Roland spread out the letter and handed a piece of beef jerky to Maxie.
"Goo-goo!" The latter opened its mouth to pick up the dry meat, swallowed it in two or three gulps, then obediently lay down by the table, burying its head in the feathers.
"Dear Brother, or rather, 'Your Highness Roland Wimbledon'." "Your letter has reached me, and I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective. Though I can't fathom why you abruptly shifted your stance from your former spoiled demeanor to aiding the Witch, since you've taken this action, the Church has become our common adversary." "Perhaps you already know that I've become a Witch—that's precisely why people believe me. Yet you're a Prince, a true Noble, and it's truly remarkable that you've earned the trust of so many Witches. Ever since learning of your story, I've often wondered how you achieved this. If you were merely using Witches as tools like other Nobles, you wouldn't have gained Ash's approval, nor would she have allowed Maisie to remain in Border Town." "Beyond that, I'm deeply intrigued by the steam engine Maisie mentioned and the theory of knowledge enhancing evolutionary capabilities. Especially the latter—I'd love to discuss this in detail with you." "As for your invitation, I've pondered it deeply and found no reason to refuse. Building an alliance requires trust and sacrifice. If we both hesitate and shrink back, the Church will ultimately benefit." Therefore, I have attached a list of most auxiliary Witch abilities from Sleepy Island to this letter. You may select the most needed abilities and notify me through Maxie. If all goes well, they will depart for your territory next month. For safety reasons, it's best not to exceed five at a time. Additionally, please designate a reliable transportation plan and assign personnel for protection. Each lost Witch represents a significant loss for Border Town and Sleepy Island, and casts a shadow over our cooperation. I hope you will care for them as you would your own Witches. If possible, please also involve them in the evening foundational knowledge sessions. I believe any Witch's ability becoming stronger would be good news for us all. As you rightly pointed out, the Church has revealed its true intentions, and the annexation of the Four Kingdoms is inevitable. May you be prepared when that day comes. If resistance proves futile, Sleepy Island will be your safe haven. Of course, I will provide all possible assistance during the fight against the Church's invasion. Finally, may we end the Church's oppression and build a new order—a new kingdom where not only Witches but anyone will be free from baseless persecution. Your sister, Tilly Wimbledon. Roland set the letter down, his heart overflowing with joy. With a smile, he tucked it away and pulled out a piece of beef jerky, offering it to Maxie.
She immediately stretched her head forward and pecked away the food. "Goo, goo!" He stroked the smooth feathers on the other's neck, and the latter comfortably squinted its eyes.
"Thanks for the effort, but Lightning has joined the fleet heading to the royal capital and won't be back for a few more days," Roland said with a smile. "You can hang out with Nana Wa or Ye Zi, or take a bath and catch some sleep." "Chirp... chirp!" Maxi flapped her wings, leaped off the table, and darted out the window, vanishing into the distance.
She had just said, 'Not tired, I want to go play with them.' Roland realized he could understand the gist even when she spoke in a dazed, almost absent-minded manner.
...Is this the power of habit?
Yet he never imagined Tilly would accept his invitation, even including a list of witches 'abilities—a treasure trove! Though the letter didn't specify how long they'd stay, completing the entire elementary education course would take at least half a year. If he extended the program to a full year by adding the' 100,000 Whys' series, how much could these witches transform Border Town?
Moreover, their evolution brings far more benefits than drawbacks—staying in the town boosts development efficiently, and even returning to the Sleeping Island makes them living propaganda. With these people spreading the word, more and more witches will flock to Border Town, and Tilly can't stop this trend. Roland believes that sincerity, rather than bribery or coercion, is the true long-term solution.
Overall, the reply letter brought him far more pleasant surprises than expected. The other party's openness and positivity made him feel like he had met a God-like teammate, thus no longer fighting alone against the Church. As for the safe transportation route, he had already planned it—avoiding Port of Clear Water or Sea Breeze County, he would land directly on the deserted Outer Beach south of Border Town. After reaching the mountainous area, he would ride a hot air balloon over the peaks to reach the town's heartland, completely free from the influence of the Church, Tefiko, or Jiasia.
The deeper Roland thought, the more excited he grew. He suppressed the urge to immediately check the appendix for the Witch and focused on the immediate task at hand—after all, sending the Witch to Sleeping Island wouldn't happen until next month, while the most pressing issue for Border Town now was housing construction.
Since the First Army's arrival in the capital, refugees from the capital region have been pouring into the town in a steady stream. To prevent the resurgence of the plague, Roland had them all settled outside the western border walls—where a long line of makeshift wooden shelters had been erected for temporary shelter. Combined with the serfs working the fields along the Chishui River, the total number of people in these two groups now exceeded eight thousand. If the influx continued for a few more days, the figure could easily surpass the ten-thousand mark.
Supplying food to these people isn't a problem—Border Town has maintained uninterrupted food imports since the Evil Demon's Moon. However, accommodation remains a major challenge. During summer, makeshift wooden huts provide adequate shelter, offering shade, rain protection, and good ventilation, though they're more prone to mosquito bites. In winter, however, these huts become nearly as harsh as outdoor conditions, mirroring the outside temperature. Without relocating them to brick houses, most would struggle to survive the harsh winter. In other words, Border Town must construct residential and dormitory facilities capable of housing ten thousand people within the remaining six months.
Roland spread out a sheet of paper and began writing rapidly with his pen.
He planned to reallocate some workers from the Kingdom Avenue construction to housing projects. After all, building roads for ten days or half a month at night was no big deal, but freezing people to death in the territory would be a glaring political blight. Even during the first Evil Demon Month when he first crossed over, facing dire straits with neither money nor manpower, no one froze or starved to death. Now, with the Witch Alliance and steam engines at his disposal, along with substantial income and manpower, he naturally wouldn't allow such a situation to happen again.
Just then, Carter suddenly walked into the office.
"Your Highness, there's bad news," his God-like face said solemnly. "An explosion just occurred in your chemistry lab."