"Evil!" Aelisia drew her twin-handed sword and stood guard before Mira.
"...The Evil Demon?" Her voice was icy, devoid of emotion. "What right do you have to select witches from orphans and abandoned infants sent to monasteries?" "You're talking nonsense!" The warrior roared. "The Church shelters them out of God's mercy. Without monasteries, how many of them would survive to adulthood? Yet the omnipresent Devil erodes the weak-willed, leading a few astray. Once a witch is discovered, the Church eliminates them immediately. You've completely reversed cause and effect!" The word "eliminate" made the witch's golden eyes dim instantly. She raised her massive sword with one hand. "I'm not interested in persuading the dead. Fine." Before her words faded, an owl took flight, its shadow already charging toward her. Airexia vividly remembered her teammate's gruesome state—split open by the sword and blade. Instead of retreating, she lunged forward toward the Extraordinary's lower right side. During swordsmanship training, her instructor had repeatedly warned that the right-hand holder's lower right was the most difficult position to guard. Due to the sword's grip, reversing the blade required an extra half-second.
Ariehia leaped like a leopard, evading the Witch's direct strike. As she swept past, she thrust her twin-handed sword horizontally in a desperate counterattack. But the Extraordinary One reacted with astonishing speed—leaping lightly, she deftly dodged the sweeping strike and swiftly pivoted to raise her massive blade.
By this time, Alesia had not even fully landed.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, with her lower leg flying upward in a gush of blood. A tearing pain surged from beneath her, nearly causing her to lose consciousness. By instinct, the female warrior clenched her teeth and refrained from screaming.
The gap is too big.
Only now did she realize how formidable Abrams was—she could withstand over a dozen sword strikes from a superhuman and still buy herself time to escape.
Ariehia struggled to turn over, just as she saw Mira pull a crossbow from her backpack and aim it at the extraordinary Witch who had been watching her.
This is the last chance, she realized, maybe she could get her attention!
The warrior was about to speak when a massive sword swept past like a whirlwind. Her throat tightened, and the world spun upside down... Or perhaps she was flying. She saw her body collapsing weakly, while an owl swooped down on Mira, transforming into a girl mid-air and slamming into the God official... Her vision blurred rapidly, and she fell to the ground, plunging into endless darkness.
...
"Damn it, that stone!" Maixi muttered, rubbing the bump on her head. "You were so careless! Without me, that crossbow arrow would've hit you!" "Don't worry, I noticed it. I just wanted to settle this quickly," Ash said, digging a shallow pit with her sword and dragging the two into it before covering them with soil. She had now acquired both the God's Punishment Stone and the Golden Dragon, which would cover their journey to Bishui Harbor. From the woman in God's official robes, she found a letter she skimmed. It stated that Lord Roland Wimbledon of the Western Realm, unless he had colluded with the Witch, would be offered a baby girl and an orphan—previously, the deal had been with Duke Lain. Any underage woman could be purchased for "market price" or in exchange for pills.
After reading it, Ash sneered, set the letter on fire, and burned it to ashes.
"Let's go, we still have a pile of bodies to bury." "Creak." Maxie transformed back into an owl and headed toward the first attack site, carrying the ashes.
Digging holes, hauling loads, burying people... These grueling tasks were beyond Maixi's capabilities. Her mangled limbs and the stench of blood left her dizzy, so she lingered on the branches, fumbling through the ashes.
"Why would you do this? Wouldn't it be disastrous if the Church discovered it?" "It took two or three months for them to notice the envoys had vanished," Ash said while shoveling earth. "When the Church dispatches an envoy to investigate witchcraft cases, if the Lord cooperates, the investigation lasts over a month. Including their return time, it's roughly two to three months." "But Your Royal Highness would never cooperate with them! Grrr!" "You should take human form before speaking to me," Ash sighed. "If the Lord allows the envoys to enter the town, the Witch of the Commonwealth will inevitably be exposed. The envoys don't need to question the Prince directly—they can find answers by interrogating the townspeople. Roland either betrays the witch by claiming it's none of his business, or he'll have to arrest them all. If they prepare in advance, just one escape would alert Hermes quickly—see, they even carry homing pigeons." "Pigeons can't see at night. I've already caught them all," Maxi patted her bulging waistband. "Roast them tomorrow, and we'll each have one." Ash shook his head inwardly. He'd never seen her catch birds before, and despite being in Border Town for just days, she'd developed a strong interest in roasted bird meat. "If the Church decides to deploy troops, he'll only have about a month left." But as long as luck isn't too bad, he can at least get three more months... So this is my gift for him, and my revenge on the Church. "" I see, you're the Ashes Sister," Macy praised.
There was one crucial detail left unsaid. By doing so, she effectively made the decision for Prince. When the Church discovered the embassy had lost contact, they would undoubtedly pin the blame on Roland Wimbledon. Even if he tried to betray the Witch later, he wouldn't have a chance.
When everything was settled, the sky had already begun to lighten.
"Then, we'll part ways here," said Ash.
"..." Maxie froze. "What?" She patted the other's small head and crouched down. "You love Border Town, don't you? With Lightning and Wendy, you'll surely enjoy yourself here." "But..." The other lowered their head, looking hesitant. "I like you and Lady Tilly too." "Not to keep you here forever," Ash smiled. "Roland Wimbledon is different from Tilly—he's just an ordinary Noble, and it's hard to guarantee he'll always side with the Witches. That's why I gave you this mission: Fly back once a month to tell us what's happening in Border Town, and relay our messages to the Witches of the Guild. This way, we can maintain contact. If the town faces danger, you can help them escape from Graycastle and head to the fjords." "Is that so?" Maxie blinked.
"That's it," she nodded. "I believe you can do it." Watching Maxie transform into a dove and fade into the morning light, Ashes mounted his horse and rode toward the Emerald Harbor.