Read Webnovel Release That Witch: Chapter 558 - 566

Chapter 558: Beauty

fter reaching the conclusion, Roland felt slightly relieved.

The basic combat capability of the demons did not exceed the combat efficiency of the conventional firearms as the machine gun and cannon were enough to crush all the enemies within the distance of 500 to 1,000 meters, while the spear thrower attack was obviously unsuitable for the trench warfare. A Mad Demon would not even stand a chance as long as the bullet production kept up with the pace since it would take three to five seconds for the Magic Stone to charge up and take effect.

It implied that at least the humans would be competitive on the frontlines of the battlefield.

“It would have been nice if you were born in Taquila.” Agatha sighed while staring at the weapon in Roland’s hand. “The number of common people on the Fertile Plains was 100 times more than those in the Kingdom of Graycastle, so was the number of witches. If each of them had a long-barrelled gun in their hands, the demons would have probably run back to where they came from.”

Roland smiled but he did not agree with it in his heart.

After all, it was a witch-dominated empire 400 years ago. He thought, “If there were really a weapon that gave the common people power beyond that of the witches, would the seniors of the Union have lightly accepted such an existence? Witches have always been in the minority—there were millions of humans, yet the witches had numbered mere thousands. This has been the case since the Land of Dawn until the Fertile Plains. Would the long-oppressed common people willingly set foot on the battlefield? Once the actual strength was reversed, the disintegration of the dominance hierarchy would inevitably lead to civil strife. The idea of fighting for the survival of humanity was still an extremely vague ideal even after the awakening of nationalism, not even taking into consideration a group of humans who had been living like slaves to uphold such ideal values.”

Of course, Roland would not talk about these conclusions in the public and Agatha was simply a researcher of the Quest Society, so it would be better not to involve her in the political matters.

After the damage test, Anna amputated the demon again and put it into a steel cage.

“Is that all?” Agatha asked.

Roland shook his head and said, “That’s all for today. The injury test shall begin tomorrow morning.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re going to test the resistance ability of the various parts of the demon to shooting, as well as the effects of the chemicals, Pill of Madness and Dreamland Water,” Roland answered. “Oh yeah, and get Lucia to separate the composition of Red Mist and see what we can get out of it.”

“Unfortunately, the demon can’t be kept alive for the long-term. Otherwise, more comprehensive data could be collected by using Nana’s healing power on the demon.”

Agatha yawned and said, “Up to you. However, I’ll need two witch assistants to help me make the Sigil and the materials must be prepared in advance as the blood doesn’t last once the demon is dead. It’s better to start melting the God’s Stone of Retaliation when the demon is still alive.” She paused and said, “By the way, what kind of Sigil do you want to make?”

“We can make any of them as long as we’ve sufficient Magic Stones?”

“Of course,” she nodded and said, “the failure doesn’t consume the stone itself but I… Oh no, nothing.”

Roland raised his brows and asked, “What’s with you?”

“Never mind. It was simply a slip of the tongue,” Agatha curled her lips and said. “At most you’ll only be losing some raw materials.”

Roland did not continue pressing since Agatha did not want to go on. “Let me come back to you with an answer tomorrow morning after I study the ‘Magic Stone Collection’”.

It was bound to be a sleepless night.

Edith Kant was standing by the window, overlooking the city under the night sky. “Businessmen always refer to candlelight as wealth; the brighter a place is in the night, the wealthier it is.” She thought that within the Inner City of the king’s city, the scene of a brightly lit night would only exist near the taverns and theatres.

However, she could never really grasp the true meaning behind the brightly lit night here, within the Southern Coast of the Redwater River.

Looking from afar, the shore was as bright as if it were day. However, it was not the orange-glow of the bonfire but a soft-yellow light, looking bright yet stable as if it were a yarn-covered sunlight.

The entire factory area would be continuously producing a variety of goods at night, goods that they called industrial products.

The steam engine was one of them.

The afternoon visit had left Edith feeling an indescribable shock. A shock which was beyond the shock left by the fight on the battlefield or anything else… It was even beyond comparison with the removal of land command mentioned by His Majesty.

When she entered the factory, she saw some rough iron ingots that were being spun and drilled one by one, her attention was instantly caught, especially when the dirty iron slabs that were full of grease and scrapes transformed into shiny components that had been given a sense of newborn beauty.

The hard materials were processed into different shapes by the roaring machines that could work by themselves after being put together in a unique way—what a wonderful sight it was.

The factory was not a wonderful place with the running sewage and metal scraps all over the floor, in addition to the noise and humid air, but Edith had stayed there for an entire afternoon.

She could clearly remember the City Hall officer who brought the emissary delegation to visit was looking impatient and wanted to leave the noisy place early. The officer felt relieved when the group of people finally intended to leave and there was a statement she could freshly remember, “What’s so interesting about this machine? Only His Majesty Roland will think that there’s a hidden beauty within these black blotches.”

“Hidden beauty?”

Edith suddenly felt a strong resonance.

That was right… It was the beauty that was brought by the pure power and that could knead and transform the metal without any restraint. There was an additional kind of beauty with the aid of a natural trend, especially after she understood the operational principle of the steam engine.

The beauty was far beyond the beauty of colorful gems and exquisite luxury clothing.

She could only feel that something had faintly touched her heart.

“How does His Majesty know these pieces of knowledge? What else does he know?”

Suddenly, a knocking sound outside the bedroom interrupted Edith’s thoughts.

“Sister, I’m done bathing,” Cole stuck his head in and said, “and the water is still warm. Do you want to take a bath as well?”

“Get the servant to boil a new basin of water.” She ordered. “Do you understand the principle of the water intake here?”

“I’ve sent someone to ask around. The water of the pipeline seems to flow out from the standing iron tower.” Cole touched his head while walking into the room. “As for how the water flows upwards from the well, they didn’t really say anything about it. Oh yeah, there was something in the bathroom that you must try. It looks like a special fat but it smells really good after soaking in the water. It feels fantastic to clean the body with it. I can assure you that even the milk and rose bath is not as comfortable!”

“Is this deliberately arranged by His Majesty?” Edith could not help but ponder. The residence of the emissary delegation was located near the castle district. It was a four-story building with a top floor that was higher than half of the castle; not only could they enjoy the night view of the City of Neverwinter from there, but even the layout and facilities of the rooms were quite ingenious—although it was not big, it was comfortable to live in. A reception officer from the City Hall mentioned that it was the hotel His Majesty specifically prepared for the foreign emissary, which was calling the Foreign Affairs Building.

From what she could see, it was Roland Wimbledon’s intention to show off with both the clear water that was pouring out from the valve once it was unscrewed and the washing material that Cole was praising about.

Chapter 559: A Discussion about the System

p>”What do you think of it?” Edith sat back to the bed.

“The bathroom?”

“No, the new laws.”

“Um…” Cole was a bit hesitated. “I’m going to write father a letter tomorrow and tell him His Majesty’s terms. I don’t think he’ll agree.”

“Really?” Edith neither approved nor disapproved.

Seeing Edith did not refute him, Cole ventured more confidently. “I’ve read the booklet distributed by His Majesty. Let’s put aside the credibility issue for now and just look at the example. The top-ranking noble listed as the example is just an earl’s son, who is currently equivalent to a duke without lands. To be honest, I’d definitely make the same choice if I were merely a knight. However, our father is the designated ruler of the Northern Region, Duke of the City of Evernight. He has far greater power and more distinctive social status than the oldest son of the Honeysuckle Family. If he agrees to His Majesty’s terms, it means he’s consenting to hand over his domain. This isn’t a promotion, but a demotion instead.”

“Good reasoning.” Edith nodded with a smile, but soon went on before her brother could feel good about himself. “But you’ve missed one thing.”

“What?”

“Whether we’re able to keep our current status and power is uncertain.”

Cole was a little stunned.

“You’ve apparently focused on the story in the latter part of the booklet, but I care more about the paragraph at the beginning.” Edith picked up the advertising pamphlet from the nightstand and flipped over the cover page. “If this is really His Majesty’s idea… I have to say it’s quite interesting.”

“The cause… of feudalism?” Cole peeped over her shoulder. “Have you figured out what it means?”

“It’s just a made-up word. You can call it the current system or the system of nobility.”

Cole looked confused.

Edith shook her head in silence. It seemed quite strange to put such an awkward paragraph at the very beginning of the booklet. The writing did not really flow at first glance, and the contents were also much drier than the following examples. Nevertheless, after probing into its underlying meanings, she realized that this opening statement was the basis of Roland Wimbledon’s decision to implement the new laws.

It was her first time to come across such an innovative and eloquent argument.

“Have you ever thought of the reason we grant lands to subordinate knights and vassals?”

“To have them remain loyal to the Kant Family,” Cole mumbled, “and also to attract more courageous men to work for us.”

“What if our father becomes the sole ruler of the entire Northern Region?” Edith continued to ask.

“Do you mean to have all the lands go to our family?” Cole shook his head after some contemplation. “That won’t work. If we hold all the lands, these knights will lose their properties and thus leave for somewhere else to seek employment, so will the lower nobles. The Kant Family will then become the only nobles in the town.”

“Isn’t it nice?”

“Of course not!” Cole winked, failing to understand why his sister asked such a self-evident question. “The Northern Region is way too large to handle by ourselves. It takes the guards around half a week just to march from the City of Evernight to the Palisade City in the event of an attack, not to mention the extra time we need to deliver messages. Plus, it’ll be rather problematic to collect taxes and food. We can’t wait for those lowlifes to voluntarily make the payment, can we?”

“So, we constantly increase our subordinates to keep our lands is fundamentally due to the potential war requirements and our limitations of management. These two factors are also what His Majesty thinks the main cause of feudalism.” Edith said while caressing the booklet, “However, things have changed. No matter how we arm ourselves, it’s futile to resist His Majesty’s unstoppable army. Meanwhile, His Majesty firmly believes a powerful City Hall will be able to manage the whole region. As a matter of course, there’ll be no need to grant lands to the nobles.”

“Well…” Cole groped unsuccessfully for adequate words, failing because he did not know what to respond.

“Roland Wimbledon thinks such a change is inevitable.” Edith pointed to the last sentence of the opening statement. “A well-functioning centralized government will unavoidably replace feudal nobles, because a unified management system will make better use of resources across the whole region and maximize people’s potential, and thereby largely increase the productivity of the entire kingdom. Productivity determines the dominant power of the state.”

“Nonsense.” Cole bellowed. “What’s productivity? Farming skills? A knight can knock 10 farmers down. Besides, where does he get so much manpower to… administer the whole country and take charge of tax collection? He still, after all, needs to rely on the nobles. In that case, what will be the difference? Those lowlifes won’t care about who their King is.”

“I’m as curious as you are in this regard.” Edith curled up her lips into a smile. “But don’t you think the person who is capable of jotting down such a plan will have full preparation for the implementation of the new laws?” She paused for a moment and then said, “Let’s call on him again tomorrow. I’ll do the talking this time.”

“That fast?” Cole was surprised. “Don’t you usually reveal your true identity only after they inquire about it?”

“I can’t wait till then.” Edith shrugged. “Also, don’t write to father just yet. You’ve heard that he’s let me take the lead on this meeting.”

“Are you… going to agree to His Majesty’s proposal?” Cole gasped. “Father will kill you!”

“Huh?”

“Um… No, I mean he’ll resent you.” Cole soon corrected himself. “After all, he sent you primarily for the purpose of keeping his title as a duke.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not that amenable.” Edith raised her eyebrows. “Since the king has already placed his bid, surely I have to negotiate a better price, don’t you think?”

The following day, Roland received multiple injury test reports in succession.

Demons were by no means physically stronger than witches. Although both guns and swords could fatally injure them, toxin could not due to their different physiological structure.

For instance, none of the chlorine, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide had any impacts on demons. Even if they did, it resulted from the decrease in the effective ingredients in the Red Mist.

Neither the Dreamland Water nor the Pill of Madness worked. The Dreamland Water had failed to make the demon fall asleep, and the Pill of Madness did not drive him crazy.

As to the ingredients of the Red Mist, it was composed of various gases and water. Kyle Sichi had confirmed through experiments that one part of the ingredients was flammable with an unpleasant odor. Another part was nitrogen, and the rest was unknown. However, demons appeared to depend on the feeble magic power swarming in the Mist rather than these ingredients to maintain their lives, which was also why the Red Mist could only be preserved for a short period of time.

Furthermore, the Red Mist would break down faster at a temperature of 300 ℃ and would even burn at 800 ℃.

Roland folded the reports and put them in the drawer. It seemed that other than regular firearms, the fire was also lethal to demons. At least, its high temperature could effectually break down the Red Mist. Given that, it seemed that they could instantly reverse the situation by setting a great fire on demons’ campgrounds.

Chapter 560: Uncovering the Truth

oland was debating which kind of incendiary weapon was easier to manufacture when a guard came in. “Your Majesty, the ambassadors of the Northern Region requested to see you.”

“It has been just one day…” Roland thought, feeling a bit surprised. “Are they planning to directly turn down my offer without even letting the duke know?”

“Bring them to the drawing room.” He instructed after a momentary silence. “Also, ask Carter to block all the exits to the Foreign Affairs Building and stop the emissary delegation from getting out.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Since they had refused to agree to his policies, it left him no choice but to detain them by force.

…

When Roland entered the drawing room, he noticed that the pair across the long table had switched their seatings. The lady, who claimed to be the assistant to Cole, was sitting in the guest of honor seat, whereas Cole was sitting next to her with a book in his hand.

“Your Majesty, I’m the first daughter of the Duke of the City of Evernight, Edith Kant, Cole’s sister. Please accept the best regards from the Kant Family.” The lady rose and performed a perfect curtsy. “Please forgive Cole for not introducing me during our first meeting.”

“Calvin’s daughter?” Roland was intrigued by this turn of the events and after a short pause said, “So you’re the real leader of the emissary delegation?”

“Yes.” She placed her hand on her chest. “My father has authorized me to act on his behalf with respect to all matters concerning this visit and has also given me his seal.”

It was fairly rare for a woman to participate in political affairs in this era, especially for a young and pretty one. Judging from Edith’s confident expression, Roland could tell it was evidently not her first time to deal with heads of state. Every trait of her demeanor was impeccable. As to holding back her real identity, Roland knew it was simply a little trick to draw his attention. It was not a deliberate act of concealment or deception whatsoever, but just a disguise to mislead the other party. Most nobles would view it as a bold and playful move, which he had to admit was really effective.

“In other words, you can make the decision on behalf of your father?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. More accurately, he’ll follow my advice.”

“That’s such a confident answer,” thought Roland, who was amused to see Cole scratching his head beside his sister.

“Alright… So, Miss Edith, what’s your purpose of this meeting?”

Roland had thought she would politely decline his terms or talk him out of implementing the new laws using a more “playful” tactic, but he did not expect to see her taking out a booklet from her backpack and spreading it on the table. That was the exact booklet he had drafted.

“I have a few questions to ask you.” Edith came straight to the point. “You said feudal nobles will be obsolete as the centralized power increases. However, how are you going to guarantee the effective management of all the local authorities in the Kingdom without the assistance of nobles?”

“Is she… planning to discuss politics with me?” Roland thought.

From her sincere look, Roland knew she was serious.

It had been a long time since he had heard such an interesting question.

“By people and the development of technologies,” Roland answered after pondering for a long time.

“Do you mean free men? What’s the development of technologies?”

“Correct. A management team trained, paid and disbursed by the City Hall. Since the City Hall will provide labors and necessary equipment, administrators aren’t required to have large properties or affluent manpower. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether they’re nobles or not.” Roland started to explain what a centralized government should look like and how ordinary people could get promoted, as well as the practical significance of technologies in domain control. It took him an hour to detail everything.

“How are you going to avoid dereliction of duty among the administrators of the king’s city?

How will the trade be distributed after the unification of the Kingdom of Graycastle?

And can you really evaluate the performance of your policies with productivity?”

“…”

Edith’s eyes glistened with excitement as she raised more questions. It had been about noon by the time they finally closed their conversation. She heaved a sigh of relief. “I see. You did have a thorough consideration before writing down the opening statement.”

Roland sipped the tea in satisfaction. As a person who did not major in political science, this was all he could talk about regarding politics.

“Thank you very much for your time, Your Majesty. I didn’t expect you would answer my questions in such detail.”

“The very basic requirement for a City Hall in the new era is to publicize the policies and enable everybody to have a comprehensive understanding of its contents. Only in this way will things go well when it comes to the implementation.”

Edith gave an approving nod and then switched the topic. “Could you provide the Northern Region with the equipment and workers for manufacturing steam engines?”

“I’m afraid I can’t provide the workers as the City of Neverwinter is also short of manpower. But you’re welcome to send your men to study here, provided that the nobles in the Northern Region waive their feudal rights and agree to be under the supervision of the City Hall.”

“You’ll also teach them how to manufacture paddle steamers?”

“Of course. As long as they’re willing to pay gold royals, this won’t be a problem. However, it’ll be hard to move the production line to the north in a short period of time without the assistance of witches.”

“I’m very surprised by your honesty, Your Majesty.” She meditated for a while. “But there’s one thing I don’t quite understand. According to your plan, you can easily unify the whole Kingdom of Graycastle in ten years. By then, the new policies won’t face any backlash from the public and you won’t really need to care about our opinions. Why are you so anxious to implement these new laws?”

Roland was silent. It took him quite a while to reply. “Do you really want to know the reason?”

Edith did not expect he would speak in such a grave tone, so her manner tightened into formality as well. “Yes.”

“Then follow me.” Roland rose. “I’ll show you one thing.”

…

Roland led Edith to the backyard in shadows of trees and took her to the wooden shed at the center of the olive woods.

A demon, whose limbs had been amputated, was lying on a long table. There were all sorts of vials and flasks piling around him. Agatha was taking his blood samples to complete the final step of the preparation.

“My goodness, what’s… this?” Edith had cried out in a low voice in disbelief, but Roland noticed she was simply shocked but not afraid.

“I should have locked the shed and asked Leaf to surround the whole yard.” Agatha frowned. “Don’t tell me that you plan to let a common people participate in the sigil manufacture. If I were integrating the God’s Stone, I would have probably failed already.”

“Of course not… We won’t be here long.” Roland coughed to conceal his embarrassment and then turned to Edith. “The creature you see is of a different race. It’s what you rumored as a demon. They live to the north of the Impassable Mountain Range and are also the biggest enemies that human beings are to face. The war between the demons and mankind has nothing to do with domains or wealth, but with life and death.”

“Demon? A war of life and death?” Edith muttered involuntarily.

“Right. It’s a long story that the church has been keeping as a secret. It can be dated back to 1,000 years ago when people called it—the ‘Battle of Divine Will’.”

Chapter 561: The Magic Power of Blood

Agatha was relieved when Roland and the woman finally left.

[Was I being too much just now? Perhaps I should be more kind towards the lord even in the face of the common people. After all, 400 years have passed, the world is different now.] Despite these thoughts, she still did not like non-witches entering the laboratory where the Sigil was produced and she did not want His Majesty to know the method of making the Sigil.

Of course, the latter would soon be revealed.

Agatha turned around to set up the six square wooden boxes she had prepared in the morning and inserted the God’s Stones of Retaliation His Majesty collected into them.

It was the template for making the Sigil base.

Four Sigils of Listening, a Sigil of Screaming and a Sigil of Observing were what she needed to make.

As she had expected, His Majesty did not choose any combat Sigils, but instead, he chose the basic supplementary Sigils in accordance with the Magic Stones in hand. The action of using high-quality Magic Stones left by a Magic Slayer to make the Sigil of Screaming and the Sigil of Observing was considered a waste in the Quest Society.

Now that Roland possessed powerful firearms, the demand for the combat Sigils was of course, not as strong.

Not to mention that the stronger the Sigil was, the more magic power would be required.

A knocking sound came from outside the shed again.

It seemed that in addition to an independent research tower, she would also need a few servants. Agatha reluctantly put down the Magic Stone in her hands and opened the wooden door.

“What’s the matter, Your Majesty? Anything else…”

“Thank you for waiting, Miss Agatha.”

“Mmm hmm, do you need me to treat the demon again?”

It was Anna and Nana entering this time. They were the assistants Agatha had requested from Roland.

“No. Ahem,” she corrected herself and said, “You’re just in time. I’ve just finished screening. Let’s put the materials into the boxes, and then we can officially start the production.”

…

When the bright blue blood flew into the wooden box through the coated flexible tube, some incredible changes began to happen to the God’s Stones.

When the blood dripped onto the stones, a series of bubbles emerged. Like a burning candle, the corner areas of the hard stones were melted into sticky liquid flowing down from the stones, revealing the God’s Stones themselves.

The demon was desperately struggling, exhausting the very last effort it had left as if it was aware of what they were doing. Unfortunately for it, the struggle was futile under the confinement of the solid iron chain.

Soon, the six boxes were filled with the blood of the Mad Demon. The first box looked as if it were boiling. The surging liquid was mixed with fine sand, mercury, and the God’s Stone, looking sticky and muddy.

Anna carefully observed the changes and asked, “Does the raw materials affect the quality of Sigil?”

“Yes, it mainly depends on the God’s Stone of Retaliation and the magic power of blood. The Quest Society thought that the magic power transformed all aspects of the body. The physical quality of Senior Witches was apparently better than that of ordinary witches. Moreover, the transcendents had achieved their limitation at this point. In order to improve the efficiency of the Sigil, we would try our best to choose the blood of the strongest demon and the God’s Stones of the best quality to make better Sigils. For example, Lady Alice’s God’s Sigil of Retaliation was completed with the blood of a dying Magic Slayer on the battlefield.

“Will the same happen when a witch’s blood merges with the God’s Stone?”

“Not the same. The God’s Stone won’t melt like a candle and the reaction won’t be as intense. The liquid formed can flow freely like water now. However, the demon’s blood will eventually solidify and become as hard as stone.” Agatha said while inserting a piece of separating panel into the wooden box, “Therefore, the process of making Sigil is similar to melting metal. Before it’s completely solidified, we have to embed the Magic Stones and complete the most crucial step—connecting the Magic Vein.

“Vein?” Anna was curious. “Like a plant?”

Agatha nodded. “Remember what I said previously? The Quest Society thought that only life could carry magic power, and without the Magic Vein, a Sigil will only be a dead object. The Magic Stones would still be individual entities but would not jointly produce the incredible power after the combination.”

“Does this mean that the demon’s blood can give these ordinary substances… life?” she asked in surprise.

“It doesn’t happen with the demon’s alone.” Agatha calmly answered, “We need a witch’s blood as well.”

Nana was shocked. She covered her mouth with her hands.

“The Quest Society only discovered this secret by accident. Mixing the witch’s blood with the demon’s would produce a strange effect, keeping the melted God’s Stone ‘alive’, like a plant. The vein would not lose the effect of magic power even if it was left aside for a long time… I’m not sure how to describe it. Anyway, you’ll understand when you see it. ”

The first box of liquid had cooled down, revealing a layer of grayish light. It looked like condensed blue wax oil.

Agatha removed the panel, leaving two hemispherical grooves and a strip of shallow groove in the box. Then she picked up the knife on the table and slid it across her wrist—the bright crimson blood gushed out thickly, filling up half of a wine glass. She said to the little girl, “Help me heal the wound, please.”

This was the reason Agatha had chosen both of them.

Anna had the best learning ability within the union. She was suitable for the inheritance of the skill and Nana could help to effectively reduce Agatha’s pain. Healing witches were the main forces of the front-line combat in Taquila, it was impossible to arrange for any of them to support the Quest Society. Most of the time, the laboratory could only use herbs to treat the wounds after releasing blood.

If it were not for the hope of defeating the demons Roland Wimbledon showed her and the unbiased treatment to all the witches, she would rather bury the method of the Sigil making for good. The fact that the witch’s blood could be perfectly blended into the demon’s blood was unacceptable to most people even in the union. Even with her personal exposure to this matter, she had once suspected the origins of witches. Such confusion was very detrimental to the Battle of Divine Will, thus, the making of Sigil was one of the secrets that the members of the union had strictly kept.

She did not want His Majesty to participate in the observation for this reason.

Especially there were the rumors about witches being minions that had fallen into the demon’s seduction.

Agatha hoped to delay the time when Roland would find out even though he would find out sooner or later.

[It’s probably a self-delusion.] She secretly sighed to herself.

When the mixture was semi-hard, Agatha embedded the Magic Stone into the groove and poured her warm blood onto it. The crimson blood was flowing within the shallow groove and the cobalt-toned blood clots surrounding it started to wriggle; the edge of both gradually blurred, forming into an interpenetrated form.

After that, she injected magic power into the Sigil.

Suddenly, the red-colored blood line projected fine rays of light and numerous light-spots were flowing within the vein. It was rhythmically expanding and shrinking with wriggling movements, as if it were breathing.

Anna and Nana understood the meaning of Agatha’s words at the same time.

The Sigil had come “alive”

Chapter 562: The Witnesses

So… was it successful?” Anna softly asked.

“Yes. Then, it should be cut and sealed within the silver foil.” Agatha nodded and said, “The final step is different depending on the type of Sigil. For example, the Sigil of Screaming should not be cut as it would be used a whole.”

“What will happen if we fail?”

“The bloodlines won’t be able to collect the magic power for some unknown reason. There’s always a chance of this happening no matter how good the materials are. The solution is pretty simple as well, we just need to pry the magic stone off and redo it.”

“But, it’d consume the blood…” Anna frowned.

“That’s why the demon’s blood was considered more precious than the witch’s blood in Taquila.” Agatha self-deprecatingly smiled. “No one cared if the witch’s blood was wasted during an experiment. But we would be scolded and punished if we wasted demons’ blood.”

…

There were two sigils that failed out of the six in the end. Although the steps were completely the same as before, two of the bloodlines did not respond to the magic power injection. In other words, they did not come alive.

Agatha pried off the Magic Stones and took the reserved wooden box out to continue the second production.

She had to hurry up since the demon was almost dead.

The alien that was fixed to the wooden table started having irregular spasms and the black-blue colored skin started to gradually turn gray. The excessive blood loss had caused its breathing to become intense and the Red Mist below its helmet had obviously faded. Once the Mist had been exhausted, the demon would die shortly after and the blood would only last for about 15 minutes past death.

“Wait a minute.” Anna stopped her when Agatha raised the knife. “Use my blood.”

Anna had already cut the skin on her wrist open with her Blackfire when Agatha was about to object. “Nana can heal the wound but she cannot replenish the blood. His Majesty has mentioned that losing too much blood could cause dizziness and you may even pass out. It’d not be beneficial to you or your experiment. Of course, it’d be best for you to rest for a few days before resuming your practices and productions. You’ll recover faster if you eat more meat porridge and liver during your recuperation.”

“… Is that what His Majesty said?”

“Yes, every witch had to attend the injury self-help class,” Anna said with a smile, “and, the main reason you selected me as your assistant was for me to learn the method of Sigil making, wasn’t it? It’s better for me to operate these two.”

Agatha kept quiet for a moment and said, “In that case, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she gently said, “I’m very interested in it as well.”

“… The witch empire was split apart and completely disintegrated after the demon’s attack. The people who survived traveled across the mountains and crossed the river to the Wild Places to rebuild the city. This is the third time—as well as the very last chance for us to prepare for the Battle of the Divine Will. It has become the truth of history.”

With these words, Roland quietly observed Edith’s expression with his chin propped on his hand.

The afternoon sun streamed into the room, shedding a touch of glory in front of the desk. The lady in deep contemplation looked just like a statue, and her green-colored hair reflected a pale-white color in the sunlight. Her beautiful face did not even show the slightest change at hearing the frightening news, but instead, Edith’s eyes showed more of an excitement and curiosity as Roland had expected.

She kept quiet for a while and slowly said, “You wouldn’t try to fool me by fabricating such an… incredible story. Are the demons really that powerful?”

“There’s no doubt. Each of them is an aggressive individual and there’re an astonishing number of them. My army could easily defeat Timothy’s knightage but they cannot necessarily defeat the demons. After all, they’ve been lurking around the north-west region of the Land of Dawn, unlike the witches who will need to start from scratch. The most important danger is that there’ll be no negotiating for this battle, and it won’t end until one of the two parties is destroyed.”

“In that case… are you planning to break the news to everyone?”

“Sooner or later.” Roland sighed. “But not now, I’m not sure how the people will respond regarding the horrible and ruthless alien enemy and building confidence is a slow process.”

“I agree with you. Panic is indeed scarier than any enemy,” Edith nodded and said, “I’ve one last question. How far away from us is the Battle of Divine Will?”

“Five years or sooner… Nobody knows the exact time the Bloody Moon will arrive. I can only say that the war may break out at any time, and thus, I’m not able to slowly unify the Kingdom of Graycastle little by little.”

She did not answer but stood up from her seat and kneeled down onto one knee and said,” In this case, the Kant Family is willing to be at your service. Your law shall not be unimpeded in the North and your order will be the only voice there.” She stopped for a moment and then said, “I also hope that all of your promises are honored.”

“Are you still thinking about the steam engine plant?” Roland shook his head and smiled. “Your father may not necessarily agree with that and what can the Kant Family guarantee with…”

“Me,” she said without hesitation.

“What?”

“Your Majesty, I’m the guarantee. If you’re still worried about it, Cole can stay here as well.” Edith spoke with confidence, “In this case, my father would have to agree even if he is unwilling to.”

“You’re saying you’ll stay in the City of Neverwinter as a hostage?” Although Roland meant to do just that, speaking it out loud still made him feel slightly embarrassed. “Isn’t that a threat in disguise in the eyes of the Duke?”

“Not as a hostage.” she saluted in a knight’s manner with a hand covering her chest. “Please allow me to join your City Hall; I’d like to witness the new world you have planned.”

…

Roland received six of the newly-made Sigils that night.

“Thank you for all of your hard work.” He looked at Agatha and nodded. “Did the process go well?”

“We failed twice with the first batch and Anna also participated with part of the making process,” Agatha yawned and said, “Anyway, if you want me to make more Sigils, please give me a spacious independent laboratory instead of a simple shabby stable-like shed.”

“I owe you a Spellcaster’s Tower,” Roland happily responded.

Nightingale stuck her head out from behind Roland’s back after the ice witch left the office and said, “What’s the use of these Sigils?”

“They’re probably the equivalent of a phone, alarm, and camera?”

“What’re they for?”

“You’ll know after you try it,” Roland said with a smile.

It was a pretty productive day today. The Sigils of Listening would temporarily solve the challenges of transmitting long-distance messages. Although they were scarce and could only be used by witches, they were still better than entirely depending on a carrier pigeon. The Sigil of Screaming tweeted at a high pitch when it sensed demon power and it also effectively suppressed any of the enemies’ sneak attacks and the area of coverage was about the size of the Border Area. The Sigil of Observing could assist with Thunder’s adventure plan. It would be a pity for Roland to miss the spectacular and strange sealine since he was unable to follow the fleet out to sea.

Of course, what pleased Roland the most was Edith Kant’s pledge of allegiance.

Nothing was sweeter than the extra population and the added resources. If the North was really offering their comprehensive service to him, Roland’s actual control of the territory would be doubled and the excessive power of the nobles at the Eastern Region would feel the pressure.

If everything went well, he might be able to accomplish the great reunification before the arrival of the Months of Demons this year.

Chapter 563: Joan

he Swirling Sea, the Fjords Islands.

A mist began to rise over the sea, making them feel like they were sailing through the clouds. Shortly after they left Snowwave Island, it was out of sight, except for a vast expanse of whiteness. It looked as if the island had never existed. Only the splash of the water hitting on the bottom part of the ship let Margaret, who now found it hard to tell their location in the mist, know they were still moving forward.

Sailors considered sailing in misty weather a taboo.

Usually, if a captain asked them to do so, they would tie him up and throw him into the sea.

They would always, however, follow Thunder’s orders since he was not only the captain of the Chase but also the most famous explorer of the Fjords.

No matter where Thunder wanted to go, be it a bottomless pit or a stream of lava deep inside a volcano, he would always be able to recruit some people willing to follow him.

“Captain, the Dark Reef Area is just in front of us!” shouted a sailor, who was familiar with the underwater terrain here.

“Lower the sails and slow down,” said Thunder while clapping his hands. “Attention, everybody. That’s our destination! Prick your ears up and keep your eyes open to watch the water around us.”

“Yes!” they chorused.

Since Thunder secretly met His Majesty in the king’s city of Graycastle and got Roland’s support, he had not wasted a single day to prepare for his third travel to the Shadow Islands. In order to explore the secret Sealine and tides, he needed a suitable ship, outstanding explorers, and more importantly, a witch who could observe the tides below the sea.

The witch he wanted was Joan, a childhood friend of Margaret.

“Are we really going to find her here?” Molly stood on the Magic Servant’s head and looked around and added, “I see nothing at all.”

“Joan only appears when we’re in trouble. She won’t just turn a blind eye to a ship that’s going into a dangerous area,” Margaret said in a low voice.

“She had transformed into a fish now?”

“The last time I saw her, only her legs had changed into a fishtail, but it was over 10 years ago. I’m not sure how she looks like now,” Margaret answered while shaking her head.

“It’s a type of summoning magic ability. She can transform into any animal in the sea. If she’s lived in the sea for all those years as you said, she must have passed the Day of Awakening smoothly. But as so many years have passed, is it true that she’s still in this sea?” Camilla Dary, Chief Chamberlain of the Sleeping Island said after a thought.

“My lady, please trust us. Since I knew she was a witch, I’ve kept a close eye on this sea. Her singing voice is the symbol of Snowwave Island and I’ve heard that some merchants attracted by it even desired to capture and keep her,” Thunder said with a smile.

“Did you stop them?” Camilla asked, raising her eyebrow.

“A shipwreck stopped them, and no one dares to do that again. I promise,” Thunder answered and winked at her.

“I see… Thank you for helping the witches,” she said with her hand on her chest.

“Thanks, Uncle!” added Molly.

“Hah-hah, I look that old to you?” Thunder touched his beard, and said, “It’s not very long.”

Seeing this, Margaret who stayed by his side, shook her head at the fact that he was still popular among girls. She knew on any island of Fjords, he was the most popular man and that was why he won her affection.

She thought it was a pity since he had his daughter Lightning, he had given up the idea of starting another marriage.

“Boss, I seem to hear a singing voice! In the northwest!” shouted someone suddenly, in the stern of the ship.

“Be quiet, everybody!” Thunder and the witches simultaneously run to the stern of the sailing ship, followed by Margaret.

Everyone held their breath and listened attentively. The tenuous, vacant singing voice gradually became clearer. It came from a certain direction instead of reverberating all around, acting like a beam of light coming through the thick mist to guide the Chase to a safe route.

“Reef the sails and drop the anchor! Put the landing shuttle down in the sea.” Thunder ordered.

Ever since Joan awakened and became a witch, she always remained hidden to avoid being caught by anybody. As she guided the ships in distress with only her voice, very few people had seen her before. Given that, Thunder planned to let the Chase lay at anchor to attract Joan. Meanwhile, he took the witches and Margaret on a small boat to trace her by following her voice.

The Magic Servant dove into the water to carry the landing shuttle forward, saving the trouble of paddling.

They traveled in the thick mist for less than 10 minutes, and then Margaret suddenly saw a green figure in the sea.

“Joan!” she could not help but shout loudly.

The singing voice promptly stopped,

They saw a girl floating in the water while revealing only her upper body above the surface. She stared at the people in the boat and seemed at a loss. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her skin was pale white as if she hardly exposed herself to the sunlight. Her hair was like fluffy seaweed, hanging down to cover half of her face, but they could still see some markings like scales on her cheek and neck.

“It’s me, Margaret! Do you remember me?”

“Yih-yih-yeh.” The girl made some intermittent sounds.

“It’s no use. She hasn’t talked to people for too long. She can’t speak now.” Thunder interrupted decisively. “Now, let’s leave this communication problem to you, Lady Camilla.”

Camilla nodded and then put her hand on Margaret’s shoulder.

Instantly, Margaret heard what Joan said in her head.

[Are you… bringing them here to catch me?]

“No, I come here to…”

“Say it in your heart. She can hear you that way and it’s more sincere to communicate with your heart.” Camilla interrupted.

Margaret swallowed to calm down, thinking about what she should say.

[You once saved my life. Joan, do you remember? I come here to ask for your help.]

After a long while, Margaret heard Joan once again.

[I remember you, Margaret. We often played together in the past.]

Amazed by what was happening, Margaret was lost in thought. [This is the ability of the witch. It’s incredible… Luckily, Thunder predicted the language problem before we set off and invited Camilla Dary from the Sleeping Spell to join this travel. She can enable people to communicate with their hearts.]

[Who is Camilla Dary?]

[Oops, I forget all my thoughts can be heard by her now,] Margaret thought and quickly concentrated again. She “explained” in her heart. [Camilla Dary is the lady who is helping us to communicate with our hearts. She’s a witch just like you.]

[The sailors don’t catch witches?]

[Of course, the church has been completely destroyed. Now witches have settled down on the Fjords and the Sleeping Island is a town built by witches. If you want to go there, I’ll show you the way.]

[Oh?] Joan sounded excited and asked further, [What has happened recently? Someone intended to spear me with a harpoon. I thought they must come here for the church’s reward.]

[Nothing like that will happen again. Lord Thunder has solved the problem.]

[Thunder? You mean the most distinguished explorer!]

[Yes, he’s right behind me. You don’t know, but I joined his exploration platoon shortly after I left the fishing village.]

[Really? Tell me more about it.]

…

After a long time, Joan said, “Yeah!” and she dove back into the sea, leaving only ripples on the water surface.

“How’s it going?” Thunder asked.

Margaret turned around and smiled, saying, “She’s accepted our request.”

Chapter 564: The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Graycastle

oise suddenly filled the coach, as it had arrived in the City of Glow.

Yorko could not help but open the curtain to have a look. There were all kinds of shop fronts along both sides of the road. Some of the shop owners had erected tents in the front and offered some tables and chairs for the people to have a rest there. Some had their goods laid out on the ground, stood beside them and cried out to attract business. The long street looked just like a market.

For a moment, he felt as if he had come to Eagle City which developed from a market,

But he soon thought of the fact that Queen of Clearwater had already burned Eagle City to the ground. And the shape of the lofty buildings in a distant place also suggested that this city was large and different.

“What do you think of the king’s city of the Kingdom of Dawn?” A woman behind him asked drowsily.

“It’s indeed the city of merchants. Even peddlers are allowed on the main street. If it’s in the Kingdom of Graycastle, the patrol team will milk them dry. I’m afraid only the Fjords can compete with your city.” Yorko exclaimed in admiration.

“The Fjords?” The women snorted. “They’re just porters who transport goods to remote places and sell them, taking advantage of price variations in different markets. The islands have nothing to sell except for cheap salted fish.”

“Of course, you’re the most brilliant merchant,” Yorko said and turned around, smiling.

“You’re not bad yourself, my ambassador,” the woman smiled and said, putting her hands on his shoulders.

This woman was a noble merchant Yorko met in a border city of the Kingdom of Dawn. Different from the Kingdom of Graycastle, most nobles in this kingdom had their own business and a rich merchant had a status like a noble since the wealth was comparable to noble titles here. The Kingdom of Dawn was also the main producer of agricultural products and the biggest exporter of textiles among the four kingdoms. Yorko had crammed for his job as an ambassador, studying the history and customs of this neighboring country for a long time before he set out. He knew that playing dumb now and then could please women but being an idiot who knew nothing would not.

The female merchant’s name was Denise Payton. She was about 35 or 36, but still had beautiful skin that was smooth and full of elasticity. She did her light brown hair up, and a wisp of her hair was dyed purple. Yorko found it quite weird when he first saw her, but now he thought it quite nice when he got used to it. As an unattended noblewoman who went on a long journey, Denise was naturally open to all kinds of fun.

Yorko spent only two days to become a good friend with her and then won her affection with a bottle of perfume. They became attached to each other after a one night stand and traveled together after that. Denise even pulled him into her own luxury coach.

“Oh, yeah, what’s the best business in the City of Glow now?”

“Why? You want to do business here?”

“Because of my old friend, no, the respected king Wimbledon, I’d probably stay here for a long time, 10 years or even 20 years. As it’s the city of merchants, I’d better be one of them, just like what you’ve told me…”

“Good nobles are good merchants,” Dennis added.

“Yes, good nobles are good merchants. In the Kingdom of Graycastle, an ambassador was equivalent to an earl in status. Having such a title, how can I not do business?” Yorko said while clapping his hands and smiling.

“That’s right. The most popular goods on the market of the king’s city can be divided into two types. One type is the utensils that you use every day but not the ordinary things, such as crystal glasses, spectacles, perfumes and fine fabrics. The second type is the novelties. There’re no standard prices for these kinds of things. How much you can earn depends on how much your customers like them. Trade exhibitions will be held every weekend in the city. Exhibitions of different classes have different entrance requirements.” Denise whispered in Yorko’s ear.

“It sounds interesting!” Yorko said and his eyes brightened.

“It’s indeed interesting. You never know what you’ll see at the exhibitions. If you’re interested, I’ll take you to the top one, but there’s another business that has overtaken those two types recently.” Denise paused momentarily to arouse his interest and then continued, “The slave trade.”

“Slaves? Aren’t they very common for cargo?” he was dazed for a moment and asked.

“I said ‘recently’. A business that requires no capital is always the best. You’ve heard that the church had almost conquered the Kingdom of Wolfheart? Thousands of refugees flock into the Kingdom of Dawn. You can take them to the market and sell them out to make a lot of money. As long as you offer them food. Now, many merchants have gone to the border to make money in the refugee tide, since when the war is over, there’ll be no more chances.” The female merchant explained.

“But why did you go the border of the Kingdom of Graycastle?” Yorko asked.

“I don’t like trading people… especially women.” Denise shrugged.

“So, leave it alone. No capital doesn’t mean no risk. When the refugees become mobs, it’ll be a real headache for the slave traders.” Yorko said, holding her in his arms.

“You seem to really know something about business,” she said while covering her mouth.

Just at that moment, the coachman in front of their carriage said, “My lady, we’ve arrived at the palace district.”

“Let’s call it a day.” Yorko kissed her hard and continued, “Our time on the road was so sweet though it was very short. I’ll bear it in my heart.”

“Won’t you come to my place and have a rest?” Denise said while ogling him.

“No, I have to go. I’m here on official business.”

Yorko had to refuse her. Knowing that she was a married woman, he did not want to get beat up if her husband found out something when he visited Denise at their place. Yorko hurriedly hopped off the coach and waved to her, saying, “I feel we’re going to meet again.”

“I also think so and maybe we’re going to meet sooner than you expect,” she said while raising her eyebrow.

“Huh?”

Denise drew the curtain and left with a smile.

Seeing Yorko got off the coach, the emissary delegation that had followed behind the caravan now walked slowly towards him. “You really deserve the name of Magic Hand. What did you talk about for all these days?!” Hill Fawkes came up and exclaimed.

Hill was assigned by His Majesty Roland to work as Yorko’s guard. He did not look like a military man at all, but even Yorko had heard that Hill had outstanding meritorious achievements before. “Business, of course. What else could I talk about with a merchant?” Yorko replied.

In fact, business was just a subject to start a conversation with the woman. Knowing what made a woman light up was the quickest way to get closer to her and Yorko could always sell what a woman bought, no matter it was language or a gift.

“What’re you going to do now?”

“Hoist the flag of Hightower and hand in the document. Tell them the ambassador of the Kingdom of Graycastle has come!” Yorko said with an air of contentment.

Chapter 565: A Delay

he welcome reception did not start until dusk.

The guests were warmly received at the palace hall by Deegan Moya, the first son of King of Dawn.

It was Yorko’s first time to attend such an exquisite banquet. The entire hall, bright as day, was lit by numerous candles and oil lamps that dazzled like stars. There was a wide-open skylight window next to each of the chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling, which drove away the sultriness from the room.

Tables covered with white draperies were arranged in the shape of staircases that were littered with all sorts of glassware. There were red wines which glistened in the candlelight and glowed like rubies. The hall was so extravagantly lavished with silver mirrors and goldware that it looked as magnificent as the palace of the Kingdom of Graycastle.

Nevertheless, what drew Yorko’s attention most was those noble ladies wandering among gentlemen.

Some of them were young and innocent, while some corpulent and mature. Each of the ladies, whether they put their hair up or not, had a strand of highlight hidden underneath the accessories. Yorko thought of Denise and realized it was a style currently in fashion among nobles of the Kingdom of Dawn.

In addition to their hair, most of the ladies were wearing tight silk dresses that perfectly showcased their graceful bodies. Glints of fleeting light twinkled when they strolled across the room. Unlike the gowns girls normally wore in the Kingdom of Graycastle, these dresses were off-shoulder and cut above knees, beguiling and seductive.

Yorko was overjoyed. “It was indeed the right choice to come here.”

Compared with reserved noble ladies in the Kingdom of Graycastle, the ones in the Kingdom of Dawn were exceptionally cordial.

Nonetheless, they showed affections only to good-looking young men and knights rather than plain nobles like him. Yet this was never a problem for Yorko, for he never relied on his appearance to attract women.

“Welcome to the Kingdom of Dawn.” A slightly pale young man escorted by a large crowd came up to him. “I’ve read the introduction letter from Roland Wimbledon and the document issued by him. So, he has now unified the whole Kingdom of Graycastle?”

Needless to say, this man was the host of the banquet, Prince Appen Moya.

Yorko placed his hand on the chest. Since he represented the royal family of the Kingdom of Graycastle, he was not required to kneel. Yorko was a little surprised as he bowed. It was understandable that the king asked his eldest son to host the event since he might be caught up in some political affairs. However, it was kind of uncivil to let his son directly read the letter from His Majesty Roland. On a more serious note, it could be even considered as a diplomatic mischief.

Yorko answered Prince Appen’s question and then asked pretty reluctantly, “Well, how is your father… ”

“He’s ill, very ill.” Appen sighed. “That’s why he couldn’t receive you in person.”

“I, I’m very sorry to hear that.”

“No worries… Everybody in the City of Glow knows the king’s been ill. He collapsed during a banquet one and a half month ago and has been sick ever since. He’s only conscious for two or three hours per day and insensible for the rest of the time.”

One and half a month ago… That was around the same time he set out from the king’s city. “I’m sure His Majesty will be better. Please don’t worry about it too much.” Yorko comforted.

“Thank you.” The prince managed to summon up a smile. “Enjoy yourself. I’ll ask the ceremonial officer to arrange accommodation for you later.”

“Thank you.” While Appen was about to leave, Yorko suddenly thought of the real purpose of his trip. He ventured hastily. “Your Highness, what about the alliance between the Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Graycastle?”

“I’ve heard about this matter too. But my father is currently too frail to deal with political affairs. Let’s hold off on that until he’s better.”

Yorko was slightly relieved after the prince and his fellows walked off.

It appeared that he was quite a competent ambassador by nature. He did not make noticeable mistakes during his first meeting with a royal family member of high rank, although things did not go as well as he had expected. However, it did not really bother him, because he would live in the city for a pretty long time regardless and Moya IV could not remain sick for the next few years.

He should, instead, take this opportunity to pay more attention to the beauties in the hall.

“We’ve met again, Mr. Ambassador.” While Yorko was pondering, he heard a familiar voice coming from behind.

Startled, he turned around abruptly and found Denise Payton, the businesswoman with whom he had spent a great deal of time with on the way here.

“How come…”

“I told you that we’d meet again.” She smiled while raising a glass of red wine. “Cheers, to our reunion.”

Yorko hurriedly glanced about to make sure no noble was staring in this direction.

“Are you looking for my husband?” Denise raised her brows. “Relax. He’s not entitled to attend this reception.”

“Are you saying…”

“I’m the one who manages the Payton Family, not him,” Denise said bluntly, “and there’re more than enough housemaids for him to indulge in. He’s not allowed to seek pleasure outside without my permission.”

“That’s the reason…” Yorko’s heart lightened. It seemed that Denise was the real heir of the Payton Family. In order to inherit the family, the daughter would normally seek a partner, often a diminished noble, to live with her. Due to the huge difference in their status, it was usually the male partner that changed his name.

“You should have told me earlier.” Yorko put on a relieved look. “I don’t want to split up such an affectionate couple and interfere with your special relationship.”

“Really?” Denise smiled. “It wasn’t special when you held out your hand to me.” She paused for a moment and then asked, “Do you have any plans after the banquet?”

“Well, I guess no,” Yorko answered while winding an arm around her dainty waist, “if you invite me.”

“Then I know a good place.”

“All up to you, darling.”

After the banquet, Otto pulled Prince Appen aside, looking quite confused. “I don’t understand, Your Highness. Even if His Majesty is ill, you can still enter into an alliance with the Kingdom of Graycastle, as this is also what your father intends to do. Why do you want to set the matter aside? With the church putting pressure on us, it isn’t a good idea to fight alone.”

“I’ve heard that father asked you to meet with Timothy Wimbledon rather than Roland Wimbledon?”

“We’re allying with the King of Graycastle. The ambassador has also confirmed that Roland is the new king of our neighbor.”

Appen Moya nodded. “You did a great job on the confidential trip to the Kingdom of Graycastle. But I have my own thoughts on the alliance. Leave it to me.”

“Your Highness!”

“You don’t understand.” Appen interrupted. “I’m, for the sake of the Kingdom of Dawn…”

“It’s for the safety of the Kingdom that we need someone to help us stop the attacks from the church!”

“I said leave it to me!”

Appen could not help raising his voice.

“I’m sorry. I lost my composure.”

As the prince insisted, he had no choice but acquiesce. Just as he turned around, Appen suddenly questioned him. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Otto was silent for a moment and then answered, “Yes. Andrea, Belinda, Oro and me… all of us are your friends.”

“If father can’t make it,” Appen spoke slowly, “you’ll help me to the throne, right?”

Chapter 566: A Promise and A Mission

tto Luoxi locked himself in the study after he returned home.

He did not understand why things had turned out this way.

Ever since the king had been ill, Appen appeared to have been in a great shock until recently, when he was finally able to recollect himself. But the way he spoke and the manner in which he conducted himself were somewhat different than before.

To put it more accurately, he had become rather unfamiliar to Otto.

As Appen’s playmate, Otto believed that he knew the prince very well. Appen was not that type of power-hungry person who would attain his ends regardless of the means. Sometimes he even felt the prince was too juvenile to be a competent king. Because of this, he planned to, in collaboration with Belinda and Oro, fully support Appen and help him with governmental duties after the prince ascended the throne. After all, the three families had been assisting the king since the foundation of the Kingdom of Dawn.

That was the reason he had replied “Yes” without hesitation.

However, Otto found that Appen did not care about his answer.

He asked him that question simply out of a sense of insecurity.

Although the three families were very willing to support the royal family, he had never thought about whether His Highness really needed their assistance.

At this thought, Otto felt Appen grow ever more distant.

He breathed a long sigh. Perhaps he should take the initiative to do something about it.

But what should he do?

Neither pharmacists nor alchemists could do anything about the king’s illness. He had no knowledge of medical treatment and certainly could not completely ease Appen’s mind.

“Or cheer the prince up?” Otto pondered.

He had vainly tried numerous times to do so. Perhaps it was impossible to raise the prince’s spirits by himself.

The three families must cooperate and work together. Only in this way were they possibly able to find the reason behind Appen’s behavior.

With this thought, Otto got to his feet abruptly and walked out.

“Master, it’s late now. Where are you going?” The steward trotted to him as he passed through the hall.

“To Tokat’s place. I’m staying over!”

…

Otto knew every turn of the road leading to the territory of the Tokats’. As Otto knew Tokat well, nobody in the mansion stopped him. Otto went straight to the martial arts room. As he expected, Oro Tokat was practicing with his guards.

“Hey, what brought you here?” Oro took off the sweaty headband and tossed the guard his wooden sword. “You need a wingman?”

“I have something to tell you.”

He pulled Oro to the resting room next door where he spilled out his thoughts and plan. At length, he asked, “What do you think?”

“To find out why Appen has become so weird?” Oro twitched his mouth. “Sorry, I’m not interested.”

“Hey, you…”

“He’s a prince, the successor of the King of Dawn. He’ll not be our buddy forever, don’t you understand?” Oro shook his head. “Plus, Appen is 20 years old. He isn’t a seven or eight-year-old any longer. We don’t have the obligation to cheer him up every time he’s ill-tempered. If he doesn’t want to spill his guts, and then fine, I don’t want to be nosey.”

“Aren’t you planning to assist Appen Moya?”

“It’ll be called ‘assistance’ only if His Highness needs it. Otherwise, you’re just being annoying.”

“Did he also notice the change in the prince?” Otto thought with a quiver. “But we three families always support Moya…”

“Three families?” Oro smiled carelessly. “After Andrea died, there are only you and me.” He turned around and walked out while waving his hand. “Since you’re here, let me take you to Crimson Dream. Get yourself laid and forget about these trifles. You look so stressed.”

“Andrea is alive.”

Oro stopped abruptly.

“Sorry.” Otto apologized in silence. He had failed to keep Andrea’s secret.

“Andrea Quinn is still alive.” He repeated. “I saw her in Border Town when I went to the Kingdom of Graycastle.”

Oro instantly turned around and dashed to him, almost pushing him to the wall.

“What, what did you say? Is, is it true?”

“I saw her with my own eyes. She’s with Prince Roland Wimbledon.”

“With Prince Roland Wimbledon…” Oro’s eyes were wide open. “Like they’re in a relationship?”

“I don’t know.” Oro bit his lip. “But she’s become a witch. Only Prince Roland is willing to accept witches out of the entire Kingdom of Graycastle.”

“Hang on. You said ‘witch’?” Oro was stunned. “What actually happened at that time?”

Otto Luoxi related all the details of what Andrea had experienced back then. He felt the sweetness of revenge as he watched Oro torn by his emotions. It was too late for Oro to do anything about it now because he firmly believed that the Quinns had fallen off the cliff at that time. Now, Andrea would fall in love with neither of them.

“That was the reason her father made it look like an unfortunate accident and had people believe that Andrea fell off the cliff…” Greatly depressed, Oro threw himself on the floor after hearing the story. “Damn! Why have I never thought of opening up her grave and looking into the matter?”

“Such a… cunning guy!” Oro snapped in silence. “Ahem. Therefore, we can see an urgent need to cheer Prince Appen up.” Otto reminded him.

Oro gave his friend a side look. “Huh? What’s the connection between these two incidents?”

“Of course there’s a connection! Think about it. Appen’s hesitating about forming an alliance between the two nations, and he didn’t even give an explicit reason. If the plan of joint defense fails, we’ll have to fight against the church alone in the event of an attack. If the church invades the Kingdom of Dawn first, you’ll take the knights to defend the country, won’t you?” Otto asked.

“Absolutely. It’s my duty.”

“If you’re killed in action, you won’t see Andrea again, correct?”

“Um, it sounds kind of rational. No, how can you be so sure that I’ll be killed?” Oro challenged indignantly.

“Even the Kingdom of Wolfheart, whose people are famous for their strength and power, has been defeated by the church. What’re your odds of winning?” Otto ignored his friend’s protest and continued, “If the church, contrarily, attacks the Kingdom of Graycastle first, Roland has to fight back, right? If he’s dead, Andrea will very likely die with him. Even if she’s caught alive by the church, she’ll suffer tortures more miserable than a clean death. If the two nations, however, enter into an alliance and agree to offer mutual assistance, the church won’t boldly launch an attack. Both you and Andrea will be alive and will probably see each other in the future. In this light, do you still think the alliance is significant?”

“Yes…”

“We need the prince to help with that. Now, do you still think the two matters are relevant?”

“Yes.”

“Are you in?”

Oro answered resolutely, “Yes!”

With these words, Otto and Oro clasped each other’s hands tightly.

Yorko returned to his lodge, exhausted but pleased. As he pushed the bedroom door open, he heard a voice from inside. “You’re finally back.”

Yorko was shocked. Who would sneak in his room and wait for him right after his arrival at the Kingdom of Dawn? Could it be Denise’s husband who married into the family? He was still debating whether he should run away or plead for mercy when the man lit the candle and walked to him. It was Hill Fawkes in the candlelight.

“You scared the hell out of me. Do you know?” Yorko heaved a long sigh. “Whatever you’ve got to say, can’t you wait till tomorrow?”

“We can only talk unnoticed at nighttime.” Hill threw up his hands. “Please understand that I have a habit of being cautious.”

“Alright then.” Although Hill was his guard, he was appointed to him by Roland and could not be treated as any other guards. “Well, say what you want to say since you’re already here.”

“It’s now a good opportunity to recruit talents among the refugees from the Kingdom of Wolfheart. You can view it as a business and hire masons, literates, and anyone who has an expertise. His Majesty will disburse you all the necessary expenses. You’ll get five silver royals for each person you hire.”

“For God’s sake, I know nothing about business! I talked to Denise just for a casual chat. You don’t think I’ll be really trafficking refugees, do you?” Yorko put his hand on the forehead. “Plus, slaves are usually traded on the border of the two nations. It doesn’t look nice for me to go there as an ambassador!”

“This is His Majesty’s order,” Hill said in a steady tone. “You don’t need to leave City of Glow. Tradesmen will sooner or later transfer slaves here, although at a higher price. It saves you trouble to screen them. As to the business side of the matter, you can discuss with Denise Payton. She’s quite a well-known businesswoman around this area. It’s a piece of cake for her to send refugees to the Kingdom of Graycastle. “We’ll benefit a lot once the transportation route is determined. For example, we can disguise ourselves as tradesmen and retreat unnoticed when facing unexpected danger.”

Yorko’s jaw dropped. “Have you been to the capital of the Kingdom of Dawn?”

Hill shook his head.

“Then how do you know such details?”

“I was collecting information from people on the street while you were busy socializing.”

“I thought you were just a great knight. I didn’t know you’re also a good tradesman.” Yorko smacked his lips.

“I’m neither a warrior nor a tradesman, but I can protect you when there’s a crisis. This is also what His Majesty entrusted me to do.”

“So you are…”

“Just an ordinary… acrobat,” Hill answered while smiling.

Release That Witch - Chapter 558