Release That Witch - Chapter 575

Chapter 575: Wendy’s Expectation

endy woke up and found that after a whole night, the rain had finally stopped.

She yawned and got out of the bed. The moment she pushed open the window, the sweet fragrance of wet soil swarmed into the room. After the rainfall, the garden was a bright shade of green and she could see droplets of water falling from the olive leaves near the window. The morning’s gentle sunshine shone on the wet grass reflecting gleams of light.

A new day had begun.

After putting on her undergarments and coat, she went back to the bedside and patted Nightingale’s cheeks, saying, “Time to get up.”

Nightingale gave an obscure snort, and buried her face in the pillow.

Only in times like this, would she expose herself defenselessly, instead of hiding in the Mist. Wendy smiled and shook her head. “Then I’ll go eat breakfast first.”

Nightingale’s ears moved slightly, like unconscious trembles, but Wendy knew she had heard.

She gently closed the door and went to the bathroom to wash up before she walked toward the hall to enjoy breakfast.

The chefs always woke up extremely early since they had to prepare food for everyone before daybreak. The firewood in the oven could burn for a long time, so there was no need to worry about the food getting cold half way. If she wanted to eat something, she could just grab a bowl and spoon and fetch it in the kitchen. His Majesty said it was called buffet and it seemed to be a very common dining style for him, but for her, this kind of life could be called extravagant.

In the Witch Cooperation Association, Wendy had never thought that one day she could eat as much as she wanted. Back then they were lucky to have sufficient food to eat, let alone to pay any attention to the taste, as the food was never enough.

But now, there were three or four dishes just for breakfast every day, such as porridge, toast, dried fish and fried eggs.

Even though she had been living in the castle for nearly a year, she still felt extreme satisfaction and happiness every time she ate.

Meanwhile, she was very grateful to the person who had brought all these things to the witches and let her sisters live a free life.

When Wendy picked up her bowl in the dining room, there was no one in the hall, just several used plates on the long table. Obviously, she was not the first to eat. The Witch Union had never set a time to wake up, so everyone came to enjoy breakfast one after another. Lightning and Maggie were always the first to leave the castle, followed by another group including Anna, Agatha, Lucia and others. She was usually between the two.

Nightingale was always the last.

This was because His Majesty loved to sleep late. When there was nothing urgent, he would get up at noon to deal with the government affairs. Nightingale was influenced by him.

She had once been the most discrete and acute person in the Witch Cooperation Association, alerted by even a small movement.

However, Wendy did not think this was a bad thing.

…

After breakfast, she went to the first floor of the Witch Building. This place had been transformed into the Witch Union’s office.

Ring walked toward her as soon as she entered. “Sister Wendy, you’re here!”

“Hello, Lady Wendy.”

“Good morning ladies.”

Another two young women from the City Hall bowed to her. They had graduated from the institute which was originally founded by Karl Van Bate. They barely counted as Anna’s and Nana’s classmates and had no prejudice towards witches. The older one was Pearl and the younger one was Grayrabbit. Together with Lucia’s little sister Ring, they formed the first clerks of the Witch Union’s.

Of course, since Ring was under 14, she was just a fill-in for now.

Anyway, the jobs here were very easy, and she could consider it as extra education.

With the clerks’ help, the Witch Union was finally getting on track.

“Good morning.” Wendy nodded, sitting by the desk. “How are the sales of the first volume of “The Witch Diaries”?”

“Very popular,” Pearl smiled and said, “and people love the story of Border Town’s little angel, especially the soldiers from the First Army. They come to buy it almost every day. This week we almost sold more than 60 copies a day. At this rate, we may sell out the 1,000 copies we originally printed within half a month.”

Hearing that, Wendy was a little surprised. After all, as a book which was purely for entertainment, “The Witch Diaries” could not feed people or help them with their studies, but yet it could sell this well at such a high price. It was incredible.

The idea was originally put forward by His Majesty.

As a drama trilogy with an intricate plot and moving stories, “The Witch Diaries” had been praised by the City of Neverwinter’s subjects. So, His Majesty decided to follow the pattern of the drama and illustrate the witches’ life stories in the form of pictures to sell it in the Convenience Market’s boutique. But unlike the drama, this time all the major characters in the stories were witches from the Union, and apart from the exquisite pictures, it also had some designed dialogues, making the readers feel as if they were watching a real drama play on the paper.

The main character of the first volume was Miss Nana Pine.

The 15-year-old girl had already been very famous in Border Town, with the ability to heal the pain of others and her natural affinity. No one could hate such an angel. Coupled with His Majesty’s strong supportive attitude towards witches, as well as the first army’s spread of her stories, she was even more popular than Anna.

After Wendy decided the plot of the stories, Soraya painted them one by one and stapled the book together. It sold for five silver royals per book. It was the refugees who needed to know about the witches most, but many refugees could not read and they were not interested in buying an exquisite album with half a month’s salary. So, in the beginning, the potential buyers were locals and businessmen who came here to do business.

The former could spread the stories through the contact with foreigners and the latter could bring them to every city in the kingdom.

After seeing how popular “The Witch Diaries” was, Wendy felt inspired.

She could hardly wait to get the pen and paper, and was starting to think about the contents of the next volume.

“Have you considered the content of the next stories?” Ring asked curiously.

“Yes, His Majesty said Echo will be the major character of the next volume,” Wendy smiled and said, “and what do you think of this title ‘The Silver Moon Princess from the Southernmost Region, the Land of Swirling Sand and Volcanoes’?”

“Wow! It’s awesome!” The little girl exclaimed smacking her lips.

“When His Majesty recaptures the Southern Territory, you can go to the princess’s hometown to see the vast desert.”

“Wonderful!”

It was her job, spreading stories about the witches and letting everyone know who they really were.

“The Witch Diaries” was just a part of it.

Echo had already gotten acquainted with the Star Flower Troupe, and all the actors were full of praises for her immersive music.

Evelyn had opened a tavern next to the Holy Mountain Inn, mainly offering mixed liquor with a unique flavor.

Hummingbird also joined the City Hall and became the deputy minister of the Ministry of Construction, and she was also the second witch officer in the City Hall next to Scroll.

The witches all worked very hard to build the City of Neverwinter. At the same time, they also made people accept their existence and equally treat them.

Wendy felt that the day which His Majesty had promised was just within their reach.

Chapter 576: Deep Inside the Palace

tto Luoxi and Oro Tokat lurked behind a rockery, in the palace garden, in the City of Glow, the Kingdom of Dawn

.

Of course, they were not completely sneaking. At least when entering the palace, they had passed through the door, right under the guards’ noses. No guard would stop them from visiting any place in the palace, except for the forbidden areas, because all the guards knew that the Luoxis and the Tokats had always been loyal supporters of the royal family, and that these two young men would become the ministers of the eldest prince when they took over their respective families.

“Hey, are you sure about this?” Otto could not help but feel nervous.

If the Dawn castle where the King of Dawn spent time was a forbidden zone, his bedroom was even more forbidden. However, they happened to know a secret way from the garden to his bedroom. This narrow underground channel which they had explored with Andrea and Prince Appen in their childhood was meant to be one of the escape routes from the palace. They had considered it their own secret base and held small parties there occasionally.

Given that they were only 10 years old at that time, the worst punishment, even if they were found by His Majesty Moya, would have been being blamed. Now as grown-ups, if they entered the palace without permission, what would His Majesty think?

“Come on! Gathering the three families to find out the reason why Appen has been acting strange, isn’t that the plan?” Oro twitched his lips. “And now, at this crucial time, you want to flinch?”

“I …” Otto opened his mouth but he was speechless.

“But how stupid you are! To get messages from Quinn, you told him Andrea’s recent situation. If you weren’t Andrea’s childhood sweetheart, the old man would have killed you,” Oro said while looking around, “and now is the best time to tell the truth, will you do it or not?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Otto gritted his teeth and nodded.

What Earl Quinn had told them was astonishing.

Since His Majesty had fallen ill, the prince often met with an alchemist in the palace, casting his visitors out. It was said that a special drug from the alchemy could resist disease and enabled His Majesty to remain awake for one or two hours a day. As the prime minister, Andrea’s father naturally had access to the palace to obtain political suggestions from His Majesty. The old man had gotten a glimpse of the alchemist and to his great surprise, he saw that it was actually a young woman, covered with a black veil, only her bleak silver-gray eyes showing.

At this description, Otto immediately thought of the church.

If it were not for his recent trip to the Kingdom of Graycastle, he would not think this way. After meeting with Roland Wimbledon, the messages about the church secretly training pure witches, attempting to subvert the four kingdoms and accumulating its power to resist the Battle of Doomsday had rooted in his mind.

He did not tell what he knew from Roland to Earl Quinn. After all, the impact of the news was so huge that he must confirm his conjecture before deciding the next step.

Hearing from the Earl that the alchemist would appear today, Otto immediately thought of the secret channel from his childhood.

Now that it was impossible to get the support of the eldest prince, this was his only way to discover the truth.

With this thought, he nodded to Oro who immediately poked the knee-high weeds, using a dagger to pry a cover disguised as a stone from behind the rockery. Rusty steel bars appeared in front of them. The fence, which could only be opened from the inside, was about an arm-length in width, but this was not a problem for the two who were fully prepared.

Oro took a glass bottle from his pocket, opened the lid and poured the tawny liquid onto the lock catch.

A puff of pungent white smoke rose up and the steel bars gave off a sizzling sound, like butter being thrown into a hot pot.

The liquid was the iron-melting water created by a master alchemist of the City of Glow, and a fist-sized bottle cost more than 10 gold royals. Oro was told that iron would become molten in the blink of an eye when using it. But this was not the case. The lock catch first shrunk in half and did not fall off the fence until he had used up the second bottle.

The two men bent over to enter the hole, and Oro did not forget to turn around and close the slates.

After they had crawled more than 10 steps, the channel became slightly spacious, and they could walk. Otto skillfully fumbled for the oil lamp hung on the wall, flaming it with flint. The faint light illuminated the cliffs and the arched ceiling. This place was still the same even after more than 10 years as if time stood still here. When passing by the lounge halfway, they could still see the soft seats and wine glasses they had dragged here for parties.

The road began to shift upwards and Otto Luoxi knew that they had entered the Dawn castle.

Castle walls were divided into two layers, just like a sandwich. The middle part between the two layers was reserved for secret chambers and tunnels. Finally, the two arrived at the end of the secret channel which was the very back of the fireplace in the bedroom of the king.

As the mechanism needed to be opened from inside, they could not walk directly into the bedroom. But they could roughly see the scene in the bedroom through the small gap in the trap door. The voices of conversation in the room could be heard if it was quiet enough.

Otto blew out the oil lamp and peeked through the gap.

The King of Dawn, His Majesty Deegan Moya, was lying in bed facing the fireplace. And Appen, the eldest prince, was pacing by the bedside, looking worried.

They looked at each other, then tacitly nodded and carefully leaned against the door. It was obvious that His Highness was waiting for the alchemist.

About an hour later, there was a sound in the room.

They immediately turned their heads, squinting.

Two women walked into the bedroom. One was the black-veiled alchemist that Earl Quinn had mentioned, and the other was probably the alchemist’s assistant. She carried a satchel, wore a red and white cope and cloak, and had beautiful golden curly hair.

“You’re late!” Appen said, displeased.

“Sorry,” the blonde bowed and answered, “we were delayed by an unexpected situation on the way.”

“There’s no need to explain. All we need to do is to wake his father up. It doesn’t matter whether we arrive early or late.” The woman in the black veil said this with an icy voice.

“You shouldn’t say that! We still need the help of His Highness.” The blonde took out a green porcelain bottle from her satchel. “It’s good for both of us to maintain a harmonious relationship, isn’t it?”

“Give me the medicine.” Appen took two steps toward them, but was stopped by the woman dressed in black veil.

“Did you forget our agreement? This medicine is only effective if fed by me, and in exchange, you must meet the requirements of His Holiness.”

His Holiness!?

Otto was shocked. This honorific could only be used to name the Pope. He wondered whether they were really sent by the church.

He could not help but bite his lip. Apparently, they were not alchemists, but Pure Witches instead.

Chapter 577: The Silent Massacre

I remember a month ago I told you to close the way to Kingdom of Wolfheart as soon as possible. Why are there still so many refugees flocking in?” the black-veiled witch said wryly, “and your knights should have arrived at the border by now.”

“You know clearly that there are a large number of refugees!” Appen clenched his fists and said, “If they were prohibited from crossing the border, most of them would die from starvation. There are no cities nearby, and no places to provide food. It’ll take at least a week to go back to Wilderness Town if they retract their original steps, and they…”

“Does that have anything to do with you?” The black-veiled witch interrupted impatiently. “If they suffer from starvation or thirst, they have only themselves to blame, after all, they’ve abandoned their kingdom. And you’d better pay attention to your father. Or do you want to breach the deal?”

“They abandoned their Kingdom? Ridiculous!” Otto thought, with a burst of anger. “It’s the person like the black-veiled witch who has waged the war, displacing these people.”

When it came to a breach of the deal, Appen showed obvious hesitation. After a while he said, “The rest of the road will be closed in a week, I hope you’re satisfied with such a result. However, if they cross the border through the wildlands or the mountain ridges instead of walking through the official road, it’s none of my business.”

“Of course. I won’t ram an impossible mission down your throat.” The black-veiled girl took the porcelain bottle and sipped. She walked up to the bed and bent down to feed the elixir to the King of Dawn with her mouth. Otto and Oro, who were hiding in the path behind the fireplace, stared at her but saw nothing. After a while, she lifted her head and said, “The King of Dawn will recover as usual in an hour.”

“Does the elixir have to be fed from your mouth?”

“Yes, it’ll only work if fed by my mouth.” She shrugged and said, “As long as you comply with the agreement, you can feel relieved knowing that the King of Dawn will recover totally, even much healthier than before.”

“The next time we come back the border is to be completely closed.” The blonde-haired woman smiled. “Do not let His Holiness down, Your Highness.”

Just as they turned to leave, Appen suddenly asked, “You’re witches, aren’t you?”

“Ehn?” The two witches stopped abruptly.

“Is it because of the magic power of a witch that the elixir can only be fed by you?” he said slowly, “and no other reason could explain this. Although the existence of witches within the church is incredible, all you have done is nothing different from the demons.”

“Are you sure you want to say this?”

“Come out!” The prince shouted.

The prince’s words gave Otto and Oro a scare, but what they saw were several royal guards with light armor appearing from the closet and under the bed. The Pure Witches were hemmed in by a flock of guards.

“Oh,” the blonde witch gave a whistle and said, “what an admirably, reckless move.”

“And it makes no sense.” The Black-veiled witch shook her head. “It appears that the church doesn’t leave you with a great impression.”

“Do not bluff!” Appen roared. “Your God’s Punishment Warriors are indeed a miracle and are unimaginably strong. However, they’re not here! We have God’s Stone in the Palace, as many as we want. Do you think you’ll have any chance to flee away?”

“Wait.” The blonde witch smacked her lips and asked, “Are the witches we have encountered along the way your arrangement?”

“Those aren’t real witches, they’re tricks the Rats often used.” Appen suddenly snapped as if the long-repressed rage was finally coming unleashed. “A handful of Magic Fire Stones should give us a clear picture of your strength. Are there any differences between the witches and the common people without the protection of God’s Punishment Warriors? It’s not too late to beg for mercy if you hand over the elixir. Just do as I’ve said. Otherwise, we’ll break your arms and legs, and pull out your teeth. You’ll become humanoid pots to hold elixir.”

“The others will be very angry if they hear your words.” She sighed. “Young bloke, you should neither doubt the existence of witches nor laugh at their power. You’d better not let her see you next time, or you may have a very rough time.”

“What?!” The Pure Witches’ deprecating attitude just infuriated the prince further. “Hope you can stay so stubborn in the prison! Guards, take them down.”

Otto stuck his face tightly to the flagstone in the hope of seeing more, but his body was soon stiff. He was too surprised to believe his eyes.

Before the guards could touch the Pure Witch, they changed the direction of the blades and committed suicide.

In a flash, blood bubbled and spurted out everywhere. The guards fell to the ground, silently. The smell of blood pervaded the room immediately.

However, Appen trembled ceaselessly as if he had seen something extremely horrible. The previous confidence and rage dissipated instantly. Urine trickled down his legs as he pissed his pants in fear.

“Let him go.” the blonde witch shrugged and said, “He’s still useful for us.”

“Just a little lesson,” the Black-veiled witch said and snapped her fingers. The elder prince sat down on the ground like awakening from a dream. He rocked back and forth trembling.

“Don’t worry, you’re still alive.” She satirized. “But I can’t guarantee you’ll be so lucky next time.”

“Why? How? Here, we ha-have God’s Stone of Retaliation,” Appen said stutteringly. “How could the witches…”

“Because we’re Pure Witches,” The blonde witch said with a hint of a smile on her face. “Why don’t you comply with the agreement? Your father will be safe, and the existence of Kingdom of Dawn will be extended. You can remain a member when the church defeats Kingdom of Graycastle. Even though your kingdom will be under the governing of the church, you can still live a well-to-do life, and your subjects can be free from the war. Are there any benefits to doing these silly things?”

“And, don’t forget to clean up the spot. Your father will wake up soon. Presumably, you don’t want him to face such a bloody scene when he wakes up,” she added as she left.

Otto felt his back soaked with cold sweat. He chilled at the thought of the Pure Witches who had no fear of the God’s Stone, and the church’s plan to capture Kingdom of Graycastle and to take over Kingdom of Dawn. As His Majesty Roland said, the church had taken the Four Kingdoms as a safe bet.

…

Appen was the only one left in the room when the King of Dawn woke up. The blood-soaked carpet was covered with cloth.

He fed his father oatmeal spoon by spoon. He seemed to forget his illness, chatting desultorily about government and family affairs with Appen. It appeared as if there were no changes.

Otto dared not catch his breath at the sight of this quirky scene.

Oro and Otto did not leave the hidden path until dusk fell.

“What should we do?” Oro, who had always been unflappable, questioned, panic leaking into his voice.

“Tell all these things to Earl Quinn… and our parents.” He gritted his teeth. “The problem is beyond our capability.”

“But you’ve seen the Pure Witch resist God’s Stone. What difference does it make if our families and Earl Quinn know the truth?”

“I know someone who can deal with them.” Otto looked at his friend and said slowly, “We can ask for the help. Have a messenger of Kingdom of Graycastle send the news to His Majesty Roland Wimbledon!”

Chapter 578: A Life-or-death Report

orko’s life had been very comfortable of late.

With the King of Dawn still to recuperate, Prince Roland seemed to have forgotten about him as well. It was only the nobles who did not ignore this ambassador from a neighboring country.

He attended extravagant banquets and indulged in various pleasures with Denise, who even introduced him to exclusive clubs and brothels. The abundance and unique flavors of the capital were things he would never be able to enjoy in Graycastle.

His current life was only made possible because of his title as “Wimbledon’s royal ambassador”.

Although his rank was equivalent to an earl, yet in certain ways, he possessed more advantages than an earl. The latter could only do as he pleased within his own fief, while the former could enjoy the privileges of an upper noble in the other kingdoms as well.

This clearly showed him the benefits that status accorded.

The bodyguard assigned him to by His Majesty, named Hill Fawkes, was also a peculiar person.

Whenever Yorko made contact with a new person, Hill would sneak into that person’s bedroom within the following three nights and later inform Yorko about that person’s identity, status and interests. If the person was a big shot, nearly everything about his life (including his hobbies) could be found out. With Hill’s assistance, Yorko was able to mingle within the noble community even more smoothly.

Furthermore, Hill’s arrangements allowed him to make considerable progress on his plan to purchase slaves.

Once, after a great night in bed with Denise, he mentioned this plan to her and she immediately agreed to his idea—the existing caravan would be used to establish a slave trading route, through which he would purchase the refugees required by His Majesty from the other slave traffickers, and transport them to Graycastle where they would be resold. The condition was that the slaves had to each be given an identity as a free citizen, and not be treated merely as goods for resale.

Of course, merchants were merchants after all; even at a time of pleasure, they did not forget to negotiate the price. While Denise would not charge a commission, Yorko would have to cover all of the transportation expenses. After factoring in the manpower costs, meal costs, vehicle fees and other expenses, he calculated that the selling price of each slave had to be set at 10 silver royals in order for the business to reach his desired profit.

When Hill entrusted him with this task, he assuredly accepted and proclaimed that he would not let any more talented people end up as slaves. His attitude undoubtedly deepened Denise’s attraction to him. After concluding the brief negotiation, the two of them returned to the bed for another passionate romp.

In the following days, Yorko sent Hill to negotiate with the other parties involved so that he did not have to take care of these trivial business matters himself.

Soon, when he heard that the first batch of slaves, comprising of 25 people, had been purchased the previous day, he realized that it made him eligible for the 125 silver royals which His Majesty had promised as a reward.

Is there another job where I can make money just by lying in bed?

Being an ambassador is simply awesome!

Just as Yorko was deliberating over where to go for fun today, a servant knocked on the door and walked into the room. “Your Excellency, the eldest son of the Luoxi Family, Lord Otto, wishes to meet you.”

“Otto Luoxi?” Yorko was familiar with this name. He knew that Luoxi was one of the three powerful families of King’s City of Kingdom of Dawn, and was only second in power to the Moya royal family. Denise had even warned him that he was free to court any woman except those of these three families, especially the Quinn family. His status as an ambassador would be insufficient to protect him in that case.

Yorko did not have to worry since this was the reason as he had paid great caution in all of his love affairs. “Perhaps, he has come to invite me to another banquet?”

“Bring him in.”

A young man entered the study. He first took a good look around the place, and then closed the windows in the room on his own initiative before he sat down on the chair intended for him.

His expression looked somewhat anxious. The dark circles under his eyes revealed that he had stayed up late and not slept much the previous night.

Yorko was against the idea of emptying one’s vitality for the sake of enjoyment. In his opinion, the abstemious sexual pleasure was beneficial as it made both partners happy and healthy. In contrast, depleting all of one’s energy in bed would harm one’s physical potential in the long term. Prince Appen was a clear example of this. His face had turned completely pale, and if he did not change his ways, he would be incapable of seeking pleasure by the time he turned 30.

The young man did not say anything for a long time. This surprised Yorko. It felt discourteous, especially coming from one of the three families. He waited for a while before he decided to break the silence. “Greetings. You should be Lord Otto Luoxi. What brings…”

“You’re able to contact His Majesty Roland Wimbledon, right?” The young man suddenly snapped. “I have an important report for him.”

“Eh…” Yorko was puzzled. “What report?”

“It’s all written in here.” Otto took out a letter, placed it in front of Yorko, and added ten gold royals on top of it. “And this money is for reward. Please make sure that this letter reaches your king. The information concerns the survival of Kingdom of Graycastle!”

Yorko inhaled a mouthful of cold air. “The survival of Kingdom of Graycastle? This has to be an exaggeration.” Otto continued to stare at him with gleaming eyes until he collected his wits and replied, “I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll do as you say and deliver this to His Majesty.”

“Make sure it’s done as soon as possible.” After exhorting Yorko repeatedly, Otto got up and departed. His anxious demeanor clearly suggested that he was not lying.

Yorko hastily kept the ten gold royals in his pocket. Instead, he left the letter untouched. He was aware that it had to be handled with great caution and thus it was best to ask Hill for advice first.

…

At night, when Hill Fawkes entered his bedroom, Yorko went through what happened during the day.

After listening to Yorko’s account, Hill pondered for a while before he pulled out a small knife and cleanly opened the letter.

“What’re you doing!” Yorko exclaimed in shock. “Opening a letter intended for His Majesty is a grave offense!”

“Shh.” Hill made a gesture to keep quiet. “If the information is truly as important as he claims, it would be wrong for us to use conventional means to deliver this letter. A messenger from City of Dawn to Western Region will take at least a month, while bad situations may occur on the road. It’d be too risky.”

“What has that got to do with opening the letter?”

“Do you remember the gray falcons I’ve been keeping? They’re the fastest couriers of all. They can reach City of Dawn within two to three days.” Hill explained. “At City of Dawn, they’ll pass the letter to another group of falcons, and within a week, His Majesty will be able to receive it. However, they’re unable to carry such a large envelope. After I’ve read the contents, I’ll rewrite the letter as a secret letter.”

“Gray falcons are able to send letters like carrier pigeons?” Yorko was astonished. “I’d thought you raised them for hunting.”

“They’re much smarter than pigeons.” Hill remarked. He then opened the letter and soon his expression turned grim. “Who would think something like this could happen…”

“What’s written in it?”

“Do you really want to know?” Hill turned his head.

“Never mind.” Yorko coughed twice. “I’d rather be able to sleep well tonight.”

“A wise choice.” Hill approved. “Also, it’s best you don’t mention to anyone that Otto Luoxi came to find you. All banquets in the palace should be canceled or postponed for now.” He paused briefly before revealing. “They’re in deep trouble.

Chapter 579: Two Incoming Letters

oland received a letter from Calvin Kant, Duke of the Northern Region.

It was accompanied by a fingerprinted memorandum that expressed the Northern Region’s intent of loyalty to His Majesty.

The letter itself talked about more trivial matters.

First, it asked when Roland would stage his accession ceremony, so that the Duke could prepare his journey to attend. This was the convention every time a new king was soon to be coronated.

The next question asked about the new policies, such as how they should be enforced, what the remaining powers of the nobles were, how succession arrangements should be made and what the management scope of the city hall should be.

These questions were predictable. But it was the last question which surprised Roland.

At the end of the letter, the Duke proposed a connection through marriage. An entire page was dedicated to extolling the beauty and talent of his daughter, Edith. It also claimed that she would be able to handle all kinds of issues and affairs, whether they were domestic or foreign, and therefore, she was the most suitable candidate to be queen. Roland laughed heartily as he read through this section of the letter.

“What’re you laughing about?” Nightingale’s voice came from the direction of the deck chair.

“A very interesting… father.” He raised the letter. “Have a look at this.”

Nightingale came out of her Mist, took the letter from Roland, and read it. Then she frowned and asked, “You won’t agree to it, will you?”

“Of course not,” Roland replied lightheartedly. “I don’t need marriage connections to preserve the stability of my throne. Furthermore, the letter makes her sound so able that I won’t even dare to let her into the castle. Or else, it may become unclear who the king is.”

“You do sound truthful.” Nightingale remarked and visibly sighed in relief.

“Hey, don’t you believe me?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but you know that witches can’t…” She paused for a moment before continuing. “After our awakenings, we can’t be considered complete women anymore.”

“I don’t think that way.” Roland shook his head in disagreement. To him, the social perception that infertility was a defect would be expunged as civilization gradually progressed. Conversely, the beautiful appearances, attractive physiques and incredible abilities which magic power could bring about would become increasingly important and desirable over time. As long as Mankind lived on, witches would inevitably rise up as a group. Fortunately, they could be born in normal humans, and furthermore, there was no specific method to trigger an awakening. These thus allowed witches and normal humans to live and work together or perhaps even to marry.

Just as Roland was about to expound at length on his personal view of witches, a gray falcon flew into the room through an open window and perched on Roland’s desk with a loud thump.

A loop of yellow cloth was tied around its claws—this meant that it was a secret letter which arrived from the old King’s City.

Roland swallowed his words, took a piece of dried fish out of a drawer, and tossed it to the gray falcon which was already waiting for its reward. Then he unwound the cloth and took out the neatly-folded oilpaper from within.

As the size of the secret letter was limited, the contents written on it had to be extremely concise.

The first sentence of the letter was enough to give Roland a huge shock.

“The palace of Kingdom of Dawn has been infiltrated by a Pure Witch who can defy the God’s Stone of Retaliation to use their abilities.”

“Witches who’re immune to the influence of the God’s Stone?” As far as Roland knew, only two kinds of beings could do this. The first was Extraordinaries with their enhanced bodies, while the second was senior demons that were called Magic Slayer.

As Roland continued reading, he realized that each successive line of news got more and more shocking.

“When Prince Appen attempted to resist the Pure Witch, they manipulated his guards to slit their own throats.”

“The church’s aim is to establish firm control over the Kingdom of Dawn before it places full concentration on attacking the Kingdom of Graycastle.”

“Otto Luoxi and Oro Tokat witnessed everything that took place. The three families hope to receive your kind aid.”

Roland suddenly realized that his plans to recapture Southernmost Region would have to be adjusted substantially.

Three days passed.

Roland convened a strategy discussion meeting in the castle’s reception room.

The attendees included City Hall Director, Barov; Commander of the First Army, Iron Axe; Chief Knight, Carter; Longsong Stronghold Consul, Petrov; Witch Union representatives, Wendy and Agatha; a representative of Sleeping Island’s witches, Sylvie; and lastly, Pearl of the Northern Region, Edith.

“That’s the current situation, basically speaking.” Roland concluded after recounting the contents of the secret letter to the attendees. “Although we’re unable to verify the information, if everything written in the letter is to be believed, the Kingdom of Graycastle shall unquestionably face its biggest challenge before the next Battle of Divine Will. After some consideration, I’ve decided that the Southernmost Region’s battle arrangements have to be temporarily suspended.” He glanced towards Iron Axe. “Will that be okay?”

As the chief commander of the spring offensive, Iron Axe had swiftly seized Willow Town and Fallen Dragon Ridge according to plan, and thus gave Roland control over the gateway towns that connected the City of Neverwinter and the Southern Territory. Iron Axe had intended to build on this success by completing the territorial expansion before autumn arrived. This would include bringing the Sand Nation under the domain of Roland’s kingdom. The two people who would then be responsible for establishing good relations between the two races were Echo and Iron Axe. As both of them belonged to the Mojin Clan, they could serve as mediators in a racial conflict. Iron Axe had especially yearned to return to Iron Sand City to take revenge for being framed. Hence, allowing him to lead the troops to seize the Southernmost Region was the best reward that Roland could have given him. Now that the battle plans were suspended, it was understandable if he was disappointed.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Iron Axe did not reveal any expression, and his reply was as sure as ever. “I suggest that we let the newly-trained soldiers take the place of the First Army soldiers stationed at Fallen Dragon Ridge. They’ll have no problems dealing with the nobles there, while this would allow the First Army to gather its greatest strength to fight against the church.”

“We’ll do exactly that.” Roland nodded approvingly before he stood up and walked in front of the large map. “Presently, we face two main problems. The first is that we don’t know when the enemy will attack. The second is that we don’t know where they’ll attack from. The church used to have only one route to invade the Kingdom of Graycastle. This would be traveling directly south through Coldwind Ridge to reach King’s City. However, now that the church controls the Kingdom of Dawn, it’s possible that the Judgement Army will attack us through their border. Does anyone have a good idea how we can cope with this?”

“No matter where they appear from, they’ll first have to go through the Northern Region.” Barov was first to speak. “Coldwind Ridge, Deepvalley Town, City of Evernight and Palisade City, all of these are places administered by Duke Calvin. I suggest that we allow Miss Edith to go back and inform her father about this. We’ll then keep a lookout for enemies in the Northern Region. This is the most secure way. But, Your Majesty…” The City Hall Director rubbed his hands together. “Do we truly stand a chance against the church?”

This foolish question was badly received by everyone present. Edith unceremoniously replied, “If His Majesty says that we don’t have a chance, are you going to wag your tail at the church and beg for mercy?”

“What nonsense are you talking? As the City Hall Director, I have to make contingency plans for the worst that can happen…”

Edith ignored him and turned towards Roland. “Your Majesty, while it’s indeed necessary to send people to monitor every road in the north, it won’t be an effective method on its own. The response will be slow, and by the time enemies are discovered, it’ll mean that they have already begun to act. This’ll give you very little time to respond.”

“Do you have a better plan?”

“Of course.” Edith replied confidently. “We should send people to Hermes.”

“The church’s holy city?” Carter frowned in disdain. “What use would that be? Do you think the Pope will inform you when he dispatches his army?”

“Also, the people living there are believers and zealots. It’ll be difficult for spies to blend in.” Petrov added.

“There’s no need to enter the holy city.” Edith laughed. “All we need to do is to have a nice chat with a nearby merchant.”

Chapter 580: The Tooth Extraction Campaign

Tell me more.” Roland could not help becoming interested in Edith’s idea.

“The terrain of Hermes is very unique. There’s a slope around this area of the Impassable Mountain Range. The old part of the holy city is located at the lower end of the slope, while the new part is built on a plateau on the higher end. The environment there is very harsh. Although there’re natural barriers that keep demonic beasts away, the highland isn’t really suitable for living, let alone for cultivating and farming. Thus the food and supplies of the new holy city have to be provided by the old one, despite the fact that the latter’s mass land can only produce enough supplies for the 20,000 or so people living downhill.”

Edith walked to Roland’s side, pointed at the map, and continued, “This means that they have to gather supplies from other places. For example, they would buy plots of land from churches and related organizations in nearby cities. Or they would rent wheat fields for farming. Every year during autumn, dozens of horse carriages would arrive from the four kingdoms every day to provide supplies to the new holy city. The old holy city has become something like a market town where these carriages may rest, as well as a checkpoint where the church can control the flow of people in and out of the new city.”

“In other words, whenever they mobilize the Judgement Army, the merchants here would definitely witness it. In fact, even before the army acts, we can observe changes in the transportation of supplies to deduce when they’ll move out.”

The young woman spoke as if she was taking part in a modern-day oratorical competition. Her eyes routinely swept across everyone present to make sure that they were paying attention to herself. The level of confidence she displayed was rarely seen in women of her era.

Roland silently thought to himself, “Perhaps what Calvin Kant wrote in the letter isn’t all boastful bullsh*t. Judging from Edith’s manner, she is indeed worthy of being called ‘Pearl of the Northern Region’.”

“How do you know all of this so well?” Barov stroked his beard as he queried. “It’s almost as if you came from there.”

“I lived there for a period of time,” Edith replied without a second thought, “because of the Agreement on the Months of Demons.”

“What’s that?” Roland asked doubtfully. He seemed to have an impression of what it was, but could not recall the exact details of it.

“How can you not know?” The young woman blinked in amazement. “To help the church tide over the disasters during the Months of Demons, the four kingdoms had to dispatch troops to aid Hermes and fight alongside the Judgement Army. Your older brother, Gerald Wimbledon, was the commander of Graycastle’s border troops. I’ve fought under him before. However, there seem to be some mishaps over the past year. It’s reported that the coalition of the four kingdoms has suffered many casualties, while the church’s Judgement Army has suffered a similar loss.”

“This is indeed so.” Petrov corroborated what Edith said. “My friend, Rene Medde, completed his knight test in Hermes.”

“Does every knight have to fight against demonic beasts before he can be granted his title?” Roland looked towards Carter. “Why haven’t you mentioned this before?”

“Ahem, this is a method that knights from small towns love to use.” Carter shrugged his shoulders. “The knightage of King’s City has its own rules for that. Apart from valiant combat, a knight’s loyalty and knowledge are also very important considerations. These can’t be proven simply by fighting against some evil creatures.”

“By the way, Your Majesty.” Edith did not refute Carter’s words and instead turned to face Roland. “May I inspect how your army fights in combat? I’ve always been curious as to how you managed to capture King’s City in just one day. If I can understand how the First Army operates, I may be able to contribute in future battles.”

This was not a big problem. There were no issues of secrecy. With the weaponry that the First Army now possessed, it was impossible to emulate their methods just by observing. As technology advanced, wars were becoming more and more expensive. Without a complete logistics supply system and industrial production support system, a batch of flintlocks would be utterly useless on its own. Furthermore, by displaying his military strength to the loyalists of the Northern Region, he could not only increase their confidence in him, but also deter them from having any secession ideas. As he thought about this, Roland nodded at Iron Axe and ordered, “Go and make arrangements for her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, I suggest that you issue a decree, in the name of the king, to every city and town in Graycastle to expel their churches.” Barov was unwilling to be outdone by Edith. “Or else, when the war begins, the churches of these places will become strongholds from where they devour the whole kingdom.”

“There aren’t many lords who would happily do so. The church is typically a major source of tax revenue, and its power can be quite frightening. The lords prefer to follow the way that the wind blows.” Edith shrugged her shoulders. “This is also how the nobles usually act.”

“In any case, it’s better than not doing anything at all.” The director glared at the young woman angrily.

“Of course.” She laughed dismissively. “The Northern Region will fully comply with this decree.”

“Then we shall do that.” Roland nodded in approval of Barov’s idea.

“This could be a very difficult battle.” Sylvie’s facial expression seemed rather anxious. “It’s best that you inform Lady Tilly. The Sleeping Island witches may be able to assist you.”

As Roland listened to Sylvie, he could not help laughing bitterly in his heart. Sleeping Island’s problems amounted to no less than his. He had still not heard back from them after sending out the intelligence regarding the Bloodfang Association. If Tilly brought her subordinates to aid him while their internal issues were still not resolved, Sleeping Island might fall into big trouble. However, this did not mean that Sylvie’s words were senseless. Witches were indeed the most effective way of dealing with the Pure Witch and their uncanny abilities. “I’ll remember to write a letter to her,” he replied.

“Don’t forget to prepare God’s Stones of Retaliation for your men.” Agatha was next to chime in. “Throughout the Union’s centuries of existence, there have been several witches with inconceivable levels of ability. Any normal person who didn’t wear a God’s Stone would have completely no resistance against them. One of these witches could easily take away the lives of thousands of people.”

“Won’t a flintlock or cannon work against them?”

“Let’s not even mention a witch like Nightingale, who can move close to your army easily. Some abilities already take effect by the time you see the witch.”

Roland was dumbstruck for a moment. The First Army, including its reserve forces, already comprised of 5,000 men. Where was he going to find so many God’s Stones of Retaliation? Even if he used witch blood to split the God’s Stones into more pieces, he would not be able to produce a sufficient amount in such a short time.

“Your Majesty, you can try extorting these Stones from the churches.” Iron Axe suggested. “If we only attack the church halls and believers, while not affecting the lives of civilians, even the nobles would not dare to oppose you openly. This way, we can fulfill Lord Barov’s suggestion while also obtaining a large amount of God’s Stones for free.”

The corners of Barov’s mouth arched into a grin. “Do you mean we should send out the First Army to plunder the churches?”

“We’ll destroy the strongholds of the enemy, just like breaking off the fangs of a poisonous snake.” The commander corrected Barov. “This will also allow Miss Edith to observe the First Army engage in a real fight. Compared to a rehearsal, this would be much more informative.”

“I also think so.” Edith laughed in agreement.

“This is indeed killing many birds with one stone.” Roland thumped the table emphatically. “Let’s called it the ‘Tooth Extraction Campaign’.”

…

Chapter 581: Late Night Talk

ate at night, Wendy called all of the witches into her bedroom.

The usually spacious room was now packed.

It felt like deja vu. A year ago, Wendy had done the same thing. She had gathered all of the witches to inform them of the situation in Border Town and quell their uneasiness.

At that time, only seven of their sisters were able to escape from the Barbarian Lands. The witches were left traumatized, and were unsure and afraid of what was in store ahead. Many came to Border Town with a mentality that “We’ve suffered so much that whatever happens next is a blessing”. To them, survival itself was a difficult game, not to mention dealing with the church which perpetually hung over their heads like a shadow.

This time, the looks and feelings of everyone in the room were completely different from a year ago.

At present, the witches’ consideration was gradually shifting away from focusing on survival to maintaining their relatively carefree lives.

There was no more oppression and hostility from other people.

No more worries about food and safety.

In essence, this place had become the witches’ “Holy Mountain”.

Furthermore, if they could help His Majesty Roland to defeat the church successfully, all of their nightmares would vanish and they would be truly liberated forever.

Wendy waited until everyone’s eyes were fixed on her before she began. “The church is coming.”

The daytime meeting did not offer much in the way of intelligence. Wendy quickly finished telling the witches about the contents of the secret letter, and the room fell into an awkward silence.

“Will His Majesty… win?” After some time, Mystery Moon asked almost inaudibly. “I’m willing to spend all of my time generating electricity for him at the factory area…”

“Oh come on, His Majesty would have to arrange someone to take care of you if so.” Lily smirked. “It’s best you don’t give him more trouble at a time like this.”

“What trouble!”

The witches in the room started to laugh. Now that the first person had spoken, more and more voices were heard in the room.

“I’ll work even harder to produce white liquor.” Evelyn resolved.

“But, would so much liquor be needed while we’re at war with the church?”

“Aye… is that so?”

“I believe His Majesty won’t lose. Didn’t Carter also manage to severely injure Ashes, the Extraordinary Witch?” Hummingbird mooted. “And the God’s Punishment Army isn’t nearly as powerful as Ashes.”

“Is that true? Even the invincible Ashes has lost before?” Softfeathers, who rarely spoke, looked surprised.

“I won’t consider it a loss. Carter was battered into unconscious while Ashes was completely incapacitated. It’s more like a tie.”

“As far as I know, it wasn’t a fair fight.” Agatha disputed. “Had the Extraordinary used equivalent weapons to Carter’s, she would have been in a stronger position.”

“But Sleeping Island only has one Extraordinary, while there’re thousands of soldiers carrying guns.”

“Hold it, sisters. Your debate’s heading in the wrong direction.” Scroll shook her head in disapproval. “We’re talking about the church and His Majesty now.”

Wendy quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Although everyone was anxious, nobody seemed afraid of fighting against the church. This would have been completely inconceivable a year ago, when the might of the church seemed to be as steady and unshakeable as a huge mountain. None of the witches who fought against them were able to survive. The Witch Cooperation Association had to hide in various places, and only managed to shake off the chasing enemies by advancing towards the secluded Impassable Mountain Range.

Of course, this mentality change was, for the most part, down to the fact that His Majesty had never lost a foreign war.

“All in all, this war will be crucial to the future of the Witch Union.” Wendy inhaled a deep breath. “Has anyone thought about what will happen if His Majesty completely defeats the church?”

Everyone in the room turned silent, but a strange and indescribable twinkle gleamed in their eyes.

“The entire kingdom… and maybe even the entire continent, will become safe for witches to reside in. In His Majesty’s territory, we’ll be able to create a new world together with other people, one where everyone enjoys equal honor and status. This is also what His Majesty has mentioned several times. I just didn’t think that it could all be possible so soon.”

Wendy paused for a short while. “However, going by His Majesty’s usual way of doing things, I urge everyone not to work too hard. Just do your jobs as usual. We’ll not fail if we can keep this confidence.”

She did not comprehend sophisticated ideas, nor was she among the Union’s most able and brightest witches. Now that His Majesty had placed her in charge of the Union, she simply did what she could. Every time before an expedition, His Majesty would give an impassioned speech to the First Army. Wendy could never think of a way to inspire the witches in the same way as him. In the end, she always resorted to speaking what she felt at the bottom of her heart.

“The intention to be considerate of other people is more important than anything else.” She firmly remembered these words of Scroll.

“This place is our home and will serve as the turning point for the fates of all witches. I’ll give all of myself for it!”

Wendy stretched out her left hand, with the back of her hand facing upwards.

Scroll was the first to press her hand on top of Wendy’s.

Then, Nightingale and Anna followed.

“For His Majesty and City of Neverwinter!”

All of the witches gathered together with their hands stacked on top of each other’s. The witches of the Bloodfang Association had hesitated for a while, as though they were unsure whether they would be accepted by everyone else, until Leaf pulled them into the circle. As per convention, they were only considered truly integrated into the group after they made hand contact with the other witches.

“I really don’t wish to have to deal with this annoying bunch before fighting against the demons.”

Although Agatha voiced her displeasure, she also stretched out her hand and joined in.

Lastly, Wendy placed her right hand on top of the stack and looked around at everyone.

“For the Witch Union!”

“For the… eternal Holy Mountain!”

…

After the witches departed, only Wendy and Nightingale were left in the room.

As Wendy was closing the door, she suddenly felt a breeze of cold wind behind her back.

She turned her head back, only to see that Nightingale had silently opened the window, and was now sitting on the sill and looking into the night sky. The night breeze blew her hair upwards, while at the same time, a faint fragrance whiffed by.

“Are you also worried about this war?” Wendy walked over to the window and asked.

“Worried?” Nightingale turned her head to face Wendy. Under the glow of the Stone of Light, scorching rays gleamed in her pupils. “The only thing I’m worried about is that I’ll laugh myself to death.”

“L-laugh?”

It was only at this time that Wendy felt the piercing aura that emanated from the latter’s body. Unlike most witches, Nightingale could release her magic powers even when she was not actively using her abilities. To her, these powers were no longer elusive and intangible things, but instead were like sharp blades which created inaccessible regions of space. It was as if her misty world was slowly eating into the space around itself and beginning to take hold of the physical world. Ever since she came to Border Town, this feeling was becoming more and more pronounced to the people around her.

To an enemy, this would be the greatest portent of danger.

“I’ve waited a long time to take proper revenge on the church,” Nightingale slowly explained. “Our sisters who wrongly died at the church’s hands must also be looking forward to this day. The taste of revenge, from my experience, is truly unforgettable.”

It was hard to imagine that this was the same woman who lingered in bed and did not want to wake up in the morning. Fortunately, she wasn’t an enemy of the sisters.

Wendy reached her hand out to Nightingale. Upon contact, the piercing aura disappeared. She proceeded to cuddle Nightingale in her arms.

“You can continue to do whatever you want. Just remember to take good care of His Majesty… and also yourself. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Nightingale closed her eyes and replied softly. “I will.”

Chapter 582: Military Strategy

nce the war order was issued, Neverwinter immediately went into overdrive.

Bags of wheat plundered from Fallen Dragon Ridge quickly filled up the previously-empty granaries. A portion of these would be shelled and powdered into rations for the soldiers participating in the war.

Other than food, there were also firearms and ammunition. The soldiers recruited during the Months of Demons had already completed their basic training, and the outstanding cadets were hastily incorporated into the ranks of the First Army and given new weapons and uniforms. Those who performed average were placed in the reserve force and assigned to one of Roland’s cities, where they replaced the veterans stationed there.

By doing so, Neverwinter’s available military strength was rapidly increased to 5,000 men. In theory, this put them on par with the Judgement Army’s numbers. However, due to limitations on transportation capacity, the further the battlefield was from Western Region, the fewer the number of soldiers who could enter battle would be.

Because Roland assessed that the Tooth Extraction Campaign would not be too difficult, he eventually decided to send out 1,500 men, with Iron Axe serving as the commander. In this expedition, the Adviser Department was absorbed into the First Army, and the key members were made up of nobles, knights and commoners from Longsong Area. This included Sir Eltek, who was Morning Light’s father, and Trevor, Chief Bodyguard of the Honeysuckle Family. The criteria was that they had to have experience in artillery warfare, or had served in the Second Army.

Although the people Roland selected were not professionals in this field, Roland trusted that they could learn on the job, and in any case, it was good to have a few more people to provide counsel to the commander. They did not possess any actual power to command. It was entirely up to Iron Axe whether to adopt their plans and advice.

After considering that the First Army might encounter the church’s Pure Witch during the expedition, Roland decided that “Eye of Magic” Sylvie and “Confinement Cage” Iffy would be following them as well. The former could detect magic power and alert the army to the enemies’ positions, while the latter could capture Pure Witch under the right circumstances. Sylvie would also bring along a Sigil of Listening so that she could contact Neverwinter at any time. As a result of these preparations, an army with modern military structures, firepower, and communication capabilities slowly began to take shape.

The Tooth Extraction Campaign was mainly targeted at Redwater City, Silver City and Impassable Castle, the three cities which were closest in distance to Western Region. The preparation for the expedition required four days of time. Apart from choosing which of his reliable guards to send towards the old holy city, Roland spent the rest of the time discussing various details of the war together with the commander and the Adviser Department.

One such detail, which Roland found difficult to resolve, was the location where they would intercept the enemy.

Everyone had their own views on this issue, and nobody could convince anyone else that they were right.

The commander of the gun battalion, Brian, was adamant that the army should intercept the enemy within Western Region. His reasoning was very substantial. “The battle has to be carried out in Western Region for the First Army to fully utilize its advantage in firepower. With our paddle steamers providing logistical support, we’ll be able to replenish ammunition and manpower in less than a day. No matter how long the battle drags on, we can be assured of victory. This distance from their base will also be extremely disadvantageous to the church. If they cannot break through within a month, they won’t even have any food left.”

Conversely, Edith was the main advocate of fighting outside the Western Region. “Do you really think that they’ll have no food? Do you know how many church believers there are in the Kingdom of Graycastle? Even if all of the churches are burned to the ground, the Pope simply has to issue an order and these people will bring all the food they have to the Judgement Army. Mid-July is also the ripening season of wheat. As long as the enemy occupies one or two cities, they’ll surely have a continuous supply of food. And this is not the scariest thing. Don’t we already know that the church possesses Pills of Madness which can turn ordinary people into enchanted monsters? If the war situation turns bad for them, they may willfully force the commoners in these places to consume these pills, and manipulate them to fight against our army so as to wear us down. What will we do then?”

“You don’t understand anything about gunpowder weapons.” Van’er was on Brian’s side regarding this issue. “Transporting cannons and ammunition is very costly and difficult. They aren’t like swords, which can be used many times. A single battle will require many ships to replenish the supplies that are expended. If we do as you say and intercept the enemy before they enter our kingdom, what will we do when we run out of ammunition?”

“I admit that I don’t understand gunpowder weapons, nor the specific methods which your army uses to fight. What I do know is that the objective is the most important thing in a battle. If we cannot achieve our intended objective, even victory will be a failure.” Edith remained unrelenting. “His Majesty needs every one of his citizens. How can you allow the church to enter our kingdom and wantonly destroy the populace?”

“If we cannot win the battle, everything else is meaningless.”

“What we have to do is to solve those problems that seem unsolvable.”

The only two people present who could provide a final verdict were Roland and Iron Axe. However, whenever Roland was around, Iron Axe would never speak more than he needed to. No matter what order Roland issued, he would agree and execute it unconditionally. As both viewpoints in this argument had their pros and cons, Roland was not able to make a decision immediately.

The most effective way of using gunpowder weapons in battle was to set up a crossfire net and wait for the enemy to enter it. The Western Region was undoubtedly the ideal location for something like this. However, if the church indeed used his citizens as a vanguard for their army, his losses would be huge. While the army’s weapons could easily subdue the enchanted people, the population loss would be hard to make up for in the short term.

It was only on the day before the army set out that Sir Eltek made a suggestion which brought an end to this dispute.

“Why don’t we place our troops and supplies in the border cities in advance?” He suggested while stroking his beard. “This way, we can substantially shorten the transport distances.”

Brian shook his head in disapproval without giving the idea a second thought. “That’s only possible if we can know beforehand where the church will be attacking from.”

“Sir, the Northern Region doesn’t have enough riverways. If we gather our troops in the wrong positions, we may even be unable to catch up with the enemy’s movement.” Carter added. “Furthermore, the border between Kingdom of Graycastle and Kingdom of Dawn is very long. We won’t be able to keep watch on every passageway.”

“It’s true that we don’t know where the enemy will attack from. But we can induce them to attack from a particular point.”

Everyone was stumped when they heard this suggestion. After a long while, Brian frowned and remarked. “I’m afraid that only the Pope can do something like this.”

Meanwhile, Edith revealed a thoughtful expression on her face.

Sir Eltek was unperturbed by the sarcastic response he received. He candidly replied, “The truth is, I got the idea from Miss Edith. If we can estimate the time of the church’s invasion based on the transportation of food supplies, then the church would also be able to detect the approaching of war based on changes in our border cities.”

“Coldwind Ridge!” Edith suddenly exclaimed.

“Indeed.” The old knight laughed. “If we amass supplies in Coldwind Ridge and station the First Army in the nearby Deepvalley Town, we can be confident of directing the enemy to attack from a certain route, agree?”

“How so?” Brian remained puzzled.

“Because Coldwind Ridge is too near to the holy city,” Edith explained. “Rather than wait for the church to attack, it’s better for us to assume an offensive stance and compel them to concentrate their forces in this area.”

“I see.” Roland was quick to understand what was going on. Deepvalley Town was the only town connected to the central network of rivers. Although it was far away, his fleet of paddle steamers would be able to ship large quantities of supplies over there within one or two months, while the last leg of the transportation journey, which had to be done by land, could be reduced to only three days. Although a number of supplies might not be completely sufficient, it would at least be able to maintain a large-scale battle for some time. Of course, a better way would be to set up a defense line below Coldwind Ridge and wait for the enemy to enter the position that was made up of bunkers, barb wires and trenches.

“What if they insist on not going this way?” Van’er enquired.

“Then the holy city of Hermes will be completely flattened,” Roland answered.