This week the weather had been consistently poor, the sky always a dull gray, mirroring Karl Vanbert's mood, which had sunk to an all-time low.

Walking along the wet cobblestone street, he was greeted by people from time to time—in this small town, Karl ran an academy. Unlike the academies in Graycastle reserved for the children of nobles, he also taught the children of ordinary people. Therefore, he enjoyed considerable prestige in Border Town.

"Hey, Mr. Vanbert, good morning."

"Sir, is my son doing well?"

"When you're free, Karl, let's go fishing."

Normally, Karl would respond with a smile, but today he simply nodded, without saying a word.

Ever since he witnessed Anna's hanging, the world in his eyes had developed a crack—or rather, this crack had always existed since he left Graycastle, but he had deliberately ignored it. He used his busy work to numb himself, and the students' innocent smiles had, to some extent, concealed the crack.

It wasn't until Anna's death that he realized that the world hadn't changed at all. Not only had that crack not disappeared, it had actually widened.

His memory of Anna remained from half a year ago. She was not conspicuous among the thirty-odd children in the academy, plain in appearance, and not very talkative, but there was one thing that impressed Karl deeply.

That was her enthusiasm for knowledge. No matter what he taught, whether it was writing or history, she was always the first to remember. Even the history of religious evolution, which he himself found boring, she could hold and read all day long. He had also seen the little girl helping to take care of the neighbor's sheep—in the sunlight, Anna carefully brushed the lambs, her movements as gentle as caring for a baby. He still remembered that scene clearly, the girl's smile was sweet and pleasant, and in no way could it be associated with evil.

Later, there was a fire in the neighborhood, Anna's mother unfortunately passed away, and Anna never came to the academy again. Until a week ago, she was proven to be a witch and hanged in the town square.

Bewitched by demons? Impure person? Evil one? All bullshit! For the first time, he felt doubt about the church, and for the first time, he felt doubt about the knowledge he was imparting.

He didn't know if Anna was a witch, but the word evil could never be applied to her! If a girl who was not yet an adult, ignorant of the world and full of curiosity, could be called evil, then the administrative officials in Graycastle were demons from hell! For the sake of a few hundred gold royals, they deliberately replaced the stone, causing the new district theater to collapse when it was halfway built, killing more than thirty members of the Stonemasons' Guild.

But were they hanged? Not one! The judge finally sentenced the leader of the Stonemasons' Guild for improper construction and exiled him, and the Stonemasons' Guild was ordered to disband. And Karl, who knew the inside story, had to drag his family away from Graycastle to avoid the limelight, all the way west, and finally came to Border Town.

He started an academy, had many students, and met new neighbors and new friends, but the crimes committed in Graycastle were always etched in his mind. Now, he once again felt the world's mockery—what exactly is evil, can the gods in the sky really see it clearly?

The last straw that broke Karl's back was Nana Wa.

Nana Wa was different from Anna, even the complete opposite. She was an extremely lively girl, and quite famous in the academy. Unless she was in class, she was rarely seen resting, either riding in a tree teasing birds, or lying in the grass rolling around. When asked what she was doing, she would giggle for a long time before answering that she was listening to grasshoppers and ants arguing.

Nana Wa's face was always full of smiles, which seemed to be her nature. This miserable and difficult world had nothing to do with her, at least in the academy, she could keep smiling carefree. Karl was even a little curious—had she ever cried from birth until now?

Until two days ago, Nana Wa found him with a mournful face, "Teacher, will I be hanged like Anna?"

It was then that he learned that his student, Nana Wa. Pine, had also become a witch.

"Ah, isn't that Mr. Vanbert! Please come over here and help us see what's written on this."

Karl felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He looked up and found that he had unknowingly walked to the town square. Many people were clamoring around the bulletin board, and when they heard Vanbert's name, they all consciously made way for him.

"You've come at the right time, sir, please help us take a look."

"Yes, it was originally Meg's job, but she said she had a stomach ache and went to the toilet, and hasn't come back yet."

If it were normal times, he would definitely nod with a smile, and then explain the contents of the bulletin board to everyone in detail. But now Karl found that he couldn't do it—the smiles and enthusiasm of these people didn't seem fake, but to him, they were more unbearable than wearing a fake smile mask.

The notice of Anna's hanging was also posted on it like this, and everyone was discussing it so happily. In a sense, you are all murderers, he said in his heart, your ignorance and stupidity killed her.

Karl suppressed his emotions, took a breath, and walked to the bulletin board.

"The prince is recruiting people to build Border Town, with various levels of work to choose from," he read.

But I am also one of the murderers, what qualifications do I have to blame them? Wasn't it myself who told them that witches are evil? Karl only felt a bitter taste in his mouth, look what I told the children, reciting the church's doctrines by rote, and thinking I was doing a good job, damn it!

"Stonebreaker, male required, 20 to 40 years old, strong and healthy. Daily pay 25 copper eagles."

"Mud mason, gender not limited, over 18 years old, with masonry experience, daily pay 45 copper eagles."

"Handyman, male required, over 18 years old, daily pay 12 copper eagles."

"..."

No, he had to do something, if Anna's death was irreversible, then at least he couldn't let Nana Wa repeat the same mistake. A voice in Karl's heart was calling out, he didn't stand up when the Stonemasons' Guild was destroyed, he didn't stand up when Anna was hanged, could it be that he was going to remain silent like this, watching these lovely children being sent to the gallows?

But what could he do? Take Nana Wa away from Border Town—he had his own family, his family had traveled from Graycastle to here, and things had just gotten better, were they going to leave again? Not to mention that Nana Wa herself came from a wealthy family, could she endure a life of wandering?

"Stonemason, gender not limited, age not limited, anyone who has participated in municipal construction, fortresses, and construction work is welcome, the city hall recruits for a long time, monthly pay is 1 gold royal."

"Supplementary clause: Those with rich experience and excellent performance can be granted official positions."

After the notice was finished, the crowd was already clamoring, "A monthly salary of 1 gold royal is comparable to the cavalry team of Longsong Stronghold!"

"But can you do it? You can't even build a shitty toilet properly, let alone build a fortress?"

"Don't just stare at this one, the first few are also very good, if the daily pay is given, it's not much less than hunting."

"Indeed, hunting may also cost you your life, the Misty Forest is not a place you can go casually."

Karl Vanbert didn't pay attention to these, all his attention was focused on the seal and signature at the end of the notice. It was the personal signature of Fourth Prince Roland Wimbledon.

Didn't the prince know that the Months of the Demons was coming soon? No matter what he wanted to build, starting work at this moment was not a good time. It seemed that Prince Wimbledon knew nothing about construction, if he could attract his attention in the name of the Stonemasons' Guild... Karl suddenly had an idea in his mind, perhaps through this recruitment, he could meet the prince himself—the highest ruler of Border Town.

This idea made Karl swallow his saliva, persuade the prince to believe that witches are not evil? It was rumored that Prince Roland had unique ideas, a different personality from ordinary people, and extremely hated the church. Maybe it would work! He thought, although it was Prince Roland who finally ordered Anna to be hanged, it could be seen that he was unwilling.

The prince himself was only in his early twenties, he should be more able to understand, how could those girls who were still in their teenage years suddenly become unforgivable evildoers?

Of course, there was also a possibility that he would be treated as an accomplice of the witch and sent to the gallows together. Church law clearly stipulates that anyone who shelters a witch or pleads for a witch should be regarded as a depraved heretic.

He could only hope that the prince, who hated the church, would also treat the church's laws as waste paper.

Karl prayed in his heart.

Although he didn't know which god to pray to, he still closed his eyes and begged for blessings.

For the dead Anna, for the living Nana Wa, for the crack in his heart to stop widening.

He decided to take the risk.