Release That Witch

Chapter 367: The First Step to Building the City

etrov stepped out of his cabin and was surprised that he was not greeted with the smell of rotting wood. There was a newly built bridge next to the boat, and the harbor had doubled in size and thudded instead of creaking when stepped on—he could tell that the planks had been laid sturdily and that the material was of great quality.

After leaving the harbor, a few uniformed guards immediately walked over. The leader of the group gave the family crest hanging on the Lionheart’s flagpole an once-over and asked, “Are you… Sir Hull of the Honeysuckle Family?”

“Yes.” Petrov nodded, feeling quite important. “I am Petrov Hull, and I came here at His Highness’ invitation.”

“Lord Iron Axe has already told us about you. Please come with me.” The guard waved his hand.

“We’re walking?” Petrov was shocked.

“Yes. All the stables have been demolished,” the guard smiled apologetically and said. “Don’t worry. The town roads are in great condition.”

Petrov soon understood what the guard meant by “great condition”.

The road was smooth and wide, and all the snow had been cleared so that there were barely even any puddles. It seemed to be paved with many little black stones that had tiny spaces between them and glistened with moisture. Furthermore, what surprised Petrov the most was that this wasn’t the only road like this. There was an intersection every hundred steps. The roads were so straight and symmetrical that they seemed to be drawn on paper. During the half-hour walk, he didn’t see a single bit of mud.

Petrov was stunned to find that this town looked completely different from the one in his memories.

“Sir, is this really… Border Town?” Seth stared at the scenery around him. “Wasn’t it only a temporary living area for miners?”

“It used to be that way,” the guard said, smiling, “but ever since His Highness arrived, everything has been changing. Take these roads for example, they were all built six months ago. Back then, there were thousands of people working together every day, so we could practically build a new one every month.”

Petrov noticed a strong tone of pride peeking through the guard’s voice, as if he felt proud to be a member of the town.

But… this was so unbelievable! Neat rows of trees bordered every road, which he imagined to form a beautiful canopy of leaves to block out the scorching sun in summer. Then there were the houses—all the short mud huts and shabby wooden inns were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were clean-cut brick buildings with two to three stories that all shared a similar style. They obviously must have all been built by the same group of stonemasons.

How could he possibly transform a poor little town in only one year?

The shocked and confused Petrov followed the guards into the castle grounds. His guide was replaced by an armored knight, while his attendants were left to wait outside the castle walls.

When he stepped into the Lord’s castle, Petrov finally felt the same as he did one year ago.

It seemed that not much had changed here. Compared to the Stronghold castle, the prince’s was still much smaller.

The knight pushed open the door to the hall and made a motion for him to enter. Petrov immediately saw the prince sitting on the throne.

It was His Highness Roland Wimbledon.

“Welcome to Border Town,” Roland said with a smile, “Mr. ‘Ambassador’.”

It seemed the prince hadn’t changed much. For some reason, Petrov felt relieved. He raised his hand to his chest and bowed solemnly. “The Honeysuckle Family pays you our respects, Your Highness.”

“Have a seat.” The prince nodded. “I call you here because of a very important matter. It concerns the future of the entire Western Region, Longsong Stronghold naturally also included.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“I plan to build a city here, which will extend westward to the Misty Forest, eastward to Longsong Stronghold, and it’ll include half of the Western Region in its bounds. From then on, the Stronghold will be an eastern fortress for the new city and the first line of defense against the church’s army instead of an independent city like it is now,” Roland said in a methodical manner. “In such a vast and expansive region, it’s important to pass the same laws everywhere and centralize their enforcement to the City Hall of the new city. No nobility can meddle in city affairs, which includes the five main noble families of the Western Region.”

Petrov felt a sudden shock! A year ago, he had a similar idea to have Duke Ryan move the defense line against the demonic beasts to Border Town and utilize the space between the two towns. He would never have expected that the prince would use this method a year later with a much heavier hand. Turn Longsong Stronghold into a section of a city? He could only imagine how terrifyingly massive this city would be!

He felt an impulse to question the prince, but stifled his words—if the prince was telling this to him, it meant he had already made up his mind, and no one would be able to stop him from carrying out his plan.

Petrov didn’t dare to challenge the prince. Duke Ryan’s fiasco was forever burned in his mind and made him believe that this man with gray hair was unbeatable… at least by him. The only thing he could do was to reap as much profit as possible during this immense change.

“You said that the five noble families can’t meddle in city affairs, so how can the Honeysuckle Family continue to serve you?”

The prince was silent for such a long time that Petrov began to feel uneasy. Then, he chuckled and said, “You’ve really surprised me, Mr. Ambassador. Both your asking to ransom the Stronghold and your positive attitude right now are wise and calculated decisions that are rarely seen made by nobles.”

After a few words of praise, his smile faded, and he said seriously, “As long as the Honeysuckle Family is willing to accept my rule, you can continue to assist me to govern the Longsong region.”

“Both my father and I will always do as you wish—”

“I’m not talking about individuals—I’m talking about the whole area,” Roland interrupted. “From now on, the nobilities under my rule will have the ownership of their land, but not the right to govern it—whether it is regarding the law, law enforcement, or other policies, they’ll all have to defer to the decrees of the City Hall.”

“Um…” Petrov hesitated.

“Land can still be passed on through family lineage, just like titles. Any industries that your family conducts, such as farming or craftsmanship, will also belong to the Honeysuckles along with your land. That’s your indisputable right, and I promise you my blessing. Aside from governing rights, nothing will change about the land you own. It might even flourish under new policies.” The prince continued. “Of course, you can also choose to return to your land and continue to live as a feudal lord. However, when I finish building my new city and begin expanding, any land I conquer won’t belong to its original owner anymore.”

Chapter 368: Filling in the Gaps

..

“Do you really think he’ll agree?” asked Nightingale after Petrov left, whispering into Roland’s ear.

“I’m not sure. In addition, even if he does, he’ll still need to persuade Count Hull for it to be of any use,” said Roland as he took a sip of his hot tea, “If his father still insists on his position as a noble, then there’ll be nothing we can do.”

“You can’t bear to see him go, can you?” she teased.

“Of course not.” Roland pursed his lips. “As a noble, he’s both intelligent and humble, as well as having a penchant for managing commerce. As long as he studies in Longsong Stronghold for a year or two, he’ll definitely become an capable government official.”

“If he manages to persuade Count Hull, you’ll really hand the Royal Capital over for him to govern?”

“If I manage to conquer Graycastle, the capital will naturally need to be moved elsewhere… In addition, cities that are far from the Western Region will need to be managed by officials sent from the west. As such, the terms I laid out may have sounded fantastical but were nevertheless legitimate.”

Towards the end of his conversation with Petrov, Roland informed him that from henceforth, he would not appoint any nobles. In fact, after consolidating Graycastle, he planned on establishing a brand new model for society throughout the kingdom based on that of Bordertown. He planned to consolidate and create a central government with a single word of law and judicial policy. Should Petrov decide to stay, Longsong Stronghold would be far from his final destination. Be it a mayor of a major city or chief bureaucrat of the new central government, neither was impossible for him.

As for how far he’ll go in reality, it’ll be up to none other than himself.

Roland sincerely hoped that Petrov would understand his implications and anticipations from the conversation just now.

“Alright then, it’s not as if I understand these things anyway,” Nightingale patted his shoulder and continued, “in any case, the new witch is coming over soon. It’s best if you go elsewhere for a while.”

“You’re going to question her by yourself?”

“I’ll call Wendy over.” The sound of her laughter rang out beside him. “She’s better at these things than I am.”

The Witches Union for the sake of safety (a cause mainly championed by Scroll), had established a rule: prior to any further interactions with an unknown Witch, their identity had to first be confirmed by Nightingale. Doing this required her to enter her mist, and therefore also take off the God’s Stone of Retaliation. Thus, it was best if Roland was not present, lest the outsider revolted and anything unexpected happened.

Scroll even managed to come up with a series of 10 questions specifically to determine one’s identity, such as “Where are you from”, “What is your real name”, “Do you recognize the prince”, “Do you hold any hostile intentions towards the prince”, etc. Since Nightingale could only determine the veracity of someone’s statements based on the target’s own beliefs, this battery of true/false questions aimed to establish the target’s true intentions without leaving any loopholes. Even if they could deceive her once or twice, there was no way they could pass every single question.

Roland didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when this was brought up, but in consideration of the witches’ good intentions, he could only go along with this plan.

…

After leaving the main hall, he returned to his office and immediately sent for City Hall Director Barov.

After reading Petrov’s report on the discovery of new witches in Longsong Stronghold, Roland realized his oversight. Though he had sent Anna onto the ceremonial award stage and acknowledged the existence of witches in Border Town, no official decree ever explained their status and how they should be treated. Thus, Border Town might very well have a similar situation as the Stronghold, where a witch would hide herself upon awakening and lie unknown instead of revealing her talents.

The second Barov stepped into the room, Roland immediately ordered, “I’m declaring a long term recruitment drive, and the details are on this paper here.”

Barov received the draft and took a cursory glance, “Your Majesty… you mean to recruit witches at a monthly salary of an entire gold royal each?”

“That’s right,” Roland nodded, “This is also the Witches Union’s standard salary.” A monthly salary of one gold royal in this era was for only the most prestigious of positions. Border Town’s average salary and standard of living were already well beyond those of other cities, with the highest paid being the workers in the acid manufacturing plant at 20 silver royals. Yet, this new decree set the witches’ wage at five times the current highest, cementing their position in society.

“Since you want to recruit more witches, why not send people to search for them?” asked Barov, “the same way you had the citizens report spies. After all, their eyes see more truth than anyone else’s.”

“Even my Director has learned to fight [The Peoples’ War].” Roland mused, holding back the delight in his heart, “And should I offer a reward for finding them? What difference will there be between me and the church then?”

“But… you’re doing this to recruit them, whereas the church means to hang them.”

“Even if we say so, the witches forcibly exposed this way might think we’re actually persecuting them. Though new witches in Border Town may have not experienced the persecution of the populace, the same cannot be said for those who have come from elsewhere,” said Roland, declining Barov’s proposal. “My hope is for them to stand forward of their own volition, for the sake of making their own contribution to Border Town.”

In addition to the witches’ own inhibitions, Roland was also worried about the effect declaring a reward would have on the populace, possibly creating a new wave of “witch hunters”, or making witches out to be valuable “commodities” to be created and found. Giving birth to a witch would become more profitable than hard work, which though in the short term would elevate the witches’ positions, but in the long term could easily hurt Border Town’s “American Dream” that Roland had worked so hard to achieve.

Right after Barov left, Wendy immediately entered, placing the results of the investigation on his desk.

“Your Highness, we’ve confirmed her identity. There are no problems as her answers line up with what the Honeysuckle’s eldest said.”

“See,” smiled Roland, “I told you guys you were being too careful.”

“Nevertheless this level of caution is necessary,” Wendy persevered, “Your Highness’ personal safety will always be our first and foremost priority.”

“Alright,” said Roland, suddenly feeling a little touched, as he took a deep breath and said, “bring her here then.”

The girl seemed around 15 years old, her dirtied hair a muddled brown, eyes brimming with timidity and slight panic. It seemed to be the first time she’d ever stepped foot into a carpeted room, as seen from her restless fidgeting as she tried to determine where to put her feet.

According to the information on the report, she called herself Paper and was born just outside of Longsong Stronghold. She became an orphan during a blizzard three years ago, a background shared by many of the street urchins in the western region. These orphans’ fates were usually to either die scrounging for food, or join the underground street rats, becoming a pickpocket, thug or scapegoat.

“You…” Roland paused, unable to decide what to say. The girl was neither like Agatha, resilient and adaptable, nor like Anna, determined and firm of heart. Even Mystery Moon and Lily, whose situations most resembled hers, had the sisterhood and companionship of the Union. As a young girl in a completely new place, she was probably in a state of constant panic, and most likely required a lengthy period to acclimate to her new environment. From Petrov’s report, her ability to melt snow was most likely related to the control of temperature.

“Anyway, there’s no rush to test her ability, we can slowly learn about it as she becomes familiarized with this place.” With that thought, Roland turned to Wendy and said, “She must be exhausted from the long journey, why don’t you take her for a bath first and let her rest awhile. Arrange for her to stay in the witches’ building. As for any instructions she requires with respect to magic, I’ll leave that to you, alright?”

“Of course,” she smiled coyly, “As you wish.”

Chapter 369: Changes

team billowed out of the bathroom’s bathtub.

Wendy lathered the soap and rubbed it everywhere on the little girl’s body: behind the ears, under the arms, not even sparing the area between her fingertips. Upon seeing the layers of dirt intermixed with foam slide into the bathtub, revealing the tender skin underneath, Wendy felt an unprecedented amount of satisfaction.

It had been quite some time since Wendy experienced this feeling. Back in the days when the Witch Cooperation Association was still fleeing for its life, every close call or scare and every newly awakened witch that had given up all hope was made well again under her care, recovering a state of peaceful normalcy. Leaf, Lily, even Nightingale all found their hope with her help.

Yet, ever since they had come to Border Town, the witches’ lives had undergone a 180 degree change. No one had to worry anymore about any life necessities, as everything was now provided for them—of course, she had no problem with this, and was incredibly grateful for everything Roland had done for the sisters. It was merely the fact that there were no longer any witches that needed her care—even Mystery Moon had become open and carefree that led Wendy to feel a little frustrated.

Now, she finally once again had the opportunity to feel the joy of being a big sister.

“Close your eyes. I’m turning the water on.”

“Okay,” the little girl’s voice quietly slid out, soft and graceful like a droplet of morning dew.

It must be said, His Highness’ decision to give her a bath was truly genius.

The water ran past the girl’s bangs and trickled down her back, taking with it the now ashy brown foam. Only after rinsing her body three times did the color of the water turn back to normal.

Without any set of clothes to cover it up, the girl’s frail and emaciated body was completely revealed to Wendy’s eyes. “What a poor, skinny child,” Wendy couldn’t help but think. Her spine could be seen protruding out of her back, her arm so thin that a single hand could easily grasp it, and her skin not white like her namesake but instead a pallid yellow revealing her years of living in hunger.

Luckily she was a witch, and as long as she was properly taken care of, it wouldn’t be long before she could recover.

After rinsing her body clean, it was time for them to enjoy a bath. Wendy first tested the temperature and then carried her into the bathtub, the water quickly submerging and enveloping them. Though the water was near scalding, after enduring the slight discomfort and acclimating, one would soon be able to savor the joy and comfort of being cradled by its warmth.

Paper involuntarily let out a low shout, most likely because it had been a long, long time since she was last able to bathe in hot water. She tightly grasped Wendy’s hands, and then gradually loosened her grip. Wendy then spun her around so that the girl faced away from her, letting her sit in her lap as she meticulously began to parse through the little girl’s twisted bun of hair, strand by strand.

“When did you find out you were a witch?”

“Two… two years ago,” Paper quietly replied, “I think in the winter, just like now.”

“That’s not surprising.” Wendy smiled and continued, “Most witches awaken during the Months of the Demons. According to rumor, it’s during this period of time that magic power is most abundant.”

“Isn’t it demonic magic power?”

“Of course not,” she patted the little girl’s head and said, “becoming a witch is a very, very normal thing. Asides from having the abilities to do some things other people can’t imagine, we are no different from your everyday normal person. You should know that several hundred years ago, witches were even viewed as those blessed by the gods.

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“In reality, the difference between witches and mortals was quite large, such as their superhuman physical abilities and sterility,” thought Wendy as she replied, “but these things could be slowly taught to her at a later time.”

“Then, what’s magic power?” Paper asked shyly.

“Magic power is a type of natural energy, just like the sun’s ever-present light.” Wendy thought for a second. “Well, sort of. The sun has a time when it sets, but magic power is always there. All in all, you can regard it as an extension of yourself, an extension that’s constantly growing.”

“Constantly growing?”

“That’s right, your magic power will grow as you do, becoming increasingly powerful. In order to accommodate its growth you must also increase the limits of your own body. Otherwise there will be a backlash.” Wendy meticulously explained, “The church abused this very fact, claiming that witches were being devoured by the energy of the devil when in reality it couldn’t be further from the truth. As long as you continuously practice your control of your powers, even if your magic power grows, there will be no need to worry about it harming your body. If you awakened two years ago, you must have already experienced a Day of Awakening already. Back then… it must have hurt a lot.”

Paper gently nodded her head.

“Worry not though, now that you’ve arrived in Border Town, everything will be better.” Wendy tenderly consoled her. “As long as you make the most of this time and practice, this year’s Day of Awakening will be quick and painless.”

Just as she was about to continue, the door to the bath was shoved open, revealing Lily running in with a towel in her hand.

“I heard there was a new sister? Where? Where? Mystery Moon’s so anxious to see her!”

“It’s obviously you who’s anxious!” Mystery Moon, dragged all the way here by Lily, shot her a glare. “Why take a shower now? What if we have to use our abilities this afternoon?”

“Don’t worry, there’s no harm in resting for a day. His Highness probably won’t need you for anything, after all, you’re not Miss Anna.”

“… You traitor!!”

Upon seeing the two barge in, Paper quickly shrunk her neck, the bottom half of her head submerging itself into the water.

“Oh, so this is the new witch?” Lily climbed to the edge of the bathtub and looked at Paper, eyes brimming with curiosity. “You look around the same age as me, but you can still call me big sister.”

“Why would she call you big sister if she’s around the same age as you?” Mystery Moon noisily interjected. “And how come you’ve never called me that?”

“They’re both witches of Border Town,” Wendy introduced with a smile. “You may think they are open, but when they first arrived here, they were both just like you… especially Mystery Moon, she wasn’t much braver than you, always speaking with a very quiet and soft little voice.”

“Ahem. I was just worried His Highness would look down on me for having such weak magic power.” Mystery Moon mumbled to herself.

“His Highness has told me several times, your power has incredibly unexplored potential.” Wendy shook her head. “As long as you finish reading and learning Elementary Physics, it might evolve into something surpassing your wildest dreams.”

“Forget the books. She doesn’t even understand all the words yet. She barely even passed the last examination.” Lily interjected, shrugging her shoulders. “She even came to me at night asking me to help her with her studies. By the time she’s done learning all the weird theories and formulas in that book, His Highness Roland will probably have already conquered and unified all of Graycastle and won’t even need the witches’ help anymore.” Ignoring Mystery Moon’s annoyed expression, her gaze turned towards the girl sitting in Wendy’s lap. “Oh, that’s right. What kind of power does Paper have?”

“… Melting snow.” The little girl pondered for a while before replying.

“Anything else?” Lily curiously asked, “Can you freeze the melted snow back into ice?”

“No,” Paper meekly replied, “and also… also I can make hot water cool really fast.”

“Temperature manipulation then?” Wendy mused and said, “But melting snow is adding heat, whereas cooling water is removing it, yet the two processes can’t be reversed, so it’s probably not temperature control. Have you only tried your power with water?”

“With other things, the difference is very small.”

“Try using this.” Lily held up a basin full of soapy water.

The little girl cautiously placed her hand into the basin. Very soon, the steaming hot water began to cool. Then, before everyone’s eyes, a change occurred in the murky soap water. The soap bubbles on the surface began to disappear, the white kernels of soap also vanished into thin air, and the basin was once again filled with pristine, clear water.

Chapter 370: Rhythm

hree days later, Roland received an affirmative answer from the eldest son of the Honeysuckle Family.

“I’m willing to continue serving you, and so is the Honeysuckle Family,” he said, bowing his head. “I’ll convince my father—he’s a little… different from the other families.”

“Is that so.” Roland suddenly felt quite cheerful. “That’s great to hear.”

“In the past few days, I’ve witnessed all the extraordinary changes that have taken place in your town, and I realized that this was the city I wished for all long,” Petrov confessed. “If the Honeysuckle Family can flourish like this, Father won’t mind merging with the new city.”

This struck a chord in the Prince’s heart. He originally only had two reasons for bringing Petrov here: The first was that it was more sincere to share such momentous news with Petrov in person, and the other was to observe his attitude towards the decree. Roland never imagined that Petrov would react this well. Roland nodded and said, “Of course. In time, every inch of land in the Kingdom of Graycastle will be home to the people.”

“Then I must return to Stronghold as quickly as possible and relay this news to my father.”

“Don’t forget the other four noble families and all the nobilites of the Western Region.” Roland added, “Any family who wishes to accept my terms will be welcomed unconditionally into the new city, regardless of past conflicts. You can hold a banquet in the Stronghold to spread the word.”

“You mean you want me to tell them?” Petrov asked, stunned.

“Yes,” the prince said, smiling. “This time… you can act as my ambassador.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the eldest of the Honeysuckles raised a hand to his chest and said.

Just as he was about to leave, Roland stopped him and said, “By the way, you did a great job with the witch incident. There’ll be no more hiding from now on. After all this universal education, if anyone is still blindly hanging onto the church’s teachings, they should be removed from the Western Region. You can decide how exactly you want to do it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After Petrov Hull left, Roland stretched and yawned, and then continued flipping through the data that the City Hall had compiled on various construction projects.

Due to the heavy snowfall, the construction of the Kingdom Main Street had to be halted, and the construction of houses had been slowed down as well, so there were only a few indoor maintenance projects underway. Fortunately Lotus had constructed a series of cave dwellings to shelter the refugees before she left. Even if more refugees came, they could be distributed among the current caves—this was the advantage of using heated brick beds.

According to the Ministry of Construction, at least more than 60% of the workers were currently employed, so any last-minute recruitments from the City Hall were always snatched up quickly, such as clearing the snow off the streets, transporting goods in the Blast Furnace Zone and so on. If this were in any other city, having this many eager workers during the Months of Demons would be unbelievable. Winter was already the most difficult season for civilians, so most people usually shut themselves in their homes and survived by their fall harvest. However, Roland felt dissatisfied with seeing all this manpower being idle, so he racked his brain trying to think of something that could utilize it all.

After all, Margerie’s Chamber of Commerce had bought the last batch of steam engines manufactured this year, and the City Hall had more than enough money and grains, so that he could carry out many of his plans.

At this thought, Roland had his guard summon Karl Van Bate, the Minister of Construction.

After he explained his ideas, Karl couldn’t help but stare. “You want the masons and clay artisans to build ships for you?”

He nodded and said seriously, “Yes, right by the harbor. Build a temporary workshop out of wood and keep a brazier burning inside to maintain the temperature. When the ships are completed, they can go straight into the water.”

“But, Your Highness, how can they ever know how to build such a thing?”

“Of course they can. It’s just like building the witches’ tower,” Roland said as he took out a piece of paper and drew a diagram. “Just set up a frame, lay down steel bars, and fill it in with concrete. I’ll instruct you in building the first ship, and then you’ll be solely in charge of supervision, so all the workers can be utilized as well.”

Karl looked at the blueprint skeptically. “Is this… a bowl?”

Roland couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, it’s a giant concrete bowl.”

Karl had not participated in the construction of the Littletown, so it was natural that he did not understand it. In fact, ships were constantly changing their shapes over time, with those of the next era barely inheriting those of the previous one. Roland had no idea how to design an ancient wooden ship with keels, but building a concrete ship was essentially no different from making a clay model—all it had to do was to float. It was the same for steel ships. With the improvements in welding technology, most modern ships abandoned the keeling method and were instead pieced together with steel plates so that the entire floor sustained its weight. There was no need to bother with wooden ships.

He had already considered building a new fleet of concrete ships for a long time. Both the coal mining excavations in the nearby mountains and the transportation of refugees required large riverboats, so a flat-bottom design with a low draught was the best option. Compared to the conservative design of the Littletown, the new ships should have longer hulls to ensure a larger load, better stability, and higher speed. In order to also reduce construction difficulty, Roland decided to use paddle wheels to propel the ships. This had already been tested on wooden ships and was easier for the masons to achieve.

“Your Highness, how many men do you plan to employ to build these… concrete ships?” Karl asked awkwardly.

“Round up all the idle workers and build multiple ships at a time, just like when you were building houses.”

This way, even if no one bought the newly produced steam engines, there was something for people to do. The Furnace Area could continue producing cement, which would kill two birds with one stone. In the coming years, if he could command a large fleet of cement ships, the First Army would always have reliable logistic fallback wherever it attacked.

After dealing with this matter, Roland decided to check out the castle backyard.

The olive trees and grape vines that Leaf planted provided a shelter against the snow. If they weren’t working, the witches would usually practice in the backyard, including the newcomer Paper.

According to Wendy, her abilities weren’t temperature control, but they weren’t material restoration either, and they had little effect on any substance other than water. This intrigued Roland to no end. After three days, the little girl shouldn’t be as timid as she was when she first arrived, so he wanted to see her for himself.

As soon as he entered the garden, Roland felt that there was something off.

All he could see was lush greenery, as if he was in a different world from the snow outside—the olive trees were evergreen and had vines winding around their branches. Although it wasn’t surprising that the trees blocked out the snow, all the plants here were still a little too vibrant. What made it different from a forest was that although there was no wind, the grass and trees swayed rhythmically in unison.

He thought it was an illusion, but as he walked deeper into the garden, he saw the olive branches bend over as if they were greeting him, and the grass around his feet fell to the side as if to welcome him.

This made Roland a little uneasy, and goosebumps began to appear on his back. He felt as if he was not walking in a garden, but inside the body of a giant creature.

The whole garden seemed to be breathing.

Chapter 371: The Heart of the Forest

oland walked into the center of the garden and froze in shock.

At the end of the path, a small house made out of plants suddenly appeared, with tree trunks and reformed crops forming its walls and layers of woven vines hanging up above, with some even carrying bunches of glistening grapes. A bonfire burned in the middle of the room, and there was green furniture placed all around. A closer look would reveal that they were actually shaped by strange plants that grew from the ground. For a moment, Roland felt as if he were in a fairyland. If it weren’t for the familiar faces next to the bonfire, he truly would have thought he was dreaming.

“What’s this?”

Tilly turned around and exclaimed, “Leaf’s ability has evolved, and she’s transformed herself into this garden.”

“Where’s she?” Roland asked surprisedly.

“She has become one with the plants,” Tilly said, looking around her. “Everything you see right now is a part of Leaf.”

His feeling of walking inside a creature wasn’t wrong. It was just that the “creature” was actually Leaf. Roland suddenly felt a tug on his heart, “She can still turn back, right?”

“As soon as I call off my powers, I can return to my normal form.” Leaf’s voice suddenly echoed.

However, when he listened carefully, he realized that it wasn’t Leaf herself who was speaking. The voice came from the rustling of swaying leaves and the rubbing of branches.

Her answer calmed Roland down a little bit. “Can you hear us talk?”

“Not only can I hear you, I can also see you, smell you and feel you,” Leaf answered happily. “I can feel the slightest changes in the garden, including the birds building their nest on a branch and a bug crawling on a trunk… It’s hard to explain, but Lady Tilly is right. I am the garden itself, and I noticed you as soon as you walked in.”

Suddenly, a giant leaf hanging from the ceiling was lowered down next to Roland and unfurled slowly to reveal a cup containing purple liquid. The intricate cup was made from four overlapping olive leaves with their stems curving into a handle. Roland raised the cup up to his lips and realized that the liquid was freshly-made wine, a perfect combination of sourness and refreshing sweetness. Clearly, both the wine and its container came from this garden.

Roland downed Leaf’s “toast”, walked up to the bonfire, and sat excitedly on a plant chair—its frame was made of rough branches, and its seat and back were covered with a heavy layer of wheat leaves. Sitting in it was like sinking into a soft couch. Next to the bonfire stood a grill, where Andrea was roasting apples and corn for everyone. These foods were undoubtedly also taken directly from the garden.

“How did you manage to do all this?” the prince looked up and asked.

“I don’t really know either,” the voice answered immediately. “I was just taking care of the newly planted crops and your messenger birds as usual, while also practicing my abilities—and they responded to my call. Maybe this is the reconciliation I have been searching for—bringing the forest and the lives inside it together as one.”

“Could you use your abilities in the Misty Forest? Could you also turn it into a part of you?”

“I don’t think so…” She hesitated. “Even if I could, it would take a really long time. Maintaining this state doesn’t require a lot of magic power, and I can even draw power from the forest, but every time I expand my area of influence, my mind becomes more sluggish.”

“Sluggish?” Roland asked confusedly.

“I don’t know how to describe this feeling,” said Leaf. “If I kept expanding slowly, I might become one with the entire Misty Forest in a couple of years, but I’m scared that I might lose my consciousness. When I first started fusing with the garden, my mind felt so overwhelmed, as if it suddenly became very expansive. It took me a long time to get used to it.” She paused and added, “However, re-entering plants that I have already controlled doesn’t give me this unfamiliar feeling, and it only takes the slightest thought to accomplish.”

“How incredible,” Roland thought. “Compared to Anna and Lily’s micro-evolution, Leaf’s new abilities were a breakthrough in macro-evolution. If she could one day control the entire Misty Forest, not a single move of our enemies would escape her.”

“Congratulations,” Wendy said, smiling. “Now there’s another evolved witch in the Witch Union. According to Agatha, we have about half the amount of evolved witches as the Union.”

“If she were here, she must have gone on and on about this for ages.” Roland chuckled and glanced over at the little girl who was peeking curiously at him. “What about Paper?”

“Her ability… unfortunately requires further testing,” Wendy responded, “but we found a strange phenomenon.”

She snapped her fingers, and two piles of packed snow immediately fell off the roof.

Wendy placed one pile next to the bonfire and another in a corner of the room, and then she asked Paper to use her powers. “I’m currently teaching her how to use her magic power evenly so that its effects are consistent—just like how you taught me. Although she can’t control her power very precisely, it doesn’t differ too greatly in general.”

Roland noticed that the snow next to the bonfire had quickly melted into an icy puddle, while the farther pile had only melted halfway.

Wendy scooped up the melted water, carried it to one side of the room, and knocked on the wall. The tightly woven vines shrunk back to reveal a fist-sized hole, letting in the chilly wind.

“Here, now use your power on this,” she said to Paper.

The girl nodded and raised her hands, and Roland was shocked to find that the water had formed a thin layer of ice crystals.

“So her power is to… speed up time and accelerate results?” He doubted his theory as soon as he said. “That can’t be right. Time is but a concept created by humans for convenience, so it doesn’t exist on its own. How can she affect something that doesn’t exist?”

“That’s what I thought as well, but Lady Tilly said it wasn’t the case.” Wendy tied a stone to the end of a vine and swung it back and forth in front of Paper. As much as Paper tried to use her powers, the pendulum continued to swing at the same speed and eventually stopped. “If she could speed up time, the stone would have swung faster.”

Indeed. Roland quickly realized what her power was—she wasn’t affecting time, but molecular movement. Her magic power could lower or raise the energy levels of molecules, which led to freezing and melting. Of course, Paper probably didn’t understand this, so she simply used her intuition to control her power, which was why she had little impact on other objects. Oxidation was a long process and needed time to show visible results.

If he guessed correctly, her power made her a natural catalyst.

.

Chapter 372: Leisure

week later, Border Town welcomed its last month of fall with a giant blizzard.

Roland gazed out of his office window at the dark figures on the snowy rooftops—these were the townspeople carrying out their daily task of shoveling away the snow on their rooftops, so their houses wouldn’t collapse under the weight.

This day marked a full year of him being in this world, but last year’s fall was not nearly this cold, and his view from this window was not nearly this orderly.

At that time, the town was practically a wasteland. Besides a few decent wooden houses around the square, there were only shabby clay huts and straw shacks. Most of the nobilities lived near the square, from which the only stone road led to the castle. Otherwise, there was not a single inch of clean ground in the entire town, and everything reeked of the faeces of human and livestock.

Now, all the roads here were built from cement pavement, and even the uncovered roads were expertly packed solid. Dark lines separated the town into various sections, with the two sides of the main road reserved as a commercial district and the surrounding areas as residential complexes.

In addition, Border Town’s manufacturing industry was beginning to take shape, which was to say that it finally replaced workshop manufacturing with a continuous assembly line—although this was only the case for steam engines. The Blast Furnace Zone produced enough iron ingots for processing, while the steam engine factory turned these raw materials into machine parts. The blacksmiths had all become familiar with their various tools and took on many apprentices. Even though Anna was still needed in producing the highly precise tools, the blacksmiths had already achieved great progress on their part. After all, before the appearance of tools, these men only knew how to use a hammer, while others started out as miners and hunters.

He might as well call these engines the fruits of these workers’ labor.

There was also the production of ammunition and gunpowder, which was also entirely done by civilians. Anna still needed to produce the firearms herself, not because of a lack of machine tools, but because the town’s blast furnace couldn’t produce iron with consistent quality. This had already been added to Roland’s list of problems to tackle.

The achievements in chemical engineering were even more exciting; because Roland didn’t have any high expectation, any result was a pleasant surprise. Now, sulfuric acid and nitric acid were being massively produced, and chemical explosives were beginning to be developed. As long as ammunition production could increase, switching to repeating rifles wouldn’t be an issue.

It didn’t matter that their production methods were outdated, because producing anything at all was more important, given the town’s current state. When Paper’s abilities stabilized so that she could precisely control her own magic power, there might even be another peak in chemical engineering.

What mattered the most was that all aspects of Border Town, whether it was production, education, or construction, were all on an upwards developing trend. In time, as more and more people became educated, there would be more frequent breakthroughs in every field.

He felt his heart burst with pride for transforming a run-down land into what it was today within only a year.

Roland felt as if he could stand by the window and watch this town all day long.

At that moment, the sounds of tolling bells came from the north-west direction.

That was the alarm for a demonic beast attack.

After the arrival of the Months of the Demons, the alarm would sound every three to four days. However, the First Army was already very experienced in handling attacks and no longer required Roland’s supervision—if he had not stood alongside the Militia a year ago, they all would have dropped their weapons and run away.

“The demonic beasts are back. Should I go take a look?” Nightingale’s voice emerged next to his ears.

“Sure.” Roland nodded. “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry. They can’t touch me.”

He felt a slight warmth on his cheek, and the voice disappeared.

Roland shook his head helplessly. The witches were probably sick of hiding indoors from the snow, so Nightingale might just want something to do. The combat type witches who came with Tilly were especially eager to rush to the city wall and watch the battle, waiting for demonic hybrids to rush up the wall so they could put their ablilities into play. Nightingale was intrigued after hearing about this and began joining the combat witches every time the alarm sounded. Perhaps she intended to compare herself to others and determine who was the strongest combat witch.

Roland sighed. “If only she could be this eager in her training…”

However, fighting side by side could bring witches and mortals closer together, so he didn’t bother to stop them. The current revolving rifles were enough to fend off regular demonic beasts, but they faltered in the face of demonic wolf-lion hybrids, so having powerful witches present could stabilize the defense line and reduce casualties.

So far, there hadn’t been a single death in the First Army.

Nightingale’s exit reminded him that the combat witches had found a way to entertain themselves, but the assistant witches still didn’t have much to have fun with. It was time to think of some new activities.

At that thought, he summoned Soraya.

“Your Highness, do you have a new task for me?”

This painter who had accomplished so much for Border Town seemed to be in good spirits. The Freckles on her face had lightened, and her eyes shined with a piercing vitality.

Her pleading question stifled Roland a little—why did he suddenly feel so remorseful?

“Um, have you been busy lately?”

“No, why do you ask?” Soraya pushed a lock of hair out of her forehead. “Recently, fewer workers have been going to the factory, so it only took me a few hours to finish my coating everyday, and the weird metal boxes made by the alchemist Sir Kyle kept me busy sometimes.” She paused, tilted her head, and smiled. “However, compared with being in the camp of the Witch Cooperation Association, I prefer this fulfilling life here, and I’m really glad that my abilities are helpful to you.”

Wow… What a blinding smile.

Roland couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “Ahem, I called you here to draw some new cards for me.”

“More Gwent Cards?”

“No, you all are probably tired of those,” he waved his hand and said. “It’s too simple. As long as you know your opponent’s hand, the game is basically predictable.”

“Yes, you’re right…”

“See, this’s what the new cards look like—very simple.” Roland took out a piece of paper and drew a rough sketch. “There’re four different symbols, each with cards numbered from one to thirteen, as well as two jokers, so it’s 54 cards in total.”

Soraya’s abilities had evolved greatly, so she was able to quickly produce a deck of cards directly from his sketch. “How do we play them?”

“There’re a lot of games you can play with these, but let’s start with an easy one.” Roland tested the cards with his hands and felt as if he were time-traveling again. To celebrate a Spring Festival, his family would always sit around their fire barrels, watch the Spring Festival Gala, and play poker until the next morning, when they would light firecrackers to welcome the spring.

Different from mah jong, poker could be played anywhere and had many variations, so it was probably the most popular game in the world.

“Go fetch Anna,” Roland said, smiling. “I’ll teach you how to play Fight the Landlord.”

Chapter 373: A Clue at the Market

erlin stood behind his wife and smiled gently as he watched her pick out pieces of meat from a stall.

There would always come a certain time when the look in Irene’s eyes became extra serious.

“Actually… every piece of meat is priced according to its weight, so you don’t have to spend so much time choosing.”

“That won’t do!” she said in firm rejection. “Although I know that you like lean meat, without the fat, the dish won’t have any flavor. A layer of fatty meat for every layer of lean meat will make the best ribs, and is also ideal for slicing and frying. I have to choose carefully.”

Ferlin laughed uncontrollably. “Fine, you take your time. I’ll go and buy a sack of wheat. The queue is quite long, so when you’re done, come and find me.

“Okay,” Irene replied without turning her head.

He shook his head helplessly and advanced towards the wheat stall in the Convenience Market.

Ever since snow started falling, Lord Roland had put up wooden sheds, which acted as wind shields, around the market. He also specially posted an announcement that even though it was winter, the sales in the market would not stop.

This implied that during the long Months of the Demons, Border Town would continue to be provided with a stable supply of food.

To the townspeople, this measure effectively granted them peace of mind.

Compared to the meat stall, the wheat stall was much more frequented by customers. A long queue was formed in front of the counter, while surrounding the queue were two patrol members wearing black uniforms whose task was to maintain order. In Border Town, they were given a unique name: “policemen”.

Morning Light had already gotten used to seeing all kinds of amazing initiatives by Lord Roland, and a change in name was nothing interesting. He also knew that the name “patrol members” was commonly associated with rogues and ruffians, and therefore changing the name gave a wholly different impression.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Eltek.” Someone in the queue recognized him. “You’ve also come to buy wheat?”

“Stand here with me.”

“Let me offer you my position.”

“No, that’s unnecessary.” Ferlin waved his hands and stood at the back of the queue. “Thank you.”

“You’re so popular,” A middle-aged man in front of him laughed and said, “the former First Knight of the Western Region indeed.”

Ferlin was slightly stunned. “You know about my past…”

“Haha, of course. This is no secret in Border Town.” The man touched his own chin and grinned. “My sons and daughters are highly fond of you. Ever since my eldest son, Nat, heard about your background, he can’t stop telling us how much he wants to become a knight too.”

“That’s all in the past.” Ferlin shook his head. “And His Highness no longer needs Knights.”

“That’s because we have the First Army.” The man said casually. “In the past, I wouldn’t dare to talk to you like that.”

Indeed, while he was still a knight of the Duke, most common folks did not even dare to look straight at him. The rumors about him were filled with words of not only envy and admiration, but more commonly, fear. The only person who dared to make eye contact with him, and who was able to speak straight to him without scruple about status, was Irene. The first time they met at a theatre, his heart found its home.

After being defeated and brought captive to Border Town, Ferlin originally thought that it simply entailed a change of the lord he worked for. He did not expect that he would become a teacher to many people and receive widespread respect.

The form of respect shown towards him was completely different from the old times when he was a knight. People no longer avoided him and instead came close to him. Compared with the respect shown by keeping a distance, it was the latter which made Ferlin feel more comfortable and satisfied.

Perhaps, I’m not suited to be a Knight.

…

After waiting for more than a quarter of an hour, it was finally Ferlin Eltek’s turn.

“Identity card, please.” The counterperson said before she got a shock. “Teacher Ferlin?”

“Betty.” Ferlin was also a little surprised that the girl standing behind the counter was a student from his first batch of graduates. He soon understood, and said happily, “You’re working in the City Hall now?”

“Indeed,” she revealed an expression of joy and bowed towards Ferlin as if she was still in school. “I’m now a trainee in the Governing Hall, and I am currently working in the Agriculture Department.”

Ferlin did not want to make the people behind him wait, so he hastily presented his identity card together with six silver royals. “I want to buy a medium sack of wheat.”

“Sure!” She recorded his name in the daybook and shouted towards the back room. A porter walked out of the warehouse and placed a sack of wheat on the counter. Inspection and selection of goods were prohibited at this stall. Every sack was filled beforehand and classified as large, medium or small according to its weight. A small sack was roughly able to feed two people for a month. The food prices were fixed and fluctuations were very rare. Identity cards had to be presented during purchase, and each customer’s purchase volume was limited. Ferlin understood that the purpose of this measure was to prevent a single person from purchasing a large volume of food, which would cause a shortage of food for other people with actual needs.

“Teacher, when you have time, visit me at my house.” Betty returned his identity card.

“Sure.” Ferlin smiled and replied. He carried the sack and walked off to one side so that the next person could make his purchase. Irene was still nowhere to be seen, and he guessed that it was because she had taken a fancy to other products. He thus thought about finding a prominent and dry spot where he could place the sack and sit down for a rest.

Just then, a faint blue figure flashed across in front of him.

Morning Light flinched and turned his head instinctively, and then felt a full body shiver. It was a beautiful woman with exquisite facial features and a head of blue hair which was rarely seen. She was the type who one would absolutely never forget after the first sight. Ferlin felt the blood throughout his body freeze. This was not because of the person’s outstanding beauty, but because… he had seen her before in the family hall.

When he was young, he asked more than once about the person in the portrait that was hung in the most prominent position on one of the hall’s walls. Yet, his father always kept silent. The person was undoubtedly a woman, but her portrait was ranked higher than the portraits of his other ancestors. It was only once, when drunk, that his father mentioned the person.

If I remember correctly, the person in the portrait is… the founder of the Eltek Family.

How… is this possible?

“Sorry for making you wait.” Irene’s voice snapped him out of his confused thoughts. “I went to choose some eggs, and also bought a small sachet of butter. Have you bought the wheat?”

“Yes…” Ferlin replied with his mind elsewhere.

Back home, he continued to see the woman’s figure linger in front of his eyes. “Why would I see an ancestor of the Eltek Family when I’m in Border Town?”

After deliberating for a long time, he decided that he would make a trip back to Longsong Stronghold.

When he informed Irene about this plan, she frowned. “Haven’t you severed relations with your family? Why do you want to go back?”

“Uh… because,” he said hesitantly, “because of some matters.”

“Succession rights?” Irene tilted her head and said. “That’s not it. Or is it because of… a woman?”

“Ugh,” Ferlin replied. “That’s impossible!”

“But your eyes tell me that you are lying.” She pressed Morning Light against his chair and looked down at him. “You promised me to be my knight, and I believed that you would not break this promise. That’s why I’m now feeling so curious… What could it be that you cannot tell me about? Remember that in the farmhouse on the outskirts of Longsong Stronghold, we promised not to hide anything from each other.”

He looked into her clear and beautiful eyes. At all times, she would want to share everything good or bad with him. Despite experiencing so many hardships together, Irene never changed.

Ferlin took a deep breath and held her in his arms. In a soft voice, he told her about what he saw.

“So that’s what happened.” After listening to his story, Irene nodded. “Go.”

“You… believe me?” Reasonably speaking, even he himself would not believe such an absurd tale that an ancestor was still alive.

“Of course.” She blinked her eyes. “This time, you did not look away.”

Chapter 374: Returning Home

aving separated from the family, Ferlin was inappropriate to return to the domain of the Elteks. However, he was not doing this to address his own doubts, but instead, for the sake of his father.

During that particular banquet, Sir Eltek not only talked about the person in the portrait, but furthermore, in a very emotional speech, he claimed that the Eltek lineage existed only because of her benevolence, which was betrayed by his ancestors. Ferlin did not understand the meaning of the speech at that time, but his father’s expression—which showed remorse for his ancestors’ behavior—made it memorable.

Since remorse has been shown, is there a chance to remedy the situation? Perhaps, the woman who I saw is the descendant of my family’s founder.

After all, he left his family only because he did not want to separate from Irene. As the eldest son, his family could not accept him marrying a commoner. This was only a difference of choice, and he did not have any other problem with his family.

After his marriage, although his father never visited him once, his mother arranged someone to send some daily supplies together with a letter which said that his father had forgiven him.

It was because of these reasons that Ferlin decided to return home and tell them about what he saw.

Due to the impact of the Months of Demons, the number of ships which travelled between the two lands had significantly reduced. He had to wait three days for a merchant ship that came from the Stronghold, and including the time required to unload the cargo, he would arrive at Longsong Stronghold only in a week’s time.

When he finally arrived and got off the ship, Ferlin immediately felt the emptiness of the city. The ground snow was up to his ankles, yet he saw that apart from a few lanes which left different depths of footprints, most of the snow on the streets was flat and even, implying that no one had passed through for a long time. Compared with the crowded Border Town, it was hard to believe that this was actually the largest city in Western Region.

The Elteks’ estate was to the north of the Stronghold, and included a village of nearly two thousand acres. If even the Stronghold was this empty, it was, needless to say, more empty in the village. As his coach travelled along the road towards his family’s mansion, he saw bodies of starved people on the way. Every year, if snow started falling early in autumn, most poor people would be caught unprepared without sufficient food and firewood, and approximately half of these people would not be able to hold out till the next spring. Although what he saw was very common during the Months of Demons, Ferlin could never get used to seeing it.

After passing through several more scattered huts, Ferlin finally returned to the doorsteps of his family home for the first time in many years.

The iron gate in the courtyard was firmly locked, and the front yard was covered with snow. However, the slabs of the walkway were cleared of snow, evidently showing that there was someone in the family who took care of the estate.

He knocked on the iron gate forcefully, and after a short while, two guards walked out of the mansion. One of them quickly identified Ferlin and said surprisedly, “You are… Eldest Master.”

“I want to see Sir Eltek,” Ferlin said placidly.

Although everyone living in the mansion knew that Morning Light had severed ties with the family, this was after all a matter among the noble family, and hence the guards did not dare to make any decision. The two guards quickly opened the iron gate. One of them led him into the lobby to wait, while the other went to inform the butler.

Ferlin did not expect that the first person to rush over would be his younger brother, Miso Eltek.

“You don’t belong here anymore. Why are you back?” He frowned as he sized up his elder brother. “You walked over here? “Where’s the squire?”

“I’m no longer a knight.” Ferlin laughed. “Naturally, a squire no longer accompanies me.”

“Ah, I almost forgot that you were brutally defeated by the prince of Border Town and became his prisoner. Has he released you or what?” Miso snorted. “Is it because you don’t have money to tide over winter? I can give you a little, but you’ll then have to leave.”

His brother’s attitude made Ferlin sigh. It was understandable that he would behave this way—Miso Eltek was presently the heir apparent in the family, and naturally did not wish to see him return and cause complications.

“I’m not here for money, and have no intention to fight over heirship.” Morning Light said in a low voice. “His Highness appointed me to become a teacher, and I’m very satisfied with my current life.”

“Teacher?” Miso looked astonished. “I don’t remember you possessing so much knowledge that you can teach other members of the nobility.”

“I don’t teach nobles, but rather commoners to read and write.”

“Teach commoners…” Miso sneered. “The lie you’re fabricating is getting more interesting. Did that commoner wife make you lose your mind?”

“Enough!” A low groan was heard from behind, causing Miso to tremble. Ferlin looked towards where the sound came from, only to see his father, Sir Eltek. “Ms. Irene isn’t inferior to the nobility. All that she lacks is status. It’s rude to continue talking about it.”

“Father!” Miso cried.

Sir Eltek did not pay attention to his younger son. “I heard the guard mention that you have information for me.”

“Yes.” Ferlin bowed and said.

“Come into my study.”

…

Ferlin followed his father up to the study on the second floor of the mansion. When he passed through the hall, he took the opportunity to look towards the portrait wall. The blue-haired woman appeared before him once again, looking exactly like she did in the Convenience Market. Compared with the other portraits, her portrait appeared more vivid and elaborately detailed, such that even the mole on the corner of her eye was clearly visible.

When they entered the study, his father was the first to speak. “During a theatre performance in autumn, I had the chance to see your wife. Her complexion was excellent, and her acting skills didn’t pale in comparison to Miss May’s. It seems that the two of you are getting along fine.”

Ferlin suddenly felt his eyes welling up with tears. He did not expect his father to mention this first. After a brief moment of silence, he nodded and said, “Indeed. We have our own house in Border Town and plan to have a child after the Months of Demons.”

“That’s great.” Eltek took a sip from his cup of tea. “It must be difficult to come over from Border Town now. What’s the information?”

Morning Light checked his emotions and said, “I saw a woman while out in the market. She looked exactly like the person in the large portrait in the hall.”

The father’s hands trembled and nearly overturned his cup of tea. He raised his head with his eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“Her blue hair was rarely seen and her beauty was unmistakable. I’m sure that I didn’t see wrongly.” Ferlin replied. “Could she be the descendant of the person in the portrait?”

“Impossible! That person was…” He paused and shook his head. “It’s impossible for her to have descendants.”

“Is… that right?” Ferlin looked downwards. “Then maybe I’m wrong.”

“You rushed all the way here just because of this matter?”

“Yes, because I remember that you once… expressed your remorse towards her.”

Sir Eltek lowered his head and pondered for a moment. “Did she really look alike?”

“Apart from a slight difference in hair length…” Ferlin recalled. “Everything else was exactly the same.” “You know, since I was born, I have only ever seen this hair color in that portrait, hence I paid extra attention.”

“She couldn’t be a descendant of that person.” Sir Eltek said tentatively. “However, she could be the person in the portrait herself.”

Ferlin almost could not believe what his father was saying. This idea seemed even more inconceivable than his own imagination. “Herself?” You mean… she has lived for more than four hundred years?”

“I didn’t want to tell you about this.” Sir Eltek stood up and said. “She is a witch after all, hence anything is possible. Follow me.”

“To where?”

“The basement. I have a few things to show you.” Sir Eltek said slowly. “Our ancestors’ heritage includes a relic that she left behind.”