Er Mu - Release that Witch

This let him knew, his student, Nana had became a witch.

“Ah, isn’t that Teacher? Come over here and help us to look at what it says.”

Karl felt as if someone had pulled his sleeve. He looked up and found that he had arrived at the town square. Many people stood around the board and shouted, that someone should let them know what the announcement said,hearing van Bate’s name, everyone consciously get out of his way.

“Teacher, you coincidentally came, help us to look at it.”

“You are right, originally it was Meg who would read this to us, but the end result was, that before he could tell it to us, he got stomachache and had to go to the toilet, until now he did not come back.”

Like always, he nodded with a smile, then he explained in detail the content of the bulletin board to everybody who listened. But at the present Karl discovered it was impossible — the smiles and enthusiasm of these people was not fake, but for him it was, but seeing this, it became more and more intolerable to wear the fake mask himself.

The post of the hanging of Anna was placed above the notice, everyone was cheerily discussing about it. In a sense, you were her murderer; he could say it only in his own heart, your ignorance and fear had killed her.

Karl had to swallow down his emotion, took a deep breath and walked to the front of the announcement list.

“The prince called for hands to help with the construction of new buildings for the border town, a variety of different kinds of jobs is available,” he said.

But I am also one of her killers, and what qualifications do I have to blame them? The one who told them that witches were evil, was it not me? Karl had a bitter taste in his mouth, look, everything they knew I have taught them, word by word the Holy Church doctrine, I always thought I taught well, to hell with it!

“Stone grinder, they have to be male, from 20 years to 40 years old and healthy. Payment, 25 bronze royals per day.”

Mud craftsmen, not limited to gender, over 18 years old, they should have experience in masonry, the daily payment would be 45 bronze royals.”

“Handyman, requiring to be men, 18 years of age or older, 12 bronze royals per day.”

“……”

No, he had to do something, if Anna’s death has been irreparable, then at least he couldn’t let Nana die. Karl heard his inner voice shouting, “the Mason guild collapsed when you did not stand up, Anna was hanged when he did not stand up, do you like what happened when you staid silence, helplessly looking at these lovely child, when she would be sent to the gallows?”

But what could he do? Could he flee with Nana out of Border Town? He had his own family, a family who traveled with him from Graycastle, just when there live got better would they need to leave again? Even Nana herself, who was born into a rich family, would she leave her fixed place of life?

Stonemason, not limited to gender, age is not limited, preferred are people who participated in building for the municipal administration, like the stronghold, or other fortifications, the city hall recruit for long term, with monthly remuneration of 1 gold royal.”

“Additional Term: People with rich experience and excellent performance, could get granted an official position.”

After reading the notice, the people become even more noisy, “paid monthly 1 gold royal, this is even better than the payment for the stronghold cavalry!”

“Will you go? Can you build a fortress?”

“You, just don’t only stare at this, go get a job, every day you would get payed for the work, count together you would not get much less than with hunting.”

“Indeed, when going to hunt it is possible to lose one’s own life and when you have to dodge it is also possible to get lost.”

Karl van Bate did not pay attention to this; he concentrated on the seal and signature on the final notice. It was the autograph from Roland Wimbledon, the fourth prince.

Did the prince not know, that the Month of the Demons was already coming? Whatever he wants to build, at the moment it’s not a good time to start. It seems his Highness knew nothing about constructions, provided that oneself could become the stonemasons, would he then brought to his attention …… Karl had suddenly an idea, perhaps through this recruitment, he could see the prince himself, the highest ruling in Border town.

This thought let Karl swallow a mouth of saliva, could he convince the prince that the witches were not evil? There were rumors of his Royal Highness unique ideas, he should have a character different from ordinary people, but also that he hated the church very much. Maybe he could do it! He thought, although in the end the hanging of Anna was ordered by Prince Roland, but everyone could see he was not willing to do it.

The prince himself was still in his early twenties, this should make it easier to understand, those girls were still in the marriageable age, how will they suddenly become evil and do unforgivable acts?

Of course, there was a possibility that Karl would end as a Witch Helper, he would have to go to the gallows, together with the witch. The Church’s law stipulates that anyone who shield a witch or who would plea for leniency, should be regarded as someone who abandoned himself and become a demon disciple.

Only the prince, the prince who hated the church, could be his last hope, since only he could declare the church’s law as a waste of paper.

Karl prayed in his heart.

Even though he did not know to which God he should pray, he closed his eyes and prayed for a blessing.

In memorial of the dead Anna, for the sake of Nana who was still alive, and for himself, so that his own heart crack would no longer expand.

He decided to take the risk.

“The sea breeze has become so cold.”

While gazing at the boundless ocean surface, Garcia Wimbledon said while stroking out her wind tangled hair with a feeling of regret in her voice.

“Because the winter is coming,” she said, looking back at the handsome man standing behind her and giving him a reply. “Although this is the south, it is not the deep south. There, people don’t understand what winter means.”

“During the winter our fleet cannot be in the port, the ocean current will hold them down, we will be unable to move a single step. So at this time, they should be at the last voyage.” The woman turned around, “Ryan, how much time has passed since the Blacksail Fleet has set sail?”

“Two months and four days,” the man answered without hesitation, “if nothing else happens, within three days they will arrive at the Port of Clear Water.”

She laughed, “I hope they can give me a sufficient surprise.”

Ryan looked at the woman in front of him, his heart was filled with emotion. When reflected by the autumn sun, her gray hair had traces of silver in it, her long and narrows eyes were a reseda green. While looking at her, you would feel an indescribable sense of oppression. Due to staying at the coast for a long time, her skin had gotten slightly rough, it was not longer as white as all the other women of the royal family were, but Ryan did not complain. In his eyes, Garcia had the temperament that cast any other beauty into the shade.

Compared with those inbred idiots from the Graycastle flock she appeared to be different, rather the daughter of King Wimbledon III was a true genius. She possessed the wisdom and pride of a noblewoman, however unlike the other nobility, who would scrupulously abide by common sense, on that point, she was even a bit like the civilians — breaking away from the ordinary, filled with expectations, with an extremely rich spirit for adventure.

Of course, no civilian would have this kind of ability and vision, to join the rank of a duke right away, compared to her even the other aristocracy appeared to be lacking in foresight.

All of the trade income of the Port of Clear Water was to be reinvested into the fleet construction, no coin was to be left in their treasury, the light of a miser would not shine very far.

‘Hiding a gold royal in the cupboard would be without any meaning, when you don’t use it, it will be like a stone. Only when you take it out, can it reflect its own value. The point is to spend it wasn’t equal to losing it, as long as the investment is on the spot, the reward you gain, will go far beyond your own investment.’

This auspicious method, Ryan could still deeply remember her telling it to him, it was almost like she was anointing his head with the purest balm, it easily broke through all the inherited concept of his former teachings.

Compared to those nobles who spent their whole day saving and trying to increasing the amount of their gold royals, Ryan had the feeling that this was the true method of a ruler.

So he has boldly placed his life under Garcia’s command, vowing to follow her to the Port of Clear Water.

After they had arrived here, Ryan had found out, that the third princess was far more than her philosophy — not only was she a person of philosophy, furthermore she was also a person of action. At the center of her plan was her Blacksail Fleet, and on the path to her ambitions, there was no hindrance that was allowed. Already five years had gone by, Garcia’s forces have infiltrated the Port of Clear Water, organized and prepared her Blacksail Fleet — and then, her father, Wimbledon III started the strive for the position of the King. In other words, even from the beginning, she had already walked in front of all the other heirs.

“Let’s go back inside the room, the wind is becoming more and more powerful,” Garcia said. Her palace was located at the Blue water Port, above the natural harbor. The tower-like building seemed to be a protector stationed above the shore. On the top of the tower was a circular terrace, with an unobstructed field of view, it was possible to have a bird’s-eye view from the entire harbor, seeing the coming and going of the merchant ships.

Today, after her five-year operation, the business plan in the Port of Clear Water had already begun to take shape, every six months a barque would be launched. Furthermore, she had already obtained the people’s trust. While the third princess seemed to be in good mood, Ryan hesitantly raised his biggest doubt, which has haunted him for months.

“Your Highness, there is one thing I do not understand…” he said as he shut the door, leaving the roar of the sea breeze outside.

“You may speak,” she nodded while smiling.

“How could you have foreseen all of this, even before the king has announced the King’s order?” He had also thought that it would be impossible that her father Wimbledon III would mentioned it to her in advance, but even after having carefully thought this matter over he still hadn’t come to a conclusion. Everyone knew, that the second prince was the heir that the king valued the most, the King’s Order had been set up for him. This point could be seen by everyone, since the second Prince had gotten Valencia as fiefdom.

Could she have guessed all of this on her own, furthermore already having started five years ago laying out her plan? God, she was only eighteen years old!

“Foreseen?” She showed a funny look, “do you take me for a witch? I don’t have that kind of ability.”

“Erm, but……”

“Furthermore I did not know that my father would declare the strive for the King Order, paving the way for his treasured second son. In fact, there exists no connection between the strive for the King Order and my plan”

There was no relationship? When Ryan suddenly become aware of this aspect, his mouth became wider and wider.

Seeing the expression of disbelief on Ryan’s face, Garcia smiled. “Don’t tell me I should have waited for my father, to first tell me that I should fight for the throne, would I have then have had the ability to fight for the throne? Similarly, would it really in the end have been the one who govern his town the best be the one to sit on the throne of Graycastle? I thought you understood my plan when you had seen the Blacksail Fleet.”

So that’s the reason, Ryan murmured, her fleet is not only for the battle of the throne. This fleet belonging to the third princes could change the sails after leaving the port, robbing the ships from other cities and countries. Similarly, the third princes encouraged the people to go out to the sea, to participate in her Blacksail Fleet. She promised, all the loot would become the property of the ship’s captain, the Port of Clear Water would never collect any tax toward this profit.