As the work basket landed, a woman in her thirties with crimson hair cascading to her waist stepped out and greeted them. "Hello, welcome to Border Town. I'm Wendy," she said, her smile lighting up as she looked at Ash. "You're here too." Was this the Witch Ash had mentioned? Sylvie studied them thoughtfully, their acquaintance clearly dating back to long ago.
"Welcome, I'm Anna." The other Witch's appearance instantly captivated Sylvie—those lake-like azure eyes were truly mesmerizing. But what struck her most was the other's Magic Power: immense, profound, and flawlessly pure. A cube of black, white, and gray slowly rotated, distorting the trajectories of all the Magic Power converging around it.
What an astonishing force! This was Sylvie's first encounter with such overwhelming Magic Power.
"Hi, I'm Lightning!" The little girl who had been flying beside the basket was now the one, and Maxi followed closely behind, landing on her shoulder.
"Chirp!" After the ashes gave the Witch of Sleep Island a quick briefing, Wendy smiled and invited everyone aboard the swing basket.
"The massive air balloon overhead is called a hot air balloon. With a steady supply of scorching air, it can carry everyone soaring over mountains to their destination," she paused briefly before turning to Ash. "You really don't want to visit the town? I'm sure Your Highness would love to see you again." "He wouldn't welcome anyone trying to poach his Witch," Ash chuckled. "These children are your responsibility." "I know..." Wendy pursed her lips with a hint of regret. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of them." "Now, everyone, brace yourselves," Anna urged. "The Voyager is about to take off." Sylvie felt a slight tremor beneath her feet as the basket lifted off the ground. Peering out, she saw Ash and Moril waving to them. As the balloon ascended, the landscape below gradually shrank until the two figures became mere specks the size of fingernails—yet a new life was about to begin.
Wendy's ability appears to be wind control, steering the hot air balloon inland toward Graycastle.
It was the first time Sylvie had surveyed the land from above. Though neither the terrain nor the rocks hindered her exploration, taking in such a vast expanse at once felt like a novel experience. As she summoned the Eye of Magic Power, a deluge of chaotic imagery flooded her mind—steep cliffs hidden beneath the sea, underground rivers merging with the ocean, animal bones buried in the soil, and shifting rock formations... The visions instantly caused Sylvie to suffer excruciating headaches, her inner Magic Power plummeting. She abruptly deactivated the Eye of Magic Power and leaned against the hanging basket, gasping for breath.
"How are you?" someone asked. She opened her eyes and saw it was Wendy.
"Well, just a bit... dizzy." "A few deep breaths will help," Wendy said with a smile. "Many people feel uneasy when they first leave the ground." "Thank you, I'm feeling better now." Sylvie nodded.
The atmosphere along the way was far more harmonious than she had initially anticipated. As Ash mentioned, Wendy showed genuine care for everyone, showing no prejudice toward newcomers. Anna, though not much of a talker, would still answer questions earnestly whenever asked. Lightning seemed to be on good terms with Maxie, her lively personality evident as she would occasionally bring the plump pigeon into the hanging basket to chat with the group, never treating strangers as such.
With Maxie acting as their bond, the other four gradually relaxed and began asking Lightning about Border Town. Eventually, the little girl would hover by the hammock, telling everyone stories of the town's battles against evil beasts and invaders, along with Your Royal Highness's incredible inventions, leaving everyone in awe.
Before long, the hot air balloon arrived above the castle.
In terms of size alone, this town truly lives up to its name as a frontier settlement—compact and remote, its scale less than a third of Sleeping Island. Yet it thrives with a vibrant population. Whether in the central square, along the outer walls, or by the riverbank, clusters of people can be seen bustling about, their movements forming a steady stream of activity.
The hot air balloon landed directly in the castle courtyard. As he stepped out of the basket, a sudden roar startled Sylvie, leaving him frozen in place. The other four were equally startled—Mandy even rolled back into the basket, her head half-exposed as she asked, "What happened?" Wendy couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, Your Highness is firing the ceremonial cannon to welcome you." Passing through the tree-lined corridor into the castle hall, Sylvie finally saw Tilly's brother. He sat in the main seat, his appearance bearing some resemblance to the Fifth Princess, Your Highness. With his gray hair and no ornate accessories, he looked relaxed and natural. Though his face was far less striking than Lady Tilly's, his composed demeanor drew everyone's attention simply by sitting there.
"Welcome to Border Town. I'm Lord Roland Wimbledon of the West, and you've probably heard of me," he said with a smile as he stood up. "Tilly Wimbledon is my sister, so feel free to treat this town as a sleepy island." Sylvie couldn't help but open her Magic Power Eye, only to be startled by the sight.
The anticipated darkness never materialized. The man in question wore no God's Stone, nor did he exhibit any signs of Magic Power activity—his true form remained unchanged in the real view. Neither was he disguised nor controlled, which conclusively proved that the man before him was indeed Roland himself.
When dealing with the 'no signs detected' scenario, the countermeasure assigned by Lady Tilly was simply to relay the message back to Sleepy Island.
...
Roland's subsequent words went entirely unnoticed by her, leaving her mind in utter confusion. To fulfill Lady Tilly's directive, she had meticulously planned her negotiation tactics and even braced herself for imprisonment—yet none of it proved useful. Now all that remained was to wait until the month's end and have Maxie deliver the intelligence back, thus completing the mission.
How could this be? A true Noble would actually decide to shelter a Witch? And even become the leader of the Guild of Assistants?
The psychological shock left Sylvie in a daze until Your Highness assigned her a bedroom for the night, when she finally snapped out of it.
"That's the general situation. The Witch Tower isn't finished yet, so you'll have to stay in the castle for now, sharing a room with other witches. But it'll help you blend into town life faster," Roland explained. "A lavish dinner awaits tonight as a welcome gift for all of you in Border Town. Make the most of it." The room assignments brought relief to Sylvie, who was finally assigned to Wendy. From their brief interaction, Wendy seemed like a decent senior, so they should get along well. However, the room also seemed to have another witch named Nightingale.
Hilvy couldn't help but hope the other person was also easy to get along with.