Release that Witch

...

The snow outside was becoming heavier again. Snowflakes that were the size of a fingernail fell from the sky and covered Border Town. Gray elves danced in the wind and descended towards the land together, where they blended in with the white roofs and tree branches. In all probability, witnessing such a scene made one feel nothing but cold.

Yet, the more it was so, the warmer Tilly felt.

She leant back on her deckchair, with half of her body covered by a soft woolen blanket, and her legs extended towards a fire barrel. This convenient device for warming oneself was invented by Roland. A charcoal brazier was placed inside a square barrel, which was arranged in line with a chair separated by a horizontal wooden plank. It was different to a blazing bonfire, which could cause burns if one got too close, yet did not provide much heat if one was far away. By placing one’s feet on the wooden plank, one could safely enjoy the warmth of the charcoal fire from a close distance. And by additionally tucking into a blanket, one’s entire body would feel warm.

The swirling snow outside the window accentuated the cosiness of indoors, and the sense of bliss created by this contrast was deeply memorable.

She had to say that the treatment that the witches received in Border Town was completely different from one year ago. Understandably, the witches did not wish to leave as even she herself was immensely enjoying the stay.

Apart from her, Anna and Agatha were also staying in the room. This was originally Anna’s bedroom, and whenever there was a rare downtime, Tilly would bring her books to the room and seek advice from Anna for things she did not understand. At first, there were only the two of them, but now, there was also an ancient witch who had awakened from the ruins. Anna simply moved the fire barrel from beside the table to an empty space in the room and asked Roland to install two more deckchairs. The three of them sat around the fire barrel with their legs resting on each other, and together they learned eye-opening and arcane knowledge.

Of course, most of the time, Tilly and Agatha asked questions while Anna answered.

”It’s hard to believe that a book like this could be written by a mortal.” Agatha closed the cover of Natural Science Theoretical Foundation, and inhaled deeply. ”The more I read, the more I realize that the world is the way it is. Amidst the mass chaos there are hidden rules, and everything operates according to the same rules. If he was born in Taquila, the Union would certainly accept him as a member, and there’s a chance that he’ll possess the same status as a Senior Witch.”

At first, she asked many questions regarding the book’s contents, but through Anna’s detailed explanations, Agatha’s attitude towards Roland changed significantly.

However, Tilly believed that this change was only directed towards Roland, while together, they continued to see other mortals as extremely dull and stupid.

As she thought of this, Tilly sighed uncontrollably. Only she knew that all of this knowledge did not originate from Roland Wimbledon but another person who suddenly appeared in his mind.

Through these few days of contact, as well as Sylvie’s supporting evidence, Tilly was able to confirm this explanation. However, it would be impossible for them to prove he was still Roland Wimbledon. What was even more suspicious was that he did not know where this portion of memory came from or who it belonged to. It was hard to believe that memory could be completely separated from his life, or at least, she herself was unable to do so. As long as he recalled in his mind the knowledge of the court mentor and professor, the relevant segments of memory would flash in front of his eyes.

”Where exactly did he acquire all of this knowledge from?” Agatha sighed and said, ”I had thought that the mortals’ research has been extensive, but after these few days of observation, it seems that there’s not much difference from 400 years ago—and perhaps even a little behind.”

”I don’t know either.” Tilly shrugged. ”In any case, the knowledge couldn’t have been acquired in the palace.”

”How was he like in the past?”

This question made Anna raise her head.

”In the past...” Tilly hesitated for a moment. ”He was arrogant, cowardly, bigoted, ignorant, unskilled and terrible... His only merit was probably that he didn’t make use of his status as a prince to commit any atrocious act.”

”Oh... so, he was equal to other mortals?”

”No. Even among mortals, he was considered a terrible fella.” She said, grumbling, ”Though he improved after coming here, it’s still never clear what he’s thinking... He would always hold back his words and yet wanted people to trust him. How is that possible?”

The room suddenly quietened.

”What’s the matter?” Tilly sensed something odd in the other two’s eyes.

”No... Nothing.” Anna smiled with her mouth closed. ”This is the first time I’ve heard you speak about this.”

”Damn, she only now realized that she had spoken too much. This kind of complaint shouldn’t be coming from an ally. It was probably because in recent days she had been too relaxed.” She tried to explain. ”What I mean is...”

”It’s OK, His Highness wouldn’t care.” Anna shook her head and laughed. ”He probably has his own reasons.”

”Roland...” Tilly hesitated briefly and asked, ”didn’t mention these to you before?”

”No,” Anna said casually, ”I haven’t asked him either. If he wanted to talk about it, he would.”

”Indeed,” Tilly sighed in mind. The first time that Anna met the prince, he was already a changed person, and hence it was meaningless to consider this question.

”From what you said, he was a totally different person in the past?” Agatha asked with interest. ”There used to be a saying in the Quest Society that the more uncommon a person is, the more distinct quirks he has. Perhaps this kind of change is a normal occurrence. While in the palace, did Roland howl at the moon, or spend a long time staring and gesturing at the wall?”

”What kind of quirks are these?” Tilly could not help but shake her head. ”Apart from being a little eccentric in the way he did things, he was no different from ordinary people. However... I heard people mention that once during a court lesson, he publicly exclaimed that he would marry a witch, and probably because of these words, Gerald and Timothy constantly picked on him in the name of purifying the Devil’s minions, while his own father was also unhappy with the behavior. After that, his personality became more and more stubborn and unruly.”

”He was discriminated against because he wanted to marry a witch?” Agatha curled her lips. ”This was a noble goal in Taquila. Of course, the number of people who were successful to do this was very small, because most witches were unwilling to spend their lives with only one man.”

”But we’re different from 400 years ago. If he married a witch, it would mean that he wouldn’t have children to succeed him. How could his father feel good about such an idea?” Tilly sighed, ”It has already been more than 10 years. He has most probably already forgotten those silly words.”

”Is it?” Anna spoke suddenly, ”But now he’s still willing to marry a witch.”

”Oh, he still remembers? Wait...” Tilly’s eyes widened uncontrollably. ”You said now?”

”Yes,” Anna laughed gently, ”His Highness said so himself.”

Tilly suddenly froze.