All the curtains were drawn, and the fireplace was blazing, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature.
Unlike Anna, who spent her Coming of Age Day in a coma, Nana Wa remained fully conscious. To help her quickly gather her strength before the pain struck, everyone kept her awake by telling stories or playing simple games to keep her from dozing off.
Roland also performed a few coin magic tricks that left everyone in awe, especially Nana Wa, who stared intently at his hands. Normally, she would have already been shouting to learn them.
The magic of this era remained at the rudimentary level of acrobatic stunts. As Roland had witnessed in the royal palace—flute-playing, snake-dancing, fire-breathing, and stone-crushing from the chest—these were clearly inferior to the later specialized small-scale illusions and finger techniques.
Finally, Lightning recounted her maritime exploits, detailing the grand adventure of her father Thunder and herself navigating between islands and fjords, battling whirlpools and hidden reefs, and hunting deep-sea giant sharks and octopuses. Though aware that much of the story was fictional, everyone listened with rapt attention—even Roland was completely absorbed. In his imagination, those sailboats had transformed into ironclad battleships, racing across the boundless ocean to reach the New World.
In truth, he had no grasp of the world's historical progression, with all documented events dating back merely four hundred and fifty years. Recalling the knowledge Prince had acquired from his court tutors, he couldn't recall any explanations—perhaps the boy had never paid proper attention in class. Border Town lacked even basic facilities like archives or libraries. Once they captured the Long Song Fortress, they could consult a few learned scholars.
When Lightning finished his adventure tale, Roland couldn't help but yawn. He glanced at Nightingale, who shook her head, signaling that Magic Power remained unchanged. Without a precise timekeeping device, it was impossible to gauge how long they'd been waiting. Roland poured himself a cup of warm water and sat down to wait on his turn.
But gradually, everyone sensed something was amiss—the wait had dragged on far too long. Nana Wa was yawning uncontrollably, on the verge of succumbing to drowsiness, while Nightingale grew increasingly anxious. She gently stroked the girl's forehead, her eyes fixed on the flow of Magic Power within her.
Roland lifted his cup only to find it empty. He walked to the fireplace, took down the kettle, and refilled it. As he passed by the window, he couldn't resist lifting the curtain to catch a glimpse of the snow's progress. A sliver of light filtered through the gap in the heavy curtain.
He was delighted to find that a faint light had begun to appear on the pitch-black horizon.
"Look!" Roland yanked the curtain open, startling everyone who turned around. As they gazed at the faint light in the distance, they realized a new day had begun.
Nanava safely survived the day of the Magic Power backlash.
...
Roland stretched lazily back into the bedroom and noticed two more people in the room.
The Nightingale and Wendy.
There was no trace of drowsiness on their faces, only excitement.
"Are you sure Nana Wa's' date 'is today—no, it's last night?" Roland asked.
"Yes, the changes were subtle at the time. I thought it wasn't yet the critical moment for the backlash," Nightingale affirmed. "Your Highness, you're absolutely right! As long as you keep releasing Magic Power, its total amount will grow steadily while the physical suffering decreases. With consistent daily training, all witches have a great chance of surviving to adulthood!" "In the entire Kingdom of Graycastle, only your territory allows witches to wield their powers freely. In a sense, this is the holy land of witches," Wendy continued. "I implore you to spread this news to as many witches as possible, so the sisters can come to the sanctuary sooner. I'm sure they'll be eager to serve you." "That's exactly what I planned," Roland nodded. "By the end of the Demon's Moon, the people will have some understanding and interaction with witches. Then I'll arrange for word to spread—through rumors. You should know I can't openly recruit witches, as that would cause a domestic uproar," he paused briefly. "Unless the Church perishes, or I ascend the throne." "Then I'm willing to help you ascend the throne." Wendy seemed to be waiting for those words. Without hesitation, she knelt on one knee and swore allegiance. Her movements appeared unsteady, as if she were learning the act on the spot. Yet Roland paid no heed to such details, accepting the allegiance as he had accepted the nightingale's.
After rising, Wendy smiled at the Nightingale. "How was it?" she asked. The Nightingale pouted. "It was barely tolerable." Roland shook his head helplessly. "If that's the case, you'd better go to bed early—you haven't slept a wink." "Your Highness, I have one more request," Wendy said, kneeling down again as she stood.
"Go on," Roland said, his smile fading as he asked earnestly. The other person's posture made it clear this was a tough question to answer.
"I want to go back to the camp again." "Wendy!" Nightingale looked at her in surprise, but the other's eyes were filled with determination.
"I don't know if they found the Holy Mountain—maybe yes, maybe no. I hope to journey to the Desolate Mountains after the Evil Demon's Moon. If Hakkara didn't locate the Holy Mountain, they should have returned to the mountains by now." "This is the most dangerous situation," Roland frowned. "Your revered mentor attacked you out of spite." "If she truly wanted to kill me, I'd have died instantly," Wendy said. "The demon snake she summoned was 'Pain,' not 'Death.' I might not bring back much, perhaps not even a single soul, but at least I can deliver this message to the sisters. As long as they release Magic Power daily, they won't suffer that terrible agony." Her voice softened. "Your Highness, as long as you continue to treat the Witches kindly, my life belongs to you. I won't give up easily. I'll protect myself. Please promise me." Roland fell silent. Out of caution, he should have refused Wendy. But he understood the significance of this request to her—once she had the chance to save more Witches, she would willingly take the risk. If he refused, she might obey his orders, but the loss of her sisters would leave an eternal scar in his heart.
"I promise you," Roland finally nodded. "But you must wait until two months after the Demon's Moon ends, and go with Lightning. I'll provide you with a self-defense musket and... the God's Stone of Punishment. Lightning will support from a distance, while you wear the God's Stone of Punishment to negotiate with them. This way, Hakkara or other witches won't be able to harm you with their abilities." "Your Highness, let me accompany her!" Nightingale said.
"No, Veronica. Your Highness's safety matters far more than mine—he's the hope of all the witches," Wendy said with a wry smile, shaking her head. "Protect him well."