The conditions on Sleepy Island are improving steadily. Once she can fly, Tilly will be able to see the bustling crowds and lively markets.
It is no longer the place where the original three hundred witches lived in isolation. Through negotiations, the fjord islands of Crescent Bay, Twin Dragons Island, Sunset Harbor, and Shallow Water City have established commercial ties with Sleeping Island. She also brought a group of ordinary residents from some crowded island villages.
Though currently concentrated on the outer periphery of the island, far from the Witches, Tilly believes that one day the Sleeping Island will become a city where all are one. The integration process is slow but promising. Whether the awakened Witches from other islands join the Sleeping Island or choose to stay in their birthplace and be accepted by the local people, it brings good news for the Sleeping Island. This means that Tilly and the migrating Witches will gain more supporters.
"Come down, the wind's picking up," Ash shouted from below. "Watch out for the fall!" "I'm fine!" She waved her hand, then suddenly lost her balance and tumbled several feet before steadying herself. "Mmm... still a bit tricky to control." "You know it's hard to control and still fly so high!" Ash stomped her foot. "Practice at lower altitudes or at sea. If you don't come down soon, I'll climb up to the roof and grab you." "Alright, alright, I get it." Tilly felt the wind intensifying and stopped overexerting herself. She gathered the Magic Power she had released and landed gently in the courtyard of her dwelling.
"Next time you do this, call for Moril first," Ash said with wide eyes. "At least her Magic Power servant can catch you." "As long as I keep supplying Magic Power, it won't fall off. At most, it might lose direction," she said, taking off her blue magic stone gloves and handing them to the other. "Try it yourself. The sensation of flying is incredible. Looking down at Sleeping Island from the air, the whole world feels completely renewed." "I still won't," Ash waved his hand. "The initial lightning magic stones can't be activated, let alone these stones that require continuous Magic Power infusion. Besides, there's only one. Even if you master control techniques, it can't fly with you." "Exactly," Tilly said regretfully, taking back the gloves. "I often wonder how I could create my own magic stones with this ability if I understood the principles." "Do you think it's artificial?" "Of course," she nodded without hesitation. "From the polished appearance and practical uses, these stones are unlikely to be naturally formed. The builders of the ruins must have had a deeper understanding of Magic Power. Unfortunately, apart from a pile of incomprehensible documents, they left no further clues." Just then, a massive white shadow descended from the sky. Falling too fast, it crashed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Maxie?" Ash raised an eyebrow.
"Ugh... that hurt!" The young girl, who had just gotten up, rubbed her head. "Did I just see a vision? Lady Tilly actually flew through the air! If it weren't for the wrong hair color, I'd have thought it was lightning." "You didn't misread me—I did fly up," Tilly said with a smile, stroking her cheeks. "How's it going... Are the Witches of Sleeping Island doing well in Border Town?" "Pretty well, actually. They all asked me to deliver messages to you," Maxie rummaged through her handbag. "This is from Lian, this from Evelyn, and this... from Your Royal Highness." Tilly was taken aback. The letter from Your Royal Highness was half an inch thick, tightly wrapped like a package. It felt heavy in her hand, clearly containing more than just a simple sheet of paper.
"Thank you for your efforts." Ashes pulled out half a wheat cake, split it open, and handed a small piece to Maxie. But Maxie shook her head, stuffed a handful of dried fish into her mouth, and mumbled, "I went to play with Moril." With that, she transformed back into the giant white dove, flapped her wings, and flew out of the garden.
"Why do I feel she's grown up so much in just one month?" "Same feeling," Tilly chuckled, "probably because Border Town life is really great." Back inside, she tore open Roland Wimbledon's letter and found that apart from a single page filled with text, the remaining dozen pages were covered with vividly detailed illustrations.
"What is this?" Ash's question echoed Tilly's own confusion. She shook her head and unfurled the scrolls one by one—each revealing a horrifying scene: a wasteland twilight, where two grotesque beasts were battling a horde of witches under a crimson sunset. The witches were clearly outmatched; their signature abilities seemed to have failed them. Neither venomous serpents nor fireballs could halt the enemy's advance. By the final scroll, several witches had already fallen in pools of blood.
Tilly's brows furrowed. The scene before her was unmistakably Witch's creation—only Magic Power could produce such lifelike imagery. But... were these mere paintings, or had they been real?
She picked up the letter with some unease and skimmed through it quickly.
Soon, Tilly felt her chest tighten. A word kept appearing in the letter, making her hands tremble slightly: "Devil".
"What's wrong," Ash gripped her wrist. "What's written in the letter?" "The history of the Guild," she patted the other's hand, gesturing it was nothing. "They once sought the Holy Mountain in the Wild... You remember the Holy Mountain, don't you?" "Well, the legendary witch's resting place. True peace and tranquility can be found there, but that's just a myth," Ash dismissed. "We could live peacefully on Sleepy Island too. The demon devouring the body is just a lie spun by the Church." "But Haraka believes the Holy Mountain truly exists. She found an ancient book in the ruins of the Eastern Forest and thinks the gate to the Holy Mountain lies in that forbidden land untouched by humans. So she led the Guild across the Desolate Mountains to the Wild, but instead of the Holy Mountain, the witches encountered a terrifying creature," Tilly whispered.
"Is it the kind of thing depicted in the painting?" Ash drew a sharp breath.
"Exactly," she said with a somber tone. "The letter stated they possessed astonishing power—swift in motion, capable of commanding demonic beasts, and one even emitted lightning from its grasp... akin to a Witch's abilities. Of the forty-plus witches, only six survived. Cornered, they ultimately pledged allegiance to the Lord of Border Town." "So that's how it was..." "What baffles me," Tilly flipped to the back of the letter, "is the haphazardly written epilogue in the ancient tome, composed in the Four Kingdoms 'languages. It references the Holy City, battles against the Devil, and Akali's God Punishment Trials—events from over four centuries ago. Yet if they understood the Kingdom's languages, why use such a completely different script for documentation?" After hours of contemplation, the Fifth Princess set aside these matters and retrieved Sylvie's letters, determined to first ascertain the results of her investigation into the Lord of Border Town.
The first sentence of the reply left her speechless, even more shocked than when she saw the word 'Devil'.
"Lord Tilly, I found no traces of disguise or Magic Power on Roland Wimbledon. The town has no witches from any hidden faction except the Witch Alliance. So I suspect... he might be your real brother."