Fifth Hundred and Thirty-Ninth Chapter Melting Ice

When Agatha returned to the castle after a busy day, it was already completely dark.

Pushing open the door to her residence, she was surprised to find Wendy waiting for her in the living room.

"Why are you working so late again?" The other woman frowned slightly, but there was no hint of blame in her words, only simple concern. "You should come back earlier in the future, at least have dinner with everyone."

"Sorry, I forgot to check the time," Agatha took off her coat and hung it by the door. "I was just thinking about making the last batch of nitrogen, and I didn't realize it was already dark outside. But you have to blame Lord Roland for that, the lights in the chemical factory make it seem like it's still daytime."

"I brought you dinner," Wendy sighed helplessly. "It's on the table, still warm. Eat it quickly."

"Thank you," Agatha said, slightly moved. The other woman was the most beloved witch in the Association of Witches, and deeply trusted by the lord. In Taqila, she would at least be an executive officer under the Three Chief Seats. That such a person would bring her dinner was something absolutely impossible in the Association.

"Don't mention it," Wendy patted her on the shoulder. "If you feel tired, remember to ask Echo to sing you a Hot Spring Song. Don't feel embarrassed... Don't forget you are a member of the Witch Union."

The Witch Union...

After the door closed, Agatha was silent for a moment before walking to the table and opening the insulated metal lunch box.

Inside were three dishes and a soup: fragrant roast ribs, fried mushrooms, bread slices, and egg soup. To her surprise, a small dish was tucked into the corner of the box, containing half a plate of honey.

She couldn't help swallowing.

She hadn't expected Wendy to notice this...

During the decades of fighting demons in Taqila, all kinds of supplies became increasingly scarce, including food. Although Agatha held a high position, the food she usually ate was nothing more than various grains and fruits grown by supporting witches. Meat was also available, but the supply was unstable. As for spices, sugar, and honey, forget about it - the former two were luxury items, only enjoyed by the Association's higher-ups, while even witches who could command swarms of bees were deployed on the battlefield, instead of being used to brew this dispensable sweetener.

In fact, she loved sweet things, especially honey.

At barbecues, most people would choose a combination of pepper and salt as a dipping sauce, while she quietly brushed an entire jar of honey clean. She didn't expect Wendy to see it all.

She suddenly felt something welling up in her heart. Because she couldn't feel the cold, she was also particularly insensitive to warmth. She rarely used hot water when bathing because she didn't want to bother Anna. Considering her status and origins, she had even asked Roland to arrange a separate residence for her, like the top floor of an experimental tower where she lived alone.

But now, she felt the room was a little cold.

Maybe, living with others wouldn't be so bad?

Agatha took out the honey, spread it evenly on the bread slices, and slowly put it in her mouth. This time, she truly felt the warmth brought by the sweetness.

...

After dinner, she planned to read a bit of "Elementary Chemistry" before going to bed. This knowledge might not help her advance further, but it would prevent her from being embarrassed in front of mortals.

Recently, a large group of strangers had appeared in the chemical factory. According to Bai Zhi, they were all from the Alchemy Association of the Royal Capital. Agatha saw them wandering between the laboratory and the factory every day, sometimes led by Kaimo Strale, sometimes by Kaimo's disciple, Charmes. But no matter when she saw these people, they always wore an incredulous expression, as if they could each fit an egg in their mouths, as if that was their only expression. And some overly curious fellows seemed to regard her as a famous alchemist, seizing every opportunity to come over and ask a few questions. At first, they were simple questions, but later they became difficult to answer.

In order to maintain the dignity of a high-level witch and the honor of the Exploration Society,

Agatha decided to maintain this image.

However, these days of interaction had once again confirmed that the Association's approach was indeed wrong.

Roland had proven the intelligence of nobles, and these ordinary mortals also possessed wisdom no less than that of witches. They had mastered the operation of the nitrogen production equipment in just a few days, and at the same time understood the process of extracting nitrogen. At first, they were still arguing about how many elements were in the air, but now they were discussing what synthetic ammonia was. Even several white-haired old men were smiling obsequiously as they asked Bai Zhi, scaring the latter quite a bit.

Clearly, they were rapidly learning everything here.

Thinking of this, Agatha couldn't help but feel emotional. Witches were neither the darlings of the gods, nor the unfortunate people abandoned by the gods - they were essentially no different from mortals, just an inevitable fate. In this war of divine will, everyone had to bear their corresponding destiny, and witches were only a small group among them.

She was gradually beginning to believe that without any one part, humanity would not be able to achieve victory in this war of fate.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Agatha said, turning her head. "The door's not locked."

The person who pushed the door open was a tall, slender blonde woman. She hadn't pulled up her hood, but Agatha felt that she was always shrouded in shadow.

Nightingale.

"What is it?"

"His Majesty Roland wants to see you."

"If he wants to emphasize that theory of combining work and rest, and tell me to come back earlier in the future, I already know. I'll pay attention in the future," Agatha pouted. "I won't waste his precious time."

"Is that so..." Nightingale blinked. To be honest, if she wasn't an enemy, she seemed quite approachable. "That's just one reason, Your Majesty also said that he wants to attack the demons."

Agatha was stunned for a moment. "What?" Then she threw the book in her hand on the table. "Take me there quickly!"

...

Rushing into the lord's office, Agatha said eagerly before Roland could speak, "You don't even have ten fortress cannons, and you want to attack a demon camp? Do you think they're as fragile as humans, and just killing a few thousand of them will make them abandon their armor and flee in all directions! You'll destroy this city and the current good situation!"

"Huh?" Roland looked very surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't want to attack the demons?"

He glanced at Nightingale, then chuckled. "No, you misunderstood me. I don't want to destroy their camp, but I plan to capture a few live demons and bring them back."