Roland had already set up a variety of test props on the office floor early in the morning.
From solid to liquid, from mineral to metal ingot, from inorganic to organic, there is everything.
"You look so happy," said the Nightingale, squatting down and picking up the small soup dumplings from the plate, then taking a bite.
"Of course, the town now has a new Witch with such incredible abilities," Roland raised an eyebrow. "And don't think I didn't notice—did you sneak a bite of the experimental substance earlier?" "Several of them," she wiped her mouth. "Lucia's abilities are highly practical." "Absolutely. Whether for decomposition or reconstruction, they'll revolutionize smelting and manufacturing," Roland exclaimed excitedly. "When paired with Anna's expertise, they can multiply mechanical strength. Even if mass production isn't feasible, crafting a few prototype machines would mark a quantum leap in our town's manufacturing capabilities." The precision machine tools currently in Graycastle Industrial's workshop were Anna's masterpieces. Though initially engineered with extreme precision, material limitations caused increasing wear and deformation during production, with broken or shattered tools becoming frequent occurrences. Without Anna's ongoing maintenance, these machines would last at most a year or two.
Lucia's capabilities enable precise control over material composition. Machine tools fabricated from high-strength cast iron, steel, or even alloys not only extend service life but also elevate processing efficiency and quality to new heights. For instance, the rotary gun—a product currently limited to Anna's production—can now be mass-produced.
"Really?" Nightingale leapt back onto the table. "But she doesn't seem to believe it herself." "Because she hasn't truly grasped the value of her abilities, just like Muyue," Roland remarked nonchalantly. "If Lucia had finished reading The Fundamentals of Natural Science, she'd never entertain such thoughts again." "..." Nightingale swallowed two handfuls of dried fish silently.
After Lucia finished her breakfast and arrived at the office, the competency assessment officially commenced.
Roland watched with anticipation as she transformed each test sample into distinct clusters of substances—iron ingots and iron ore turned into silvery-white granules, with traces of impurity powder discernible upon closer inspection. The grapes and meat patties remained unchanged, while the steamed buns dissolved into water, meat residue, and flour.
Halfway through the transformation, she abruptly halted, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "I think... I've drained all my Magic Power," she murmured. Roland turned to the Nightingale, who nodded. "Her Magic Power is nearly depleted—just a flickering haze. But this color? It's unlike anything I've seen." "What color?" Roland asked. "...Gray," she replied.
Roland returned to his desk and beckoned Lucia. "A witch's magical power grows with age and training. You're not even an adult yet, and you've already achieved this level—it's truly remarkable." As the girl approached, he thrust the parchment he had prepared toward her. "Since you've decided to stay in Border Town, sign this contract." Lucia gazed down at the contract's end and gasped. "A golden dragon per month? Your Highness... But my abilities haven't even been tested yet!" "It's irrelevant to your abilities," Roland said with a smile, shaking his head. "This contract remains valid indefinitely as long as you're a member of the Witch Alliance." "Does that mean even if your abilities are useless?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"You might interpret it this way," Prince said with a shrug, "but I believe every Witch's abilities have their unique purpose—only their discovery varies in timing. So you needn' t worry about being of no use." He paused. "Moreover, you've likely heard from other Witches about the true reason behind the Magic Power's devouring nature. To ensure a smooth awakening day, you must practice your abilities daily. After dinner, the Scroll Master will teach the Witches in the drawing room, and you must attend—though you've mastered reading and writing, elementary mathematics and natural sciences remain essential." "Yes, Your Highness," Lucia nodded vigorously.
"You've got a little sister too, right?" Roland chuckled. "Bring her along to class—she's old enough for education now." Lucia's eyes widened slightly. After confirming he wasn't joking, she bowed cheerfully. "As you wish." Once the young girl left, Roland tucked the signed contract into his drawer, his gaze lingering on the assorted test results scattered on the floor.
"How did it go?" asked Nightingale.
"Surprising," he said, lifting the steamed bun tray and stirring the minced meat and flour inside. "Take this... When kneading flour, the gluten forms a network structure that gives the dough flexibility. After steaming, the protein-based gluten denatures under heat. Even grinding it into powder, it can't regain its original smooth texture. This transformation is irreversible, but..." Roland cradled a handful of powder in his palm, spreading it out to reveal a silky smoothness like freshly ground flour. "She restored the flour to its original form." "Uh, I'm not quite sure," Nightingale pouted. "But does that mean her ability is about restoring substances?" "Not exactly," Roland pointed at the iron ingot. "If it were just restoration, the ingot would turn into iron ore. But in reality, it's broken down into iron powder and impurities." "...So what exactly is her ability?" she asked, puzzled.
"It's unclear yet, but we can speculate that her ability might combine both effects. The specific manifestation depends on her understanding." "Understanding?" "Essentially, meat patties and iron ore are similar—they're both made of particles. But Lucia's ability only breaks down iron ore, not meat patties. I think it's because she can't comprehend the composition of organic matter—or life forms," Roland explained. Though he wasn't entirely sure if this was correct, one thing was certain: Lucia was the one who needed to learn and expand her knowledge the most.
...
Three days later, when the second fleet carrying refugees from the eastern border arrived at the town, the same epidemic broke out on board, and this time it was even more severe, with nearly half of the crew infected. Through questioning, Roland learned that some patients developed black spots on their skin on the first day after boarding the ship, indicating that they had already been parasitized by the strange insects earlier, which consequently shortened the incubation period significantly.
Meanwhile, Roland received a letter from the capital, its wax seal bearing the official emblem of the Margary Guild.
After reading the letter, he frowned.
The plague was spreading rapidly through the capital. The church denounced it as a witchcraft conspiracy and warned the populace of a holy remedy to combat the outbreak. With large numbers of infected appearing outside the city walls, Tasa decided to temporarily halt the evacuation of refugees for safety reasons.
If the timeline is accurate, the first returning fleet will arrive in the capital in four days, bringing news that the town can cure the plague. However, those already infected may not survive the nearly week-long voyage. Moreover, the Church's preaching gave him a hint of conspiracy.
After careful deliberation, he resolved to dispatch a team to escort Lily to the capital. Otherwise, most of the capital's residents and refugees from the eastern border would perish in this man-made catastrophe, and those who survived would become devout followers of the Church.
Roland must do his best to avoid such a situation.