Release That Witch - Chapter 467

Chapter 467: You’re Irreplaceable

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

fter 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

he 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

s 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 weight 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

t 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

..

“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

fter 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 the 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

wo 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