Coming of Age

Nightingale had seen the two witches under Roland's care. They were young, especially Nana who was actually still a fourteen years old girl. From what she could tell, they were both new as witches. Unless they had prior knowledge from an older witch, it was not likely for them to know about what they had to face.

She had walked all over, searching in hope for more witches outside of the two girls. Not many witches could do something like detecting their kin, but fortunately, she was blessed with one. It was also why she was in charge to recruit witches for their camp. After she figured out there were only two witches, an amount that was actually quite a lot for a small town, she switched to observing Roland.

The prince had a lot of activities that he could go from one end to another end in the town several times a day. Though he slept well sometimes till noon, his day was similarly filled even after sunset. Even so, he would try to spare some time accompanying the girls during their training. From his conversations with Anna and Nana, she learned that his first contact with witches was with them. Because of those various factors, she assumed Roland didn't know what she was talking about.

"Adulthood." Under that assumption, she continued. "Your Highness, do you know why we're seen as the embodiment of the devil?"

'Wasn't it the devil minions?' While putting a solemn expression, Roland thought differently in his head. But he tactfully didn't interrupt.

In any case, he didn't believe the terms the Church used to describe them nor he cared for what self-deprecating words the witches themselves used to mock their own existence. While he couldn't verify the existence of power-granting devils, he also didn't see any evidence of the God the church advocated. He would rather believe the creation of witches wasn't just an unexplainable, but natural occurrence to the humanity in this world.

But that's neither here nor there, Roland hurriedly snapped out of it and went back to listening what Nightingale wanted to say.

"The months of the demons isn't just a period where demonic beasts run rampant." Nightingale let out a sigh tinged with a hint of melancholy. "For us witches, we also have to struggle against our inner demon, resisting the demonic torture or die."

Nightingale then explained the matter calmly. Evidently, it was not the first time she talked about this as her spoken words were smooth. Although Roland already heard about this issue, even knew the possible solution, nevertheless, his expression turned grave the more she spoke. What she said with an indifferent face came straight from horror stories.

Unlike the brief explanation that he knew, hers was the first-handed experience. Her description of the pain was unclear, but the trembling voice from a strong-willed woman conveyed more than enough. Not to mention, the gruesome images of brutal death and agony from her fellow witches over the years were being described vividly, making Roland's imagination ran wild.

To put it plainly, their whole body would scream in pain, pain that was hard to explain using words. Holding her own body tight, Nightingale said simple torture was a light term to describe it, for they would suffer from their very inside. Hence the demonic torture.

The ordeal started with a sense of discomfort. Shortly after, their whole body painfully swelled, blood gushed out from burst blood vessels and those who failed to endure turned into a puddle or glob of flesh. It was to the point that some that actually survived, decided to take their life just to not going through the maddening experience again in the next year.

This was a very serious issue that made a lot of witches died young. The witches that fell from this way was probably more than those executed by the Church order. After all, one could hide from the mass, living in the middle of nowhere or places where the Church still had weak to no influence. But no matter what, they still had to face the demonic torture every year.

It was why they hoped to find the witches' holy mountain described in a book their leader read. The place was described to be one with the capability of granting them eternal peace. If such sanctuary for witches truly existed, then a problem like demonic torture should definitely have the solution over there, saving them for a whole world of pain.

Of course, Nightingale didn't simply use wishful thinking as a point for argument. While their leader was pretty obsessed with it, she was more down to earth and only went along because of the sisters in the community itself. She honestly admitted that although there were still occasional victims, as they lived more freely, apparently their pain was lighter than in the past compared to when they were still living along with the general populace.

After listening to her speech, Roland only found that it was a pity.

He didn't know which part of her story he found it pitiable. The demonic torture, the fact they were clinging to an unverified legend, or the witch group was actually that close to figure out the solution yet couldn't see the last step. But it was probably all of them.

People died from a lot of things. Roland understood from learning about this world that although wars were not that frequent, death was still high in number. Be it from starving, illnesses that couldn't be properly cared for, or from outbreaks of violence that were hardly being kept in check. It was an era where the death toll was high no matter where you go.

For witches, their population was far fewer, yet their fatality rate was astonishing to the extreme. However, a lot of them could actually be saved if they just knew the answer. But would they even have the chance to?

His solution gained from the information from that other timeline was ridiculously simple. Just simply using their abilities frequently, and the worst nightmare would just be another night of sleep. Yet, the reality was cruel. For such an easy way out, with the Church suppression made the witches who came to be from ordinary girls at first would then found it hard to practice or try at all in fear from being prosecuted.

Even the witches in the Witches Cooperation Association like Nightingale that survived years from using her ability often and had the misconception that it simply depend on willpower and luck to pass. While willpower was certainly a part of it, luck was never meant to be.

It only became a game of luck because they didn't know the truth, and had the odds against them.

There might be witches that already knew the answer, but spreading them was far from easy.

Roland fell silent thinking and sorting what he knew. Although Nightingale didn't know what went through his head, she didn't find it strange. Even the witches that she recruited, hearing what she had to say at first was often met with disbelief.

Without him realizing, Roland was now tapping at the table, his eyes closed. He found that there were flaws in Nightingale persuasion. First of all, it was not like they knew about the solution yet, so sending Anna and Nana to the mountain were simply making them live in the wilderness for no reason besides there were a lot more witches in their camp.

Although the ability to manipulate flame and healing injuries were certainly going to be valuable and brought up often, it's because they just happened to have the right abilities.

And more importantly.

Since when Anna and Nana wish to be part of a witch group? Anna might have a terrible father, but recently despite her seemingly indifferent attitude, she had shown interests in a lot of things. Nana had a loving father and lots of friends, while she might be able learning to survive in such a harsh place, would her innocent smile lasted? Although they became something they didn't expect, and under different circumstances might really result in their hanging at the gallow, would they rather go to some places with strangers?

Just because they were one of them?

Roland couldn't answer for them, or maybe he could if he drew the parallel, but it was certainly unlikely. Even so, rejecting outright was not good. In the first place, his plan was to pull Nightingale and her fellows to the town, so being hardy was risky.

He wanted them not just because of their abilities, but also because he wished to change their fate. He knew what waited for the majority of the witches in that terrible mountain.

As someone in the know for a lot of things, he always spent days thinking about whether he had to change things, or just left them to be. But for something like the safety of the witches, he found out there was nothing to think about.

Roland went to fetch Anna together with Nightingale after locking the office. His intention was to bring both Anna and the conversation to his chamber, where there was a round table suitable for them to face each other.

He called her from behind the door and received a reply almost immediately. Evening came and Anna had changed from her modified maid dress and wore a red-deep color light nightgown. At a first glance beside being dyed, the long-sleeved loose-fitting chemise seemed ordinary, but he had ordered them to be made with good quality silk. Roland was stingy to a lot of things, but he still unhesitatingly used his personal saving to buy some of the best clothes available for Anna.

He once said to Barov who was baffled after looking at the expenditure: It's my money.

At any rate, it seemed Anna was doing well. Looking at the papers on her table filled with words, she was probably digesting some elementary knowledge he had shared. Roland had a one-sided subtle rivalry brewing and didn't want to lose to the another him in the story he read who was arguably smarter. While he couldn't recall high school materials well, teaching elementary stuff was not out of reach. Not to mention, it was only appropriate to start from basic to build the foundation.

Unfortunately, he could only praise her later.