"Please don't be impulsive, Your Highness. I have no intention of harming you. I'm here just to talk."

Damn, is this how you invite someone to talk? Roland swallowed and slowly turned around. Under the threat of the bishou, he could only do as the other party said.

In the dim candlelight, Roland saw the person – she was sitting on the edge of his bed, completely hidden under a robe, with a hood covering her head, making it impossible to see her true appearance. The candlelight cast her shadow on the wall behind her, occupying most of it.

"Who are you?"

"I have no name. My sisters call me Nightingale," she stood up, lifted the corner of her robe, and curtsied in a standard aristocratic manner. "First, I would like to express my gratitude to you, Roland Wimbledon."

Gratitude? Roland noticed the pattern on her robe emitting a unique gleam in the firelight, three triangles arranged side by side, resembling the shape of eyes... he seemed to have seen it somewhere.

—— "The pattern on the coin... is the emblem of the Holy Mountain and the Eye of the Devil, the insignia of the Witches' Cooperation Association."

The words of Barov suddenly flashed through his mind. "You... are a witch!?"

"Hehehe," she let out a series of soft laughs. "Your Highness is indeed learned."

Hearing the other party admit her identity, Roland secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that she wasn't an assassin sent by one of his siblings. "You've come to this remote town for the witches in the North Slope mine? Although I don't know where you heard the news, it's too late to come now. If I really wanted to hang her, she'd be dead already."

"I know. And if you had really done that, I wouldn't have just wanted to talk..." Nightingale sat back down on the bed. "The Cooperation Association doesn't like people interfering in worldly affairs, especially those related to royalty. But I've never been one to listen to them much. Killing a prince for a witch might be too much, but making a deep impression on you is something I can still manage."

A naked threat. Roland was relieved instead. "She's doing well."

"I know. Besides her, there's also a little girl named Nana Wawa," she nodded. "I arrived here a week ago, but I just didn't meet with you. I've seen everything you've done. Although I don't quite understand why you don't have the usual malice towards witches, I still want to express my gratitude on behalf of the Witches' Cooperation Association."

"A week ago..." Roland wiped his forehead. "Everything I've done is being watched?" Could it be that this person had been following him all along, and he hadn't noticed at all? "Alright, you said you wanted to talk to me. You're not just planning to say thank you, are you?"

"Aren't you tired of standing and talking to me?" As she spoke, she took off her hood. "Please come over here. I'm not scary-looking, I won't frighten Your Highness."

She was not only not ugly, but could even be described as beautiful. The moment the hood fell, Nightingale's golden curly hair cascaded down like a waterfall, the golden spots of light slowly spreading in the candlelight; her nose was high and straight, and her eyes were bright and full of spirit. Unlike Anna and Nana Wawa's slightly childish faces, her features revealed a mature charm. Although he couldn't examine her closely in the dim light, the well-proportioned shadows on her face were enough to prove her beauty.

Roland slowly walked over and sat down beside her on the bed. It wasn't because he was attracted by her beauty and had thrown caution to the wind, but simply because he felt that she had no malice.

"Now you can talk."

"As expected, you're not afraid of me," the woman's voice sounded somewhat happy. "You're different from everyone else I've met... They hate us because they fear us. I can see the fear in their eyes, but you..." She couldn't help reaching out and gently stroking Roland's cheek. "Only curiosity."

Roland coughed awkwardly and moved his head away. Hey, hey, shouldn't the atmosphere change so quickly? It was Assassin's Creed just now, how did it suddenly become domineering CEO style?

Fortunately, she quickly restrained her emotions. "I'm here to tell you that I want to take Anna and Nana Wawa away."

"No!" Roland was shocked and blurted out. Then he worried that such a direct refusal would annoy the other party, so he added, "They're doing very well here, no one can hurt them. Besides, where do you want to take them? There's no place safer than here."

"Take them to the Cooperation Association. That's where they belong," Nightingale didn't become angry because of the refusal. She still spoke in a peaceful tone. "The members of the Cooperation Association are all their companions. There's no discrimination, no pohai... They don't need to pretend to be themselves anymore."

"Where is the Cooperation Association? You don't even have a fixed base, do you? A month ago, my guards discovered your camp in the Misty Forest. The footprints showed that you were heading north... What's in the north? Only endless mountains!"

"You're right. The Cooperation Association is currently somewhere in the Endless Mountains. It's absolutely safe for witches there."

"Living like savages in the mountains through winter, how is that safe? Is there clean drinking water? Is there enough food? Is there warm shelter? And the Month of the Blood Moon is coming. The entire Northwest will become a dangerous place. What are you thinking —" Roland suddenly stopped. Wait, what did Barov say? "Witches can only find true peace by going to the Holy Mountain. The purpose of the Cooperation Association is to gather the witches together and search for the Holy Mountain." Damn it, could it be... "You're planning to find the Holy Mountain in the Endless Mountains?"

"Please forgive me, I cannot comment," Nightingale smiled wryly, but her expression clearly told Roland that he had guessed correctly.

"In that case, I will never agree," Roland flatly denied. "In two months, the entire outer territory will be dominated by demonic beasts. Even if you can avoid humans in the mountains, you can't escape the demonic beasts. How about this? You can look for the Holy Mountain anytime. Why don't you all come to Border Town for the winter? It's not too late to look for it after winter is over."

This time it was Nightingale's turn to be stunned. "The Cooperation Association move here? You... you really are an interesting person," she thought for a while, but finally shook her head. "Your Highness, even if you're not afraid of witches, your people are afraid. And once we're exposed to the public eye, the Church's claws will soon come for us."

As long as I can successfully get through the Month of the Blood Moon with the help of the witches, my people will realize that they are not evil. But before Roland could speak, she stopped him. "In addition, there's another reason why I want to take them away. Anna is about to come of age."

"Come of age?"

"That's right," Nightingale explained calmly, as if she saw the confusion in Roland's mind. "Coming of age is the first hurdle that all witches need to overcome. Usually, the earlier they become witches, the harder it is to get through this hurdle. Your Highness, do you know why we are seen as the embodiment of devils?"