Roland opened his eyes to find himself lying on a soft, large bed, beneath a familiar ceiling where every crack matched the memory.
This is your... bedroom?
He turned his head and examined both shoulders—neither the left nor the right appeared to be compromised. He attempted to move his hands, which also showed no abnormalities.
Everything is like a dream.
But he knew this was no dream—the investigation of Devil and the attack had both occurred! The fact that he was lying safely in the bedroom meant they had escaped Devil's pursuit and made it back to the castle.
But are all the witches actually back safely?
At this thought, Roland's heart sank. He struggled to sit up, his arms growing weak. Just as he was about to call for help, he noticed a row of witches leaning against the wall at the foot of the bed—Anna, Nightingale, Lightning, Maxie, and Nana Wa. They rested against each other's shoulders, breathing steadily with their eyes half-closed, as if in deep sleep.
Roland stealthily lifted the curtain to reveal a streak of morning light rising from the banks of the Chishui River, like shimmering golden threads cascading across the land.
"You... woke up?" Anna turned around, her eyes wide open. Rubbing her sleepy eyelids, she walked toward Roland.
"Well, I'm awake. The other witches..." "They all made it safely to the town. In fact, you're the only one injured." "Really?" Roland let out a sigh of relief. "That's good—." "Idiot." Before he could respond, the woman had already embraced him tightly, her hands gripping him so fiercely they seemed to be trying to embed themselves into his flesh.
Anna's action woke up the other witches.
"Your Highness!" They sprang to their feet in awe, forming a protective circle. Lightning was the first to embrace Roland, followed by Nana Wa and Maxi. Nightingale hesitated for a moment before pulling them all into a tight embrace from behind. The group clung to each other, reluctant to let go... Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
...
After breakfast, Roland listened to the detailed account of what had happened in the office before finally understanding what had transpired.
The Witches united to defeat the Devil's pursuers, allowing Lightning and Maxie to return ahead of schedule.
After being brought back to the castle for treatment by Nana Wa Paine, his severed arm healed as if it were never gone. However, due to severe blood loss, he remained unconscious for a full day. Today marks the fourth day since his departure.
The operation had been somewhat careless overall. He hadn't anticipated that Devil would spot the sky-camouflageed hot air balloon from over ten miles away. According to Sylvie, the giant multi-eyed demon had shown no unusual behavior before, its eyes scanning the surroundings. But when she fixed her gaze on the creature, the demon immediately reacted, instantly locking all its eyes on her.
This kind of investigative method was unheard of. At this distance, even the binoculars showed nothing but a blur—let alone Sylvie's True Eye. With the red mist shrouding the spire, it was nearly impossible to discern Devil's true form. By the same token, the other party would likely struggle to recognize him as their own.
That said, while the mission was fraught with grave dangers, the intelligence gathered proved equally substantial.
The Devil is no longer God. These enigmatic underworld entities—possessing towns and organized systems—belong to a highly evolved civilization, much like humans.
Moreover, the enemy's aerial forces were not formidable, at least in the area behind the snow-capped mountains. Hundreds of Devils emerged from underground, yet only two riders pursued them, indicating that flight remained a rare skill for them—whether due to the scarcity of mounts or the rarity of riders, it remains unclear. Nevertheless, this was good news for Border Town. At least he no longer had to worry about a group of Devils bypassing the southern hills and entering the heart of the western frontier to burn, kill, and plunder.
Another key finding is that Devil possesses Magic Power.
According to Nightingale's report, the pursuing enemies, though lacking Magic Power, did form a cyclone that stood out prominently in the fog. However, their method of activating Magic Power differed entirely from the Witch's—instead of relying on themselves, they depended on mechanical devices like the glowing stone to unleash their power. Thus, their abilities were far less versatile than the Witch's and more akin to mass-produced standardized weapons.
These are merely conjectures, but unfortunately, Devil's body was completely lost at sea, leaving Roland with no further means to verify the matter.
The last point is architecture.
Those slender, dark stone spires were not the dwelling of the Devil, their materials being remarkably peculiar—no signs of corrosion from the red mist adorned their surfaces. Some towers stood empty, while others contained red liquid, resembling storage tanks.
Could the red fog in the sky be formed by the vaporization of these liquids?
Was Devil's failure to expand further into the Wildlands or even the Four Kingdoms also due to the limitations of its gas coverage?
All things considered, the available intelligence indicates they pose no immediate threat to Border Town's security.
Yet Roland knew all too well that since they had driven humans from the wilderness over four centuries ago, they might one day return with renewed force. He had to prepare for that day.
...
After a night of heavy blood loss, Roland hastily completed the remaining decrees before retiring to bed early.
I was half-reading a history book by the bedside, about to blow out the candle and go to sleep when a knock sounded at the door.
He paused briefly, then got out of bed and opened the door to find Anna standing there.
Unlike her usual practice of carrying a thick book—either "Intermediate Physics" or "Fundamentals of Natural Science Theory" —she entered the room with empty hands and a pristine white robe. She even walked barefoot, her delicate feet lightly touching the floor, creating an utterly silent atmosphere.
Roland swallowed.
Anna closed the door behind her and secured the bolt. Then she took Roland's hand and walked to the bedside.
The girl's freshly washed hair shimmered with a soft golden glow under the candlelight, and as she drew closer, a delicate fragrance wafted through the air—a intoxicating scent not from rose soap, but emanating from her very being.
Her long lashes trembled slightly, her cheeks flushed, and her blue eyes glistened like autumn waters. Though her nervousness was evident, she showed no trace of hesitation, her gaze fixed on Roland with unwavering determination.
Even someone who had never been through such a big event understood the other person's meaning at that moment.
"Ah, this..." "I don't want to wait any longer," Anna murmured softly, "especially after what I've been through." She paused. "I don't want to regret it."