Chapter 906: Unveiling The Mystery (Part Ⅰ)
The week following the alert was taut as wire.
Hour-long meetings filled the castle’s conference room each day, ministers cycling through with reports on the current situation, and the atmosphere never quite lost the edge that had settled over it the moment Wendy had sounded the alarm.
“Still no trace of the demons?” Barov sipped his tea and glanced around the table.
He looked considerably more at ease than he had a few days ago. Wendy thought it was probably Wendy’s promise to shoulder full responsibility—or perhaps the smooth transport of the Golden Twos—that had lifted the weight from his shoulders.
“The First Army’s lookouts have expanded their surveillance range to the edge of the grassland,” the garrison commander said concisely, “but they’ve found nothing. Further north lies the Barbarian Land—dense forest, insufficient supplies. Extending the perimeter any further isn’t possible.”
“That’s all you common people can manage.” Alethea seemed to relish any opportunity to remind Neverwinter of its limits. “You’d die to the insects before you ever laid eyes on a demon. Leave it to us. Ten God’s Punishment Witches have already advanced fifteen kilometers into the Fertile Plains and established a small outpost at the Pearl Lake.”
“The Pearl Lake?” Wendy asked.
“Marked with bird’s nests on the Wolf Girl’s map. It was once a place of lakes and springs—now mostly swamp.”
“Is it safe?”
“Rest assured. When it comes to fighting demons, we have more experience than you could accumulate in a lifetime. Any one of our God’s Punishment Witches can handle three or four Mad Demons simultaneously. Five together can wipe out a small patrol without difficulty.” Alethea’s confidence carried no warmth. “Of course, if the Wolf Girl did stumble across a patrol, the enemy’s main force is likely already closing in.”
“Are demons incapable of acting independently?” Barov asked.
“Their reliance on the Red Mist makes it impossible to stray far from their supply lines,” Pasha explained. “Demons cannot move freely the way humans do—air is not enough for them.”
“Then if the enemy is still so distant,” Barov said, setting down his cup, “why can’t we lift the alert?”
“Without a reliable network of sentry posts around Neverwinter, we cannot eliminate the possibility of the enemy slipping into the city.”
“And even sentry posts would offer little,” another Senior Witch added. “Without Sigils of Listening, the sentries wouldn’t have time to send warning even if they spotted Devilbeasts.”
The extreme terrain of the Barbarian Land formed an invisible barrier—no news could travel through it fast enough to be useful. The entire northwest of Neverwinter lay shrouded in something that felt less like distance and more like silence, as though the land itself had agreed to conceal what moved through it. Wendy sighed inwardly. All they could do was search for small clues in a vast darkness.
Lorgar’s news had come at the worst possible moment.
If His Majesty had not left for the expedition, Sylvie, Lightning, Maggie, and Nightingale could have scouted the entire northern face of the Impassable Mountain Range inside of two days. My own ability is no help here. The thought was quiet and exact, neither self-pitying nor incorrect.
Tilly said, “Mr. Director—you may find this overstepping, but I’d like to ask: how has the city reacted this past week? Fear? Panic?”
Barov set down his teacup and bowed with a hand on his chest. “Everything remains within City Hall’s control, Your Highness. We’ve received numerous inquiries—but most citizens simply want to know where the enemy is and whether the First Army needs assistance. If anything, the news has strengthened morale rather than eroded it. Even the night shift’s productivity has improved.” He paused. “No one blames the Sleeping Island witches for the demons’ approach. Please be assured of that.”
“Then that’s good.”
“Though we have also received complaints about the price of Bird Beak Mushrooms and pinecones.” The Director glanced at Wendy with studied blankness. “If the alert isn’t lifted soon, egg prices will follow.”
“We’ll set that aside for now.” Tilly’s voice was careful. “What concerns me more is awareness. Demons are unlike any enemy Neverwinter has faced before. If someone uses this moment to revive the old accusations—that witches are servants of the Devil—the trust we’ve built between the common people and the Witch Union could be destroyed.”
Barov hesitated. “That’s a matter I would need to consult His Majesty on.”
“Then include it in today’s report.” Tilly looked at Wendy.
“Understood.”
Wendy had just begun drawing the meeting’s threads together when rapid footsteps shattered the quiet—Ring’s voice arriving before Ring herself.
“La—Lady Wendy! The Wolf Girl woke up!”
Everyone rose at once. Wendy was already moving toward the door.
“Ahem—I’ll also—” Barov started to follow, but Ashes stepped smoothly into his path.
“That’s a girl’s bedroom. I think you’d best wait here for news.”
Lorgar was struggling upright when Wendy entered the room, beads of sweat rising on her brow. She looked pale. Her broken ears drooped. Her hair had gone dry and dull, stripped of its usual luster.
“I can’t believe it.” She panted, looking up at the crowd that had pressed into the doorway. “I’m still alive. How long have I been unconscious?”
“Ten days since we found you.” Wendy pressed her gently back against the pillows. “Don’t move. Your limbs, your bones, even your organs—they’ve all taken severe damage. Ten days isn’t enough. You’re alive because of Nightfall’s Seed of Symbiosis, but you have to rest until Nana returns.”
Lorgar turned to Nightfall, who lay in the adjacent bed, and inclined her head. “Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.” Nightfall shrugged, aiming for casual and nearly achieving it. “Lying in bed with Chaos Drinks every day isn’t the worst arrangement.”
“What did you encounter in the depths of the Barbarian Land?” Ashes asked. “You said the word ‘demons’ many times in your sleep.”
Lorgar closed her eyes. “Yes. Many of them.” She steadied her breathing. “At first I came across two alone—I was chasing a hybrid demonic beast. They might have been scouts, or simply hunting on their own.” A slow breath. “I killed them both. But those two were only a hint of what came next. When I found the ruins of Taquila, there was an army—countless demons, swarming the site. And among them were several colossal monsters.”
The room went still.
Chapter 906: Unveiling The Mystery (Part Ⅰ)
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
In the following week, the atmosphere within the castle was incredibly tense. Hour-long meetings were held every day, during which all the ministers from each department would come to report and discuss the current situation.
“So? Are you still unable to find a trace of the demons?” Barov sipped his tea as he glanced at the people around the table.
He looked much more relaxed than he had been a couple of days ago. Wendy’s promise to take full responsibility for her action seemed to have lifted a heavy burden off his mind. Either that or the smooth implementation of the plan for transporting the Golden Twos likely relieved some of his stress.
“The first army’s lookouts have already expanded their surveillance range to the edge of the grassland, but they still couldn’t find anything,” the garrison leader replied concisely.” Further north lies the Barbarian Land which is covered by a dense forest. Without sufficient supplies, it would be tough to expand our perimeter any further.”
“And that’s all you can do, common people. You’ll probably die to the insects living in the forests before you even get a chance to see the demons.” Alethea seemed keen on scoffing at the people of Neverwinter at every chance she got. “Just leave it to us. A team of ten God’s Punishment Witches has already gone 15km into the Fertile Plains and set up a small outpost at the Pearl Lake.”
“The Pearl Lake?” Wendy asked.
“It’s marked with a lot of bird’s nest on the Wolf Girl’s map. The place was once full of lakes and springs, but now most of it has already turned into a
swamp.”
“There shouldn’t be any dangers, right?”
“Rest assured. When it comes to fighting demons, we’re far more experienced than you people. Any God’s Punishment Witch can deal with three to four Mad Demons at the same time. With five witches as a team, they would have no problem wiping out a small demon patrol,” Alethea said confidently. “Of course, if the Wolf Girl did run into a patrol team, then I’m afraid that the enemy’s main force is most likely already closing in on us.”
“Are they incapable of acting alone?” Barov asked out of curiosity.
“Due to their reliance on the Red Mist, it’s impossible for the demons to stray too far away from their supply line,” Pasha explained. “After all, demons can’t move around freely like human beings who only need to breathe in air.”
“Well then… As the enemy is still quite far away from Neverwinter, why can’t we call off the alert now?
“Unless we can set up a web of sentry posts around Neverwinter, we won’t be able to fully eliminate the possibility of the enemy sneaking into the city.”
“But even then, the sentry posts would mean little to us,” another Senior Witch added. “Without enough Sigils of Listening, the sentries won’t have enough time to send back the warning even if they were to catch sight of the Devilbeasts.”
The extreme environment of the Barbarian Land formed an invisible barrier which barred any news from going through in time. It was as if a layer of mist shrouded the whole area to the Northwest of Neverwinter, and all they could do was to search for tiny clues in the wilderness. When Wendy realized this fact, she could not help but sigh in her heart.
Lorgar’s news truly came at a bad time.
If His Majesty had not left for the expedition, it would have taken only a day or two for Sylvie, Lightning, Maggie, and Nightingale to scout out the current situation of the entire Northern side of the Impassable Mountain Range.
My own ability isn’t particularly helpful in this kind of situation.
Suddenly, Tilly asked, “Mr. Director, you may feel that I’m being nosy, but could you please tell me how the people of the city has reacted to the situation these past few days? Were they scared or panicked?
“That will be my pleasure, Your Highness.” Barov hastened to put down his teacup and bow to Princess Tilly with a hand on his chest. “Everything in the city is within the control of City Hall. Recently, our clerks have received lots of inquiries, but most people just want to know where the enemy is and whether the First Army needs help. So the news has heightened our people’s morale rather than stressing them out, even the productivity of the night shift has significantly improved. Please rest assured. No one blames the Sleeping Island witches for the coming demons.”
“Well… That’s good then.”
“Of course, we’ve also received some complaints about the price increases for Bird Beak Mushrooms and pinecones.” City Hall Director eyed Wendy blankly. “If we don’t cancel the alert in time, the prices of eggs will also begin to skyrocket”
“Let’s put aside those matters for now. I think we need to raise the awareness about demons as soon as possible. Since the demons are completely different from all our previous enemies,” Tilly said worriedly. “If someone takes this chance to stir up troubles and stigmatizes the witches as Devil’s minions again, the trust between the common people and the witches will be destroyed.”
“This…” Barov hesitated. “I have to consult His Majesty about this matter.”
“So let’s write it down in today’s report.” Tilly looked at Wendy.
“Understood.” Wendy nodded. When she was about to summarize all the reports today, a burst of rapid footsteps interrupted the silence in the conference hall. They heard Ring’s voice before seeing her. “La-Lady Wendy, the Wolf Girl woke up!”
“What?” Everyone stood up in surprise. Wendy could hardly wait to meet the girl and said, “I’m coming right now.”
“Ahem, I’ll also go to have a look—” Barov was about to follow, but Ashes stopped him.
“That’s a girl’s bedroom you’re talking about. I think it would be better if you just stayed here and waited for our news.”
…
The moment Wendy entered the room, she saw that Lorgar was struggling to get up from the bed, and beads of sweat were welling up on her forehead. She looked pale. Her broken ears drooped, and her hair seemed dry and dull.
“I can’t believe it… I’m still alive.” She panted and then turned her head to look at the crowd pouring into the room. “How long have I been unconscious?”
“Ten days have passed since we found you.” Wendy gently pressed her back into the bed. “Don’t move. Your limbs, bones, and even inner organs have suffered severe injuries. Ten days isn’t enough for them to recover. You survive these days because of Nightfall’s Seed of Symbiosis, but you still ought to stay in bed and rest before Nana comes back.”
After knowing the use of Seed of Symbiosis, Lorgar slightly inclined her head to greet Nightfall who was lying in a bed nearby and said, “Thank you.”
“That’s alright.” Nightfall shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear casual. “And I think it’s quite good to be able to lie in bed and have Chaos Drinks every day.”
“What exactly did you meet in the depths of the Barbarian Land?” Ashes asked in a deep voice. “You’ve mentioned demons many times in your sleep.”
“Yes, I did encounter demons… many of them.” Lorgar closed her eyes to recall what had happened. “At first, I met two demons by themselves when I was chasing a hybrid demonic beast. They might’ve been scouts, or perhaps they were just out hunting for some demonic beasts.” She took a deep breath. “I managed to kill them both, but I never expected that these two demons are but droplets in the vast ocean when compared to the army of demons that I spotted soon after. Countless demons swarmed the Taquila ruins, and among them were several colossal monsters.”
Hearing the Wolf Girl’s description, all the people in the bedroom fell silent.