Chapter 222: The Long-Awaited Victory
Fjord, Sea Dragon Bay.
The Church’s followers had taken the wall, loosing crossbow bolts toward the witches — but against Shavi’s invisible barrier and Molly’s magical servant, their arrows simply dropped or vanished into the servant’s belly. Only bolts tipped with fragments of God’s Punishment Stone posed any real danger, and the supply of those was finite. Each witch who took a hit was carried back immediately; as long as the bleeding was stopped in time, the wounds were not fatal. Two rounds, three rounds — and by then more than twenty witches had reached the base of the wall.
Ashes went over first.
She climbed in a single motion and started cutting down anyone who showed their head above the parapet.
The pre-war scouting had been thorough. They knew where the wall’s weak points were, where the God’s Stone of Retaliation had not been set. A chorus of pigeon calls rang from above: Maggie, reporting that every team was in position.
Lotus did not hesitate. The ground buckled and rose. Several believers rushed toward her — Ashes intercepted them one after another, quick and precise, leaving no loose ends. The wall section without the God’s Stone shuddered, cracked, and came down. Witches poured through the gap, abilities deployed without ceremony, and inside a few minutes more than half the believers who lacked protective stones lay dead. Ashes moved through the rest the way water finds low ground.
This was the first time in living memory that a church had been taken by direct assault — and by the Church’s sworn enemies, at that. The priest stationed there had known since the wall fell what the end would look like. He gave the order: take the pills, die for God.
Ten believers obeyed, their minds unraveling into the pill’s fury, and threw themselves at Ashes with nothing left to lose. The rest lunged for Lotus.
Lotus had prepared for this. An earthen wall rose from the ground, solid and immediate, blocking their path. The God’s Stone of Retaliation could not undo a completed magical result — it could only prevent new ones — so they had to go around, and by the time they had, the space behind the wall was empty.
The frenzied believers turned back to Ashes. The witches appeared behind them.
It went on for half an hour, the believers losing ground in every direction at once, until the priest stood alone.
He had the pill in his mouth when Ashes reached him. She took his arm off before he swallowed.
“Damn you!” He clutched the stump, face white, screaming. “You evil creature! Devil’s monster!”
Ashes looked at him without expression. “Are you scared? Did you ever consider how they felt — the ones you tortured and killed?” Her voice was flat. “Compared to us witches, men like you resemble the devil’s servants far more closely. You don’t shrink from any crime.” She raised her sword. “So go back to hell with an easy mind.” Her blade fell, and the curse died with him.
Molly appeared at her side, voice barely above a whisper. “Did we win?”
“Yes.” Ashes exhaled. “This was the last church in the Fjord. There are no more strongholds on the islands. We won.”
The Church’s presence in the Fjord had always been thin — fewer than a hundred followers per church, no standing Army of Judges. Even so, this was the first time the witches had faced the Church head-on and come out the other side. They had spent years fleeing at the sound of footsteps, scattering at rumors. Now they had walked into a church and walked back out. The mountain that had loomed over every witch’s life had not collapsed, but they had placed their hands on the stone and felt that it was possible to climb.
The cheering started and wouldn’t stop.
“We won!”
“Long live Her Majesty Tilly!”
“Googoo!”
By boat back to the island, then up the path to Tilly’s residence — Ashes could not get there fast enough. But when she arrived and found Tilly in her chair, the Fifth Princess only brushed a strand of silver-silk hair behind her ear and offered a quiet smile.
“Maggie told me already. Everyone came back safe. That’s the most important thing.”
She had forgotten about Maggie. Of course — a seabird flew faster than any ship. Ashes glanced around the room looking for the familiar, fidgeting shape. “Maggie?”
“She left the moment she finished reporting.” Tilly shook her head, something between exasperation and fondness in it. “Perhaps she’s already back in the Western Region.”
“She went back?” Ashes heard herself before she could help it.
“She asked if she could go just days after delivering the letter,” Tilly said, with a small laugh. “If we hadn’t needed her help against the Church, I suspect she would have turned around on the same day. I find myself increasingly curious about that place.”
Ashes hesitated. “Should I not have left her there?”
“No, it was the right call.” The Fifth Princess’s voice was certain. “Because of Maggie, we have a direct line to the other side. I’ve already sent a reply with her to pass on to Roland Wimbledon.” She made a face. “Want to guess what I said?”
“You refused.” Ashes didn’t have to think about it. “Crossing the sea was already risk enough. Sending witches to the Western Region would be—”
“I agreed,” Tilly said.
Ashes stared.
“I told him I would consider sending non-combat witches to Border Town, provided he can guarantee their safety. What was his phrase?” She tipped her head back, thinking. “Deepening our friendship by learning and observing together, both of us progressing hand in hand.” A slight pause. “If circumstances require, I may go myself.”
“Your Royal Highness—” The old title came out before Ashes could stop it.
“I know what you’re afraid of.” Tilly was patient, unhurried. “But the Church is the greatest enemy the witches have. More allies means more power. Our dealings with the islands of the Fjord exist because they serve us. The Witch Cooperation Association in Border Town is something closer to a natural ally. Why not show them good faith?” She smiled. “And according to Maggie, it may be possible to evolve a witch’s ability further through study. If the witches I send there learn how it works, Sleeping Island benefits too.”
“But for you to go in person — if something went wrong—”
Tilly raised a hand. “I’m not leaving immediately. Not until I know more. But don’t forget Sylvie — she sees through every disguise, every illusion, anything crafted to deceive. If she goes in the first group, she can verify what kind of person Roland Wimbledon actually is. And even if there were danger—” a mild look— “won’t you be with me?”
Ashes held her gaze for a long moment.
Then nodded.
“Good.” Tilly settled back into her chair. “We can wait until Maggie returns next month and discuss it properly. For now, there are other things.”
Ashes blinked. After clearing every church on the islands, she had assumed the work ahead would be quiet — building, planning, the slow business of making Sleeping Island into what Tilly envisioned. But the expression on Tilly’s face was not the expression of a woman who intended to rest.
The Fifth Princess touched the white silk glove on her right hand, where the red gem sat at its center.
“The ruins on the mainland are not the only ones. There are ancient ruins here in the Fjord, on the Shadow Islands. Most likely, that’s where the sea folk’s magic stones originate.” Her eyes went somewhere distant. “With the Church’s presence gone, I want to see them for myself.”
“The legend of the Ghost Shadow Red River?” Ashes had spent enough time among the islanders by now. She knew the stories — ruins that appeared and vanished with the tides, treacherous undercurrents, sea monsters that had broken every expedition that ventured too close. “No one knows the location precisely. Explorers have been trying to reach those ruins since they were first recorded. Most of them are buried out there somewhere. How would we even find them?”
“I may not know where they are,” Tilly said, “but I know someone who does. Someone who has already been inside.” She smiled again, that quiet, certain smile. “In fact, he’s on Sleeping Island right now.”
Chapter 222 The long awaited victory!
Fjord, Sea Dragon Bay.
The Church’s follower had boarded the wall, shooting crossbow arrows towards the witches, but confronted with Shavi’s invisible barrier and Molly’s magical servant, their attempts at resistance showed little results. All their arrows would suddenly drop or be swallowed into the servant’s belly. Only when the other side embedded their arrows with small pieces of God’s Punishment Stones did they become a threat.
But in the end, the amount of God’s Punishment Stones were limited, and every witch who was unfortunately enough and got hit would immediately be carried back to get treated. As long as the blood loss was stopped in time, their lives wouldn’t be in danger. After two or three rounds of shooting, more than 20 witches already advanced to the edge of the wall. Ashes directly jumped on top of the wall, disposing of those believers who dared to show their heads.
After a few days of pre-war investigation, they knew the weaknesses of the wall like the back of their hand. From high up in the sky, a variety of pigeon cries could be heard. It was Maggie that was signaling that everyone had reached the correct position.
Having gone through several fights had bestowed Lotus with the experience to exhibit her ability without the slightest hesitation, the ground suddenly shook and began to rise. Seeing this, some of the Church’s follower rushed forward to try and stop her, but in the end, they were all beheaded by Ashes one after another. It didn’t take long for the wall which wasn’T embedded with God’s Stone of Retaliation to begin to collapse. Followed by an attack of the witches who swarmed into the opened up space, and continuously made use of their ability to assault the believers. In a flash they had killed more than half of those who did not have a God’s Stone of Retaliation
protecting them. And those who still stood were smoothly and cleaned harvested by Ashes.
This was the first time since the church was built that they suffered a direct assault. Moreover, the opposite side was the Church’s sworn enemy. The priest that was stationed there, also knew that the end of the day was coming so he called out to his followers to take the pills and sacrifice themselves for God. Ten of those believers who had turned mad rushed towards Ashes, and used their flesh to try and stop her, while the rest of them threw themselves at Lotus.
Seeing this, Lotus raised an already prepared earthen wall from the ground, temporarily blocking the enemy with it. With the God’s Stone of Retaliation being unable to eliminate already completed magical results, they had to first go around the wall, but by that time the place behind the wall was already as empty.
Without any better option, the furious believer turned around, once more besieging Ashes. But at that moment the witches again appeared behind their back and in this way caught them off guard. After half an hour of fighting and suffering repeated losses, the ground was covered with the bodies of the Church’s followers, ultimately leaving the Priest left standing.
While trembling he threw the pills into his mouth, but before he even had the time to swallow, Ashes had come over, and cut off his arm.
“Damn you, you evil creature! You Devil cursed monster!” Holding his cut off end of his arm with his other hand full of fear, the Priest roared hysterically.
“Are you scared? Have you ever thought about their feelings when you tortured and killed those innocent?” Ashes stated coldly, “Compared with us witches, scum like you resemble a devil’s minion much more, you who does not shrink away from any crime. So, feel at ease when I send you back to hell to report.” Ending her speech, her sword fell, cutting his curse and his head off.
“Did we win?” Molly arrived at her side, her voice and face full of disbelief.
“Yes,” Ashes sighed in relief. “This was the last church in the Fjord, from here on, there is no longer any stronghold left on the islands, we won! ”
Although the Church’s power in the Fjord was feeble, with merely one hundred believers within every church and no stationed Army of Judges, this was still the first time that the witches had confronted the Church head-on and managed to win. From fleeing in all direction when they heard the grass rustled in the wind. Until now, where they managed to conquer the church, knocking down the huge monster of the past, even if it was only a negligible part of the Church, it was enough to excite all of the witches.
Just as she had expected, after everyone confirmed the long-awaited victory, they could not help but cheer loudly. In the hearts of all the witches, the Church was like an overbearing mountain, and now, when they had made the first step to climbing this mountain, permit them to see the first trace of the shining light of dawn. From now on, the Fjord had become their real homeland.
“We won!”
“Long live Her Majesty, Tilly!”
“Googoo!”
…
After traveling back to the island by boat, Ashes couldn’t wait to return to Tilly’s residence, and tell her the news that the witches had thoroughly won. But when she met up with her, the latter only stroked her silk like gray hair behind her ear, revealed a bright smile and said: “Maggie has already informed me, I heard that you all are safe and sound, this is really great.”
Indeed, compared to sailing, it is a lot faster to turn into a seabird and fly back. Ashes looked around and took in the surrounding, but she was unable to see the familiar figure, “Maggie?
“She left immediately after reporting on your victory,” Tilly shook her head helplessly.
Hearing this Ashes couldn’t help but feel shocked, “She… already returned to the Western Border?”
“Well,” Tilly said with a chuckle, “Maybe, she found a very good friend over there. After just a few days, she already couldn’t wait any longer and asked if she could return. If it weren’t for the fact that we needed her help to beat the Church, I’m afraid that after delivering the letter, she would have turned around and flown straight back on that same day… I’m getting more and more curious about the other side.”
For a while, Ashes hesitated, but then she asked: “Should I not have left her there?”
“No, that was excellent,” the 5th Princess responded with a firm voice, “It is only because you left Maggie in Border Town, that we could easily get in touch with the other side. Furthermore, I also let her take my reply along and pass it on to Roland Wimbledon,” She made a grimace, “Care to guess, what I replied to him?”
“You refused him of course. Crossing the sea to reach this island was already full of risk, how could we then send any witches to the Western Region.”
“No, I agreed to his request,” Tilly smiled, “Furthermore, I also briefed him about the abilities of the non-combat witches and said in the letter that as long as he can guarantee the safety of the witches, I will consider sending some witches to Border Town. What was it that he said? Oh, that’s right. Deepening our friendship by learning and observing together, both of us progressing hand in hand.” She paused, “If it becomes necessary, I can even go over to Border Town myself.”
“Your Royal Highness!” Ashes could not stop herself from shouting out her former honorific title in shock.
“I know what you are worried about, but right now the biggest enemy of us witches is the Church. What this means is, only by having more allies can we
have more power. That we have dealings with the various Islands of the Fjord is because of the beneficial relations it brings, while the Witch Cooperation Association in Border Town can be seen as a natural friend to us. So why don’t you show them some goodwill?” Tilly laughed, “Moreover, according to Maggie, it is possible to evolve your ability again by learning knowledge about it. If the witches we send there learn this technique, Sleeping Island would also benefit from it.”
“But for you to go in person, in case the other party…”
Tilly reached out with her hand to cut her off, “Rest assured, I did not mean that I will leave immediately. As long as the situation isn’t clear, I won’t take the risk and go there. And also do not forget that Sylvie can see through all kinds of camouflage, no matter if it is fine make-up or a magical illusion, nothing can escape her eyes. As long as she belongs to the first batch of people we send over to Border Town, she will be able to help me find out the truth behind the 4th Prince. Besides, even if there was any kind of danger, won’t you still be at my side?”
Ashes looked for a long time into her eyes, until she finally nodded.
“Of course, we can wait until Maggie returns next month, before we speak about this any further.” Tilly laughed. “Right now we have more important things we need to do.”
“What?” Ashes asked somewhat surprised. Now, after all the strongholds of the Church in the Fjords had been destroyed, it seemed that the rest of their objectives would just be to peacefully continue to develop Sleeping Island… but when she looked at the expression of the other, it didn’t look like that was the case.
The 5th Princess pointed to the white silk gloves with the red gem on it, “There aren’t only ruins to be found in the kingdoms of the mainland, there are also ancient ruins on the Fjord’s Shadow Islands. Most likely the sea folk’s magic stones are coming from there. Taking advantage of the destruction of the Church, I want to go and take a look for myself. ”
“Is this about the legend of the Ghost Shadow Red River?” After having to do with the Fjords for some time, Ashes had also heard of this legend, “The remains were hidden in the sea, appearing and disappearing from time to time. Moreover, within the surroundings are many dangerous undercurrents and sea monsters, which makes it impossible for ordinary people to reach it. Since they were discovered for the first time, many explorer, in order to look at this inconceivable marvel, were hit by misfortune and were now buried at the Shadow Islands. You also do not know the certain position of the ruins, so how do you want to enter them?”
“Maybe I do not know where it is, but I know someone who can take us there. In fact, this great explorer is currently on Sleeping Island, and it was also he who first discovered these ruins,” Tilly smiled.