy for help," Roland explained with a smile.

Breeze was about 25 years old, a little older than Nightingale. She brought comfort
and happiness to the people around her, like a spring breeze. No one would guess
she was actually a combat witch. Her power was called "field control". She could
control the bodies of anyone within five meters.

Her ability was of no use when facing long-distance attacks, such as crossbow bolts
and spear throwers. However, she remained almost invincible in any close combat.

As an ability of summoning type, it would also be affected by the God's Stone of

Retaliation. She could summon the "field control" over 10 times a day and each time
she would only use half of her magic power. While performing it, she would not be
hindered from freely moving around either. The "field control" was invisible to
naked eyes, which made it extremely hard for the enemies to defend themselves from
her surprise attacks. Once she got within five meters of her enemies, she would
have the full control of the situation.

Obviously, it was an excellent ability to observe demons in the short distance.

The last witch to take the test was Iffy.

She seemed to be around 20 years old, lean and fit, and wearing a tight black
leather outfit with knee-high boots. Her waist-length, chestnut brown hair looked
shiny in the sunlight.

Iffy did not know that Tilly chose her to come to the Western Region because she
possessed an indispensable skill to capture demons with her "magic cage". In a
blink of an eye, she could conjure up cages formed by her magic to capture the
enemies close to her and squeeze the cages to crush them. Anything in her cage was
weightless as well. This meant, even if she captured an elephant, she could also
easily carry it back to the City of Neverwinter.

As the "magic cage" ability was crucial to the success of his plan, Roland
carefully asked all the details about her ability, "What's the biggest thing we can
capture?"

"Different sizes have different demands for my magical power," she answered. "But
even a whale in the sea can't escape from my grasp."

"How many can you capture a time?" Roland continued.

"Two," she said and then spread her hands. "I only have two hands, Your Majesty."

Roland continued his enquiry, "Can anything escape?"

"No, even Ashes can't get out of it unless I release her," Iffy explained.

"Uh..." When Roland paused to think about other curiosities he wanted the answer,
Iffy took an initiative to make a suggestion. "Why don't you find someone to test
my ability? I think Maggie is a good choice. I've heard that she's evolved and can
transform into a strong monster. If you witness that even something like her can't
get out of my trap, you won't worry about my ability anymore."

Roland could not help but agree with her since the monster Maggie transformed into
was just like the mount of demons, which the witches would probably encounter in
their quest to capture them. After thinking for a while, Roland nodded at
Nightingale and said, "Tell Leaf to call Maggie here."

Maggie and Lightning would fly over the Misty Forest when they were not on patrol.
Guided by Leaf, they could both have fun and eat delicious food, such as picking
tasty Bird Beak Mushrooms and taking eggs from birds' nests in the forest. Because
of all the treats, when Maggie was turned into a pigeon, she now was as big as a
bald eagle. However, when she transformed back into her real self, she was still a
little girl with very long white hair.

Soon, they appeared in the sky.

Maggie landed on the prince's head as usual and said, "Maggie is here. Coo! What
can I do for you?"

Roland briefly told her about the test and said, "Please turn yourself into a giant
bird demon and try to break free from Iffy's magical cage."

"I see, Coo!"

Maggie flew up. She instantly changed into a huge bird and obscured the sun.
Looking at her, Roland somehow felt her monstrous bird form now seemed much bigger
in size than the initial one she had during her first evolvement.
"Let's begin," he said to Iffy.

Iffy sneered, with a flicker of contempt in her eyes. She opened her right hand,
spreading all the five fingers. Meanwhile, a dozen of purple light beams
immediately appeared over Maggie's head and swiftly formed a sphere, trapping
Maggie Inside.

The "cage bars" were not very thick, but they were so stagnant that no matter how
hard Maggie tried to bite or scratch them, she could not free herself. Iffy
controlled the cage with great ease and seemed to be able to capture a demon with
her left hand at the same time.

When Roland was about to tell her to stop the test, Iffy suddenly squeezed her
right hand into a fist.

The cage instantly contracted to tie up Maggie tightly, making her scream in pain.

Chapter 534: The Value of Witches

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"What're you doing?!"

"Let her go!"

Hearing so many complaints, Iffy twitched her lips and raised her right hand. The
cage was gone and Maggie fell onto the ground.

"Damn you!" A fast-flying golden figure lunged at Iffy. It was Lightning!

However, just as she raised her fist, the magic cage locked her inside. It was
impossible for her to touch Iffy even though she was only an arm's length away.

"Get out of here. This is none of your business!"

Iffy angrily tossed the cage away, sending it tumbling over and over on the ground.
Lightning bumped inside the cage until it rolled out of the area that Iffy could
affect.

She wiped the dirt off her face and was about to bound towards Iffy again, when she
saw Roland walking toward her, hand raised.

WHACK!

The sharp slap left everyone stunned, especially Iffy.

She did not bother to cover her red cheek, staring at Roland in disbelief. After a
while, she slowly lowered herself on one knee and said, "Pardon me for my lack of
manners, Your Majesty."

Roland was also surprised by himself. He had been reluctant to slap a girl, but
seeing Maggie fall onto the ground, he had burst into anger and stepped forward
uncontrollably as if witnessing his own daughter being bullied by some mean,
naughty kid.

"Why did you do that?" He shouted at Iffy.

"Your Majesty, her potential will explode during a crisis, giving her much greater
strength. I just want you to have accurate test results." Iffy said in a cold voice
as if it was simply something trivial. "It seems that even an evolved non-combat
witch still can't compete with a combat witch."

Roland was speechless in shock. What made Iffy think that it was reasonable to hurt
her own kind just to get the test results? What kind of environment had she lived
in?

He then turned and looked toward Wendy carrying the white-haired girl in her arms.
"How's she doing?" he asked.

"She's alright. She's not heavily injured, except for some reddening welts and
swelling," Wendy answered. She rolled up Maggie's sleeve with a frown, revealing
red bruises on her white arm from the magic cage.

"Coo." Maggie buried her head into Wendy's arms, sounding rather grieved.

"Relax, Your Majesty," Iffy said plainly, "I'm always aware of how much power I
use. Those areas of redness will recover within two days..."

"Apologize to her!" Roland angrily interrupted.

Iffy opened her mouth in surprise and blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Your
Majesty"

"No, not me. Apologize to Maggie."

She bit her lip and lowered her head, without saying a word. Looking at Iffy who
was insisting on not apologizing to Maggie, Roland felt so annoyed he wanted to
laugh.

It looked like the situation on Sleeping Island was worse than he had imagined. If
the Bloodfang Association witches dared to behave like this in the territory of a
Lord, they must be even more arrogant on Sleeping Island.

Roland now found himself in an awkward situation. He could neither change Iffy's
attitude towards non-combat witches, nor send her back to Sleeping Island. He
believed that no matter how hard he punished Iffy, she would never see anything
wrong with her own deeds and attitude. If he simply punished her and asked her to
go back, he would lose Tilly's trust because he would fail to solve the problem for
Sleeping Island. He had promised Tilly that she could always count on him with any
problem.

He would have to break her pride of her power, in order for her to realize her
fault.

"You think you're more powerful than the non-combat witches, so you can despise
them?" Roland asked in a cold, hard voice. "You're not that strong."

Hearing this, Iffy promptly looked up at him defiantly.

"You think combat witches are superior to assistant witches because you're the ones
who can protect your kind, right?" Roland said, "This is ridiculous. You can't win
a fight, entirely by yourself."

Iffy frowned tightly and looked angry. "Your Majesty, do you mean to say that a
non-combat witch can defeat me?"
"Yes, you don't believe it?" Roland sneered. "Most witches in the Witch Union could
easily defeat you, even if they've never used their power in a fight." He looked at
Lightning who was standing aside, startled by his words at first. She quickly
understood and nodded to him.

"That's just your imagination."

"OK, how about a duel between you and Maggie, " he said in a deep voice. "She'll
show you why you should never look down upon the assistant witches."

"What?" Iffy's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean a fight between me and the dumb
pigeon?"

"The duel is set for tomorrow, " Roland said each word slowly. "You'll see that
you're not as strong as you think."

*******************

Returning to their place, they saw lunch awaiting on the table in the living room.

There was meat soup, bread, mushrooms and stewed vegetables.

Apparently, they did not need to go to the hall for lunch.

"Wow? We get meat and bread?" Softfeathers asked in surprise. "I thought we would
only get cold water."

"Is this for the duel? He doesn't want me to fight in hunger?" Iffy sneered. "He
has too much faith in that stupid bird."

"Maybe the dishes are drugged with something, like laxatives." Softfeathers
suggested.

Completely ignoring the other witch's words, Iffy grabbed a piece of bread and
stuffed it into her mouth. "If you're worried about that, you can always just not
eat it."

"I don't care. I'm not the one going to a duel." Softfeathers rolled her eyes. She
climbed up to sit on a stool and took a dish of roasted mushrooms, saying, "Hey, do
you have to do this? Lady Heidi asked us to confirm the situation here, but she
never told you to irritate the lord."

"It's an exciting opportunity," Iffy said.

"Really?" Softfeathers asked with great interest. "That's why you're doing this?"

Iffy turned and stared at Softfeathers coldly until the little girl dropped her
head and mumbled. "Fine, forget about it."

Ever since a group of Sleeping Island witches had come back from the Western
Region, the atmosphere was bad for the Bloodfang Association. According to the
returning witches, Lady Tilly's elder brother had built a domain where witches
could live like ordinary people and even the assistant witches were well treated.
This story had made the useless assistant witches on Sleeping Island very excited.
Lady Heidi thought that it was Tilly who made up this story to gain the support of
the many assistant witches. A lord would naturally value combat witches more, they
could conquer and bring lands and power to him.

During today's test however, Iffy was really surprised to find that this lord
seemed to treat all the witches equally,

But it was not what surprised her the most.

She was most surprised by Maggie.

Iffy could not believe that a stupid bird so clumsy in speech was so popular among
the witches and liked by the lord, and that everyone was really beaming with a
smile when they saw the fool. On Sleeping Island, Maggie was just a pet, a
dispensable role!

Seeing Maggie, Iffy was full of anger and jealousy.

Iffy thought it was a betrayal that Maggie had left Sleeping Island and was living
happily together with the witches here.

This was the real reason Iffy had targeted Maggie.

However, things had really gotten out of her control.

She still found it hard to believe that His Majesty had made such a ridiculous
suggestion and arranged a duel between her and a pigeon.

She had to accept it. After all, getting information about the Western Region was
one of her tasks here. Another task was to attract the lord's attention by showing
her value and ability.

She was confident that she could make it clear to His Majesty that there was a huge
gap between the combat witches and the weak assistant witches.

Chapter 535: The Gun of a Protector

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

It was twilight when Roland returned to the castle with the duel affairs settled.

"Do you really think Maggie will win?" Nightingale appeared behind Roland the
moment he stepped into the office.

"What're you worried about? You know that she's been learning marksmanship all this
time from Lightning, your own apprentice!" consoled Roland. "She's brave enough,
and she dared to fight with the demon in her beast personification at the critical
juncture of Devil's Town exploration last time. The only thing to be concerned is
whether she'll shoot at her peer."

Maggie would suffer more startle than pain, and Iffy was not doomed to death.
Nevertheless, this disdainful attitude towards non-combat witches was no different
from a bomb in the platoon. Until she learned this impressive lesson and repented
thoroughly for her misdeeds, Roland did not dare to bring her out to catch the
demons.

The most profound lesson would be Maggie defeating Iffy.

Undoubtedly, the gun was a weapon that could enhance the ability of assistant
witches so that they could acquire more power for fighting. To avoid accidental
death, Roland had deliberately had Soraya produce a batch of rubber bullets. The
metal head had been replaced with a multi-layer wrapped coating. This softened the
bullet from interior to exterior and prevented it from entering a human body
without weakening its full power. Its huge kinetic energy would be totally imposed
on a human body as the bullet was gradually deformed, causing a pain severe enough
to make the target lose any ability to defend. That was why it was also known as
the Ability-losing Bullet.

"I want to see her." With discontent, Nightingale disappeared into the Mist.

Roland sighed gently as he clearly heard the crack of an arming gun from his side.
He would have called for Nana if Iffy did not loosen Maggie as was expected.

It was rather obvious that Maggie dreaded the witches of the Bloodfang Association,
which proved that they were used to doing such things on Sleeping Island. When
considering Cara of the Witch Cooperation Association and then the inferior
feelings Evelyn and Candle had when they had initially arrived, or even the Witch
Union more than 400 years ago, there was no doubt that the idea of combat witches
being nobler than others came naturally. In other words, the capable combat witches
would certainly grasp more power when oppressed by foreign enemies. However, the
force of gunpowder and firearms was strong enough to shorten the gap, Roland mused.
Tilly might believe in him further if he could convert their thoughts.

*******************

"You should remember there is nothing to be worried about and you shall shoot
directly at her until you empty the cartridge. You need to make her burst into
tears and kneel down begging for mercy. Do you understand?" Lightning shouted in a
high pitch, "Even if you were using normal bullets, Nana is here, ready for any
accidents. Plus, there is the coating head made by Soraya. Only by shooting more
bullets towards her, can you release yourself!"

"Hmm..." Maggie was leaning on the bed with her hair shielding her cheeks. "I
understand."

"Not yet!" Lightning pushed her long, white hair aside and said, "You don't want to
beat her, do you? If you show her any mercy, I'll never take you exploring. A
coward can never be an explorer!"

Maggie looked to be struggling. "I'm not..."

"She's definitely not a coward." Another voice came from behind them. "A coward
does not dare to fight with a demon. Not to mention, she saved my life."

Appearing from the Mist, Nightingale walked to the bedside and strongly struck
Lightning in the forehead. "Who has taught you to speak this way!"

Lightning held her forehead and then curled her lip. "I'm just worried that she'll
have cold feet."

After heaving a sigh, Nightingale took Maggie's hands in her own. "Listen, this
isn't just about you and her. His Majesty has made these arrangements with the
purpose of making witches in the Bloodfang Association change their attitudes
towards other witches and regret their mistakes. Remember Evelyn and Candle?
There're many witches who had experiences similar to theirs on Sleeping Island. If
you can teach Iffy a lesson, you're actually doing them a favor to some extent."

After a pause, Nightingale continued, "So, you're not just fighting for yourself.
You're also fighting to protect us, just like what you did when fighting against
the demon last time."
"En..." Maggie nodded gently, blinking her eyes.

"One more thing. His Majesty Roland also promises that if you win, the ice cream
and pepper barbecue shall be supplied without limitation for one week, just for
you."

"Coo!" Her eyes suddenly lit up.

*******************

The next day, in addition to the guards responsible for site-clearing, there were
more than ten witches standing on the grassland outside the city wall. They were
centered around Roland, congruously making bright cheers for Maggie.

"I won't cheer for you." Yawned Softfeathers. "You can't hear it anyway."

"You don't need to do that." Iffy scoffed as she slowly walked to the divided
central field and looked at Maggie without emotion. Maggie stood opposite her,
capped by her long hair. If victory was judged by the number of supporters, the
church would have already unified the whole continent. "It's not too late to give
in. I trust you don't want to let His Majesty down."

"I'll never give in, coo!"

She was slightly stunned. Since when did this bird dare to speak so affirmatively
in the face of her? "Really? Then get ready to fall from the sky into a cage like a
dog!"

"You can't trap me," Maggie raised her head and said. "The only one who can catch
me in the sky is Lightning!"

The moment the start whistle rang, Iffy went straight towards Maggie. She was sure
that Maggie could not beat a person with combat training like herself, even though
Maggie was helped by the power of God's Stone of Retaliation. His Majesty Roland
had wrongly judged the fighting ability of combat witches. They relied not only on
their power for fighting, they could also convert their body into a deadly weapon.
By virtue of extraordinary physical fitness and restorability, witches could always
withhold harsher training. She was confident that she could make her opponent throw
in the towel in ten movements, even if it were a knight armed to the teeth.

With her wings rapidly spreading, Maggie changed into a bluebird and aimed skyward.

"Is this the stunt that you mentioned?" Iffy stretched out her arms in the
direction Maggie had escaped. Her magic power did not reach anything. "This is a
duel. Do you think you have anywhere to flee?"

"Chirp, chirp." Flying higher and higher, the bird soon faded away. Only a series
of silvery tweets remained.

Frowning, Iffy looked to the sky and suddenly a faintly discernible shadow in the
direction of the rising sun appeared within her sight.

"Is she going to give me an unexpected attack hiding under the sunlight?" Iffy
could not help but sneer. This might have been a good idea, but even with her eyes
covered she was still able to sense any object within ten steps by using her magic
power�a derivative skill that had awakened at her adulthood.

Moreover, what harm could a fist-sized bluebird do to her? To win, her opponent
would inevitably have to change into that ferocious monster again!

While waiting for Maggie to return, the earth suddenly darkened as a cloud shielded
the light of sunshine. Iffy then saw a bird falling from the sky.

What a wretch! It looked like Maggie was not lucky at all!

She extended her hands without hesitation. The victory would soon be hers!

But there was nothing... In front of her was only magic power. She felt no sign of
Maggie whom she had expected to rush forward.

Maggie had abruptly stopped moving when 20 steps away from Iffy!

To Iffy's surprise, Maggie recovered her human avatar in midair and pulled a short
silvery stick from her pocket.

Was she mad?

Despite not having wings, Maggie did not drop directly to the ground. Her white
hair had lifted and opened in a wing shape allowing her to descend slowly.
Meanwhile, the stick spurted a ball of flame with a loud bang!

Iffy was clear that something had intruded the boundary of her magic power, but it
could not have been Maggie, a crossbow, bolt or stone. It was not until she fetched
out her cage that her belly was severely assaulted by something like a hammer,
followed by her thighs and then calves. The loud sound rang continuously with the
mud on the ground continually splashing. She could not make any sound due to
intense pain and her seemingly broken feet were unable to support her body.

Iffy fell to the ground and clutched her stomach with her whole body huddled up.
Her consciousness was becoming blurry.

Dimly, she saw a white figure falling in front of her. With one last effort, she
poised her hands, but the magic no longer responded to her summon.

"You lost, coo."

These were the last words she heard before she fainted.

Chapter 536: The Dream (Part I)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Annie, I'm tired." Iffy complained.

"Hold on for a little longer. We're almost there," Annie said.

They were walking on hard gravel. Each step they took would cause a drilling pain
in their feet. Iffy really wanted to stop but Annie was strongly pulling her
forward and tightly clutching her hand. Annie did not even slightly slow down her
pace no matter if they were crossing through the brambles and thorns or the ice
cold stream. From behind, she looked as determined as a mountain.

"Annie, I'm really tired..."

Iffy begged again.

She felt as if her soles were on fire, her entire body was in unceasing pain, and
her chest was feeling compressed no matter how hard she inhaled. She felt as if she
was dying.

Annie softly sighed and leaned forward to listen to the ground, and she pointed at
a raised stone not far away and said, "Let's take a rest over there."

The very last trace of strength rose from the bottom of Iffy's heart once she heard
that it was time to take a rest. She clenched her teeth and quickly walked to the
giant rock and collapsed there; she even wished to stay there for eternity at that
moment.

Annie did not instantly sit down. She surrounded both sides of the rock with the
broken branches that she found nearby for camouflage. It felt like a cozy nest with
both of the branches and the natural ceiling-like tilted rock. Unfortunately, they
were still on an uneven, rocky ground that hurt their butts and the small space was
not big enough for both of them to lie down.

"The church won't find us since we've run this far."

"Don't let your guard down, and it's still not far enough from them."

Annie was as alert as a wildcat, always with her ears up, listening and monitoring
everything around her. However, she was a lot tougher than the wildcat. She was
accustomed to the pain and compared with the cruel Judgement Army, Annie was more
like a silent predator.

"Does the Bloodfang Association... really exist?"

They were two of the five witches who were searching for the Bloodfang Association.
After leaving Graystone Stronghold, they had been intercepted by the church, so
they had decided to act separately. Iffy had been walking towards the east for
three days and nights before bumping into Annie while the others were totally out
of contact.

"Of course," Annie said while rubbing her toes. "I heard that they're on the Wolf
Tooth Island across the sea."

"But, how could we cross the sea?"

"Just walk towards the shore and look for a boat." Annie comforted. "Don't worry,
just leave it to me."

"Okay," Iffy softly answered.

Annie took a piece of dried pork skin out of the baggage and held it in her hands.
Some white smoke instantly sprung out of it while it became boiling hot and soft as
the cloud. "Let's eat first, we'll continue the journey after eating," Annie said.

That was Annie's ability, whose palms could set the branches and sticks on fire and
cook the food as well. Iffy devoured the skin like a wolf and then drooled over the
skin in Annie's hand. Annie smiled and threw half of hers to Iffy and said, "You
eat more. I'm not very hungry yet."

It was time to continue their journey after Iffy finished eating the other half of
the skin and licking each of her fingers.

Iffy was struggling to get back on her feet, but before she could get out of the
cave, the branches around it suddenly started to tremble.
It was not the swaying motion of the autumn wind, but a series of light and fast-
paced trembles, as if something was coming in their direction.

Annie's eyes instantly widened in fear and said, "Horses! They're approaching on
horses! Run!"

Iffy felt as if she was being pulled up and started to run subconsciously. The
drilling pain below her feet returned. As her body did not really recover, it was
very difficult for her to even stand, not to mention running.

She turned around and saw more than ten galloping horses appeared at the end of the
rocky beach. Their speed was not too fast which might be because the soldiers
worried about hurting the hoofs of their mounts. However, it was still fast enough
to catch both of them who were running on bare feet.

Iffy thought that they could not escape.

Or rather, she could not escape.

Iffy wrenched her hand away from Annie's grasp and said, "You go first."

"I'll carry you."

"You can't run fast enough that way!"

"Just listen to me. Be quick."

The Judgement Army on the giant horses was approaching when Iffy was hesitating.
Iffy noticed that some had lifted their hand crossbows and thrown spears.

The bumpy gravel ground suddenly collapsed at that moment and the riders in the
front fell into the pit, screaming. The platoon hurriedly spread out to avoid the
trap, but the horses suddenly knelt down on the ground one by one. A group of red-
dressed silhouettes unexpectedly popped out in front of the church soldiers as if
they were rising from the ground. The mass shooting of the close range arrows
caught the Judgement Army off guard, and the soldiers who were lucky enough to
avoid the arrows could not escape and were hunted down in the ambush. More than 10
soldiers from the church were all lying dead on the stone beach within seconds.

After that, they quickly stripped the armors from the soldiers, taking away their
dry food and baggage, along with the God's Stones of Retaliation.

One of them walked towards Iffy and Annie.

"Are you looking for the Bloodfang Association?"

"How do you know?" Iffy asked in surprise.

"Yes, my Lord," Annie quickly pinched Iffy's hand and said. "We're both witches.
The other three of us were lost on the way. Could you please help them?"

"We don't have the manpower to attend to the other witches." The woman took off her
hood and revealed her short fiery-red hair. "If your partners couldn't reach here
by themselves, they're not qualified to join the Bloodfang Association." She paused
and said, "Of course, not everyone who gets here can join the Bloodfang Association
either."

Iffy could feel that Annie was holding her hand tighter.
"What're your abilities? Show me."

After seeing their abilities, the red-haired woman looked at Iffy and nodded. "You
can go to the Archduke Island." And then she looked at Annie and said, "But you
can't."

"Why?" Iffy asked.

"My Lord, I..." Annie said.

"I'll be sending you to another witch association, but not the Bloodfang
Association." The red-haired woman interrupted Annie in a cold, hard voice. "You
can't become a combat witch, and the Bloodfang Association doesn't need a cook."

...

"What're you crying for?" The red-haired woman impatiently reproached Iffy. "The
Lord's going to be angry if she sees your crying face."

"I... want to be with Annie..."

"Hopeless little brat, she's nothing but a burden."

"She's not, she saved me!" Iffy swallowed her tears and said, "Annie is the true
combat witch that you need..."

"Pfft... Whether you're a combat witch or not is determined by the ability you got
in the awakening, not strong limbs," the red-haired woman said relentlessly. "You
think that she's more powerful than you. That's because she's five or six years
older than you. In fact, you have far more potential than she does."

"Where are you... going to send Annie?"

"It's none of your business."

Iffy felt like crying again.

The red-haired woman frowned and said, "Listen, the Lord doesn't like cowards. You
can't mention about the past if you want to survive in Archduke Island."

...

Chapter 537: The Dream (Part II)

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Deep inside the burrow, the crowd knelt down, worshiping a woman dressed in
luxurious finery. Countless candles were silently burning, faintly glowing stars
covering the ground.

"Is this the new kid? Lift your head and let me see your face."

Iffy lifted her head timidly, but could only see a mask reflecting cold light. She
was almost screaming out loud at that moment.

"I'm Heidi Morgan. Don't be afraid, the mask was just to protect my identity." The
woman's voice was softer than Iffy imagined. "You're a member of the Bloodfang
Association from today onwards."

"Why... can't you accept Annie?" Iffy summoned up her courage to ask.

"Presumptuous!" The red-haired woman shouted.

The other witches were chuckling as if sneering at her stupidity.

"It's okay," Heidi said, waving her hand. She walked down from the stage to
approach Iffy and said, "Because there's no way for me to support so many witches."

"She, she can find her own food."

"To live like a rat? Hide in the gutter all day and eat others' leftovers? Living
that way will gradually make you more like a savage by the day," Heidi shook her
head and said, "The Bloodfang Association needs beasts, not rats waiting to be
slaughtered by others."

"B-beast?" Iffy could not help but repeat after her.

"Yes. Have you ever seen a cliff wolf?"

Iffy shook her head.

"They're the symbol of the Kingdom of Wolfheart and master of the mountains. They
can give birth to three or four cubs every time, but not all the cubs can survive.
Do you know why?" Heidi slowly explained. "Because the mother wolf will kill some
cubs that she can't find enough food to support to make sure the rest of the cubs
are well-fed. The future generation that was grown up in such circumstances could
continue to live within the tough environment."

Iffy opened her mouth, but she did not know what to say.

"Cutting down the amount of feeding to each cub can also keep all the cubs alive.
However, it's simply being alive�the young wolves without sufficient nutrition will
not able to hunt for themselves when they grow up. They would not be able to step
out of the nest, neither would they have a chance to reproduce. The cliff wolf clan
would completely vanish in the long run. What do you think of that?"

"I..."

Heidi lifted Iffy's chin up with her finger. "My child, this is the inspiration the
God sends to us: Witches must act like the beasts in order to survive in the
oppression. And strong combat witches will naturally become the symbol of the
entire race, for example... who you are now!"

The candlelight started to flicker. Iffy did not hear any cheering but she could
feel their emotions. The combination of the emotions of excitement, inspiration,
and joy was like the unspoken volcano.

After a while, she hesitantly asked, "What, what if there is sufficient food for
every single wolf?"

"In that case, they're no longer the wolves," Heidi laughed and said, "but dogs".

...

The whip slashed on Iffy's back, making a crisp noise.

"Idiot, you can't even complete such a little practice, wasting all the food that
was fed to you. Tell me, how many whips is this?"

"24" Iffy clenched her teeth and said.

She was responded to by continuous whips. Blood and sweat were flowing down from
her back, drenching her pants.

"That's all for today. You'll get double flogging if the same happens for
tomorrow's training." The red-haired woman threw a huge piece of rib into the
middle of the four witches who were punished. "The dinner time is over. This is the
extra food I asked Lord Heidi for. You divide it amongst yourselves. Remember, no
magic power allowed."

The amount of the rib was enough to fill up four of their stomachs.

However, the fight training consumed a great amount of energy. The possibility to
complete it would increase if they had extra food supply as supplement in between
meals.

Like a beast...

Only strong witches can survive.

Iffy stared at the meat in front of her and pounced onto the witch nearest to her.

...

"The Secret Association was destroyed by the church. I heard that none of them
escaped."

"Even the leader of the witches."

"The church is camping by the eastern coast!"

"The damned nobles." Heidi did not look well. "I'm going to tear them into pieces
sooner or later!"

The influence of witches within the Kingdom of Wolfheart was eliminated one by one,
leaving only the Bloodfang Association to barely support itself. Although Iffy did
not quite understand why it was related to the nobles on the island, she could
sense that the situation was getting critical.

"In this case, send Shaji and me to get rid of them." Iffy suggested.

"It's too late! The church has noticed the Archduke Island. We can no longer stay
here," Heidi clenched her teeth and said. "Let's go to Sleeping Island."

"You're talking about... the witch association which sent the pigeon to deliver the
letter last time?" Iffy asked.

"Exactly. We can draw some manpower from there to strengthen ourselves. It's only
temporary; I'll be back here sooner or later! The Kingdom of Wolfheart is mine!"

...

"Damn. Why are these people willing to listen to the orders from a little girl?"
Heidi angrily threw the glass onto the ground.
Iffy was speechless. The witches on Sleeping Island were like sheep in her eyes, as
they did not have much power of resistance when they were facing enemies, including
the so-called leader, Tilly Wimbledon. Without the Extraordinary beside her, she
would not be able to hold the position.

"It's probably because she's preaching the equal importance of non-combat witches?"
Shaji interrupted. "No one wants to be excluded."

"Ridiculous! She didn't even think about who defeated the church in Fjords! Who'll
believe such a nonsense?"

"Tilly's elder brother, Lord of the Western Region seems to agree with that."

"That was all made up by them! No one knows what a lord really wants better than I
do!" Heidi angrily said. "You thought that I built the Bloodfang Association
for..." she suddenly stopped for a while and then continued, "No, I can't allow
them to continue talking nonsense. You have to go to the Western Region and expose
Tilly's lies! Bring my words to the lord. I can offer double for what Tilly
Wimbledon has to offer!"

Somehow, Iffy felt that Lord Heidi at the moment was nowhere like a beast but an
exasperated lamb.

"That's why you abandoned me?"

Annie's figure suddenly appeared in front of her. "You left me for this kind of
master and such a ridiculous life, betraying my trust towards you?"

"No, Annie..."

Iffy was horrified to notice the blank space on Annie's face.

"Do you... forget about me?"

She quickly opened her eyes and everything that had been in front of her eyes just
now suddenly disappeared, leaving the gray-white colored ceiling of the room and
the hanging light.

Is this a dream?

She quickly closed her eyes again to recall Annie's face. Fortunately, Iffy still
clearly remembered her look.

Iffy turned around and sat up on her bed, feeling slightly relieved. However, she
saw a little girl curiously looking at her by the bed.

Iffy could tell from her eyes that she must be someone who had not experienced any
suffers and struggles... someone who was also called the sheep.

"Who're you?"

"Nana," the little girl tilted her head and said. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Iffy could feel that her back was drenched in her sweat at that moment. "Did I...
say anything?"

"Oh, yes. You kept mumbling that 'I'm a beast... I'm a beast...'," the little girl
said with her arms open, "Why did you say that? You're not a beast."
She bit her lips and said, "You... have no idea."

"I have," Nana said, while covering her grin with her hand. "You're just like me.
Aren't we both human beings?"

Chapter 538: The Wheel of Time

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After being supplied with food and equipment, the First Army was ready to set out
once again.

This was the mission for the latter half of the spring offensive: seizing Willow
Town and Fallen Dragon Ridge. Capturing Willow Town would unify the Western Region,
and taking control of Fallen Dragon Ridge would enable them to have the easiest
access to the Southern Territory.

Since these two towns were well fortified, Roland entrusted the command to Iron Axe
and he himself would not partake in the expedition. Because they just conquered
King's City, the soldiers were having high morale. Besides, those professional
soldiers had gradually formed a prototype of soldiers in a modern army, which meant
they could faithfully carry out combat orders without being led by Roland
personally. Therefore, Roland was sure they would take the two towns. As long as
they made a thorough investigation and used the artillery troops to steadily push
forward, they would not face great resistance from the enemies.

The reconstruction of the post-war order should be his focus of attention.

Fortunately, Willow Town was not a large-scale town. He did not need to set a
fully-functional secondary City Hall as the one in the Longsong Area, but only to
set up offices for each department correspondingly. Nowadays, the Border Area could
offer a batch of fundamental management staff, so it would not be hard to add
Willow Town to the political system of the City of Neverwinter.

As for Fallen Dragon Ridge, he would hand it over to Countess Spear for management.
After the fall of Timothy, Spear had sworn allegiance to Roland and agreed to
accept the overall management model of Western Region. In order to help her take
over the city and cleaning up the rebel nobility, Roland believed it was necessary
to garrison the first army there.

Plus, in the future, whether to further annex the Southern Territory or to conquer
Iron Sand City, Fallen Dragon Ridge was the key traffic artery. So, the other
purpose of the garrison was to prevent accidents. No matter what, Roland had to
take hold of this city.

"In this way, there won't be many left in the First Army," after knowing the plan,
Iron Axe said, frowning. "500 of them are guarding King's City, 1,000 will be
dispatched to Willow Town and Fallen Dragon Ridge, and the number of soldiers I can
freely mobilize is no more than 1,500, most of whom are artillery. Given that, City
of Neverwinter probably will temporarily lose the ability to launch the attack."

"How is the training for the new soldiers recruited during the Months of Demons
going?"

"Not even close to the regular troops," Iron Axe said while shaking his head. "They
need to be trained for at least two to three more months."

Roland could not help laughing. He remembered when he originally set up the Militia
to resist demonic beasts, it went to the battlefield only after one and a half
months' training. Now with the increasingly comprehensive construction of the army,
the criterion of acceptability also greatly increased. In fact, as long as the
soldiers could line up based on the order and take aim to pull the trigger, even in
this era it was a strong army�After all, they only needed to aim and shoot without
necessarily being under the attack of the enemies and risking their own lives.

"Don't worry. By then the garrison could be replaced by those new recruits, and
it'll be a sort of training for them to fight against the guards of the noble."
Roland said in a leisure tone, "When the emissary delegation for recruiting
refugees returns, the population of City of Neverwinter will reach another peak. We
can continue to expand our army then."

Seizing King's City was far from an end, and seizing Fallen Dragon was only a
start. If everything went well, he hoped to annex the whole Southernmost Ridge
before the arrival of the Months of Demons this year.

If he could get a stable supply of black water, he might be able to lead the
industries of City of Neverwinter to a new stage.

Soon after Iron Axe left, Nightingale quietly appeared in front of Roland.

"Iffy wants to see you."

...

Looking at the witch from Bloodfang Association slowly walking into the office,
Roland could feel some changes.

Her steps were not as firm as the time when she first arrived here; her maroon long
hair was a little messy, which showed that she apparently did not care to take care
of it. She did not look as vigilant and proud as before; instead, she looked rather
confused and at a loss.

At this moment, she looked more like a girl at her real age.

Iffy bowed first, and then after a long silence, she opened her mouth. "Your
Majesty, what's... the weapon that Maggie used?"

Roland had expected that she would ask about it. He nodded at Nightingale, and then
Nightingale took the revolver out of her waist and put it on the table.

"What she used was a gun. It kills enemies with projectiles fueled by gunpowder."
He skillfully removed the cartridge and poured out the bullets. "The projectiles
used to shoot at you were modified in a particular way, otherwise you would have
been killed on spot."

Iffy's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but yet she swallowed her
words in the end.

Roland picked up a bullet and raised it in front of everybody. "Do you see it?" It
is not much bigger than a finger, but yet it requires an extremely complicated
procedure to manufacture it. The whole procedure required the joint work of
hundreds of ordinary townsmen and three witches. Neither of the two groups is
dispensable. And those are the non-combat witches who you think are useless. Do you
still think so?"

"I..." She looked hesitated, but could not utter a word in the end.
Roland did not give her too much time to think. He continued, "Maybe they cannot
compete with you in terms of abilities, but that doesn't prove anything. Although a
commoner can't knock down a fierce beast with his bare hands, it's the human beings
that rule the world, not the beasts."

"I prefer to call the non-combat witches as assistant witches. Through their own
abilities, they can give the vast majority of ordinary people new forces, such as
those guards who fight with long swords and shields�with the help of them, human
beings can easily beat the beasts. In a sense, assistant witches are greater than
combat witches."

"But the weapons you invented... can play a more powerful role in the hands of the
combat witches," Iffy said in a low voice.

"The difference isn't very obvious, at least not obvious enough to change the
outcome of a war." Roland shook his head. "Imagine this: while faced with ten
ordinary soldiers armed with such weapon, what's the odd for you to win? In my
territory, they can produce seven to eight such guns every day, but how many combat
witches are there? Moreover, owning the weapons alone isn't enough. We also need to
maintain them. To this end, we need a massive production and logistics team, in
which assistant witches play irreplaceable roles."

He reassembled the gun and returned it to Nightingale. "I know that it's hard for
you to understand the fact instantly. But the reason human beings are greater than
the beasts is that human beings can use their wisdom to create power that the world
has never had. To this end, magic power is undoubtedly the best tool, and yet
you're wasting this talent." He paused for a moment. "Right, the First Army reserve
will have a maneuver using loaded rifles this afternoon. I suggest you watch it so
that you can use your own eyes to observe what the real power is."

"The time has changed, Iffy."

...

Chapter 539: The Melting Ice

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Agatha had a busy day. By the time she returned to the castle, the sky had turned
completely dark.

Pushing the door open, she was surprised to find Wendy waiting for her in the
living room.

"Why did you work till so late again?" Wendy asked, frowning, but in her tone,
there was not the slightest meaning of blame. Only a little bit of concern. "I hope
you can come back earlier next time so that we can at least have dinner together."

"Sorry, I lost track of time," Agatha said as she took off her coat and hung it by
the door. "My mind was all on producing the last batch of nitrogen, so I didn't
notice the sky already turned dark when I left work. You should blame the Lord,
turning on the lights in the chemical plant, making it as bright as daytime."

"I brought you dinner," said Wendy as she sighed helplessly. "It's on the table.
It's still hot. So, hurry."

"Thank you," Agatha said, feeling touched. "Wendy is the most respected witch in
the Witch Cooperation Association and is deeply trusted by the Lord. If she were in
Taquila, she would have been at least an executive officer under the Three Chiefs.
It's absolutely impossible in the Union for such a person to bring me dinner."

"You're welcome." Wendy patted her on the shoulder. "If you feel tired, don't
hesitate to ask Echo to sing a hot spring song for you... Don't forget you're also
a member of the Witch Union."

The Witch Union...

After the door was closed, Agatha kept still for a moment, and then went to the
table and opened the metal insulated box.

The box contained three dishes and one soup: a fragrant barbecue steak, fried
mushrooms, sliced bread, and egg soup. To her surprise, in a corner of the box was
stuffed a small dish of honey.

She could not help but swallow her saliva.

Even Wendy noticed that...

During their decades of fighting against the demons in Taquila, all kinds of
materials became more and more scarce. Naturally, that included food. Although
Agatha was a relatively high rank, her daily meals consisted mainly of grains and
fruits planted by assistant witches. Of course, she could eat meat, but its supply
was not very stable. Things like spices, sugar, and honey were out of the
question�the first two were a luxury exclusive to the high-level Federation
officials; as for honey, witches who were able to keep bees were all sent to the
battlefield. This was because the Federation would not "waste" them on producing
such unessential sweet stuff.

In fact, she was very fond of eating sweet stuff, especially honey.

During the barbecue feast, when most people would choose pepper powder and salt as
a seasoning, she just quietly brushed a whole jar of honey. She did not expect that
Wendy had noticed that.

She suddenly felt something strange happening in her heart�because she could not
feel coldness, she was not very sensitive to warmth either. Also, she had rarely
used hot water while bathing because she did not want to bother Anna. Considering
her own identity and origin, Agatha asked Roland to arrange a separate room for
herself, just as her residence on the top floor of the test tower.

But now, she felt a little cold in the room.

Perhaps living with others was not a bad idea...

Agatha took out the honey, evenly smeared it on the bread, and slowly put it into
her mouth. At that moment, she genuinely felt the warmth brought on by the
fragrance and sweetness of the food.

...

After dinner, she planned to read "Elementary Chemistry" for a while before
sleeping. The knowledge within might not be able to help her to further promote,
but at least it could save her from feeling embarrassed in front of the common
people.

Recently, a batch of strangers came to the chemical plant. Paper told her that they
were all from the Alchemist Workshop of the king's city. Every day, Agatha could
see them walking between the laboratory and the chemical plant�sometimes led by
Kyle Sichi, and other times by Kyle's student, Chavez. But, whenever Agatha saw
them, their faces had an expression of disbelief�one could stuff an egg into any of
their mouths�as if that was the only expression they could show. Besides, several
of them were excessively curious and seemed to take her as a famous alchemist.
Whenever they got a chance, they would pose questions to her. In the beginning, the
questions were extremely simple, but gradually became somewhat difficult to cope
with.

In order to maintain the dignity of the Senior Witches and the honor of the Quest
Society, Agatha decided to keep her image in their eyes.

After spending those days with the commoners, she once again confirmed that what
the Union did was wrong.

Roland has proven the wisdom of the noble, and the wisdom of these ordinary people
is no less than that of the witches. It only took these ordinary people a few days
to master the operation of the nitrogen equipment, while at the same time
understanding the process of extracting nitrogen. In the beginning, they were
arguing about the number of elements in the air, but now they were already
discussing the composition of synthetic ammonia. Even a few white-haired old men,
while smiling shyly, consulted with Paper, who was greatly startled.

Obviously, they're rapidly learning everything around them.

At this thought, Agatha felt overwhelmed with emotions. "The witches are neither
the fortunate chosen by the deities nor the unfortunate abandoned by the deities.
Essentially, they're no different from the common people, which is a certainty of
the destiny." In this Battle of Divine Will, all should bare their corresponding
destinies, and the witches are only a small cluster of people."

Perhaps this is the original intention of the deities. With any part missing, human
beings can't win in this battle of destiny.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door.

"Come in," Agatha said and turned around. "The door isn't locked."

Then, a tall, blonde, unhooded woman came in, but Agatha felt this woman was always
shrouded under a shadow.

It was Nightingale.

"Anything you want?" Agatha asked her.

"His Majesty Roland wants to see you."

"If he wants to emphasize the theory of balancing work and rest and convince me to
come back earlier, I already knew it and will pay attention to it in the future,"
Agatha said, twitching her lips. "No need to waste his precious time on me."

"Really..." said Nightingale, she blinked and felt Agatha was not bad-natured if
one did not make an enemy of her. "This is only one of the reasons. His Majesty
also said he wants to fight the demons."

Agatha was startled for a moment. "What?" Tossing the book on the table, she said,
"Quickly, take me to him!"

...
Agatha rushed into the Lord's office. Before Roland could say anything, Agatha
asked anxiously, "For the moment, we can't even put together ten Longsong Cannons
and you want to attack Devil's Town? Do you think they're as fragile as human
beings who throw away their helmets and flee after thousands of them are killed?
You'll ruin the city and the good situation here!"

"Huh?" Roland looked astonished. "What're you talking about?"

"Aren't you planning to fight against the demons?"

He looked at Nightingale and chuckled. "No, that's not my plan. I don't want to
destroy their camp. I only want to catch a few living demons."

Chapter 540: Different Concerns

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Is that all?"

Upon hearing it, Agatha felt slightly relieved.

The demons' strength lay in their numbers. If faced only with a few Mad Demons, one
or two Senior Witches would be able to defeat them.

"Have you found a way to confine them?" Agatha asked.

"The newly arrived witches are perfect for that," Roland told her their abilities.
"After Iffy catches the demons, the cage can be easily carried by the balloon. Of
course, I'll prepare some shackles, so it's not a big problem to tame them either.
What I want to know is how long the Red Mist carried by the demons can last, and
can the demons' blood be used to produce Sigils after they die?"

"No wonder..." Until that moment, Agatha had fully understood what Roland was up
to. "In general, a can of Red Mist can last for about a day. Demons will decide the
number of mist cans to carry based on different tasks. For example, to carry out a
surveillance or patrol mission, a demon's mount will carry three to four cans which
is also its ability limit."

"Why so?" Roland asked curiously.

"After leaving the strange Blackstone Pagoda, the mist will gradually lose
effectiveness," she explained. "Otherwise, the Quest Society would have been
keeping demons and Chaos Beasts and mass producing sigils. The Three Chiefs of the
Union also tried that before. For example, they took the initiative to attack some
of the demon's outposts to seize the small Blackstone Pagoda, but the enemies would
always destroy it before their defeat, leaving the Blessed Warriors a withered
stone pagoda."

"Withered?" Roland asked in great surprise, "Could stones wither too?"

"Nobody knew exactly what that thing was, but judging from the stone we brought
back, "withered" was the proper word to describe it." Its once smooth surface
became rough and dark; a lot of stone chips fell off when it was rubbed. It was
totally different from its original appearance when the warriors first saw it."

"I see..." Roland pondered for a while. "If we can bring back a demon, can you
produce the Sigil of Magic Stones?"
"If you can provide me with sufficient experimental materials, an independent
laboratory, and 20 common people as assistants," Agatha said while counting on her
fingers, "I have an 80% chance to produce simple Sigils, as to advanced Sigils...
Ah, anyway, you don't have the related Magic Stones to produce them."

"These aren't the problem." Roland hesitated and then asked in a low voice, "The
problem is, what if the entrapment mission draws too many demons?"

Agatha could not help but laugh. "You looked very confident. I thought you never
worried about it."

"Ahem, I just want to be absolutely certain about everything."

Agatha then said with a relaxing tone, "Just take Miss Anna and me with them."

"You and... Anna?"

"You still lack a full understanding of the witches in your territory, Your
Majesty." Agatha sighed. "You know, the Union, whose power covered the entire
Fertile Plains, had just over 100 Senior Witches. Not more than 40 of them were
combat witches. They held high positions in the Union and were the backbones of the
Blessed Army. On the other hand, in your Witch Union, there're quite a few Senior
Witches, and together with your strange weapons, their strength can be compared
with the Wing of Holy Army. Defeating a group of demons won't be difficult for us.
Even if we run into the Lord of Hell, Miss Anna can activate the Sigil of God's
Will twice."

"Ah... I almost forgot about it." Roland suddenly understood, so he said, "Thank
you for the suggestion."

"You're welcome. Defeating demons is my lifetime aspiration. Please don't let me

down, Your Majesty."

When Agatha was about to leave, Roland stopped her.

"Well, there is another thing I don't understand."

"What's it?"

"Why did you resolutely oppose me attacking Devil's Town?" Roland raised his
eyebrows. "Your previous attitude was very different from now... I remember at that
time you not only demanded to attack the demons actively but also wanted to seize
Chaos Beasts that may live in their camp at any cost, didn't you?"

Agatha suddenly felt her cheeks burning up. She knew they must be red even without
checking.

"At that time, I didn't believe that you had the ability to defeat the demons, but
you were bragging about your military forces, so I was saying that in a fit of
pique." But it would be awkward to tell Roland the truth. But now the situation in
the domain was sound. Given enough time, she believed the powers of humans would be
increasingly stronger, so of course, her attitude had changed. "Did I? I don't
remember saying anything like that."

"But you were..."

"Ahem, Your Majesty, I feel very sleepy." She forced a yawn. "Please excuse me
now." Then she immediately left the office.
While she walked through the corridor leading to the Witch House, Agatha could feel
the cool breeze gently blowing on her face, which gradually cooled her mood.

Looking at the numerous stars in the sky, she suddenly remembered what Wendy said.

"One day, he'll become the King of Graycastle and lead us to defeat all our
enemies. This is what I believe."

When looking at Wendy's convinced expression, Agatha felt both envious and slightly
sad. She envied that Wendy had not been overwhelmed by the brutal reality, and she
was sad to the fact that Wendy's conviction could not reverse the strength gap
between humans and demons.

But now, she began to believe it too.

*******************

Iffy did not remember how she got back to the bedroom.

Her mind was full of the memories of guns and cannons firing and roaring�hundreds
of soldiers, neatly arranged in rows, aimed at the targets in front of them and
pulled the trigger. She could see nothing but thick white smoke, and even if she
could feel the bullets with her magic power, she did not have enough time to trap
them with her cage.

"His Majesty didn't lie. The metal bullets are much more powerful than the special
bullets Maggie used when she fought with me. The metal bullets can destroy wooden
targets 100 steps away, while in that distance, all the witches can do was to wait
to be beaten.

As for another weapon called cannon is even more terrible. Its attack range is
several times of the guns, and one even needs a telescope to observe its shooting
results. Moreover, the head of the guards said that's only the old-fashioned field
artillery, and a weapon called 152 mm Longsong Cannon is the real trump card of the
artillery troop."

Various sounds of explosion echoed in her head, which led to one thought.

"Heidi Morgan lied to us."

Iffy murmured.

"Maybe Heidi Morgan doesn't even know such a power is possible." Softfeathers
looked complex. Apparently, she was also shocked by the army training scenes she
saw in the afternoon, "What should we do next?"

Iffy did not answer. "No matter what purposes Heidi had previously held, at the
moment, it means nothing because the Bloodfang Association simply can't afford what
His Majesty wants�Tilly Wimbledon's assistant witches are more useful than the
combat witches of the Bloodfang Association."

Looking back at the past few years, she found her abilities and growth experience
which she was once proud of now looked more like a joke. Except for Annie, there
was nothing else worthy of cherishing in her memory.

After quite a while, she raised her head. "I don't want to go back to the Bloodfang
Association."
"..." Softfeathers nodded with an almost unperceivable movement. "Me neither." And
she was shocked. "Are you crying?"

Iffy then tasted something salty flowing into her mouth. Wiping her face, something
wet reached her fingertips.

"I don't know."

It had been a long time since she tasted tears.

Beasts never cry.

Even if they do, they don't do it for themselves.

If only Annie and I had run into the Witch Union from the very beginning.

Closing her eyes, Iffy felt the salty rain trickling out from her heart.

Annie, forgive me.

Chapter 541: The Mists of Bloodfang Association

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Two days later, Roland met Iffy in his office again.

Her complexion was much better now. In her eyes, they seemed to have more complex
emotions, which made her look more fresh and alive, more "human".

"Heidi Morgan wants to see you, but she's not able to come over, so she asked Tilly
Wimbledon to send us here." Iffy bowed to Roland, and her opening remarks surprised
Roland slightly. "Lady Heidi doesn't like Her Highness, Tilly. She believes that
combat witches are the real core of Sleeping Island, so the Bloodfang Association
shouldn't just be treated as an ordinary witch organization. She wants to make a
breakthrough with your help, and she promises to offer more than what Tilly offers.
Of course... I know Your Highness doesn't need them."

"Tell me the details of the Bloodfang Association," said Roland with a hand
propping up his chin.

"Yes..."

Her storytelling lasted about an hour, while Roland was frowning more and more. In
the end, Roland could not help but ask, "Does Tilly know about all of this?"

"I don't know." Iffy shook her head. "Lady Heidi forbids us from revealing the past
of the Bloodfang Association, and seldom talks with Her Highness."

"How about the other witch organizations in Sleeping Island?"

"They're closer to the witches from the Kingdom of Graycastle, especially after the
building of the Sleeping Spell. Although some combat witches agree with Lady Heidi
secretly, most of them don't want to confront Ashes."

"It turns out the pressure on Tilly's shoulders is not much lesser than mine."
Roland felt impressed. "Different from the situation that I'm the perfectly
justified ruler of the Western Region, witches of Sleeping Island are more like in
a loose organization based on covenants. Although Tilly is the organizer, she
actually doesn't have the authority over those small groups who came to join her."
Especially because of this, it showed Tilly's merits were superior to
others�uniting most of the assistant witches, and positively establishing
connections with the secular rulers of other islands. In particular, the invention
of the Sleeping Spell gave her a chance to manage all the other witches.

After all, "Assistant witches are equally important" should not be just a slogan.
The witches' bounty guild just offered those assistant witches with various odd
abilities an excellent stage to present themselves. When they completed missions
and obtained a large amount of remuneration, they could then use it to improve the
quality of their lives on Sleeping Island. Such a mindset would be formed
gradually. After all, no powerful combat witch would like to spend her days chewing
salted fish. Especially when the assistant witches had their status promoted, they
would naturally favor Tilly. When the time came, as the leader of the guild, Tilly
would undoubtedly gain a great power of speech.

This was probably why Heidi Morgan could not wait any longer.

In addition, the Bloodfang Association was full of doubtful points. As the daughter
of Archduke Morgan, how could Heidi not be able to afford a group of non-combat
witches? It was only fair to say that she did not intend to take those "useless"
people in from the very beginning. Different from the fact that witches from the
Witch Cooperation Association wanted to be united to help each other, all that she
wanted was a team which could fight for her benefits.

Plus her obsession towards the Kingdom of Wolfheart, all of these made Roland
vigilant against her.

He should probably write a secret letter to Tilly, telling her to carefully watch
out the moves of the Bloodfang Association.

"Didn't Heidi forbid you from revealing the secrets of the Bloodfang Association?"
He lightly knocked on the desk. "Don't you want to follow her instructions
anymore?"

Iffy bit on her lips. "I want to join the Witch Union."

Roland stopped knocking and looked at her in surprise. Although he knew that the
exhibition of the powers of the thermal weapons would greatly strike the powerful
and arrogant combat witches, he did not expect the effect would be so...
extraordinary.

"But you hurt Maggie." He contemplated for a while. "Right now I can't..."

"About that, you can punish me as you wish."

Iffy unbuttoned her robe.

Almost at the same time, a pair of hands covered Roland's eyes from behind. But
Nightingale seemed to have forgotten that she was in the mist and that her
transparent fingers could not block Roland's vision.

Iffy lowered her robe and turned her back to Roland.

Roland could not help but gasp.

He could see, on Iffy's back there were all sorts of whip scars. The restored
wounds looked like numerous earthworms lying crisscross on her back, forming a
sharp contrast with the surrounding delicate skin. As the wounds had been healed,
even Nana could not do anything to them with her healing ability. Those scars
remained as they were.

When Iffy talked about the rigorous fighting trainings in the Bloodfang
Association, she only used very brief words. Now when Roland thought back, he could
vaguely smell the bloody atmosphere in her words.

"Put on your clothes," he said with a low voice.

"But, Your Majesty..."

Nightingale had shown herself and pulled up Iffy's robe to the shoulders.

"If you want to join the Witch Union, then don't bring the Bloodfang Association's
ways of handling things here." Roland suddenly felt a suppression in his chest.
"You can apply to Wendy. As to whether the other witches would accept you, it'll
depend on your performance." He paused. "Anyway, City of Neverwinter is the home to
witches. Even if you don't join the union, you can settle down here."

Upon hearing this, Iffy's shoulders loosened. "Thank you... for your kindness."

...

After watching her leave, Roland stood up, walked to the French window, and let out
a deep breath.

Till now, his team for arresting demons was fully assembled and yet he could not
feel relaxed.

"Actually, she's very lucky," Nightingale walked to him and said.

"Can that be called lucky?"

"Compared with her friend Annie, at least she survived. If the Bloodfang
Association is really the only witch organization survived in the Kingdom of
Wolfheart, then its members will end tragically in case they get caught by the
church or the noble. That's also why the member witches yearned so much for the
Holy Mountain."

A doubt suddenly emerged in Roland's heart. "Were those non-combat witches really
sent to other witch organizations by Heidi Morgan? To avoid the exposure of their
whereabouts, the witches seldom contacted one another, and their gathering places
changed frequently. How did Heidi gathered such information? After all, the
foothold of an organization is a matter of life and death. If not to particularly
trusted persons, the organization leader probably won't tell other people of their
gathering sites easily."

Even if Heidi knew all that, sending the witches to other organizations was highly
risky of an exposure. Would the other organizations willingly accept whatever she
threw at them?

The more he thought about it, the more he found it weird.

But Nightingale confirmed that Iffy was not lying.

Obviously, the problem lay within the founders of the Bloodfang Association.

In conclusion, Heidi seemed more dangerous now. Roland realized that he should
convey the information to Tilly as soon as possible so that she could carry out an
investigation and make some early preparations.

The daughter of Archduke Morgan was most likely not royal to witches.

Chapter 542: The Wicked Journey

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Sister, we've arrived." Cole Kant happily rushed into the cabin.

"I've told you twice during this trip to not call me sister." Edith raised her head
and took a glance at him. "Have you forgotten?"

"No..." Cole shivered. "No, I still remember."

"Then who am I?"

"My, my Clerk, Miss Edith."

"Who are you then?"

"Father... No, the ambassador sent out by Calvin Kant, the Duke of the Northern
Region."

"Great. Make sure that you don't make the same mistake for the third time." Edith
stood up, stretched her stiff limbs, and walked out of the cabin. "Call all the
members of the emissary delegation. Let's go to the inner city."

This was a little trick Edith liked to play. She liked to secretly observe the
person she was about to negotiate with and then only revealed herself after having
a rough understanding of what kind of person the other party was. In doing so, she
could take precautions beforehand and impress the other. If the one she negotiated
with was male, he would most likely be interested in her.

She never tried to hide her gender; on the contrary, she used it as a social
advantage.

Since she was called the Pearl of the Northern Region, she certainly needed to make
good use of it.

"How about... the heads then?"

"Leave them on the boat, unless you want to hold them in your bedroom." She
twitched her mouth. "They have gone rotten."

Walking off the trestle, Edith noticed that there were many boats on the canal.
Many people were at the dock, most of whom carried big luggage. Judging from their
clothing, they looked neither like slaves, nor businessmen. She was quite curious
about it because as far as she knew, people in the other walks of life seldom
traveled at the spring plowing season.

She sent for a servant. "Go ask them where they're going."

"What does it have to do with us?" Cole asked in bewilderment.

"Since Roland Wimbledon has taken over this city, he must have issued some new
policies to declare his authority. What he said can, in a way, reflect his
characteristics. So, it certainly has something to do with us." Edith smiled. "Of
course you can pay a few gold royals for the Rats to gather the information, but I
personally prefer first-hand information."

"Is, is that so..."

"You need to observe more, think more, my dear ambassador." She said, "This is a
rare opportunity."

On the other side of the city gate, the streets were filled with more pedestrians.
There were booths on both sides of the road. He could hear constant cries from
vendors. A few years ago, Edith had been to the king's city to participate in the
fifth princess' adulthood ceremony with her father. This city had not changed much.
It was still as busy as it used to be.

If it were in the City of Evernight, one could have never seen such a crowd except
for a holiday or a celebration.

All of a sudden, a speaker on the street caught her attention.

"Hold on for a while." Edith ordered the troop to stop and joined the crowd with
Cole.

"Can you saw wood? Can you lay bricks? Can you take care of cattle and sheep? As
long you specialize in something, you're the talents His Majesty is looking for! Go
to Western Region. There, His Majesty is building a new king's city�City of
Neverwinter! Your talent will bring you a huge reward!"

"Talent?" Edith pondered on it for a while. "What an interesting name... However,

what does it mean by a new king's city? The City of Neverwinter? Is there such a
city in Western Region?"

Pacing forward a little bit, she saw another group of people.

"Witches are innocent. This is the repentance the High Priest wrote down right
before his execution," another speaker said, waving the document in his hand. "They
may be your close relatives, your daughter, your sister!" If you're still afraid of
them, send them to the City of Neverwinter! They'll be well taken care of. If you
hate to part with them, you can go with them! His Majesty has promised, the
witches' families will get an accommodation to protect from wind and rain. Plus,
you'll also get a decent job!"

"Has the High Priest been executed?" Cole said with his eyes wide open.

On the other hand, Edith frowned. "If this is Roland Wimbledon's new policy, the
way he promotes it's quite melodramatic. Isn't he afraid to provoke the church to a
full revenge? That'll be nothing like the fight among nobles, but a deadly war
against the heresies.

No idea whether it's a blessing or a curse to serve such a king."

It took her an hour to walk through the street leading to the inner city. She found
actually the street was full of such speakers who basically repeatedly told
whatever His Majesty had done after conquering the king's city. Anyone who came to
the king's city only needed to listen on the street for half a day to understand
the changes His Majesty had made, without the need to get any help from the Rats.

"My Lady, I've found it out." The servant who was sent to inquire about the news
caught up with the team, panting. "They're all going..."
"City of Neverwinter, right?" Edith interrupted him.

"You, you knew it?"

"Don't bother finding a hotel now. We're going to the palace to submit the emissary
document." Her heart was filled with a vague sense of foreboding. "Now, hurry!"

...

"What?" Cole asked in surprise. "His Majesty left the king's city a week ago?
Without even holding an inauguration ceremony?"

"That's what the receptionist said," the attendant reported. "At first His Majesty
left a man named Barov Mons, his chief minister, behind to take care of daily
affairs, but Barov Mons left the king's city yesterday too. Apart from the
servants, there's nobody else in the palace. The receptionist said if you want to
talk with the City Hall, he can pass the message for you."

"That's fine," Edith said in a cold voice. She did not expect her hunch was right.
She had been traveling non-stop all the way, yet still was too late to catch up
with Roland. "Roland was really planning to move the capital, leave this splendid
city behind, and rebuild a new capital city in Western Region! What's exactly in
his head? To build a city on such a scale as the king's city would take at least 30
to 40 years!"

"What should we do?" Looking at the stunned members of the emissary delegation,
Cole asked quietly.

After a long while, she said sullenly, "Turn around. Head for the City of
Neverwinter!"

"They've left anyway. No need to hurry," Cole said with a bitter face. "It's been a
week since I took a shower last time. I feel lice are about to grow on my body."

Edith turned her head and found her collar also smelled weird. Finally, she sighed.
"Let's find a hotel for the night. We'll set off tomorrow morning."

In the next morning, when the emissary delegation arrived at the dock, they found
their boat had been burned to a skeleton.

"What happened?" For the first time, Edith felt confused.

"Ahem, don't be mad, sis-Miss Edith. Observe more, think more..." Cole waved his
hand and stopped a passerby. "The dock will catch fire as well?"

"Ah, you mean that." The passerby enthusiastically explained, "No idea who sneakily
hid bodies on their boat. The Rats who tried to steal something from the boat
smelled it." You know, people are very cautious about such stuff. After all, half a
year ago a demonic plague struck the city, which was exactly caused by the bodies
distributed by the church. Anyway, to deal with them, burning is the safest way.
The captain has been arrested by the guards for interrogation. Oh, do you know
him?"

Edith was startled, not knowing what face she should put on. After a long silence,
she uttered, "I don't know him. Thanks."

"It seems we need to find a new boat." She thought. "I guess this trip of loyalty
won't go as smoothly as I imagined..."
Chapter 543: The Turning Point

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Barov was like a different person when Roland met him again.

He looked vigorous and radiant, and even his chest had risen considerably. His
footsteps were powerful and conveyed a strong sense of confidence. He was not how a
50-year-old minister typically looked.

It seemed that the days he spent in the king's city was highly satisfactory.

"If I had known it, I would have called you back a little later." Roland joked.

"No, Your Majesty. Regardless of how prosperous the City of Dawn is, it can't
compare with the City of Neverwinter personally created by you." Barov responded
while smoothing his mustache. "Wherever I am, my heart will always be with you."

Why do these words... sound so weird and awkward?

Roland coughed twice and attempted to change the subject. "How's the situation over
there?"

"Don't worry. With my students and the First Army around, the new assigned nobles
aren't able to create trouble even if they intend to," the director replied smugly.
"I've deliberately given them more space to fight for money and power among
themselves. As long as they don't disrupt the normal livelihoods of the citizens,
that is acceptable. I believe that, for a long period of time henceforth, they'll
scheme and scramble among themselves to attain the tiniest amount of power�after
all, they've had absolutely no qualification to enter the City Hall thus far."

"It's indeed a good idea." Roland commented and laughed.

Although he knew a thing or two about political balancing and other control
strategies, he was obviously not as good at actualizing them as these old foxes who
had been involved in politics for a long time. While they might not be the wiliest
of foxes, they were definitely thick-skinned and vicious enough. It could be said
that it was only now that Barov revealed the true extent of his talents.

As the king, Roland could stay out of dabbling in dirty political tricks himself.
As long as he had the personnel, law and military power in his grip, nobody would
dare to covet his authority.

"Your Majesty, may I ask where have you sent Treasurer Lauren Moore?" Barov
revealed a little displeasure as he sighed. "The ceremonial officer told me that
you didn't execute him."

"He siphoned off some of the relief rations distributed to the people, colluded
with the former Prime Minister, and was involved in the exploitation of refugees."
Roland shrugged. "His crimes didn't warrant execution, and while at his age, he
wasn't suitable to be sent to the mines. The only thing I could do was to deport
him."

"That's a real... pity."

"Why, you need him for something?"

"Of course not. Lauren was rather influential in the king's city. I was just afraid
that the lower nobles wouldn't be able to handle him." Barov laughed and shook his
head. "As my mentor, he bullied me for a long time. I regret that I didn't have the
opportunity to see him begging for mercy."

Roland joined the laughter. "I believe that he could bring his whole family to the
Kingdom of Dawn. Who knows, you may get to see him again one day." Let's not talk
about this. I called you back because I intend to build a few factories. They're
related to the upcoming series of major reforms in the City of Neverwinter."

"Do you need a lot of people?"

"Yes indeed, otherwise I'd only have to call Karl." Roland nodded. "I'll need at
least 3,000 people."

Barov forced a smile. "Your Majesty, that's a huge demand worthy of you. In other
cities, there's no chance that a project would require 3,000 people at the same
time."

"The good news is, not every one of these 3,000 people needs to be literate. I'll
only require more than 200 of them to have completed primary education."

"What do you want to build?"

Roland placed the records which were prepared long ago in front of the director. "A
coke plant, a steel plant, and a forge."

"Is the steel produced by Miss Anna not enough?" Barov asked.

"The problem is that it's too inefficient." Roland sighed. "Her magic power should
be used for more sophisticated manufacturing, rather than wasted on preparing the
materials for steam engines. I hope that I can "de-witch" the basic industrial
productions this year."

At present, the industries of Neverwinter had reached an turning point. If a

breakthrough was not found, it would be hard to progress. This was because the
source power machines heavily depended on Anna's materials, and therefore the scale
of production could not be expanded. In fact, the steam engines could be produced
without using such a high grade of steel. The first generation of steam engines was
made out of iron only.

Now, the preconditions for a breakthrough had been fully satisfied. The coal mine
was able to handle all of the coking processes�coke was one of the primary
ingredients of large-scale steelmaking. The dozen or so earth blast furnaces in the
Furnace Area also supplied an abundant amount of iron ingots. Steel could be
smelted using a simple converter, while the steam hammers in the forge could be
used to create components that the other factories could directly process. If these
procedures could be made into a cycle, Anna would be completely liberated from her
duties, and only normal people would be needed throughout the production process.

After Roland outlined the important tasks of the three projects, Barov quickly
understood the meaning of "de-witch".

"I understand, Your Majesty. However, are these things really possible?" He
appeared unconvinced. "Can we really obtain enough steel without relying on the
demons'... ahem, witches' powers? You may not have known that in other cities, it's
common for a piece of forged steel to cost 20 times the price of a piece of pig
iron."

In this era, steel was forged by the blacksmith's hammer. The repeated hammering of
the iron ingots caused excess carbon and other impurities to be oxidized until
steel was formed. Of course, the efficiency of this process was unspeakably low,
and a lot of raw materials would be wasted. A significant amount of iron would
break off due to oxidation, and therefore several pieces of iron ingot were
necessary to produce a usable piece of steel. This explained why a full set of body
armor that was completely made of steel was the lifelong desire of many knights. It
could even be passed down from generation to generation as a family treasure.

From a certain perspective, the laborious method of producing steel could give one
the false perception that the effort put into it made it more exquisite and higher-
grade. Now that City of Neverwinter could mass produce steel, believed by most
people to be the witches' work, Barov's suspicions were not hard to understand.
However, to Roland, steel was just iron with a different proportion of carbon.

"I won't say it's easy. Both coking and converter steelmaking require techniques
that were discovered by trial and error. However..." Roland paused briefly. "These
projects are definitely achievable. When they're completed, there'll be hundreds of
chimneys in the industrial area. The monthly output of steel will exceed the
current annual output. We'll then have an endless supply of steel to produce
bicycles, ships, all kinds of machines, and even houses. Everything that you see
will be made of steel. It'll be in everyone's homes, and even the common folk will
be able to use steel utensils and tools."

Barov remained speechless for a long time before he finally replied, "I'll draw up
a recruitment plan and financial allocation plan for you to review as quickly as
possible."

"Okay, you'll be in charge of the preparatory work for this," Roland said in
encouragement.

As Barov walked toward the office door, he abruptly turned back and bowed down at
Roland.

"It'll be my pleasure and honor to see a world like that, Your Majesty."

...

Chapter 544: A New Source of Power

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"The prospect of a new world, huh?" Roland could not help laughing.

He then asked Nightingale to summon Anna in.

At these times, Nightingale would leave voluntarily to give the two of them
privacy.

Anna was wearing a light blue one-piece dress, underneath which her knee-length
black stockings were visible, and her feet were covered in a pair of moccasins. All
these made her appear particularly lively. These modern-styled items of clothing
were tailored under the guidance of Roland during his spare time using flow-coated
fabrics that were provided by Soraya. They were extremely light, easy to wear, and
highly durable. They were thus perfectly suitable for Anna to wear when she was
crafting apparatus.

Whenever Roland looked into her sparkling eyes, he would feel a surge of happiness
and smile uncontrollably.
Of course, he no longer needed to act as mannerly as he used to.

He wrapped his arms around her and sat her on his lap. Then he took a sniff of her
hair and kissed her cheek before getting to the point. "I want to develop a new
source of energy."

"Will it be something like the steam engine?" She turned her head back to face him.
Her collarbone could be seen protruding along her fair neck.

Roland could not resist reaching his hand out to stroke her collarbone. It tickled
her such that she began to laugh shyly.

"Your Majesty, be proper."

"Hehe, alright." He placed Anna on the seat and stood up to extract a stack of
blueprints from the files on one side of the table. "Have a look at this first...
How much can you understand it?"

"Um..." Whenever Anna was studying something, her expression would turn completely
solemn. Roland would often feel an unexplainable sense of shame and inferiority
when he observed her looking aloof�it felt to him as though he was sitting in a
naturally well-lit classroom and peeking at the smartest student in the class.

In order to counteract this feeling, he thought of the naughty things he would do

to her at night.

"I've more or less understood everything." After Anna looked through the last of
the blueprints, she thought for a moment and nodded. "It's also powered by steam,
except that the piston is replaced by windmill blades, and therefore saves energy
on the reciprocating motion of the connecting rods. Am I right?"

"You're absolutely right." Roland discarded his wild thoughts and put on a serious
face. "It's called the steam turbine. While it's also powered by high-pressure
steam, its efficiency is much higher than the steam engine."

This was the revolutionary product which Roland had conceived for a long time.

It could be said that Anna was the main reason why he wanted to rid the basic
industries of dependence on witches�only this way would she be able to focus on
high-end mechanical production.

The steam turbine was his experiment within this field.

Turbines had many uses. They could be used to power ships and provide electricity,
especially the latter�it could be foreseen that after Fallen Dragon Ridge was
captured, Countess Spear would have to spend a long time sorting out government
affairs. It would not be wise to rely solely on Mystery Moon's magic power to
provide night lighting for the industry area, not to mention the residential area's
electricity supply. Roland certainly did not want to admit that this was a planning
failure caused by his lack of experience. In order to make up this mistake, he had
to think of an alternative means of producing electricity.

Due to the natural flaws of the circulation principle, the electricity generated by
steam engines was inconsistent. Furthermore, Roland had weak knowledge of voltage
regulation. It was thus a more suitable choice to use steam turbines, which had
more stable output power and higher thermal efficiency.

"What do I have to do first?" Anna asked.

"Remember what you did for the gunboat?" Roland showed her a blueprint of a blade.
"You'll need to build an operable model of this. It only needs to be about one
meter in length. The main problem you have to solve is the angle of the blade. It
has to allow high-pressure steam to flow smoothly through every stator grille. If
you can do this, more than half of the work would be done."

Yet, how could a usable end product be built without detailed data?

The only way was repeated trial and error.

As for the core of the turbine�Roland was not worried about the difficulty of
altering the impeller because the cutting precision of Blackfire was much higher
than any modern machining tool. He also did not worry about the strength of the
materials�after all, impellers usually operated at a temperature of 500 to 600�C,
and the alloy steel discovered by Lucia was more than competent for this task. The
key problem was the angular coordination between the stator cascade and the
impeller. The former was like a fixed barrier that could alter the angular
direction of the passage of steam so as to prevent the steam from impacting with
the impeller all at the same time. It also prevented directional disorder and the
production of opposite forces. In essence, it was like a comb for airflow disorder.

If the model that Anna built was operable, Roland would mass produce it, and then
there would be no more difficulties.

After the processing methods and the quality of materials were improved, the
industrial results would be inevitably substantial.

"I understand." Anna's eyes gleamed, as though signaling that she was ready to
begin work.

"No hurry." Roland held her hand tightly. "You should have heard from Wendy that
I've decided to launch an attack to capture the demons."

"Yes," Anna replied, "will you be going along?"

Roland shook his head calmly.

"That's good." Anna rested her head on his shoulder. "The last time, I was almost
frightened to death when I saw you injured."

"Really? But I've heard from Nightingale that you were the calmest person around.
If it wasn't for your decisive plan, I might truly have..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Anna covered his mouth with her soft hand.
"Don't say that word."

She only loosened her hand after Roland nodded in acknowledgement. He then
continued, "Anyway, what I want to say is that you have to take good care of
yourself, understand? If anything happens, use the Sigil of God's Will immediately
without hesitation. It's okay even if you don't capture the demons... I'll be
waiting at the castle for your triumphant return."

"Don't worry." Anna laughed. "I won't let them hurt the other witches either."

...

After Anna left, Roland stayed silent for a long time before he murmured, "Are you
around?"
"Of course." Nightingale's figure appeared on top of the study table. "But I didn't
eavesdrop on what the two of you said. I only returned after she left."

Roland stood up and walked over to the window. While looking towards the direction
of the snow mountains, he explained to Nightingale the hunting plan that he had
conceived. "Before setting out, you all will have to rehearse a few times to
familiarize with the entire hunting procedure, as well as understand your own and
one another's tasks. Moreover, this plan is only effective if you're facing a small
number of demons. It'll have to be adjusted based on the situation." He paused
briefly before continuing. "If you ever run into the worst kind of situation... and
I mean the most hopeless and irredeemable situation, you must bring Anna back no
matter what."

Nightingale did not say anything. Instead, she waited until Roland turned his head
back to look at her, before replying with a disconcerting look on her face. "Is
this the real reason why you aren't going?"

Roland could not deny the truth. "If not, you'd definitely choose to save me,
right?"

"... understood." Nightingale sighed lightly. "I'll do my best."

"It's all on you." Roland patted her shoulders and enunciated.

Chapter 545: Battle Rehearsal

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

City of Neverwinter, north of the border city wall.

Upon reaching the former test site, Iffy found that many witches were already
gathered there. Among them were Maggie and her perpetual companion, a golden-haired
young girl.

"She seems to be called Lightning." Iffy thought.

When the young girl saw Iffy, she viciously shook her fist and grimaced, before
tugging Maggie to a far distance away.

If it were three days ago, Iffy would have made it a point to lecture the two of
them that they have to maintain respect in front of a combat witch.

But this time, she simply laughed silently.

The young girl's alert expression reminded Iffy of Annie. "When I was at that age,
Annie was justlike that girl. She was always careful and vigilant, and always
walked in front to protect me."

It's clearly only by chance that the two of us sought refuge together.

Perhaps, this is what the Union calls... "sisters".

"Since everyone's here, I'll begin to explain the mission. It's codenamed 'Melting
Point' and Miss Agatha will be the commander." Roland proclaimed before he walked
into the middle of the audience. "Of course, many of you already know the details
of the mission. However, for the sake of the newcomers, I'll explain everything all
over again."
Do the newcomers... refer to me?

Iffy immediately gathered her focus.

No matter what, this is the first mission assigned by the new lord. Since he has
asked me to take part, it means that there's some battle involved. This will be a
good opportunity to demonstrate the value of my abilities. Iffy thought.

"In order to understand the enemy's strength and hasten the research of the Sigil
of Magic Stones, you all will be heading to Devil's Town behind the snow mountains.
You'll draw the demons out to fight, and use ambush to capture them alive..."

...

After Roland finished his explanation, Iffy was unable to collect her wits for a
long time.

Surely there's nothing wrong with my ears! Jesus, is he serious?

Were these demons really responsible for destroying the witches' empire that ruled
over the entire mainland? This blue-haired woman, who serves as the commander of
this mission, is a senior witch from over 400 years ago? The Battle of Divine Will
shall decide the fate of mankind? These nasty enemies are hiding somewhere not far
from the Western Region?

How is any of this possible!

She maintained a stiff face as she glanced over at the other witches. However, she
realized that there was not a hint of surprise on any of their faces.

It was apparent that all of them knew of these things beforehand.

"Now, Agatha will talk about the things you'll need to pay attention to during the
mission, as well as brief you on the tactical arrangement."

Agatha nodded and stepped forth. "According to our intelligence, there's a vigilant
Eye Demon in the demons' camp. This is crucial to our plan to lure the demons out.
Anyone who sees it will be seen back by it. If our position is adjudged to be far
away, the first group of enemies to be expected will be the Flying Devilbeasts.
There aren't many of these demons, particularly in such a remote place. The last
time we went, there were only two. I don't expect the number to have changed."

"We are disadvantaged in aerial combat, and therefore the best plan is to draw them
towards the ground. If so, I'll be able to handle both of them myself. However, the
Mad Demons which they may carry on their backs will be left to Miss Iffy to
handle." Agatha glanced at the latter. "If you manage to capture them, our mission
will be considered a success."

"She seems to be only slightly older than me, but yet it's said that she has lived
for over 400 years?" Iffy remained in a daze for a while before mumbling
incoherently, "I, I understand."

"You've never seen demons before, and so it's normal to be doubtful." Agatha seemed
to have read her thoughts. "Wendy has records of the Association's encounters with
demons. After the rehearsal, you may go and have a look. This will save you from
being completely stunned when you see them in reality."

These words made Iffy frown involuntarily. "Completely stunned? Even if the enemies
come straight from hell, they'll soon be crying piteously in the cage I set for
them!"

"How do we pull them towards the ground?" Lightning asked.

"Abandon the hot air balloon and enter the Misty Forest." Agatha crouched on the
ground and used stones to create a visual diagram. "When Sylvie notices the enemies
chasing, you and Maggie will immediately escort those on the balloon into the
forest. I've confirmed this with His Majesty. If it's a hydrogen balloon, Wendy
will be able to operate it alone. Together with Sylvie making eye contact with the
Eye Demon, the two of them will be able to escape at the same time."

"As the Devilbeasts approach the balloon, you'll then be responsible to lure them
into the forest. Because their lines of vision will be obstructed, they'll descend
to the ground and hunt. Be careful of the enemies' spears. I trust that you'll be
able to evade them easily."

"Ooh, this plan sounds exciting." Lightning exclaimed with a wide grin on her face.
"Count on me!"

"The forest is Leaf's natural home ground. Once the demons enter the ambush area,
they'll be trapped. I don't have to tell you what to do next."

"What if there are more than two Devilbeasts?" A witch with jade green hair asked.

"If there are several of them, the demons will probably split up and hunt. What you
can do is to keep a few more people in the balloon to conduct aerial surveillance,
while the rest enter the forest." Agatha paused for a moment. "If that's the case,
Anna will handle any enemies in the air. But remember, the lethal range of the
Sigil of God's Will is limited. It's best to activate the Sigil only when the
Devilbeasts gather together. Furthermore, Anna won't be able to use her own
abilities while activating the Sigil. During that time, Leaf, you must make sure to
protect Anna."

"How about me?" Nightingale questioned.

"You'll accompany Iffy. Her ability is only effective within a range of ten steps,
and therefore she's vulnerable to the demons' spears when in an exposed position.
You'll use your Mist to shorten the distance with the enemies quickly."

"Okay..." Nightingale turned her head and took a good look at Iffy. The latter
immediately felt the aura of the former's magical power. It was sharp and cold, as
though it was a substance of its own. "Don't you be a burden."

Iffy could sense that the former was also a combat witch. Not only that the former
had experienced many bloody battles and had a lot of blood on her hands.

"Alright, everyone shall begin the rehearsal." Agatha clapped her hands in
encouragement. "We'll start with luring the demons out."

...

An hour into the rehearsal, Iffy already had a general understanding of the
abilities of every witch participating in the mission.

She was surprised that there were many witches here who could be considered combat
witches.

Take Leaf for example. She hid her in a tree trunk in the forest. She could
manipulate the entire forest to do her bidding. This type of ability was almost
inconceivable and was on a level that completely transcended the usual limits of a
witch.

Or Wendy, who although was only in charge of controlling the balloon, could summon
a small hurricane that turned stones and dirt into painful bolts.

Agatha's frost could serve both as a shield and a sharp blade. She was therefore
equally proficient in offense and defense, at least when at close range.

Nightingale was even more terrifying. Once she entered her Mist, she could travel
to almost any part of the world she wanted. The physical obstructions of the real
world did not affect her at all. Having experienced the power of this ability, Iffy
could imagine that in a real battle, it made its user invincible. By moving without
trace and being impossible to guard against, Nightingale would make all enemies
despair quickly.

Yet, the most curious talent of all was Anna. According to the mission plan, this
young woman who looked like she was barely out of her adolescence was the real ace
in the team. "How powerful does her ability have to be to vanquish all of the
demons in one go?"

Iffy did not have to wait long to know the answer.

Chapter 546: The Mystery of God's Stones

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Anna's task was completely separated from everyone else's.

She only began to practice using the Sigil of God's Will after everyone else was
completely familiar with the entire hunting process.

Although Iffy could not comprehend what kind of ability the Sigil of God's Will
possessed, she could observe that the witches were all extremely excited about the
rehearsal that was about to happen.

Did they rarely get a chance to see Anna display her ability?

Iffy's curiosity grew.

She watched as Anna strolled towards the middle of the field carrying an odd-
looking sheet of metal in her hands.

Anna did not look like a combat witch at all. Her calm expression resembled the
crystal clear water of a lake. From her movements and gestures, it was evident that
she had never been in a life-and-death battle before.

The sheet of metal she was carrying also puzzled Iffy greatly. It was only about
the size of a palm and was perfectly flat on both sides. Glittering gemstones were
embedded on it. In no way did it look like a weapon.

"Let the balloons fly." Agatha gestured towards the direction of the Misty Forest.
After a short while, several colorful balloons emerged from the forest canopy and
flew up high into the sky.

"Go! Shoot them down!" She shouted.

"Wait... this is probably too far." Iffy mused. "The distance from the field to the
edge of the forest is at least 250 meters. How would Anna be able to shoot these
things down without flying? Unless, she's also able to transcend the usual limits
of ability, and deliver the effects of her magic power to the sky?"

Anna nodded at Agatha. She raised the sheet of metal and pointed it in the
direction of the balloons.

Shortly, Iffy witnessed a scene that she could hardly believe...

The four gemstones emitted a dazzling light at the same time. In a split second,
the sheet of metal turned to gold in color. Thunderous claps were heard from the
clear sky, while rays of light weaved together in the clouds and spattered. It was
as if a new sun was being formed in the heavens.

Her ability can actually manipulate the entire sky!?

Before the crowd could even exclaim in astonishment, a blinding beam of gold light
burst out of Anna's hands directly toward the balloons. The light rays in the sky
were also controlled, and immediately, numerous thunderbolts could be seen
following along the trail of the golden light and violently sweeping through the
locations of the targets. It all seemed like a punishment that only God could have
ordained! To Iffy, it was as though the deafening roars came from right beside her
ears, causing her brain to buzz for a long time. By the time the light rays
disappeared, she had yet to recover fully.

What kind of amazing ability is this?

Iffy's body continued to quiver uncontrollably as she stared at the empty sky above
the forest. "Even if all of the combat witches of the Bloodfang Association
gathered together, they would not be able to handle such a force. Did she rely on
her own abilities or that sheet of metal to be able to do this?"

In the face of a show of strength like this, it would not make a difference if the
enemies were the wild beasts which Heidi Morgan mentioned or just a flock of sheep.

Iffy suddenly remembered His Majesty Roland's suggestion.

Is this... the power of the senior witches?

*******************

It turned out that it was also the first time that Roland witnessed a complete
demonstration of the power of the Sigil of God's Will.

The initial light rays seemed to leave an invisible trail behind them, allowing the
golden thunderbolts that followed behind to take the same path. Furthermore, the
location of the first thunderbolt strike was situated at the edge of the forest.
This probably meant that the user of the Sigil was able to control it such that it
only split apart when near to the enemies.

Another thing that Roland observed about the light rays was that they were only
about as thick as an arm when released, but they quickly expanded in the shape of a
fan, and the eventual range of each ray was approximately 50 meters. During the age
of cold weapons, this was undoubtedly considered an apocalyptic weapon of mass
destruction.

"Are all of those light rays... created by magic power?" Roland looked at
Nightingale.
"I guess, probably, yes." The latter hesitated for a bit before answering.

"Probably?"

"In the mist, I could indeed see the frenzied surge of magic power, but..." She
revealed a puzzled look on her face. "Its color is different from any magic power
that I know or have seen before."

"What color is it?"

"Black, or should I say, the color of no light." Nightingale frowned. "They looked
like black holes formed by the God's Stone of Retaliation."

Roland shuddered. "How is it possible that the color of the magic power of the
gold-glittering Sigil is black in the misty world? Does this mean that the
characteristics of their magic power are the same or at least similar?" In his
brief trance, Roland seemed to think of something. "There's a relationship between
the God's Stones and Magic Stones." It seemed as if he was on the verge of an
audacious theory.

After he returned to his office in the castle, he summoned Agatha in.

"How many times did your people research on the Sigil of God's Will?"

"Not many. I've already told you everything that we found out. After all, only our
chiefs were able to activate this type of sigil. Because their magic powers were
crucial to our battles, there wasn't much that could be spared for this kind of
experiment." She then asked curiously, "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"You mentioned before that the Sigil was able to penetrate the defenses of the
God's Stone of Retaliation, right?"

Agatha nodded. "Not all the time. It depends on the quality of the God's Stones."

"Have you never observed the characteristics of the Sigil of God's Will's magic
power?" Roland asked softly. "In the Mist, the magical thunderbolts invoked by the
Sigil are the same color as the God's Stone."

"No... we've certainly done this experiment before. It was necessary that we
recorded the characteristics of the magic power. However, during the activation of
the Sigil, the Stone of Measuring would lose its monitoring function. And because
our chiefs could certainly not visit the Quest Society every day, we simply
recorded the observed color as gold." Agatha blinked a few times. "Wait, are you
saying that it has the same color as the interference area of the God's Stone?"

"Indeed," Roland replied unhurriedly. "I have a theory that the God's Stone of
Retaliation does not create black holes that neutralize magic power, but instead,
it contains a great amount of magic power such that it affects and nullifies the
operation of magic in its vicinity. This is also why the Sigil of God's Will causes
the Stone of Measuring to lose its effectiveness. It creates a similar interference
area as the God's Stone of Retaliation within its range of influence, and therefore
the Stone of Measuring did not have any effect."

"But the trainee who's responsible for observing magic power has explicitly said
that..." Agatha suddenly paused halfway through her sentence.

"Her observation was obstructed by the dazzling light emitted by the Sigil, like
shadows being covered by light." Roland quickly opined. "Whereas in Nightingale's
misty world, only magic power possesses color. She can even stare directly at the
sun without being affected. This is why you weren't able to make this discovery."

Observing magic power was a derivative skill of the witches. It was limited by the
witches' individual visual level. Furthermore, observations done in the day and
night would yield different conclusions. Sylvie could fully prove this point. With
her Eye of Magic, she could discover magic activity performed several kilometers
away. Her detection range was far superior to Nightingale's.

This was why the Quest Society heavily trusted the results tested by the Stone of
Measuring. Its accuracy was independent of the person operating it and the
environment it was operated in, and thus it provided an overall highly accurate
assessment of the magic power involved. It was almost as good as being able to
observe under Nightingale's Mist. Therefore, the Quest Society would only accept
the conclusion of the observer when the Stone of Measuring was unable to operate.

Chapter 547: Operation "Melting Point"

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Agatha exasperatingly paced to and fro in front of the mahogany table. "So,
according to you, the Sigil of God's Will can penetrate the God's Stone of
Retaliation because of its stronger magic power? The reason the Chaos Beasts
modified the God's Stone was actually to reduce its magic power and thereby turn it
into a specific type of Magic Stone?"

"That's what I think."

"No, that isn't right..." She paused abruptly. "If the dark hollow results from
immense magic power, why does nothing happen to the witch?"

"The witch?" Roland was stunned.

"I mean Anna!" Agatha pondered and said, "Her magic power is strong enough to
activate the Sigil of God's Will twice. She is even more powerful than the God's
Stone of Retaliation. Her Blackfire, however, will still be affected by the God's
Stone, and she cannot neutralize the magic power in her vicinity. It doesn't make
sense based on your theory..."

"Well..." Roland was silent for a moment. A reasonable explanation to Agatha's

question escaped him. A God's Stone of Retaliation of the poorest quality could
easily render a witch powerless. Even Anna's Blackfire, strong as it was, would
succumb to such a disturbance. Besides, Anna's magic power was shaped like a solid
metal cube in the misty world, completely different from the hollow black hole.

"Another question. Why can magic stones only be activated by magic power?" Agatha
went on. "Even the magic power has become less intense, and the amount of the power
left in the stone shouldn't have been reduced. In fact, common people cannot
operate the stone at all. The Quest Society has also confirmed that the magic power
in the magic stone is not transferable. Therefore, magic stones cannot be used as
resources." She paused for a moment and then continued, "My supervisor believed
only living beings can retain magic power. Magic power just won't work on dead
organisms. Its proof is witches' and demons' blood. Most researchers thought so. I
don't mind you overturning their conclusion, but magic stones are no different from
ordinary gems before they're charged with magic power or become sigils."

Roland was silent. It seemed his assumption about magic power intensity was a bit
irrational. The Thunder of the Magic Power, however, which looked like black light,
was so similar to the God's Stone that there must be some connections between the
two entities... What else had he overlooked?

It was a pity there weren't any reliable observation or analyzing methods in this
era. The only way to study magic power was through witches' abilities or via Stone
of Measuring. Even so, what he would learn through this method was merely a very
generic description of the features of magic power, which was hardly helpful to
further research.

Roland thought for a while and finally decided to set the matter aside for the time
being, hoping he would be able to find an answer during the sigil manufacture
process afterwards.

...

Three days later, the plan for the "melting point" operation was prepared. Roland
sent off the soldiers at the dock in person.

This was the first military operation on a big scale where witches acted as chief
combatants. There were two ships in total, both of which were filled with
experienced veterans from the First Army. Brian was the captain. These soldiers all
had fought with demonist beasts with Roland upon the city wall before, and fully
respected and trusted their lord. When Roland was screening them, he had stressed
over and over again that the enemy would be very likely an extremely fierce
monster, even more dangerous than demonic hybrids. He had emphasized that anyone
who did not wish to participate in the mission could speak up. Nobody had quitted,
however, and Nightingale also confirmed that all of them made their decisions at
their free will.

Despite their resolution and courage, Roland did not overestimate the fighting
capacity of these hundred soldiers he was forced to choose, for people in this
world naturally feared demons from the bottoms of their hearts. Unlike him, who had
seen all kinds of violent scenes on television or in the cinema and would not be
surprised by any ferocious monsters, these ordinary people would be horrified. The
memory of this upcoming battle would possibly become a nightmare they would
remember for the rest of their lives.

As such, the carefully selected soldiers would not directly participate in

fighting, but would protect along the river two or three miles away from the actual
battlefield. They would only take action if the witches were forced to retreat in
the event of an accident.

The witches Roland selected were the most powerful ones in the City of Neverwinter,
including Anna, Nightingale, Wendy, Leaf, Agatha, Sylvie, Iffy, Lightning and
Maggie. According to Agatha, such a combination might be even more than enough to
kill the Lord of Hell.

"Stay safe. Your personal security is your top priority." Roland remarked gravely.
"You don't have to complete the mission. I'll wait for you all at the castle."

Anna went up to hug him. "Don't worry. I'll protect them."

"Me too, Your Majesty."

"Coo!"

The little girl and the pigeon hugged Roland, as well.

In the end, everybody hugged Roland except Agatha and Iffy.

Agatha snorted and muttered to herself. "It's just a simple hunting operation, not
goodbye forever. If we bid farewell like you guys just did in Taquila prior to
every departure, demons would have been right under your noses long before."

Iffy, on the other hand, was astounded. It was her first time to hear such a
"casual" order�"You don't have to complete the mission but just need to come back
home safely"�His Majesty was too lenient with witches. Was it not considered an
encouragement of cowardice? When she was in the Bloodfang Association, she viewed
every battle as a fight to the death. Indeed, there had unfortunately been a few
combat witches killed in action during the past several years. The witches who had
been unable to complete the master's tasks were severely punished, and were even
regarded as useless by the Association members. Roland Wimbledon, however, appeared
to carry a totally different attitude toward witches.

He treated witches neither as beasts nor lambs, but simply as "human beings".

...

Strands of smoke escaped from the chimney and with a whistle, the paddle steamer
slowly thrust itself forward and took off.

Suddenly, Roland felt a pair of invisible hands holding his face. They were cold
but soft.

"Take good care of yourself when I'm away. Don't leave the castle randomly." A
familiar voice whispered in his ear. "I'll be back soon."

After, he felt something had lightly touched his lips.

Entirely different from the sensation on the face, the touch was a little sweet and
wet. Above all, it was warm.

It was a fugitive and illusionary kiss. When Roland finally realized what had
happened, he snatched at the air with his hand, only to find nothing was there.

*******************

As the steam-powered boat was far slower than the balloon, it took them nearly two
days to reach the end of the Redwater River.

At the sight of the towering snowcap, the group of people was awestruck by the
magnificent scene before them. As the snow on the mountain melted much slower than
that in the forest, the snow water had been accumulating for months. The water ran
straight down from the precipice and branched off into various streams upon the
projected rocks. From a distance, those streams looked like multiple thin and
feeble threads. Upon further exploration, however, they found the streams were as
broad as rivers. The water roared and thundered when it flowed into the lake at the
foot of the mountain.

Obviously, the Redwater River was only one of the exits to the lake. Otherwise, the
river would overflow due to the surging water.

After a night's rest, the hydrogen balloon rose into the air as it was inflated. In
the meantime, the fleet also retreated somewhere three kilometers away from the
bank and started to build a defensive front along the river.

The "melting point" operation officially began.

Chapter 548: Ensnaring the Demons

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

The Farsight carried Wendy and Sylvie to the Swirling Sea, while Lightning and
Maggie hovered on each side of the basket, waiting to fetch them whenever needed.

Since their mission was not to investigate the Devil's Town, they did not fly too
high. As soon as they flew over the snowcap, Sylvie could look straight through the
rocks and cliffs along the bank and catch sight of the Eye Demon on the top of the
Blackstone Pagoda.

According to Agatha, Eye Demons did not need to really "see" people, because they
could sense and locate their enemies upon being noticed. Nobody could possibly
escape their scrutiny, neither the invisible nor the ones descending from the sky
unless blindfolded. Because of this, eye demons had caused a great number of
casualties among the commando of the Blessed Army.

Another option was to restrain from looking at eye demons. However, this was fairly
hard to achieve due to the fact that eye demons normally stood at the highest point
of the campgrounds.

"How did things go? Did you see it?" Lightning flew over to ask Sylvie.

"I need to get a bit closer, otherwise I can't hold up well," Sylvie answered while
rubbing her eyes. It took her a lot of magic power to look through obstacles with
the Eye of Magic. Her sight was largely restricted, too. Although she had
cautiously managed to reduce her vision to a straight line of sight, she still felt
quite dizzy when she captured the details of the fractured precipice.

"I see." Wendy summoned a gust of wind. "Hold on."

As the rocks gradually got clearer, the thin red mist slowly entered their sights.
Although it was a clear day, a cloud of mist still lingered around the cliff,
except that it was a lighter color than the last time they had seen it.

Sylvie fixed her eyes once again on the mist. This time, she was finally able to
see some earth through the dense mist. A few edifices shaped like towers loomed
against the red mist, and the whole scene was like a deserted land.

She soon spotted the biggest black stone spire.

Compared with the random intrusion last time, the operation this time was carefully
planned. They would first startle demons and then induce them to launch an attack.
Unlike Lightning who was always airy and energetic, Sylvie just wanted to live an
ordinary life. By no means, she wanted to be an explorer. However, as she was
destined to fight the Battle of Divine Will, there was no way for her to stand by
no matter how much she hated wars. Just like she had promised Tilly to come to
Border Town for the purpose of checking whether Roland was manipulated by witches,
she obeyed the order in the same way when Roland disclosed his attacking plan
without much hesitation.

She had come to check upon Roland for the benefits of all the witches on Sleeping
Island. Now she fought for the Witch Union and the entire Kingdom of His Majesty's.

Sylvie took a deep breath and moved her sight upward.

In an instant, hundreds of eyeballs came into her view. The black jelly-like
monster was still sitting at its usual spot. Its body had fused with the tower top
as if it had grown out of the stone. All of its eyeballs turned to Sylvie
simultaneously. She could even catch a glimpse of her own face in those black
gleamy eyeballs!

For a second, all her hair stood up on its end, and a chill went down her spine.

"They're coming!" She withdrew her power and shouted aloud.

"Let's go!"

"Aw!" Maggie immediately turned into a gigantic devilbeast and paused below the
basket. Sylvie jumped off the basket and landed firmly on Maggie's broad back,
while Lightning carried Wendy on her back and flew toward the Misty Forest. Unlike
the last trip where they had been panicked and frightened, this time they were
fully prepared. According to the plan, Lightning would return to where the empty
hydrogen balloon was alone and further lure the demons into their traps.

Meanwhile, Sylvie turned around and looked back.

Five black dots emerged on the cliff. This number was higher than what Agatha had
predicted, but it was still within the safe limit.

Nevertheless, she noticed something unusual with the help of the Eye of Magic.

Out of the five enemies, only four rode devilbeasts, and two of them were very
different from regular mad demons. They did not have a big body build, nor did they
have strong arms. They were not wearing animal skins or armors as mad demons
usually did either, but were in a colorful cope that glowed like a rainbow. Sylvie
could not figure out what the cope was made of at first glance. However, she could
see something swarming and wriggling underneath the cope like numerous vipers.

The heads of the two demons were bigger than those of regular mad demons. Yet,
their eyes and noses were not distinctive. Their faces were the creepiest kinds she
had ever seen. They looked like two big scars, with red furrows and ridges
extending from the center.

When she rested her eyes on the last demon, Sylvie was stunned.

The demon was wearing a weighty but delicate armor, with a giant heavy sword on his
back. Nonetheless, he was not slow in the slightest but flew right after the four
devilbeasts.

His face was totally covered by a helmet. Unlike the skull helmet mad demons
normally wore, this particular helmet was made of metal, in perfect match with his
armor. On both sides of the helmet engraved sophisticated patterns. Several sharp
horns, which looked like Blackstone Pagodas at first sight, stuck out from the top.
The part where his eyes should be was gleaming with red light, making the demon
look vicious and aggressive.

"What kind of demon is he?" thought Sylvie.

Sylvie was taken by fright and horror. As Agatha had never told her how to cope
with this situation, she wondered whether she should still follow the original
plan.

Sylvie felt terribly uneasy.

She followed Wendy to the deep forest. When she descended from Maggie's back, she
saw a golden figure sprang up into the air and flew toward the balloon at a
tremendous speed.

It was impossible for her to stop Lightning.

After some hesitation, Sylvie felt necessary to inform Agatha of the news. She
patted Maggie on her wings and said, "Take me to the ambush area!"

"What's wrong?" Wendy trotted to her. "Don't we need to meet with the First Army
next?"

They had been instructed during the maneuver to leave the main battlefield and meet
with the First Army as soon as possible after successfully luring demons into the
ambush, given that they two were not strong enough to compete against demons.

"I saw some strange demons." Sylvie shook her head. "The enemies are not only mad
demons. I've got to tell everybody!"

"But the ambush area is pretty large, aw!" Maggie threw herself flat on her face.
"It may take you a while to find them even if you go."

"That's fine. Just take me there." She returned to the beast's back and turned to
Wendy. "You go meet with the Army at the riverbank. I'll be right back."

...

Lightning flew as fast as she could. The wind whistled in her ears. She saw the
earth, woods, rivers and beaches below quickly shrink and obscure, turning into
various color blocks and distorted lines.

She must get back to where the hydrogen balloon was before the demons did so. In
order to attract the enemies' attention, she had to pretend to be fleeing in a
hurry.

When the vast ocean gradually came into her view, she finally caught sight of the
Farsight, as well as the demons.

Chapter 549: Agatha's Decision

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Lightning flew to the bottom of the balloon, found the powder sac affixed to the
airbag and pulled out the fuse. Upon seeing the white smoke exiting the powder sac,
she immediately flew straight towards the sea.

It was a simple self-destruct device. Once the enemies began following the balloon,
the decoys must destroy the "Farsight" to avoid an embarrassing situation where the
demons became too occupied by the novel device instead of chasing the witches.

There was a loud explosion just as Lightning touched sea. With a flash, the sky lit
up.

Lightning looked up and saw the airbag puff up and become a huge red fireball with
a bright orange color in the middle with dark red smoke rolling on the edges. The
flames, like the setting sun, stayed ablaze for quite a long time.
She watched a demon come too close to the roaring flames. It flipped over and set
itself on fire before falling to the sea with its mount.

The other four demons, who fled from the smoke below, sprang up toward Lightning.

Until now, everything had been going as planned.

The demons were not that clever after all.

Lightning raised the corner of her mouth and flew close to the sea towards the
forest.

The plan was to lead them to the depth of the woods where Leaf could control
everything.

Everything was ready in the hunting ground, and Leaf was waiting quietly for the
demons to fall into the trap.

The dense branches, vines and saw grass would inevitably be a nightmare for the
enemies

�if they could dream.

...

Sylvie used the Eye of Magic to search the ambush area. The woods under Leaf's
control glowed green. From the sky, it was like a flask had embedded in the earth
with its mouth facing toward the Swirling Sea while its neck remained several
kilometers away.

Despite feeling dizzy, she scanned the inner part of every tree. The numerous
details swarming around her head caused great pain. Sylvie finally found Agatha who
hid in a large tree close to the mouth of the flask.

"Why did you come here?" The trunk cracked open as Maggie fell to the earth. Agatha
poked out her head and asked, "Was the plan for enticing demons unsuccessful?"

"No, it worked. Five demons followed." She jumped down from the mount's back and
lifted the white-haired little girl who had returned to her human form. Sylvie hid
in the tree hastily. "But three of them are different!"

"What's the difference?"

Sylvie detailed the odd demons she had seen and found Agatha in shock.

Her heart sank. "Are they difficult to deal with?"

Agatha took a long time to recollect herself and then said with an anxious look.
"The demons with ropes are Fearsome Demons, they are horrible killers to common
people. But witches don't need to fear them, as long as we avoid looking them in
the eye. Underneath their charred face hides the real eyes of Fearsome Demons."

"I see," Sylvie muttered. In ancient witches' stories, their enemies would be
terrified immediately by these demons and then they would feel afraid, timid,
confused and desperate. A mortal troop of around 100 men could often be routed by
only three or four fearsome demons. Most people were too fearful to think. They
just knelt down in tremor waiting to be slain. Even if the God's Stone of
Retaliation could weaken this effect greatly, it could not remove such feelings
completely. The demons seemed to be born with this ability to control people's
emotions, and no obvious fluctuation of their magic power could be perceived.

"What about the Armored Demon? It can fly alone, is it the Lord of Hell?"

"No!" Agatha spoke in a rough low voice. "If your description is correct, my guess
is that it's probably a Senior Demon. We're in trouble."

"Senior Demon?" Sylvie was bewildered.

"The Union knows little about them, except that they possess many abilities and
look like humans, except they are much larger. Both their strength and magic power
are quite strong." She swallowed hard. "It's said that only Transcendents can
compete against them."

"Transcendents? We don't even have an Extraordinary now." Sylvie was nervous.

"Inform Leaf to stop this plan. We should retreat and meet the First Army."

Agatha bit her lip. "It can fly alone because of the Stone of Flight. In fact, it's
not a big problem if there's only Lightning and Maggie because they can fly.
However, we're impossible to escape from their attack once we're out of Leaf's
protection. Although I've never seen a real Senior Demon, I was told by Alice
before that witches must be concentrated on fighting with these crafty and strong
demons, or we're likely to die because of just a tiny miss."

She beat the trunk until Leaf's voice came from above. "I'm listening. What's up?"

Agatha said firmly, "The plan has changed. Please inform all the witches we are
changing from plan A to plan B. Let Nightingale watch over the Armored Demon. Don't
hesitate to kill it if Anna gets the chance."

Plan B meant dropping the pan of capturing and using the Sigil of God's Will to
wipe out all the enemies.

"Will we really combat with the Senior Demon?" Sylvie could not help holding Maggie
tight.

"Escape only leads to death while there will be a chance to survive if we try our
best to combat with them." Agatha spoke slowly. "A Senior Demon always comes out
with a number of other demons, but now they just have two Fearsome Demons as the
guards. So we are likely to win even if there isn't a Transcendent!"

"I see Lightning," Leaf said again. "They're coming."

"Shh..."

Sylvie held her breath. She heard roaring sounds from the treetop, and then she
heard heavy objects falling to the ground in front.

The sounds of the demons' rapid paces echoed in the jungle, and soon died away.
Only the Devilbeasts' low roar remained.

"How is it going now?"

"The Armored Demon hasn't landed yet and it's still following Lightning. The other
demons left their mounts outside the woods and followed her too. Wait! A demon is
missing." Sylvie looked carefully at the surroundings. "There were only three
Devilbeasts left near us."

"Good! Let me kill these fool reptiles first so that they can't escape even if they
want to." Agatha opened the crack. "You're not a combat-witch. Please just stay
hidden here."

"But they can fly!" Sylvie worried. "What if they want to escape by flying?

"Take it easy." She looked at the little girl who wanted to join. "Don't worry. We
have Maggie."

...

A "Devilbeast" suddenly fell from the sky, appeared behind them, spread its wings
while rotating its tail and roared loudly at the three Devilbeasts.

They were distracted immediately.

To Sylvie's surprise, the three Devilbeasts imitated Maggie and also spread their
wings and wagged their tails, as if they were dancing! In order to gain more
performance space, they pushed each other and refused to back off.

Were they entertaining her?

On the other side, Agatha snuck out of the forest. A layer of white ice crystal
formed on the ground.

Chapter 550: The Slaughter

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It was Sylvie's first time seeing such an incredible method of movement.

As Agatha moved, a mirror-like road, paved by crystal ice, would appear just ahead
of her. She seemed to be floating along the road, almost as if the ground was
pushing her forward. In a flash, she had arrived at the rear of the first
Devilbeast.

When Agatha stretched out her hands, the frost suddenly appeared around the
grassland and it even started to snow! After a moment, the Devilbeast gave out a
shriek and it tried to fly, only to find it could not move at all. Each of its four
strong limbs had been frozen in place and the ice crystals continued to move up
along them, completely freezing its body and wings in no time.

Almost simultaneously, Maggie threw herself onto the back of the dancing Devilbeast
and snapped at its neck with her huge crimson mouth. The Devilbeast was in such a
panic and it wanted to get rid of Maggie. However, Maggie was much larger. The
Devilbeast was like a baby beast that was being suppressed by a full-grown beast.
Then, Maggie got a grip and broke its neck completely. At last, the Devilbeast was
defeated and with a final swish of its tail, it shattered the poor frozen beast,
smashing it to pieces.

At this moment, the third Devilbeast began to realize what had just happened.
Although it did not understand why its kind would kill each other, he knew
something bad had happened and it spread its long wings and rose into the air.

But it was too late.

Agatha followed it and also "flew".

Or rather, she was walking in the air.

The ice crystals also extended to the Devilbeast and for a while, it formed a
bridge in the air. Agatha ran along the ice bridge and soon she was close enough
she could use her magic power to attack this Devilbeast.

Sylvie could not help but cover her mouth in shock.

Like a swift Viper, the ice bridge froze the tail of the Devilbeast and then
quickly turned the rest of it into an ice sculpture.

Probably due to the heavy weight of the frozen beast, the end of the ice bridge
tilted, cracked, and then snapped. Agatha began to fall from the bridge,
fortunately, Maggie caught her. However, the ice sculpture fell to the ground and
broke into thousands of pieces.

It took less than 20 seconds for them to kill all three of the demonic beasts.

This was the way in which senior witches engaged in a combat!

Sylvie could not help but feel envious of Agatha.

...

"Kacha."

After checking the bullets in the barrel, Nightingale shut the cartridge.

Just then, she heard Leaf's warnings about the changes made to the enemy attacks,
and that plan A for the Melting Point Action had changed to plan B.

That meant Iffy's task had been canceled and it was her turn to combat these
enemies.

But, what was most important was for them to provide opportunities for Anna to
discharge the Sigil of God's Will.

Nightingale could not help but recall Roland's words once she thought of Anna.

"Anyway, take her back, please."

"I'll leave it all to you."

She clutched her chest and bit her lip.

This plan should be completed with ease but she found an indescribable emotion in
her heart.

As the task became increasingly tougher, the emotion became unexpectedly stronger.

"If the most terrible thing happened, that would mean Anna could also die..." she
thought.

"Oh, no�unless I die." Nightingale shook her head and suppressed this horrible
idea. Roland trusted her the most, so she could not let him down. Even if Roland
did not instruct her to do so specifically, she would protect Anna at all costs.

In a sense, Anna was the savior of all the witches in the Witch Cooperation
Association.
She would never forgive herself if Anna died because of her selfishness.

"The enemies are coming!"

Leaf gave her a warning and Nightingale gathered herself. She was ready to outflank
the enemies as soon as their direction was pointed out by Leaf.

Her world of mist was commonly a desolate and dull place. Anything mundane and not
related to magic power would become nothing more than twisted lines and changeable
black and white blocks. This was her first time seeing so many colors, thanks to
the demons.

Beside the green forest, she could see a muted yellow arm from one of the Mad
Demons and its inside emitting a shade of light blue. The other two demons should
be the Fearsome Demons that Leaf had just mentioned. They had a stronger magical
resonance and she could see many magic swirls inside their bodies, the one on their
forehead was the most obvious.

Another Senior Demon, which they needed to keep a particularly close eye on, was
not among them. If their intelligence was correct, it should be monitoring
everything from above the forest.

Without a doubt, the Fearsome Demons, which would cause fear, should be the first
to kill.

And, it should be done before they opened their eyes.

After the three demons passed through the ambush points, Nightingale held the gun
with both hands and used her instant leap to travel more than ten meters in the
twinkling of an eye. She pointed her gun at the back of the Fearsome Demon's head.

It was so close to her that she did not even have to leave her Mist. As long as she
had some luck, the gun barrel would not be split in half by the powerful magic.

She immediately shot and for a moment, there was a thunderous roar.

In the Mist, the Fearsome Demon's head abruptly puffed up, as if the unstoppable
bullet had been shot from inside of its head and blown outward. Its brain exploded,
spilling brain matter in all directions. Next, a hail of fog soared
skyward�Nightingale noticed its red mist vessel was hidden directly inside its
body.

The other Fearsome Demon turned around quickly, and its bloody scar expanded across
its face, trying to reveal its fearsome eyes. Suddenly several vines shot from the
top of a tree, intertwining its head and pulling its head back before the eyes
could be revealed. At this moment, a Mad Demon in the front turned around at the
sound of the gunshot and ended up staring at the Fearsome Demon and could not help
but tremble with fear.

Nightingale shot the three remaining bullets into the Fearsome Demon which had been
forcibly pulled back by Leaf. Meanwhile, Anna leaped from her hiding place in the
tree and cut the beast into pieces with her black fire before the Mad Demon could
recover itself from the fear.

"Be careful!"

Lightning, who had been enticing the enemies into the air, shouted.

Nightingale looked up and found that a large sword was about to slash her.
She instinctively tried to enter the Mist, but unexpectedly, her misty world was
broken into pieces by the enemy who was wielding the sword.

"What's this ability? It can break my magic power?" she thought.

It was too late for her to escape. Suddenly a black curtain spread out above her
head and withstood the sword's attack. Unlike an actual curtain, it seemed to have
more of a mirror-like surface and she could even see her shocked expression
reflected on its surface.

This is... the Blackfire!

"Bang!"

The sword hit the Blackfire fiercely and Anna looked pained, her body shaking, but
her Blackfire remained intact.

Without any hesitation, this time, Nightingale caught Anna quickly and summoned the
Mist again, escaping to a safe place over 20 meters away, instantly.

Meanwhile, the armored demon also slowly fell towards the ground.

The death of its partner did not seem to have any impact on it. The demon calmly
lifted the large sword, engraved with a strange pattern, and suddenly the magic
power surged toward the blade of the sword.

The blade gave off a dazzling glow!

Chapter 551: The Senior Demon

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

This is... the Sigil of God's Will!

Nightingale widened her eyes in surprise. But soon, she found something different.
Through the Mist she saw a black hole formed in the enemy's palm instead of the
characteristic dazzling light of the Magic Stones. It was not a sigil but an
ability of the demon. Shining magic power was sucked into the black hole and became
a fast-growing vortex which gave off such a strong light that it made it hard for
the other witches to open their eyes. However, seeing it through the Mist, it was
getting darker and darker.

The demon then thrust its sword into the ground, sending out a black shimmering
light to cover the entire woods.

Instantly, the light of magic powers that were flickering like candlelight in the
wind was put out. Nightingale's misty world was broken down again. Leaf was forced
out of her Heart of Forest form and the trees promptly threw Leaf and Iffy onto the
ground. Leaf was heavily injured. She was spewing blood and she was not able to
stand up again.

Nightingale was shocked and she thought, "The demon sensed that the wood was Leaf!

No... Though Leaf hid well, it was still possible to see her movements from above.
The really strange thing is why could it break the magic power like the God's Stone
of Retaliation? Compared with Magic stones, the demon can release such magic power
and is even more flexible in manipulating it, but there's no light when it was
releasing the magic power!"

Nightingale did not have time to think about it anymore.

Enduring the discomfort after having her magic power broken off, she changed the
cartridge and dashed towards the demon who was now walking to the paralyzed and
defenseless Leaf after its previous black shimmering light attack.

When Nightingale came to a place about 10 meters away from the demon and was sure
that she could hit it, she swiftly pulled the trigger.

The bullets hit its arm armor, creating sparkles and smoke. The demon seemed very
annoyed at being disturbed by someone else at this moment. It roared in anger and
then held its giant sword up in front of itself. Seeing this, Nightingale's heart
sank. The bullets did not get into the demon's body through its arm to break its
inner organs as she had expected. In fact, she was not sure whether the bullets had
broken through the armor or not, let alone this giant sword which was as thick as a
door plank.

As she had already used all the five bullets, she drew out her dagger and lunged
towards the head of the demon.

In order to save Leaf, she had to try her best to stop it.

The demon promptly lifted up its sword to strike, with its eyes shining like bright
red lights. Though it moved incredibly fast, Nightingale could still predict its
action. She did not dodge the striking sword. Just at the moment when the blade was
going to cut her in half, she disappeared in the Mist.

The demon's lightless wave could wipe out the effects of magic power in a large
area, but it could not completely prohibit the magic power. After the vortex
vanished, the witches could use their magic power again. Nightingale's keen eye
caught this change immediately, as she had the ability to observe the flow of magic
power.

In the world of black and white, she saw the giant sword's silhouette instantly
distort and quickly found the "cutting point" in the blade. She slid "through" the
blade and stabbed her dagger into a gap in the demon's helmet!

Surprisingly, the dagger cracked after a loud bang.

"This is... a Magic Barrier?

"Damn it, how many kinds of abilities does it have!?" Nightingale hurriedly
retreated and soon the Armored Demon caught up with her. It used one hand to raise
its sword and struck again.

She played the same old trick, hoping to escape in the Mist, but this time she was
not that lucky.

The demon lifted his other hand into the air.

It pull Nightingale out of the Mist, as she was moving through the sword.

When she was pulled out, part of the blade was still inside her body. As she was
thrown out, blood spilled out from a long, deep wound in her waist left by the
blade. Even the protective clothing that had been specially made by Soraya was
torn. Nightingale gave out a choked cry. Without time to attend to the wound, she
made use of the force of falling to roll backwards, hoping to dodge the demon's
coming attack. Unfortunately, this demon could move over two meters with a single
step. It was impossible for her to escape from such a strong enemy that moved as
fast as an Extraordinary.

When the sword was about to cut Nightingale, many purple beams of the light
suddenly appeared around the demon and then quickly contracted inward to tie the
demon tightly.

That was Iffy's Magic Cage!

"Crush it!" Nightingale shouted.

"I can't do it!" Iffy grated. "It's too strong!" She had squeezed her hand into a
fist, but the beams of the light could not contract anymore. Instead, the beams
shook as if the demon was going to break them apart.

The demon gave out a deafening roar and threw up its arms. The cage split up, but
before it could raise its sword again, beams of light came back to trap it once
more.

"Miss An-Anna use the golden thunder now... Be quick!" Iffy said in a measured
voice. It was easy to tell from her face that the cage could not trap the demon for
a very long time.

However, the demon was not far away from Iffy. The golden thunder of the Sigil of
God's Will would probably strike both of them.

"Now, Anna!" Nightingale shouted to Anna in a distant place. "Activate the Sigil!"

Anna caught Nightingale's eyes and immediately got what she meant. She used all her
power to lift the metal sheet in her hand.

A strong bright light lit up the woods and some beams of light also came down from
the sky.

The demon howled. It might have seen this kind of scene before, as now it sounded
angry and at the same time frightened, struggling even harder to get free.

Nightingale knew this was their only chance to win, as the demon now could not
dispel their magic power.

The golden thunder struck!

Nightingale pressed on her wound and moved into the Mist. Before the dark lightning
struck on Iffy's head, she suddenly appeared behind her, held her up and leaped
aside, swiftly pulling her out of the Sigil of God's Will's attack range. She saved
Iffy in only two steps

The move needed not only determination and courage, but also teamwork between
Nightingale and Anna.

If Anna struck in a wrong place, Nightingale and Iffy could hardly escape from the
coming golden thunder.

However, Nightingale trusted her. She believed that nobody could overtake Anna in
terms of magic power control,

and the result proved that Nightingale was right.

The strong golden light instantly covered the place where the Senior Demon stood
and destroyed everything in the area, including the weed and vines.

Anna staggered. She finally couldn't keep her feet on the ground anymore and fell
down.

"Anna!" Leaf cried out. She had just recovered a little and stumbled towards Anna.

"She's fine. She just exhausted her magic power!" said Nightingale. Every word she
spoke was contorted by the searing pain caused by the wound on her waist. Luckily
the inner organs were alright. As long as she avoided violent movements that would
open the wound up again, it was not life-threatening.

"You... got injured? Let me bind it up for you," Iffy said. A mixed feeling was
obvious on her face.

Nightingale nodded and she was about to roll up her clothing when suddenly... she
froze,

seeing a black figure slowly walking out of the smoke caused by the golden thunder.

Several thorns on the demon's helmet broke, looking like collapsed stone towers.
Its delicate armor was cracked and covered by dirt. It had lost an arm and the
giant sword,

but it surprisingly survived the fatal strike.

The demon hissed hideously. Nightingale was not sure whether it was smiling but she
could tell from its voice that it sounded excited and murderous.

Although it seemed that the demon could not move as rapidly as before and with a
much dimmer red light, would fall in any minute, Nightingale still thought no one
could stop it now because herself and Leaf were paralyzed, Anna fainted, Lightning
was missing and Iffy had nearly no power left.

Just at the moment, the witch beside her stood up.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Nightingale said in a low voice.

"Fight till the last moment," Iffy drew out a dagger and said. "It's the fate of a
combat witch. Don't you still have some magic power left? Take them with you and
hide. If you're unable to take all of them, at least, take one with you."

Nightingale suddenly thought of Roland's entrustment.

Yes... at least, I should take Anna back. That's what I've promised His Majesty. I
have to do it no matter what.

A familiar howl from above suddenly interrupted Nightingale's thought.

"Aw..."

A huge shadow landed from the sky!

Chapter 552: The Supermagic

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The demon looked up, and the next moment it was instantly stomped into the ground
by Maggie. Nightingale felt that the strong impact even made the earth tremble a
little.

And she thought that if it was an ordinary person, the impact would have definitely
smashed its bones.

"Well done, Maggie! Stomp it to death!" Leaf said, clenching her hands into fists.

"Bite it! Whip it with your tail!" Iffy was so excited that she loudly shouted.

"Awh!"

Maggie howled cheerfully. She put Agatha down and was going to beat the demon
again. Just at that moment, she uncontrollably transformed from a fierce Devilbeast
back into a little girl, falling to sit on the ground, at a loss to understand what
happened.

"It's a Supermagic!"

Agatha yelled. She was the first to react. She lifted up an ice spike from under
the ground, which she crashed into the demon and sent it flying out, breaking
several trees.

Giving the demon no chance to catch a breath, she immediately caught up with it and
froze its feet.

"Now!" she shouted back at Maggie.

Maggie came to her senses and drew a pistol, aiming and firing continuously at the
frozen target. Nightingale bit her lips and reloaded her gun. She asked Iffy to
help her up to her feet and then walked to join Maggie. The demon's Magic Barrier
shined on its armor, but it soon dimmed down. The red light in its eyes was
flickering on and off.

Suddenly, it roared hoarsely and threw its hand toward Agatha and sent her flying
backward without even touching her. At the same time, the ice crystals around its
feet melted instantly. It jumped up and staggered, wanting to escape.

"Don't let it go!" Agatha shouted, "Maggie!"

"Let me stop it!" Leaf grabbed the Sigil of God's Will from Anna's hand. She had
not consumed very much magic power in the previous fight, though she was severely
injured when she was forcibly pulled out from her Heart of Forest form. During
their regular tests, she was able to light up four stones of the Sigil, and now,
immediately after she injected all her magic power into the Sigil, a bright golden
light lit up the woods once again. The demon turned around and let out a strange
sound in disbelief.

The golden thunder struck the demon again.

This time, he did not survive it.

...

"The demon is... dead?" Nightingale asked in a weak voice.

"Only half of its armor is left behind!" Maggie answered while dragging the "enemy"
back. If it was not for the delicate glyph on the edge of the armor, it would be
hard to believe that this charred mass was the demon itself. Apparently, it was not
as strong as they had imagined.

Lightning was found, too.

When the demon released the black waving, she was affected and lost her magic power
temporarily. She had fallen from above, hit her head on a branch and fainted.
Luckily, as she had not been high up in the sky and the thick branches and leaves
of the trees had acted as a cushion to her fall, she was not heavily injured,
except for a bump on her head.

However, she still looked upset and disappointed because she missed the fight.
After making sure that everybody was alright, she said, "I'll inform Brian of the
situation here and ask him to send someone to fetch you."

"You survived. That's a miracle" Agatha exclaimed.

"Yeah, I don't know how to tell His Majesty that all of us got beat up by just one
demon." Nightingale heaved a sigh, enduring the pain.

"No, Nightingale. This isn't an ordinary victory. The enemy is a Supermagic!"

Agatha shook her head and continued, "Maybe several Senior Witches could confront a
Senior Demon, but they could never defeat a Supermagic. Only the Three Chiefs of
the Union could compete with it."

"Only the Transcendents?" Leaf asked, frowning.

"Yes." Agatha confirmed and added, "The Union paid with blood for this lesson."

"What kind of ability does a Supermagic have?"

"Supermagic is just a title, instead of a certain kind of ability." Agatha

explained. "Every Senior Demon has many kinds of abilities, and different from
witches, demons don't have to get their abilities through awakening. Someone in the
Union once witnessed a Senior Demon, who had led the enemy to attack Taquila many
times, that evolved two different Magic Cyclones inside its body in merely several
years. That means it gained two more abilities during that time. No one knew how it
did that. The demons seem to be more naturally talented than us in manipulating the
magic power.

A Supermagic doesn't refer to a demon with certain kinds of Magic Cyclones, but
refers to an extremely powerful Senior Demon, who can release power to create the
effects similar to those of a God's Stone."

The last sentence from Agatha made Nightingale's heart skip a beat. "You mean... it
can prohibit magic power?" she asked.

"To be more accurate, it interferes with magic power." Agatha corrected her and
continued, "The Supermagic is able to break through the defense of the God's Stone
of Retaliation and can obstruct or diminish the magic power attacks. They can also
dispel or stop magic power effects. They're really tough opponents for all the
witches."

"I... don't understand." Iffy was confused and asked, "Why is that not a special
ability?"

"It's not," Agatha answered. "Take Anna for example. If she was a Supermagic, her
Blackfire will remain effective even under the influence of the God's Stone of
Retaliation, and at the same time, the place affected by Blackfire will become an
interference region. That means, the other magic power effects near the Blackfire
will be wiped out unless Anna's opponent is another Supermagic."

What Agatha said immediately reminded Nightingale of the demon's lightless black
hole. She recalled the whole process of the previous battle, and remembered that
there was only the dim shadow around the demon when she hit on its Magic Barrier
and was caught by it in the Mist. She was surprised to find that the demon attacked
as if it was the Sigil of God's Will, giving out absolutely no magic power light
during the fighting.

She told Agatha what she had seen through the Mist during the fight and then asked,
"That's why the first strike of the Sigil of God's Will didn't kill it?"

"Probably," Agatha shrugged and said. "But I'm not sure. This is the first time for
me to encounter this kind of demon and the Union left no record about using the
Sigil of God's Will to fight against a Supermagic."

"So the Chiefs of the Union depended completely on their own power to defeat the
Supermagic?"

"Exactly," Agatha said while nodding. "Extraordinaries are really powerful,

especially when they wear the God's Stone of Retaliation. They shine like the sun
in the battlefields. Wherever they go, demons would melt like the snow in the
spring, and Transcendents are the center of the sun. If you could see Lord Alice in
a fight, you would be overwhelmed by her power."

Hearing that, Nightingale was deep in thought, "Counting all the Chiefs of the
Union, there were only three Transcendents." She then asked, "No witch of the Union
had become a Supermagic before?"

"As far as I know, no," Agatha answered, "and no one will. Witches and demons have
fundamental differences. Numerous demons can evolve into Mad Demons, but not many
of us can become someone like Alice, no matter how hard we practice."

Maggie, who kept fiddling with the demon's armor, found a little black box from the
remains of the demon and said, "Look! What's this?"

Agatha took the box and tried to open it. "It's locked."

"Let me try." Nightingale observed the square metal box through the Mist and when
its silhouette was distorting, she put her fingers into it and grabbed the contents
out of the box.

Several glittering stones fell out of the air.

Chapter 553: The Trophy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Gems? Coo!" Maggie parted the white hair covering her forehead to reveal her
curious eyes.

"They're Magic Stones," said Agatha. She picked the stones up to take a closer look
and added, "I've no idea what kinds of Magic Stones they are, but judging from
their color, they must be high-quality God's Stones of Retaliation before being
changed into Magic Stones by the Chaos Beast."

"The trophy we get from a Senior Demon must be something good," Leaf said while
smiling. "I'm just surprised that it hid the box inside its body."

"Oh, you remind me. Are there boxes like this one in the other dead demons' bodies?
Coo! I'll go and check!" Maggie said excitedly.

"Watch out for the tanks restoring the Red Mist!" Agatha warned.

In less than ten minutes, Maggie came back with two black boxes in her hands and
said, "I found them in the demons wearing colorful clothes."

Nightingale pulled some Magic Stones out from the two boxes though they were dimmer
and smaller than the stones of the first box.

Agatha gathered all the Magic Stones together and then could not help but frown.

"Is there anything wrong?" asked Nightingale.

"It seems that there are too many Magic Stones," Agatha answered.

"Isn't it a happy thing for you to get so many of them?" asked Nightingale.

Agatha shook her head slightly and explained, "The Union killed thousands of
Fearsome Demons, but it was still hard to collect Magic Stones. That's why the
Quest Society did everything to capture and raise Chaos Beasts. Why do they carry
so many Magic Stones?"

"Maybe that's their savings, accumulated in over 400 years? It's just like an
unlucky guy who pooled all his savings, hoping to start a peaceful life in his
hometown, but got killed and robbed by us on the way." Nightingale suggested with a
strained smile.

However, no one laughed. All of them knew clearly that if the numerous demons had
been producing Magic Stones in the past 400 years, they now must have an incredible
amount of war resources.

To break the dead silence, Agatha said, "Well, it's no use thinking too much. After
all, we have to fight against them anyway. There're no two ways about it."

...

Guided by Lightning, the First Army finally arrived at the woods.

"Are you alright?" Wendy hurriedly jumped off Lightning's back to check the witches
one by one. "Anna..."

"Don't worry. She just fainted because of magic power exhaustion." Nightingale
comforted Wendy. "Everybody is alright."

"I've told her, but she just kept rushing me," said Lightning. Her head had been
wrapped up, and only several wisps of hair could be seen on her forehead.

"Wh-What are these? Are they demons?" Brian asked in shock, looking at the bodies
put in a row on the ground.

"Yes, dead demons. You have to tell your soldiers to bring them back, including
their remains, armors, clothes and weapons. None of those things should be left
behind. That's His Majesty's order." Nightingale shrugged and said.

"Yes! I'll take care of this." Brian's face suddenly hardened, hearing the order.
"What a pity! We didn't catch a demon alive. The plan to make Sigils has to be
postponed again." Agatha said with a sigh.

"A living demon? There's probably one." Lightning tilted her head and said.

"What? Where?" All the people simultaneously turned to look at Lightning.

"I'm not sure, but if the demon can swim, maybe it's still alive," she said while
blinking.

...

In the afternoon, the paddle steamers left the harbor and turned back to sail
towards the City of Neverwinter.

The curious and surprised soldiers of the First Army crowded on the deck of a
steamer.

"This is the enemy that we're going to fight against in the future?"

"It looks just so-so, except the huge, intimidating figure."

"Hush! What did you say? Haven't you seen that even His Majesty's powerful witches
were heavily injured. Don't you know how powerful they are?" Someone interrupted.

"Yes, those dead demons must be fierce, at least, much tougher than the demonic
beasts. Even the powerful lady Anna fainted." Another one added, "Yeah, she was the
one who sealed the breach in the city wall and blocked a large group of demonic
beasts on her own."

The other soldiers agreed.

"Yeah... I was there too. Lady Anna saved my life!"

"If it wasn't her, I'd already be stomped to death by the demonic boars."

"Unfortunately, Miss Angel isn't here. Otherwise, they would have been cured right
now."

Hearing what the soldiers said, Nightingale and Agatha standing at the stern of the
steamer looked at each other and then shook their heads with a smile.

Both of them found what they heard very incredible. Since she came from the time
when the witches had ruled the human world and enslaved the common people, Agatha
had a brand new feeling towards the ordinary people when she heard that they
considered witches comrades-in-arms. Nightingale who had had to hide from the
ordinary people for a very long time and had suffered from the coercion of the
church also felt for the first time that the ordinary people were able to accept
the witches and even willing to fight side by side with them.

"What do you think about it?" Nightingale asked.

"You mean the test target? I think we were so lucky to capture it alive when we
believed that we were going back empty-handed." Agatha said with a smile.

The test target, the living Mad Demon locked in an iron cage attracted the soldiers
to flock to have a look at it.
According to Lightning, the flames from the explosion of the hydrogen balloon hurt
and battered this unlucky demon unconscious causing it to fall into the water.
After it regained consciousness, it had struggled for half a day, trying to swim to
the bank but had failed since it had been so badly injured. In the end, it was
caught by Maggie who said that the Mad Demon must have mistaken her for a
Devilbeast thinking that it had come to its rescue and had cried out loudly to
catch her attention. It never expected that it would become the witches' captive.

As Iffy was pushed to the limit of her magic power and physical strength, she
probably could not trap the demon for a very long time. After discussion, the
witches decided to cut all its limbs and let Agatha freeze the wounds. By doing so,
the demon could neither kill itself nor die before it used up the Red Mist.

"It's hard to believe that we can still complete the task after the sudden,
terrible accident. We're so lucky." Nightingale twitched her mouth and said.

"Oh, don't you need some rest?" Agatha asked, pointing at her waist.

"It's fine after the herbal treatment. Before we met His Majesty Roland, Leaf took
care of the wounds for all the sisters in the Witch Cooperation Association."
Nightingale said lightly while throwing up her hands.

"I'm not prudent enough in this action. Fortunately, everyone is fine." Agatha said
and heaved a sigh.

"You mean the Senior Demons? That's not your fault. No one could predict that they
would appear in this remote place." Nightingale consoled her.

"And that's what makes me confused... The Senior Demons have never acted alone.
They usually hid behind a huge army of demons and they were a few in number. During
the decades of the battle, the Union had recorded all of the Senior Demons that
appeared. There were less than 20 of them, including those killed in the battle."
Agatha paused for a while and continued. "I thought I had to wait until the Bloody
Moon came to see them, but now I'm not sure, after seeing the Magic Stones."

Nightingale soon got what she meant and that idea sent a chill to her heart.

"The demons' lifespan, growth limit, evolution way and reproduction way still
remain unknown to us. What did they do in the past 400 years? Assuming they've
accumulated so many Magic Stones, is it possible that they may also have many more
Senior Demons now?"

...

Chapter 554: Reaching the City of Neverwinter

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

"There are so many boats here,"

Edith thought, lying beside the porthole of the poop deck. She glanced over to see
the fleets that were coming and going on the Redwater River.

Since she entered the Western Region, she noticed that many strange Concrete Boats
were sailing on the river with no wind sail, making the stream a very crowded one.
And according to shipmaster's introduction, they were called paddle steamers. They
relied on steam power to march forward and their speed could not be influenced by
the wind. It was said that even if you sail upstream, they were faster than the
sailing ship. A paddle steamer usually marched in front of other boats on the river
with a string of black smoke lagging behind. No one could clearly explain how the
steam pushed the big wooden wheel on both sides of the boat.

While one thing was certain, these things were made in the City of Neverwinter.

Edith secretively made some estimates that almost every hour there would be one
paddle steamer passing by. If it was cargo that these ships carried, then there was
no doubt that the amount of material the City of Neverwinter was importing would be
astonishing. She learned from businessmen that a city could not be bigger than its
ability to import materials. You could get a rough idea about how prosperous this
city was and how many business opportunities it could offer, if you just stayed for
a couple of days on the city's main road. You would even know what the most popular
goods of the city were if you were good at communication.

Obviously, the Redwater River was the most important main road for the Western
Region.

And watching this busy stream way, she believed all the propaganda she had seen in
the king's city might be more than just Roland, His Majesty's brag.

In such a short time, Roland had integrated the Western Region into one new city
whose permanent population and commercial trade had outperformed the old king's
city. Such an outstanding heir to the throne actually had a bad reputation of being
ignorant and stubborn... Thinking of these rumors, Edith was more interested in
Roland Wimbledon.

"Miss Conrad, are you observing the boat again?" The door was pushed open, a well-
dressed, brown-haired, handsome man walked in. "Want to go out to breathe some
fresh air? You must be bored of staying here all the time?"

"No, this place is nice." Edith stood up and nodded to him. "Thank you for your
hospitality."

"You don't need to thank me," he laughed and said, "I'm lucky to have such a
beautiful lady's company."

Edith had heard too much of these kinds of compliments, but she still replied with
a delightful look, "Without your help, I'm afraid I may have had to crash with the
cargo and refugees."

"Of course I couldn't stand by and let this kind of things happen," the man sat
opposite and said. "There's no one jeweler who's willing to let jewelry be covered
with dust, and you're just like jewelry to me."

This man was Victor, the owner of the Everspring boat. He was a jeweler from the
king's city. After their original boat was burnt, Edith quickly picked out this
two-master ship from all the ships that traveled to the Western Region. It was not
a passenger boat, neither did it accept any employment. It was Victor's private
ship. But for the Pearl of the Northern Region, as long as the ship-owner was a
male, everything was fine.

She pretended to be a noble lady from the Northern Region, who came to the Western
Region to find her missing relatives. With a couple of words, she made Victor feel
sorry for her and invite her aboard the Everspring voluntarily. Compared with the
common miniature sailing boats and freighters, the Everspring was spacious and
bright, with a comfortable passenger cabin in the poop deck. Besides, it did not
have the odors of the rotten wood that were caused by the longtime aquatic travel.
Victor even arranged two servants for her, without charging a single gold royal
from her.

Of course, the only price she needed to pay was to endure Victor's visits from time
to time, showing his generosity and concern, but for Edith, who had been good at
running around the circles of the noble, it was just a piece of cake, as she had
already gotten used to it. And if he was good enough, she would enjoy the feeling
of controlling him.

"Although these ships can sail without the push of the wind, it's all too crude,"
Victor said and poured a cup of black tea for himself. "I've boarded a paddle
steamer and carefully observed it, it's noisy and shaking when sailing... it may be
a good choice for transporting goods, but not the best choice for a long journey."

"Of course it won't be as comfortable as the Everspring," Edith laughed and said,
"but why do I feel that these boats just popped out in a night? There weren't such
kinds of boats in the Western Region before, I suppose?"

"Yes, you're right. They just sprang up overnight," Victor twitched his lips and
added, "I used to travel for businesses to Longsong Stronghold and there weren't
these kinds of strange things back then. After just a winter, they're everywhere
now."

"Making 20 or 30 paddle steamers in one winter?" Edith thought in surprise. As the

heir of the Kant Family, she knew exactly what the meaning of it was. Since a big
city needed to import a lot of material, the city expansion was limited by the
ability of its transportation ability for material. These kinds of non-sailing
boats which could be produced so quickly were obviously good to improve the city's
transportation ability, as they could continually transport food and commodities
from everywhere to the Western Region. Given that, the expansion speed of the City
of Neverwinter would naturally be beyond everyone's imagination.

As for the noises and shaking, it was not worthy of mention.

"Look, Miss Conrad, no need to worry about those ugly Concrete Boats. I have
something more interesting here. It may help you to kill the time." Victor called
the maid beside him, whispering a few words in her ear and then she nodded, turned
around and left the room.

"What's it?"

"Something that can match with your beauty," he gloated and said, "it's also my old
profession."

The maid quickly came back to the poop deck with an exquisite album in her hand.
Victor spread it out in front of Edith. "Which one do you like?"

There were many dazzling crystal pictures on the parchment, which were definitely
lifelike, with fine brushwork and bright colors. Obviously, the painter that made
this album was an expert in doing his job.

"Are these... gems?"

"Precisely, they're rough stones." Victor explained to her patiently. "I set the
prices in accordance with the album's standard when I purchased them. Compared with
the polished jewelry, the rough stones have their own charms... If you're
interested in any kind of rough stones, please let me know. Of course, if you
prefer the polished jewelry, I could ask some jewelers to use these rough stones to
make some jewelry for you when I get back to the king's city."

Nothing original, Edith just flipped over the album and then gave it back to him.
"Thanks, but no."

Victor was surprised when he got the book. "So aren't you interested in these at
all?"

"My relatives are missing. I don't have the mood to pick these luxury gifts. Please
forgive me," Edith answered in a low voice. If she promised him now, he would
pester her when they arrived in the City of Neverwinter, which would be a
hindrance. Although most of the females would give in to these sparkling things,
she would rather appreciate the steam engine that drove the paddle steamer.
Compared with the jewelry which only spread among the nobles, those were much more
valuable.

...

Soon after Victor left, there came a series of deep and rich ringing sounds from
the direction of the bow... It seemed that a big fleet was about to leave the
harbor.

Looking to the harbor, Edith could see the bulk head line becoming clearer and
clearer in front of her.

Chapter 555: The Beginning of the Negotiation

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

So this is Border Town... no, City of Neverwinter?

Edith could not help but feel surprised, seeing the busy and orderly scene in front
of her after walking down the gangway ladder. She had had many assumptions prior to
her arrival, but found that she had belittled this city. The harbor was three times
bigger than that of the king's city. One side of the dock was crowded with sailing
ships and concrete boats, busy unloading cargo. Mountains of minerals and coals
were heaped up in the yard.

On the other side of the dock, 10 paddle steamers were departing in a row from the
trestle. Many citizens stood beside the shore to see them off. All the crews wore
uniforms, standing in straight lines along both sides of the boat. Edith could feel
their high morale. There was a kind of expression on their faces, the same kind
that appeared on knights' faces when they came back after defeating their enemies.
Yet there was no doubt, these people were definitely not the noble.

The center of the dock was the gathering place for businessmen, refugees and
migrants, most of whom had arrived via various types of sailing vessels. After they
disembarked, they were separated by a group of men in black. They were asked to
stand in line to pass the barrier after the examination. The floating population in
the dock area was over 1,000. Even the king's city was overshadowed by such a
splendid scene.

"The dock has grown longer again." Victor commented with surprise. "Does His
Majesty plan to turn the whole river bank into the dock area?"

"Again?" Edith noticed his words.

"The dock wasn't this wide last autumn," he opened his arms and said. "There
weren't so many people, either."

"What're they doing in the barrier, taking taxes?"

"There're no downtown taxes here. You need to pay taxes only when you have sold out
your commodities," Victor enthusiastically explained. "Besides, in the downtown,
people are not allowed to set up stalls unofficially. All transactions must take
place in the Convenience Market. Those men in black act as patrol teams for the
other cities. They set a barrier to register people's identities and to eliminate
demonic plague."

"Not to blackmail?" Edith asked and winked at her brother who nodded and took out
his wallet, ready to give money to pull strings.

"No, no, Miss Conrad, I said they're just like a patrol team." The jeweler, Victor
laughed and waved his hand. "In fact, they never charge extra money. I know it's
hard to believe, but this is the truth. I was as surprised as you when I passed the
examination for the first time. Come with me. It's quicker to take the businessman
pass."

Just as Victor had described, after the men in black verified his identity, they
let them all pass the barrier without charging even one bronze royal.

"I need to find a clean and comfortable hotel to check in, and then I'm going to
pop into the Convenience Market," Victor said and turned around. "What about you,
Miss Conrad? If you're unfamiliar with this place, I'm at your service."

"Thank you." Edith put on a grateful look, lifted her skirt and bowed, saying,
"You've done me many courtesies during this journey. That's enough. I'll go to the
City Hall to ask for help. I should be able to get some information about my
relatives there."

"It takes no effort, My Lady. Besides, it's my pleasure to know a distinguished

noble woman like you. Please don't mention it."

After several evasions, Edith finally got rid of Victor, but the businessman
continued to wave at her while leaving. He said if they were in any trouble, they
could go to the Holy Mountain Hotel to find him anytime.

"Sister, how popular you are." Cole smacked his lips.

"Hmm?" Edith glanced at him. "What should you call me?"

"Ugh, well, Miss Edith." The Duke's second son could not help shuddering. "Shall we
find a hotel and check in?"

"No, we should go to the castle to hand over the document," she said without
hesitation. "We should get in contact with His Majesty as soon as possible."

"But we don't have the heads anymore." Cole reminded her in a low voice.

"Then we'll do things under no-head circumstances." Edith shrugged. "Remember the
things I've told you? Show our sincerity and the two heads alone won't represent
the Kant family's loyalty."

Besides, even if we did have the heads, they would likely be rotten and smelly by
now. It was not a good idea to offer two rotten heads to His Majesty. Everything
had deviated from its original track since His Majesty left the king's city.
What we did next depends on the specific situation. In the end, it would be the
negotiator's ability that determined the negotiation result.

*******************

"Your Majesty, an emissary delegate from the Northern Region is waiting outside the
castle, and they want to see you," guard Sean walked into the office and reported.
"The leader claimed to be Cole Kant, the second son of Calvin Kant, the present
Duke of the Northern Region. Mr. Barov has already verified their voucher document
and emblem. They weren't forged."

"The Northern Region?" Startled, Roland put down the design drawings. "Wasn't that
Timothy's territory? Have they stated their intentions?"

"Yes, Sir Cole said that the Duke is willing to pledge his loyalty to you." the
guard answered with excitement.

"Voluntarily pledge his loyalty..." Roland frowned at this news. It was a nuisance,
for he did not need a federal Lord's loyalty. It offered no help in the development
of the country and would have an impact on the present centralized system. Roland
actually wished they would stay in their domain with a sense of chance, waiting for
him to eliminate them all. Only when the old forces were completely annihilated,
could the new centralization of authority be built up smoothly.

However, he could not just refuse to see them. They were emissary delegates asking
for cooperation. If he ignored them intentionally, the other nobles hearing the
news would stop expecting a fluke and gang up to fight against him. Though it was
not a problem in the military aspect, he still worried that it might influence the
citizens of the Eastern Region and Northern Region. Roland already viewed them as
his treasure, and of course, he wanted to keep more population.

After a thought, he nodded slowly. "Bring them to the living room, and let Barov
stay with them."

"Yes," Sean answered excitedly.

Looking at the guard's expression, Roland pondered what the guard might think was
that in this way the whole kingdom would soon be ruled by him. Unfortunately, it
was not as simple as it looked.

At the same time, he made a decision.

No matter what they said, he would stick to his principle and take back the feudal
nobles' rights. This point must be conveyed to all the nobles clearly to show his
determination for the implementation of new policies and the reform. If rebel
nobles dared to lay their hands on the citizens, he would ensure they paid a heavy
price for it.

...

There were only two people in the emissary delegation, now seated on one end of the
long table when Roland walked into the living room. One of them was the Duke's
second son, Cole Kant, and the other, a gorgeous woman. She appeared to be an
assistant to Sir Cole, but in Roland's eyes, she was more outstanding than Sir Cole
himself.

Of course, witches were the shiniest pearls when it came to appearance, so Roland
did not pay much attention to this. After all, in this era, a female assistant
might also play the role of a mistress or maid.
"Your Majesty, I bring my father's regards to you." Cole stood and bowed
respectfully to Roland, and then he expressed his intentions. "The Duke of the
Northern Region has a gift for you."

Chapter 556: The Bottom Line

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"A gift?" Roland said, raising his eyebrow. "What's that?"

"The Hawes Family and the Lista Family from the Northern Region... Your Majesty,
both of the earls were not only disobeying your rules, but also attempting to
collude with the other nobles to rebel. My father looked through their scheme and
punished both of the families." Cole said regretfully, "However, I didn't expect
you to come back to the Western Region so early. Due to my negligence, their heads
working as our evidence were destroyed on the way."

"Hold on, your father directly executed both of the earls?"

"Uh," he looked at his assistant and said, "yes."

The Kant's effort to offer his service was stronger than what Roland had
expected... "Taking the heads of the two earls as tokens of pledging allegiance
shows that they could hardly gain further support from the nobles in the Eastern
Region. In this case, the possibility of them joining up to resist his rule of
their domain was greatly reduced." Roland thought to himself, "However, I'm not
sure if he's lying at this moment without Nightingale being around."

Pondering for a moment, he whispered to Barov beside him, "Are the two families
mentioned in the Northern Region?"

"Both Horsehead Hawes and Double Guns Lista were reputable families of the Northern
Region, even more influential than the five big families from the Western Region.
Among them, Lista's ancestors armored up and went on an expedition for the
Wimbledon Family. The double guns on the Kamon were taken from the Kingdom of
Graycastle's flag." Barov unhurriedly said, touching his beard, "Of course, these
happened more than 200 years ago. However, the name of the Kant Family was not very
famous, I remember the family only appeared about 50 years ago... It was unexpected
for Timothy to choose Calvin Kant to be the person-in-charge of the Northern
Region. It may cause dissatisfaction with the older families. If the difference of
their strengths were too much, it would be less effective, even though it's to pin
down the two families."

"So what he said is true?" Roland automatically ignored the latter section the old
director mumbled to show off his vast knowledge.

"Uh... it's unlikely a lie," Barov whispered. "However, this is a matter of the
noble's glory. If it came through as a lie and you've accepted their allegiance,
Northern Region will have botched it for themselves."

"That makes sense." Roland nodded slightly. "It doesn't really matter if it's a
lie; the bottom line lies within ourselves. It could easily be discussed if the
surrender of land ownership could be accepted. However, even the most expensive
gifts are meaningless if it's about seizing power."

Thinking about it, Roland looked at Cole and smiled. "First of all, I'd like to
express my gratitude to the Duke. Defending the honor of the royal family is the
responsibility of every noble. Your father has done a good job. Secondly, both of
the earls have received the punishment they deserved, and the kingdom won't further
look into what Duke Kant has done."

"Is, is that so? Father will be very happy to hear that." Cole seemed more than
relieved. "He's always wanted to serve the true King and he finally has the chance
now."

"Is it? I'm also very happy to accept the allegiance of Duke of the Northern
Region... But he must agree to obey the new regulations of Graycastle."

"The new regulations?" Cole was slightly surprised. "What're they?"

"The regulation to retrieve the manor power of the noble." Roland was looking at
Cole to measure his expression. He said word by word, "There'll no longer be any
noble title in the kingdom. All the domains within the Kingdom of Graycastle will
only have one lord, who is the King himself from now on."

"What?! Your Majesty, this..." Cole's expression drastically changed, he turned

around and looked at his assistant again.

"Is he really the second son of the Duke? Although he looks a little younger, he
shouldn't be worse than his female officer... His assistant at least managed to
keep calm although she was shocked with her mouth slightly open. Of course, it was
also possible that she couldn't understand what I said." Roland thought.

"No worries, nobles are still nobles. The munificent life you live won't change and
you'll even have a chance to hit a new peak." Roland clapped his hands, summoning
the attendant to prepare the "promotional manual". "Longsong Stronghold has fully
implemented a new set of regulations. You can see many stories regarding the change
and some real-life examples of the nobles in the manual. Although it may seem that
the nobles have lost part of their privileges, in fact, it has also released the
nobles from the manor to engage within the kingdom and even the dance floor of the
entire continent."

Cole was totally lost. "But... I don't know..."

Cole's expression was slightly disappointing to Roland. "However, thinking about

it, it's normal. As the second son of the Duke, he is after all just getting into
his adulthood. He's probably just a messenger for this trip without the actual
power of making any decision."

"Anyway, you can always send the message back to Duke Calvin. You can also stay in
the City of Neverwinter and enjoy the unique scenery here while waiting for his
answer�I think you'll love it here."

Although the Duke sending his second son on behalf indeed showed sincerity, Roland
was not planning to waste it, so he was temporarily detaining the son to prevent
the Duke from being reckless.

He thought that the meeting had come to an end, without expecting Cole to make
another request.

"Your Majesty, may I have a tour within your domain to see how the paddle steamer
and steam engine are made?"

It was a novel request. Roland looked at him with interest and said, "Are you
interested in it?"
"Yes, I've heard about such a strange ship when I was in the king's city. I
realized that they're everywhere here in the Western Region. I'm curious to learn
how a paddle steamer moves without a sail." Cole said with one hand covering his
chest.

"I see." Roland nodded with a smile and said, "I'll get Director Barov to arrange
it."

...

Roland returned to the office after dealing with the northern envoy. He was just
about to complete the drawing in his hand when he heard a rapid knock coming from
outside the window. He turned around and saw two unexpected figures.

Lightning was lying on the windowsill while Maggie was crouching on her head,
pecking on the glass window.

Roland's heart suddenly tightened. "It's only been three days. The paddle steamer
shouldn't be able to return so soon. Could it be an accident?"

"Why did you come back first?" He opened the French window and impatiently asked,
"What about the others?"

"Your Majesty! We've captured a demon!"

"However Anna, Leaf, and Nightingale were injured, coo!"

"Luckily, there's nothing serious!"

"However it's pretty painful, coo! Can you please allow Miss Nana to come with us?"

Listening to both of them scrambling to finish the story, Roland felt as if he was
on a roller-coaster. He sighed and said, "Nothing serious?"

"No, coo!"

"I'll order people to fetch Nana." He turned around and walked out of the room.
"Remember to finish telling everything at once next time!"

...

The next evening, two paddle steamers finally appeared at the west end of the
Redwater River.

The First Army stayed behind and evacuated the No. 22 trestle, and prepared a
covered carriage in order to prevent the crowd from becoming panicked at the sight
of the demon. A temporary barrack was set up in the castle backyard, as a
laboratory and a study of demons and Sigils, under Leaf's supervision.

Roland felt completely relieved when he saw Anna and Nightingale walking down the
trestle. It was only four days since their departure, however, it felt like months
to him. The time went by especially slow when he heard those two were injured.

"It's a difficult task this time." Roland grinned and opened up his arms to Anna.

Anna did not say anything but ran into Roland's arms and hugged him tightly.

Nightingale sighed. "You said you'd be waiting for us in the castle... The pier is
not safe, Your Majesty."
"You too," Roland said and laughed. "You had a long day."

"Well..." she uncomfortably shifted her head and said, "It was actually alright."

Anna let go of Roland and pulled Nightingale in as well.

Followed by Wendy, then Leaf...

This time all the witches took turns to give Roland a hug, including Agatha and
Iffy.

The figures of the crowd looked extremely long under the reflection of the maroon-
colored setting sun.

Chapter 557: Damage Testing

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After dinner, Roland immediately rushed to the castle's backyard even though he
really wanted to have some private time with Anna first. However, the Red Mist from
the demon was limited and the experiment had to be carried out immediately.

Almost all of the members of the Witch Union were present, even those who were not
taking part in the test did not want to miss out on the chance to take a closer
look at the enemy.

The dissected Mad Demon was already under Breeze's control, quietly lying in the
middle of the shed's floor. This was the first time Roland got to see an alien
being that was different from a human. It had a huge body and was even taller than
Iron Axe by a full head's height. Its frozen arms were as thick as a human's
thighs, with ridges of clearly defined muscles, fully-covered by blue blood vessels
that showcased its great strength.

The black-blue color of its rough skin was supposed
the demon's blood was blue in color. Roland reached
Clearly, the demon's body was warmer and that meant
faster. In other words, the higher their metabolism
environmental adaptability would be.
to be normal, considering that
out his hand to feel its body.
that their metabolism rate was
rate was, the lower their

Since the Mad Demon had a respirator which was connected to its helmet, its
appearance was temporarily hidden. However, judging from its entire appearance, it
was obviously an advanced chordate. A Mad Demon at least had a human-like
appearance, especially when compared to the ridiculous Fearsome Demon and the Lord
of Hell.

Of course, according to Agatha, the Junior Demon had lower intelligence and could
not be compared to humans. When speaking of cunning and trickery, though, the
Senior Demon was more like a human.

"Among the five demons, the Supermagic was melted by the Sigil of God's Will and
one of the Mad Demons was dissected by Anna. Two bottles of Red Mist came from the
remaining three and they were used on the way." Agatha rubbed her forehead, looking
a little tired and her voice was much softer than usual. "The mist will only last
until tomorrow evening. So, the experiment should be carried out before tomorrow
afternoon, if we want to make the Sigil. I'll still need half a day to melt down
the base of the Sigil and I may fail a few times during the process."
"The Red Mist is fatal to witches. How did you manage to change the gas tank?"

"We turned to the common people for help." She pointed at the sclerotin container
that was set to the side and said. "I've brought back some of the empty storage
tanks in case we needed them in the future."

Roland nodded and turned around to look at Breeze and said, "Can you control the
magic power it used?"

"If it can do it," Breeze seriously answered, "I don't need to specifically
manipulate its every move, but rather just give it an order and force it to follow
the order. This command is beyond the limits of language and thought, so even the
demonic beasts would follow it. But of course, it shouldn't be too complicated."

"That's good." Roland then instructed Nana. "Connect the limbs so I can see the
power and intervals of a Mad Demon spear thrower."

"Hold on. In the castle?" Lily frowned.

Mystery Moon, Hummingbird, and the others immediately hid behind Wendy. However,
Paper and Summer, who had not experienced the destruction of the Witch Cooperation
Association did not have much reaction. Their expressions showed curiosity instead
of fear.

"Will there be an accident?" Softfeathers muttered.

"Don't worry. We're watching it," Iffy calmly said.

Roland had roughly understood the process of the Melting Point Action during the
dinner. The unexpected appearance of a Senior Demon caused a panic among the team,
leading them into danger. However, the witches finally managed to defeat the strong
enemy. Iffy played an important role, especially after the Sigil of God's Will
became ineffective. Her determination to make time for everyone to escape had
changed the others' perspective towards her and her attitude towards non-combat
witches also became softer. However, it was so subtle that even Iffy herself
probably did not notice the slight transformations.

Perhaps it would take a little longer for her to be accepted as one of the team.
However, Roland could see the opportunity for both sides to reconcile.

Nana reluctantly squatted down to start treating the demon.

There was absolutely no way to complete the "surgery" with conventional medicine.
In a situation where there was a lack of an anti-freezing agent, it would only
prevent the limbs from becoming rotten, but it would not be able to prevent the
cellular structure from becoming burned by the freezing. However, the poor
condition of the broken limbs was clearly improving and even the mottled burns were
fading, bit by bit, under the unreasonable magic restoration.

Once the limbs were completely re-connected, the originally black-colored skin was
gradually turning green which signified the blood was starting to re-circulate.

After half an hour, the demon quietly stood up from where it had been lying on the
ground and slowly walked out of the shed.

The witches followed it out one by one and this was different from their former
swarming manner of just rushing in. Now they formed a long line behind Wendy and
Scroll. The mixed expressions of fear and curiosity on Mystery Moon's and the
others' faces made Roland laugh uncontrollably.
Leaf had already prepared the "shooting range" which was a target around 200 meters
away from the wooden shed. There were a steel plate and a cuirass, which were
hanging down from the grapevines located at the end of the garden fence after
passing through the two rows of olive trees which lined both sides. It was also the
conventional combat distance for a revolving rifle.

"Start." Roland signaled, looking at the demon with the bone spear.

"Yes."

Breeze just finished her words when the arms of the Mad Demon started to swell. The
Magic Stone mounted on its arms was glowing with a faint yellow light. The demon
stepped forward, with its body bent, and it threw the bone spear towards the
target.

There was a flash of white, followed by the crisp noise of the cuirass, ringing in
the distance.

His arms quickly shriveled, as if it had exhausted all its strength.

Probably due to its severe injuries, the recovery time was far longer than usual.
Its arms only returned to their normal state after about an hour.

Of course, its throwing power was not weak.

The bone spear had completely penetrated the cuirass and it was firmly pinned to
the fence. Pulling the bone spear out, it could be seen that the spearhead was
broken from the impact of throwing. There would be more damage if it were replaced
by the iron short spear. However, looking at the dressing of the Mad Demon, the
enemy probably had less of an understanding of metal utilization compared to
humans. Even the armor of the Senior Demon did not look like it was made of pure
metal.

After thinking about it, it was probably due to the high-temperature flame needed
to smelt the metal, and the Red Mist happened not to be resistant. If the
information given by Agatha was accurate, the demons must be very careful with
their use of fire. If the human civilization had originated from fire, then the
demons were probably born to hate their fire.

The next test was the quick throw.

The Mad Demon was forced to throw two bone spears within a short interval of time.
However, it was roaring in pain. Although its body was controlled, the sharp pain
caused by the overuse of Magic Stones was not removed. Its arms were paralyzed
after it finished throwing. They looked shriveled and dry like bark and could not
recover again.

Both of the bone spears had been crushed against the three millimeters thick steel
plate.

Thus, the most threatening technique of the Mad Demon could be compared to
revolving rifles using black powder bullets, which if replaced by the bolt rifle,
could easily pierce through a steel plate.

Chapter 558: Beauty

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After reaching the conclusion, Roland felt slightly relieved.

The basic combat capability of the demons did not exceed the combat efficiency of
the conventional firearms as the machine gun and cannon were enough to crush all
the enemies within the distance of 500 to 1,000 meters, while the spear thrower
attack was obviously unsuitable for the trench warfare. Mad Demon would not even
stand a chance as long as the bullet production kept up with the pace since it
would take three to five seconds for the Magic Stone to charge up and take effect.

It implied that at least the humans would be competitive on the frontlines of the
battlefield.

"It would be nice if you were born in Taquila." Agatha sighed while staring at the
weapon in Roland's hand. "The number of common people on the Fertile Plains is 100
times more than those in the Kingdom of Graycastle, so is the number of witches. If
every one of them had a spear in their hands, the demons would have probably run
back to where they came from."

Roland smiled but he did not agree with it in his heart.

After all, it was a witch-dominated empire 400 years ago. He thought, [If there
were really a weapon that gave the common people power beyond the witches, would
the seniors of the Union have lightly accepted such an existence? Witches have
always been the minority�there were millions of humans yet only thousands of
witches. This has been the case since the Land of Dawn until the Fertile Plains.
Would the long-oppressed common people willingly set foot on the battlefield? Once
the actual strength was reversed, the disintegration of the dominance hierarchy
would inevitably lead to civil strife. The idea of fighting for the survival of the
human beings was still extremely vague after the awakening of nationalism, not to
mention a group of humans who had been living like slaves to have such a lofty
ideal.]

Of course, Roland would not talk about these conclusions in the public and Agatha
was simply a researcher of the Quest Society, so it would be better not to involve
her in the political matters.

After the damage test, Anna amputated the demon again and put it into a steel cage.

"Is that all?" Agatha asked.

Roland shook his head and said, "That's all for today. The injury test shall begin
tomorrow morning."

"What's that?"

"We're going to test the resistance ability of the various parts of the demon to
shooting, as well as the effects of the chemicals, Pill of Madness and Dreamland
Water," Roland answered. "Oh yeah, and get Lucia to separate the composition of Red
Mist and see what we can get out of it."

[Unfortunately, the demon can't be kept alive for the long-term. Otherwise, more
comprehensive data could be collected by using Nana's healing power on the demon.]

Agatha yawned and said, "Up to you. However, I'll need two witch assistants to help
me make the Sigil and the materials must be prepared in advance as the blood
doesn't last once the demon is dead. It's better to start melting the God's Stone
of Retaliation when the demon is still alive." She paused and said, "By the way,
what kind of Sigil do you want to make?"
"We can make any of them as long as we've sufficient Magic Stones?"

"Of course," she nodded and said, "the failure doesn't consume the stone itself but
I... Oh no, nothing."

Roland raised his brows and asked, "What's with you?"

"Never mind. It was simply a slip of the tongue," Agatha curled her lips and said.
"At most you'll only be losing some raw materials."

Roland did not continue pressing since Agatha did not want to go on. "Let me come
back to you with an answer tomorrow morning after I study the 'Magic Stone
Collection'".

*******************

It was bound to be a sleepless night.

Edith Kant was standing by the window, overlooking the city under the night sky.
[Businessmen always refer to candlelight as wealth; the brighter a place is in the
night, the wealthier it is.] She thought that within the Inner City of the king's
city, the scene of a brightly lit night would only exist near the taverns and
theatres.

However, she could never really grasp the true meaning of brightly lit night here,
within the Southern Coast of the Redwater River.

Looking from afar, the shore was as bright as if it were lit. However, it was not
the orange-glow of the bonfire but a soft-yellow light, looking bright yet stable
as if it were a yarn-covered sunlight.

The entire factory area would be continuously producing a variety of goods at

night, goods that they called industrial products.

The steam engine was one of them.

The afternoon visit had left Edith feeling an indescribable shock. A shock which
was beyond the shock left by the fight on the battlefield or anything else... It
was even beyond comparison with the removal of land command mentioned by His
Majesty.

When she entered the factory, she saw some rough iron ingots that were being spun
and drilled one by one, her attention was instantly caught, especially when the
dirty iron slabs that were full of grease and scrapes transformed into shiny
components that had been given a sense of newborn beauty.

The hard materials were processed into different shapes by the roaring machines
that could work by themselves after being put together in a unique way�what a
wonderful sight it was.

The factory was not a wonderful place with the running sewage and metal scraps all
over the floor, in addition to the noise and humid air, but Edith had stayed there
for an entire afternoon.

And, she could clearly remember the City Hall officer who brought the emissary
delegation to visit was looking impatient and wanted to leave the noisy place
early. The officer felt relieved when the group of people finally intended to leave
and there was a statement she could freshly remember, "What's so interesting about
this machine? Only His Majesty Roland will think that there's a hidden beauty
within these black blotches."

[Hidden beauty?]

Edith suddenly felt a strong resonance.

That was right... It was the beauty that was brought by the pure power and that
could knead and transform the metal without any restraint. There was an additional
kind of beauty with the aid of a natural trend, especially after she understood the
operational principle of the steam engine.

The beauty was far beyond the beauty of colorful gems and exquisite luxury
clothing.

She could only feel that something had faintly touched her heart.

[How does His Majesty know these pieces of knowledge? What else does he know?]

Suddenly, a knocking sound outside the bedroom interrupted Edith's thoughts.

"Sister, I've done bathing," Cole stuck his head in and said, "and the water is
still warm. Do you want to take a bath as well?"

"Get the servant to boil a new basin of water." She ordered. "Do you understand the
principle of the water intake here?"

"I've sent someone to ask around. The water of the pipeline seems to flow out from
the standing iron tower." Cole touched his head while walking into the room. "As
for how the water flows upwards from the well, they didn't really say anything
about it. Oh yeah, there was something in the bathroom that you must try. It looks
like a special fat but it smells really good after soaking in the water. It feels
fantastic to clean the body with it. I can assure you that even the milk and rose
bath is not as comfortable!"

[Is this deliberately arranged by His Majesty?] Edith could not help but ponder.
The residence of the emissary delegation was located near the castle district. It
was a four-story building with a top floor that was higher than half of the castle;
not only could they enjoy the night view of the City of Neverwinter from there, but
even the layout and facilities of the rooms were quite ingenious�although it was
not big, it was comfortable to live in. A reception officer from the City Hall
mentioned that it was the hotel His Majesty specifically prepared for the foreign
emissary, which was calling the Foreign Affairs Building.

From what she could see, it was Roland Wimbledon's intention to show off with both
the clear water that was pouring out from the valve once it was unscrewed and the
washing material that Cole was praising about.

Chapter 559: A Discussion about the System

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"What do you think of it?" Edith sat back to the bed.

"The bathroom?"

"No, the new laws."

"Um..." Cole was a bit hesitated. "I'm going to write father a letter tomorrow and
tell him His Majesty's terms. I don't think he'll agree."

"Really?" Edith neither approved nor disapproved.

Seeing Edith did not refute him, Cole ventured more confidently. "I've read the
booklet distributed by His Majesty. Let's put aside the credibility issue for now
and just look at the example. The top-ranking noble listed as the example is just
an earl's son, who is currently equivalent to a duke without lands. To be honest,
I'd definitely make the same choice if I were merely a knight. However, our father
is the designated ruler of the Northern Region, Duke of the City of Evernight. He
has far greater power and more distinctive social status than the oldest son of the
Honeysuckle Family. If he agrees to His Majesty's terms, it means he's consenting
to hand over his domain. This isn't a promotion, but a demotion instead."

"Good reasoning." Edith nodded with a smile, but soon went on before her brother
could feel good about himself. "But you've missed one thing."

"What?"

"Whether we're able to keep our current status and power is uncertain."

Cole was a little stunned.

"You've apparently focused on the story in the latter part of the booklet, but I
care more about the paragraph at the beginning." Edith picked up the advertising
pamphlet from the nightstand and flipped over the cover page. "If this is really
His Majesty's idea... I have to say it's quite interesting."

"The cause... of feudalism?" Cole peeped over her shoulder. "Have you figured out
what it means?"

"It's just a made-up word. You can call it the current system or the system of
nobility."

Cole looked confused.

Edith shook her head in silence. It seemed quite strange to put such an awkward
paragraph at the very beginning of the booklet. The writing did not really flow at
first glance, and the contents were also much drier than the following examples.
Nevertheless, after probing into its underlying meanings, she realized that this
opening statement was the basis of Roland Wimbledon's decision to implement the new
laws.

It was her first time to come across such an innovative and eloquent argument.

"Have you ever thought of the reason we grant lands to subordinate knights and
vassals?"

"To have them remain loyal to the Kant Family," Cole mumbled, "and also to attract
more courageous men to work for us."

"What if our father becomes the sole ruler of the entire Northern Region?" Edith
continued to ask.

"Do you mean to have all the lands go to our family?" Cole shook his head after
some contemplation. "That won't work. If we hold all the lands, these knights will
lose their properties and thus leave for somewhere else to seek employment, so will
the lower nobles. The Kant Family will then become the only nobles in the town."
"Isn't it nice?"

"Of course not!" Cole winked, failing to understand why his sister asked such a
self-evident question. "The Northern Region is way too large to handle by
ourselves. It takes the guards around half a week just to march from the City of
Evernight to the Palisade City in the event of an attack, not to mention the extra
time we need to deliver messages. Plus, it'll be rather problematic to collect
taxes and food. We can't wait for those lowlifes to voluntarily make the payment,
can we?"

"So, we constantly increase our subordinates to keep our lands is fundamentally due
to the potential war requirements and our limitations of management. These two
factors are also what His Majesty thinks the main cause of feudalism." Edith said
while caressing the booklet, "However, things have changed. No matter how we arm
ourselves, it's futile to resist His Majesty's unstoppable army. Meanwhile, His
Majesty firmly believes a powerful City Hall will be able to manage the whole
region. As a matter of course, there'll be no need to grant lands to the nobles."

"Well..." Cole groped unsuccessfully for adequate words, failing because he did not
know what to respond.

"Roland Wimbledon thinks such a change is inevitable." Edith pointed to the last
sentence of the opening statement. "A well-functioning centralized government will
unavoidably replace feudal nobles, because a unified management system will make
better use of resources across the whole region and maximize people's potential,
and thereby largely increase the productivity of the entire kingdom. Productivity
determines the dominant power of the state."

"Nonsense." Cole bellowed. "What's productivity? Farming skills? A knight can knock
10 farmers down. Besides, where does he get so much manpower to... administer the
whole country and take charge of tax collection? He still, after all, needs to rely
on the nobles. In that case, what will be the difference? Those lowlifes won't care
about who their King is."

"I'm as curious as you are in this regard." Edith curled up her lips into a smile.
"But don't you think the person who is capable of jotting down such a plan will
have full preparation for the implementation of the new laws?" She paused for a
moment and then said, "Let's call on him again tomorrow. I'll do the talking this
time."

"That fast?" Cole was surprised. "Don't you usually reveal your true identity only
after they inquire about it?"

"I can't wait till then." Edith shrugged. "Also, don't write to father just yet.
You've heard that he's let me take the lead on this meeting."

"Are you... going to agree to His Majesty's proposal?" Cole gasped. "Father will
kill you!"

"Huh?"

"Um... No, I mean he'll resent you." Cole soon corrected himself. "After all, he
sent you primarily for the purpose of keeping his title as a duke."

"Don't worry. I'm not that amenable." Edith raised her eyebrows. "Since the king
has already placed his bid, surely I have to negotiate a better price, don't you
think?"
*******************

The following day, Roland received multiple injury test reports in succession.

Demons were by no means physically stronger than witches. Although both guns and
swords could fatally injure them, toxin could not due to their different
physiological structure.

For instance, none of the chlorine, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide had any
impacts on demons. Even they did, it resulted from the decrease in the effective
ingredients in the Red Mist.

Neither the Dreamland Water nor the Pill of Madness worked. The Dreamland Water had
failed to make the demon fall asleep, and the Pill of Madness did not drive him
crazy.

As to the ingredients of the Red Mist, it was composed of various gases and water.
Kyle Sichi had confirmed through experiments that one part of the ingredients was
flammable with an unpleasant odor. Another part was nitrogen, and the rest was
unknown. However, demons appeared to depend on the feeble magic power swarming in
the Mist rather than these ingredients to maintain their lives, which was also why
the Red Mist could only be preserved for a short period of time.

Furthermore, the Red Mist would break down faster at a temperature of 300 ? and
would even burn at 800 ?.

Roland folded the reports and put them in the drawer. It seemed that other than
regular firearms, the fire also lethal to demons. At least, its high temperature
could effectually break down the Red Mist. Given that, it seemed that they could
instantly reverse the situation by setting a great fire on demons' campgrounds.

Chapter 560: Uncovering the Truth

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland was debating which kind of incendiary weapon was easier to manufacture when
a guard came in. "Your Majesty, the ambassadors of the Northern Region requested to
see you."

[It has been just one day...] Roland thought, feeling a bit surprised. [Are they
planning to directly turn down my offer without even letting the duke know?]

"Bring them to the drawing room." He instructed after a momentary silence. "Also,
ask Carter to block all the exits to the Foreign Affairs Building and stop the
emissary delegation from getting out."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Since they had refused to agree to his policies, it left him no choice but to
detain them by force.

...

When Roland entered the drawing room, he noticed that the pair across the long
table had switched their seatings. The lady, who claimed to be the assistant to
Cole, was sitting in the guest of honor seat, whereas Cole was sitting next to her
with a book in his hand.
"Your Majesty, I'm the first daughter of the Duke of the City of Evernight, Edith
Kant, Cole's sister. Please accept the best regards from the Kant Family." The lady
rose and performed a perfect curtsy. "Please forgive Cole for not introducing me
during our first meeting."

"Calvin's daughter?" Roland was intrigued by this turn of the events and after a
short pause said, "So you're the real leader of the emissary delegation?"

"Yes." She placed her hand on her chest. "My father has authorized me to act on his
behalf with respect to all matters concerning this visit and has also given me his
seal."

It was fairly rare for a woman to participate in political affairs in this era,
especially for a young and pretty one. Judging from Edith's confident expression,
Roland could tell it was evidently not her first time to deal with heads of state.
Every trait of her demeanor was impeccable. As to holding back her real identity,
Roland knew it was simply a little trick to draw his attention. It was not a
deliberate act of concealment or deception whatsoever, but just a disguise to
mislead the other party. Most nobles would view it as a bold and playful move,
which he had to admit was really effective.

"In other words, you can make the decision on behalf of your father?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. More accurately, he'll follow my advice."

[That's such a confident answer,] thought Roland, who was amused to see Cole
scratching his head beside his sister.

"Alright... So, Miss Edith, what's your purpose of this meeting?"

Roland had thought she would politely decline his terms or talk him out of
implementing the new laws using a more "playful" tactic, but he did not expect to
see her taking out a booklet from her backpack and spreading it on the table. That
was the exact booklet he had drafted.

"I have a few questions to ask you." Edith came straight to the point. "You said
feudal nobles will be obsolete as the centralized power increases. However, how are
you going to guarantee the effective management of all the local authorities in the
Kingdom without the assistance of nobles?"

[Is she... planning to discuss politics with me?] Roland thought.

From her sincere look, Roland knew she was serious.

It had been a long time since he had heard such an interesting question.

"By people and the development of technologies," Roland answered after pondering
for a long time.

"Do you mean free men? What's the development of technologies?"

"Correct. A management team trained, paid and disbursed by the City Hall. Since the
City Hall will provide labors and necessary equipment, administrators aren't
required to have large properties or affluent manpower. Therefore, it doesn't
matter whether they're nobles or not." Roland started to explain what a centralized
government should look like and how ordinary people could get promoted, as well as
the practical significance of technologies in domain control. It took him an hour
to detail everything.
"How are you going to avoid dereliction of duty among the administrators of the
king's city?

How will the trade be distributed after the unification of the Kingdom of
Graycastle?

And can you really evaluate the performance of your policies with productivity?"

"..."

Edith's eyes glistened with excitement as she raised more questions. It had been
about noon by the time they finally closed their conversation. She heaved a sigh of
relief. "I see. You did have a thorough consideration before writing down the
opening statement."

Roland sipped the tea in satisfaction. As a person who did not major in political
science, this was all he could talk about regarding politics.

"Thank you very much for your time, Your Majesty. I didn't expect you would answer
my questions in such detail."

"The very basic requirement for a City Hall in the new era is to publicize the
policies and enable everybody to have a comprehensive understanding of its
contents. Only in this way will things go well when it comes to the
implementation."

Edith gave an approving nod and then switched the topic. "Could you provide the
Northern Region with the equipment and workers for manufacturing steam engines?"

"I'm afraid I can't provide the workers as the City of Neverwinter is also short of
manpower. But you're welcome to send your men to study here, provided that the
nobles in the Northern Region waive their feudal rights and agree to be under the
supervision of the City Hall."

"You'll also teach them how to manufacture paddle steamers?"

"Of course. As long as they're willing to pay gold royals, this won't be a problem.
However, it'll be hard to move the production line to the north in a short period
of time without the assistance of witches."

"I'm very surprised by your honesty, Your Majesty." She meditated for a while. "But
there's one thing I don't quite understand. According to your plan, you can easily
unify the whole Kingdom of Graycastle in ten years. By then, the new policies won't
face any backlash from the public and you won't really need to care about our
opinions. Why are you so anxious to implement these new laws?"

Roland was silent. It took him quite a while to reply. "Do you really want to know
the reason?"

Edith did not expect he would speak in such a grave tone, so her manner tightened
into formality as well. "Yes."

"Then follow me." Roland rose. "I'll show you one thing."

...

Roland led Edith to the backyard in shadows of trees and took her to the wooden
shed at the center of the olive woods.
A demon, whose limbs had been amputated, was lying on a long table. There were all
sorts of vials and flasks piling around him. Agatha was taking his blood samples to
complete the final step of the preparation.

"My goodness, what's... this?" Edith had cried out in a low voice in disbelief, but
Roland noticed she was simply shocked but not afraid.

"I should have locked the shed and asked Leaf to surround the whole yard." Agatha
frowned. "Don't tell me that you plan to let a common people participate in the
sigil manufacture. If I were integrating the God's Stone, I would have probably
failed already."

"Of course not... We won't be here long." Roland coughed to conceal his
embarrassment and then turned to Edith. "The creature you see is of a different
race. It's what you rumored as a demon. They live to the north of the Impassable
Mountain Range and are also the biggest enemies that human beings are to face. The
war between the demons and mankind has nothing to do with domains or wealth, but
with life and death."

"Demon? A war of life and death?" Edith muttered involuntarily.

"Right. It's a long story that the church has been keeping as a secret. It can be
dated back to 1,000 years ago when people called it�the 'Battle of Divine Will'."

Chapter 561: The Magic Power of Blood

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

Agatha was relieved when Roland and the woman finally left.

[Was I being too much just now? Perhaps I should be more kind towards the lord even
in the face of a common people. After all, 400 years have passed, the world is
different now.] Despite these thoughts, she still did not like non-witches entering
the laboratory where the Sigil was produced and she did not want His Majesty to
know the method of making the Sigil.

Of course, the latter would soon be revealed.

Agatha turned around to set up the six square wooden boxes she had prepared in the
morning and inserted the God's Stones of Retaliation His Majesty collected into
them.

It was the template for making the Sigil base.

Four Sigils of Listening, a Sigil of Screaming and a Sigil of Observing were what
she needed to make.

As she had expected, His Majesty did not choose any combat Sigils, but instead, he
chose the basic supplementary Sigils in accordance with the Magic Stones in hand.
The action of using high-quality Magic Stones left by a Supermagic to make the
Sigil of Screaming and the Sigil of Observing was considered a waste in the Quest
Society.

Now that Roland possessed powerful firearms, the demand for the combat Sigils was
of course, not as strong.
Not to mention that the stronger the Sigil was, the more magic power would be
required.

A knocking sound came from outside the shed again.

It seemed that in addition to an independent research tower, she would also need a
few servants. Agatha reluctantly put down the Magic Stone in her hands and opened
the wooden door.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty? Anything else..."

"Thank you for waiting, Miss Agatha."

"Mmm hmm, do you need me to treat the demon again?"

It was Anna and Nana entering this time. They were the assistants Agatha had
requested from Roland.

"No. Ahem," she corrected herself and said, "You're just in time. I've just
finished screening. Let's put the materials into the boxes, and then we can
officially start the production."

...

When the bright blue blood flew into the wooden box through the coated flexible
tube, some incredible changes began to happen to the God's Stones.

When the blood dripped onto the stones, a series of bubbles emerged. Like a burning
candle, the corner areas of the hard stones were melted into sticky liquid flowing
down from the stones, revealing the God's Stones themselves.

The demon was desperately struggling, exhausting the very last effort it had left
as if it was aware of what they were doing. Unfortunately for it, the struggle was
futile under the confinement of the solid iron chain.

Soon, the six boxes were filled with the blood of the Mad Demon. The first box
looked as if it were boiling. The surging liquid was mixed with fine sand, mercury,
and the God's Stone, looking sticky and muddy.

Anna carefully observed the changes and asked, "Does the raw materials affect the
quality of Sigil?"

"Yes, it mainly depends on the God's Stone of Retaliation and the magic power of
blood. The Quest Society thought that the magic power transformed all aspects of
the body. The physical quality of Senior Witches was apparently better than that of
ordinary witches. Moreover, the transcendents had achieved their limitation at this
point. In order to improve the efficiency of the Sigil, we would try our best to
choose the blood of the strongest demon and the God's Stones of the best quality to
make better Sigils. For example, Lady Alice's God's Sigil of Retaliation was
completed with the blood of a dying Supermagic on the battlefield.

"Will the same happen when a witch's blood merges with the God's Stone?"

"Not the same. The God's Stone won't melt like a candle and the reaction won't be
as intense. The liquid formed can flow freely like water now. However, the demon's
blood will eventually solidify and become as hard as stone." Agatha said while
inserting a piece of separating panel into the wooden box, "Therefore, the process
of making Sigil is similar to melting metal. Before it's completely solidified, we
have to embed the Magic Stones and complete the most crucial step�connecting the
Magic Vein.

"Vein?" Anna was curious. "Like a plant?"

Agatha nodded. "Remember what I said previously? The Quest Society thought that
only life could carry magic power, and without the Magic Vein, a Sigil will only be
a dead object. The Magic Stones would still be individual entities but would not
jointly produce the incredible power after the combination."

"Does this mean that the demon's blood can give these ordinary substances... life?"
she asked in surprise.

"It doesn't happen with the demon's alone." Agatha calmly answered, "We need a
witch's blood as well."

Nana was shocked. She covered her mouth with her hands.

"The Quest Society only discovered this secret by accident. Mixing the witch's
blood with the demon's would produce a strange effect, keeping the melted God's
Stone 'alive', like a plant. The vein would not lose the effect of magic power even
if it was left aside for a long time... I'm not sure how to describe it. Anyway,
you'll understand when you see it. "

The first box of liquid had cooled down, revealing a layer of grayish light. It
looked like condensed blue wax oil.

Agatha removed the panel, leaving two hemispherical grooves and a strip of shallow
groove in the box. Then she picked up the knife on the table and slid it across her
wrist�the bright crimson blood gushed out thickly, filling up half of a wine glass.
She said to the little girl, "Help me heal the wound, please."

This was the reason Agatha had chosen both of them.

Anna had the best learning ability within the union. She was suitable for the
inheritance of the skill and Nana could help to effectively reduce Agatha's pain.
Healing witches were the main forces of the front-line combat in Taquila, it was
impossible to arrange for any of them to support the Quest Society. Most of the
time, the laboratory could only use herbs to treat the wounds after releasing
blood.

If it were not for the hope of defeating the demons Roland Wimbledon showed her and
the unbiased treatment to all the witches, she would rather bury the method of the
Sigil making for good. The fact that the witch's blood could be perfectly blended
into the demon's blood was unacceptable to most people even in the union. Even with
her personal exposure to this matter, she had once suspected the origins of
witches. Such confusion was very detrimental to the Battle of Divine Will, thus,
the making of Sigil was one of the secrets that the members of the union had
strictly kept.

She did not want His Majesty to participate in the observation for this reason.

Especially there were the rumors about witches being minions that had fallen into
the demon's seduction.

Agatha hoped to delay the time when Roland would find out even though he would find
out sooner or later.

[It's probably a self-delusion.] She secretly sighed to herself.

When the mixture was semi-hard, Agatha embedded the Magic Stone into the groove and
poured her warm blood onto it. The crimson blood was flowing within the shallow
groove and the cobalt-toned blood clots surrounding it started to wriggle; the edge
of both gradually blurred, forming into an interpenetrated form.

After that, she injected magic power into the Sigil.

Suddenly, the red-colored blood line projected fine rays of light and numerous
light-spots were flowing within the vein. It was rhythmically expanding and
shrinking with wriggling movements, as if it were breathing.

Anna and Nana understood the meaning of Agatha's words at the same time.

The Sigil had come "alive"

Chapter 562: The Witnesses

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"So... was it successful?" Anna softly asked.

"Yes. Then, it should be cut and sealed within the silver foil." Agatha nodded and
said, "The final step is different depending on the type of Sigil. For example, the
Sigil of Screaming should not be cut as it would be used a whole."

"What will happen if we fail?"

"The bloodlines won't be able to collect the magic power for some unknown reason.
There's always a chance of this happening no matter how good the materials are. The
solution is pretty simple as well, we just need to pry the magic stone off and redo
it."

"But, it'd consume the blood..." Anna frowned.

"That's why the demon's blood was considered more precious than the witch's blood
in Taquila." Agatha self-deprecatingly smiled. "No one cared if the witch's blood
was wasted during an experiment. But we would be scolded and punished if we wasted
demons' blood."

...

There were two sigils that failed out of the six in the end. Although the steps
were completely the same as before, two of the bloodlines did not respond to the
magic power injection. In other words, they did not come alive.

Agatha pried off the Magic Stones and took the reserved wooden box out to continue
the second production.

She had to hurry up since the demon was almost dead.

The alien that was fixed to the wooden table started having irregular spasms and
the black-blue colored skin started to gradually turn gray. The excessive blood
loss had caused its breathing to become intensively and the Red Mist below its
helmet had obviously faded. Once the Mist had been exhausted, the demon would die
shortly after and the blood would only last for about 15 minutes past death.

"Wait a minute." Anna stopped her when Agatha raised the knife. "Use my blood."
Anna had already cut the skin on her wrist open with her Blackfire when Agatha was
about to object. "Nana can heal the wound but she cannot replenish the blood. His
Majesty has mentioned that losing too much blood could cause dizziness and you may
even pass out. It'd not be beneficial to you or your experiment. Of course, it'd be
best for you to rest for a few days before resuming your practices and productions.
You'll recover faster if you eat more meat porridge and liver during your
recuperation."

"... Is that what His Majesty said?"

"Yes, every witch had to attend the injury self-help class," Anna said with a
smile, "and, the main reason you selected me as your assistant was for me to learn
the method of Sigil making, wasn't it? It's better for me to operate these two."

Agatha kept quiet for a moment and said, "In that case, thank you."

"You're welcome," she gently said, "I'm very interested in it as well."

*******************

"... The witch empire was split apart and completely disintegrated after the
demon's attack. The people who survived traveled across the mountains and crossed
the river to the Wild Places to rebuild the city. This is the third time�as well as
the very last approach for us to prepare for the Battle of the Divine Will. It has
become the truth of history."

With these words, Roland quietly observed Edith's expression with his chin propped
on his hand.

The afternoon sun streamed into the room, shedding a touch of glory in front of the
desk. The lady in deep contemplation looked just like a statue, and her green-
colored hair reflected a pale-white color in the sunlight. Her beautiful face did
not even show the slightest change at hearing the frightening news, but instead,
Edith's eyes showed more of an excitement and curiosity as Roland had expected.

She kept quiet for a while and slowly said, "You wouldn't try to fool me by
fabricating such an... incredible story. Are the demons really that powerful?"

"There's no doubt. Each of them is an aggressive individual and there're an

astonishing number of them. My army could easily defeat Timothy's knightage but
they cannot necessarily defeat the demons. After all, they've been lurking around
the north-west region of the Land of Dawn, unlike the witches who will need to
start from scratch. The most important danger is that there'll be no negotiating
for this battle, and it won't end until one of the two parties is destroyed."

"In that case... are you planning to break the news to everyone?"

"Sooner or later." Roland sighed. "But not now, I'm not sure how the people will
respond regarding the horrible and ruthless alien enemy and building confidence is
a slow process."

"I agree with you. Panic is indeed scarier than any enemy," Edith nodded and said,
"I've one last question. How far away from us is the Battle of Divine Will?"

"Five years or sooner... Nobody knows the exact time the Bloody Moon will arrive. I
can only say that the war may break out at any time, and thus, I'm not able to
slowly unify the Kingdom of Graycastle little by little."

She did not answer but stood up from her seat and kneeled down onto one knee and
said," In this case, the Kant Family is willing to be at your service. Your law
will not be unimpeded in the North and your order will be the only voice there."
She stopped for a moment and then said, "I also hope that all of your promises are
honored."

"Are you still thinking about the steam engine plant?" Roland shook his head and
smiled. "Your father may not necessarily agree with that and what can the Kant
Family guarantee with..."

"Me," she said without hesitation.

"What?"

"Your Majesty, I'm the guarantee. If you're still worried about it, Cole can stay
here as well." Edith spoke with confidence, "In this case, my father would have to
agree even if he is unwilling to."

"You're saying you'll stay in the City of Neverwinter as a hostage?" Although

Roland meant to do just that, speaking it out loud still made him feel slightly
embarrassed. "Isn't that a threat in disguise in the eyes of the Duke?"

"Not as a hostage." she saluted in a knight's manner with a hand covering her
chest. "Please allow me to join your City Hall; I'd like to witness the new world
you have planned."

...

Roland received six of the newly-made Sigils that night.

"Thank you for all of your hard work." He looked at Agatha and nodded. "Did the
process go well?"

"We failed twice with the first batch and Anna also participated with part of the
making process," Agatha yawned and said, "Anyway, if you want me to make more
Sigils, please give me a spacious independent laboratory instead of a simple shabby
stable-like shed."

"I owe you a Spellcaster's Tower," Roland happily responded.

Nightingale stuck her head out from behind Roland's back after the ice witch left
the office and said, "What's the use of these Sigils?"

"They're probably the equivalent of a phone, alarm, and camera?"

"What're they for?"

"You'll know after you try it," Roland said with a smile.

It was a pretty productive day today. The Sigils of Listening would temporarily
solve the challenges of transmitting long-distance messages. Although they were
scarce and could only be used by witches, they were still better than entirely
depending on a carrier pigeon. The Sigil of Screaming tweeted at a high pitch when
it sensed demon power and it also effectively suppressed any of the enemies' sneak
attacks and the area of coverage was about the size of the Border Area. The Sigil
of Observing could assist with Thunder's adventure plan. It would be a pity for
Roland to miss the spectacular and strange sealine since he was unable to follow
the fleet out to sea.

Of course, what pleased Roland the most was Edith Kant's pledge of allegiance.
Nothing was sweeter than the extra population and the added resources. If the North
was really offering their comprehensive service to him, Roland's actual control of
the territory would be doubled and the excessive power of the nobles at the Eastern
Region would feel the pressure.

If everything went well, he might be able to accomplish the great reunification

before the arrival of the Months of Demons this year.

Chapter 563: Joan

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The Swirling Sea, the Fjords Islands.

A mist began to rise over the sea, making them feel like they were sailing through
the clouds. Shortly after they left Snowwave Island, it was out of sight, except
for a vast expanse of whiteness. It looked as if the island had never existed. Only
the splash of the water hitting on the bottom part of the ship let Margaret, who
now found it hard to tell their location in the mist, know they were still moving
forward.

Sailors considered sailing in misty weather a taboo.

Usually, if a captain asked them to do so, they would tie him up and throw him into
the sea.

They would always, however, follow Thunder's orders since he was not only the
captain of the Chase but also the most famous explorer of the Fjords.

No matter where Thunder wanted to go, be it a bottomless pit or a stream of lava

deep inside a volcano, he would always be able to recruit some people willing to
follow him.

"Captain, the Dark Reef Area is just in front of us!" shouted a sailor, who was
familiar with the underwater terrain here.

"Lower the sails and slow down," said Thunder while clapping his hands. "Attention,
everybody. That's our destination! Prick your ears up and keep your eyes open to
watch the water around us."

"Yes!" they chorused.

Since Thunder secretly met His Majesty in the king's city of Graycastle and got
Roland's support, he had not wasted a single day to prepare for his third travel to
the Shadow Islands. In order to explore the secret Sealine and tides, he needed a
suitable ship, outstanding explorers, and more importantly, a witch who could
observe the tides below the sea.

The witch he wanted was Joan, a childhood friend of Margaret.

"Are we really going to find her here?" Molly stood on the Magic Servant's head and
looked around and added, "I see nothing at all."

"Joan only appears when we're in trouble. She won't just turn a blind eye to a ship
that's going into a dangerous area," Margaret said in a low voice.

"She had transformed into a fish now?"

"The last time I saw her, only her legs had changed into a fishtail, but it was
over 10 years ago. I'm not sure how she looks like now," Margaret answered while
shaking her head.

"It's a type of summoning magic ability. She
sea. If she's lived in the sea for all those
passed the Day of Awakening smoothly. But as
that she's still in this sea?" Camilla Dary,
Island said after a thought.
can transform into any animal in the
years as you said, she must have
so many years have passed, is it true
Chief Chamberlain of the Sleeping

"My lady, please trust us. Since I knew she was a witch, I've kept a close eye on
this sea. Her singing voice is the symbol of Snowwave Island and I've heard that
some merchants attracted by it even desired to capture and keep her," Thunder said
with a smile.

"Did you stop them?" Camilla asked, raising her eyebrow.

"A shipwreck stopped them, and no one dares to do that again. I promise," Thunder
answered and blinked at her.

"I see... Thank you for helping the witches," she said with her hand on her chest.

"Thanks, Uncle!" added Molly.

"Hah-hah, I look that old to you?" Thunder touched his beard, and said, "It's not
very long."

Seeing this, Margaret who stayed by his side, shook her head at the fact that he
was still popular among girls. She knew on any island of Fjords, he was the most
popular man and that was why he won her affection.

She thought it was a pity since he had his daughter Lightning, he had given up the
idea of starting another marriage.

"Boss, I seem to hear a singing voice! In the northwest!" shouted someone suddenly,
in the stern of the ship.

"Be quiet, everybody!" Thunder and the witches simultaneously run to the stern of
the sailing ship, followed by Margaret.

Everyone held their breath and listened attentively. The tenuous, vacant singing
voice gradually became clearer. It came from a certain direction instead of
reverberating all around, acting like a beam of light coming through the thick mist
to guide the Chase to a safe route.

"Reef the sails and drop the anchor! Put the landing shuttle down in the sea."
Thunder ordered.

Ever since Joan awakened and became a witch, she always remained hidden to avoid
being caught by anybody. As she guided the ships in distress with only her voice,
very few people had seen her before. Given that, Thunder planned to let the Chase
lay at anchor to attract Joan. Meanwhile, he took the witches and Margaret on a
small boat to trace her by following her voice.

The Magic Servant dove into the water to carry the landing shuttle forward, saving
the trouble of paddling.

They traveled in the thick mist for less than 10 minutes, and then Margaret
suddenly saw a green figure in the sea.

"Joan!" she could not help but shout loudly.

The singing voice promptly stopped,

They saw a girl floating in the water while revealing only her upper body above the
surface. She stared at the people in the boat and seemed at a loss. Her eyes
widened in surprise, and her skin was pale white as if she hardly exposed herself
to the sunlight. Her hair was like fluffy seaweed, hanging down to cover half of
her face, but they could still see some markings like scales on her cheek and neck.

"It's me, Margaret! Do you remember me?"

"Yih-yih-yeh." The girl made some intermittent sounds.

"It's no use. She hasn't talked to people for too long. She can't speak now."
Thunder interrupted decisively. "Now, let's leave this communication problem to
you, Lady Camilla."

Camilla nodded and then put her hand on Margaret's shoulder.

Instantly, Margaret heard what Joan said in her head.

[Are you... bringing them here to catch me?]

[No, I come here to...]

"Say it in your heart. She can hear you that way and it's more sincere to
communicate with your heart." Camilla interrupted.

Margaret swallowed to calm down, thinking about what she should say.

[You once saved my life. Joan, do you remember? I come here to ask for your help.]

After a long while, Margaret heard Joan once again.

[I remember you, Margaret. We often played together in the past.]

Amazed by what was happening, Margaret was lost in thought. [This is the ability of
the witch. It's incredible... Luckily, Thunder predicted the language problem
before we set off and invited Camilla Dary from the Sleeping Spell to join this
travel. She can enable people to communicate with their hearts.]

[Who is Camilla Dary?]

[Oops, I forget all my thoughts can be heard by her now,] Margaret thought and
quickly concentrated again. She "explained" in her heart. [Camilla Dary is the lady
who is helping us to communicate with our hearts. She's a witch just like you.]

[The sailors don't catch witches?]

[Of course, the church has been completely destroyed. Now witches have settled down
on the Fjords and the Sleeping Island is a town built by witches. If you want to go
there, I'll show you the way.]

[Oh?] Joan sounded excited and asked further, [What has happened recently? Someone
intended to spear me with a harpoon. I thought they must come here for the church's
reward.]
[Nothing like that will happen again. Lord Thunder has solved the problem.]

[Thunder? You mean the most distinguished explorer!]

[Yes, he's right behind me. You don't know, but I joined his exploration platoon
shortly after I left the fishing village.]

[Really? Tell me more about it.]

...

After a long time, Joan said, "Yeah!" and she dove back into the sea, leaving only
ripples on the water surface.

"How's it going?" Thunder asked.

Margaret turned around and smiled, saying, "She's accepted our request."

Chapter 564: The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Graycastle

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Noise suddenly filled the coach, as it had arrived in the City of Glow.

Yorko could not help but open the curtain to have a look. There were all kinds of
shop fronts along both sides of the road. Some of the shop owners had erected tents
in the front and offered some tables and chairs for the people to have a rest
there. Some had their goods laid out on the ground, stood beside them and cried out
to attract business. The long street looked just like a market.

For a moment, he felt as if he had come to the Eagle City which developed from a
market,

But he soon thought of the fact that Queen of Clearwater had already burned the
Eagle City to the ground. And the shape of the lofty buildings in a distant place
also suggested that this city was large and different.

"What do you think of the king's city of the Kingdom of Dawn?" A woman behind him
asked drowsily.

"It's indeed the city of merchants. Even peddler is allowed on the main street. If
it's in the Kingdom of Graycastle, the patrol team will milk them dry. I'm afraid
only the Fjords can compete with your city." Yorko exclaimed in admiration.

"The Fjords?" The women snorted. "They're just porters who transport goods to
remote places and sell them, taking advantage of price variations in different
markets. The islands have nothing to sell except for cheap salted fish."

"Of course, you're the most brilliant merchant," Yorko said and turned around,
smiling.

"You're not bad yourself, my ambassador," the woman smiled and said, putting her
hands on his shoulders.

This woman was a noble merchant Yorko met in a border city of the Kingdom of Dawn.
Different from the Kingdom of Graycastle, most nobles in this kingdom had their own
business and a rich merchant had a status like a noble since the wealth was
comparable to noble titles here. The Kingdom of Dawn was also the main producer of
agricultural products and the biggest exporter of textiles among the four kingdoms.
Yorko had crammed for his job as an ambassador, studying the history and customs of
this neighboring country for a long time before he set out. He knew that playing
dumb now and then could please women but being an idiot who knew nothing would not.

The female merchant's name was Denise Payton. She was about 35 or 36, but still had
beautiful skin that was smooth and full of elasticity. She did her light brown hair
up, and a wisp of her hair was dyed purple. Yorko found it quite weird when he
first saw her, but now he thought it quite nice when he got used to it. As an
unattended noblewoman who went on a long journey, Denise was naturally open to all
kinds of fun.

Yorko spent only two days to become a good friend with her and then won her
affection with a bottle of perfume. They became attached to each other after a one
night stand and traveled together after that. Denise even pulled him into her own
luxury coach.

"Oh, yeah, what's the best business in the City of Glow now?"

"Why? You want to do business here?"

"Because of my old friend, no, the respected king Wimbledon, I'd probably stay here
for a long time, 10 years or even 20 years. As it's the city of merchants, I'd
better be one of them, just like what you've told me..."

"Good nobles are good merchants," Dennis added.

"Yes, good nobles are good merchants. In the Kingdom of Graycastle, an ambassador
was equivalent to an earl in status. Having such a title, how can I not do
business?" Yorko said while clapping his hands and smiling.

"That's right. The most popular goods on the market of the king's city can be
divided into two types. One type is the utensils that you used every day but not
the ordinary things, such as crystal glasses, spectacles, perfumes and fine
fabrics. The second type is the novelties. There're no standard prices for these
kinds of things. How much you can earn depends on how much your customers like
them. Trade exhibitions will be held every weekend in the city. Exhibitions of
different classes have different entrance requirements." Denise whispered in
Yorko's ear.

"It sounds interesting!" Yorko said and his eyes brightened.

"It's indeed interesting. You never know what you'll see at the exhibitions. If
you're interested, I'll take you to the top one, but there's another business that
has overtaken those two types recently." Denise paused momentarily to arouse his
interest and then continued, "The slave trade."

"Slaves? Aren't they very common for cargo?" he was dazed for a moment and asked.

"I said 'recently'. A business that requires no capital is always the best. You've
heard that the church had almost conquered the Kingdom of Wolfheart? Thousands of
refugees flock into the Kingdom of Dawn. You can take them to the market and sell
them out to make a lot of money. As long as you offer them food. Now, many
merchants have gone to the border to make money in the refugee tide, since when the
war is over, there'll be no more chances." The female merchant explained.

"But why did you go the border of the Kingdom of Graycastle?" Yorko asked.
"I don't like trading people... especially women." Denise shrugged.

"So, leave it alone. No capital doesn't mean no risk. When the refugees become
mobs, it'll be a real headache for the slave traders." Yorko said, holding her in
his arms.

"You seem to really know something about business," she said while covering her
mouth.

Just at that moment, the coachman in front of their carriage said, "My lady, we've
arrived at the palace district."

"Let's call it a day." Yorko kissed her hard and continued, "Our time on the road
was so sweet though it was very short. I'll bear it in my heart."

"Won't you come to my place and have a rest?" Denise said while ogling him.

"No, I have to go. I'm here on official business."

Yorko had to refuse her. Knowing that she was a married woman, he did not want to
get beat up if her husband found out something when he visited Denise at their
place. Yorko hurriedly hopped off the coach and waved to her, saying, "I feel we're
going to meet again."

"I also think so and maybe we're going to meet sooner than you expect," she said
while raising her eyebrow.

"Huh?"

Denise drew the curtain and left with a smile.

Seeing Yorko got off the coach, the emissary delegation that had followed behind
the caravan now walked slowly towards him. "You really deserve the name of Magic
Hand. What did you talk about for all these days?!" Hill Fawkes came up and
exclaimed.

Hill was assigned by His Majesty Roland to work as Yorko's guard. He did not look
like a military man at all, but even Yorko had heard that Hill had outstanding
meritorious achievements before. "Business, of course. What else could I talk about
with a merchant?" Yorko replied.

In fact, business was just a subject to start a conversation with the woman.
Knowing what made a woman light up was the quickest way to get closer to her and
Yorko could always sell what a woman bought, no matter it was language or a gift.

"What're you going to do now?"

"Hoist the flag of Hightower and hand in the document. Tell them the ambassador of
the Kingdom of Graycastle has come!" Yorko said with an air of contentment.

Chapter 565: A Delay

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The welcome reception did not start until dusk.

The guests were warmly received at the palace hall by Deegan Moya, the first son of
King of Dawn.
It was Yorko's first time to attend such an exquisite banquet. The entire hall,
bright as day, was lit by numerous candles and oil lamps that dazzled like stars.
There was a wide-open skylight window next to each of the chandeliers hanging down
from the ceiling, which drove away the sultriness from the room.

Tables covered with white draperies were arranged in the shape of staircases that
were littered with all sorts of glassware. There were red wines which glistened in
the candlelight and glowed like rubies. The hall was so extravagantly lavished with
silver mirrors and goldware that it looked as magnificent as the palace of the
Kingdom of Graycastle.

Nevertheless, what drew Yorko's attention most was those noble ladies wandering
among gentlemen.

Some of them were young and innocent, while some corpulent and mature. Each of the
ladies, whether they put their hair up or not, had a strand of highlight hidden
underneath the accessories. Yorko thought of Denise and realized it was a style
currently in fashion among nobles of the Kingdom of Dawn.

In addition to their hair, most of the ladies were wearing tight silk dresses that
perfectly showcased their graceful bodies. Glints of fleeting light twinkled when
they strolled across the room. Unlike the gowns girls normally wore in the Kingdom
of Graycastle, these dresses were off-shoulder and cut above knees, beguiling and
seductive.

Yorko was overjoyed. "It was indeed the right choice to come here."

Compared with reserved noble ladies in the Kingdom of Graycastle, the ones in the
Kingdom of Dawn were exceptionally cordial.

Nonetheless, they showed affections only to good-looking young men and knights
rather than plain nobles like him. Yet this was never a problem for Yorko, for he
never relied on his appearance to attract women.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Dawn." A slightly pale young man escorted by a large
crowd came up to him. "I've read the introduction letter from Roland Wimbledon and
the document issued by him. So, he has now unified the whole Kingdom of
Graycastle?"

Needless to say, this man was the host of the banquet, Prince Appen Moya.

Yorko placed his hand on the chest. Since he represented the royal family of the
Kingdom of Graycastle, he was not required to kneel. Yorko was a little surprised
as he bowed. It was understandable that the king asked his eldest son to host the
event since he might be caught up in some political affairs. However, it was kind
of uncivil to let his son directly read the letter from His Majesty Roland. On a
more serious note, it could be even considered as a diplomatic mischief.

Yorko answered Prince Appen's question and then asked pretty reluctantly, "Well,
how is your father... "

"He's ill, very ill." Appen sighed. "That's why he couldn't receive you in person."

"I, I'm very sorry to hear that."

"No worries... Everybody in the City of Glow knows the king's been ill. He
collapsed during a banquet one and a half month ago and has been sick ever since.
He's only conscious for two or three hours per day and insensible for the rest of
the time."

One and half a month ago... That was around the same time he set out from the
king's city. "I'm sure His Majesty will be better. Please don't worry about it too
much." Yorko comforted.

"Thank you." The prince managed to summon up a smile. "Enjoy yourself. I'll ask the
ceremonial officer to arrange accommodation for you later."

"Thank you." While Appen was about to leave, Yorko suddenly thought of the real
purpose of his trip. He ventured hastily. "Your Highness, what about the alliance
between the Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Graycastle?"

"I've heard about this matter too. But my father is currently too frail to deal
with political affairs. Let's hold off on that until he's better."

Yorko was slightly relieved after the prince and his fellows walked off.

It appeared that he was quite a competent ambassador by nature. He did not make
noticeable mistakes during his first meeting with a royal family member of high
rank, although things did not go as well as he had expected. However, it did not
really bother him, because he would live in the city for a pretty long time
regardless and Moya IV could not remain sick for the next few years.

He should, instead, take this opportunity to pay more attention to the beauties in
the hall.

"We've met again, Mr. Ambassador." While Yorko was pondering, he heard a familiar
voice coming from behind.

Startled, he turned around abruptly and found Denise Payton, the businesswoman with
whom he had spent a great deal of time with on the way here.

"How come..."

"I told you that we'd meet again." She smiled while raising a glass of red wine.
"Cheers, to our reunion."

Yorko hurriedly glanced about to make sure no noble was staring in this direction.

"Are you looking for my husband?" Denise raised her brows. "Relax. He's not
entitled to attend this reception."

"Are you saying..."

"I'm the one who manages the Payton Family, not him," Denise said bluntly, "and
there're more than enough housemaids for him to indulge in. He's not allowed to
seek pleasure outside without my permission."

[That's the reason...] Yorko's heart lightened. It seemed that Denise was the real
heir of the Payton Family. In order to inherit the family, the daughter would
normally seek a partner, often a diminished noble, to live with her. Due to the
huge difference in their status, it was usually the male partner that changed his
name.

"You should have told me earlier." Yorko put on a relieved look. "I don't want to
split up such an affectionate couple and interfere with your special relationship."

"Really?" Denise smiled. "It wasn't special when you held out your hand to me." She
paused for a moment and then asked, "Do you have any plans after the banquet?"

"Well, I guess no," Yorko answered while winding an arm around her dainty waist,
"if you invite me."

"Then I know a good place."

"All up to you, darling."

*******************

After the banquet, Otto pulled Prince Appen aside, looking quite confused. "I don't
understand, Your Highness. Even if His Majesty is ill, you can still enter into an
alliance with the Kingdom of Graycastle, as this is also what your father intends
to do. Why do you want to set the matter aside? With the church putting pressure on
us, it isn't a good idea to fight alone."

"I've heard that father asked you to meet with Timothy Wimbledon rather than Roland
Wimbledon?"

"We're allying with the King of Graycastle. The ambassador has also confirmed that
Roland is the new king of our neighbor."

Appen Moya nodded. "You did a great job on the confidential trip to the Kingdom of
Graycastle. But I have my own thoughts on the alliance. Leave it to me."

"Your Highness!"

"You don't understand." Appen interrupted. "I'm, for the sake of the Kingdom of
Dawn..."

"It's for the safety of the Kingdom that we need someone to help us stop the
attacks from the church!"

"I said leave it to me!"

Appen could not help raising his voice.

"I'm sorry. I lost my composure."

As the prince insisted, he had no choice but acquiesce. Just as he turned around,
Appen suddenly questioned him. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Otto was silent for a moment and then answered, "Yes. Andrea, Belinda, Oro and
me... all of us are your friends."

"If father can't make it," Appen spoke slowly, "you'll help me to the throne,
right?"

Chapter 566: A Promise and A Mission

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Otto Luoxi locked himself in the study after he returned home.

He did not understand why things had turned out this way.

Ever since the king had been ill, Appen appeared to have been in a great shock
until recently, when he was finally able to recollect himself. But the way he spoke
and the manner in which he conducted himself were somewhat different than before.

To put it more accurately, he had become rather unfamiliar to Otto.

As Appen's playmate, Otto believed that he knew the prince very well. Appen was not
that type of power-hungry person who would attain his ends regardless of the means.
Sometimes he even felt the prince was too juvenile to be a competent king. Because
of this, he planned to, in collaboration with Belinda and Oro, fully support Appen
and help him with governmental duties after the prince ascended the throne. After
all, the three families had been assisting the king since the foundation of the
Kingdom of Dawn.

That was the reason he had replied "Yes" without hesitation.

However, Otto found that Appen did not care about his answer.

He asked him that question simply out of a sense of insecurity.

Although the three families were very willing to support the royal family, he had
never thought about whether His Highness really needed their assistance.

At this thought, Otto felt Appen more distant.

He breathed a long sigh. Perhaps he should take the initiative to do something

about it.

But what should he do?

Neither pharmacists nor alchemists could do anything about the king's illness. He
had no knowledge of medical treatment and certainly could not completely ease
Appen's mind.

[Or cheer the prince up?] Otto pondered.

He had vainly tried numerous times to do so. Perhaps it was impossible to raise the
prince's spirits by himself.

The three families must cooperate and work together. Only in this way were they
possibly able to find the reason behind Appen's behavior.

With this thought, Otto got to his feet abruptly and walked out.

"Master, it's late now. Where are you going?" The steward trotted to him as he
passed through the hall.

"To Tokat's place. I'm staying over!"

...

Otto knew every turn of the road leading to the territory of the Tokats'. As Otto
knew Tokat well, nobody in the mansion stopped him. Otto went straight to the
martial arts room. As he expected, Oro Tokat was practicing with his guards.

"Hey, what brought you here?" Oro took off the sweaty headband and tossed the guard
his wooden sword. "You need a wingman?"

"I have something to tell you."

He pulled Oro to the resting room next door where he spilled out his thoughts and
plan. At length, he asked, "What do you think?"

"To find out why Appen has become so weird?" Oro twitched his mouth. "Sorry, I'm
not interested."

"Hey, you..."

"He's a prince, the successor of the King of Dawn. He'll not be our buddy forever,
don't you understand?" Oro shook his head. "Plus, Appen is 20 years old. He isn't a
seven or eight-year-old any longer. We don't have the obligation to cheer him up
every time he's ill-tempered. If he doesn't want to spill his guts, and then fine,
I don't want to be nosey."

"Aren't you planning to assist Appen Moya?"

"It'll be called 'assistance' only if His Highness needs it. Otherwise, you're just
being annoying."

[Did he also notice the change in the prince?] Otto thought with a quiver. "But we
three families always support Moya..."

"Three families?" Oro smiled carelessly. "After Andrea died, there are only you and
me." He turned around and walked out while waving his hand. "Since you're here, let
me take you to Crimson Dream. Get yourself laid and forget about these trifles. You
look so stressed."

"Andrea is alive."

Oro stopped abruptly.

[Sorry.] Otto apologized in silence. He had failed to keep Andrea's secret.

"Andrea Quinn is still alive." He repeated. "I saw her in Border Town when I went
to the Kingdom of Graycastle."

Oro instantly turned around and dashed to him, almost pushing him to the wall.

"What, what did you say? Is, is it true?"

"I saw her with my own eyes. She's with Prince Roland Wimbledon."

"With Prince Roland Wimbledon..." Oro's eyes were wide open. "Like they're in a
relationship?"

"I don't know." Oro bit his lip. "But she's become a witch. Only Prince Roland is
willing to accept witches out of the entire Kingdom of Graycastle."

"Hang on. You said 'witch'?" Oro was stunned. "What actually happened at that
time?"

Otto Luoxi related all the details of what Andrea had experienced back then. He
felt the sweetness of revenge as he watched Oro torn by his emotions. It was too
late for Oro to do anything about it now because he firmly believed that the Quinns
had fallen off the cliff at that time. Now, Andrea would fall in love with neither
of them.

"That was the reason her father made it look like an unfortunate accident and had
people believe that Andrea fell off the cliff..." Greatly depressed, Oro threw
himself on the floor after hearing the story. "Damn! Why have I never thought of
opening up her grave and looking into the matter?"

[Such a... cunning guy!] Oro snapped in silence. "Ahem. Therefore, we can see an
urgent need to cheer Prince Appen up." Otto reminded him.

Oro gave his friend a side look. "Huh? What's the connection between these two
incidents?"

"Of course there's a connection! Think about it. Appen's hesitating about forming
an alliance between the two nations, and he didn't even give an explicit reason. If
the plan of joint defense fails, we'll have to fight against the church alone in
the event of an attack. If the church invades the Kingdom of Dawn first, you'll
take the knights to defend the country, won't you?" Otto asked.

"Absolutely. It's my duty."

"If you're killed in action, you won't see Andrea again, correct?"

"Um, it sounds kind of rational. No, how can you be so sure that I'll be killed?"
Oro challenged indignantly.

"Even the Kingdom of Wolfheart, whose people are famous for their strength and
power, has been defeated by the church. What're your odds of winning?" Otto ignored
his friend's protest and continued, "If the church, contrarily, attacks the Kingdom
of Graycastle first, Roland has to fight back, right? If he's dead, Andrea will
very likely die with him. Even if she's caught alive by the church, she'll suffer
tortures more miserable than a clean death. If the two nations, however, enter into
an alliance and agree to offer mutual assistance, the church won't boldly launch an
attack. Both you and Andrea will be alive and will probably see each other in the
future. In this light, do you still think the alliance is significant?"

"Yes..."

"We need the prince to help with that. Now, do you still think the two matters are
relevant?"

"Yes."

"Are you in?"

Oro answered resolutely, "Yes!"

With these words, Otto and Oro clasped each other's hands tightly.

*******************

Yorko returned to his lodge, exhausted but pleased. As he pushed the bedroom door
open, he heard a voice from inside. "You're finally back."

Yorko was shocked. Who would sneak in his room and wait for him right after his
arrival at the Kingdom of Dawn? Could it be Denise's husband who married into the
family? He was still debating whether he should run away or plead for mercy when
the man lit the candle and walked to him. It was Hill Fawkes in the candlelight.

"You scared the hell out of me. Do you know?" Yorko heaved a long sigh. "Whatever
you've got to say, can't you wait till tomorrow?"

"We can only talk unnoticed at nighttime." Hill threw up his hands. "Please
understand that I have a habit of being cautious."

"Alright then." Although Hill was his guard, he was appointed to him by Roland and
could not be treated as any other guards. "Well, say what you want to say since
you're already here."

"It's now a good opportunity to recruit talents among the refugees from the Kingdom
of Wolfheart. You can view it as a business and hire masons, literates, and anyone
who has an expertise. His Majesty will disburse you all the necessary expenses.
You'll get five silver royals for each person you hire."

"For God's sake, I know nothing about business! I talked to Denise just for a
casual chat. You don't think I'll be really trafficking refugees, do you?" Yorko
put his hand on the forehead. "Plus, slaves are usually traded on the border of the
two nations. It doesn't look nice for me to go there as an ambassador!"

"This is His Majesty's order," Hill said in a steady tone. "You don't need to leave
City of Glow. Tradesmen will sooner or later transfer slaves here, although at a
higher price. It saves you trouble to screen them. As to the business side of the
matter, you can discuss with Denise Payton. She's quite a well-known businesswoman
around this area. It's a piece of cake for her to send refugees to the Kingdom of
Graycastle. "We'll benefit a lot once the transportation route is determined. For
example, we can disguise ourselves as tradesmen and retreat unnoticed when facing
unexpected danger."

Yorko's jaw dropped. "Have you been to the capital of the Kingdom of Dawn?"

Hill shook his head.

"Then how do you know such details?"

"I was collecting information from people on the street while you were busy
socializing."

"I thought you were just a great knight. I didn't know you're also a good
tradesman." Yorko smacked his lips.

"I'm neither a warrior nor a tradesman, but I can protect you when there's a
crisis. This is also what His Majesty entrusted me to do."

"So you are..."

"Just an ordinary... acrobat," Hill answered while smiling.

Chapter 567: Explosive Shells

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

A suburb beyond the west city wall, Neverwinter.

A great roar attracted the civilians to ascend the city wall to watch from up high.
The First Army had sealed the entrances to the Misty Forest in case anyone broke
into the experiment ground.

Although the location was not close to the city wall, one could clearly see what
was happening with a telescope from there. "It seems we have to look for a remote
place as a special base for testing firearms." Roland thought to himself.
"Your Majesty, the second volley is ready!" An artillery soldier reported.

"Everybody goes into the bunker." Roland waved his hand. "Start the countdown after
confirming no one is on the ground."

It was the test fire of the 152 mm Howitzer. While researching on the Sigil of
Magic Stones, Roland included the advancement of firearms. Now with Timothy being
killed and the Northern Region having announced submission, the situation in the
Kingdom of Graycastle was fairly good. Now Roland had time to put his mind on
further promoting the shells.

But he had to admit that the technical difficulties of developing a howitzer with
an impact detonator were much greater than those of developing solid shells. Anna
would make four howitzer shells for test fire every day. Yet three consecutive days
later, none had successfully exploded. What's worse, on the second day, one shell
exploded right after it got out of the chamber, which damaged the new artillery
barrel too much for test firing. Fortunately, Roland took precautions by digging
several trenches around the experiment ground, which successfully prevented
casualties. The eardrums of a few soldiers who stayed close to the artillery were
damaged by the roar, but Nana healed them in time.

"Is this thing really like what you said, exploding the moment it touches the
enemy?" Agatha could not help but stick her head out to watch. "I've asked Anna.
It's nothing but a few pieces of sheet metal put together. It's not alive, so how
can it know whether it touches is an enemy?"

Agatha must be the most enthusiastic witch toward weapon test in the union. Upon
hearing the test, she put aside her production work in the chemical plant and
personally came to observe the research development of the new shell.

"It doesn't explode when it touches the enemy, but when it falls into the enemy's
position." Roland corrected her. "It's a basic requirement the Howitzer has to
meet�if there isn't a safety to make sure of it, the shell could fire accidentally
at any time. That would be too dangerous."

The trigger safety was the most basic technology for the new shell, at the same
time the focal point of the test.

To prevent explosions triggered by collision or accidental drop, Roland made great

efforts to set three safety systems.

The first one was to separate, store, and transport the fuses and shells, and
install them when needed. The fuse looked like a cone with a handle and was the
size of a fist. With the threads on its bottom, it could be conveniently and easily
screwed into the notch on top of the shell. The shell was filled with double base
chemical gunpowder, a kind of material that was hard to ignite without a detonator,
which essentially ensured the logistics work.

The second one was the inertia safety in the fuse.

The safety device resembled a gate lock. Unarmed, it could not move due to being
held in place by a stiff spring; when the shell was fired, the tremendous inertia
kicked back the lock cylinder, overcoming the resistance of the spring, pulling
open the latch, and removing the safety.

The theory was easy, yet hard to put into practice. Roland and the witches spent
most of the first two days on it. If the spring was too hard, the lock cylinder
could not get enough recoil distance; if it was too soft, it could not guarantee
safety. Anna had to gradually adjust it based on the test results. After eight
rounds of test firing, they finally attained the relatively reliable statistics on
the compressibility of the spring.

The last one was the centrifugal primer-detonator.

It was also the device with the most technology in the fuse. Simply put, it
embedded the detonator in a coin-sized half-circle iron plate. Normally, while
being fixed by a spring, the detonator would stand in the middle of the fuse at an
angle. With such a set-up as this, the firing pin, detonator, and explosive powder
were not aligned. This way, even if the shell fell off from high above, the firing
pin would not touch the detonator, so as to prevent accidental explosions. Only
when the latch was separated from the lock in the second safety, could the iron
plate be mobilized.

After being shot, the grenade spun at a drastically high speed because of the
rifling in the barrel. Under the centrifugal force, the tilting detonator gradually
stood upright, just like a spinning top whose center of gravity gradually closed on
its axis line. This process completed after the bullet had left the muzzle for 200
or 300 meters, so even if the muzzle was stuck or the bullet ran into tree
branches, it would not detonate prematurely.

When the detonator returned to the upright position, it aligned with the firing pin
and explosive powder. Under this circumstance, once the fuse touched the ground,
the firing pin instantly inserted into the detonator, and then the explosive powder
pushed the super-hot gunpowder into the warhead, which in turn exploded the
surrounding enemies into pieces.

The advantage of the centrifugal safety lay in the fact that if the shell failed to
explode, without the centrifugal force the detonator would be popped back to its
original tilting position by the spring, which made the retrieving work much safer.

Besides, if the entire grenade was grasped or accidentally found by the enemy, it
could only be used as a normal solid shell when it could not get enough centrifugal
force from not being fired in a conventional manner. As for tearing it apart and
replicating it, that would be merely impossible.

"Prepare to fire. Start countdown at five."

An observer gave the order.

The repeatedly lengthened lanyard was gradually tightened while the gunner in the
trench retrieved the rope bit by bit.

"Fire!"

As the gunner yanked on the rope, the ground instantly trembled.

A roar and fierce wind from the muzzle passed across the spectators' heads. Roland
felt numerous soil particles rushed at his collar. Even if he had his ears solidly
covered, he could feel tremors coming through his feet.

"Found the falling point. Explosion failed. Repeat. Explosion failed."

Lightning's voice came from the Sigil of Listening in Nightingale's hand.

"I see. We'll be right there," she replied and took out a Magic Stone.

"... We failed again?" Agatha said with disappointment.

"Failure is too common while experimenting." Anna consoled her. "As soon as we find
the correct direction, we can guarantee success in mass production."

"Nicely put." Roland praised her while patting her head. "Besides, now with the
help of Summer and Sylvie, the research and development speed is astonishing."

Even in modern times, it was common if thousands of shells were fired during the
grenade testing, so to find any problems with two to three shots was like mission
impossible.

Reaching the falling point of the bullet, Anna cut the fuse with Blackfire to
ensure the safety of the payload. The soldiers then collected the failed shell.
Either the gunpowder or the metal shell could be recycled, so it would be a waste
to throw them away.

"Summer, it's your turn," Roland said with a gesture.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Summer nodded. Exhibiting her playback ability, the phantom of
a shell that was about to fall to the ground instantly appeared in front of
everybody.

Although Summer's magic power was still at a low level�after four months' of
practicing, she could only use it four times per day�with precise control on the
magic power, she could fix the playback image at an exact moment.

Such an ability was to perfectly replay the scene. In other words, Sylvie could see
the inside of the phantom�except being intangible, it had no difference from the
real scene.

With the help of Summer and Sylvie, Roland was able to determine the spring tension
after only eight rounds of test firing.

Chapter 568: The Dry Distillation Tower

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Um..." Sylvie carefully examined the shell and checked it against Roland's design
for a long time. She pointed at the detonator and said, "It seems this bronze tube
is not aligned with the nail on the top."

"How about the spring?" asked Anna. "Is it still stuck at both sides of the iron
pan?"

"One has gone bad."

"To the left or the right?"

Anna asked about every detail, and then wrote all the problems down in a notebook.

After collecting the reasons leading to the failure, they began the next round of
test firing, where Summer's playback ability could be used four times. Thus the
efficiency of the improvement had become unprecedentedly high.

Unfortunately, the next two rounds of test shooting failed again. Roland had to
declare that the testing would continue the next day.

To Summer and Sylvie, their work for the day was finished. Afterwards, they could
either go back to the castle to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea or go to the
Convenience Market to check for novel goods. But to Anna and Agatha, the test
firing of the grenade was merely a small part of their tight schedule, especially
to Anna. She not only had to improve the fuse based on the reasons that were found
to have led to failure, but she also needed to finish the research and assembly of
the steam turbine.

Roland had planned to follow her to the North Slope backyard to check the turbine
model, yet his guard Sean brought a piece of news from the City Hall.

"Your Majesty, Lesya, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Construction, wished for you
to visit the Furnace Area. He said he had completed the construction of the first
oven for dry distillation."

...

As the necessary equipment of the coking plant, 10 towers for dry distillation were
planned, and they were to be located around the furnace cluster at the foot of the
North Slope Mine area.

Due to the over-cutting of trees for the burning of bricks and iron making, the
area that the furnace cluster took up enlarged from the original open space of less
than 1,000 square meters to a wide open area stretching along the mountain. If
Roland had not strictly prohibited the cutting of trees near the town, none of the
trees at the northern part of the Border Area would have survived.

Although coal had been found, charcoal that was easy to get was still the major
fuel for iron making. With trees available getting further and further from the
furnace cluster, the workers targeted the top of North Slope Mountain. Every day
there were hundreds of logs cut off and rolled down from the mountaintop. Watching
from a distance, it looked like the green peak had a small "bald spot".

Normally, Roland would not ask the workers to protect the environment in this
matter. As long as the dust that would have risen did not affect the town, he would
not care even if all the trees on North Slope Mountain were cut down. After all, to
the Impassable Mountain Range, this protruding mountain range was nothing but an
insignificant corner. With Leaf maintaining the basic vegetation, there was no need
to worry about soil erosion.

As to the ground reclaimed at the foot of the mountain, it naturally became the
most suitable building sites for coking plants.

Followed by Nightingale and his guards, Roland walked through the noisy Furnace
Area and reached the first tower for dry distillation. Lesya walked up to welcome
Roland instantly, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, as you demanded, I've constructed
this double layer furnace with refractory bricks. According to the drawing, the
upper layer should be sealed with an iron gate while the interlayer should be
equipped with a mobile iron plate. But I don't know who can make them. The same is
true of the copper pipe and chimney on the small side furnace. Apart from these
metal components, the rest has been completed."

Roland lowered his head and went to the interior of the furnace to have a thorough
examination. He was totally impressed by what he saw. He had to admit that Lesya,
the former member of the Mason Guild, the old friend of Karl Van Bate, was indeed
excellent at masonry. The inner walls of this nearly six-meter high tower for dry
distillation was evenly constructed; the spaces between bricks were all of similar
thickness; the bricks were all interlaced, without two layers of verticals seams
aligned. One could see that Lesya's laying skill was extraordinary and his working
attitude was very serious. After all, the products different people made could be
drastically different, even if they referred to the same drawing.
"Well done." After the examination, Roland praised him saying, "I'll arrange the
cast of the iron gate and iron plate. You'll only need to cover with refractory
bricks on the side exposed to fire."

"Your Majesty," hesitating for a while, Lesya asked, "could you please tell me how
the furnace operates?"

"Why? Do you wish to become a coking worker?" Roland said jokingly.

"Of course not." Lesya hurriedly shook his head. "Since I've never built such a
strange furnace, I had to build according to my speculation for the places that I
wasn't sure of on the drawing. So if I can understand its function and working
mechanism, not only can I finish the second furnace faster, but also I can improve
the places that I wasn't sure about before."

[Ah, that's his reasons.] Roland thought and said smilingly, "This kind of furnace
is mainly used for the dry distillation of coal. You must have seen how the
charcoal is burned. The burning of coal is similar but on a bigger scale. The lower
layer is for burning, the upper layer is for baking, and both layers use coal as
filling.

"Baking coal with coal?" Lesya surprisedly asked.

"That's right. After the dry distillation, coal can be transformed into coke. Coke
can reach a higher temperature while burning, which makes it a better fuel for
smelting steel. In addition, the process of dry distillation will create several
by-products. The pipes on the tower wall are used to collect them, rather than to
exhaust gases as a chimney does.

"Then... why do you build a small furnace at the side of the main furnace?"

"No air is allowed on the upper layer during the dry distillation, otherwise the
coal will directly burst into flames." Roland pointed at the reserved holes between
the two furnaces and said, "While burning, the limestone in the small furnace will
produce a large amount of carbon dioxide�you can consider it as a sort of non-
flammable gas..."

"Your Majesty, I know that," Lesya said, "I learned it from the night classes."

[That'll be easy then.] Roland felt gratified. [It seems that the universal
education has broadened its content under the effort of Scroll.] He continued,
"Through the pipes, the carbon dioxide will reach the upper layer of the furnace
and push away the air, and then the coal can be dry distilled. As for the
limestone, the off-white stones burned to make cement, are all over the North Slope
Mountain."

...

After examining the dry distillation tower number one, Roland retraced his steps.
On the way back, he took a short break at the Furnace Area.

Seeing this busy scene, Roland could not help but feel thrilled. Standing side by
side, the various brick furnaces looked like an orderly red forest. Rising from the
forest were tens of entangled gray, white, and black smoke columns, which
constituted a rather modern picture when seen together with the plainly dressed
workers and outdated equipment. Over ten steam engines were roaring, dragging the
conveyor belt to carry chunks of materials and charcoals into the blast furnace. A
track system was paved from the mine to the furnace and many mine wagons traveled
between the two stops. The speed of transportation had greatly improved.

After finishing the construction of the steel plant and forge plant, this place
would be another core location of City of Neverwinter. Ore exploitation and steel
smelting proceeded the transformation of the steel into various raw materials which
were then transported to processing plants. These processes symbolized an
industrial flower arising from here. The human beings were bestowed with
extraordinarily refining powers, which consequently gave them the courage to
conquer everything.

Chapter 569: Power Threatened

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

As the desolate spring came to an end, summer was drawing near. The population
growth rate of City of Neverwinter enjoyed its first explosive peak.

The mission of attracting refugees in the southern and eastern areas began to take
effect. With the experience from the previous year, the working efficiency of the
envoy teams greatly increased. Every day, hundreds of refugees gathered in Redwater
City and Willow Town, waiting for the boats from the Western Region to transfer
them to City of Neverwinter, which was said to be rich and stable.

In order to appropriately accommodate these people, the City Hall also commissioned
businessmen to rent temporary barracks at the gathering place, and offered porridge
and water, to prevent any accidents before the refugees arrived at the Western
Region.

The pier of the Border Area had become the busiest location of the city. Ninety
percent of the police were dispatched to maintain order and register the
population. There was always a long line of people in front of the barrier for
medical inspections. The officers who were responsible for residential control
divided the swarmed-in refugees into several categories and moved them into
riverbank boardrooms, west-city cave dwellings, and formal residences accordingly.

For this reason, City Hall turned into a bustling place every day.

"Three sailing ships from Redwater City just arrived at the pier, 126 people are on
board, a blue flag is hanging on the mask, and Bob is in charge."

"Again? How many batches have arrived today?"

"Four or five batches? Stop nagging. Go and receive them."

"Well, who'll take over Bob's job and go to Redwater City?"

"I will. Hang on, I'll be ready right away."

"Take some soap with you. You can't buy any there."

Listening to the noisy chatters outside of his office, Barov felt distressed, not
because he was too busy though. Usually, when he worked in the City Hall, more work
brought him more pleasure.

But recently, the situation had become complicated.

The reason lay in Edith Kant.

"Director, the Ministry of Justice is urging us
assistant walked into his office and said. "His
recruit another 100 people as backup policemen.
hands, the city's order will be out of control.
asks, we should take the blame as well."
for more personnel again," an
Excellency Carter asked us to
He said if he doesn't get more
If anything happens and His Majesty

[Now that he's the Chief Knight, he could put more words in front of His Majesty.]
Barov thought to himself. But for minor stuff like this, he did not have time to
attend. While drafting a document, Barov said without raising his head, "Put it on
the desk. I'll handle it later."

"Yes, sir!"

As the assistant left the room, Edith's voice sounded in his ears. "Is this the
recruitment order? Since you're too busy, let me help you with it."

[Here she is!] Barov moaned in his heart. [Not even using honorifics.]

[Of course, Edith is the daughter of Duke of the Northern Region, a status much
higher than mine. Before I became the real Hand of the King, she could address me
by name without using any respectful form. But no matter what, I'm about half a
mentor to her, because His Majesty arranged for her to be an assistant to learn the
departmental framework and government process of the City Hall in my office. Yet it
seems she doesn't think so.]

"Um... okay, that's fine," he said involuntarily.

No matter how reluctant he felt, he could not find any mistake in Miss Kant's
behavior. If he repeatedly rejected her, he would appear in the wrong. Especially
at this crucial moment, he could not risk leaving any bad impression on His
Majesty.

He should never forget that Roland Wimbledon was a man with great insight.

"Thanks."

Soon, rustling sounds of writing came from the opposite desk.

Several minutes later, Edith put the recruitment order back onto Barov's desk.

"Judging from the drafts I went through recently, such recruitment orders usually
require the personnel to be reliable and have a clean slate, but there aren't many
such candidates left in the Border Area. Compared with posting recruitment
bulletins on the square and asking for the candidates to apply for work at the City
Hall, it'd be better if we extract the files of registered residence in the
archives and select 100 unemployed locals. The Ministry of Justice is a large
department in the City Hall. It provides relatively good salary and welfare. I
think no one would turn down such a job offer. In this way, we'll save about a week
over recruiting through normal procedures, and will, in turn, decrease the
complaints from Chief Knight. If you approve it, I'll reply it on this recruitment
order and give it to the archives."

Her voice was clear and sensible. It was hard to imagine that she joined City Hall
only two weeks ago.

In the beginning, she was just quietly sitting aside and watching Barov review
documents, seldom saying anything. But now, she could handle all sorts of affairs
in the City Hall with high proficiency.
"Um... do it your way then."

For the moment, Barov could not find a better solution than Edith's suggestion.
With his tight schedule, it would be possible that he ignored such petty things and
just handled it in the usual way.

[Is this how a successor turned out to be after growing up in a duke's mansion and
educated by the upper-level noble?]

Barov felt greatly threatened.

Yes, honorifics and respect were just minor details. What he really cared about was
the power in his hands. [Now the propaganda that calls for submission is all over
the Northern Region. If Edith is sent by His Majesty as an assistant to help set up
a secondary City Hall in the Northern Region in the future, it would be no big
deal. But what if she stays?]

[His Majesty is not yet married, and Edith is the daughter of a duke!]

At this thought, Barov could not help but feel distressed.

[This won't work. I must make her know that the management work in the City Hall
can't be mastered that easily. His Majesty needs a minister who's able to take the
whole situation into account.]

When Edith returned to the office, Barov cleared his throat and handed her a
statistics form.

"What's... "

"We're in trouble," Barov said with a low voice. "The grain stock in City of
Neverwinter might not last until the wheat bumper harvest day."

"Um, is it caused by an overflow of population?" Edith glanced at the form and

said, "According to the consumption rate, the remaining grain should be able to
last until the end of the summer. We can harvest the spring wheat in the middle of
July. It should be enough if we stop accepting new refugees."

"But the City Hall can't stop accepting new refugees."

"Because of the population target of 100,000 set by His Majesty?"

"No, that's not the point," Barov said while shaking his head. "There's still a
constant flow of refugees from both the east and south sides of the country to the
gathering place. If we abandon them, not only will Redwater City and Willow Town
face the risk of a riot, but also the image we worked hard to build up will be
destroyed overnight. If we ever want to recruit refugees again, it'll be very
difficult. His Majesty once revealed to me that the realization of his development
plan needs a large number of people. 100,000 subjects are just the beginning, so
the City Hall won't disrupt His Majesty's plan because of the grain problem. We
must tackle this problem and it's also my responsibility as a minister." He paused,
and then looked at Edith Kant. "Do you have any good ideas?"

Chapter 570: Edith's Reasons

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

In a sense, there was no solution to this problem.

The reason lay in the fact that the total amount of grain was limited. After the
Months of Demons, the circulating grain in the kingdom would enter a state of
shortage. Grain prices would definitely soar, and there would be none to be found
in the market. The grain shortage could not be relieved until the new wheat was
harvested. Autumn was the season in which grain was most frequently traded. After
that, when the Months of Demons began, the situation would just worsen again.

Of course, the grain transactions were usually among businessmen and nobles. As for
those penniless refugees and Rats, they would have to get through the winter with
an empty stomach regardless the amount of wheat present.

According to Barov's years' worth of experience as an assistant minister,

businessmen in the major cities were waiting for the ears of wheat to mature.
Before that, they were unlikely to sell the grains at hand in large amounts. What
remained in their hands might be enough to feed a few thousands of people, but
never for ten thousands of people.

"Since we can't find more resources, we need to tighten the consumption.

"Cut the city's grain supply and reduce each person's quota for daily purchase.
Change the subjects' diet from bread to oatmeal, and keep it that way till the day
of bumper harvest. Those are the possible suggestions that Edith is going to make.

"Then I can refute her suggestions for the following reasons: they're against His
Majesty's grain promises; they're contrary to the kingdom's intrinsic values; they
might cause food panic and so on.

"Judging by Edith's expression, and reading the list with her eyebrows raised, I
know she must feel it troublesome.

"It won't be long before she asks for my advice."

Thinking of this, Barov could not help but touch his beard. The so-called 'taking
the whole situation into account' not only meant that the minister needed to be
skilled and experienced in governmental affairs, but also needed to clearly know
about the characteristics of the city. For example, when he was in King's City, he
could recite the prices of the Alchemist Workshop's specialties, and the amount of
Silver City's monthly silver ore shipment without hesitation. All those numbers
could not be remembered in a short time.

The characteristic of City of Neverwinter was the witches.

Barov knew a green-haired woman called Leaf in the Witch Union who could make the
wheat grow at an inconceivable rate. If not caring about the maintenance of the
land, she could make the wheat ready for reaping within one day, and the ears they
produced were not something that Golden Ones could compare to.

In other words, they only needed to ask her to manage a piece of wheat field for
rapid production, and then the grain shortage could be easily solved.

Of course, he also knew that His Majesty had asked Leaf to control Misty Forest in
the west, so as to build the early warning defensive line against demons. Given the
emergence of such enemies, it needed several years, and so it would not matter much
if Leaf took two to three months off.

But there was no way that Edith could know that information.

Even if she was super talented and took part in managing the Northern Region
affairs since adulthood, there was no way that she could clearly know the city
which was completely strange to her half a month ago, not to mention to know the
abilities of each witch.

Also, she could not understand why the office of the Ministry of Education was
adjacent to the archives, why the Minister of Education often appeared in the
archives and had the authority to look at all the documents.

After a long while, Edith put down the list and slightly smirked.

"Actually, it's not a big deal."

"Em..." Barov nodded, then startled. "What?"

"Before the development of Deepvalley Town, most of the land in the Northern Region
wasn't fit for wheat plantation. In every spring, grain shortage used to be very
severe in this area, so the local lord set eyes on the Eastern Region and Kingdom
of Dawn."

"You mean..." He suddenly realized something.

"Since they couldn't grow enough nor purchase any, the only choice left for them
was to rob," Edith said with an easy tone. "Isn't it exactly the situation we're
in? His Majesty's army is attacking Fallen Dragon Ridge. I heard Countess Spear's
brother won over a lot of the local nobles in order to resist her. Is that right?
Now that we have both the reasons and the means, we should directly go there and
kill them one by one. Guess how many gold royals and grain is hidden in their
basements."

"There's only a grain shortage because the amount circulating is too few. As a
matter of fact, most of the grain output in the kingdom has been divided and taken
by the nobles. They use that grain to control the freemen and farmers in their
domains, and to earn many gold royals in a lean year." She did not talk fast, but
yet her voice gave Barov a chill. "If we rake over Fallen Dragon Ridge, I think the
problem of ten thousands of people's food will naturally be solved. If not, there
are several cities in the Southeast Region awaiting His Majesty's ransack.

"But they're all nobles..." Barov shut his mouth before finishing talking. "That's
right... After His Majesty took over the Southern Territory, they stopped being
nobles. As long as we act fast enough, the captured grain will be able to refill
the granary of City of Neverwinter."

Besides, different from King's City, Fallen Dragon Ridge has completely fallen into
His Majesty's control, which is also the crucial pass on the way to the Southern
Territory. By then, not only will the City Hall send people to assist Countess
Spear to establish a new government, but the inner city will also adopt the laws,
urban planning, and education system of City of Neverwinter.

What confused Barov was how Edith could accept His Majesty's will of eliminating
the nobles so quickly. Even for himself, it would take a much longer time to get
used to wholeheartedly supporting His Majesty's orders... let alone her who was the
successor to the Duke of the Northern Region.

*******************

Edith returned to the Foreign Affairs Building. Pushing open the door, she saw Cole
crouching on the desk and flipping through a thin book.

"What's that?"
"Um... I bought it from the convenience market. It looks like a picture book but it
has stories. It's very interesting." The brother looked up. "You look happy."

"Do I?" Edith asked.

"In City of Evernight, you rarely smiled like this," Cole said, smirking. "Are we
really not going back?"

"Only temporarily. Until father replies, His Majesty should allow you to return to
the Northern Region." Edith sat down in front of him, closed the book to look at
its cover and saw the words printed "The Witch Diaries".

"What about you then?"

"I'm going to stay here."

"Why?" Cold asked in bewilderment. "Is the City Hall that interesting?"

"What's interesting isn't the City Hall, but Roland Wimbledon's City Hall." She
corrected him, smilingly. "Do you know how I got things done in City of Evernight?"

"You only had to tell father and it was done."

"More or less. I just gave an order, and then naturally there would be people who
did it for me. When I think back to it, they did that not because of me, but
because of my identity. They knew father would follow my suggestions... Of course,
this only worked in the Kant Family's manor," Edith said with great enthusiasm,
"but here, my identity not only doesn't help but rather hampers. There is barely
any noble in the City Hall, and no one actually cares whether I'm the daughter of
the Duke of the Northern Region. Everybody is relying on his or her own
capabilities. Do you understand what I mean?"

Cole shook his head.

"People are willing to listen to you, not because who you are, but because what
you're capable of. This rule applies even out of your manor. His Majesty is right
about one thing: Feudalism seems to give the nobles great power, but it also set an
upper limit for their power. Judging from the current situation, His Majesty is
totally capable of enlarging his domain into the entire continent, then the City
Hall will turn into a huge institution, and its prefecture will expand into every
corner of Graycastle. As long as you're recognized in this organization, this
entire kingdom might just operate based on one word you said. So, why would I
settle for that small manor?

Chapter 571: The Duke and Father

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

"Edith, you cruel wretch!" Calvin, Duke of the Northern Region grabbed the teacup
on the table, wanting to smash it onto the ground but suddenly stopped with his
hand in the air. He felt a little reluctant since the cup was made of the best
quality crystal glass and worth two or three gold royals.

After a thought, he gradually lowered his hand and put the cup back on the table.
Needing to worry about such minor gains and losses made him even more depressed.

Edith's letter was also put on the table. He could not believe what was written in
it. Out of his expectation, His Majesty wanted to reclaim the power of the noble
and his daughter who had always brought him profits before promised the king
without hesitation this time. Besides, she even persuaded him to recognize the fact
and stop resisting in the letter.

He felt that the way she wrote to him as if she was talking to a captive.

The duke thought bitterly that his daughter must be helping the others rather than
her own father.

The guard outside the door probably heard the noise and looked in, asking, "My
lord, what happened?"

"Get out, leave me alone!"

As Calvin was unwilling to vent his anger on the cup, he took out his fury on this
guard who swiftly closed the door. The duke panted for a long time before he could
return his gaze to the letter.

As he had eliminated the Howes Family and Lista Family, he finally was in complete
control of the whole Northern Region now. If he chose to accept His Majesty's
requirements, he would no longer be the lord of the Northern Region, at least, no
longer the ruler who dictated in this region. He thought he would return to his
original point, or even worse.

But if he did not accept his daughter's suggestion, what would happen?

Edith also described the result of this choice in the letter.

"If you choose to do so, Cole and I will be doomed. He'll be held captive in the
prison forever, just like the heir of Duke Ryan. As for me, I'll end up even worse.
What do you think Prince Roland will do to a defenseless daughter of a duke? I can
list a series of torturing methods that'll excite a man without too many efforts.
When he got tired of me, I'd be put into his dungeon or battalion and your Pearl of
Northern Region will be covered with dust forever.

However, instead of worrying about me, you'd better worry about yourself first,
since his army will besiege your city and your feudatory and knights can hardly
resist for half a day. After that, it's impossible for you to be an ordinary
person, let alone a duke. How is it? Are you going to make such an unwise choice?"

Calvin was familiar with this tone and he could even picture his daughter writing
the letter with a sneer on her face. Whenever it came to failure, she would always
describe her fate in an extremely cold tone as if she was waiting for the moment
all the time and when she talked that way, Calvin was immediately swamped. He knew
that she was apparently threatening him, but he could not lift his spirit up to
scold her.

After all Edith Kant was his own daughter and the only child he had with his first
wife.

Despite the fact that Edith exaggerated the matter, he still had to admit the
possibility.

He himself had also heard lots about that dandy Prince Roland.
The duke gradually calmed down at this thought.

But he was still wondering whether the black steel machines were as incredible as
she depicted or not.

He thought in surprise, [Edith used three sheets of paper to write the letter, and
among them, she used a whole sheet of paper to describe what she had seen in Border
Town, oh no, in City of Neverwinter.]

The description was even twice as much as that of His Majesty Roland.

Edith claimed that the super powerful machines beyond imagination could easily
complete tasks that were considered to be impossible by the ordinary people and
that if they surrendered to the new king, the Northern Region would be able to
import those black iron machines which would bring an earthshaking change to their
domain.

Calvin could tell from the description that Edith thought highly of the machines.

In the last part of the letter, she suggested that Calvin should send His Majesty a
formal document to take an oath of allegiance and to show the submission of the
Northern Region to the new king, and meanwhile, dispatch servants who could read
and write to learn the rules and regulations of the City Hall, getting the domain
prepared for the new system.

"Besides, I sincerely hope that you can order Cole to stay in City of Neverwinter
instead of calling him back to the Northern Region, which will do him no good at
all. If you agree, you can also send Lance here when he reaches an adult age. Given
that the noble titles can no longer be inherited, only the men who well adapt to
the new system of His Majesty can succeed the Kant Family and keep it thriving.

Your daughter, Edith"

After reading the letter, Calvin heaved a long sigh and put it away. He spread a
new sheet of white paper.

Thinking that as Edith had already made the decision, he had to believe her and
write His Majesty a letter showing his loyalty to the new King's City.

However, as a duke, he had to make his last efforts to ensure the family's profits.
He believed that he would feel much relieved if he could bind the two families'
interests together.

Such as... something like a marriage which would make his own daughter the queen.

*******************

By the Redwater River, Border Area, City of Neverwinter.

The sun was sinking into the mountains bit by bit, leaving the river afire with
golden light.

Smoke rose in front of the shacks, and a faint smell of porridge made Snaketooth's
mouth begin to water.

As he got closer, he could even smell meat.

"I'm back!" He caught Tigerclaw's attention as soon as he stepped into the

battalion. Tigerclaw said, "Come up here quickly!"
Snaketooth swiftly walked to him and asked, "What? We have meat today?"

"Yes, you come back late, so you've missed the message. This is granted by the
lord."

Snaketooth rubbed his sore shoulders and said, "What for? You guys still need a
long time to finish the construction of the residential area, right?

"It's for the completion of the Kingdom Main Street! Now the Border Area and the
Longsong Area are finally connected together. I've heard that now it takes only one
day to get to the Longsong Area riding a horse. In the past, it would take three
days," someone nearby came up and said.

Hearing that, Snaketooth nodded his head. Every time when a major project was
finished, they would get a bowl of meat porridge, just like what he had heard
before in the square. He had been in the Border Area for two months, during which
the construction platoon had never canceled a meal or deducted salaries. Now, he
had already accumulated 14 silver royals and would get 7 more in the end of this
month.

When his savings reached one gold royal, he could get a house from the City Hall
and become an official resident of City of Neverwinter instead of a Rat, a nobody.

However, to own that house, he still had to work for at least 20 more years.

Nevertheless, he was confident that he could find a better-paid job, such as a

furnace worker or a bricklayer.

Everything seemed to get better.

But he had not met Paper yet.

"When you get the meat porridge, remember to eat fast. Otherwise, you can't get a
good seat," Tigerclaw whispered in his ear.

"What... seat?" Snaketooth was confused and asked.

"To celebrate the completion of the Kingdom Main Street, a new drama will be played
in the square. I heard it's called 'The City of Love' and the Star of Western
Region will be on the stage too. Oh my goodness... I can't wait to see it!"

"Go to see it with someone else. I'm tired and don't feel like going anywhere
today," Snaketooth said in low spirits.

"Really? It's the premiere." Tigerclaw paused and then smiled meaningfully, adding,
"All the locals know that the lord will take the witches to see the premiere of the
Star Flower Troupe. Maybe you can see Paper there!"

Chapter 572: The Song of Praise

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

By the time when Snaketooth and Tigerclaw came to the square, a huge crowd of
people had already gathered up there. Snaketooth had never seen so many people get
together in one place, even when Longsong Stronghold was distributing relief
grains.

He counted roughly and estimated that there were probably over 5,000 people came to
watch the play.

The square which used to be just a flat land was changed into a giant, sunken bowl
in the ground, which was called an amphitheater. According to the locals, this was
the third time that the square was rebuilt. Generally speaking, such a huge project
would take one or two years to complete, but this amphitheater had been built in
merely half a month and during the time, nobody had ever seen where the soil dug
out went.

In this amphitheater, the audience could sit on the stone steps to watch the play,
instead of standing until their legs were numb. It also enabled the audience to
have a better view, as long as you could find a seat. As for those who came late,
they could still stand on their tiptoes around the square to have a look.

Tigerclaw squeezed into the last row of the stone stairs and made a space enough
for two people, saying, "Not so bad. We still make it."

Snaketooth clutched a cloth bag to his chest and sat beside his friend with great
care. As the bag contained all his savings in the past two months, he had to be
alert in such a crowded place. In the Longsong Area, at places like this one, Rats
would be on the spree. Though the Border Area had no Rats now, he still felt that
he needed to watch out for the Rats who were "temporarily transferred to civilian
work".

When the last afterglow of the sunset melted into the darkness of the night, there
were only several burning torches giving light to the square. The stage was still
enveloped in darkness. Snaketooth could not help but feel quite strange when he
found that nobody came to light up the bonfire and that there was no firewood in
the center of the square.

He could not help wondering how they were going to play without firelight.

Suddenly, a bright beam of light shone on the stage. It was dazzling but Snaketooth
soon got used to this pure light. Then the second and the third beam of light
appeared, gradually lighting up the stage. Gasps of amazement that were produced by
the audience reverberated over the square.

"They're the lights used in the plants!" he thought.

"Oh, my goodness! Nightless light! They bring nightless lights here!"

Rumor had it that it was a magic light that trapped the lightning of the sky in an
expensive crystal glass bulb. Snaketooth had only seen it several times when he
passed by the industrial district.

"Nightless light? Come on, it's called electric light and consumes electricity.
It's made by the machines created by the witches! His Majesty planned to have every
household equipped with electric lights, but the witch who provided electricity was
unable to support so many lights. That's why only the plants are using this kind of
lights now." Someone nearby snorted and said.

"How do you know that?" Tigerclaw asked with interest.

That person shrugged and said, "You aren't official residents of City of
Neverwinter, right? The City Hall has done propaganda about electricity to tell us
how to use the electric lights safely. They're like fire. If you don't use them
properly, it'll cause disaster."

"Not like thunder?"

"Uhm... almost the same. Don't bother so much. When you become subjects of His
Majesty and finish the primary education, you'll understand."

"Is there any way that I can become a formal subject faster? What's the primary
education?"

Snaketooth asked and wanted to ask more questions, but Tigerclaw suddenly grabbed
him up when the crowd burst into deafening cheers.

The Star Flower Troupe stepped on the stage.

"Ms. May! Ms. May!"

"Ms. Irene!"

"Mr. Gait!"

The crowd cried out the names of the troupe members and the atmosphere reached a
crescendo.

Seeing that, Snaketooth was filled with admiration suddenly.

He wanted to become someone like them, the focus of people's eyes. He wanted the
audience to cry out his name loudly... They were neither nobles nor sages. They
were not out of reach.

After the cheers died down, the play began.

This was the first time for Snaketooth to watch a drama played by Star and Flower
of the Western Region. He never thought that he would be interested in such an
elegant event usually enjoyed by the nobles, but when the music started, he was
absorbed into the story without noticing it.

The leading roles of the story were not the nobles.

Instead, they were just ordinary people like himself... a free citizen, a refugee
and a Rat.

They had both dreams for their future and misfortunes in their own lives. They all
fetched up simultaneously at the same city, Star City. They met and helped each
other. They confided their thoughts to each other. They suffered from the pain of
leaving their hometowns and the sense of loss in the new city. After that, they
pulled themselves together and found their own ways.

Nothing could be heard except the lines of the actors and actresses on the square.
All the audience held their breath, as they were deeply involved in the story
played on the stage.

At last, the roles on the stage finally settled down in Star City and lived
comfortably ever after. Strangers that had helped each other in the past became
friends and lovers in the end. Snaketooth felt being touched when a moving music
was played. He pretended to rub his eyes to hide his tears and meanwhile found out
that Tigerclaw was all tears though he did not look sad.

He was not the only one moved that much. Everyone around was just like him, lost in
that moving story. No one had risen to cheer until the end of the play.

Even if no one said it out, everyone knew it clearly that the "Star City" was City
of Neverwinter.

Snaketooth was lost in thought, [Even a Rat could have such a story?]

Right at the moment, a foreign-looking girl from behind the background plate
stepped on the stage.

Like someone in a delicate painting, she was tall and had waist-length long bluish-
gray hair, wearing a white dress which glinted.

She started to sing.

Totally different from the music played before, her song was powerful, praising the
great and glorious workers. She sang in a way different from all the other female
singers. She was inspiring and encouraging. Hearing her song, Snaketooth felt that
he could even see his own sweats in the distant residential buildings and that all
the foreigners who devoted themselves into the construction of this city deserved
to be remembered.

The impact and emotions brought by the play were finally released at this moment.
The audience flipped out and applauded with their greatest strength. The song
promptly made their emotions run even higher!

They were all His Majesty's subjects!

The glorious workers!

The builders of City of Neverwinter!

...

After the show, His Majesty left with the witches via a raised platform which was
built for temporary use. Snaketooth opened his eyes widely but still failed to find
Paper in the crowd. Surprisingly, he did not feel as disappointed as he expected,
since the song still reverberated in his ears, filling his heart with hope.

He believed that they would meet again sooner or later.

Like those foreigners, they would meet again right in this city.

Chapter 573: The Battle of Fallen Dragon Ridge

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

BOOM!

When the fire blasted out of the 152 shipboard artillery, Iron Axe felt the steel
ship he stood on wobble slightly.

A few seconds later, a cloud of smoke and dust exploded on the foreign city wall,
and then the roar quieted down for a while. After all the smoke and dust dispersed,
he looked through the telescope and found that there was a now big crack in the
lower portion of the stone wall.

Different from King's City, Fallen Dragon Ridge seldom encountered attacks from
external enemies, being located in the central south of the kingdom. Thus, its city
wall was quite low, not even half as high as that of Longsong Stronghold. The
narrow wall at the top allowed only one person to pass, and they could not set up
large defense equipment like mangonels. Therefore, the Artillery Squad had expanded
field artilleries to the open space 500 meters away from the wall.

To make sure that the several hundred soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion could
enter the city efficiently, Iron Axe decided to make three openings in the city
wall before action. Any enemies trying to fill in and defend the open spots would
be bombarded mercilessly by the twelve pounds cannons. Now that the gate and the
north wall had been chiseled through, he would make a final command to attack once
they seized the last entrance.

[If only the witches could've come with the army,] Iron Axe thought rather
regretfully. It was a waste to use these precious shells on the stones.

If Lady Nightingale were here, they would only need three packs of explosives to
destroy the whole city wall. After all, their defense was much weaker than King
City's.

He was amused to realize the change in his belief. Half a year ago, he had insisted
that the army should complete His Majesty's task independently. However, after
conquering King's City with the help of the Witch Union, it suddenly occurred to
him that the perfect way to fight was to use witches as their eyes or commandos.

"Sir!" a soldier on the observatory shouted. "Attention to the gate! They seem to
be gathering horses!"

Iron Axe looked at the ruined gate through his telescope. With limited vision, he
could only vaguely see the dust behind the wall.

"Do I need to adjust the naval artillery and fire in that direction?" Van'er asked.

"Not necessary. It'll waste at least two or three more shells." He shook his head
and said, "Since they're horses, I think their plan is to gather knights and try to
open the blockade line of field artillery through assault. There is nothing to
worry about. While for you..." Iron Axe turned back to see Countess Spear. "After
this assault, I'm afraid there will not be many knights left in your domain."

"They decided to stand on my brother's side. These people are no longer my

knights." She answered quietly. "That's the price they have to pay for their
betrayal."

"I see." Iron Axe paused for a moment and said, "Have you decided what to do with
Redwyne Passi?"

Yesterday, he received a secret letter from the City Hall, which demanded all the
noble except Spear's relatives to be escorted to City of Neverwinter. Anyone who
resisted would be executed on the spot, and their domain would be blocked by the
First Army. The officers from the City Hall would arrive and seize their
properties.

Based on that letter, the nobles would probably be sentenced to the mines with
heavy labor. Currently several mines in Stronghold Area lacked sufficient labor
forces. There should be hundreds of people, including family members, cronies and
servants. It appeared there would be more iron ores in City of Neverwinter this
year.

As for the culprit, Redwyne Passi, the letter instructed that he should be handed
over to the countess herself.

The hesitation on Spear's face showed that she had not made a decision yet.

Iron Axe sighed in silence. If he were her, he would chop off his head without
hesitation. Nothing was more unforgivable than betrayal.

"They're coming!" the observer shouted suddenly.

Putting aside these trifles, he continued to look at the battlefield through the
telescope.

As he had expected, a group of knights rushed out from the gate heading directly to
the edge of the artillery field.

The sound of gunshots suddenly echoed in the wilderness and forest. Puffs of smoke
floated in the air in front of the battlefield. More than 20 knights and their
squires fell down to the muddy ground in succession after rushing out less than 100
meters.

If Duke Ryan had led his troops to attack Border Town, the knightage might have
still been able to cause a small threat to the First Army by acting in unison.
However, now these iron turtles were almost living targets with no ability to
strike back.

Revolving rifles and two HMGs (heavy machine gun)alone could firmly block the
enemies on their way to attack. The field artillery did not even need to reload
with grapeshots.

After another round of shots from the naval artillery, the thin wall finally
collapsed. Iron Axe commanded to blow the whistle and attack immediately.

Soldiers in the Vanguard Battalion poured out from the alignment and separated into
three groups targeting to the three openings.

The battle for recovering Fallen Dragon Ridge had officially been launched.

...

Two hours later, the First Army took the castles and churches.

The enemies had been too frightened of the booming weapons for any resistance. The
last batch of knights who were destroyed immediately when they left the gate were
all the soldiers Redwyne could gather.

The church people did not show up at all, and all the goods and materials were
cleared. Priest Rosad was also missing.

There was no secret tunnel or hidden side door in Fallen Dragon Ridge and there was
no way to escape in a city of this kind, which was backed up by the mountains.
Soldiers searched for the usurper and blocked him at the top level of the castle.

Iron Axe commanded to take away the ministers who were on their knees begging for
mercy and ordered the soldiers to leave Countess Spear and her brother alone in the
chamber. Of course, Redwyne was tied to the chair tightly, so he could not do any
harm to the countess.

"I don't understand..." Spear said after a long silence. "What can you gain by
being the lord? Our little brother and you know nothing about administration or
trading. Even if you sit in this position, you just hand over your power to other
feudatories. You think I'm less important to you than those strangers, don't you?"

"You're a witch, a demon's underling!" Redwyne craned his neck, crying. "Father was
wrong about you. You cheated him!"

"But I'm still your sister!"

"You aren't!" He gritted his teeth and said, "You're just the bastard adopted by
father!"

"Wh-what?" Spear was stunned.

"I heard with my own ears when he was drunk. You were the mistake he made when he
was young. And you aren't a Passi!" Redwyne shouted with anger. "Why is it that you
should inherit the family instead of me? I'm just taking back what was supposed to
belong to me. You're the real stranger!"

Spear covered her head but she could not remember anything about her childhood.
"The mistake he made?"

"If not, why do you look so different from mother? Can't you remember how you came
to Fallen Dragon Ridge?"

"So... you are not my brother either."

"Exactly, I'm the true heir of my family, the Earl of Fallen Dragon Ridge! Release
me immediately. I demand to be treated as a nobleman!"

Spear stumbled out the chamber. Iron Axe held her promptly and said, "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "Send my, no, send Redwyne Passi to City of
Neverwinter. He has lost his mind. The mine is where he should be."

"As your wish." Iron Axe answered and nodded with agreement.

Chapter 574: The Expansion of Education

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Summer began with a heavy rain.

Raindrops spattered on the windows, making the outside scenery a blur. One could
only distinguish between the town and the remote mountains through the silhouette
of the colors.

Standing in front of the French window and looking at the blurry sceneries in the
rain, Roland still felt the singing of "The City of Love" reverberating in his
ears.

He did not expect that, combined with Echo's ability, the first drama show
performed three days ago could have such a striking effect.

The whole room had fallen into silence when the show finished. The audience had
been so touched that their eyes had been filled with tears. Roland thought this
scene could only be seen in the high-end opera house of the era where he came from.
Even the audiences in the commercial cinemas aimed at the masses of his era could
seldom be moved that much, let alone the ordinary people who lived in this backward
era.

Even Roland himself who had seen all the scenes that made people shed tears, could
feel the shudder deep down in his heart.

That was the strength of the "Resonance Song".

Roland recognized the importance of the inspirational singing during an enduring

war in which the machines would not tire, but people would. Even if the guns and
ammunition could be unceasingly transported to the battlefield, people would still
be struck down by the endless pressure of survival, especially when the tide of
battle was unfavorable and the army suffered heavy casualties. This kind of emotion
was easily magnified, causing the soldiers to lose their faith in the ultimate
victory.

Throughout history, people had thought many methods to boost the morale of the
army. This first type of method included making sure the soldiers could eat as much
hot food as possible or air dropping ice cream. The second type was assigning a
commissar or an army chaplain to go with the army. But these methods were
impractical for Roland. The former required a very good logistical supply ability
and the latter was hard, in such a short period of time, to cultivate a group of
core members who had strong faith that were also good at encouraging people.

Echo's ability let him see a shortcut to boosting morale.

It might sound a little absurd, but it was more reliable compared with other
methods.

While he was thinking, he heard a knock on the office's door and then Barov walked
in.

"Your Majesty, the recent house purchase statistics are available now."

"What's the result?"

"Just as you expected." He excitedly unfolded a list on the mahogany table. "Since
the first night of the new drama, people who come to the City Hall to apply for
house renting and purchasing has significantly increased, even the people who apply
for marriage registration has increased a lot too."

"Really?" Roland went back to the table to look at Barov's statistics. "The City of
Love" was not just meaningless entertainment. Apart from advocating that labor was
glorious and construction was great, it also transmitted another opinion which
linked marriage with a stable residence. Instead of letting the outsiders develop a
sense of belonging slowly and making the locals accept those foreigners step by
step through daily contact, it was better if he set a simple standard himself to
advance the fusion of the refugees.

That standard was housing.

"You're one of us if you have a house in our place." This saying might seem a bit
rude, but it saved a lot of time in this special period.

To gain people's recognition and build up their own families, the foreigners had to
have a house. And once they owned real estate here, they would defend everything in
this place voluntarily. Of course, these ideas were unsuitable to speak out
directly, but they would be naturally born in mind by the audience seeing the drama
stories.
It was just like diamonds.

The classics advertising verbal�s "A diamond lasts forever" made it the king of
jewelry, and everyone would want one when they got married, making people
completely forget its true nature which was not rare or precious.

Compared with diamonds, housing at least was far more practical.

However, in order to realize his goals, he could not set a too high standard,
making people feel it was impossible to reach. In his city, now people could apply
for renting a house with one gold royal and after that, they only needed to pay one
gold royal as rent every year. When the rent they paid equaled to the house price,
the house would belong to the renter spontaneously.

The target was not easy to achieve, as even the cheapest single room would cost 20
gold royals. That meant all the workers, for example, the temporary workers and
handymen, would take 20 years to afford such a house which was less than 15 square
meters and could only contain one bed, one table and one bathroom. People would
call him a black-hearted realtor in the era where Roland came from.

All in all, according to Barov's statistics, "The City of Love" was undoubtedly
successful in promoting his idea.

Most of the renting applications came from the several batches refugees and serfs
who arrived in the Border Area first, and house purchase requests were mostly
proposed by the craftsmen with higher salaries and the broken nobles who had
carried properties with them. After they all settled down here, they would become
part of the City of Neverwinter forever.

Based on this successful experience, Roland had already figured out the contents of
a new drama whose theme was getting married and working hard to buy a big house.

"Well done." He rolled up the list and gave it to Barov. "Besides, the recent
solicitation of the refugees should continue to expand its scope, the plentiful
population is the base for the development of the City of Neverwinter and other
tasks can be put aside for it."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Barov laughed till his mustache was curled up.

"By the way, go and get Scroll. I have something to tell her."

...

"Your Majesty, did you want to see me?" Scroll walked into the office in a black
skirt and white blouse, looking very capable.

"I want to expand the education scope, which will cover the refugees who have just
arrived at the City of Neverwinter." Roland poured a cup of tea for her. "If the
education only aims at the official citizens, the refugees would have to wait at
least one more year to receive primary education."

"I'm afraid this is untenable now," Scroll said after several minutes
consideration. "There're too many of them. The current teacher couldn't take care
of them all and the classrooms are not enough either. If we do as you ask, the
number of the education ministry's staff would need to be doubled or tripled."

"I have a method which can reduce the teachers' pressure." Roland paused for a
while and continued, "Let them study by themselves."
"Self-study?"

"Yes, every week we give one public lecture which only teaches them the basic
reading and writing, and let them use the booklets with pictures and pronunciations
to do some exercises by themselves in the rest of the time. There are no
achievement tests and no mandatory requirements, and they learn according to their
own free will."

"This..." She ran her fingers through her hair which was soaked wet by the rain
unconsciously. "It's unlikely to have any effect. Your Majesty, without
supervision, nine out of ten people won't learn well."

"It doesn't matter. I just want to offer them an opportunity," Roland laughed and
said.

There was always someone who was unsatisfied with boring, low-paid jobs and was
eager to achieve their goals quickly. In order to prevent these people from
stepping aside, he must guide them to improve themselves in the right way.

In the future, more and more jobs would have literacy requirements, and the
salaries for these jobs would be much higher than the handymen's. Given that, for
those who wanted to buy a house and get rid of their poor and exhausting lives, it
would be a better choice for them to learn how to read and write by themselves.

Through this method, those hardworking people could participate in the city's
construction quickly.

To keep the new regime's vitality, the most important thing was never, ever
blocking the way of promotion from the bottom layer.

That was what Roland believed.

Chapter 575: Wendy's Expectation

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Wendy woke up and found that after a whole night, the rain had finally stopped.

She yawned and got out of the bed. The moment she pushed open the window, the sweet
fragrance of wet soil swarmed into the room. After the rainfall, the garden was a
bright shade of green and she could see droplets of water falling from the olive
leaves near the window. The morning's gentle sunshine shone on the wet grass
reflecting gleams of light.

A new day had begun.

After putting on her undergarments and coat, she went back to the bedside and
patted Nightingale's cheeks, saying, "Time to get up."

Nightingale gave an obscure snort, and buried her face in the pillow.

Only in times like this, would she expose herself defenselessly, instead of hiding
in the Mist. Wendy smiled and shook her head. "Then I'll go eat breakfast first."

Nightingale's ears moved slightly, like unconscious trembles, but Wendy knew she
had heard.

She gently closed the door and went to the bathroom to wash up before she walked
toward the hall to enjoy breakfast.

The chefs always woke up extremely early since they had to prepare food for
everyone before daybreak. The firewood in the oven could burn for a long time, so
there was no need to worry about the food getting cold half way. If she wanted to
eat something, she could just grab a bowl and spoon and fetch it in the kitchen.
His Majesty said it was called buffet and it seemed to be a very common dining
style for him, but for her, this kind of life could be called extravagant.

In the Witch Cooperation Association, Wendy had never thought that one day she
could eat as much as she wanted. Back then they were lucky to have sufficient food
to eat, let alone to pay any attention to the taste, as the food was never enough.

But now, there were three or four dishes just for breakfast every day, such as
porridge, toast, dried fish and fried eggs.

Even though she had been living in the castle for nearly a year, she still felt
extreme satisfaction and happiness every time she ate.

Meanwhile, she was very grateful to the person who had brought all these things to
the witches and let her sisters live a free life.

When Wendy picked up her bowl in the dining room, there was no one in the hall,
just several used plates on the long table. Obviously, she was not the first to
eat. The Witch Union had never set a time to wake up, so everyone came to enjoy
breakfast one after another. Lightning and Maggie were always the first to leave
the castle, followed by another group including Anna, Agatha, Lucia and others. She
was usually between the two.

Nightingale was always the last.

This was because His Majesty loved to sleep late. When there was nothing urgent, he
would get up at noon to deal with the government affairs. Nightingale was
influenced by him.

She had once been the most discrete and acute person in the Witch Cooperation
Association, alerted by even a small movement.

However, Wendy did not think this was a bad thing.

...

After breakfast, she went to the first floor of the Witch Building. This place had
been transformed into the Witch Union's office.

Ring walked toward her as soon as she entered. "Sister Wendy, you're here!"

"Hello, Lady Wendy."

"Good morning ladies."

Another two young women from the City Hall bowed to her. They had graduated from
the institute which was originally founded by Karl Van Bate. They barely counted as
Anna's and Nana's classmates and had no prejudice towards witches. The older one
was Pearl and the younger one was Grayrabbit. Together with Lucia's little sister
Ring, they formed the first clerks of the Witch Union's.

Of course, since Ring was under 14, she was just a fill-in for now.
Anyway, the jobs here were very easy, and she could consider it as extra education.

With the clerks' help, the Witch Union was finally getting on track.

"Good morning." Wendy nodded, sitting by the desk. "How are the sales of the first
volume of "The Witch Diaries"?"

"Very popular," Pearl smiled and said, "and people love the story of Border Town's
little angel, especially the soldiers from the First Army. They come to buy it
almost every day. This week we almost sold more than 60 copies a day. At this rate,
we may sell out the 1,000 copies we originally printed within half a month."

Hearing that, Wendy was a little surprised. After all, as a book which was purely
for entertainment, "The Witch Diaries" could not feed people or help them with
their studies, but yet it could sell this well at such a high price. It was
incredible.

The idea was originally put forward by His Majesty.

As a drama trilogy with an intricate plot and moving stories, "The Witch Diaries"
had been praised by the City of Neverwinter's subjects. So, His Majesty decided to
follow the pattern of the drama and illustrate the witches' life stories in the
form of pictures to sell it in the Convenience Market's boutique. But unlike the
drama, this time all the major characters in the stories were witches from the
Union, and apart from the exquisite pictures, it also had some designed dialogues,
making the readers feel as if they were watching a real drama play on the paper.

The main character of the first volume was Miss Nana Pine.

The 15-year-old girl had already been very famous in Border Town, with the ability
to heal the pain of others and her natural affinity. No one could hate such an
angel. Coupled with His Majesty's strong supportive attitude towards witches, as
well as the first army's spread of her stories, she was even more popular than
Anna.

After Wendy decided the plot of the stories, Soraya painted them one by one and
stapled the book together. It sold for five silver royals per book. It was the
refugees who needed to know about the witches most, but many refugees could not
read and they were not interested in buying an exquisite album with half a month's
salary. So, in the beginning, the potential buyers were locals and businessmen who
came here to do business.

The former could spread the stories through the contact with foreigners and the
latter could bring them to every city in the kingdom.

After seeing how popular "The Witch Diaries" was, Wendy felt inspired.

She could hardly wait to get the pen and paper, and was starting to think about the
contents of the next volume.

"Have you considered the content of the next stories?" Ring asked curiously.

"Yes, His Majesty said Echo will be the major character of the next volume," Wendy
smiled and said, "and what do you think of this title 'The Silver Moon Princess
from the Southernmost Region, the Land of Swirling Sand and Volcanoes'?"

"Wow! It's awesome!" The little girl exclaimed smacking her lips.

"When His Majesty recaptures the Southern Territory, you can go to the princess's
hometown to see the vast desert."

"Wonderful!"

It was her job, spreading stories about the witches and letting everyone know who
they really were.

"The Witch Diaries" was just a part of it.

Echo had already gotten acquainted with the Star Flower Troupe, and all the actors
were full of praises for her immersive music.

Evelyn had opened a tavern next to the Holy Mountain Hotel, mainly offering mixed
liquor with a unique flavor.

Hummingbird also joined the City Hall and became the deputy minister of the
Ministry of Construction, and she was also the second witch officer in the City
Hall next to Scroll.

The witches all worked very hard to build the City of Neverwinter. At the same
time, they also made people accept their existence and equally treat them.

Wendy felt that the day which His Majesty had promised was just within their reach.

Chapter 576: Deep Inside the Palace

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Otto Luoxi and Oro Tokat lurked behind a rockery, in the palace garden, in the City
of Glow, the Kingdom of Dawn

Of course, they were not completely sneaking. At least when entering the palace,
they had passed through the door, right under the guards' noses. No guard would
stop them from visiting any place in the palace, except for the forbidden areas,
because all the guards knew that the Luoxis and the Tokats had always been loyal
supporters of the royal family, and that these two young men would become the
ministers of the eldest prince when they took over their respective families.

"Hey, are you sure about this?" Otto could not help but feel nervous.

If the Dawn castle where the King of Dawn spent time was a forbidden zone, his
bedroom was even more forbidden. However, they happened to know a secret way from
the garden to his bedroom. This narrow underground channel which they had explored
with Andrea and Prince Appen in their childhood was meant to be one of the escape
routes from the palace. They had considered it their own secret base and held small
parties there occasionally.

Given that they were only 10 years old at that time, the worst punishment, even if
they were found by His Majesty Moya, would have been being blamed. Now as grown-
ups, if they entered the palace without permission, what would His Majesty think?

"Come on! Gathering the three families to find out the reason why Appen has been
acting strange, isn't that the plan?" Oro twitched his lips. "And now, at this
crucial time, you want to flinch?"

"I ..." Otto opened his mouth but he was speechless.

"But how stupid you are! To get messages from Quinn, you told him Andrea's recent
situation. If you weren't Andrea's childhood sweetheart, the old man would have
killed you," Oro said while looking around, "and now is the best time to tell the
truth, will you do it or not?"

After a moment's hesitation, Otto gritted his teeth and nodded.

What Earl Quinn had told them was astonishing.

Since His Majesty had fallen ill, the prince often met with an alchemist in the
palace, casting his visitors out. It was said that a special drug from the alchemy
could resist disease and enabled His Majesty to remain awake for one or two hours a
day. As the prime minister, Andrea's father naturally had access to the palace to
obtain political suggestions from His Majesty. The old man had gotten a glimpse of
the alchemist and to his great surprise, he saw that it was actually a young woman,
covered with a black veil, only her bleak silver-gray eyes showing.

At this description, Otto immediately thought of the church.

If it were not for his recent trip to the Kingdom of Graycastle, he would not think
this way. After meeting with Roland Wimbledon, the messages about the church
secretly training pure witches, attempting to subvert the four kingdoms and
accumulating its power to resist the Battle of Doomsday had rooted in his mind.

He did not tell what he knew from Roland to Earl Quinn. After all, the impact of
the news was so huge that he must confirm his conjecture before deciding the next
step.

Hearing from the Earl that the alchemist would appear today, Otto immediately
thought of the secret channel from his childhood.

Now that it was impossible to get the support of the eldest prince, this was his
only way to discover the truth.

With this thought, he nodded to Oro who immediately poked the knee-high weeds,
using a dagger to pry a cover disguised as a stone from behind the rockery. Rusty
steel bars appeared in front of them. The fence, which could only be opened from
the inside, was about an arm-length in width, but this was not a problem for the
two who were fully prepared.

Oro took a glass bottle from his pocket, opened the lid and poured the tawny liquid
onto the lock catch.

A puff of pungent white smoke rose up and the steel bars gave off a sizzling sound,
like butter being thrown into a hot pot.

The liquid was the iron-melting water created by a master alchemist of the City of
Glow, and a fist-sized bottle cost more than 10 gold royals. Oro was told that iron
would become molten in the blink of an eye when using it. But this was not the
case. The lock catch first shrunk in half and did not fall off the fence until he
had used up the second bottle.

The two men bent over to enter the hole, and Oro did not forget to turn around and
close the slates.

After they had crawled more than 10 steps, the channel became slightly spacious,
and they could walk. Otto skillfully fumbled for the oil lamp hung on the wall,
flaming it with flint. The faint light illuminated the cliffs and the arched
ceiling. This place was still the same even after more than 10 years as if time
stood still here. When passing by the lounge halfway, they could still see the soft
seats and wine glasses they had dragged here for parties.

The road began to shift upwards and Otto Luoxi knew that they had entered the Dawn
castle.

Castle walls were divided into two layers, just like a sandwich. The middle part
between the two layers was reserved for secret chambers and tunnels. Finally, the
two arrived at the end of the secret channel which was the very back of the
fireplace in the bedroom of the king.

As the mechanism needed to be opened from inside, they could not walk directly into
the bedroom. But they could roughly see the scene in the bedroom through the small
gap in the trap door. The voices of conversation in the room could be heard if it
was quiet enough.

Otto blew out the oil lamp and peeked through the gap.

The King of Dawn, His Majesty Deegan Moya, was lying in bed facing the fireplace.
And Appen, the eldest prince, was pacing by the bedside, looking worried.

They looked at each other, then tacitly nodded and carefully leaned against the
door. It was obvious that His Highness was waiting for the alchemist.

About an hour later, there was a sound in the room.

They immediately turned their heads, squinting.

Two women walked into the bedroom. One was the black-veiled alchemist that Earl
Quinn had mentioned, and the other was probably the alchemist's assistant. She
carried a satchel, wore a red and white cope and cloak, and had beautiful golden
curly hair.

"You're late!" Appen said, displeased.

"Sorry," the blonde bowed and answered, "we were delayed by an unexpected situation
on the way."

"There's no need to explain. All we need to do is to wake his father up. It doesn't
matter whether we arrive early or late." The woman in the black veil said this with
an icy voice.

"You shouldn't say that! We still need the help of His Highness." The blonde took
out a green porcelain bottle from her satchel. "It's good for both of us to
maintain a harmonious relationship, isn't it?"

"Give me the medicine." Appen took two steps toward them, but was stopped by the
woman dressed in black veil.

"Did you forget our agreement? This medicine is only effective if fed by me, and in
exchange, you must meet the requirements of His Holiness."

His Holiness!?

Otto was shocked. This honorific could only be used to name the Pope. He wondered
whether they were really sent by the church.

He could not help but bite his lip. Apparently, they were not alchemists, but Pure
Witches instead.

Chapter 577: The Silent Massacre

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"I remember a month ago I told you to close the way to Kingdom of Wolfheart as soon
as possible. Why are there still so many refugees flocking in?" the black-veiled
witch said wryly, "and your knights should have arrived at the border by now."

"You know clearly that there are a large number of refugees!" Appen clenched his
fists and said, "If they were prohibited from crossing the border, most of them
would die from starvation. There are no cities nearby, and no places to provide
food. It'll take at least a week to go back to Wilderness Town if they retract
their original steps, and they..."

"Does that have anything to do with you?" The black-veiled witch interrupted
impatiently. "If they suffer from starvation or thirst, they have only themselves
to blame, after all, they've abandoned their kingdom. And you'd better pay
attention to your father. Or do you want to breach the deal?"

"They abandoned their Kingdom? Ridiculous!" Otto thought, with a burst of anger.
"It's the person like the black-veiled witch who has waged the war, displacing
these people."

When it came to a breach of the deal, Appen showed obvious hesitation. After a
while he said, "The rest of the road will be closed in a week, I hope you're
satisfied with such a result. However, if they cross the border through the
wildlands or the mountain ridges instead of walking through the official road, it's
none of my business."

"Of course. I won't ram an impossible mission down your throat." The black-veiled
girl took the porcelain bottle and sipped. She walked up to the bed and bent down
to feed the elixir to the King of Dawn with her mouth. Otto and Oro, who were
hiding in the path behind the fireplace, stared at her but saw nothing. After a
while, she lifted her head and said, "The King of Dawn will recover as usual in an
hour."

"Does the elixir have to be fed from your mouth?"

"Yes, it'll only work if fed by my mouth." She shrugged and said, "As long as you
comply with the agreement, you can feel relieved knowing that the King of Dawn will
recover totally, even much healthier than before."

"The next time we come back the border is to be completely closed." The blonde-
haired woman smiled. "Do not let His Holiness down, Your Highness."

Just as they turned to leave, Appen suddenly asked, "You're witches, aren't you?"

"Ehn?" The two witches stopped abruptly.

"Is it because of the magic power of a witch that the elixir can only be fed by
you?" he said slowly, "and no other reason could explain this. Although the
existence of witches within the church is incredible, all you have done is nothing
different from the demons."

"Are you sure you want to say this?"

"Come out!" The prince shouted.

The prince's words gave Otto and Oro a scare, but what they saw were several royal
guards with light armor appearing from the closet and under the bed. The Pure
Witches were hemmed in by a flock of guards.

"Oh," the blonde witch gave a whistle and said, "what an admirably, reckless move."

"And it makes no sense." The Black-veiled witch shook her head. "It appears that
the church doesn't leave you with a great impression."

"Do not bluff!" Appen roared. "Your God's Punishment Warriors are indeed a miracle
and are unimaginably strong. However, they're not here! We have God's Stone in the
Palace, as many as we want. Do you think you'll have any chance to flee away?"

"Wait." The blonde witch smacked her lips and asked, "Are the witches we have
encountered along the way your arrangement?"

"Those aren't real witches, they're tricks the Rats often used." Appen suddenly
snapped as if the long-repressed rage was finally coming unleashed. "A handful of
Magic Fire Stones should give us a clear picture of your strength. Are there any
differences between the witches and the common people without the protection of
God's Punishment Warriors? It's not too late to beg for mercy if you hand over the
elixir. Just do as I've said. Otherwise, we'll break your arms and legs, and pull
out your teeth. You'll become humanoid pots to hold elixir."

"The others will be very angry if they hear your words." She sighed. "Young bloke,
you should neither doubt the existence of witches nor laugh at their power. You'd
better not let her see you next time, or you may have a very rough time."

"What?!" The Pure Witches' deprecating attitude just infuriated the prince further.
"Hope you can stay so stubborn in the prison! Guards, take them down."

Otto stuck his face tightly to the flagstone in the hope of seeing more, but his
body was soon stiff. He was too surprised to believe his eyes.

Before the guards could touch the Pure Witch, they changed the direction of the
blades and committed suicide.

In a flash, blood bubbled and spurted out everywhere. The guards fell to the
ground, silently. The smell of blood pervaded the room immediately.

However, Appen trembled ceaselessly as if he had seen something extremely horrible.

The previous confidence and rage dissipated instantly. Urine trickled down his legs
as he pissed his pants in fear.

"Let him go." the blonde witch shrugged and said, "He's still useful for us."

"Just a little lesson," the Black-veiled witch said and snapped her fingers. The
elder prince sat down on the ground like awakening from a dream. He rocked back and
forth trembling.

"Don't worry, you're still alive." She satirized. "But I can't guarantee you'll be
so lucky next time."

"Why? How? Here, we ha-have God's Stone of Retaliation," Appen said stutteringly.
"How could the witches..."

"Because we're Pure Witches," The blonde witch said with a hint of a smile on her
face. "Why don't you comply with the agreement? Your father will be safe, and the
existence of Kingdom of Dawn will be extended. You can remain a member when the
church defeats Kingdom of Graycastle. Even though your kingdom will be under the
governing of the church, you can still live a well-to-do life, and your subjects
can be free from the war. Are there any benefits to doing these silly things?"

"And, don't forget to clean up the spot. Your father will wake up soon. Presumably,
you don't want him to face such a bloody scene when he wakes up," she added as she
left.

Otto felt his back soaked with cold sweat. He chilled at the thought of the Pure
Witches who had no fear of the God's Stone, and the church's plan to capture
Kingdom of Graycastle and to take over Kingdom of Dawn. As His Majesty Roland said,
the church had taken the Four Kingdoms as a safe bet.

...

Appen was the only one left in the room when the King of Dawn woke up. The blood-
soaked carpet was covered with cloth.

He fed his father oatmeal spoon by spoon. He seemed to forget his illness, chatting
desultorily about government and family affairs with Appen. It appeared as if there
were no changes.

Otto dared not catch his breath at the sight of this quirky scene.

Oro and Otto did not leave the hidden path until dusk fell.

"What should we do?" Oro, who had always been unflappable, questioned, panic
leaking into his voice.

"Tell all these things to Earl Quinn... and our parents." He gritted his teeth.
"The problem is beyond our capability."

"But you've seen the Pure Witch resist God's Stone. What difference does it make if
our families and Earl Quinn know the truth?"

"I know someone who can deal with them." Otto looked at his friend and said slowly,
"We can ask for the help. Have a messenger of Kingdom of Graycastle send the news
to His Majesty Roland Wimbledon!"

Chapter 578: A Life-or-death Report

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Yorko's life had been very comfortable of late.

With the King of Dawn still to recuperate, Prince Roland seemed to have forgotten
about him as well. It was only the nobles who did not ignore this ambassador from a
neighboring country.

He attended extravagant banquets and indulged in various pleasures with Denise, who
even introduced him to exclusive clubs and brothels. The abundance and unique
flavors of the capital were things he would never be able to enjoy in Graycastle.

His current life was only made possible because of his title as "Wimbledon's royal
ambassador".
Although his rank was equivalent to an earl, yet in certain ways, he possessed more
advantages than an earl. The latter could only do as he pleased within his own
fief, while the former could enjoy the privileges of an upper noble in the other
kingdoms as well.

This clearly showed him the benefits that status accorded.

The bodyguard assigned him to by His Majesty, named Hill Fawkes, was also a
peculiar person.

Whenever Yorko made contact with a new person, Hill would sneak into that person's
bedroom within the following three nights and later inform Yorko about that
person's identity, status and interests. If the person was a big shot, nearly
everything about his life (including his hobbies) could be found out. With Hill's
assistance, Yorko was able to mingle within the noble community even more smoothly.

Furthermore, Hill's arrangements allowed him to make considerable progress on his

plan to purchase slaves.

Once, after a great night in bed with Denise, he mentioned this plan to her and she
immediately agreed to his idea�the existing caravan would be used to establish a
slave trading route, through which he would purchase the refugees required by His
Majesty from the other slave traffickers, and transport them to Graycastle where
they would be resold. The condition was that the slaves had to each be given an
identity as a free citizen, and not be treated merely as goods for resale.

Of course, merchants were merchants after all; even at a time of pleasure, they did
not forget to negotiate the price. While Denise would not charge a commission,
Yorko would have to cover all of the transportation expenses. After factoring in
the manpower costs, meal costs, vehicle fees and other expenses, he calculated that
the selling price of each slave had to be set at 10 silver royals in order for the
business to reach his desired profit.

When Hill entrusted him with this task, he assuredly accepted and proclaimed that
he would not let any more talented people end up as slaves. His attitude
undoubtedly deepened Denise's attraction to him. After concluding the brief
negotiation, the two of them returned to the bed for another passionate romp.

In the following days, Yorko sent Hill to negotiate with the other parties involved
so that he did not have to take care of these trivial business matters himself.

Soon, when he heard that the first batch of slaves, comprising of 25 people, had
been purchased the previous day, he realized that it made him eligible for the 125
silver royals which His Majesty had promised as a reward.

Is there another job where I can make money just by lying in bed?

Being an ambassador is simply awesome!

Just as Yorko was deliberating over where to go for fun today, a servant knocked on
the door and walked into the room. "Your Excellency, the eldest son of the Luoxi
Family, Lord Otto, wishes to meet you."

"Otto Luoxi?" Yorko was familiar with this name. He knew that Luoxi was one of the
three powerful families of King's City of Kingdom of Dawn, and was only second in
power to the Moya royal family. Denise had even warned him that he was free to
court any woman except those of these three families, especially the Quinn family.
His status as an ambassador would be insufficient to protect him in that case.
Yorko did not have to worry that this was the reason as he had paid great caution
in all of his love affairs. "Perhaps, he has come to invite me to another banquet?"

"Bring him in."

A young man entered the study. He first took a good look around the place, and then
closed the windows in the room on his own initiative before he sat down on the
chair intended for him.

His expression looked somewhat anxious. The dark circles under his eyes revealed
that he had stayed up late and not slept much the previous night.

Yorko was against the idea of emptying one's vitality for the sake of enjoyment. In
his opinion, the abstemious sexual pleasure was beneficial as it made both partners
happy and healthy. In contrast, depleting all of one's energy in bed would harm
one's physical potential in the long term. Prince Appen was a clear example of
this. His face had turned completely pale, and if he did not change his ways, he
would be incapable of seeking pleasure by the time he turned 30.

The young man did not say anything for a long time. This surprised Yorko. It felt
discourteous, especially coming from one of the three families. He waited for a
while before he decided to break the silence. "Greetings. You should be Lord Otto
Luoxi. What brings..."

"You're able to contact His Majesty Roland Wimbledon, right?" The young man
suddenly snapped. "I have an important report for him."

"Eh..." Yorko was puzzled. "What report?"

"It's all written in here." Otto took out a letter, placed it in front of Yorko,
and added ten gold royals on top of it. "And this money is for reward. Please make
sure that this letter reaches your king. The information concerns the survival of
Kingdom of Graycastle!"

Yorko inhaled a mouthful of cold air. "The survival of Kingdom of Graycastle? This
has to be an exaggeration." Otto continued to stare at him with gleaming eyes until
he collected his wits and replied, "I understand. Don't worry, I'll do as you say
and deliver this to His Majesty."

"Make sure it's done as soon as possible." After exhorting Yorko repeatedly, Otto
got up and departed. His anxious demeanor clearly suggested that he was not lying.

Yorko hastily kept the ten gold royals in his pocket. Instead, he left the letter
untouched. He was aware that it had to be handled with great caution and thus it
was best to ask Hill for advice first.

...

At night, when Hill Fawkes entered his bedroom, Yorko went through what happened
during the day.

After listening to Yorko's account, Hill pondered for a while before he pulled out
a small knife and cleanly opened the letter.

"What're you doing!" Yorko exclaimed in shock. "Opening a letter intended for His
Majesty is a grave offense!"

"Shh." Hill made a gesture to keep quiet. "If the information is truly as important
as he claims, it would be wrong for us to use conventional means to deliver this
letter. A messenger from City of Dawn to Western Region will take at least a month,
while bad situations may occur on the road. It'd be too risky."

"What has that got to do with opening the letter?"

"Do you remember the gray falcons I've been keeping? They're the fastest couriers
of all. They can reach City of Dawn within two to three days." Hill explained. "At
City of Dawn, they'll pass the letter to another group of falcons, and within a
week, His Majesty will be able to receive it. However, they're unable to carry such
a large envelope. After I've read the contents, I'll rewrite the letter as a secret
letter."

"Gray falcons are able to send letters like carrier pigeons?" Yorko was astonished.
"I'd thought you raised them for hunting."

"They're much smarter than pigeons." Hill remarked. He then opened the letter and
soon his expression turned grim. "Who would think something like this could
happen..."

"What's written in it?"

"Do you really want to know?" Hill turned his head.

"Never mind." Yorko coughed twice. "I'd rather be able to sleep well tonight."

"A wise choice." Hill approved. "Also, it's best you don't mention to anyone that
Otto Luoxi came to find you. All banquets in the palace should be canceled or
postponed for now." He paused briefly before revealing. "They're in deep trouble."

??."

Chapter 579: Two Incoming Letters

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland received a letter from Calvin Kant, Duke of the Northern Region.

It was accompanied by a fingerprinted memorandum that expressed the Northern

Region's intent of loyalty to His Majesty.

The letter itself talked about more trivial matters.

First, it asked when Roland would stage his accession ceremony, so that the Duke
could prepare his journey to attend. This was the convention every time a new king
was soon to be coronated.

The next question asked about the new policies, such as how they should be
enforced, what the remaining powers of the nobles were, how succession arrangements
should be made and what the management scope of the city hall should be.

These questions were predictable. But it was the last question which surprised
Roland.

At the end of the letter, the Duke proposed a connection through marriage. An
entire page was dedicated to extolling the beauty and talent of his daughter,
Edith. It also claimed that she would be able to handle all kinds of issues and
affairs, whether they were domestic or foreign, and therefore, she was the most
suitable candidate to be queen. Roland laughed heartily as he read through this
section of the letter.

"What're you laughing about?" Nightingale's voice came from the direction of the
deck chair.

"A very interesting... father." He raised the letter. "Have a look at this."

Nightingale came out of her Mist, took the letter from Roland, and read it. Then
she frowned and asked, "You won't agree to it, will you?"

"Of course not," Roland replied lightheartedly. "I don't need marriage connections
to preserve the stability of my throne. Furthermore, the letter makes her sound so
able that I won't even dare to let her into the castle. Or else, it may become
unclear who the king is."

"You do sound truthful." Nightingale remarked and visibly sighed in relief.

"Hey, don't you believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, but you know that witches can't..." She paused
for a moment before continuing. "After our awakenings, we can't be considered
complete women anymore."

"I don't think that way." Roland shook his head in disagreement. To him, the social
perception that infertility was a defect would be expunged as civilization
gradually progressed. Conversely, the beautiful appearances, attractive physiques
and incredible abilities which magic power could bring about would become
increasingly important and desirable over time. As long as Mankind lived on,
witches would inevitably rise up as a group. Fortunately, they could be born in
normal humans, and furthermore, there was no specific method to trigger an
awakening. These thus allowed witches and normal humans to live and work together
or perhaps even to marry.

Just as Roland was about to expound at length on his personal view of witches, a
gray falcon flew into the room through an open window and perched on Roland's desk
with a loud thump.

A loop of yellow cloth was tied around its claws�this meant that it was a secret
letter which arrived from the old King's City.

Roland swallowed his words, took a piece of dried fish out of a drawer, and tossed
it to the gray falcon which was already waiting for its reward. Then he unwound the
cloth and took out the neatly-folded oilpaper from within.

As the size of the secret letter was limited, the contents written on it had to be
extremely concise.

The first sentence of the letter was enough to give Roland a huge shock.

"The palace of Kingdom of Dawn has been infiltrated by the Pure Witch who can defy
the God's Stone of Retaliation to use their abilities."

"Witches who're immune to the influence of the God's Stone?" As far as Roland knew,
only two kinds of beings could do this. The first was Extraordinaries with their
enhanced bodies, while the second was senior demons that were called Supermagic.

As Roland continued reading, he realized that each successive line of news got more
and more shocking.
"When Prince Appen attempted to resist the Pure Witch, they manipulated his guards
to slit their own throats."

"The church's aim is to establish firm control over the Kingdom of Dawn before it
places full concentration on attacking the Kingdom of Graycastle."

"Otto Luoxi and Oro Tokat witnessed everything that took place. The three families
hope to receive your kind aid."

Roland suddenly realized that his plans to recapture Southernmost Region would have
to be adjusted substantially.

Three days passed.

Roland convened a strategy discussion meeting in the castle's reception room.

The attendees included City Hall Director, Barov; Commander of the First Army, Iron
Axe; Chief Knight, Carter; Longsong Stronghold Consul, Petrov; Witch Union
representatives, Wendy and Agatha; a representative of Sleeping Island's witches,
Sylvie; and lastly, Pearl of the Northern Region, Edith.

"That's the current situation, basically speaking." Roland concluded after

recounting the contents of the secret letter to the attendees. "Although we're
unable to verify the information, if everything written in the letter is to be
believed, the Kingdom of Graycastle shall unquestionably face its biggest challenge
before the next Battle of Divine Will. After some consideration, I've decided that
the Southernmost Region's battle arrangements have to be temporarily suspended." He
glanced towards Iron Axe. "Will that be okay?"

As the chief commander of the spring offensive, Iron Axe had swiftly seized Willow
Town and Fallen Dragon Ridge according to plan, and thus gave Roland control over
the gateway towns that connected the City of Neverwinter and the Southern
Territory. Iron Axe had intended to build on this success by completing the
territorial expansion before autumn arrived. This would include bringing the Sand
Nation under the domain of Roland's kingdom. The two people who would then be
responsible for establishing good relations between the two races were Echo and
Iron Axe. As both of them belonged to the Mojin Clan, they could serve as mediators
in a racial conflict. Iron Axe had especially yearned to return to Iron Sand City
to take revenge for being framed. Hence, allowing him to lead the troops to seize
the Southernmost Region was the best reward that Roland could have given him. Now
that the battle plans were suspended, it was understandable if he was disappointed.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Iron Axe did not reveal any expression, and his reply was as
sure as ever. "I suggest that we let the newly-trained soldiers take the place of
the First Army soldiers stationed at Fallen Dragon Ridge. They'll have no problems
dealing with the nobles there, while this would allow the First Army to gather its
greatest strength to fight against the church."

"We'll do exactly that." Roland nodded approvingly before he stood up and walked in
front of the large map. "Presently, we face two main problems. The first is that we
don't know when the enemy will attack. The second is that we don't know where
they'll attack from. The church used to have only one route to invade the Kingdom
of Graycastle. This would be traveling directly south through Coldwind Ridge to
reach King's City. However, now that the church controls the Kingdom of Dawn, it's
possible that the Judgement Army will attack us through their border. Does anyone
have a good idea how we can cope with this?"

"No matter where they appear from, they'll first have to go through the Northern
Region." Barov was first to speak. "Coldwind Ridge, Deepvalley Town, City of
Evernight and Palisade City, all of these are places administered by Duke Calvin. I
suggest that we allow Miss Edith to go back and inform her father about this. We'll
then keep a lookout for enemies in the Northern Region. This is the most secure
way. But, Your Majesty..." The City Hall Director rubbed his hands together. "Do we
truly stand a chance against the church?"

This foolish question was badly received by everyone present. Edith unceremoniously
replied, "If His Majesty says that we don't have a chance, are you going to wag
your tail at the church and beg for mercy?"

"What nonsense are you talking? As the City Hall Director, I have to make
contingency plans for the worst that can happen..."

Edith ignored him and turned towards Roland. "Your Majesty, while it's indeed
necessary to send people to monitor every road in the north, it won't be an
effective method on its own. The response will be slow, and by the time enemies are
discovered, it'll mean that they have already begun to act. This'll give you very
little time to respond."

"Do you have a better plan?"

"Of course." Edith replied confidently. "We should send people to Hermes."

"The church's holy city?" Carter frowned in disdain. "What use would that be? Do
you think the Pope will inform you when he dispatches his army?"

"Also, the people living there are believers and zealots. It'll be difficult for
spies to blend in." Petrov added.

"There's no need to enter the holy city." Edith laughed. "All we need to do is to
have a nice chat with a nearby merchant."

Chapter 580: The Tooth Extraction Campaign

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Tell me more." Roland could not help becoming interested in Edith's idea.

"The terrain of Hermes is very unique. There's a slope around this area of the
Impassable Mountain Range. The old part of the holy city is located at the lower
end of the slope, while the new part is built on a plateau on the higher end. The
environment there is very harsh. Although there're natural barriers that keep
demonic beasts away, the highland isn't really suitable for living, let alone for
cultivating and farming. Thus the food and supplies of the new holy city have to be
provided by the old one, despite the fact that the latter's mass land can only
produce enough supplies for the 20,000 or so people living downhill."

Edith walked to Roland's side, pointed at the map, and continued, "This means that
they have to gather supplies from other places. For example, they would buy plots
of land from churches and related organizations in nearby cities. Or they would
rent wheat fields for farming. Every year during autumn, dozens of horse carriages
would arrive from the four kingdoms every day to provide supplies to the new holy
city. The old holy city has become something like a market town where these
carriages may rest, as well as a checkpoint where the church can control the flow
of people in and out of the new city."

"In other words, whenever they mobilize the Judgement Army, the merchants here
would definitely witness it. In fact, even before the army acts, we can observe
changes in the transportation of supplies to deduce when they'll move out."

The young woman spoke as if she was taking part in a modern-day oratorical
competition. Her eyes routinely swept across everyone present to make sure that
they were paying attention to herself. The level of confidence she displayed was
rarely seen in women of her era.

Roland silently thought to himself, "Perhaps what Calvin Kant wrote in the letter
isn't all boastful bullsh*t. Judging from Edith's manner, she is indeed worthy of
being called 'Pearl of the Northern Region'."

"How do you know all of this so well?" Barov stroked his beard as he queried. "It's
almost as if you came from there."

"I lived there for a period of time," Edith replied without a second thought,
"because of the Agreement on the Months of Demons."

"What's that?" Roland asked doubtfully. He seemed to have an impression of what it

was, but could not recall the exact details of it.

"How can you not know?" The young woman blinked in amazement. "To help the church
tide over the disasters during the Months of Demons, the four kingdoms had to
dispatch troops to aid Hermes and fight alongside the Judgement Army. Your older
brother, Gerald Wimbledon, was the commander of Graycastle's border troops. I've
fought under him before. However, there seem to be some mishaps over the past year.
It's reported that the coalition of the four kingdoms has suffered many casualties,
while the church's Judgement Army has suffered a similar loss."

"This is indeed so." Petrov corroborated what Edith said. "My friend, Rene Medde,
completed his knight test in Hermes."

"Does every knight have to fight against demonic beasts before he can be granted
his title?" Roland looked towards Carter. "Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

"Ahem, this is a method that knights from small towns love to use." Carter shrugged
his shoulders. "The knightage of King's City has its own rules for that. Apart from
valiant combat, a knight's loyalty and knowledge are also very important
considerations. These can't be proven simply by fighting against some evil
creatures."

"By the way, Your Majesty." Edith did not refute Carter's words and instead turned
to face Roland. "May I inspect how your army fights in combat? I've always been
curious as to how you managed to capture King's City in just one day. If I can
understand how the First Army operates, I may be able to contribute in future
battles."

This was not a big problem. There were no issues of secrecy. With the weaponry that
the First Army now possessed, it was impossible to emulate their methods just by
observing. As technology advanced, wars were becoming more and more expensive.
Without a complete logistics supply system and industrial production support
system, a batch of flintlocks would be utterly useless on its own. Furthermore, by
displaying his military strength to the loyalists of the Northern Region, he could
not only increase their confidence in him, but also deter them from having any
secession ideas. As he thought about this, Roland nodded at Iron Axe and ordered,
"Go and make arrangements for her."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, I suggest that you issue a decree, in the name of the king, to every
city and town in Graycastle to expel their churches." Barov was unwilling to be
outdone by Edith. "Or else, when the war begins, the churches of these places will
become strongholds from where they devour the whole kingdom."

"There aren't many lords who would happily do so. The church is typically a major
source of tax revenue, and its power can be quite frightening. The lords prefer to
follow the way that the wind blows." Edith shrugged her shoulders. "This is also
how the nobles usually act."

"In any case, it's better than not doing anything at all." The director glared at
the young woman angrily.

"Of course." She laughed dismissively. "The Northern Region will fully comply with
this decree."

"Then we shall do that." Roland nodded in approval of Barov's idea.

"This could be a very difficult battle." Sylvie's facial expression seemed rather
anxious. "It's best that you inform Lady Tilly. The Sleeping Island witches may be
able to assist you."

As Roland listened to Sylvie, he could not help laughing bitterly in his heart.
Sleeping Island's problems amounted to no less than his. He had still not heard
back from them after sending out the intelligence regarding the Bloodfang
Association. If Tilly brought her subordinates to aid him while their internal
issues were still not resolved, Sleeping Island might fall into big trouble.
However, this did not mean that Sylvie's words were senseless. Witches were indeed
the most effective way of dealing with the Pure Witch and their uncanny abilities.
"I'll remember to write a letter to her," he replied.

"Don't forget to prepare God's Stones of Retaliation for your men." Agatha was next
to chime in. "Throughout the Union's centuries of existence, there have been
several witches with inconceivable levels of ability. Any normal person who didn't
wear a God's Stone would have completely no resistance against them. One of these
witches could easily take away the lives of thousands of people."

"Won't a flintlock or cannon work against them?"

"Let's not even mention a witch like Nightingale, who can move close to your army
easily. Some abilities already take effect by the time you see the witch."

Roland was dumbstruck for a moment. The First Army, including its reserve forces,
already comprised of 5,000 men. Where was he going to find so many God's Stones of
Retaliation? Even if he used witch blood to split the God's Stones into more
pieces, he would not be able to produce a sufficient amount in such a short time.

"Your Majesty, you can try extorting these Stones from the churches." Iron Axe
suggested. "If we only attack the church halls and believers, while not affecting
the lives of civilians, even the nobles would not dare to oppose you openly. This
way, we can fulfill Lord Barov's suggestion while also obtaining a large amount of
God's Stones for free."

The corners of Barov's mouth arched into a grin. "Do you mean we should send out
the First Army to plunder the churches?"

"We'll destroy the strongholds of the enemy, just like breaking off the fangs of a
poisonous snake." The commander corrected Barov. "This will also allow Miss Edith
to observe the First Army engage in a real fight. Compared to a rehearsal, this
would be much more informative."
"I also think so." Edith laughed in agreement.

"This is indeed killing many birds with one stone." Roland thumped the table
emphatically. "Let's called it the 'Tooth Extraction Campaign'."

...

Chapter 581: Late Night Talk

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Late at night, Wendy called all of the witches into her bedroom.

The usually spacious room was now packed.

It felt like deja vu. A year ago, Wendy had done the same thing. She had gathered
all of the witches to inform them of the situation in Border Town and quell their
uneasiness.

At that time, only seven of their sisters were able to escape from the Barbarian
Lands. The witches were left traumatized, and were unsure and afraid of what was in
store ahead. Many came to Border Town with a mentality that "We've suffered so much
that whatever happens next is a blessing". To them, survival itself was a difficult
game, not to mention dealing with the church which perpetually hung over their
heads like a shadow.

This time, the looks and feelings of everyone in the room were completely different
from a year ago.

At present, the witches' consideration was gradually shifting away from focusing on
survival to maintaining their relatively carefree lives.

There were no more oppression and hostility from other people.

And no more worries about food and safety.

In essence, this place had become the witches' "Holy Mountain".

Furthermore, if they could help His Majesty Roland to defeat the church
successfully, all of their nightmares would vanish and they would be truly
liberated forever.

Wendy waited until everyone's eyes were fixed on her before she began. "The church
is coming."

The daytime meeting did not offer much in the way of intelligence. Wendy quickly
finished telling the witches about the contents of the secret letter, and the room
fell into an awkward silence.

"Will His Majesty... win?" After some time, Mystery Moon asked almost inaudibly.
"I'm willing to spend all of my time generating electricity for him at the factory
area..."

"Oh come on, His Majesty would have to arrange someone to take care of you if so."
Lily smirked. "It's best you don't give him more trouble at a time like this."

"What trouble!"
The witches in the room started to laugh. Now that the first person had spoken,
more and more voices were heard in the room.

"I'll work even harder to produce white liquor." Evelyn resolved.

"But, would so much liquor be needed while we're at war with the church?"

"Aye... is that so?"

"I believe His Majesty won't lose. Didn't Carter also manage to severely injure
Ashes, the Extraordinary Witch?" Hummingbird mooted. "And the God's Punishment Army
isn't nearly as powerful as Ashes."

"Is that true? Even the invincible Ashes has lost before?" Softfeathers, who rarely
spoke, looked surprised.

"I won't consider it a loss. Carter was battered to be unconscious while Ashes was
completely incapacitated. It's more like a tie."

"As far as I know, it wasn't a fair fight." Agatha disputed. "Had the Extraordinary
used equivalent weapons to Carter's, she would have been in a stronger position."

"But Sleeping Island only has one Extraordinary, while there're thousands of
soldiers carrying guns."

"Hold it, sisters. Your debate's heading in the wrong direction." Scroll shook her
head in disapproval. "We're talking about the church and His Majesty now."

Wendy quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Although everyone was anxious, nobody seemed
afraid of fighting against the church. This would have been completely
inconceivable a year ago, when the might of the church seemed to be as steady and
unshakeable as a huge mountain. None of the witches who fought against them was
able to survive. The Witch Cooperation Association had to hide in various places,
and only managed to shake off the chasing enemies by advancing towards the secluded
Impassable Mountain Range.

Of course, this mentality change was, for the most part, down to the fact that His
Majesty had never lost a foreign war.

"All in all, this war will be crucial to the future of the Witch Union." Wendy
inhaled a deep breath. "Has anyone thought about what will happen if His Majesty
completely defeats the church?"

Everyone in the room turned silent, but a strange and indescribable twinkle gleamed
in their eyes.

"The entire kingdom... and maybe even the entire continent, will become safe for
witches to reside in. In His Majesty's territory, we'll be able to create a new
world together with other people, one where everyone enjoys equal honor and status.
This is also what His Majesty has mentioned several times. I just didn't think that
it could all be possible so soon."

Wendy paused for a short while. "However, going by His Majesty's usual way of doing
things, I urge everyone not to work too hard. Just do your jobs as usual. We'll not
fail if we can keep this confidence."

She did not comprehend sophisticated ideas, nor was she among the Union's most able
and brightest witches. Now that His Majesty had placed her in charge of the Union,
she simply did what she could. Every time before an expedition, His Majesty would
give an impassioned speech to the First Army. Wendy could never think of a way to
inspire the witches in the same way as him. In the end, she always resorted to
speaking what she felt at the bottom of her heart.

"The intention to be considerate of other people is more important than anything

else." She firmly remembered these words of Scroll.

"This place is our home and will serve as the turning point for the fates of all
witches. I'll give all of myself for it!"

Wendy stretched out her left hand, with the back of her hand facing upwards.

Scroll was the first to press her hand on top of Wendy's.

Then, Nightingale and Anna followed.

"For His Majesty and City of Neverwinter!"

All of the witches gathered together with their hands stacked on top of each
other's. The witches of the Bloodfang Association had hesitated for a while, as
though they were unsure whether they would be accepted by everyone else, until Leaf
pulled them into the circle. As per convention, they were only considered truly
integrated into the group after they made hand contact with the other witches.

"I really don't wish to have to deal with this annoying bunch before fighting
against the demons."

Although Agatha voiced her displeasure, she also stretched out her hand and joined
in.

Lastly, Wendy placed her right hand on top of the stack and looked around at
everyone.

"For the Witch Union!"

"For the... eternal Holy Mountain!"

...

After the witches departed, only Wendy and Nightingale were left in the room.

As Wendy was closing the door, she suddenly felt a breeze of cold wind behind her
back.

She turned her head back, only to see that Nightingale had silently opened the
window, and was now sitting on the sill and looking into the night sky. The night
breeze blew her hair upwards, while at the same time, a faint fragrance whiffed by.

"Are you also worried about this war?" Wendy walked over to the window and asked.

"Worried?" Nightingale turned her head to face Wendy. Under the glow of the Stone
of Light, scorching rays gleamed in her pupils. "The only thing I'm worried about
is that I'll laugh myself to death."

"L-laugh?"

It was only at this time that Wendy felt the piercing aura that emanated from the
latter's body. Unlike most witches, Nightingale could release her magic powers even
when she was not actively using her abilities. To her, these powers were no longer
elusive and intangible things, but instead were like sharp blades which created
inaccessible regions of space. It was as if her misty world was slowly eating into
the space around itself and beginning to take hold of the physical world. Ever
since she came to Border Town, this feeling was becoming more and more pronounced
to the people around her.

To an enemy, this would be the greatest portent of danger.

"I've waited a long time to take proper revenge on the church," Nightingale slowly
explained. "Our sisters who wrongly died at the church's hands must also be looking
forward to this day. The taste of revenge, from my experience, is truly
unforgettable."

It was hard to imagine that this was the same woman who lingered in bed and did not
want to wake up in the morning. Fortunately, she wasn't an enemy of the sisters.

Wendy reached her hand out to Nightingale. Upon contact, the piercing aura
disappeared. She proceeded to cuddle Nightingale in her arms.

"You can continue to do whatever you want. Just remember to take good care of His
Majesty... and also yourself. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Nightingale closed her eyes and replied softly. "I will."

Chapter 582: Military Strategy

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Once the war order was issued, Neverwinter immediately went into overdrive.

Bags of wheat plundered from Fallen Dragon Ridge quickly filled up the previously-
empty granaries. A portion of these would be shelled and powdered into rations for
the soldiers participating in the war.

Other than food, there were also firearms and ammunition. The soldiers recruited
during the Months of Demons had already completed their basic training, and the
outstanding cadets were hastily incorporated into the ranks of the First Army and
given new weapons and uniforms. Those who performed average were placed in the
reserve force and assigned to one of Roland's cities, where they replaced the
veterans stationed there.

By doing so, Neverwinter's available military strength was rapidly increased to

5,000 men. In theory, this put them on par with the Judgement Army's numbers.
However, due to limitations on transportation capacity, the further the battlefield
was from Western Region, the fewer the number of soldiers who could enter battle
would be.

Because Roland assessed that the Tooth Extraction Campaign would not be too
difficult, he eventually decided to send out 1,500 men, with Iron Axe serving as
the commander. In this expedition, the Adviser Department was absorbed into the
First Army, and the key members were made up of nobles, knights and commoners from
Longsong Area. This included Sir Eltek, who was Morning Light's father, and Trevor,
Chief Bodyguard of the Honeysuckle Family. The criteria was that they had to have
experience in artillery warfare, or had served in the Second Army.

Although the people Roland selected were not professionals in this field, Roland
trusted that they could learn on the job, and in any case, it was good to have a
few more people to provide counsel to the commander. They did not possess any
actual power to command. It was entirely up to Iron Axe whether to adopt their
plans and advice.

After considering that the First Army might encounter the church's Pure Witch
during the expedition, Roland decided that "Eye of Magic" Sylvie and "Confinement
Cage" Iffy would be following them as well. The former could detect magic power and
alert the army to the enemies' positions, while the latter could capture Pure Witch
under the right circumstances. Sylvie would also bring along a Sigil of Listening
so that she could contact Neverwinter at any time. As a result of these
preparations, an army with modern military structures, firepower, and communication
capabilities slowly began to take shape.

The Tooth Extraction Campaign was mainly targeted at Redwater City, Silver City and
Impassable Castle, the three cities which were closest in distance to Western
Region. The preparation for the expedition required four days of time. Apart from
choosing which of his reliable guards to send towards the old holy city, Roland
spent the rest of the time discussing various details of the war together with the
commander and the Adviser Department.

One such detail, which Roland found difficult to resolve, was the location where
they would intercept the enemy.

Everyone had their own views on this issue, and nobody could convince anyone else
that they were right.

The commander of the gun battalion, Brian, was adamant that the army should
intercept the enemy within Western Region. His reasoning was very substantial. "The
battle has to be carried out in Western Region for the First Army to fully utilize
its advantage in firepower. With our paddle steamers providing logistical support,
we'll be able to replenish ammunition and manpower in less than a day. No matter
how long the battle drags on, we can be assured of victory. This distance from
their base will also be extremely disadvantageous to the church. If they cannot
break through within a month, they won't even have any food left."

Conversely, Edith was the main advocate of fighting outside the Western Region. "Do
you really think that they'll have no food? Do you know how many church believers
there are in the Kingdom of Graycastle? Even if all of the churches are burned to
the ground, the Pope simply has to issue an order and these people will bring all
the food they have to the Judgement Army. Mid-July is also the ripening season of
wheat. As long as the enemy occupies one or two cities, they'll surely have a
continuous supply of food. And this is not the scariest thing. Don't we already
know that the church possesses Pills of Madness which can turn ordinary people into
enchanted monsters? If the war situation turns bad for them, they may willfully
force the commoners in these places to consume these pills, and manipulate them to
fight against our army so as to wear us down. What will we do then?"

"You don't understand anything about gunpowder weapons." Van'er was on Brian's side
regarding this issue. "Transporting cannons and ammunition is very costly and
difficult. They aren't like swords, which can be used many times. A single battle
will require many ships to replenish the supplies that are expended. If we do as
you say and intercept the enemy before they enter our kingdom, what will we do when
we run out of ammunition?"

"I admit that I don't understand gunpowder weapons, nor the specific methods which
your army uses to fight. What I do know is that the objective is the most important
thing in a battle. If we cannot achieve our intended objective, even victory will
be a failure." Edith remained unrelenting. "His Majesty needs every one of his
citizens. How can you allow the church to enter our kingdom and wantonly destroy
the populace?"

"If we cannot win the battle, everything else is meaningless."

"What we have to do is to solve those problems that seem unsolvable."

The only two people present who could provide a final verdict were Roland and Iron
Axe. However, whenever Roland was around, Iron Axe would never speak more than he
needed to. No matter what order Roland issued, he would agree and execute it
unconditionally. As both viewpoints in this argument had their pros and cons,
Roland was not able to make a decision immediately.

The most effective way of using gunpowder weapons in battle was to set up a
crossfire net and wait for the enemy to enter it. The Western Region was
undoubtedly the ideal location for something like this. However, if the church
indeed used his citizens as a vanguard for their army, his losses would be huge.
While the army's weapons could easily subdue the enchanted people, the population
loss would be hard to make up for in the short term.

It was only on the day before the army set out that Sir Eltek made a suggestion
which brought an end to this dispute.

"Why don't we place our troops and supplies in the border cities in advance?" He
suggested while stroking his beard. "This way, we can substantially shorten the
transport distances."

Brian shook his head in disapproval without giving the idea a second thought.
"That's only possible if we can know beforehand where the church will be attacking
from."

"Sir, the Northern Region doesn't have enough riverways. If we gather our troops in
the wrong positions, we may even be unable to catch up with the enemy's movement."
Carter added. "Furthermore, the border between Kingdom of Graycastle and Kingdom of
Dawn is very long. We won't be able to keep watch on every passageway."

"It's true that we don't know where the enemy will attack from. But we can induce
them to attack from a particular point."

Everyone was stumped when they heard this suggestion. After a long while, Brian
frowned and remarked. "I'm afraid that only the Pope can do something like this."

Meanwhile, Edith revealed a thoughtful expression on her face.

Sir Eltek was unperturbed by the sarcastic response he received. He candidly

replied, "The truth is, I got the idea from Miss Edith. If we can estimate the time
of the church's invasion based on the transportation of food supplies, then the
church would also be able to detect the approaching of war based on changes in our
border cities."

"Coldwind Ridge!" Edith suddenly exclaimed.

"Indeed." The old knight laughed. "If we amass supplies in Coldwind Ridge and
station the First Army in the nearby Deepvalley Town, we can be confident of
directing the enemy to attack from a certain route, agree?"

"How so?" Brian remained puzzled.

"Because Coldwind Ridge is too near to the holy city," Edith explained. "Rather
than wait for the church to attack, it's better for us to assume an offensive
stance and compel them to concentrate their forces in this area."

"I see." Roland was quick to understand what was going on. Deepvalley Town was the
only town connected to the central network of rivers. Although it was far away, his
fleet of paddle steamers would be able to ship large quantities of supplies over
there within one or two months, while the last leg of the transportation journey,
which had to be done by land, could be reduced to only three days. Although a
number of supplies might not be completely sufficient, it would at least be able to
maintain a large-scale battle for some time. Of course, a better way would be to
set up a defense line below Coldwind Ridge and wait for the enemy to enter the
position that was made up of bunkers, barb wires and trenches.

"What if they insist on not going this way?" Van'er enquired.

"Then the holy city of Hermes will be completely flattened," Roland answered.

Chapter 583: Anna's Secret

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

When Anna opened her eyes, she saw that all around her was a fiery red. Scorching
hot air blew directly at her face and scalded her skin.

Blazing flames.

The blazing flames were everywhere. Smoke billowed from the lower part of the shed
and caused her to choke.

She heard cries from the back room, but was unsure if it was just a hallucination.
As wood came into contact with the flames, they let out a crackling sound. Every
now and then, she would notice sparks and splinters fall from overhead. She got off
her haystack and tried to make her way towards the back room, but was quickly
repelled by incoming heat waves.

Eventually, she scrambled her way out of the shed, and watched helplessly as her
house was engulfed by the raging flames.

Her neighbors started to crowd around as well. Some tried to help put out the fire.
However, the nearest water source was Redwater River, which was located outside the
town. The few pots of water which they did their best to fetch had no effect on the
fire at all.

After Anna rushed back and forth several times, she suddenly saw the figure of her
father.

He had hurried back from the mines. He was still wearing his soiled coat and his
face was covered with dark gray dust. He stood beside the house, which had been
reduced to its wooden frames, and stared blankly at it.

As though she saw her tower of strength, Anna could no longer suppress the fear and
panic in her heart, and tears began to roll down her face like pearls. She cried
and screamed as she ran towards her father and held on to him tightly.

However, her father did not comfort her as she hoped.

"Where's your mother?" He grabbed her by the shoulder so violently that it caused
her to squeal in pain. "And your brother!"
Anna shook her head, but did not expect that what followed would be a slap on the
face.

"Did you actually escape alone? Why didn't you rescue them?"

"Damn, how can you only care about yourself?"

Anna suddenly sat bolt upright in her bed, panting heavily. The scolding voice
continued to reverberate beside her ears and refused to go away.

This dream again.

She picked up a cup from the bedside table and gulped down the cold water. It took
her quite a long time to recover fully.

On the first day of every month, Anna would dream of this scene. It was as if there
was someone in her brain who had to constantly remind her of the past. She turned
her head and examined the calendar on her desk. Today happened to be the last day
of the first week of summer, and also the day of the month that the Witch Union
distributed the salaries.

She washed herself simply and put on her clothes. Then she walked out of the castle
and headed towards the Witch Building in the backyard.

"Sister Anna!" Ring grinned upon the sight of her. "You've come so early!"

"Good morning." Wendy greeted and laughed softly. "The weather today seems good.
Will you still be going to the North Slope Mountain later?"

"Lady... Anna." Her two former classmates hurriedly bowed in respect.

"Call me Anna, just like the old times." She waved her hands, took a seat at one
side of a long table, and pondered for a moment before answering. "I have some
other things to do first. I'll only be going in the afternoon."

"Oh? That's rare." Wendy revealed a spirited expression. "Could it be that you and
His Majesty Roland are..."

"Are they going shopping!" Ring shouted excitedly.

Pearl and Grayrabbit, who were listening on one side, laughed uncontrollably.

Anna shook her head in denial but did not say anything further.

Neither did Wendy continue to ask. She took out an envelope from a drawer and
placed it in Anna's hands. "This is the month's salary. Two gold royals."

"Thank you."

Witches did not have to prepare what they ate or wore, nor did they have to pay for
rent or transport. They would even be given free prototypes of the luxury goods
sold in the convenience market, and could request for more or newer items easily.
Therefore, most witches felt that their salaries were not of much use, and did not
understand why His Majesty insisted on paying them. Only Anna was able to guess why
Roland did so. Furthermore, this measure inadvertently did her a favor.

She walked back to the castle hall while holding onto her salary envelope. When she
reached, she saw that the Chief Knight, Carter Lannis, was already waiting there.
"Miss Anna." Carter stood up and greeted her. "Shall we proceed as usual?"

"Yes." She took a gold royal out of the envelope and handed it to the knight.
"Let's go."

...

During the reconstruction of Border Town, the natives were each given a new
lodging. Anna's father was no exception.

After he sold Anna for a price of 25 gold royals to the church, she never had any
contact with him again.

From that moment, she no longer considered him her father.

However, there were some things which Anna could not completely walk away from.

For example, the gold royal which she let Carter pass to her father as the cost of
living.

Like most poor people who suddenly received a windfall, her father did not hold on
to the sale money for too long. Within half a year, he became penniless by
gambling, as well as being a victim of fraud and theft. At that time, Anna was not
yet well known, but her talent was spotted by natives when she used her fire
abilities to mend the gaps in the city walls. Her father tried to depute a neighbor
to visit Anna, but was invariably rejected and ridiculed. When Carter, who was then
in charge of organizing the militia, heard about this matter, he disclosed it to
Anna.

From then on, she knew that she had to do something in order to keep her father
quiet.

She did not wish to see him cause trouble to Roland.

She walked with Carter to a quiet neighborhood in the east of the city and went up
to the second floor of a building.

Carter turned his head back to face her. "Miss Anna, wait for me here."

"Sorry to trouble you."

"No, it's nothing much." He walked up to a door and knocked forcefully on it.

After a while, the door creaked open. "Ah... it's you, Knight Sir, I..."

"Why did you take so long to open the door, are you deaf!" Carter yelled. "Move
aside and don't stand in the doorway."

"Yes, yes..."

Perhaps this is the way things should be.

Anna leaned against a wall along the corridor and heaved a sigh of relief.

In all honesty, she did not want to care about her once father at all, but she knew
that matters would only get worse if she completely disregarded him. Furthermore,
she could not approach him by herself, or else, this bigoted and conceited man
would act as though he was still her father, and the deterrence effect would be
lost.
Rather than pleading him not to do anything, it was better to let him know that
there was now a world of difference in their societal status. As the renowned Chief
Knight, Carter was considered to be a great noble among the commoners of the Border
Area. By having him deliver the gold royal as hush money together with a few
sentences of harsh warnings, it should be sufficient to keep the old man quiet, and
thus ensure that there would be no trouble for Roland.

Anna did not understand this kind of relationship in the past.

After she was captured and imprisoned, she lost interest in everything and her
world turned completely dead gray. It was only when Roland rescued her that her
world became colorful again. After living in the castle for a period of time, she
gradually understood the complex relationships between people, and also the reasons
why her father was angry at her.

But she abhorred these kinds of convoluted things.

She could only be truly relaxed when she was with Roland.

Or when she was reading the books which recorded intriguing knowledge�although they
appeared complicated and incomprehensible at first, after prolonged reading, one
would discover that the relationships between different things were simple and
direct, and would not change because of new interests or desires. She wondered why
the real world did not turn out to be as clean and tidy as the formulas which
explained its workings.

The door opened again. After a brief moment of flattering voices urging him to
stay, Carter returned to her side and said, "Miss Anna, it's done."

"Okay." Anna could breathe a lot easier now that the matter was settled. "Don't
tell His Majesty."

"Of course... I understand."

She nodded in approval and turned to walk downstairs.

Although she could never get rid of these terrible feelings, she knew that with
Roland, the pleasant things in life would only keep increasing. She could not wait
to proceed to the North Slope Mountain to continue her research work.

That was a place she was actually fond of.

Chapter 584: The Estuary

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After nearly four months, Lotus had a different feeling when she returned to Border
Town.

The town had developed rapidly, and even the heavy snow did not stop its expansion.
She had this particular feeling every time she was on the Redwater Bridge.

The factories located on the south bank of the river were arrayed like a neat
square, and the dock area across the river had expanded more than several times.
Concrete boats with black smoke moving back and forth on the river almost covered
the glittering surface of the river.
"It's much more crowded than Sleeping Island. There are a lot of people, and they
look like ants down there." Honey leaned against the railings of the bridge looking
down.

"I agree," said Lotus. She had not understood why His Highness had wanted such a
broad bridge and felt that it had been a waste of materials when the bridge was
being constructed. Now, however, she thought that his decision was proven to be
right.

Occasionally, people moving across the river via the bridge would glance up at
them, curious about their odd dress and appearance.

In other cities, Lotus would think about how to escape at moments like this, but
she did not need to worry about her safety here.

In addition to the changes one could see, there were still many more improvements
in life, naked to the eye.

For example, the heating system that made people feel warm, the electric lamps that
lit up the night and new, delicious food like ice cream and so on. Evelyn and
Candle could talk about those changes in their life with her for a whole day, but
those were not what surprised Lotus the most.

She thought the biggest change was the relation between witches and ordinary
people.

And this could be seen in Evelyn's tavern.

The tavern was funded by the Witch Union. Evelyn was the manager and bartender,
serving guests who visited the Western Region delicious blended wines. It was His
Majesty's idea that they should spend some of their savings on business instead of
keeping it hidden inside their drawers.

Lotus had been invited by Wendy to have two glasses of iced apple fruit wine. The
taste was exquisite, much more aromatic than oat wine and mixed with a delicate
fruit flavor. The drinks also looked quite attractive, and you could see the clear
pale green liquid through the transparent crystal glass. The environment there was
not like that of the ordinary pubs which were often noisy and chaotic. Instead, the
guests were sitting elegantly in their own seats, and the floor, tables and
drinking vessels were all clean and tidy. She would not consider the place a pub,
if it were not for the row of barrels behind the counter.

Of course, the experience corresponded with the high prices of the drinks.

Evelyn stood in front of the counter, having conversations with her guests and
nobody reproached her because she was a witch. Instead, many foreign businessmen
came over to drink due to curiosity. Lotus had seldom seen Evelyn smile so happily,
and she knew Evelyn really liked the job.

Lotus recalled that most of the activities of witches had been basically within the
castle area before she had left, and the witches had often been protected by His
Majesty's bodyguards when they needed to go out. But now they were gradually being
assimilated into every part of the town.

It was incredible that such changes could be made within just one season.

Talking with Wendy that evening gave Lotus a deeper understanding. She believed
perhaps that was the reason why the witches of the Witch Union were willing to do
their best.
They were not only building Neverwinter for His Majesty Roland, but also building
their home.

"Let's go. Today we'll complete the transformation of the estuary if everything
goes smoothly," Lotus said to Honey.

"Yay!"

...

When the last piece of rock sank into the ground, Lotus wiped the sweat off her
forehead and took a deep breath.

"Awesome, you really made a road through the mountain." Honey applauded.

Meanwhile, the row of birds crouched in the treetop above her head tweeted.

"Of course, there's nothing I can't do," said Lotus proudly.

Unlike the reefs surrounding Sleeping Island, the rock layer here was much deeper
and harder, so it was much more difficult to transform it. Fortunately, she did not
need to transform the entire mountain into flat ground. According to His Majesty's
plan, she just needed to build a passageway that could allow five or six carriages
to pass side by side. Thinking of the iron bridge, this time she did not consider
such a spacious road a waste.

Since the hills were more than forty meters above sea level, the easiest way to
build the road was by sinking the ground gradually until it turned into a long,
gentle slope.

In order to facilitate the passage of carriages, she purposely pressed the rock
layer on the surface of the hills into a level road surface. By doing so, even if
it rained, puddles of water would not form on the surface of the road.

Now, if you were standing on top of the slope, you could see the golden shallow
beach and the blue sea, and you could feel the cool sea breeze blowing along the
slope with a familiar salty smell.

"Did you bring fire?" Honey bounded toward her.

"No, what do you want to do?"

"Roast fish, of course!" Honey smiled and added, "How about you drive them out to
the top of the water's surface when I attract them here? We can just put them under
the sun for two days if we don't have fire."

The birds above her head tweeted even more merrily.

Lotus rolled her eyes and said, "I don't want to smell salted fish everywhere!
Besides, haven't you got bored of it? You ate so many on Sleeping Island!"

"Hmm? I feel it was quite good," Honey said while tilting her head.

"Anyway, putting fish under the sun is forbidden here. His Majesty doesn't like the
smell of fish, either." Lotus suddenly remembered Ashes and was not sure whether
she was still plagued from eating fish soup on Sleeping Island. "His Majesty said
he plans to build a harbor, so Lady Tilly can come here anytime she wants, and she
won't need to come by hot air balloon anymore."
When Lady Tilly was mentioned, this attracted Honey's attention. "So... will she
come?"

Her expression was even simpler than that of an animal. Lotus patted her fluffy
hair, saying, "I have no idea, but soon His Majesty has to fight against the
church, so she must come to help her brother."

Actually, Lotus was not sure, especially after she had heard all the details of the
Bloodfang Association and Heidi Morgan. In the past, she had not liked the pompous
attitude of the combat witches, but now it seemed that they were also quite
pitiable.

After she stopped holding prejudice against them, she realized that they were
actually not that different from herself. At least now, she could have a short
conversation with Iffy once in a while. The combat witches on the island, however,
would not be persuaded by Tilly easily.

"Yay, that's great!"

Lotus sighed inwardly. This little girl knew nothing about war. If Lady Tilly
failed to solve the Bloodfang Association's problem, and the church attacked His
Majesty Roland at the same time, it would mean big trouble.

Despite that, she still wished that Lady Tilly could come to Border Town again.

And she also wished Lady Tilly could stay here forever.

Then the wish she had made in the winter would come true

"Thus, all the witches including myself could live happily in Border Town," Lotus
thought.

...

Chapter 585: The Day of Embarkment

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Three days later, 1,500 soldiers of the Tooth Extraction Campaign boarded their
ships and headed for their first destination, Redwater City.

At the same time, according to strategic planning, the other soldiers of the First
Army would escort the ammunition and food to the Northern Region. They would follow
the inland water path, pass through Redwater River, the King's City river, Sanwan
River, and reach Deepvalley Town in the end.

In order to cope with such a large-scale deployment, Roland gathered all the paddle
steamers in City of Neverwinter and also rented 30 sailing ships from Margerie's
Chamber of Commerce to deliver war materials.

By doing so, he could send three thousand soldiers and artillery ammunition to the
Northern Region within a month, which was even before July. In the modern world,
transporting a few thousands of people could be completed by just three or four
ferries in one trip. But in this era, this was an incredible initiative.

The vanguards would also move towards the Northern Region after they had
accumulated enough God's Stones of Retaliation during the Tooth Extraction
Campaign, and finally 4,500 soldiers would gather at Deepvalley Town and force the
church to have a war with them at Coldwind Ridge.

Of course, there was always a plan B, in case the church responded too quickly,
sending a troop of God's Punishment Army to move southward across the Impassable
Mountain Range and launched a surprise attack at City of Neverwinter, or that they
abandoned Holy City and tried to enter the kingdom from the border between Kingdom
of Dawn and Kingdom of Graycastle.

The five hundred men defending City of Neverwinter were prepared for the first
situation. Defenders always got a certain advantage, especially with the 152 mm
stronghold cannon. As for the second situation, it would result in a lose-lose
situation. Under such circumstances, the First Army would resort to a war of
attrition and Kingdom of Graycastle would lose lots of people, meanwhile the church
would lose Holy City of Hermes and their faith and status would also suffer.

Fortunately, it was almost impossible for the second case to happen. The population
of Kingdom of Graycastle would increase after the war, but the church could not
afford to lose Holy City, their foundation. As long as the pope was not frantic,
they would never abandon their Holy City.

The Pearl of the Northern Region, Edith Kant, followed the first fleet to leave,
too.

"Please don't worry Your Majesty, I'll write a letter to inform my father to send
half of his grains to the soldiers, and the Lord of Deepvalley Town will also try
his best to fulfill any request from the First Army."

"Aren't you going back to the Northern Region?" asked Roland.

"I'd like to follow the first army and to participate in all the coming battles
instead of going back home," said Edith, who stood on the side of the ship. She
raised her hair and bowed, saying, "Please take care of my brother for me."

"I'll take care of him."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I'll wait for you in Deepvalley Town, for the real great
war."

After the ship left, Nightingale complained. "Tut-tut, the war is a life-and-death
matter, but she talks about it as if she's going to a date."

"Uhm... does she?"

"Don't you realize it? The action of raising her hair� There's no wind blowing. Why
did she take the trouble to do it?" Nightingale snorted and added, "of course, it
may be her habit to seduce men with such a gesture and it's already a habit."

"Are you still upset by the letter?" Roland shook his head and did not know whether
to laugh or cry. "I've told you, it's impossible. By the way, did she lie?"

Nightingale reluctantly replied, "Basically, no. At least when she expressed

allegiance and talked about those combat arrangements, she said the truth."

"That's enough. Let's go back to the castle." Roland took a breath and said.

City of Neverwinter was under pressure due to the coming war, but there was good
news too. The projects that had been planned during Months of Demons were completed
one by one, and the basic infrastructure was greatly enhanced.
The most important finished project was the Western Region's own estuary.

After the estuary was completed, Roland informed the Ministry of Construction
immediately. Soon some houses, warehouses and temporary docks were built on
deepwater port. With a natural deep-water harbor, larger ships could now be built,
but as Anna had already focused on producing military equipment, the shipbuilding
plan would be postponed until the end of the war.

The supporting hub project, the construction of Highway 67, had also started. That
road would begin from the bank of the Redwater River Bridge and connect the
industrial area with the south of Shallow Beach. Its construction team was the same
as that of the Kingdom Main Street project. Roland also fulfilled his promise, to
make nearly half of the workers, that performed outstandingly, qualify as residents
of City of Neverwinter and issued identity cards to them.

Besides, the first coke oven in North Slope Mountain was also put into production
mode during this period of time.

To be precise, it could have started earlier, but it had had many setbacks during
the test run. For example, at the first time of trial, the furnace had not been
vented and the air used for dry distillation burnt directly. At another time, the
temperature and timing had not been well controlled, resulted in coking failure.
There had even been a serious accident, when the exhaust pipe had been clogged with
dust and the flame had got out of the furnace. Fortunately, as Summer had the
ability to playback what had happened before, the problems of the process were
quickly identified and fixed. A new batch of improved coke ovens was in full swing
construction.

Besides basic infrastructure, military production also stepped up.

The howitzer, an important new weapon designed for the war, was finally a success.

Despite the limited size of its shells and the limited speed of reloading, it was
still a fatal weapon in the radius of ten meters. Combined with debris, it could
affect an even bigger area, twice or three times as large as the original coverage.

Several 152 mm artillery could hit targets nearly ten kilometers away, which meant
that they were able to strike the rear of the enemy directly, and now the shock
waves and debris of the howitzer could destroy the defenseless enemy there
completely. This kind of war was completely beyond the imagination of the people in
this era.

Unfortunately, a heavy howitzer could only be delivered with the assistance of

Hummingbirds and when there was no hard-surface concrete road, only two howitzers
could be used on the battlefield.

Even so, Roland was not willing to give up such a powerful firepower.

In contrast, the news about the successful operation of the steam turbine was not
so important.

After all, whether it was a new type of steam-powered boat or thermal power
generation, there was not enough manpower for research and development. In a sense,
after receiving the message from Kingdom of Dawn, City of Neverwinter had entered
the wartime system, and all of the resources had to divert to give way to the
preparation for war, Anna being no exception.

In the morning, she processed artillery shells and fuzes, and in the afternoon, she
cut key parts used in heavy machine guns. Those were what she had to do everyday.

The arsenal operated on three shifts for the production of bullets and revolving
rifles. Thanks to Mystery Moon and Candle, all kinds of machine tools ran at
maximum capacity in production without a big problem.

Shortly after returning to the office, Roland received a letter carried by the
carrier pigeon from Fjords.

This is... the reply from Tilly?

Roland quickly opened the letter and soon finished reading the contents. Pondering
for a moment, he asked Nightingale to get Maggie.

"Bring Soraya to catch the leaving fleet. Let Iffy do what's suggested in the
letter."

"Coo!"

Chapter 586: The Battle of Redwater City

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

After two days of sailing, blocks of villages and farmland began to appear on the
desolate green field, and the city wall of Redwater City gradually came into sight.

As the biggest city in Redwater River, its population and resources could compare
favorably with the old king's city. If it was not for the advantage brought by the
minerals in Silver City, ancestors in the Wimbledon family would have made Redwater
City the king's city instead of the current City of Dawn.

Brian observed through a telescope for a while and asked, "What will we do when we
arrive at the wharf? How about shocking them first with the naval artillery?"

"It may provoke their lord's hostility." Iron Axe shook his head. "Our main target
is the church. Other things can be put aside. According to diplomatic process, we
present the documents first."

When the fleet arrived at the suburban wharf, great turmoil began at once. The gate
closed quickly, and the drawbridge of the moat was pulled up while the soldiers
concentrated in line outside the wharf.

Brian sent out the documents and received a prompt reply.

"He said His Majesty's army is welcomed by the lord, but we are required to send an
envoy into the city to explain the conditions. He will not open the gate and let us
enter until he verifies the cause of the matter," the soldier reported.

"What conditions? We've already explained very clearly in the documents," Brian
said crossly, "We are only against the church. Does he want to help those church
scoundrels escape?"

"Is this also your rule?" Iron Axe turned back and looked at the accompanying
members in the Adviser Group.

"Um... yes, it should be if they're nobles," Petrov's Chief bodyguard Trevor

answered, "and it's normal for them to be skeptical, after all, His Majesty, Roland
himself hasn�t come and Redwater City is not in his jurisdiction. We only need to
send an envoy with suitable status to explain clearly."

"Suitable status?"

"Someone from a large family who can earn the lord's trust," Trevor explained
further, "like the Honeysuckle family in the Western Region."

Iron Axe, Brian, and Van'er looked at each other with embarrassment. Before they�d
become the commanders of the First Army, one was of the Sand Nation, the other two
were civilians. They didn�t know how to properly converse with the nobles, nor did
they have a suitable status which could help them to talk to the castellan equally.

"Why not blast the gate directly with cannons," Brian got angry and said, "Once
they feel our attack they�ll know what the right way is."

"Allow me," Edith said, "The Kant family is an aristocratic family in the north and
my father is also a duke. I'm qualified."

"What if it's a trick?" Van'er hesitated and said, "If the Lord of Redwater City
colluded with the church long ago, they might arrest you when you enter and force
us to withdraw."

"It's not good for him and you won't compromise, will you?" Edith smiled and said,
"As long as he is in his right mind, he won't plan such a move on the envoys or he
would arouse other noble's antipathy. And it can't affect the overall situation. On
the contrary, if he had colluded with the church, the city would have been blocked
in the state of battle. There hasn't been any hot oil or bonfire set up in the top
of the city yet."

"I'll go with her," Sir Eltek said, "I was once a knight and I can take care of her
if there's a danger."

"I appreciate your concern, but the Pearl of the Northern Region doesn't need any
care," Edith said with confidence.

"Bring a team of soldiers with you." Iron Axe made the final decision. "If we hear
a shot, we'll start an attack."

...

An hour later, the gate was opened slowly, and the drawbridge was lowered.

They were stunned when Miss Edith and a chubby middle-aged man came out under the
escort of a small group from the First Army and a group from the Silver Armored
Knights. The man was well-dressed but courted Edith like a henchman from his
obvious expression and behavior.

"This is the Lord of Redwater City, Earl Delta," Edith introduced the lord to them
and added, "I also asked him to send the patrol to surround the church in case the
priest and believers escape." Then she shifted her head and said, "These are the
commanders of His Highness's First Army, Lord Iron Axe, Mr. Brian and Mr. Van'er."

"Iron Axe... and what?" The earl was stunned for a while to hear such kind of
introduction for the first time.

"Never mind." She laughed. "This is His Highness�s terminology."

"Ahem, I see." Delta cleared his throat and said, "I have heard that Prince
Roland... no, His Majesty acts in a different style, really not common. So...
welcome to Redwater City. Excuse me, His Majesty indeed just wants to wipe out the
insurgents of the church?"

This was the Lord of the Redwater City? Brian wondered in amazement. He was quite
different from what Brian had imagined.

"Yes," Iron Axe answered in earnest, nodding, "I think it's clear in the documents
of His Majesty that the church is trying to occupy the Four Kingdoms and their
rebellion has become a fact. You should have heard the calamity that happened in
the Kingdoms of Everwinter and Wolfheart. We'll leave once we clear out the
church�s people."

"Well, it is not necessary to be in such hurry," Delta rubbed his hands and said,
"and tonight I'll hold a grand feast in the castle. I hope all of you can attend."

Although he was inviting everyone, his eyes focused on the Pearl of the Northern
Region.

Brian was going to refuse but Edith accepted without hesitation. "Thank you for
your invitation. It will be an honor but we have to complete His Majesty's task
first."

"Sure." The earl smiled with slanted eyes.

...

The First Army entered the city in order under the guidance of the knights.
Avoiding the earl's attention, Brian walked close to Edith and chided her in a low
voice. "Why did you accept his invitation? He definitely has other, indecent
intentions!"

"This is the normal communication between the nobles. It would be too rude if we
refused," she replied in a dismissive tone. "I don't know why His Majesty excludes
the nobility from his army, but you represent His Majesty, Roland so you can't
refuse these things entirely. And it'll be much easier to recover Redwater City on
the basis of a good relationship with him. As for his indecent intention..." She
twitched her mouth, "Is there any other facial expression a male noble can show?"

"Err..." Brian swallowed with difficulty and sighed after a moment. "So, you're
used to this kind of life?"

"It�s not bad, just a tad boring." Edith said with a little satire. "Well, haven't
you ever admired the life of a noble?"

"I..." He opened his mouth but could find no words.

Suddenly, there was turmoil up ahead. It seemed that someone was shouting, and they
could hear something fall to the ground.

"What happened?" the Earl called out.

Iron Axe clenched his right hand into a fist and shouted, "All soldiers, stand by!
On the alert!"

The troops stopped marching immediately. The soldiers took their rifles from their
backsides expertly and changed quickly from columns to rows.

At this moment, Sylvie warned from the middle of the team with a loud voice. "Watch
out! There's magic reaction in front!"
Chapter 587: A Nameless Victim

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Magic reaction?" Earl Delta turned around and asked, "What's that?"

"Tell your knights to step aside now!" Brian had no time to think about etiquette
and shouted at him.

He had barely finished speaking when a group of believers, in indigo robes, popped
out from around the corner and rushed into the guiding knights. The force was so
great that the horses were immediately knocked over and several knights found
themselves pinned under their heavy mounts before they even realized what had
happened. The other knights immediately drew their swords and began to fight with
the believers.

The people on the street panicked and ran, causing many to fall and get trampled by
the fleeing crowd. The sounds of people crying for help could be heard everywhere
and the site was a complete mess.

"Tr... Treason!" The Earl was shocked, at first, and then he became furious. "Damn
it! Kill all the rebels!"

But, a piece of flying slate shut him up.

It had been part of the pavement and more pieces of slate rose up in the air and
swiftly headed toward a knight. It happened so fast that all anyone could see was a
fleeting green shadow. The first person who was hit quickly started to bleed
profusely from his joints and eyes. His armor immediately crumbled and it would
have been impossible for him to survive.

After that, more pieces of slate flew around, even taking out some of the
believers. The vertical pieces of slate were shattering peoples bones, while the
horizontal slates were cutting them in half.

Before Earl Delta could even feel shocked, Brian quickly pulled him aside.

"Fire!" Iron Axe ordered.

Gunshots continuously rang out across the street.

The people who were still standing erect got mowed down like a wheat crop and once
the gunpowder plume dissipated there was a littering of wounded knights and
believers across the battlefield. For a short time, the field had been pure chaos,
now there were bodies scattered everywhere, some of them were still gasping feebly
while others moaned in pain, continuing to writhe on the ground.

"Where are the enemies?" Brian stared at the street corner without so much as
blinking, as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

"Enemies... They all fell, didn't they?" the Earl asked bewildered, apparently in
shock. He obviously had not expected that His Majesty's troops would be so strong.
A dozen silver armored knights and unstoppable believers became disabled in almost
the blink of an eye.

"It's coming!" Sylvie said in a hoarse voice.

As if responding to her warning, a woman appeared from around the corner, she was
rolling up the street slates like giant carpet wheels and making them float in the
air one by one.

Heavy gunshots rang out again. Most of the slate was torn apart immediately while
one piece of slate spun and swept along the crowd like a thick, unmanned sword.

Oh, no! Brian's heart sank. From the way it appears, a flintlock isn't going to
break down the rotating slate quickly enough. He didn't want to imagine what was
going to happen when the soldiers were hit. They were not wearing armor like the
knights and the casualties were going to be significantly higher. And, yet, they
had no choice but to continue fighting.

Just after Brian had this realization, a purple light suddenly appeared in front of
the troops.

It was a cage made of magic power and it enveloped the incoming slate, shrinking
rapidly, stopping the rotating rock abruptly.

"Is this an enemy... or a witch?" Earl Delta stood in a daze.

It wasn't until all of the floating slate had finally fallen did the First Army
cease-fire.

The cloud of heavy smoke from the gunpowder blurred their eyesight. The smell of
sulfur pervaded the air, but no one dared to rub their eyes or even cough. Except
for the sound of guns loading, the field was completely silent, for the moment.

"Was it Miss Sylvie?" Iron Axe asked.

"The Magic Power... It disappeared," she said slowly.

This meant that either the enemies had fled the battlefield or they had perished
during the fight.

After the smoke dissipated, Brian could see what had happened.

A woman was laying on the pavement in a pool of blood, her thick, curly, dark green
hair mixing with the sanguine fluid.

Brian loosened his grip on the terrified Earl's shoulder and walked towards the
woman, her red and white priestess' cloth revealing her identity.

There were two palm-sized wounds penetrating the stomach and abdomen of the Pure
Witch, from which dark streams of blood drained. Apparently, the bullet still had
force after penetrating the slate and had torn straight through her body. The
multiple slices on her arms and legs must have been caused by the ricocheting
stones.

Even though her enemies had the God's Stone of Retaliation, she was still able to
roll up the slates and use them as shields. This way she could attack the enemies
with the remaining slates and keep her enemies at a distance. However, she had not
expected the flintlocks to be that powerful.

Looking back now, she might have been shot during the first round of gunshots but
she was still able to manipulate the slate. Her willpower had been remarkable.

"Is she really a witch from the church?" Delta moved closer, cautiously.
"Wasn't His Majesty clear in the pamphlet that was distributed in King's City?"
Brian replied with annoyance. "The church not only poisoned the common people with
the Berserk Pills, but they also train witches to serve them in secret. Only the
innocent girls that were framed by the church stand on our side. Have you not heard
any of this before?"

"Actually, I had heard this before, but it seemed unbelievable..."

This is just a small portion of the despicable acts committed by the church, and
the nobles weren't much better Brian thought to himself, but he didn't say a word.

Edith was also shocked by this brief conflict.

This was her first time seeing the combat abilities of the flintlock troops. The
whole process looked like a storm and all the soldiers needed to do was stand
still. In this regard, His Majesty's troops were physically at an advantage. One
could imagine that the larger the scale of warfare the more obvious the guns
advantage would be.

There was no doubt that the traditional combat forms, where soldiers fought with
thick armors and sharp weapons, had now shifted to a newer model.

Moreover, with those machines roaring day and night, they could keep producing
these weapons in the western region. This made it easy to imagine how great a war
potential His Majesty had in his domain.

It wasn't until Iron Axe had ordered the troops to keep moving, that Edith was able
to recover herself.

However, her belief was firmer that her choice was the right one.

The First Army took a turn at the street corner and soon came to the church's front
door. There were several bodies lying on the ground and judging from their
clothing, most of them belonged to the patrol team.

They soon realized what had transpired. Just as the patrol ordered the blockade of
the church, more than two hundred enchanted people were suddenly killed and the
lords were swept away. Some of the believers stayed to wrestle with the patrol
team, while others created chaos in the outer city, where some people were
attempting to break through the gate. Fortunately, the First Army was less than 300
feet from the church and they were able to confront the Pure Witch. If they had
been even 15 minutes later, the Pure Witch would have likely escaped during the
chaos.

Brian immediately lead a team into the church, where they eliminated the remaining
resisters.

Next was ransacking the place to find any documents, letters, or usable goods.
According to his Majesty, taking anything of value was a requirement.

Then, under Sylvie's guidance, the soldiers used small packets of explosives to
blow up the iron gate blocking the basement. The people that were present all
strained their eyes to see what laid behind the slowly falling gate.

In nice orderly rows, there were over ten boxes of the God's Stone of Retaliation,
and surrounding it were tidy stacks of gold.

Chapter 588: A Knight and You

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

At night, the halls of Redwater City Castle were glowing with light. Servants
carrying wine glasses were walking through the crowd. Musicians were singing softly
while plucking on the strings of their instruments. Enticing dishes were set on the
table one by one, and goblets filled with red wine shone brightly.

The noblemen and women split into groups of two or three and chatted happily with
wine in their hands. Edith was the focus of people's eyes. She was moving around in
the hall with Earl Delta and very much seemed to enjoy such a social event.

Brian, however, felt totally alienated from the whole crowd.

He felt the collar of his bottoming shirt choking him and his slim fit coat
restricting the movement of his arms, not to mention the extremely uncomfortable
pointy toe high heel boots on his feet. He could not really understand how come the
nobles could dart around on the very slippery floor wearing those shoes.

Brian could not help but envy Van'er who did not have to suffer from this as the
guard of the First Army's battalion,

but he immediately stood taller when he thought that Edith had reminded them that
they were here to represent His Majesty Roland.

Someone suddenly patted his shoulder, saying, "You look quite tense. Is this the
first time you've come to attend a banquet like this?"

He turned around and found that it was Sir Eltek who dressed in broad shoulder
formal attire with a white scarf around his neck, looking completely different from
his everyday look.

"Relax, you don't have to be so nervous."

"I'm not..."

"It's not a bad thing. No one is good at everything. It's not a big deal," Sir
Eltek threw up his hands and said.

After a moment of silence, Brian asked, "where is Lord Iron Axe?"

"He's escorting the witches, Miss Iffy and Miss Sylvie. They seem as popular as
Miss Edith." Eltek pointed to the other side of the hall and said.

Brian looked at that direction and saw the witches. They also looked very stiff in
the dresses that Edith found for them in the last-minute rush. However, they were
still attractive and seemed to be even more beautiful than the Pearl of Northern
Region. "Those people have no idea who they are, and Lord Iron Axe is actually not
protecting the witches," Brian said.

"Oh, is it?" Sir Eltek shook his beard a little.

Brian nodded and explained. "To be more accurate, he's protecting the nobles. If
Miss Iffy is irritated, they'll suffer."

They then looked at each other and giggled simultaneously.

"Look, now you're relaxed and natural."

"I..." Brian froze for awhile and said, "thank you."

"Hah, you're welcome," Sir Eltek said and then he beckoned a servant. He picked up
a glass of wine and turned to Brian, asking, "would you like a drink?"

"No... His Majesty has said that a military man on duty should never drink wine."

"No wine, even when he's resting?"

"It's a rule."

"Alright." Sir Elteck sipped the wine alone and added, "what a pity."

"You think..." Brian hesitated and continued. "What Miss Edith has said is true?"

"Such as?"

"A knight should never refuse invitations to such occasions at his will, because he
represents His Majesty."

"Uhm... That's true." Sir Eltek nodded and said.

Brian felt dejected, suddenly saying, "I'm not qualified to be a knight. I can't
behave in such a natural, relaxed manner like her on these kind of occasions."

"It's okay," Sir Eltek said while spreading his hands. "Some people are just
naturally good at it and some are not. Indeed, a knight who stands out at a banquet
can bring his lord glory, praises and even diplomatic advantages, but that's not
all about being a knight. Actually, my son is also bad at social events for the
nobles."

"You mean... Dawn Glory?"

"Yes, he seldom spends time with the other nobles and was even frequently absent
from social events held by the lord. However, no one can deny that he's an
excellent knight."

"I don't know this side of Mr. Ferlin," Brian said in great surprise.

"There's a lot you don't know about him." Sir Eltek smiled and added, "he's
stubborn as a stone. He filled me with rage by marrying a civilian woman. I cut him
off at that time but then I found out that I was wrong. I could find no fault with
Ms. Irene. She's as good as any noble lady, except that she doesn't have a noble
title. It was hard for both of them at that time." Sir Eltek stopped and changed
the subject, "I heard that you fought a bloody battle against the rebels to protect
the grain preparation for Border Town?"

"Uhm... Actually, it was Lady Nightingale who stopped them. If it was not for her,
I'm afraid I'd already be dead in the basement." Brian said with a little
embarrassment.

"But at least, you stepped forward, right? It's much braver than most of the other
nobles who have only the titles but not the courage to fight against their enemies.
I think that His Majesty did not dub you a knight for your social skills. You're a
qualified knight as long as you remain who you are."

"I see," Brian felt touched and said, "thank you for telling me that."

"It's all right. Take it as a casual chat between us. Seeing you reminded me of
Ferlin, so I couldn't hold my tongue," Sir Eltek said while touching his beard.

After a while, Brian asked in a muffled voice. "So, what about the other thing that
Miss Edith has mentioned? The social activities of the nobles are boring and
dull..."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Sir Eltek watched Brian with interest.

"No, no! I'm just curious." Brian promptly waved his hands and explained, "she
disapproved of these kind of activities at that time, but now you can see that she
seems to enjoy it very much."

"Well," Sir Eltek smacked his lips and said. "What should I say? Some people can
handle everything properly, even when they don't like to do some of those things. I
think Miss Edith is a strong performer among those people."

"Properly cope with unenjoyable things?"

"It's not a rare thing," Sir Eltek shrugged and continued. "They're gifted and
naturally good at many things, but that doesn't mean they like everything that they
have to do. After all, as a Duke's daughter, social skills are already in her
blood."

"His Majesty needs someone like her," Brian sighed.

"Maybe," Sir Eltek said noncommittally, "But that doesn't mean His Majesty doesn't
need other kinds of people. As I've said before, no one is good at everything.
Focusing on what you're best at is not worse than covering everything, as there's a
limit to a man's energy. That's why you're also well recognized by His Majesty..."
Eltek paused momentarily and added, "I think he's right based on the changes I've
seen in the City of Neverwinter."

Chapter 589: The Storm in the Fjords

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

A storm was brewing on the sea to the east of the Fjords islands.

Every now and then, lightning struck through the gray clouds that hung low in the
sky. Muffled thunders like the angry roars of the gods in the sky sounded as if
they came from far away.

Heidi Morgan's mood was no better than the weather.

She had not received any news since she sent Iffy and Softfeathers to the western
region.

She understood that the long distance would make it difficult to send any message
back, but she also knew that Honey was there in the western region of the Kingdom
of Graycastle. That meant that they could threaten her and seize one of her animal
messengers to send a message.

"What's really going on in the domain of the lord?"

Heidi thought and irritably shut the window to block the howling wind.

The situation on Sleeping Island was getting worse and worse for her. Since Tilly
started the Sleeping Spell, all non-combat witches were on her side and facts had
also proven that the ordinary people of the Fjords showed a greater need for
assistant witches. As this place did not face any enemy now, the local chambers of
commerce hired witches mainly for commercial purposes or opening new water
channels.

Under such circumstances, the status of the weak witches was raised rapidly and now
seemed on equal terms with the combat witches.

Besides, there were common people.

"Damn it, how come I didn't think of this," Heidi thought bitterly. She had thought
that if she represented the combat witches all the time, she would not lag behind
Tilly, as there were only two groups of people on the island. However, as more and
more ordinary people immigrated to the island, the third group formed. Those people
recognized and trusted only Tilly since they were only influenced by the local
chambers of commerce. As a result, Tilly left the island almost routinely to visit
the other islands as a distinguished guest, especially after she gained Thunder's
support.

The thought drove of this drove Heidi into a blind rage. She believed that Tilly
made friends with ordinary people in the name of promoting integration only for the
purpose of increasing her own influence.

Heidi thought Tilly was deceiving everyone.

Tilly was selling the home of witches to the ordinary people bit by bit.

If things went on like this, she would never be able to replace Tilly Wimbledon.

This was the first time that Heidi found there was little she could do about a 20-
year-old girl. Heidi's intention of leaving Sleeping Island with the combat witches
was stronger than before. She wanted to ask Camilla, the Chief Butler of Sleeping
Island, when could the Charming Beauty take them to the western eegion. But just at
the moment, her door was pushed open.

"My lady, I've something urgent to report!" Skyflare rushed in and said, looking
anxious.

"What's going on?"

Seeing the look on her face, Heidi could not help but feel surprised, as Skyflare
was the best and had followed her for the longest time among the witches of her
association.

"There's a new witch here on Sleeping Island. I heard that her name was Annie!"

"So what?" Heidi said in confusion. It's not a rare thing that wild witches came to
Sleeping Island after the merchants got the news out.

"She's from Kingdom of Wolfheart!" Skyflare said in a muffled voice, "I've met her
before!"

Thunder suddenly crashed in the sky!

Heidi's heart skipped a beat and soon realized what Skyflare meant by 'urgent',
saying, "you mean she's the one Bloodfang Association has rejected. It's
impossible! She may just be her namesake."

"I thought that way at the beginning, but she looked very similar to the Annie I
had met several years ago. I hid in the crowd to steal a glance at her when she was
carried into the palace."

"Are you sure?"

"My lady, I'm not sure about the other witches but Annie is different... Back then,
she brought a friend with her. That was Iffy." Skyflare grated and continued, "Iffy
cried all the way for Annie, wanting to go back, so I remembered her appearance."

"How could this happen? They should be..." Heidi grabbed Skyflare by collar and
asked, "did you let her go?"

"No, my lady, I did what you ordered me to do! Please believe me. I'll never betray
you!" Skyflare argued.

Heidi looked into her eyes and then slowly released her, asking, "what happened to
her? You said that she was carried into the palace just now."

Skyflare took a breath and said, "she seemed to be infected with a cold epidemic
and was seriously ill. The keep has already sent someone to invite Della."

Della cannot cure a cold epidemic but she could calm a patient down by cutting off
the pain. Heidi paced back and forth in the room for a while and asked, "Tilly
isn't here on the island, right?"

"Yes, she went to Twin Dragon Island two days ago. She seemed to be busy with the
preparation for the exploration of the sea."

Heidi stopped and said, "bring Nightfall here and let Shaji go to get more
information. Shaji has never seen Annie, so she won't be recognized."

"Yes, my lady!"

...

It began to pour. Raindrops pattered against the window, and Heidi sat by the table
speechlessly. Skyflare and Nightfall stood aside, waiting for Heidi's order. The
atmosphere was quite tense.

A burst of rapid footsteps broke the silence.

The door was opened and then shut again. Shaji returned and leaned against the
door. She took off her wet clothing and straw hat and then heaved a long sigh.
"That witch called Annie is already asleep. According to Della, her condition is
not good, as the cold epidemic has already infected her lungs. She must have been
ill for quite a long time."

"Is it? So what's Camilla planning to do?" Heidi said in a grave tone.

"She said there's a witch in the western region of the Kingdom of Graycastle who
could cure all kinds of diseases. She's going to send Annie to the western region
when the rainstorm stops."

Heidi felt so irritated that she wanted to laugh. Hiring One-eyed Jack for a round
trip in the Fjords would cost nearly 100 gold royals. Camilla always found excuses
to refuse her requests for traveling to the other islands or to the Kingdom of
Graycastle, but now for a useless, strange witch, she was willing to send out the
Charming Beauty?
There was another thing she found completely intolerable. If Annie went to the
western region and met Iffy, what she had done before would be exposed.

No matter what, she had to make Annie stay on the island or shut up forever.

Heidi contained her anger and turned to Nightfall. "You can make her sleep forever,
right?"

Nightfall winced and said, "you mean... Seed of Peaceful Death? Yes, I can, but
why..."

"Because she's a traitor of Bloodfang Association! You don't have to know the
details. Just remember she can't be excused." Heidi impatiently interrupted.

"Is she also a combat witch? Why not wait for Tilly before making the decision? If
it's found out, we'll get in trouble." Nightfall questioned.

Heidi squinted, saying, "Bloodfang Association will 'take care' of its traitors. If
we hand her over to Tilly, will the naive girl punish her? What's wrong with you?
Do you want to disobey my command?"

"Of course, no... My lady, I'm willing to take care of this traitor for you."
Nightfall shivered and promised.

Chapter 590: The Witches War

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Damn it," Heidi thought indignantly, "These witches' minds have already begun to
fall apart, and they would have never bothered to ask why they do what they do when
they were in Archduke Island. The enemies of the Bloodfang Association must be
taken care of."

The environment could influence a person. The ferocious cliff wolves lived in the
mountains, and the dumb dogs lived in the warm house. Through the Sleeping Spell,
assistant witches brought in many gold royals and goods for the island, turning
this place into a haven. Even the combat witches had started believing Tilly's
nonsense talk. Apparently, she did not have much time left to deal with it.

"You can control the attack time of the Seed of Peaceful Death, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, when you implant the seed in Annie's body, don't make it take effect
instantly, and kill her silently when she boards the Charming Beauty," Heidi nodded
and said, "Now we shall visit this traitor, Annie."

When Annie died on the ship as if from the cold plague, the crews would throw her
body into the ocean to avoid infection. No one would ever know the truth.

"Shall I attack her in broad daylight?" Nightfall was surprised.

"It would be more suspicious if you did it at night. Besides, I'm not sure whether
Camilla will let me into the palace or not." Heidi glanced over at her. "Shaji just
learned that a witch from Kingdom of Wolfheart is sick. Isn't it pretty normal that
the Bloodfang Association which represents Kingdom of Wolfheart come to visit her?"

"You're right, my lady." Skyflare lifted the Hood from behind her cope. "If
anything happens to Annie, Tilly and Camilla would still suspect us even if we
weren't there."

Opening the door, the harsh wind mixed with rain swarmed into the room. Putting on
her raincoat and waving to the two of them, Heidi walked out into the storm.

She was determined to do it.

...

Camilla Dary appeared in the doorway as the three of them walked into the palace's
compound. "What do you..."

"I heard from Shaji that a Kingdom of Wolfheart's witch has arrived here." Heidi
Morgan shrugged. "It's said that her condition is pretty bad, so we came to visit
her."

"Annie has fallen asleep under Della's conciliation. I suppose you'd better leave
her alone."

"Her name does ring a bell, so we just want to have a peek. We suppose maybe she
was a part of us and got lost when we ran away from Archduke Island."

"This..." After a moment's hesitation, Camilla said, "Okay, come in."

Heidi was fed up with this conversation. A common witch dared to treat this place
as her own turf and considered herself as the Chief Butler of Sleeping Island.
Heidi sneered secretively. This woman was just Tilly's dog. If she had not said
'come in' at last, Heidi would have taught her a lesson.

On Sleeping Island, most of the abodes relied on Lotus to rise from the
underground, so there were very few multi-story buildings here. Tilly's palace was
no exception.

Going through the long corridor to the side room, Camilla leaned over and said,
"She's in the room."

"Mm." Heidi could not wait to walk into the room. She shook her head to give a
signal to Skyflare.

After carefully examining the girl who was lying in bed with her eyes closed,
Skyflare nodded slightly.

"So, who sent her here?" Heidi came up to Camilla and whispered to her. It looked
like an act of concern, but it was actually to block her view, so Nightfall could
implant the Seed of Peaceful Death into Annie's body.

Instead of answering her, Camilla gave her an odd expression.

"Why are you trying to kill her?"

Heidi was confounded. Before she could do anything, Nightfall behind her had
already cried out, "This witch is a fake."

Turning violently, Heidi saw that the girl lying in bed had already disappeared,
Nightfall could only see the magic power cohere as a small black ball suspended in
midair.

"Seed of Peaceful Death. You really can go so far." Camilla shook her head. "I
thought you were just speaking of the combat witch, but I didn't expect that you're
a brutal murderer."

"Shut up!" Heidi's anger was out of control. She used a fatal magic power and flew
at Camilla. But by the time she could reach Camilla, the girl's figure had turned
into mist.

Now Heidi knew what had happened.

"Shadow, come out." She gritted her teeth.

There were hurried footsteps rising from the corridor. The witches hiding in the
dark were evacuating from this place fully.

"Skyflare, get her!"

"Yes." The latter dashed out of the side room, took a deep breath, and breathed out
a stream of red flames. The flames crept along the walls and chased the targets as
if it had its own consciousness. It burnt the windows and doorframes along the way.

"Ah!" A scream came from far away.

Nightfall hurriedly said, "My lady, we need to get out of here as soon as possible!
They lied to you. This whole thing is a trap!"

"Get away from the window." Shadow's scream made Heidi feel better, but she also
knew that they could not stay here very long. She just could not understand how
Tilly could know what had happened to the Bloodfang Association years ago.

Out of the palace, the three of them stopped.

In the heavy rain, a black-haired woman stood in the courtyard. Her eyes shone like
golden stars, which could be clearly seen even in the mist of the rain. The three
of them felt fear even though she stood without weapons.

It was the Extraordinary Ashes.

Usually, she would stay with Tilly Wimbledon.

Turning her head, Heidi saw two familiar figures appear in the palace's doorway,

Andrea and Shadow. Shadow was making faces at the three of them nonchalantly.
Apparently, the previous scream had been fake.

If they were both here, it meant that Tilly had not left Sleeping Island at all.

Heidi was at an absolute loss after realizing the truth.

"Don't bother to explain. I can spare your life if you give in now," Ashes said
this word by word.

No one would think she was bluffing. As an Extraordinary, she was a natural enemy
of all witches as long as she wore the God's Stone of Retaliation. Heidi would have
taken action earlier if it were not for her.

But there was still a chance they could win.

The breakthrough was at the palace's doorway. She could threaten Ashes if she could
capture Ashes' two partners.
Without hesitation, she grabbed Nightfall and rushed toward the front door of the
palace. "Skyflare, stop Ashes!"

As a combat witch, dagger and crossbow were the best weapons she could use when her
magic power could not be exerted. Skyflare pulled out her dagger and dashed toward
Ashes. Nightfall knew her intentions so at the same time she summoned the Seed of
Symbiosis.

A threat was useless unless fear supports it. Heidi had already made up her mind to
kill one of them, and leave one as hostage. Of course, Shadow who had taunted her
for such a long time, was her main target.

But seeing Andrea hold a long bar in her hand calmly, she was shocked.

What was that?

Then a loud roar made her fall into a deep torpor.

---

Chapter 591: The New Journey

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Heidi slipped and fell in the rain, the flowing rain pouring into her mouth, nose,
and collar.

It was hard to describe her true feelings. Although she did not feel much pain in
her body, she was powerless after the fall.

"Don't worry about me. Go and kill her!" she shouted out not even bothering to
examine her injuries.

But Nightfall disappointed her.

The combat witch from the Bloodfang Association hesitated, then stopped and came
back to her finally, asking, "My lady, are you alright?"

"Moron! We could only turn the tables if we seized them. If we couldn't, what was
the point of staying unharmed?" She wanted to vent her anger but found that she was
too tired to open her mouth and say anything.

Behind her, she heard Skyflare's scream, and the fights gradually died away.

It was very difficult for her to resist long when faced with the Extraordinary,
Ashes.

The paralytic feeling in her body began to fade, but a nervous flush along her
thighs which pricked painfully was very noticeable once she was soaked with the
rain.

Heidi managed to look up but only saw Andrea walking slowly toward her.

"Don't you want to give up resistance?"

"Yes," Nightfall answered, she turned around and knelt down. "I give in. Please
don't kill Lady Heidi."
Andrea wiped the water on her head and said, "If I intended to kill her, she'd be
dead by now. Her Highness Tilly hasn't yet figured something out, so I must spare
her life for now. As soon as all the evidence against her is certain, she'll be
justly punished."

"Evidence?" Nightfall was at a loss. "Annie betrayed the Bloodfang Association's

witches, this is why my lady planned to harm her."

"Oh? Is that what she told you? As far as I'm concerned, Annie never joined the
Bloodfang Association." Andrea shrugged. "You'll know what kind of person she is
when the truth is revealed." Then she turned and shouted to Shadow, "Go and fetch
Pandora to stop the bleeding from her wounds, or she'll be doomed."

At that moment Heidi finally felt the pain, and her whole leg could not move. It
felt like a mass of heaviness beneath her yet did not belong to her. A sharp pain
in her leg replaced the burning feeling, making her feel a bit better.

It was over.

And she knew exactly what would happen next.

Tilly must had somehow learned the truth about her since she dared to do this. It
was not difficult to find the truth with a bit of clue. Even if the Sleeping
Island's witches could not find the truth, those people in the Western Region
could.

She was afraid this had something to do with Iffy and Softfeathers.

She had belittled Tilly.

Heidi thought for a moment. Then she gritted her teeth and released her magic power
with her last ounce of strength just as Andrea turned her head.

She could destroy anything hollow within 10 steps from the inside, whether they
were living things or vessels.

She called it Power of Pulverizing.

Although a defeat was inevitable, Heidi was not willing to let Tilly win so easily.
At least she wanted to teach Tilly an unforgettable lesson.

"No, my lady!" Nightfall noticed and cried out.

It was too late! Heidi sneered secretively.

But her power did not take effect.

An invisible barrier dispersed her Power of Pulverizing.

"You're wearing the God's Stone of Retaliation!" Heidi mumbled with dilated eyes.
"Wait. The thing that had hurt me wasn't Andrea's new ability?"

"You do seem quite energetic, you incorrigible bi*ch," Andrea said with disgust,
raising the iron bar and smashing it with all her might.

Heidi was instantly blind.

...
"This is the end." Seeing Heidi Morgan and Skyflare being carried away, Andrea
asked Ashes, "So how are things on your end?"

"It's okay, but I'm afraid that Skyflare may not survive until the day when we
arrive in the Western Region."

"Lady Tilly said to keep them alive if possible. Why did you do it?" she said with
a look of disdain.

Ashes licked the raindrop at the corner of her mouth and said, "I never thought she
would be so desperate and risk her life to win. Besides, she does have technical
fighting skills. Of course, I could have captured her alive, but I worried that
something might go wrong at the essential moment. So I had to do it quickly."

"You..." Andrea was speechless.

The Extraordinary sighed. "If you had shown the Glassbead earlier, maybe they
wouldn't have risked their lives in the end. But you chose to hold the flintlock,
how could they know what it was?"

"Stop arguing. Lady Tilly is still waiting for your report." Shadow reminded them
helplessly. "Besides, you can't stand in the rain and argue. What if you get
typhoid?"

The two looked at each other for a moment, and then exchanged a despised look to
end this argument, walking side by side to the palace.

...

After giving her report, Andrea noticed that Tilly did not look well. After solving
this great trouble, Tilly did not look happy or relieved. On the contrary, she
seemed a little glum.

Ashes took her hands in hers and asked, "What's the matter. Are you sick?"

Tilly shook her head. "When I first saw Roland's letter, I didn't believe what was
in it," she said with a sentimental tone, "We witches have finally found our own
home. Why did they want to repeat the tragedy of the past years? Isn't it better to
live in this place and be satisfied?"

"You've done a great job." Ashes comforted her, saying, "Not all the combat witches
will unconditionally accept Heidi's way of doing things, especially when our living
standards have improved. Some of them have already supported us, even members of
the Bloodfang Association are no exception."

"She's right," said Andrea. Although she did not like Ashes, Andrea did not want to
upset Tilly. "The fact that Nightfall didn't obey Heidi and fight to the death is
proof. Given time, all the people will gather together firmly, just like the Witch
Union."

"I hope so." Tilly took a deep breath. "Since Heidi did this, I can't indulge her
anymore. But according to Iffy's view, most of the witches in the Bloodfang
Association knew nothing about it, so later I'll ask Camilla to call them here. If
they're willing to stay here and wait for results, we won't treat them as enemies."

The two nodded. Sleeping Island had finally become boisterous, so no one wished
these people to leave.
"When the storm is over, we'll bring Heidi to the Western Region," she continued.

"To fight against the church?" Ashes was excited.

"Yes," Closing her eyes, Tilly said in a low voice, "To fight against the Judgement
Army, God's Punishment Army, Pure Witches and the Battle of Divine Will. Just as
Roland said in his letters, witches will embrace real liberation if we can
completely crush down the church. I would help him even if he wasn't my brother,
for it helps me too." She paused for a while. "Care to join me?"

"Of course," Ashes answered without hesitation, "I'll always be with you."

Andrea nodded, but oddly enough, the smell of ice cream bread appeared in her mind.

Chapter 592: An Unexpected Change

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Roland sat in his office while listening to the news from the frontline.

"The drawbridge... beep... of Silver City had been put down... beep... We're
going... beep... to break into the church... beep..."

"Got it, be careful," Nightingale replied.

"It seems that this is the maximum range of communication." Roland spread the map,
drawing a circle on the position of Silver City. "We should set up a relay station
here in order to directly contact the Eastern and Northern Regions."

He had been obsessed with the feeling of being in complete control of the situation
from far away since he had Sigils of Listening. The quick exchange of information
seemed to bring him back to modern times. At this moment, he felt like sitting in a
command hall, controlling every phase of the war situation.

Just like Tracking Sigil, however, which could not guide accurately beyond its
valid range, Sigil of Listening was also limited by distance. The voice would not
keep clear and steady if one sigil was too far away from another. To deliver his
commands to the whole country, he needed at least one transfer station.

"But the number of sigils isn't enough. You've only made four pairs, and an action
like the Tooth Extraction Campaign would need two pairs. It's not easy to catch a
demon twice," Nightingale said and placed a piece of dried fish between her lips.

Roland noticed this problem, too. As the sigils permitted only one-way information
transmission, the witches had to hold two sigils; one for sending the information
and the other one for receiving, in order to achieve the effect of an instant
message system.

It could be considered extremely efficient compared to a carrier pigeon or human

messenger.

According to Agatha, the sigils could be further improved,

Its quality depended on the magic power of the blood mixed during the making
process. For example, the effect of Sigil of Listening produced by Anna was better.
Given that, mixing her blood with a senior demon's blood during the process,
created a pair of Sigil of Listening that was powerful enough to cover the entire
Kingdom of Graycastle.
"Beep... There's something wrong... Beep... Just wait a minute..."

Sylvie said intermittently. Hearing that by the table, Nightingale and Roland
brightened into alert attention.

"Pure witches? Or the moving black holes of magic power?" Nightingale swallowed the
piece of dried fish and asked.

They could directly fire at the former, but the latter, which could be believers of
the church who wore God's stones or the God's Punishment Army who could naturally
resist the magic power, were hard to deal with.

"No... Beep... I didn't see the reaction of... Beep... God's stones..."

"No God's stones?" Roland asked, frowning.

"No... There's nothing... beep... in the church..." The sound paused for a moment.
"We... are going in... Beep... The basement is empty..."

Nightingale and Roland looked at each other, speechless, wondering whether the
church had escaped or not?

"It's possible," said Roland, and chagrined for a while. "I was too cautious."

As of now, the First Army was the most unstoppable in the country, and no noble was
stupid enough to go right into the king's line of fire, but some might still send
secret messages to the church. For the church, it was a natural choice to retreat
with all the supplies of the city, thinking there was no chance of winning.
Different from the battles which captured Longsong Stronghold and Fallen Dragon
Ridge, the nobles probably chose to be onlookers during this war. After he seized
Redwater City, the churches in the other cities may have already received messages
delivered via pigeons, which noted: "Prince Roland is searching for God's Stones of
Retaliation".

"If we'd divided the army into three groups to attack the three cities at the same
time, we would've conquered them all," said Roland.

"It's hard to say. After all, only Sylvie can see through the ambushes of the
enemies. If one group had encountered powerful pure witches, the troops would have
suffered a heavy loss. Your decision wasn't bad," Nightingale said lifting a piece
of dried fish to his mouth.

Roland was taken by surprise. He bit the dried fish and said, "You become
comforting now."

She gave him a sly grin and said, "Do you feel better now? If not, I can massage
your shoulders. Wendy taught me a massage technique that'll make you relaxed."

"Wendy?"

Nightingale raised her eyebrows and said, "She's very versatile. You know, the
Witch Cooperation Association trekked a long distance and suffered a lot. It was
Wendy who took care of our sisters and stabilized our team. No one could do better
than her. If it was not for her, Cara's bad temper would have driven everyone
away."

Roland rubbed his chin for a while. There were not any government affairs to deal
with for now, and the First Army had successfully entered Silver City. Given that,
he thought it was just the time to have a break.

He was about to accept Nightingale's massage when the magic stones in her arms
alerted again.

This time the voice was very clear, like a shout in the ear.

"It's Lightning, repeat, it's Lightning, do you copy?"

As the witches were lacking in entertainments, Roland chose some wonderful stories
for them in nature courses to improve their interests in studies and enrich their
knowledge. Since Lightning heard the story that sky could be conquered by pilots,
she had been addicted to their advanced conversation mode.

Roland, however, still felt a little awkward communicating this way. After
Nightingale activated another group of magic stones, Roland cleared his throat and
said, "I've got you, speak please."

"The Red Mist behind the snow mountain disappeared... No, it's disappearing!"

"What? Are you sure?" Roland and Nightingale asked simultaneously.

"Yes, Maggie is here, too. You can ask her!"

"The Red Mist has indeed faded away! Coo."

"It's not right. You should say 'this is Maggie', and then report."

"Coo coo?"

"Where are you now? Don't get close to Devil's Town, and hurry back now," Roland
said, trying to control their impulses to explore. If they chose to fly directly
into Devil's Town to investigate and encountered a senior demon there, they would
be in real trouble.

"Got it!" Lightning replied quickly.

"Get Agatha for me. Maybe only she knows what's going on," Roland said to
Nightingale.

Since the witches killed the Magic Slayer, he had been monitoring the demons behind
the snow-capped mountains. There was one Animal Messenger in each troop who guarded
the coal carrier ships that went to the source of the Redwater River in batches of
four or five. Besides, he ordered Lightning and Maggie to practice between the snow
mountain and the Mist Forest in case of a surprise attack of demons.

The demons, however, did not take their revenge, and now even the Red Mist began to
fade away.

Agatha soon came to the office, but after listening carefully to the report from
Lightning, she was also puzzled. "The Union could rarely get close to Devil's Town,
and I'd never heard of their retreat during battles, even in the wars that lasted
for several decades."

"Keep monitoring them for now." Roland made the decision at last. "Perhaps the Red
Mist will come back, we should be cautious."

He did not want to put any witch's life at risk for now.
Five days later, Lightning reported that the Red Mist behind the snow mountains had
completely disappeared.

Chapter 593: The Blackstone Forest

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

...

A reconnaissance platoon was established soon after confirming no trace of the

demons in the camp.

To find out the cause for the Red Mist's disappearance, Maggie led the probe into
the camp carrying Agatha, followed by Soraya and Summer who were not capable of
escaping were thus protected by 50 soldiers of the First Army.

"We're about to arrive. Get ready to land!" said Lightning, who made a gesture
towards Maggie,

"Awh!"

Agatha poked her head up and the Rocky Beach gradually came into her sight. As the
little girl said, the heavy Red Mist had vanished completely, revealing the dark
brown earth. Different from the dark green forest around, no trees were there in
the camp area which looked as if the soil surface was torn off.

This was the first time that Agatha had approached a residence of demons.

As a member of the Quest Society, Agatha could not help but feel a burst of
excitement.

"Lightning is landing! Repeat, Lightning is landing."

"Be careful! Remember to escape immediately if there is any danger." Roland's voice
came through the sigil.

"Lightning understands."

Folding her wings, Maggie dived sharply towards the ground.

Agatha saw the landscape under her feet changing rapidly, from the blue ocean to
the off-white rugged rocky wall, and then to the humid brown land. After a sudden
shock, Agatha found that the huge Devilbeast had already landed safely.

"Do the demons really live in such a place? Looking from the sky, there's nothing
special in this place but now it really looks weird," Lightning clicked her tongue
and said.

Agatha felt the same way.

The swarthy stone towers stood high on the empty ground everywhere, like a black
forest in picturesque disorder. These strange buildings were the black spots that
they had seen from above. The height of the higher buildings was about three to
four stories and that of the lower ones were just taller than their heads. In terms
of the density, these building far surpassed that of a forefront battalion.

It seemed that these stone towers had some functions other than the storage of the
Red Mist.
"I don't know what happened to them, but it must have happened not long ago," she
said.

"Why do you say that?" Lightning asked with curiosity.

"As the stone towers haven't withered completely." Agatha pointed to a nearest
Blackstone Pagoda and said. "Their surfaces simply dimmed, far from being rough and
fragile. They look totally different from the barren land that the Union conquered
in the frontline. That means, the demons didn't intend to withdraw, or... they just
made a hasty decision to retreat." She paused momentarily and said, "let's go to
the center of the camp, the highest tower, where the Eye Demon lived. Maybe we can
find something else."

"Hope Summer can find the cause... Ah!" Lightning screamed suddenly. She was
walking in the front, but instantly sunk into the ground. Seeing the frightening
scene, Maggie transformed into a pigeon to fly up immediately, and Agatha also
conjured up an ice barrier in front of herself.

Before they took any further action, the little girl flew out of the hole in the
ground and said, "I'm okay." She flapped her body to clear away the dirt and
complained. "Who dug a trap here?!"

"What a naughty gremlin!" Agatha sighed with relief inwardly and prepared to
disperse the ice barrier. Yet the following words of Lightening made her heart jump
in her throat again.

"Uh! Here's a demon!"

"It's true, but the demon seems to be dead," Maggie perched on the head of
Lightning and said.

"Maybe. Otherwise, I would be in trouble," the little girl patted her chest and
said, still quite scared.

Holding an ice spear in hand, Agatha came over to have a look. As Maggie said, a
Mad Demon stood in the soil pit with its head slouching, and a chunk of its bare
skin had dried and curled, like the salted fish exposed to the scorching sun.

"I remember Sylvie once said that the demons were hiding under the ground, right?"
Agatha said and further confirmed her judgement. Whether the demons decided to
withdraw or met with some other incident at that moment, it must have been some
emergency. Otherwise, these demons wouldn't die by exhausting the Red Mist
underground little by little before receiving the new orders.

"We'd better fly to investigate. I don't want to fall in a trap again," Lightning
mumbled.

Carrying Agatha on her back, Lightening flew forward slowly, remaining close to the
ground. After they bypassed rows of stone towers, they suddenly got a wider view.

An open field in the camp appeared.

"It's..." Agatha gasped and said. Judging from the spot, it was obvious that the
open field was not left deliberately by the demons, as a huge cavern could be seen
in the center of it. It had a size almost equal to that of the square of Border
Town, and many debris of the stone tower scattered around it. The three witches
stood by the bottomless hole and looked down attempting to see where it led to.
"It seems the same as the place where we found you. How about let me go down and
explore first?" Lightning smacked her lips and said.

"NO! You can't."

"No, coo!"

Agatha and Maggie stopped Lightening at the same time.

"Okay," the little girl said and sighed with a look of regret. She had restrained
herself a lot from her desires to take risks after being punished by His Majesty to
do test questions. "So, let's take a walk around it."

The rest of the place in the camp had slight differences. Of course, the
exploration of the three witches was not fruitless. Maggie found a large number of
Magic Stones in a flat-roofed stone tower and a withered, dead Chaos Beast.
Actually, she just wanted to perch on the top of the tower for a while, but
happened to find a narrow entrance there, which may serve as an air duct that the
demons used to imbue the Red Mist.

The First Army arrived at Rocky Beach two days later.

Lotus found a slit chapped in the mountain, and dug a path out in the rocky wall,
which could allow only one person to go through. Maggie, at the same time, was
responsible for transporting the important equipment like heavy machine guns. It
took great effort to deliver 50 soldiers and witches into the inland area.

This was the first contact between the indigenous people and the alien demon race.

Even the hardiest soldier would felt dread and panic at the sight of such an
incredible scene. Roland had expected that and ordered his people to pitch a camp
nearby the entrance to the rocky wall to avoid overstraining themselves. As for
Summer's replaying work, the First Army was not allowed to watch.

According to Agatha's judgement, the time at which the high tower in the camp
disappeared should be between one and half a weeks to one month ago. The
consumption of Summer's magic power would be accelerated if the retrospective time
exceeded one week. As for the events that happened one month ago, they could only
be replayed once a day. Under such circumstances, there was no shortcut except for
trying again and again.

Among the Magic Stones brought back by Maggie, there were some practical ones. The
quality of these Magic Stones could not match with those obtained from Fearsome
Demons, but it was better than nothing. Now the Spellcaster Tower to be completed
soon only lacks a living demon.

It would take a long time to find the accurate time of the incident that happened
to the demons. Roland developed new gadgets as he waited for the result. He
received the second secret letter from the Fjords.

It said that Tilly Wimbledon was about to arrive at Shallow Beach of the Western
Region.

Chapter 594: Shallow Beach and Reunion

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"What a pleasant surprise," thought Roland.

Out of his expectation, Tilly herself would also come here instead of just sending
several combat witches to help him. That meant she had already solved the trouble
on Sleeping Island, or that she did not have to worry about the stability of the
island for now.

The day after he received the letter, Roland waited for Tilly at Shallow Beach with
Anna and the other witches.

After half a month, traces of chiseling could clearly be seen on the beach of sand
and mud.

Simple wooden board houses and work sheds had already been built around the slope,
which were the prototype of the future warehouse and sailor dormitory. The windward
sides of the wooden houses were painted with an orange anti-corrosion coating to
protect them from the sea wind, and meanwhile, the coating also made the houses
look very nice and striking. A 30 meters long beachhead was leveled, and its
external side was made of bricks. It now worked as a temporary dock, and the
natural deep-water harbor here even saved Roland the trouble of building trestle.
Even the three-masted ships could berth here directly by the side of the dock.

As it was the first time for most of the witches to see Shallow Beach during the
development stage, they all looked around with curiosity.

"Is that huge pit the collapsed shipyard? What're they doing over there right now?"
Anna walked to Roland and then pointed to a distant place where many workers seemed
very busy with their jobs.

"Uhm, you've heard about it, too," Roland said with a little embarrassment.

"Of course, Nana told me on the day that three workers broke their legs."

The collapse of the shipyard and the explosion of the coke oven in a test run were
both major accidents of this year in the Border Area. The latter could be
considered as a price he had to pay during development and exploration. The former,
however, was mostly caused by his own careless mistakes.

Given the soft ground condition in Shallow Beach, Minister of Construction, Karl,
had proposed that the shipyard should be built near the hills as the place could
provide them a more solid foundation. Roland, however, had refused Karl's
suggestion at once because of the time limit. As it had already taken a long time
to build the slope by sinking the hills, if they built the shipyard in the old way,
he would have to wait until the next year to begin building the steam vessel for
Thunder.

As for the soft-foundation problem, he had thought it was not a big deal, as long
as he let Lotus build a steel structure of the shipyard and poured concrete in to
protect it.

The project had gone well as he had expected in the initial stage. The vertical
walls which had been designed to protect the steel structure had seemed to be quite
sturdy after the concrete had set. Roland had been very pleased with himself at the
time, thinking that those civil engineering experts were just so-so. To his
surprise, an accident had eventually happened when the workers had been installing
the portcullis.

As soon as the one arm thick portcullis had been released by Hummingbirds, it had
fallen down with the concrete walls on its both sides, burying the installing
workers inside. Even though the Hummingbirds had immediately made the portcullis as
light as a feather, the workers had already been heavily injured at the time. None
of them could survive, if it was not for Nana.

Later investigation revealed that during the process of pouring the concrete, some
sand and mud had sunk under the workers' feet and fallen to the bottom, as a
result, the vertical walls had not tightly clung to the floor and the seemingly
sturdy joining parts between the floor and the vertical walls were just a thin
layer of concrete. The moment when the heavy portcullis had been set into the wall,
the steel structure had failed to sustain the weight and collapsed with the walls
suddenly.

In the modern time, that was a grievous fault of Roland. In this era, however,
casualties frequently occurred during construction and no one would take it
seriously, let alone blaming the lord for it. Only Roland himself would feel guilty
and deeply sorry for the workers.

He cleared his throat to gather himself together and said, "They're building earth-
retaining wall with wooden posts."

"To prevent the earth beside the shipyard from collapsing?" Anna soon got what
Roland meant.

"Uhm, it's just like roots of a tree. The wooden posts are crossed and inserted
into the ground to increase friction, so the vertical walls won't fall down,"
Roland nodded and said. This time, he would carefully check whether there were sunk
sands and mud in the structure when pouring the concrete in, as he had already got
his lesson.

"Look, here comes a ship!" Mystery Moon shouted in a sudden.

All the people looked at the place where the sea and the sky met and saw a sailing
ship with a pink flag moving slowly towards them.

No doubt, a ship traveling round Southernmost Cape to the inland of the Western
Region must be the Charming Beauty from Sleeping Island.

When the ship got close to Shallow Beach, it teetered on the sea for a while to
readjust the direction before it berthed by the beach. Apparently, they had not
recognized Shallow Beach at the first sight.

Roland met Tilly Wimbledon, Princess Tilly of Kingdom of Graycastle, again.

He gave his right hand to her, and then shook hands warmly with her. They had not
seen each other for several months, but seeing the smiling look on each other's
face, they still felt closely connected.

"What a wonderful reunion," Roland thought.

The witches did not greet Tilly and her witches in such a reserved manner.

Honey, Candle and Evelyn immediately came up and hugged their old friends. Andrea
bent her arm around Nightingale's shoulders, completely neglecting the manner of a
noble lady. Wendy held Ashes' hand, asking about her recent situation.
Softfeathers, however, was greatly surprised as she found that a witch of the
Bloodfang Association also came with Tilly.

"Why did you come here?" Softfeathers walked to a witch who looked a little pale
and asked, "Did Heidi Morgan send you here because she did not get any report from
Iffy and me?"
"No, Lady Heidi is on the ship now," the witch answered while shaking her head.

"What? You mean she also comes to the Western Region?" Softfeathers exclaimed in
surprise, catching everyone's attention.

It was not hard to tell from her voice that she was frightened.

"Who's Heidi?"

"She seems to be the leader of the Bloodfang Association?"

"Ah, yes. Iffy mentioned her."

"What's she going to do here?"

Roland looked at Tilly and asked, "Have you settled your differences with her?"

"If you mean controlling her right now, yes I do. My plan worked and Heidi did try
to kill the Annie we faked. But she refused to tell me where the witches rejected
by the Bloodfang Association went. She said she would only tell you when she saw
you," Tilly said, spreading her hands.

"Me?" Roland asked confusedly.

"Yes, I guess she considers you her last life-saving straw." Tilly blinked her eye
and continued, "Now you're the ruler of Graycastle, representing the secular
nobles. She probably thinks if she gives you enough profits, you'll save her or
even help her to regain her power in the Kingdom of Wolfheart."

"Are you reminding me of what I should do?" Roland could not help but laugh. He had
to admit that Tilly was quite cute when she pretended to be careless and beat about
the bush. "Trust me. If I'm a man who'll exchange witches' lives for profits,
you'll never bring her here. Well, so who's this witch I'm going to meet? I think
I've never met her before."

"Nightfall, a combat witch of the Bloodfang Association. If it's not for her who
uses Seed of Symbiosis to sustain Heidi's life, I'm afraid Heidi won't make it to
City of Neverwinter," Tilly answered.

Chapter 595: Germination

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Did Heidi get hurt during the capture?"

"Uhm, she got shot in her leg. We've stopped the bleeding, but she probably can't
walk for now."

"How is everyone else?"

"A witch of the Bloodfang Association named Skyflare died last night." Tilly sighed
and said. "My witches are alright."

Roland nodded and said, "I'll tell Nana to cure her. As for the other things, let's
talk about them after we get back to the castle."

...
Compared with interrogating the leader of the Bloodfang Association, the church
invasion was the top priority for Roland now. After he returned to his office, he
asked first about the situation of Sleeping Island and then showed the letter from
the Northern Region to Tilly and the other witches. Ashes and Andrea were also
there as the three big families in the king's city of the Kingdom of Dawn were also
involved.

Since Roland received the secret warning letter, he had contacted Hill Fawkes twice
to get a clear idea of what had happened. After he told the witches all he knew,
Andrea could not help shaking her head and said, "Foolish Otto, he still behaves
just the same as he did when he was little. He would never dare to enter the palace
without Oro."

"But at least, he succeeded in revealing what the church was doing to us. Besides,
he did it mainly because of you," Ashes shrugged and said.

"Have you replied to him?" Tilly asked Roland.

"I urged him not to act rashly. As even the God's Stone of Retaliation could not
affect the witch, it's almost impossible for ordinary people to defeat her.
Besides, Prince Appen mentioned that there were God's Punishment Warriors too. The
Kingdom of Dawn is too far away from the Kingdom of Graycastle. I can't offer him
any help directly. Under such circumstances, it's a wise decision to pretend to
know nothing about the church's secret until the church focuses on the Kingdom of
Graycastle," Roland said while pouring tea for everyone.

"He may not be able to control himself well. Acting on impulses has been a habit of
Otto Luoxi ever since he was a child," Andrea said with a frown.

"He'll control himself well, because I told him something else." Roland smiled and
added, "I told him that Andrea was safe at my place, and the enemy could hardly
hurt her, even if she had to fight against the church. I also warned him that if he
died, he would never have the chance to meet his Andrea again."

"Very persuasive," Ashes whistled and said.

"Enough," Tilly promptly spoke at this moment in order to prevent a coming spat.
She stared at Roland, blaming him for making fun of this matter and then changed
the subject by asking, "What're you going to do about the church's invasion?"

"Ahem... I'm going to build a defensive line with guns and cannons under Coldwind
Ridge," said Roland. He took a map out of his drawer and spread it on the desk. He
pointed at the border of the Northern Region, saying, "Since I got the news, I've
already sent the First Army to deliver war materials to Deepvalley Town and at the
same time, to wipe out the influence of the church in my kingdom. Given that, Holy
City of Hermes will soon sense the intention of Graycastle to garrison Coldwind
Ridge."

"Do you want to purposely reveal your actions to your enemy? I hate to be blunt,
but most of the time, the information deliberately leaked to the enemy must be
false and delusive, right?" Andrea asked.

"But it's the only way that I can ensure where the church is going to attack first,
and by doing so, my people will suffer less. A head-on confrontation is also what
the First Army is best at in battles," Roland explained his plans.

"I see. It's a pretty good idea," Tilly nodded and said.
"But there's still a hidden danger, the pure witches. With strong firepower, we
don't have to worry about the visible enemies but the witches of the church may
cause unexpected troubles for the First Army, as we know nothing about the pure
witches. Only our witches with magic power can guard against them," Roland added.

"That's why we're here. Trust me, my big brother. The witches of Sleeping Island
will fight with you," Tilly replied.

*******************

Back at the Witch Building, Tilly had returned to her original apartment that she
had lived in before.

The living room and bedroom looked exactly the same as she had seen them the last
time. There was no dust on the table. Apparently, Roland must have often had this
place cleaned.

Three wooden basins used for bathing were prominently displayed near the door.
Clean clothes were nicely folded and placed in the basins and beside them, there
were sandals that were easy to wear. Brought up in a royal family, Tilly had
accustomed herself to taking baths regularly, but even she had never bathed so
frequently like she did at this place where the warm water for bathing was
available all the time.

When she followed the aroma of fresh food to open the cupboard, she found it was
filled with various kinds of seasoning, dried meat floss and bread. She could
easily fill her stomach any time she felt hungry.

Princess Tilly had never been a person who really cared a lot about material
comforts, but she could not help but feel warm in her heart seeing the scene.

"Ah... I can use scented soap for bathing again. Huh, the towels in the basin seem
to be brand new," Andrea talked loudly in the living room.

"Isn't it good for you to have new towels?" Ashes questioned.

"Yes for me, but not for you. It's a waste to offer you a new towel."

"What did you say?"

"I think that rag you brought will do. Why does a person who can tolerate bathing
in salty, smelly sea water need a towel?"

Hearing the familiar bickering voices, Tilly smiled silently. She thought that
everyone seemed to like Neverwinter, and even the Bloodfang Association witches
changed after they came here.

She felt that she also liked this city as everyone else did.

The improvement in life quality might be one of the reasons for the other witches'
changes, but not for Princess Tilly who had been adored by King Wimbledon III.
Compared to her life in the palace, the life here was just fresh and interesting,
but not luxurious.

What attracted the witches the most must be another thing.

Staying in this city, Tilly would naturally feel relaxed, and yet she had no idea
about why she would feel this way until today. When Roland had been pouring tea for
the witches himself, she had suddenly realized.
Roland truly accepted the witches and treated them as friends instead of just
pretending to be friendly to witches who could offer him help.

No matter who he was, the lord, the prince or the king, Tilly could tell that his
attitude remained the same all the time.

He did consider witches as his friends, which he was not faking at all.

"Are you alright?"

Hearing Ashes behind her, she turned around and saw that she gently closed the door
of the kitchen.

"Huh?"

"Why did you call him big brother today? On Sleeping Island, didn't you say that
you helped him only to help yourself? And... you said he was not like Prince Roland
at all," Ashes hesitated and asked.

"I don't think he's the stupid, cowardly elder brother of mine and I don't care
whether he's him or not." Tilly paused momentarily and asked, "Have you ever
considered the meaning of this war against the church?"

"Retaliation?"

"No," Tilly shook her head and said, "It means freedom of life. Have you ever
thought of moving here?"

Chapter 596: Home of the Free

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Greatly surprised, Ashes said, "What did you say? I've never thought of leaving
you."

"That's not what I mean. To tell the truth, this place is not bad... and you like
it, right?" Tilly explained, finding out that Ashes misunderstood her.

After a moment of hesitation, Ashes nodded and said, "The Witch Cooperation
Association must have their reason to stay here and work for Roland, but we're
different. We have our own home..."

Tilly interrupted Ashes, saying, "There are only three possible endings for us in
this war. The first is that we get defeated by the God's Punishment Army and die in
the last ditch in the Northern Region. Under such circumstances, neither Sleeping
Island nor Neverwinter matters to us anymore."

"I swear, by my life. My lady, you'll never die at that kind of place," Ashes said
and hurriedly covered Princess Tilly's mouth with her hand, and even used the
honorifics in her haste.

Tilly kept looking at Ashes with a smile until Ashes removed her hand, and then
said, "That's just a hypothesis. I don't think I'll get killed by the church,
either."

"So don't say it out loud. A frequent saying of yours is that..." Ashes said with
worry.
"It'll become a self-fulfilling prophecy," Tilly added. She walked to the small
window of the kitchen to look at the castle backyard which was full of energy and
vitality, and she continued, "That's why I tell you this hypothesis at first. The
second possibility is that Roland loses the war but we survive. That way, the
Kingdom of Graycastle will no longer be able to resist the church, Neverwinter will
be caught in fire and Roland will have only one place to go."

"Sleeping Island?"

"Yes, we'll continue to fight against the church on the island until the Battle of
Divine Will began. Maybe the human species will be extinct hundreds of years later
but there's nothing we can do as we can't live that long."

"What about the third possibility..."

"If we defeat the church and take over Holy City of Hermes, all of the witches will
be free from bullying and persecution, and the Sleeping Island's mission will be
fulfilled."

"Ful-fulfilled?"

"Yes, it's just the witches' hide for now. If the church is destroyed, we won't
have to confine ourselves on an island of the Fjords any longer. The Fjords can't
offer us a pleasant environment to live because of its limited supplies and
unpredictable weather... But, of course, we won't abandon Sleeping Island and we'll
continue our Sleeping Spell. The only change is that we'll be able to choose to
live in the cities we like, right?"

"I'll always stay by your side even in hell and besieged by numerous demons.

"And in the world full of salted fishes and fish soup?"

"Uhm..." Ashes suddenly did not know what to say.

Tilly could not help but laugh. She said, "Relax, eating too much of them makes me
feel sick, too. I'll probably come to live in Neverwinter for a while every now and
then. I also want some changes in diet."

"Hey there, what're you talking about?" Andrea pushed the door open, craned her
neck to look inside and asked. She wore a bathrobe and carried a wooden basin on
her head.

"What're you going to do?" Ashes asked, frowning.

"To take a bath," Andrea twitched her mouth and said, "I have stunk after staying
on the ship for over ten days. Of course, it's not surprising that somebody just
can't notice even such a strong smell of fish. Lady Tilly, are you going with me?"

"Yes, wait for me. I'll change my clothes," Tilly replied.

"Ahem... so am I." Ashes pretended not to hear the satire and expressed her
intention to join the bath.

"Come on, I did not invite you," Andrea rolled her eyes at Ashes and said.

"I'll accompany Tilly, not you. Don't take me wrong."

Looking at them who gazed at each other in a speechless confrontation, Tilly

relaxed and began to imagine that all of them would be able to live easily and
happily like they did now after they defeated the church.

*******************

Roland had been in a daze in his office for a long time until Nightingale came in
with dried fish in her hand.

Out of his expectation, Tilly who had not recognized him as her elder brother the
last time when she had been here suddenly called him big brother today. Roland felt
overjoyed and at the same time confused, wondering whether she really considered
him as Prince Roland or just a reliable friend and guardian.

"Yeah, she called you big brother. It's not a big deal. I can call you like that if
you want," Nightingale said incredulously.

"You're three years older than me. Aren't you nobles value your integrity?" Roland
sighed inwardly and thought, "but it's not bad to have an elder sister as my... No,
stop thinking about this anymore." Roland banished those thoughts and asked, "What
do you think that changed her attitude towards me?"

"Who knows? Maybe she saw your sincerity, as you didn't use the Bloodfang
Association witches to split Sleeping Island and you quickly declared war on the
church. Compared with empty promises, those actions are more convincing. But that's
just my guess. Maybe, it's just a slip of tongue," Nightingale shrugged and said.

"Yes, the reason isn't as important as the facts. No matter what made Tilly change,
she did get closer to me. That also means I've gained wider recognition among the
Sleeping Island witches," Roland thought.

Then he said to Nightingale, "Now. it's time for us to meet Heidi Morgan."

...

Roland stepped into the jail in the basement of the castle and saw Heidi lying
unconsciously in a bed made out of straw. The wound in her leg covered with black
and red blood stains healed perfectly.

"To ensure Nana's safety, I
her. Otherwise, it would be
Retaliation on her. I heard
tried to hold Andrea as the
in Roland's ear.
knocked Heidi Morgan out before Nana started to cure
too dangerous to take off the God's Stone of
from the other Bloodfang Association witch that she
hostage when she was besieged," Nightingale whispered

"I see. You did a good job."

There were iron hoops mounted with God's Stones of Retaliation around Heidi's neck
and wrists, and it was impossible to unlock it without special tools. They did this
to her because she was a very powerful combat witch.

She could cause fatal damages to all the objects within ten steps by making them
collapse inwards. According to Tilly, this kind of collapse won't be affected by
any other factors, as no matter what kind of vessels Heidi used her power to
affect, they would collapse. A wooden one would be crushed, while a metal one would
be squashed.

And abdominal cavity and thoracic cavity of a living being would also collapse and
squeeze the soft inner organs out, which reminded Roland of squeezing toothpaste
out of a tube.
From Roland's perspective, Heidi should work in the factory instead of combating,

Since she could act as a punching machine to process the raw material with molds,
which was the most basic use of her ability. Roland believed that her potential
would be great if she realized that there was a space between moles and between
atoms during her studies.

But unfortunately, he also knew that it was too late for her.

"Wake her up," Roland said.

Nightingale nodded and dashed into the jail to lift Heidi up and drag her over to
the steel bars.

Roland looked down at her, saying, "I'm Roland Wimbledon, King of Graycastle. I've
heard you wanted a private talk with me. You can talk to me now."

Chapter 597: Blood and Fang

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

It took Heidi quite a long time to figure out what had happened.

She first touched her thigh which had already been cured and then looked
Nightingale up and down. After that, she finally turned her gaze to Roland and
asked, "Your Majesty, did you cure me?"

"Yes, otherwise you'll make Nightfall exhausted," Roland replied. He then found a
chair and seated himself in front of the jail, asking, "Tell me, where did you send
the witches rejected by you?"

"That's... what Iffy told you?"

"Yes, the witch named Annie was her friend."

Instead of directly answering Roland's question, Heidi clenched her teeth. At the
moment, Roland saw the hatred in her eyes.

"You could have given them a shelter. Archduke Island is the domain of Archduke
Morgan and you're his successor. It's impossible that you can't even afford a dozen
of assistant witches. Even though all you needed to do at the time was to offer
them some gruel a day, you still chose to abandon them. You thought they were
useless, but, in fact, assistant witches are far more powerful than you can
imagine. The gun Andrea used to hurt you is a weapon made by assistant witches and
ordinary people. It's very easy to operate. Even a farmer who's worked in the
fields for all his life can easily use it to kill an experienced knight," Roland
said.

Hearing that, Heidi's face changed. She lifted up her head promptly, asking, "What
did you say? Even ordinary people can use it?"

"Do you still believe I totally depend on the witches to capture the king's city
and become King of Graycastle?" Roland leaned back in his chair and added, "If they
had such a strong power, they wouldn't have been suppressed by the church and the
secular lords."

"So... how did they make the weapon?"

Roland coldly stared at Heidi until she realized that she had asked an
inappropriate question just now. After that, he mocked. "What? Do you think we're
talking at a palace banquet?"

Heidi swallowed hard and said, "This lady beside you is..."

"Nightingale. She works for me, not for Tilly. I want to ask you again. Where did
you send the witches rejected by you?" Roland said in a deep voice.

"I let them go to find the other witch organizations. I've no idea of where they
went. Some of they might return to the nearby towns and cities, and some might go
to the Kingdom of Dawn..."

"You're lying. None of this is true." Nightingale suddenly broke in before she
finished.

"No, Your Majesty. She knows nothing about me..."

"Save it, Heidi." Roland shook his head and continued, "Nightingale can tell truth
from lies. You can't lie about anything in front of her. Now, you know why Tilly
brought you from the Fjords to the Western Region. You'll be tried here and if you
don't want to suffer, tell me what you did exactly. My patience is wearing thin."

In the dim firelight, the expression seemed uncertain on Heidi's face. Apparently,
she did not expect that Nightingale had such an ability. After a moment of silence,
Heidi grabbed the steel bars and shouted, "Your Majesty Wimbledon, the Kingdom of
Wolfheart has been annexed by the church, the king has been lost and now I'm the
only descendant of the Morgan royal family. If you help me regain my kingdom, I'll
bring you countless profits! Gold royals, gems and... yes, witches! The Bloodfang
Association will also be at your command!"

"Is this what you want to tell me at last?"

"I'll give you half of the Kingdom of Wolfheart! The land on the west of Blackstone
Cliff will be yours!"

"Stop!" Roland interrupted impatiently. "I just want to know where the witches
went!"

"What? My kingdom can't yet compare with those witches?" Heidi said in disbelief.

Roland was fed up with this and said, "Can't you understand me? The Kingdom of
Wolfheart isn't yours and I've no interest in the land far away from me. Due to the
basic manner of a noble, I'm here to ask you first, but I have many other methods
to make you tell the truth. As for torture, I think you know more than me. It'll do
you no good, so tell me what you did to those witches when I'm still here. Maybe,
I'll spare your life."

Heidi took Roland's last sentence as a life-saving straw and confirmed. "Your
Majesty... you'll really spare me?"

"I'm a man of actions."

Heidi lowered her head and said after a long hesitation, "I sent them to the
nobles."

Roland's heart sank a little and then he asked, "Didn't you sell them to the
nobles?"
"No, the whole thing is a trade-off." She took a deep breath and continued, "I
could have never recruited enough witches for the Bloodfang Association if I had
depended solely on the witches awakening on the Archduke Island. To attract more
witches to come to me, I have to spread the name of the association throughout the
Kingdom of Wolfheart."

"You could hire Rats to do the job for you. How come was this related to the
nobles?" Roland asked. He had also tried to draw witches' attention via propaganda,
but as Tilly started to spread the news earlier than him, he did not succeed in
recruiting many witches.

"Rats themselves are manipulated by nobles. Besides, once the church had found out
the secret of Archduke Island, I would have been in real trouble."

"So, you pay back with witches to the nobles?"

"Yes, I did this to ensure that the nobles and I were on the same boat. When they
illegally kept witches, they would naturally notice the actions of the church and
control the Rats properly. They would even deliberately divert the Holy City's
attention from me. Only after making sure that the local lords were willing to
accept witches, I would spread information in their domains. By doing so, I could
minimize the risk," Heidi said in a low voice.

Roland did not have to ask to know what had happened next to those non-combat
witches. They must have been locked in the dark rooms for the whole life, and most
of them had died young when the magic power bit. Even for several lucky witches who
made it to the adulthood, their fate had also been sealed. They must have been dead
in the hands of the nobles who had used them just to sate their own lust or in the
hands of the church who had forced the nobles to hand out the witches.

At the time, Heidi clearly sensed Nightingale's anger and impulsively moved
backward, saying, "Your Majesty, you've promised!"

Roland stopped Nightingale with his arm outstretched and continued to ask, "Who did
those things for you? Iffy said that you've never met Annie."

"Skyflare... she was killed by Ashes."

"Anyone else? Did the other witches of the Bloodfang Association know nothing about
this?" Roland asked.

Heidi nodded.

"Say it out!"

"... yes."

Roland secretly let out a sigh of relief and said, "The last question. What's the
purpose of your Bloodfang Association to recruit combat witches everywhere?

After a short silence, Heidi said, "I just wanted to help my father seize the
throne which should belong to him."

Heidi stopped, but Roland could easily guess what she was to say. After the death
of Archduke Morgan, the Bloodfang Association had become Heidi Morgan's tool to
fulfill her own desire for power.

Walking out of the basement, Nightingale hold Roland's hand in a sudden, asking,
"Are you really going to spare the life of that murder?"

"Heidi Morgan is a witch of Sleeping Island. It's not appropriate for me to execute
her. Tilly wanted me to help in finding out the truth. That's why she took Heidi to
the Western Region."

"You mean..." Nightingale's eyes started to shine.

"As for whether Sleeping Island will spare her or not, that's not what I can
decide," Roland said, spreading his hands.

Chapter 598: The End of Her Dream

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

The following day, Roland told the news to Tilly and the other witches.

"How dare she use witches as a reward to those filthy nobles?" Failing to restrain
her anger, Ashes broke off before Princess Tilly could speak. If Andrea had not
stopped her, she probably had already rushed to the dungeon straightaway.

"Has Miss Nightingale checked the credibility of her testimony?" Tilly asked
placidly.

"She spilled everything after a few preliminary questions," Roland said and told
them what had happened in the cell in detail. "I thought it'd take a while for us
to get her to surrender, but she's weaker than we expected." He had not expected to
obtain a full confession from the prisoner yesterday, for the questioning was
simply a sort of intimidation commonly practiced before the official interrogation.
Because of this, he did not take the God's Locket of Retribution off Heidi, and
Heidi did not know that Nightingale actually detected lies through magic power
rather than voices either.

"I see." Tilly nodded. "Thank you for doing this for me."

"Don't be silly. I'm your brother." Roland immediately grabbed this opportunity,
trying to sound somewhat intimate. "Plus, Heidi Morgan is also, so to speak, a
witch on Sleeping Island. She should be handed over to you."

"Fair enough..." Tilly was silent for quite a while. "What would you do if this
happened in the city of Neverwinter?"

Roland gazed at her gemlike eyes and noticed more silent rages than poignancies in
her gray pupils.

She had already made her decision.

"I'll do the same thing." Roland comforted her.

At this remark, Heidi Morgan was sentenced to death.

Tilly no longer hesitated. She whispered something in Ashes' ear. The latter nodded
and left the office.

"I'll now excuse myself, brother."

Roland could tell that Tilly was greatly depressed by the incident, but he did not
know what to say in this scenario. When he was about to escort her to the Witch
Building, an exhilarated scream pierced the silence. It was from the Listening
Magic Stone in Nightingale's chest.

"It's Lightning, copy. It's Lightning. Summer has found out when the incident
occurred."

The little girl's report stunned everybody.

"Um, what did she see?" Roland asked.

"Two monsters, big mouth, and tentacles. I don't know how to describe them." From
her voice, Roland knew she was extremely hyper. "This is something we've never
seen. Good Heavens... Your Majesty, you'd better come see it yourself!"

"What's it..." Tilly was bewildered.

"They're exploring the Devil's Town behind the snowcapped mountains. The Red Mist
there completely disappeared a week ago," Roland explained, "and I wanted to tell
you about it today, but..."

"I almost forgot about demons." Tilly took a deep breath. "You can fill me in with
the details on the way."

"On the way?" Roland was slightly surprised.

"Can't I go with you?" She winked.

Princess Tilly had indeed been strong since her childhood. She knew how to adjust
herself and manage to be impersonal when facing something of great importance.
Roland was secretly amazed at how quickly she could restore the tranquility of her
mind upon a crisis, an essential quality for a ruler, which he, unfortunately,
still had a lot to work on.

If he took Tilly with him, Ashes and Andrea would certainly tag along. The trip
would be, therefore, much safer. He had no reason to reject her.

"Yes, of course you can." Roland agreed with a nod.

*******************

Heidi was leaning against the bars, waiting for Roland to get her out.

The Bloodfang Association was over. Tilly would definitely not allow her to return
to Sleeping Island. However, as a member of the Morgan royal family, she had found
a new path for her resurrection to the throne.

That was to rely on the imperial power of Graycastle and regain her throne.

Heidi had higher hopes for the reward she was going to propose than Roland's own
promise. Roland did not directly make any promises probably just because he was
Tilly's brother. He owed an explanation to Sleeping Island as to the whereabouts of
these missing witches.

Heidi firmly believed that no noble could possibly resist such a great temptation.
Half of the territory of Wolfheart would certainly bring Roland enormous fame and
fortunes, and his name would also be passing down the history and become immortal.

As for herself? Her notoriety would be remembered by nobles in later generations.

Nevertheless, she did not care about it. As long as she could successfully become
the king of Wolfheart, she could abandon everything else.

Only in this way could she officially start her revenge.

She must avenge her father and herself on those nobles for their betrayal.

She swore she would hang those traitors one by one and hung their heads above the
city gate, showing the public the fate of those who had framed Archduke Morgan.

The iron gate of the dungeon was suddenly flung open. Its squeaking sound appeared
to be especially loud in the deadly silent dungeon.

Heidi immediately got to her feet and looked toward the end of the hallway by the
bars.

The person who entered her sight, however, was not Roland Wimbledon, but sullen
Ashes.

A chill went down her spine at that very moment.

"Wh-what're you doing here? Where's His Majesty?"

"You know exactly why I came here." Ashes slowly approached the cell. Heidi
retreated as each step Ashes thrust forward, but she soon realized there was
nowhere for her to take refuge. "You should have anticipated this when you handed
those innocent witches to nobles."

"No!" Heidi shrieked. "His Majesty promised me he would let the matter go. He's
already pardoned me. You can't disobey the king's order! Where's he? I request to
see him!"

Ashes grabbed the iron bars and pulled them apart by force. She went into the cell
while bending over. "Those witches came to the Bloodfang Association for your help,
in hopes of having a good rest and being fed. Yet you failed them and sent them to
hell with your own hands. The witches escaped the church's search but were betrayed
by their own kind. Even if Roland has forgiven you, I can't just let it go like
nothing has ever happened."

"Did Ashes... overhear the conversation between Roland and me? Or did Roland tell
the secret to Tilly and the other witches?" Heidi thought. She snatched the God's
Locket of Retribution on her neck in horror, but the locket was embedded in an iron
ring. It was impossible for her to take it off barehanded.

"Let me help you." Ashes drew close to Heidi. She reached out her hand and lifted
Heidi off the floor by her neck.

The iron ring started to tighten up and Heidi soon felt suffocated. She twisted and
wriggled like a fish out of water, attempting to gain a foothold on the floor but
in vain. Gradually, as her vision blurred, Ashes' figure started to become distant.

Why did I end up like this?

I don't want to die here. I'm the only successor to the throne, the future king of
Wolfheart.

The Throne of Tusk seemed to be drifting away from her. She could once again hear
the mockeries of nobles ringing in her ears.

At a "crack" sound, the iron ring sank into her neck and stopped all her struggles.
Chapter 599: A Retrospection of Magic Power

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

By the afternoon, Roland was prepared to head to the snowcapped mountains.

The equipment he would take with him included a tent, adequate food, and a concrete
paddle steamer. Since Devil's Town was coastal, he must set off from Shallow Beach.
As usual, Hummingbird would be responsible for transportation.

He had to admit it was a pretty queer thing that Hummingbird, who was as petite as
Nana, could hold up the entire concrete boat above her head. The scene reminded
Roland of an ant moving rice ten times bigger than its own body. If Hummingbird
happened to be on the other side of the boat, he would see a boat silently shifting
by itself on the shore like a "ghost ship".

As long as Hummingbird kept her hands attached to the boat, she could help with the
transportation continuously. It was a much more efficient way to move stuff
compared with her earlier method, with which she had to spend a great deal of time
reducing the weight of each item. The new method also saved Hummingbird a lot of
magic power. The only drawback, however, was that she needed to follow enchanted
goods, which meant she could only move two items at a time.

The paddle steamer heading to the west passed endless mountains and ridges. It
arrived at Rocky Beach two days later.

Last time, Roland took a bird's-eye view of this land from a distance on the "Cloud
Gazer". Now when he finally set foot on the beach, he found it was nothing but a
vast and desolate wilderness.

Rocky Beach, merely ten miles apart from Shallow Beach, was a completely different
world.

There were animal remains embedded in layers of gravel and crushed stones all over
the place, some of which had corroded due to exposure, while others were in the
process of turning into new rocks. A few bones, which Roland failed to determine
their owners, were quite big, almost in the same size of an adult.

The steep precipice was also bizarre and mystic.

Numerous sharp stalagmites grew out of the rock surfaces. Unlike the ones
suspending from the top of the cave, these stalagmites, which looked like countless
hooks hanging upside down at first glance, were all sticking out horizontally with
their tails pointing to the ceiling. They were totally unbounded by the
gravitational pull. Roland did not see them clearly last time on the balloon; but
now, as he was personally on the beach, he felt the hair on the back of his neck
all stood up at the sight of this disturbing view.

No signs of life could be found on the long beach. No seagulls were nesting in the
vicinity, and no seaweeds or clams were discovered either. Even at the rear of the
rocks was an endless expanse of open country, as if demons' Red Mist had taken away
all the lives on this land.

Roland and the others located the narrow crack leading to Devil's Town with the
help of the marks left by Lotus. It was actually more of a fracture than a crack.
As the gap, fathomless and confined, almost split the whole precipice in half.
Lotus created a narrow path of one and a half meters wide at the opening.
When they stepped down the stairs and passed through the crevice, Nightingale
involuntarily burst out an exclamation.

"What's the matter?" Roland asked.

"Look over there." She pointed to the bottomless crack. "There's a hole in the
rocks."

They all stopped and took a peek. Close to the inky bottom, Roland spotted several
round holes, which seemed to be manually drilled. "What's that?"

"I don't know. But I've seen similar holes in the Impassable Mountain Range, except
the ones there are slightly bigger." Nightingale hesitated for a moment and then
said, "I feel something is looking at me deep down there. The deeper I probe, the
stronger this feeling is."

"...Something?" Roland was a bit surprised.

"There is more than one." Nightingale nodded. "In the valley on the way to the
camps of the Witch Cooperation Association, there's a path leading to the bottom of
the ground. I've never been down there."

"Take Sylvie to the Impassable Mountain Range after she's back." Roland took
another look at the bottom of the fracture, managing to suppress the desire to
explore. He then ordered the team to continue to marshal forward.

Although this continent was a part of Land of Dawn, on which human beings had
settled as early as 1,000 years ago, they had a very minimal understanding of the
world, as if mankind had deliberately forgotten to explore the outside world.
Roland once told Agatha about drawing a map of the whole continent but was informed
that the Union had done so for Fertile Plains. They had very roughly sketched out
an outline of Land of Dawn. As to the land beyond, they knew nothing about it.

That was why Roland fully supported Thunder to explore lands overseas. He had
thought it would be a matter of time to understand the whole world, but now he
realized he was ignorant of even his own territory, the Kingdom of Graycastle in
the Western Region.

Unfortunately, he had to leave these thoughts behind for the time being, as the war
against the church was pressing.

They soon found themselves in an open field after passing through the crack. The
First Army who garrisoned there led them to their camps at once. Roland then saw
Agatha and Soraya.

"Where are Lightning and the others?"

"She's flying around with Summer." Agatha sighed. "She's too perky to be quiet just
for a second. Devil's Town has almost turned into her playland."

"It really would be a national park that you need to buy tickets to enter in the
modern world," Roland exclaimed.

"What did you say?"

"No... nothing." Roland coughed to conceal his embarrassment. "I'll use the Sigil
of Listening to ask her to come back. Now take me where the collapsed stone tower
is."
When the group of people reached the center of the relics, Lightning, Maggie and
Summer arrived just in time.

"Lightning is landing!"

The blonde little girl slowly came down to the ground while stretching out her arms
to the sides. She turned around and gave Roland a big hug.

Roland did not know whether to laugh or to cry since Lightning had reached puberty.

"Aw...!" Next Maggie joined, who stretched out her wings in the same way. She fell
straight to the ground, almost shaking Summer off her back.

Roland understood that Lightning was one of the youngest witches in the Witch
Union. So, it kind of explained why she was always so airy and jaunty. Maggie,
however, was an adult witch. It did not make sense that she still acted like a
child. There was only one plausible explanation: Lightning's fluttering manner was
somewhat contagious.

"Since everybody's here, let's get started." Roland eyed Summer, whose legs were
still trembling.

"Yes... Your Majesty." Summer stumbled to the hole and closed her eyes.

In a second, the large hole in the ground was replaced by a giant black stone
tower. Meanwhile, the air was permeated with red mists as thick as blood.

Roland stepped back involuntarily while at the same time holding his breath.

"This was what it looked like here 26 days ago, right before the incident," Agatha
explained, "If Summer traces back the time only once, she can maintain the illusion
for nearly an hour. It thus allows us to see what exactly happened from the
beginning to the end."

"Where's that Eye Demon that you talked about? The one with eyeballs all over that
will attract the demons' attention once it sees you?" Tilly asked curiously.

"At the top of this stone tower." Agatha pointed to the high sky above. "The stone
tower is too high for Summer to reach. We can't see it now."

Roland looked up and found the space above the tower was blank, as if it had been
chopped off. It appeared that Summer could only reconstruct the area within a
radius of five meters.

Just then, the ground started to shake.

"It's coming!" Agatha shouted in a low voice.

Chapter 600: A Shocking Event

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Coming? What's coming?"

Before Roland had time to inquire about the details, the ground beneath had risen
and cracked. The black stone tower was lifted into the air in a second. A giant
gray monster jumped out of the crack and opened its huge crimson mouth, trying to
devour the stone tower. The slimes on its skin spilled all over the place.

As Summer could only reconstruct the scene but not sounds, Roland felt like he was
watching a vivid but intense silent movie. The witches, who had never been to a
theatre, reacted more dramatically. They all cried out in fright and stepped back a
few paces. Ashes even automatically pulled out her sword and stood in front of
Tilly, in an attempt to protect her.

What was more horrid, however, was that there was more than one monster.

Underneath the black stone tower hid a Tentacle Monster, whose gleamy black body
was almost completely fused with the stone tower, with only its tentacles poking
out of the bottom of the tower like innumerable feet. Its scale, which glistened in
a deep red light, was the only indication that the creature was alive.

Tentacle Monster was pretty much as big as half of the castle, but it was
incomparable to Megamouth Beast who could engulf the entire tower. To avoid being
swallowed, it strove to keep the megamouth beast from shutting the mouth by waving
its tentacles. Meanwhile, clouds of blood mists that burst out of the scale started
to gradually erode the skins of the beast. Evidently, the thick mist, almost of a
black color, could cause harm to its rival.

Nevertheless, the megamouth beast was simply too large to defeat only via the red
mist corrosion. As the stone tower was lifted off the ground little by little, the
tentacle monster was finally crushed by the tower and became the megamouth beast's
food. After that, the black stone tower slowly slid into the giant mouth as well.
In the end, Roland saw the eye demon, which appeared to take no notice of the
megamouth beast and sat motionless at the top of the tower during the whole process
of being gulped down without the slightest intention to escape.

The illusion stopped at that moment. The red mists and the giant monsters vanished
instantly. Peace was restored. They saw a massive hole in the ground and realized
what they had seen did occur at some point in the past.

Roland heaved a long sigh. He was further convinced that he had done the right
thing not to include the soldiers from the First Army. His heart was beating so
fast as if it were going to jump out of his chest while he was watching. Even if
the "movie" was now over, the fear still lingered.

"This is... the wriggling monster that ate Miss Agatha's lab?" After a long
silence, Tilly broke off. "Why would it attack the Devil's Town?"

"We might be wrong earlier. It's probably not a demonic hybrid enslaved by demons.
At least, it isn't controlled by the demons behind the snowcapped mountains..."
Roland looked at Agatha and said, "What do you think?"

"I agree." Agatha nodded, apparently having been thinking about it for a long time.
"There were no records of this kind of demonic beast whatsoever during the two
Battles of Divine Will. If demons do have the ability to subjugate them, we won't
be able to hold up long, and Taquila would have been devastated long before. Demons
just need to order a few megamouth beasts to carry some senior demons and enter the
city from the underground when launching an attack."

"If not demons, then who does?" Tilly's brows furrowed. "Judging from the
transparent mantis that Miss Nightingale found, it's obvious that these demonic
beasts have some sort of plans."

"Can't it be a random action?" Nightingale spread out her hands. "Hybrids are by no
means ordinary demonic beasts. Based on their performances during the Months of
Demons, they have already developed critical thinking skills. Perhaps they'll be
even smarter than us if they live long enough."

Everybody laughed at her comment and felt less strained at once. Clearly, nobody
would believe that those savage monsters, which knew nothing but wrestling in muds,
would be more intelligent than fed and clothed human beings. The idea just sounded
too ridiculous.

Only Roland remained silent. He gazed at the deep hole, dealing with crowding
thoughts in his mind.

Was Mankind the most intelligent species?

He would not be so presumptuous as to boldly assume mankind was the smartest

creature, especially when he was currently in a completely foreign world. When the
living environment and the requirement for necessities changed, what was considered
to be intelligent might be distinctive as well. Take demonic beasts for example.
They would certainly not regard silk and bread as essential.

"Why was the eye demon unresponsive?" Andrea asked in confusion. "Didn't you say
the whole campground will be startled once it sees you?"

"Because nobody saw it," Agatha explained, "Eye demons will see us only after we
see them. But to that megamouth beast, it simply had no eyes. It has nothing but a
big mouth."

"Because it doesn't need an eye." Roland continued, "Like an earthworm, the beast
lives underground all the year round. It doesn't need an eye to see things.
Naturally, it won't specially grow any light-sensitive organs."

"Grow... what?" Tilly questioned curiously.

"Light-sensitive organs, such as eyes. Some animals use skins to detect light."
Roland did not go further but squatted down and pointed to the deep hole.
"Lightning, do you want to go down there to take a peek?"

The little girl nodded immediately.

"That's too dangerous." Ashes attempted to stop her. "We don't know what's hiding
down there at all."

"You don't need to probe into the tunnel, but just look at where the beast is
heading," Roland said, "and Nightingale will stay here while monitoring magic
reactions. It's going to be fine."

"Um, don't I need to follow it into the hole and catch it?" Lightning pouted.

"Not this time. He devoured demons after all, not Agatha." Roland stressed once
again. "Get out of there and report to me right after you find where the tunnel
leads. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Lightning took out a portable torch from her knapsack and plunged into the
deep hole after lighting the torch.

"The exit is over here!" After a few minutes, Lightning's voice came out of the
magic stone. "Do you see the torchlight?"

Nightingale soon found out the direction in which the tunnel ran based on the
location of the torch. "It's good now. You can come up."
Roland's brows deepened when he glanced at Nightingale who was standing to the
southeast of the hole, and the lofty snowcapped mountains behind her.

Apparently, someone shared the same view.

"It looks like we were indeed wrong." Tilly shrugged. "The wriggling demonic beast
we met in the Misty Forest did not intend to go to the Devil's Town, but maybe to
this snowcapped mountain?"

"It seems so." Roland looked up. The summit of the mountain loomed against puffs of
clouds. The snow on its peak shimmered in the rays of sunlight. "It appears that we
have to thoroughly look into this highest mountain in the Western Region."