Release That Witch - Chapter 667

Chapter 667: Chaos Drinks

p>The following cups of drinks were real eye-openers for Roland.

Some tasted like coffee, a bit bitter but with an intense exotic fragrance. Some tasted like soup, delicious and having the function to warm the stomach. The unique one was that he could not find the corresponding taste in his memory. If he had to name it, Fire Dragon Wine might be the most appropriate.

The wine was not made of pitaya, but something like the imaginary dragon flame. The scorching impact of the first sip was like lava gushing into the mouth, and then a mouthful of a burned scent followed as if the tongue was roasted. The faint taste of succulent fruits finally came, mixed with the light flavor of the wine.

The longer it was kept in the mouth, the longer the aftertaste would remain. It absolutely would be the best drink of the winter.

It was likely that Nightingale saw Roland’s intoxicated looks, she could not help but show herself, moistened her lips and asked, “Your Majesty, it really tastes so good?”

“You’ll know after you try it.” Roland handed her a cup of drink.

Immediately, Nightingale contentedly exclaimed, with her eyes bent into a slit.

“I’ve tasted it,” Wendy said with the same look, “and it’s really hard to resist such a delicious drink.”

After they drunk all of the Fire Dragon Wine, Roland revealed a little reluctance as he let out a burp. “Is there more drink like this?”

Evelyn shook her head and said, “I can’t copy the last drink… The new ability is totally random.”

“Can’t copy?” Roland was somewhat amazed. He finally understood what distressed Evelyn after Wendy explicitly stated the details of the test.

The ability could turn the fresh water, wine or other liquids into drinks. However, which drink would be the final product was uncontrollable. In other words, the final product each time was totally different.

The consumption of magical power to transform these drinks was much more than that of to transform alcohol. The magic power could only be cast once per day. The quantity of transformed drink was limited, which was equal to the capacity of a barrel. Roland had seen that kind of round barrel in the tavern, which could store about one cubic meter of wine in each barrel.

Until now, Evelyn had just cast the new ability five times, getting five drinks with different tastes.

Roland felt regret at the prospect, not knowing whether he would get the chance to drink Fire Dragon Wine again.

It was possibly the reason that Evelyn felt so depressed.

High awakening could be considered as a rebirth for witches, for they even had chances to upgrade from being a non-combat witch to a combat witch. Although Roland stressed that each witch was of incredible potential, Evelyn, who came from Sleeping Island, still could not change her mind.

Roland knew that Evelyn had no confidence in her brewing technique. She felt far more depressed despite the fact that her new ability upgraded a lot but did not change in essence. Most of the drinks were transformed from wine, and she could not even control what she could make at all.

He had no better ways to change her long-held belief, but it was a matter of time. Roland believed that their state of mind would change as the assistant witches in the city of Neverwinter showed their extraordinary talents.

He held no confidence in saying her ability was useless.

The pursuit of perfume ushered in the Modern Navigation Times, the Silk Road thrived as the porcelains and silk trade boomed, which all served as the evidence to people’s demands and desire for luxuries. These drinks, however, would be the true luxuries. The delicious taste and unique experience would inevitably gain popularity among common people no matter which era they were in, and it even brought a refreshing feeling to this mundane world.

Moreover it was almost cost-free!

For example, it was no surprise that the weight of the Fire Dragon Wine could be converted into the same weight of gold royals if it was sold to the Fjords and other kingdoms.

Because there were always some rich merchants and nobles that could pay for it.

As for the war caused by the desire for luxuries… They should feel gratified that Roland did not scramble for these drinks. Waging war for luxuries to Neverwinter was nothing short of committing suicide.

Admittedly, Evelyn would bring him countless wealth.

And these drinks would not only be used for trade.

He had learned from the past experience that the matters widely popular with people could serve as a bridge for culture and ideology.

Besides, in these hard war times, it could boost morale for those soldiers who were fighting on the outer edge of the Impassable Mountain Range if they could have such drinks delivered from the city of Neverwinter.

He would never reject these kinds of drinks which could enhance cohesion and strengthen the subject’s confidence to resist the Battle of Divine Will.

“In addition to the alcohol… in the future, it’ll be the transformation of high-grade wines, I’ll create a special drink storage building for you,” Roland made a decision and said, “You can use your new capabilities to their full potential. I believe everyone who has a drink will be obsessed with it.”

“Alright, alright… Your Majesty.” Although Evelyn agreed, she was still nonetheless skeptical.

She did not realize her own worth.

Roland did not say aloud what he was thinking. He firmly believed Evelyn would see the changes brought by her power of chaos sooner or later. As long as she kept doing as he required.

“As for the names of these drinks, chaos drinks is okay,” Roland said with a smile.

*

After the welcome dinner came to an end, Astrologer of Dispersion Star went into the study of His Majesty Roland.

He had successively worked for three King Wimbledons, and Roland Wimbledon was the fourth king he worked for.

But he was also the king whose thoughts were elusory.

Regardless of those rumors about his ridiculousness and flighty behavior from the king’s city, the young ruler was somewhat different from the former kings and it was hard to understand what he was thinking. He was neither arrogant nor pretended to be imperturbable, as if, as if his thought was beyond common people’s understanding, making him hard to catch up to.

That letter of reply was the best proof.

Dispersion Star had never seen any king who was so indifferent to the news about the Star of Extinction. Part of the content of the letter was greetings, part was to invite Astrology Association to move to the Western Region, declaring that he had the better astronomical telescope to meet the demand for star observation. The end of the letter unhurriedly mentioned that the city of Neverwinter also found new clues about Bloody Moon, and that he needed to discuss it with astrologers.

No surprise, no fear, he stayed calm and read the letter as if he just said “yes, I know” nonchalantly.

In fact, even when Roland first visited the observatory and learned of the existence of the Start of Extinction, he did not act very surprised.

Although it was the blessing that the subject had such a composed king, he still felt downcast because of the finding, also his lifelong pursuit, not arousing much attention.

The study was still brightly lit, and His Majesty Roland was writing something. There were piles of documents on the desk, Dispersion Star had not seen such a scene for a long time.

“My Revered Majesty, good evening,” he bowed and said with gratification, “The Astrology Association shows its respect to you.”

“Ah… you’re here.” Roland put his pen aside and beckoned him, saying, “Sit down, I’ve something to talk to you about.”

Chapter 668: Dispersion Star Astrologer

p>”Is it regarding the prophecy of the Bloody Moon?” Dispersion Star sat down.

“Well, that’s a part of it. Since you’ve touched on that point, let’s start with the prophecy then.” The young king rose to his feet and poured a cup of tea for the astrologer who was totally struck by such an act of condescension. Apparently, Roland was much more easygoing than Timothy.

“With respect to the prophecy of the Bloody Moon, it can be traced back to over 1,000 years ago when there was neither the Kingdom of Graycastle nor the Wimbledon Family.”

“But Your Majesty, the records show that our history only dates back to over 450 years ago…”

“The missing part was indeed documented but was later deliberately concealed by someone.” Roland switched to a more comfortable sitting position and said, “It’s a long story, which I’ll need some time to fully explain to you.”

What the astrologer heard afterward was inscrutably astonishing.

The story brought him back to the uninhabited Barbarian Land and the Land of Dawn 1,000 years ago when demons and human beings had had a prolonged war of life and death. It talked about the symbolic meaning of the Bloody Moon, the witch empire, the origins of the Four Kingdoms, as well as that of the church… If it was not out of the mouth of the king, Dispersion Star would definitely condemn the speech and describe it as horrendous and absurd.

Nonetheless, from Roland’s expression, Dispersion Star could tell the king was absolutely serious.

After Roland finished the speech, Dispersion Star felt suffocated. He had firmly believed that the doomsday was simply a God’s punishment. The shaking seabed, the cracking earth, the underground fire and thunderbolts from the sky, as terrifying as they were, would not completely destroy human civilizations. As long as men got prepared in advance, a great part of cities could still survive these catastrophes.

According to His Majesty, however, the Bloody Moon was a signal of the commencement of the war from demons.

It seemed that the war between human beings and demons had lasted for a thousand years. Men had been defeated twice, and with but one more loss, they would be completely eliminated from the earth.

“Your Majesty…” Dispersion Star almost lost his voice. “Where did you learn these?”

Roland stuck out two fingers. “The witch empire and the church. They both have something to do with the establishment of the Four Kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Graycastle. I’ve actually encountered demons to the west of the Western Region. They were, veritably, of a foreign race, who have developed their own civilization and built their own armies.”

“And… what’s the smile of deities?”

“Nobody knows. Perhaps we’ll only find out the answer after the Battle of Divine Will.”

Dispersion Star fell silent. He was not sure whether he should believe this appalling narrative, but then he soon realized the story connected to the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Graycastle and the thriving of the Wimbledon Family. As the king of the realm, Roland had no reason to lie to him.

There was no point for him to do that.

Suppose everything Roland had said was true, it would then make sense why His Majesty trusted witches so much.

Suppose witches’ power did not come from demons, naturally, they would no longer be men’s enemies.

In this light, the rumors about the innocence of witches circulated in the old king’s city were simply a tip of the iceberg of the truth. Without a doubt, it was pretty wise and cautious of His Majesty to selectively disclose the information and hold back the part that would potentially spark panic among the multitude.

The only thing that Dispersion Star failed to understand was how the Bloody Moon in the sky bore a relationship to the Gates of Hell.

“Your Majesty, what can I do for you?”

Dimly, Dispersion Star was aware that it was probably not out of any astrological reasons that the king had asked the Astrology Association to move to the Western Region several times. Roland apparently knew much more about the Star of Extinction than any astrologers. If Dispersion Star was not informed of this secret today, he would never possibly know what had happened 1,000 years ago.

“This is what I want to discuss with you next, which may be even more important than the secret I told you earlier,” Roland answered with a smile and handed a book on the desk to him. “Take a look at this first.”

Dispersion Star took the book and noticed the title on the cover was a combination of phrases he had never seen before.

“Analytic… geometry?”

The word was quite a mouthful. Surprisingly, it was printed in a blue color that could only be produced with very fine and expensive blue pigments.

“Take your time. It’s fine if you don’t understand. You’ll need to learn a lot of things in the future.”

Although the lighting in Roland’s room was relatively decent even without a candle, it was still not comparable to daylight. As such, Dispersion Star felt reluctant to read the book right away, as late night reading could more or less cause eye damage.

As an astrologer, he should well protect his eyes.

Nevertheless, Dispersion Star did not want to directly decline the king’s request and thereby infuriate him. So, he decided to just quickly skim it through and read more carefully tomorrow when there was adequate lighting.

His eyes, however, were glued to the contents after he read the prologue on the first page.

“To describe the orbits of objects with arithmetic formulas? To calculate the entire orbit with only a few key parameters?”

Next came several groups of intersecting straight lines, each of which constituted a coordinate system consisting of four planes. In each coordinate, there was a simple shape. Some were just diagonal straight lines, some a section of a curve, some ovals and others a combination of multiple curves. They looked nothing strange, but Dispersion Star’s attention was soon caught by the arithmetic formula next to the circle shape.

“That should be an arithmetic formula,” thought Dispersion Star.

The formula contained a plus mark and an equal mark, starting and ending with the same symbol. Dispersion Star did not have the faintest idea what the formula represented, but somehow he perceived the beauty of it. Every symbol possessed a unique charm and was in perfect harmony with the others.

Although each shape was distinct from each other and by no means display the same type of orbit (for example, a straight line and an oval), there was no noticeable difference between their arithmetic formulas.

An idea suddenly flashed across his mind uncontrollably.

“Is it possible that every shape in this world can be described with a corresponding arithmetic formula?”

The astrologer turned to the second page hurriedly in excitement.

…

By the time Dispersion Star closed the book, his neck was sore. Evidently, it had taken him more than an hour to read the whole book. Meanwhile, Roland appeared to be quite absorbed in his occupation. He was busy drafting the document on the desk and had not interrupted his reading.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I…”

“Done?” Roland looked up and smiled at the astrologer. “I bet there’s a lot you don’t understand.”

“Yes. I don’t recall any court mentors have taught you those… those symbols and formulas…” Out of ten court mentors, nine were from the Astrology Association. However, what His Majesty had written had totally blown his mind. “They’re very interesting, but I just can’t have a good grasp on these complicated formula conversions.”

“That’s because you haven’t learned equations. You’ve got to learn this in order to comprehend analytic geometry.” Magically, the king produced a stack of books from the desk and presented them to the astrologer, the titles of which were either in blue or green. All of the titles sounded weird and mouthful.

Dispersion Star’s hands started to tremble. “Can I take them back home?”

“Certainly.” Roland nodded. “Actually, I want not only you but also all the astrologers and the students in the association to learn them.” After a pause, Roland continued, “The second thing I want to let you know is that you don’t need to worry too much about the Bloody Moon. Once you fully understand everything in the books, the Astrology Association can play an irreplaceable role in the war against demons. These books mean to simply enlighten you. There’ll be something more profound and difficult coming next. By that time, you’ll not only be able to calculate the orbit of a moving object, but also that of every tree and every stone on the earth, every star in the sky, everything that you see on this planet. How does it sound like? Are you willing to accept the challenge?”

“Yes, I’d like to, Your Majesty!”

Astrologer of Dispersion Star gave an affirmative answer immediately, now completely elevated from the dejection he had sunk in when Roland had ignored his discovery of the Star of Extinction.

He now foresaw thousands of stars moved along the paths he calculated.

The young king, in the meantime, smiled. The smile was so strange that it reminded Dispersion Star of a hunter who watched an animal slowly falling into his trap.

“Awesome. But please don’t be discouraged. It’s going to be hard, and it’s perfectly normal that you come across some obstacles. I believe you’ll eventually get the hang of them.”

Chapter 669: Diplomatic Turmoil

p>No. 76 had gradually taken Denise’s place since becoming Yorko’s maid.

It did not mean that Yorko forgot about his old lover. The truth was that he had to spend some time taking care of his poor guide. In fact, Yorko had been totally shocked when No. 76 had been sent back by her superintendent Silvermask the other day. The punishment had been indeed as severe as “Black Money” had earlier claimed. There had been whip marks and bruises all over her body, and she had looked nothing like the girl he had met half a day ago.

Yorko was happy that he had made the request to retain No. 76 as his maid in a timely fashion. Otherwise, the girl would probably be wrecked by the battery. That was why Silvermask had said she could no longer be a guide, for customers definitely would not want a disabled girl to serve them.

Fortunately, No. 76 was not as fragile as most girls. She had a pretty strong body, especially her abdomen and back, on which several faint muscle lines could be detected. She had quickly recovered from the injuries after medication and was now able to run errands for the household, which, of course, also included some personal services.

For example, the service like she provided today.

“Sir, do you want me to massage your shoulders?”

After No. 76 cleaned the house, she drew close to Yorko smilingly. Although according to general rules, maids were not allowed to approach their masters without permission, No. 76 was apparently still employing the old method she had learned from “Black Money” to please her “guest”. Yorko did not feel offended in the least. On the contrary, he liked the flirty way she communicated with him.

If No. 76 was simply a maid who strictly followed rules and obeyed his orders, it would be a little too boring to his taste.

“Come and sit here.” Yorko put down the anecdote book in his hand and lay down on the recliner. No. 76 took off his shoes and sat on her knees so that Yorko could rest his head on her thighs comfortably.

She then started to slowly massage Yorko’s shoulders with her five slender fingers. Apparently, No. 76 had received professional training, for she used much greater strength and applied more techniques than other ordinary massage girls, who usually flirted with Yorko in the guise of massage. The labor delivered by No. 76 really worked and made Yorko feel less stressed.

Yorko could clearly see No. 76’s countenance when he lay on her thighs. After “Black Money” had sent her over, she no longer needed to wear that copper mask to conceal her identity.

Frankly speaking, No. 76 was never a beauty. Her overall appearance was just a little above average and certainly could not compare to witches. Nevertheless, Yorko liked her red, plumped lips in particular. When he looked up at her, he was always aroused by the faint smile lingering on her lips.

In comparison, her toned body was more appealing to Yorko. It was actually Yorko’s first time to see a woman’s body full of such incredible strength. Unlike corpulent noble ladies or scrawny peasant girls, No. 76 had well-proportioned limbs, beautiful skins, a prodigal projection of bosom and a flat tummy. When her body tensed up, Yorko could sense her bulging muscles underneath. As a man who always sought thrills, he was more drawn to a perfect body like this than simply a delicate face.

When Yorko was about to take the next step, the door was flung open.

It was Hill Fawkes.

Yorko let out a sigh of disappointment. It appeared his leisure time for today was over. He erected himself and asked, “I hope you aren’t asking me to save some witches again.”

Hill did not respond but simply eyed No. 76.

The girl soon took the hint and withdrew respectfully.

Yorko shrugged. “You’re being overcautious. She’s just a servant.”

“You’d better remain vigilant these days when the current situation in the Kingdom of Dawn is yet to be optimistic.”

“Denise is more reputable than No. 76, and she’s from a more distinguished family. Why don’t you keep your eyes peeled for her?”

“Because Denise Payton is a public figure, whose background was no hidden secret. You can get the information about her one way or another, but there’s no way whatsoever for you to check the background of a guide trained by ‘Black Money’.” Hill seated himself opposite Yorko and placed a letter on the coffee table between them.

“But I feel I’ve already known what kind of person she is and where she’s from now.” Yorko smiled triumphantly. “Do you care to hear it?”

“Oh, really?” Hill’s brows went up a fraction of an inch. “Surprise me.”

Yorko grinned. He was satisfied to know that the guard appointed by his old friend appeared not be omniscient after all. “It takes a lot of time to train a perfect guide. It’ll at least take 10 years to perfect her pillow skills and tone up her body. Those skills she obtained from years of training have already become a part of her, and it has become so natural to her to please and serve her customers. How old is she now?”

“Around 21 or 22… No more than 25.”

“Correct. That means she was only a five or six-year-old kid when she started her training. Unless she’s a monster who never ages or dies, she can’t be a person outside ‘Black Money.” Yorko spread out his hands. “There’s no conflict of interest between us and ‘Black Money” anyway. They conduct much dirtier businesses than trafficking slaves and protecting witches, not to mention that we haven’t actually managed to protect a witch yet.” Yorko went on with self-mockery, “I don’t think witches need protection from us.”

Yorko was in a very complacent mood when he saw Hill Fawkes remain silent. His self-satisfaction, nonetheless, soon disappeared a minute after he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

It was an official diplomatic letter signed by King Roland.

The content of the letter made Yorko quiver in terror.

The King of Graycastle intended to stop the King of Dawn persecuting witches? Yorko was overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of the event. This was the capital of the Kingdom of Dawn, not the Western Region of the Kingdom of Graycastle!

Was his old friend under the impression that Appen Moya would listen to his counsel?

The series of threats following seemed to be even more ridiculous. Roland advised the King of Dawn not to go against the stream and warned him that the ruling of the church, which was starting to decay, provided the best example. He also stated that the Kingdom of Graycastle would not stand by and would take further steps if necessary. Roland hoped that Appen could use his best judgement in all situations.

Although the letter was phrased very politely, Yorko believed everybody in the palace would be sensible enough to sniff out the threatening voice between the lines. Roland was obviously indicating that the Kingdom of Dawn would be his next enemy if their king refused to follow his suggestion.

How could he say that to the King of Dawn directly?

Yorko returned the letter to Hill sullenly. All his contentment faded into restlessness.

Hill was right. To His Majesty, witches were more important than the alliance. He wondered, however, what else these threats would bring about other than growing repugnance among great nobles in the Kingdom of Dawn. The letter could be nothing but another conversation piece.

“What should I do?” It appeared that he had no choice but to rely on Hill’s counsel.

Hill took a quick glance at the letter and replied, “Do as His Majesty says. This is your duty as an ambassador. As to the consequence, I bet the worst scenario would be that Appen Moya expels you from the court in rage. You won’t run into any danger.”

“Then we’ll be done with these nobles.” Yorko said gloomily, “People in the city of Glow will regard us as crazy and laugh about it in their cups, and Roland will become their new topic of discussion… What will His Majesty benefit from such a bluff?”

“A bluff?” Hill neither agreed nor disagreed. “Do you really think it’s a bluff?”

Yorko’s heart suddenly stopped beating with a jerk. He looked at the guard in dismay. “No… that can’t be…”

Hill said slowly, “Timothy Wimbledon also thought so before the old king’s city fell. Based on what I know of His Majesty, he never wastes his time.”

Chapter 670: The Sad Ambassador

p>Yorko requested to present himself on the court meeting the following day.

As the two kingdoms had just formed an alliance, his request was soon approved, and two magnificently armored knights escorted him to the palace hall.

Over the past two to three months, Yorko had made numerous vain attempts to see King of Dawn. He wished now, however, that King Appen could have ignored him like he had usually done.

Unfortunately, the reality was always cruel.

By the time he entered the hall, the court meeting was close to its end.

The young king was leaning against his throne, talking animatedly with the ministers. He did not sit up until Yorko bent his knees. “Please rise. I’ve heard you’ve brought a letter from Roland Wimbledon?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Yorko answered mechanically. “He congratulates on your coronation and has expressed his earnest desire that the two kingdoms will establish a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship.”

Appen Moya smiled. “That was surprisingly refreshing. Did he send any presents?”

“Well, of… course.” The Ambassador revolved his reply rapidly in his mind. “The fleet carrying those presents are currently on the way. The letter was actually delivered by post horses.”

“I remember when King Wimbledon III was crowned, my father sent a delegation of 200 people to celebrate his coronation. There were 11 wagons full of presents, including goldware, fine wines, silk as well as pretty maids. I’m very curious about what Roland would gift me as a return.”

The ministers in the hall burst into a fit of laughter.

Yorko swallowed hard, completely having no idea how to shoot back an answer. He doubted the validity of the story and wondered why Roland had not said anything about presents in the letter. As an ambassador, he had a good reason to be ignorant of the matter. However, for Roland, he should have known the gift-giving etiquette.

“Did he say anything else?” Appen asked.

For a second, Yorko wanted to excuse himself. Yet when he weighed the consequence of such an act, he forced himself to stay put. The outcome of infuriating King of Dawn would be no more than being shut out by nobles in the king’s city. If he disappointed Roland, however, he would probably be relieved from the position as an ambassador.

Yorko ground his teeth. “His Majesty… um… also hopes that you stop persecuting witches and treat them as free peoples. Otherwise, the Kingdom of Graycastle would have to employ force to settle the matter, just as what they did to the church.”

The hall was deadly silent after he finished.

The ambassador felt sweats started to bead on his forehead.

After quite a while, Appen Moya broke off. “Did Roland Wimbledon really say that? Give me the letter.”

A knight approached Yorko at once and snatched the parchment from him.

Yorko could sense the coldness in King of Dawn’s tone even without looking at him.

He was almost about to wail at the thought of the lengthy condemnation and warns in the letter.

As he expected, Appen threw the letter to the floor straight away after reading it. The young king obviously had a hard time controlling his temper. He rose to his heels and growled in a red rage. “So this is the attitude of the Kingdom of Graycastle to its ally? Witches are innocent, so we have to set them free? Rubbish! Look at what those damn witches did to House Moya. They invaded the palace, killed the guards and took my father as their hostage to force me to yield to the church! If they didn’t poison my father, he should have been right here, alive and well!”

“But he’s dead, and it’s his death has made you the king.” Yorko left the remaining word unsaid.

“Your Majesty, please calm down. As far as I know… witches trained by the church are different from innocent ones, just as there’re good and bad ones among ordinary people…”

“Shut up!” Appen hollered. “You don’t have the faintest idea how vile these people in possession of demons’ power are. Even God’s stones fail to stop them! Tell me then. How could it be possible that such a community, which is literally bounded to nothing, submits to our ruling? The Kingdom of Dawn will be more peaceful without witches. I have to fulfill my obligations of protecting my people!”

Looking at Appen’s purple face, Yorko realized reasoning would no longer work. The shadow of his father’s death was still haunting him. Although Appen was of about the same age as Roland, he was almost as petulant as the old Roland back in the king’s city, and perhaps even worse.

In merely a year after Roland had left the king’s city, he had become the real sovereign of the state. Appen, on the contrary, was still acting the boy.

“I’ll write a letter to the King of Graycastle and advise him to be vigilant about the Fallen. It’s just ridiculous to threaten the Kingdom of Dawn because of those Devil’s minions!” Appen paced back and forth indignantly. “It’s true that the Kingdom of Graycastle is powerful. but don’t forget who bestowed him such power! Without the support of local nobles, Roland couldn’t garrison his troops in here! If he invades our royal domain out of such absurdity, he’ll suppress his feudatories in the same way he treats us. By that time, neither my people nor nobles in the Kingdom of Graycastle will support him like they always did when he battled against the church!”

“Well, It appears that Roland has already weeded out the nobles.” Yorko thought to himself. He did not really know how His Majesty had defeated the church, but he dimly remembered that Roland had not relied on any nobles when conquering the king’s city. At that time, out of the entire Kingdom of Graycastle, few people had believed that Prince Roland Wimbledon would have eventually won the game of thrones. All the great nobles had later been rooted out during the trial, which was why he could get this job as an ambassador.

In the end, Yorko was ordered to leave the palace by Appen Moya just as Hill had anticipated.

Fortunately, none of the ministers in the court chimed in. They were simply too dumbfounded to utter a word. This was better than what Yorko had expected.

But Yorko was pretty sure that after they read the letter on the floor, they would dismiss it with a laugh.

As soon as Yorko returned from the palace, Otto Luoxi paid him a visit.

“King Roland really views this matter in this way?”

“Do I sound like I’m lying?” Yorko collapsed in the recliner. “Well, are you mocking me now?”

“No… I just think Appen’s new policy is rather thoughtless. He does want civilians in the Kingdom of Dawn to have a peaceful life, but the hunting measures he takes actually terrifies people.”

“Then you should talk him out of it.”

“He doesn’t listen…” Otto smiled bitterly. “He acts like a different person every time we talk about witches. You can’t blame him though. If you witness what happened in the palace…” Otto bit his lip. “No, nothing. The death of the late king greatly shocked Appen. Technically, he shouldn’t have ascended the throne until he comes of age five or six years later. I’ve heard King Wimbledon III was also killed by the witch from the church? If only Appen can be as composed as King Roland.”

Yorko gazed at Otto in surprise. He felt like Otto did not sound like the eldest son of one of the three major families in the Kingdom of Dawn but a noble from the Kingdom of Graycastle. Had Roland become so invincible that he could now make nobles in the neighbor country stand on his side?

“Anyway, I’ll try to talk to Appen again. He doesn’t even listen to Earl Quinn now.”

Otto was about to take his leave after the tea when No. 76 suddenly darted into the room.

“Sir… the witch you purchased has come back!”

Chapter 671: A Turbulent Situation

orko lamented in silence.

“Hell, didn’t they agree not to meet each other ever again? It’s just a courtesy to say ‘please feel free to contact the ambassador if you come across any difficulties’!”

He exchanged a look with Otto. After hesitating for quite a while, Yorko said, “Send her in.”

If it was not because the real buyer was here, Yorko would rather make up some excuses such as “The ambassador was currently not available. Please come again later” and shut her out.

No. 76 soon led the girl to the room. As he had expected, it was the 10th item in the “Black Money” auction, Amy.

The witch grasped Yorko’s arm anxiously as soon as she came in. “Sir, please help us. Annie and the others are in danger!”

“Danger?” Yorko feared that it was not a good sign. “Slow down, slow down. Take a seat first.” Yorko patted her on the shoulder. “Tell me what exactly happened?”

“We’ve… been found!” Amy uttered a series of broken words breathlessly. “A large number of… patrol team surrounded the orphanage and blocked off the roads in the vicinity. I saw more than one platoons of knights… They’re searching for witches one block after another. The other witches are still stuck in there… Please, help them!”

“Are there other witches apart from you and Annie?”

“Yes, Hero and Broken Sword. Hero lost her legs, so Annie has to carry her on the back.”

Yorko gasped. One was already enough for him to worry about, and there were four! “How did you escape?”

“Our food is running low, so I went out to buy some groceries. By the time I came back… by the time I came back, they had been everywhere!” Her voice trailed off into a barely-suppressed sob.

Yorko found himself in a very difficult position. Although titled with Ambassador of Graycastle, he did not have any actual executive power. Therefore, it was impossible for him to stop the patrol team. Further, the operation was commanded by the King of Dawn, whom he had just vexed a great deal during the court meeting. If he now stood out to protect the witches, he would probably face a more severe consequence than being expelled from the palace.

“Don’t worry. They’ll be OK.” No. 76 consoled Amy while gently stroking her back. “Sir Yorko must know how to bring them back safe and sound.”

“Not at all!” Yorko snapped in silence. If Amy could have sought Roland for protection as he had suggested earlier, nothing of these would have happened.

“What about that Mr. Hill?” Otto questioned.

“I don’t know. He never reports to me, and often time I can’t find him anywhere.” Yorko frowned. “If you want to see him, I’m afraid it has to be after dinner.”

“I see… I’ll look for Earl Quinn first. He’s the king’s prime minister and is in charge of the patrol team. Perhaps he can help them escape.”

“Hang on. Will he listen to you?”

“I’ve no idea, but it’s worth giving it a shot.” Otto gave a look full of mixed feelings. “Do you still remember the witch friend I talked about earlier? Her name is Andrea Quinn. She’s the daughter of Earl Quinn.”

…

Time slowly slipped away. Yorko could do nothing other than looking out of the window while waiting.

Meanwhile, No. 76 did an amazing job in comforting Amy. The agitated girl finally calmed down and fell asleep in the recliner. Yorko could tell that the long journey had cost the witch a great amount of energy. Having said that, it was still pretty… gullible of her to sleep at a place like this.

By evenfall, Hill Fawkes was back to the ambassador mansion.

“Where did you go…” No sooner had Yorko finished his sentence than he found three people followed Hill to the room.

Actually, it was two and a half people.

One of them was even half a head taller than Hill, her face stained with blood and her bright eyes observant. It was the same Annie who had taken away Amy from “Black Money” the other day. She was carrying a purple-haired girl on her back. Out of convenience, the girl was closely attached to Annie with two straps clutching her waist and her shoulders.

From the dangling pants, Yorko knew she must be legless Hero.

The person who entered last was about the same height as No. 76. She had shoulder length silver hair, gaunt and frail, with her hands at the waist, as though she had sustained severe injuries.

Awakened by the patterings of footsteps, Amy was stunned for a second before throwing herself to Annie. “You all escaped… Thank God! Did those knights hurt you?”

“I’m fine, but Broken Sword… She consumed a lot of magic power.”

“I’ve been so worried about you…” Amy could not hold back her emotions anymore and broke out into tears.

“Annie’s here. Nothing to fret about now.” Hero offered her solace.

Yorko gaped. “How did you meet them?”

“It’s a long story. They must leave here as soon as possible.” Hill grabbed the ambassador’s hand and pulled him aside to the bedroom. “Listen, you guys must leave the city of Glow before the city gate closes. Our wagons are ready, five in total. The first two will carry wheat and fruit, and you’ll get on the other three…”

“Hold on for a second,” Yorko interrupted. “You just said… ‘you guys’?”

“You and the witches, not including me.” Hill stressed each word with due strength. “In order not to obstruct His Majesty’s plan, we have to keep in touch with the Kingdom of Dawn.”

“But I’m the ambassador!”

“That’s exactly why you need to leave.” In a critical moment like this, Hill appeared to be even more self-collected than usual. “Look, I didn’t save these three witches.”

“What?” Yorko was shocked. “Not you?”

“My birds are always hanging around the Tourney Square. If I can’t find the witches, it would be a better idea to see how my rivals locate them. I received the news right after the knights set out. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, the block had been under a siege. Only Rats from the Black Street know how to get in there.”

“So you bribed the Rats?”

“I’ve been keeping in contact with local Rats since I arrived at the Kingdom of Dawn. Although it has cost a big chunk of money, they do sometimes help me in the event of a crisis.” Hill said in a low tone, “But the three witches had already fled by the time I found their traces with the help of the Rats.”

“Isn’t that perfect? I’ll ask Denise to get them out of here. Let’s pretend nothing has happened…”

Hill shook his head. “It isn’t that simple. The King of Dawn already knew where the hiding place of these witches exactly is. He has manpower sufficient enough to turn the whole block inside out. How did they escape? There’s only one possible explanation: they let the witches go. Perhaps Appen wants to expose more hidden witches in this way… or rather—he wants to find out the person who supports them.”

Yorko swallowed hard.

“If that’s indeed the case, it would be too risky to linger in the city of Glow. The best option is to leave as soon as you can.” Hill continued, “If you can bring four witches to His Majesty, the payoff of that would be significantly greater than fulfilling your duties as an ambassador.”

“What about you…” Yorko asked hesitantly. “If you get caught…”

“They can arrest a person with a legit name, but not a nameless man who secretly hides in the darkness. In their eyes, I never exist.” Hill chuckled. “Nobody will ever notice one guard in the delegation is missing, and Lord Otto will also cover for me. Do you remember what I said? I’m just an ordinary acrobat. Next time you and His Majesty visit the Kingdom of Dawn, you’ll probably see a brand new acrobatics troupe in this prosperous city of Glow.”

…

Chapter 672: Hero

p>At length, Yorko followed Hill’s advice. In the golden glow of sunset, their coach departed the city of Glow.

All the coachmen worked for Hill, who were said to be former employees of the acrobatics troupe. After transporting slaves with the caravan for several times, they had known the retreating route by heart. The fleet did not slow down until the sun completely disappeared behind the mountains. They still, nevertheless, continued with the procession for about two hours after night fell with the help of an oil lamp before pitching their tent in the wilderness.

The coaches arrayed in a circle around a bonfire. A young man who called himself Clown quickly fetched some water and started to make porridge. A tall guy named Rockhill went to feed the horses. The magician was responsible for patrolling and putting out sentries and Chom Brothers setting up booby traps… These people were more like members of an army than of an acrobatics troupe.

Yorko found he did not need to do anything other than waiting for the delicious porridge to be served to him.

Apart from the porridge, he also got a plate of bacon and an apple.

He now understood why Hill had decided to include wheat and fruit in their cargo.

The food in the two wagons, the so-called “goods for sale”, would suffice to feed all of them throughout the journey even if they had to commute for one to two months.

Yorko wondered if Hill had prepared to flee the Kingdom of Dawn long before, for it had not taken him a considerably long time to load all the food. He had heard from his guards that Hill had kept in touch with Black Street Rats. “Dear lord… Is that guy really just an acrobat?”

Yorko resolved to ask his old friend about it after he returned to the Kingdom of Graycastle.

All the coachmen strode off with their porridge and stayed at the outer-ring respectfully, leaving Yorko, No. 76 and the four witches in the circle.

“I apologize for what I said and did the other day,” Annie said cordially. “You didn’t hand us to the King of Dawn, but I still can’t fully trust you.”

“Why?” Amy looked confused. “He doesn’t look like a bad man.”

Yorko blushed at this compliment, as he had never considered himself a good man. Fortunately, the flush was so faint compared with the light of the bonfire that nobody perceived it. “Ahem, I reckon that Miss Annie still feels suspicious of the simplicity of the witch organization in the Kingdom of Graycastle.”

“Simplicity?”

“For example, some powerful nobles love to keep some witches and use them as their playthings…”

“That’s just one of my concerns,” Annie interrupted. “Whether it’s in Wolfheart or Graycastle, all such organizations will be essentially the same if they intend to lure and abuse witches with lies. If the one in Graycastle does operate in the way you claimed, I’ll certainly make a formal apology to you.”

“It doesn’t matter to me.” Yorko shrugged. “My task is to bring you to King Roland. What happens next doesn’t have anything to do with me. Even if you want to apologize to me, you may not have a chance to see me in the future.”

There was an awkward silence. For a second, no audible sounds could be heard except the “crack, crack” of the bonfire.

Yorko was usually very good at socializing and making conversations. He did not feel like talking, however, with these witches. They had not only disturbed his peaceful life as an ambassador but had also put the emissary delegation in a risky position. There was nothing wrong about being cautious, but the fact that his every single act was under scrutiny really irked him.

In the end, No. 76 broke the silence.

“Are you all from the Kingdom of Wolfheart?” she asked. “Amy told me that you’ve known each other for quite a while.”

Annie nodded. “You’re correct, although… we weren’t born in the same city.”

“Wolfheart is now taken by the church. You’ve certainly suffered a lot on the way to the Kingdom of Dawn.” No. 76 stooped over and touched Hero’s dangling pants. She asked in a low voice, “Did she lose her feet during her escape from the church?”

Hero bit her lip bitterly, head lowered.

“They were chopped off by the people she aimed to protect.” Annie’s answer surprised everyone. “Hero stood out when Wolfheart City encountered the biggest crisis in the history of time, but all she got was hatred from its people.”

“Hurt by… the people she protected?”

Annie nodded. “I can explain to you if you want to know. But it isn’t a happy story.”

No. 76 gazed at Hero for a moment and replied in a serious tone, “I want to know.”

Yorko pricked up his ears, though he pretended to be fully absorbed in the bacon he was eating.

“When the church army attacked Wolfheart City a year ago, they threw a large number of bodies infected by the demonic plague into the city, in an attempt to bleed off the strength of the king’s city, just like what they did at Broken Tooth Castle,” Annie added two more twigs to the bonfire, which soon splintered up into glitters of sparks. “But Hero stopped the demonic plague from spreading with her ability. She could transfer the disease to other living creatures. That was why the plague got under control.”

“What kind of living creatures?”

“Rats, cats, dogs, cows, sheep, etc… also including human beings,” Annie replied slowly. “Citizens dug a huge hole at the slum. People who got infected would gather there and ask Hero to transfer their disease to animals. They would then burn the animals in the hole. Gradually, people started to view Hero as the lifesaver of Wolfheart City and began to call her Hero. Amy and I also received her treatment.”

“But things turned for the worse. A large animal was enough to bear the disease from five or six patients, whereas cats and dogs could only bear one or two. As the church continued to spread the demonic plague, even if people of Wolfheart could catch all living creatures, it would not be enough for all patients. They just couldn’t save everyone.”

“As the war prolonged, people started to lay their eyes on man.”

The word made Yorko feel chilled to the bone.

No. 76 drew close to Hero and gently pressed the witch to her bosom. “That wasn’t your fault.”

In the flickering light, Annie’s face was masked with ice. “Of course it wasn’t her fault. Those people never gave her a chance to choose from the beginning. First, they burned prisoners, criminals and volunteers. Then they started to burn the elders, wounded soldiers, and captives from the Judgement Army.”

“But Hero didn’t do what these crazy men asked her to. She just couldn’t kill innocent people, especially those soldiers who yearned for life and minors who had yielded. So, the attitude of the public toward her changed. People started to believe that she colluded with the church and were protecting their enemies. The saver had thus become a traitor. Hero was later imprisoned. If it were not because of her ability, she had probably been sent to the gallows long before.”

“Afterward, the church launched another attack. It only took them one day to seize the city wall of the king’s city. On the day the city fell, the jailer, who had once been treated by Hero, chopped her legs off with an ax and then set the cell ablaze. He argued that the fall of the Kingdom of Wolfheart was the result of the collusion between Hero and the church. He said as a traitor, Hero couldn’t go anywhere but should be burned and destroyed together with the city.”

At these words, Annie fell into a short silence. “But the jailer never anticipated that Hero, who lost the ability to move, would be saved by captives from the Judgement Army in the cell.”

Chapter 673: A Sacrifice

ould church believers save a witch?

Yorko did not realize that he had already forgotten about the bacon and had been all ears as Annie continued with the story.

“They helped Hero out of the cell. With their help, Hero successfully escaped the search from the church. After the war, the survived Judgement Warriors even provided her with food and clothes for a period of time, until their army returned to Hermes and they had to bid farewell. Before they departed, all the Judgement Warriors who had been imprisoned in that cell expressed their gratitude to her.”

Yorko knitted his brows. “But regarding the title ‘Hero’, could it be…”

“She’s a hero.” The whip was in Annie’s voice again. “No matter how the citizens who received her treatment look at her, she did save thousands of people in Wolfheart City, including me and Amy. She deserved such a title.”

The ambassador let out a sigh. He had not known that witches suffered far more than he had imagined. If he were unfairly treated in that way, he would view everyone as his enemy and kill all of them to avenge himself, and certainly would not trust anybody.

Yorko’s indignation for being under constant suspicion gradually dissipated.

“Her legs… can probably be healed.”

“Really? Are you serious?”

“What should we do?”

All the eyes rested on Yorko in a second, including Hero’s. She could be no more than 18 or 19 years old by her look. Although misfortunes had weighed down upon her, she had not been devastated by all the snares and toils she had been through during the war. Her eyes were still full of hope instead of numbness and confusion.

“Ahem, I’m not sure.” Yorko rubbed his nose.”Hill once said there’re over 300 witches in Graycastle. Their power of the devil… No, I mean their abilities should vary, right? Perhaps somebody can regenerate amputated limbs or even grow a new one.”

“300?” No. 76 exclaimed in surprise. “How did the King of Graycastle get so many witches?”

“It’s a long story. My old friend is a born king. He saw through the church’s scheme a long time ago. Not only does he allow witches in his domain to live a normal life, but he also insists on the innocence of witches and advertises this concept throughout Graycastle. Gradually, more witches turn to him for protection and work for him.” Yorko took this opportunity to lavish praise on Roland. “So you don’t need to worry about your future life at all. His Majesty claims that everyone in Neverwinter will be suited to a job, including witches.”

“What kind of jobs?” Amy’s eyes were glistening.

“How should I know… I haven’t been to Neverwinter,” Yorko thought to himself. “Um, naturally, it depends on your ability. For example, if you can manipulate flames, you can be a blacksmith. If you can conjure whirlwinds, you can work at a mill to activate windmills, something like that.” Yorko rambled. “Anyway, His Majesty is planning to build a new king’s city in the Western Region, and he certainly needs people. Even if your ability can’t help with anything, you can still work as an ordinary person.”

“Sounds pretty good indeed.” Annie eyed Amy who apparently wanted to voice out. “But lies always sound better than reality. At present, I…”

“I got it. I got it. You haven’t fully trusted me yet, right?” Yorko spread out his hands. “Then trust your own eyes when you get there.”

“By the way, how did you know Hero?” No. 76 put in.

“When Wolfheart City fell, I happened to live at Amy’s place. I noticed the curious behavior of the Judgement Army soldiers’, so I followed them and discovered Hero,” Annie answered while fiddling with the bonfire. “We met Broken Sword several months later. She was caught by church believers who garrisoned there and was to be sent to Holy City. I ambushed the unit who escorted her and thus saved Broken Sword.”

“You alone?”

“If I’m fully prepared, it actually isn’t any harder to raid a group of soldiers than a pack of animals,” Annie said placidly. “After that ambush, however, the church intensified their searching operation by several times, and we had nowhere to hide. So we joined refugees and left Wolfheart. We went all the way to the south until finally settling down in the orphanage in the city of Glow.”

“What a dramatic escape.” No. 76 commented with a sigh.

“But it’s far from the end,” Yorko thought, “Although the hunt by the Kingdom of Dawn isn’t as nerve-racking as the one by the church, the number of the armies running after them is more than enough to kill them all.” Yorko hoped that all Hill’s concerns were just groundless fears, otherwise Appen Moya would never set them free. As long as they were still within the territory of the Kingdom of Dawn, they were not considered to be safe.

He shook his head to put these annoying thoughts behind. “Let’s finish the dinner and sleep soon. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow.”

…

Surprisingly, they did not encounter any obstructions in the next few days. They took the route planned out by the magician and managed to avoid entering any cities. Instead, they exclusively picked paths in the rural area. Five days later, they reached Wind Ridge of the Kingdom of Dawn. Another day of traveling toward south would bring them to the North of the Graycastle.

Yorko felt a little relieved.

He did not like the feeling of being alert all the time, for even the slightest sound at night would wake him up. In comparison, No. 76 was more self-collected. She took good care of both witches and Yorko.

Within a few days, No. 76 had totally blended in with these witches. She was, in particular, close to Amy, the most naive one, who had almost viewed No. 76 as her fourth sister.

Yorko leaned against the soft cushion while looking at the endless winding mountains and yellow fields outside the window. He started to hum involuntarily.

He had failed to fulfill his duties as an ambassador, but instead, he brought his old friend four witches. If Hill was right, how many rewards would His Majesty bestow him?

While he was still absorbed in his dream, the magician responsible for security suddenly came to him from the rear of the fleet. “Sir, we may have trouble. It looks like we’ve been tailed.”

“What?”

Yorko’s heart leaped into his throat. He quickly poked his head out of the window but did not find anything unusual.

“There’re knights seven or eight miles away from us. You can’t see them from here.” The magician spurred his horse into a small trot in order to keep up with the coach. “They don’t march very fast but we’re even slower. If things go on like this, they’ll sooner or later catch up and spot us.”

“Are you sure they’re our enemies?”

“No. I took a glimpse from a distance but I can’t take the chance. There’re around 20 to 30 people, all fully armored. They don’t have any extra relaying horses. It’s probable that they tracked us through our hoove prints.”

“Then what should we do?” Yorko instantly panicked out.

“We must get off the carriage and walk. There’s a wood close by where horses can’t go through,which can impede the procession of the knights,” The magician replied in a low voice. “But this will only bring down their speed to the same level of ours. Once we’re caught up, all of us will be doomed. If we want to successfully get rid of them, one person has to lead the fleet to move on and divert them to the main road.”

He paused for a second and went on, “In other words, somebody has to make a sacrifice.”

Chapter 674: No. 76

p>The carriages had stopped and all lined up along the side of the road while the Chom Brothers were busy tying them together. This way, it was possible for one person to drive all the vehicles.

After an intense argument, Annie had finally convinced the witches, taking them to follow Clown, plunging into the forest.

Now, it was the remaining people and Yorko’s turn.

Rockhill carried a bag of food and walked passed him, saying, “My lord, we must leave now. If the enemies notice us, then all of our previous efforts will be wasted.”

“Wait a minute. I want to talk with her.”

He thought it would take him awhile to make a decision, but he actually needed less than 15 minutes.

No. 76 voluntarily stepped forward.

As did Rockhill and Annie, but as the leader of the group, Yorko eventually selected No. 76 to stay behind to cover their retreat.

“I went through five years of combat training at the ‘Black Money’. I’m a fast runner, too, so don’t worry about me.” No. 76’s words were simple, as simple as an ordinary farewell. “Isn’t there a village nearby? When I drive the carriages to the village and sneak into the crowd, they won’t be able to find me at all. After this crisis, I’ll join you guys again—right at the border city of the Kingdom of Graycastle. Please remember to wait for me there.”

Meanwhile, the magician was quietly whispering to him that the village was more than 10 miles away. Given the distance, it would be impossible for anyone to make it there before the knights arrived, and after taking the time to tie the carriages together, their chances became even slimmer.

If our pursuers haven’t been ordered by the King of Dawn to capture witches, there isn’t a need for concern. However, if what the magician had predicted happened to be true… Yorko could easily imagine how the knights would vent their anger once they found out No. 76 had deceived them.

Yorko had a sinking suspicion that if the carriages happened to be stopped by the knightage from the king’s city of Dawn, he would be the sole survivor. Appen Moya would likely ask Roland for a ransom, and he might ridicule and make him a laughing stock among the nobility. However, he would not hastily send him to the guillotine, unfortunately, anyone else that got caught would end up being executed without remorse.

He thought, perhaps, he should be the one to stay behind to attract the attention of their pursuers.

He wanted to step forward numerous times but he kept chickening-out every time he tried to open his mouth.

“An ambassador represents his king. I can’t let them catch me and mock me because that would be the same as humiliating the King of Graycastle.” Yorko comforted himself. Unfortunately, he now was unable to look No. 76 in the eye.

“Goddammit! She’s just a bought slave.”

Yorko walked over to No. 76 and just as he was about to say something, she spoke first, “My lord, this is my decision. This has nothing to do with the ‘Black Money’—even though Silvermask always instructs us to be ready to sacrifice ourselves for it, however, I don’t like it at all. I thought I would be living underground for my entire life to adulate those customers until I grew old and became the new Silvermask. Or, sent off to become a handyman also to never to see the sun again. Fortunately, you brought me out of that place. You made it so I could feel the vastness of the outside world and I’ve no regrets now. Please hurry into the forest. You’re running out of time.”

“But…”

No. 76 smiled and said, “Thank you, my lord. If you hadn’t said anything, I would have been beaten to death in that underground limestone cave. My life belongs to you, and I may survive this crisis. If I do, let’s meet in the Kingdom of Graycastle.”

The Chom Brothers were behind Yorko urging him, “My lord, we have to go now.”

Yorko took a deep breath, turned around, and left.

“Yes, she’s just a slave.”

“This is the best option.”

Yorko believed this, but he still felt an indescribable uneasiness in his heart.

Before he entered the forest, he turned one last time to look back. The carriages had begun to move slowly, driven by No. 76. She didn’t linger and she didn’t wave to bid farewell, she acted as if this were a common departure.

Just like the way she volunteered.

Soon, the shade from the forest blocked his view.

*

No. 76 did not drive the carriages all the way to the village.

After traveling for about 300 feet, she reined in her horse and stopped the carriages.

She wouldn’t be able to see the entrance of the forest anymore if she walked further.

She jumped off her horse and sat on the back of the last carriage, quietly waiting for the arrival of their pursuers.

She had been waiting for quite some time, however, it felt as if only a moment had passed. Waiting was a habit she had developed over her very long life, so she had become accustomed to it.

As the sun began to set in the west she could finally see the knight’s figures appearing at the end of the road.

They didn’t wear an emblem or ribbon as the knightage of the king’s city did but based on their exquisite armor and high horses they were from some big city.

No. 76 tactfully counted the number of knights. There were 35 of them, half of which were squires whose equipment and actions seemed to be more refined than the knights from a small town or village.

The leader of the knights frowned when he saw the carriages waiting on the side of the road. He cracked his whip and the knights swarmed forward, surrounding them.

“Sir Lougan, there’s no one else in the carriages!”

“Interesting… It looks like our Ambassador of Graycastle sent out scouts.” Lougan smiled scornfully, “Caro, Jester, you two go back and check for footprints on both sides of the road. Since they’ve abandoned their carriages and fled, they must have left some trace.”

Lougan’s words conveyed his intent.

“Sir, what about the woman?…”

“Cut off her hands and feet, then interrogate her. Unfortunately, since she dared to stay behind, you probably won’t get any information from her.”

No. 76 stood up as she said, “There’s no need for an interrogation. They fled into that forest not too far behind you, but…”

“But, what?” A knight drew his sword with one hand and stretched out his other to try and grab her arm.

Apparently, the knights were not going to spare her life, even if she told them what they wanted to know.

“But, you guys won’t get the chance to see the witches again.”

With her impressive speed, No. 76 lifted her hand and clutched the wrist of the closest knight. She pulled his arm, sending him up into the air, flying involuntarily toward her.

She took this chance to slip his head under her armpit, getting him into a headlock.

She used her shoulder and squeezed. His armor made an unpleasant rattling noise and then with a snap, his helmet was dislodged, leaving a fist-sized gap in his armor near his throat.

The knight cramped violently, mouth gaping like a fish that had just been pulled from a river.

“Let go of Charlie!”

“Goddammit! Kill her!”

The other knights all pulled out their swords and thrust them towards No. 76.

No. 76 tossed the dead knight toward them, forcing them to pull back their swords. Taking her chance, she picked up the dead knight’s sword and struck out at the nearest enemy.