The nightingale bid farewell to Roland the day after Anna's awakening.
"Though the reason remains unclear, she's likely the first Witch to survive the Awakening Day unscathed," Nightingale said excitedly before departing. Having spent considerable time with Roland, she had grown accustomed to using the term' Awakening 'to describe the Witch's transformation. "I'll bring the Co-Operation Sisters—hope you'll welcome them as you did Anna." Roland was more than happy to comply. Anna alone had mastered the Hot Forging Technique, ushering the town into the Industrial Age. What did a group of Witches signify? Of course, for safety reasons, he insisted she stay, hoping she'd return to the Desolate Mountains after the Demon's Moon ended.
But the Nightingale was clearly growing impatient. "Many more will face this trial this winter. Had we shared the news earlier, fewer might have had to leave us. Rest assured, ordinary evil beasts can't track me." "And when will your awakening day be?" Roland asked finally.
The Nightingale leapt onto the horse. 'At the turn of winter and spring,' she waved her hand, leaving Prince a silhouette behind. 'Don't worry about me—the pain of those years has faded.' Roland pondered over this answer.
He had been pondering why Anna had survived the Awakening Day so unscathed. Her later claim of having felt no pain at all completely overturned Nightingale's doctrine—' Witchcraft's power originates from the Devil, the malevolent impure' —which had been the core tenet. The gruesome sight of her blood evaporating and skin scorched black upon death became irrefutable proof of the corrupting force's power.
But Roland never thought about it that way in the first place.
He combed through the Fourth Prince's memories but found no evidence of a true God or Devil in this world. Since power isn't God-given, it shouldn't be the standard for distinguishing good from evil. In fact, even in worlds where gods frequently intervene in mortal affairs, believers first choose their side before being granted divine power, not the other way around.
According to Nightingale's description, the Witch is the embodiment of Magic Power. Could the damage to the vessel be caused by the inability to release this power? Roland believes this is highly likely. The Witch, facing widespread hostility and oppression, would inevitably conceal her abilities and live a cautious, ordinary life. This results in them rarely having the chance to wield Magic Power before reaching adulthood.
Roland certainly didn't consider his castle to be a feng shui treasure site. He had asked Anna and learned that she too had endured unbearable suffering before. The only difference this year was that since arriving at the castle, she had been using this power almost every day.
The nightingale's final response subtly confirmed his hypothesis: her invisibility ability remained undetected even with frequent use. Having been forcibly trained in this skill, she now wielded it with complete impunity, which is why the backlash on the Awakening Day had minimal impact on her.
Upon returning to the castle, Roland immediately intensified training for the Nana Wa. If no casualties appeared on the defensive line, he would treat all minor creatures. If this hypothesis could be confirmed through the Nana Wa, it would be a game-changer for the Witch. The Devil's curse would then become a divine blessing. As long as he ensured his territory remained open to the Witch, they would keep coming in a steady stream.
In any case, after this storm, everything is back on track.
Roland ramped up production of Steam Unit 2, while also helping Anna master her new abilities.
A new shelter was erected in the castle's backyard, this time specifically designed to shield against wind and snow. As an experimental site, he believed it was safer to establish it on his own territory.
According to Nightingale, a Witch's abilities stabilize after reaching adulthood and may develop new branch powers. While Anna hasn't yet shown any new abilities, her use of flames has completely transformed compared to before.
No, whether it could be called a flame was still debatable... Roland mused. While the earlier flames were still within the bounds of common sense, the current emerald-green glow defied all logical explanation.
He named it "Heart Fire".
It can exist independently of Anna while adapting its form to her will. As she does now—standing as a tiny flame on an iron plate two meters away, swaying gently as if greeting her. But Roland knows Anna controls it. Normally, it maintains a temperature close to her body heat, but when she desires warmth, it instantly rises to a higher temperature, its color shifting from emerald green to dark green. Similarly, it can transform from a single flame into a large cluster of flames and move slowly.
Unfortunately, it could never stray too far from Anna. After repeated trials, the heart fire would vanish whenever it moved beyond five meters.
Another hallmark of the Heart Fire is Anna's ability to summon multiple flames—though she can currently barely manage two at once.
The border had been remarkably calm lately. Though demonic beasts kept appearing outside the walls, none were hybrids—most could hardly breach the defenses. As Roland had said, the strong grew stronger, the swift grew faster, yet they remained mere beasts. The massive section of the wall was gradually guided to the central section, allowing the militia team of just over a hundred men to handle it.
Aside from his daily routine inspections, Roland dedicates a significant portion of his time to construction projects.
He has designated a plot of land south of Castle as the Witch's new residence. As the project investor, he appointed Carl to oversee the construction of a series of two-story brick houses. The design must prioritize aesthetic appeal, practical accessibility, and efficient drainage, aiming to create a model community.
He had considered dispersing the Witch across both the old and new districts to live among townsfolk, but ultimately abandoned the idea. While this approach might help the gentry better understand the Witch, any issues arising before all misunderstandings were cleared could lead to irreparable consequences. After all, the Witch currently holds only limited influence within the militia.
Moreover, Roland cannot guarantee that all the witches summoned by the Nightingale are innocent and harmless—most of them have endured the world's pain and suffering, and can hardly be described as pure. Only a handful, like Anna and Nana Wa, would be among them.
Concentrated living also facilitates centralized management, requiring the establishment of relevant regulations before their arrival. In this regard, Roland had no experience to draw from—after all, he was neither part of the NSA's Office of Superpowers nor the creator of the Avengers. Who could possibly know how to manage a group of superpowered individuals? He could only tentatively set up basic personnel management systems following standard corporate practices, then gradually navigate the challenges as he went along.
Roland was well aware of the scheme's glaring flaws, but as a trailblazer, if he refused to act, who else would? Huddled in this remote border town, he might spend decades barely scraping by the threshold of industrialization. Yet he was no Taoist priest—how many decades could he possibly endure?
To lead the times and stand at the forefront of reform, one must possess a spirit of adventure.
As he was jotting down these ideas on parchment, Barov burst in.
He brushed off the snowflakes from his robes, bowed to Prince, and said, "Your Highness, the envoy from Changge Fortress has arrived."