On the ridge of the Dragonfall Mountains, Lightning found a leeward spot and skillfully erected a tent large enough to accommodate four people.
The roaring campfire dispelled the cold. Nightingale rolled up her trouser legs, revealing her blood-stained calves. The spot where the Holy Envoy had struck was already swollen. She hadn't felt much when she was running with gritted teeth, but now that she had relaxed, she felt it was incredibly difficult to even move her legs. If it hadn't been for Maggie's timely arrival, she didn't know how much further she could have run with the Marchioness.
Traveling through the mist when mobility was impaired was extremely dangerous – those changing lines were both stairs and sharp blades, and if not handled properly, they could easily cut one into pieces.
"I'll help you, goo."
Maggie rummaged through her large backpack for a pile of first-aid supplies. In addition to cotton cloth and a small bottle of alcohol, there were also herbal medicines processed from leaves. In the Mutual Aid Society, the latter was the primary means of medical treatment.
When the pungent alcohol was poured on the wound, even Nightingale couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, her eyebrows tightly pressed together. If His Highness hadn't said that this stuff could effectively kill tiny organisms and prevent the wound from being invaded by the Evil Plague, she would have really felt like it was no different from being tortured.
Fortunately, the coolness brought by the herbs quickly dispelled the burning pain, and after bandaging the wound, she immediately felt a lot more comfortable.
"Your back..." the Marchioness asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
"What's wrong with her back?" Lightning drilled into the tent with a bundle of firewood.
"She was shot by those people's crossbow bolts to save me," Speel's voice sounded a little down.
"It's nothing serious, just like being punched a few times," Nightingale curled her lips, "At most, I won't be able to sleep lying down tonight."
"It's still better to apply some herbal medicine," Lightning poked at the branches in the fire pit, splashing sparks, "Leaf's medicine can not only stop bleeding, but also has a good effect on bruises."
"Lie on me, goo," Maggie sat down and patted her thigh, "I'll apply the medicine for you, goo!"
Looking at the white-haired little girl's earnest eyes, Nightingale couldn't resist and finally nodded, "Okay."
Taking off her clothes, she covered her chest and lay on Maggie's lap, then heard the Marchioness gasp.
Without looking, she knew that her originally smooth back must be red and swollen, with patches of blue and purple. But it was just scary to look at. She thought indifferently that this kind of scar was nothing to a witch with strong self-healing abilities, and it would disappear in two or three days.
Taking advantage of the application of medicine, Nightingale coughed twice and said, "What are your plans next, Marchioness? Your brother, Redwine, has abandoned you under the encouragement of the church. Before this, neither he nor the church knew that you were a witch." She briefly recounted the information she had overheard in the tower, "They should be aiming for your lord's position. Even if you are not a witch, they will treat you as a devil's minion and execute you – this is not a difficult thing for the church to do."
"They actually dare to openly murder a Marchioness," Speel gritted her teeth, "I will make Redwine and the church pay the price!"
"What the church does is far beyond your imagination," Nightingale shook her head, "Even a king, they won't blink before taking action – Eternal Winter and Wolfheart are the best examples."
Speel suddenly choked, and after a moment, she opened her mouth and said, "Does the church really intend to annex the Four Kingdoms? I only heard this statement from some neighboring country merchants, but most of the nobles in the royal capital think this is just nonsense."
"The nobles in the royal capital also say that Roland Wimbledon is a rebel king," she shrugged, "If His Highness guessed correctly, that's just the first step in the church's plan, but I can't tell you the conspiracy behind it for the time being, unless you join the Witch Union. In addition, the church's planning of this coup is definitely not a matter of a day or two. Most of your subordinates should have sided with Redwine, who betrayed more benefits. If you want to take back Dragonfall Mountains, you can also ask His Highness for help."
"He...will he really help me?"
"Of course, it is our bounden duty to eradicate the church." Nightingale
chuckled.
The Marchioness fell silent, as if hesitating about something.
"Don't worry," Nightingale knew the hesitation in her heart, which was also the concern that most witches had before going to Border Town, "If you want to leave the Western Region, you can leave at any time. His Highness never forces anyone."
"He really...achieved the coexistence of witches and ordinary people?"
This was the second time Nightingale had heard the other party ask about this matter, and every time she answered this question, she would feel a burst of pride in her heart, "That's right, His Highness's territory is such a place – it is the sacred mountain of witches."
Speel. Percy's face appeared uncertain in the light of the fire. After a long time, she nodded slightly, "Shall we leave tomorrow?"
"Not yet," Nightingale and Lightning said in unison. Then the two looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.
"The church will definitely try to report this news to the Holy City. In the next two days, we must intercept the pigeons released by the enemy," she explained to the Countess, "After that, Maggie will send you back to Border Town, and I have other tasks to complete."
In the room at the top of the tower, she remembered the Holy Envoy saying that after the matter here was dealt with, she would soon set off for Clearwater City.
Obviously, every time she arrived in a city, she would stir up an undercurrent. No matter how big the impact, it would always cause trouble for His Highness. Moreover, this person had also seen her attack methods. If she could be intercepted, the church's arrangement would inevitably suffer setbacks, and a lot of information might be found from her.
Nightingale took a deep breath. She decided to intercept this envoy team from the church – but she was not sure whether Roland His Highness would agree to her plan. If he asked her to go back, she did not intend to act willfully.
……
Three days later, Maggie, who had sent away the Marchioness, returned to Dragonfall Mountains again. This time, she had two more Sleeping Island witches behind her.
"Why are you here?" Nightingale looked at the two in surprise.
"Roland His Highness asked us to assist you," Andrea gracefully jumped off the beast's back, took off her hood, and shook her golden hair, "The reward is two ice cream breads."
"How can I miss this kind of thing as clearing the church?" Ashes raised the corner of her mouth.
"His Highness said, you can do it, but you must pay attention to safety, goo," Maggie transformed back into human form, "He said he was waiting for you to go back in the castle."
"Is that so..." Nightingale suddenly felt a warmth in her heart, "I understand."
"So how many people are there on the other side?" Ashes raised her eyebrows, "I heard there is also a witch?"
"It's not clear yet, but there are at most twenty or so Judgment Warriors, and the corresponding attendants and followers," she said word by word, "The others don't matter, but that witch must be dealt with by me."
.(。)