In the evening, Roland sat in his office, brainstorming new equipment.
The pill at Bishui Harbor sent a wave of dread through him. Even before considering why the Church would back both him and Giaxia in the throne battle, the mere thought of Giaxia's thousands of troops sent a chill down his spine.
Imagine thousands of steel warriors charging out at cavalry speed on foot, advancing with unstoppable momentum. A thin line of volley fire would hardly stand a chance against them. If even one soldier were to break through the ranks, it would inflict devastating losses on the First Army.
Fortunately, this pill does not provide immune damage effects, and the user remains a flesh-and-blood entity.
He must need weapons with higher rate of fire and accuracy, and the ability to fire continuously at a greater distance.
With no mercury saltpeter as a propellant, Roland had to devise a workaround by first producing a batch of alternative equipment to address the looming crisis.
Anna's new skill gave him tremendous confidence. Now, as long as he could sketch the design, she could produce it with pinpoint accuracy and astonishing efficiency. Unlike the old days when she had to hammer the flintlock components one by one, she could now stack several pieces together and cut them into shape simultaneously.
While universal education and standardized measurement systems were essential preparations for industrial mass production, they didn't mean abandoning shortcuts. Anna's newfound abilities were a treasure trove of untapped potential. Roland now visits North Slope Mountain every afternoon to study blackfire techniques with her. When pressed for time, he lets her practice her control skills by crafting small items—like Witch figurines.
Though her figure-skulpting skills are still quite raw, Roland is confident that one day his bookshelf exhibition will be filled with all kinds of Witch figurines... or so he hopes.
He picked up a steel ruler and pressed it against the parchment, but after just a couple of strokes, the doorbell rang outside.
If Guard doesn't report it, chances are the Witch is the one. Right now, most Witches are learning to read and do basic math in the first-floor living room with Shujuan, so there's no need to attend basic classes. If a Witch has time to come and find him, he's the only one.
"Come in." Sure enough, Anna walked in.
She closed the door softly, walked to Roland's desk, and held a book with gold trim in her arms.
She could borrow the one-time-per-day Book of Transformation before attending the book class. It's worth noting that despite Anna's quiet demeanor, she surprisingly enjoys popularity among witches. Recalling how Nana Wa used to cling to her like a little tail, perhaps Anna was born with a natural charm that drew witches to her?
"What's wrong? Got a tough question?" "Hmm," she nodded, spreading the book before Roland. "Here... You said everything in the world is made of tiny spheres, each different, but then you mentioned they could become... waves?" Anna asked. "What are waves?" "When you throw a stone into water, the resulting vibrations are waves," Prince cleared his throat. "It's just a concept. You can just look at it without delving too deep." "Why?" Roland couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. The microscopic quantum realm was inherently mysterious. If he'd known this earlier, he wouldn't have written it down. Though he thought this, he couldn't bring himself to say it. "Because spheres have both wave-like and material properties. We humans, made of spheres, are the same—except our mass makes wave behavior hard to observe. Deeper reasons require generations of exploration." He paused, then added, "This phenomenon clashes so much with common sense that it's hard to grasp. It's like trying to imagine four-dimensional space to us in three-dimensional reality. Don't worry about it." Anna pouted, clearly dissatisfied with Roland's explanation, but quickly followed up, "What's four-dimensional space?" "..." By the time she stopped pressing, Prince's voice was hoarse. He'd underestimated Anna's thirst for knowledge. If this continued, he'd have nothing left to teach her.
When Roland inquired about her math progress, she responded with a relaxed smile: "That's much simpler now. I'm currently working on equations and matrices—it's quite interesting." So much simpler, and so much more interesting... Roland suddenly realized the vast gap between them. How little time had passed? In just one week, she'd progressed from elementary functions to matrix equations, and now it was time to tackle calculus. In a school setting, Anna would undoubtedly be a formidable academic.
And... she is also a very beautiful and excellent student.
Roland stared at the woman who was bent over her book, momentarily taken aback. Her delicate bangs rested on her forehead, with scattered strands of hair naturally cascading down her cheeks. Unable to resist, he extended his index finger, gathered the hair, and gently placed it behind her ear.
She tilted her head to Roland, her eyes sparkling with a smile. The lake-blue pupils, once still as still water, now rippled with motion. They locked eyes at close range until Anna opened her mouth—silent, only the shape of her lips. Roland still deciphered her lip movements.
"The Nightingale is no longer here." The statement was so blunt that Roland felt foolish to pretend he didn't understand. The room was utterly silent, and he could almost hear the other's breathing and heartbeat.
As he drew closer, Anna closed her eyes, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. Roland caught a whiff of her faint fragrance and gently kissed her lips.
The sensation of softness was transmitted through touch, time seemed to freeze in that moment, and it was unclear how long it took for them to part.
Before he could speak, Anna tiptoed and pressed their lips together once more.
...
"Hey—ha—hey!" Muyue sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed in deep thought, hands raised high, murmuring to herself.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lily asked, frowning as she wrapped a towel around her wet hair.
"I'm imagining myself as made up of particles," she said, opening her eyes. "I'm a particle," she added, pointing at Lily. "You're a particle too!" "Nonsense," Lily retorted, rolling her eyes and snuggling into the soft bed.
"Ah, no," Muyue sighed. "I've already interpreted everything around me as particles. Why can't I develop new abilities like Anna?" "Because you don't believe in them," Lily replied.
"I believe it!" "You don't," she shook her head. "The only thing you can't fool is yourself... Though I don't know why, Anna probably believed Prince's words unconditionally from the start. Of course, she's far smarter than you—that's why she gained new powers." "..." "Anyway, stop dreaming. Go to sleep peacefully," Lily said, spreading her hands.
"Wouldn't you like to have that ability?" Mizuki pouted. "I'd love to do more for Prince too." "Evolve to keep food fresh longer?" She yawned. "No interest. Besides, why bother? Men are fickle and heartless—the perfect example right here." "Speaking of no interest, you were so focused in class," Mizuki muttered. "You're the only one serious about anything besides leaves." Lily grabbed the pillow and slapped it on her face. "Go to sleep!"