For the rest of the time, he locked himself in his room, reliving every memory of the world, with the Servant bringing him dinner straight.
Driven by an intense will to survive, Roland suppressed his fear and discomfort in the unfamiliar environment after the time travel. He knew full well that gathering more intelligence as soon as possible would minimize the risk of exposure.
It must be said that the Fourth Prince's mind was consumed solely by his idle antics with the young aristocrats. Roland, despite his repeated attempts, could not recall any meaningful information—be it Noble's observations, political developments, or diplomatic relations with neighboring states. Even basic facts like city names and major historical dates eluded him, failing to connect with his grasp of European history.
This man is clearly out of the running for the throne. Perhaps the King of Graycastle knows this too, which is why he sent him to such a desolate place—after all, even if he acts recklessly, it won't cause much damage.
As for those siblings... Roland briefly recalled the situation, leaving him in a state of bewilderment.
The eldest brother was formidable, the second brother cunning, the third sister a ruthless killer, and the fifth sister exceptionally sharp—this was the impression the Fourth Prince had left. What could he say? After over a decade of interaction, his final impression was summed up in just a few words. They had cultivated no factions, no trusted subordinates, and no expertise in any particular field.
Just three months into his tenure at Border Town, Noble had already laid bare his contempt, proving the Fourth Prince was no fit for leadership. Thankfully, when departing the Royal Capital, King Wimbledon III had secured both a civil and a military aide—otherwise, he'd have been a complete embarrassment.
Early the next morning, MaidTilly kept reminding Roland that the Minister's Assistant wanted to see him. With no time to waste, he followed his old routine—gently stroking Maid's buttocks and instructing her to call Barov to wait in the drawing room.
As Tilly walked out the door with a flushed face, Roland suddenly wondered—since it was farming, might there be some built-in system? He yawned and mentally repeated the system's name dozens of times, but nothing happened.
Novels are all lies.
...
Barov, restless in the drawing room, rushed forward at Roland's appearance. "Your Highness, why didn't you order the execution yesterday?" "A day early or late makes no difference," Roland said, clapping his hands and ordering his attendants to serve breakfast. "Sit down and let's talk." He realized this matched his memory: the Chief Knight would always confront problems directly, while the Minister's Assistant would explain privately. In any case, both remained loyal and reliable—though likely out of respect for the King.
"Delaying even a day might attract more witches, Your Royal Highness! This isn't like those petty matters before – we can't just let things get out of hand!" "How dare you speak like that?" Roland asked with a frown. "I thought you could tell rumors from facts." Barov looked bewildered. "What rumors?" "Witches of evil, messengers of the Devil," Roland said nonchalantly. "Isn't this all the Church's propaganda? If they don't interfere here, I think we should do the opposite. They spread rumors about witches being evil, so we refuse to hunt them down and instead tell the people in the territories that these are shameless rumors spread by the Church." Barov froze. "But... but witches are..." "Indeed evil?" Roland countered. "Like?" The Minister's Assistant fell silent, seemingly wondering if the Prince was deliberately teasing him. "Your Highness, such matters can be discussed later. I know you dislike the Church, but this kind of resistance only backfires." Changing entrenched beliefs takes time, Roland said with a pout, though he didn't dwell on the point.
The breakfast was now on the table: a plate of fried bread slices, a dish of fried eggs, and a can of milk. He first filled a glass for the Minister's Assistant and pushed it over to them.
"Not had your meal yet? Let's talk while eating," Maid suggested. Barov had rushed to the temporary palace at dawn to seek an audience and was still fasting. Though he resolved to emulate the Fourth Prince's approach first, change must begin with small steps. The Minister's Assistant was a prime target, he thought—making subordinates feel valued would galvanize their loyalty.
Subjective initiative has always been the most efficient, hasn't it?
Barov took the cup but didn't drink it. "Your Highness," he said anxiously, "we're in trouble. Three days ago, guards reported a suspected witch's camp in the western forest. They rushed through without clearing the area, and this was found in the camp." He pulled a coin from his pocket and placed it in front of Roland.
That wasn't a common currency. At least in Roland's memory, he'd never seen anything like it—it didn't even look like a metal object.
Holding it in his hand, he was startled to find the device glowing with heat—clearly not residual warmth from the Minister's Assistant, but at least 40°C. The sudden warmth instantly reminded him of a heating pad.
"What is this?" "I thought it was just some witch's evil creation, but it's far more sinister than I imagined," Barov wiped his forehead. "The markings... are the Seal of the Holy Mountain and the Evil Eye, the official emblem of the Witches Association." Roland examined the coin's uneven surface, speculating it was likely ceramic. At its core, the coin bore a mountain-shaped motif—three parallel triangles with an eye at their center. The rough outlines suggested hand-polished craftsmanship.
He searched for the terms "the Holy Mountain and the Evil Eye" and "the Witches Association" but found no relevant information. It appears the Fourth Prince has zero points in the God Secret Studies.
Barov didn't expect Roland to know, he continued. "Your Highness, you've never seen a real Witch, which is why you look down on them. They do get hurt and bleed, just as easily as ordinary people, but those are Witches who can't fight back. Witches summoned by the Devil have extremely short lives, yet gain terrifying power that ordinary people can't match. Once a Witch reaches adulthood, even armies pay a heavy price. Their desires are almost impossible to suppress, and they all end up becoming the Devil's lackeys." "That's why the Church formed the Inquisition Army. If any woman shows signs of becoming a Witch, she's arrested and executed. The King agrees with this. In fact, these measures have been remarkably effective—the Witch rampages have decreased significantly compared to a hundred years ago. The legends of the Holy Mountain, or the Gates of Hell, come from ancient books from that era." Roland chewed on his bread, a cold laugh echoing in his mind. Though the world's background was vastly different from what he knew, the trajectory of historical development remained strikingly similar. The Church, again the Church—he knew religion was the Devil's lackey, the true source of evil. Executing someone upon discovering signs? To enforce laws, arrest, judge, and execute all in the name of God—that itself was a form of corruption. Prince's recollection of the Church's abuse of power also corroborated his own perspective.
Ancient texts state that witches must journey to the Sacred Mountain to attain true peace. There, they are shielded from the backlash of Magic Power and free from the grip of raging desires. Undoubtedly, the so-called Sacred Mountain in the books is the cradle of evil and the gateway to hell for mortals. I believe only hell would spare these fallen souls. "" What about the Witches Association? What's their connection to the Sacred Mountain? "Barov asked with a grim expression." In the past, witches either escaped or went into seclusion alone. But the Cooperative Society that emerged in recent years is different—they aim to gather all witches to search for the Sacred Mountain together. For this purpose, members of the Cooperative Society even actively lure others into becoming witches. Didn't the mass disappearance of baby girls at Port of Clear Water last year suggest they were the culprits?"