Tasa climbed a small hill, from which the outline of Border Town Lordcastle could already be faintly seen.
He finally returned, thinking that the journey had taken nearly a month and a half to start, but only seven days to complete, with most of the time spent traveling from Silverlight City to Chishui City. Though Ash himself didn't care, he still chose the less traveled path to minimize the chances of being spotted by the Church.
The ashes were the Witch known as the Guide, though Tasa couldn't be sure if the name was real. She always wore a black robe and carried a large sword wrapped in cloth on her back. Her long black hair was simply tied into a ponytail, swaying at her waist. Whether riding or boating, she rarely focused on herself, instead walking ahead alone and surveying the landscape. To her, the trip to Border Town was nothing more than a leisurely sightseeing excursion.
Tasa sometimes doubted her own judgment. Was she truly a warrior? Her loose robes often tripped her, and her long hair left an exposed vulnerability. The ashes seemed utterly unafraid of attacking her from behind—what he'd seen most lately was her back. He didn't believe witches were naturally trusting; he could only speculate that she possessed self-defense skills, even the God's Stone couldn't harm her.
Tasa circled the hillside and swiftly located his target—a flagpole with a red cloth strip hanging from it. He dug out a bundle from the mud beside the pole, replaced the original red flag with the neatly folded blue cloth, clapped his hands, and plopped down on the ground.
"Is that all right?" Ash asked.
"That's what they said," Tasa wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Head to the foot of the mountain northeast of the town, follow the stone steps up the path, and find the flagpole at the summit. Replace it with a blue flag, and our people will notice." The Ashes nodded and found a relatively clean spot to sit, extending his hand. "Food." "Uh... wait." He unzipped his backpack, pulled out a piece of dried meat, tore off half a strip, stuffed it into his mouth, and tossed the rest to the other.
Tasha sighed at the sight of Witch nibbling on the dried meat. Apart from a large sword, he didn't even have a copper eagle. With nothing to his name, he boldly accompanied her to Border Town, covering all expenses—from lodging to meals. They were to stay in a top-tier single bedroom, eat meat, and he would sample half of the portable rations first.
She remains cautious in areas beyond her expertise. However, wouldn't the most prudent approach be to prepare her own meals?
"We're heading to the other side of the strait," Ash said, swallowing his dry meat. "Have you heard of the fjords? Countless islands there, some in dire conditions, sparsely populated. We'll build a witch's home there." "..." Tasa froze. No matter how he'd probed earlier, the other party had never spoken. Why did he suddenly bring up this topic now?
"Does it surprise you why I never told you anything before?" she explained earnestly. "If you were a fraud, sneaking in to warn the Church while I slept, those girls would've been intercepted and killed. But now they're likely on the merchant ship bound for the fjord-the Church can't stop them. Besides, I came to take the Guild's Witch. They'll find out sooner or later, so hiding it now wouldn't help." "But even if you brought her here, that doesn't rule out I'm a fraud." "Exactly," Ash said in a measured tone. "If the Witch doesn't show up, you'll die here with those who tried to harm her." "Alright," Tassar let out a sigh. "Can I ask more?" She paused. "If I can answer." "You're from Graycastle? I've never seen eyes like that." Tassar decided to start with the background-a neutral approach that would ease the tension.
"I was born in the Kingdom of Eternal Winter, though that has nothing to do with my eyes. Ever since I became a Witch, my eyes have taken on this appearance." "Eternal Winter? It's far from Graycastle, separated by two vast kingdoms. How did you end up in Silverlight?" "I was once sold into the Church, and then..." She paused. "I wandered from the Old Holy City Monastery all the way to Graycastle's capital, until I met her. That's when my life of wandering finally ended." "Her?" Tasa asked curiously.
"Tilly Wimbledon," a warm, divine light flickered in Ash's eyes. "She took me in." The Imperial Guard's heart sank. At first, hearing the name, he had thought it was just a coincidence. But Wimbledon's surname made it unmistakable. Could the one who led the witches to the fjord be Roland Wimbledon's sister—the fifth princess of the kingdom? His voice quivered. "She... she's your leader?" "Leader? You might call her that," she nodded. "But to me, she's the most important person... the one no one can replace." As night fell, they lit a bonfire on the hillside.
Ashes drew the massive sword and slowly peeled back the cloth—its blade, nearly waist-wide, bore the marks of countless collisions. The gray-black edge remained uncut, its lethal force relying solely on the weight of each swing. While most would find it strenuous to lift, in her hands it moved with the effortless grace of a single-handed sword.
How many blacksmiths would need to be robbed just to gather the materials for forging such a massive sword? Tasa thought. If Your Royal Highness's Witch didn't arrive on time, he might end up as the victim of the sword.
"I heard the Lord of Border Town is also... Wembley." He resolved to find some words to say, lest the wait feel unbearably long.
"Roland Wimbledon, the Fourth Prince of Graycastle," she said calmly. "I've seen him." "What?" Tasa's mouth dropped open.
"After being taken in by Tilly, I served as her bodyguard in the royal palace, which naturally gave me the chance to meet her siblings," Ash remarked, her voice growing cold. "They're incompetent, arrogant, and utterly uneducated. It's hard to believe he's Tilly's own brother. And... in some ways, he's actually quite bold."
Tasa couldn't help shuddering. During his service in the royal palace, he'd heard countless tales about Your Highness—his unbridled speech, sly schemes, and fondness for teasing the Maid. Though he never resorted to coercion or violence, some perks were inevitable. Could it be...
Just then, Ash suddenly stood up and fixed his gaze on the path, "Someone's coming—more than one." Tasa followed her line of sight, and the figures of a group gradually emerged in the night. Leading the way was the Witch, Your Royal Highness's personal guard, Nightingale.