The silence that followed Roland's shout was almost deafening. The crowd, which seconds before had been clamoring for blood, now wavered between confusion and suppressed indignation. Arthur observed Roland—or rather, Cheng Yan—with analytical intensity. The prince looked pale, his hand still slightly raised, while Barov, the administrative director, was already gesturing frantically at his side, his face flushed with bureaucratic anxiety.
"Your Highness, what is the meaning of this? The Church... Longsong Stronghold..." Barov's words were rapid and heavy with fear.
"Take her to the dungeon," Roland ordered, ignoring the advisor. His voice was gaining firmness, the engineer's pragmatism beginning to override the initial shock of transmigration.
As the guards, under the watchful and stern eye of Carter Lannis, untied Anna and led her away from the platform, Arthur felt a familiar vibration in his peripheral vision. The system's blue screen flashed with a new message.
[MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: The Turning Point]
Reward: Initial Magic Flow Unlocked.
Status: Synchronizing energy... 100%.
A sudden, invigorating warmth surged through Arthur's veins. It wasn't the agonizing burning that witches described during their awakening, but something fluid and controlled. He looked at William and realized, by the look of surprise and the way his friend opened and closed his hands, that he too had received his share.
"Did you feel that?" William whispered, his eyes now fixed on Carter Lannis, who was guarding the rear of the escort. "It looks like the game has truly begun."
"Yes," Arthur replied, his mind already mapping out the next step. "But we can't just stand here. Carter has already noticed us. Our clothes and our posture don't belong here. If we don't introduce ourselves now, we'll be seen as spies for Garcia or Timothy."
They began to follow the royal escort at a distance, moving with a confidence that clashed with the misery around them. Arthur knew that, in the original story, Roland would lock himself in his room to review his new memories, and then go to the dungeons the next day to verify if witches truly possessed supernatural powers. It was the perfect moment for a controlled intervention.
When they reached the gates of the makeshift castle, they were barred by two guards. Carter Lannis, the Chief Knight, turned around, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His eyes swept over Arthur and William with professional suspicion.
"Who are you? You are not from Border Town," Carter's voice was a warning.
"Travelers," Arthur stepped forward, keeping his hands visible, speaking loudly and clearly. "Scholars from distant lands who heard that the Fourth Prince of Graycastle seeks minds capable of turning clay into gold... or, in this case, cement into walls."
The mention of terms that shouldn't yet exist in that world made Roland, who was a few meters behind Carter, turn back and look toward the two "outsiders." William, seizing the opening, added with a provocative smile: "And we also heard that His Highness has a peculiar taste for interrupting executions. We like his style."
Before Carter could respond, Roland's voice echoed from the inner courtyard. "Let them in, Carter. If they know what cement is, I want to hear them."
Roland walked toward them, ignoring Barov's whispered protests. His eyes, which had previously seemed lost in a fog of confusion, suddenly widened as they focused on the two young men. He stopped a few meters away, examining Arthur and William's black t-shirts. To any inhabitant of Graycastle, it was just a strange, well-cut fabric; to Cheng Yan, the mechanical engineer from Earth, it was a reality shock that nearly made him lose his balance.
"Those clothes..." Roland murmured, his voice failing for a second. He looked at the watch on Arthur's wrist, an object that shone with an industrial precision impossible for that era. "Where did you say you come from?"
"From a place where logic and science build the world, Your Highness," Arthur replied, maintaining a firm tone, aware that his Intelligence of 14 helped him read the micro-expressions of shock on the prince's face. "We have come to assist in the transition that you are about to initiate."
Roland took a deep breath, pressing his temples. The weight of the merged memories of the old Roland and Cheng Yan was taking its toll, causing him visible exhaustion.
"Carter, take them to one of the guest rooms on the upper floor. Do not lose sight of them, but treat them with the respect due to these... scholars," Roland ordered, turning his back and walking hurriedly toward his quarters. He needed silence to organize the chaos in his mind and extract crucial information about the political situation and the Wimbledon siblings.
Arthur and William were escorted by a visibly suspicious Carter Lannis. The castle was a cold structure with bare stone walls and little decoration, reflecting the decadence of Border Town. Upon being left in the room, William let out a heavy sigh.
"He recognized us instantly, Arthur. The look on his face when he saw my shirt was priceless," William whispered, sitting on a crude wooden chair. "What now?"
"Now we wait," said Arthur, observing the beautiful moon in the sky. "The original script says he will spend the rest of the day reviewing memories. Tomorrow is the day he faces the economic reality of this place and visits the dungeons. We need to be ready for when he comes to question us in private."
The next morning, the castle woke to the rhythmic sound of hurried footsteps. Arthur and William were led to the parlor, where Roland was already sitting at the table, surrounded by scrolls and maps. Barov sat across from him with a grim expression.
The air in the parlor was heavy with the smell of stale bread and the weight of the superstitions Barov had just dumped onto the table. Roland, still holding the small ceramic coin with the "mountain" emblem and the central eye, looked up as the door opened. Arthur and William entered, escorted by a Carter Lannis who looked like he hadn't slept a wink, his hand held firmly on the hilt of his sword.
The morning light streamed through the narrow windows, illuminating the garments of the two young men. Roland, who until that moment had been trying to process Barov's stories about the Witch Cooperation Association and the "Gates of Hell," froze with a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. His engineer's eyes, now fused with the prince's memories, focused intensely on William and Arthur's attire. To Barov, they were just exotic fabrics and adornments; to Cheng Yan, they were relics of an industrial civilization he thought he had left behind after dying of exhaustion.
"You..." Roland began, his voice cracking. He quickly composed himself, turning back to his advisor. "Barov, these are the 'scholars' Carter spoke of."
Barov wiped sweat from his forehead, casting a look of deep suspicion at the newcomers. "Your Highness, we were discussing matters of state and the danger of witches. I do not believe outsiders with such... peculiar... attire should participate in this conversation. Especially when the Church and the Witch Cooperation Association are causing such chaos."
Arthur stepped forward. "We have heard enough about the 'Holy Mountain,' Your Highness. But what Barov calls the cradle of evil, we call a misinterpretation of natural phenomena. And what the Church calls sin, we call untapped energy potential."
Roland dropped the ceramic coin onto the table. The metallic clink echoed in the room. "You speak as if you know what lies behind these stories. Barov tells me that witches degenerate into the devil's servants."
"With all due respect to the Minister," William intervened, crossing his arms—which made Roland's eye twitch slightly—"that is just their bodies attempting to process a massive amount of energy without proper training. It's biology, not theology."
Roland stood up abruptly. The confusion on his face was being replaced by scientific determination. He needed proof. If these two truly came from where their clothes suggested, they would understand his need for verification. "Barov, wait here and prepare the reports on the iron ore mines. Carter, accompany us. We are going down."
The path to the dungeons was cold and damp. Arthur felt the Magic Flow vibrating in his chest, a sensation that intensified as they approached Anna's cell. When they arrived in front of the iron bars, they saw the young girl with orange hair sitting in silence. Roland stopped, observing her with a mixture of fascination and caution.
"What is your name?" Roland asked the witch. Anna stood up, her eyes meeting Roland's and, for a brief moment, Arthur's. She then replied: "Anna."
Great, the dialogue between them is following the original story, Arthur thought.
After Anna demonstrated her magic at Roland's request, he murmured, "It is not the fire of hell, but your own power," covering her with his cloak.
"Exactly, Your Highness," Arthur said, approaching Roland while Carter kept his guard high. "With this fire and the cement we can produce using the limestone from the North Slope Mine, Border Town will not need to fear the Months of Demons."
Roland turned to Arthur, ignoring noble protocol and speaking as an equal. "You know about cement. How?"
"Let's just say we read the right 'ancient books,'" Arthur replied with a half-smile. "But if you want to save Anna from the Church, you will need more than fire. You will need a fake execution. Find a prisoner convicted of real crimes and use her to satisfy the crowd's bloodlust in the square. That way, Anna can work for you in the shadows."
Roland nodded, the logic of the proposal resonating perfectly with his pragmatism. He looked at Anna and then at the two strangers. "Carter, arrange what they suggested. And as for you..." Roland pointed at the two of them. "After we resolve Anna's safety, you are going to explain exactly how a textile factory managed to put that symbol on a garment without using manual embroidery."
William let out a short laugh, feeling that his "protagonist syndrome" was about to be tested to the limit. "It's a long story, Your Highness. But it will involve much more than just textiles. It will involve gunpowder, steam engines, and the end of the age of knights."
Arthur observed the scene, knowing that the Union of Witches was only just beginning to form.