Release That Witch

Nightingale picked up the wine glass on the table and held it above her head. The crystal clear glass body was shining under the light without any trace of mottle.     

She was aware that these glasses were called the Crystal Cup, and its firing process and formula were top secret information in the alchemical workshop. Only the goblet in her hand was valued around one gold royal. The crystal glassware which was matching the exquisite silver tableware had always been the noble and rich businessmen's favorite to show off their wealth.     

Now, these crystal containers from the royal palace would soon be melted into raw materials.     

"Your Highness, you're not burning the glass but gold royals." Nightingale exclaimed.     

"I don't have time to study how to turn the sand into the colorless glass, so I can only combine it this way for now." Roland threw a beautifully crafted crystal pot into the furnace made of Anna's Blackfire. Nightingale could not help but feel pity as she still remembered that Prince Roland used to fill it with ale for the tea parties in the castle garden and for the celebration feast of the Months of Demons.     

The pot quickly melted and became a sticky paste under the stable high temperature.     

"Blowing glass... with sand?" Anna asked, "Are they the same substance?"     

"Well, the main ingredients are similar, but the sand contains a lot of impurities. The glass that was blown with sand is mostly close to the brown and green in color, which won't meet the requirements."     

"So, glass is actually purified sand?"     

Roland smiled. "You could consider so. When I put this knowledge into a book on how the particles formed into a substance, you'll understand once you read it."     

Nightingale curled her lips and thought, [I wouldn't understand. Besides, the color of the glass doesn't affect its function as a container. You wouldn't be using it as a water cup, so why must it made by the glassware?]     

Although they still looked colorless and transparent, their appearance was incomparable to the previous crystal cup.     

Some looked like a tube with a round bottom, looking thin and long. And some looked like a bottle and the bottom was as large as a kettle and the bottleneck was only as thick as a thumb.     

The strangest one was a tube that was bent into a horseshoe shape with both sides unsealed, and it was not even a container.     

"What do you intend to do with the crystal glassware?" Nightingale could not help asking.     

"It isn't for me but for the use of the Border Town alchemist," said Roland while stirring the paste in Blackfire with a glass stick, "they can use these glasswares to extract some acid and alkaline in order to produce some chemicals for the new weapons I created."     

[Acid? Alkaline? Chemicals?] Nightingale blinked, realizing that she did not understand what His Highness said. It made her feel a little bit depressed. Of course, she could always ask about them one by one, but she felt that it seemed too ignorant and she did not want to expose that side of her in front of Anna, so she could only pay attention to the nouns that she could understand.     

"Since when did Border Town have an alchemist? There's no alchemical workshop even in Longsong Stronghold. You can only find alchemists in Redwater City. I heard that their salary is higher than the lord, and it's rather hard to recruit them with only gold royals."     

"You know quite a lot," Roland answered with a smile, "that's right. I've sent people who're already on their way to Redwater City. We'll likely receive a message in about two weeks. However, I'm not recruiting them with gold royals, but some alchemical secrets. As for our chances, I'm not very sure myself... But it's worth a try."     

The compliment from His Highness during the first half of the conversation had suddenly blown away Nightingale's depression, and she contentedly walked back to the center of the yard and stuffed a pastry from a roundtable into her mouth.     

Since Roland changed the main experimental site from the castle backyard to the firing area of North Slope Mount, the afternoon tea was also shifted.     

On the roundtable were all the Royal snacks that were specially made by the chef for His Highness.     

For example, this snack was called steamed bun. The skin was made from the wheat flour which was specially handled, making it extremely soft and chewy. There was also a meat stuffing wrapped inside. The meat was finely chopped and it was extremely juicy... Unlike the salted meat which was hard and difficult to swallow, the minced meat and juice would be integrated into one in a bite.     

Nightingale put her fingers into her mouth and sucked them one by one while sitting on the couch. She felt a slight sleepiness.     

[Am I getting lazier recently?] she thought.     

The afternoon sun shone on her which felt like the warm water slowly wrapping around her. The spring breeze was blowing on the leaves making a shuffling noise. She felt extremely calm and quiet. She took off her shoes and curled her legs up, lying down on one side.     

This perspective led to the view of the backyard to the side door of gunpowder making room. A curtain was hanging down from the door, which was used by His Highness to prevent her from sneaking in. Thinking about it, Nightingale found it slightly funny. Both the courtyard wall and the gunpowder making room wall were just a flat ground which she could freely walk into. She had even entered the mysterious house and listened to His Highness who was talking about the production method quietly at one side, but just that, she did not take away the finished gunpowder.     

While Roland thought that no one knew about it, he himself was the one who did not know the truth.     

Nightingale shifted her head to look at Anna.     

She was holding a flat cup, which was just blown and she was talking to His Highness. She looked serious and focused.     

Nightingale really admired Anna. She was a girl who came from a civilian family and yet she was so extremely talented.     

It was Anna who brought the sisters of Witch Cooperation Association to escape the fate of the displacement and freed them from the magic power bite. If it were not her who changed Prince Roland's view of the witches, all the subsequent changes would not happen.     

If His Royal Highness would marry a witch, Anna would be the only person she could think of.     

Although she still had a slight expectation, Nightingale chose to deeply bury it in the bottom of her heart. As long as she could just stay around His Highness most of the time, she would be contented.     

She closed her eyes and imagined a scene uncontrollably.     

Roland was royally ascended in the palace. He wore a golden crown and held a gemstones scepter while walking towards the castle terrace to accept the public respect and cheers.     

The girl in a white satin gown walking arm in arm with him was Anna, who also wore a golden crown on her head. Her face was covered by a veil. She smiled and waved to the people.     

Lightning was hovering in the air, sprinkling the bright red rose petals. The melodious bell rang from the king's city belfry afar.     

She herself was standing with the other sisters, applauding and sending their blessings.     

She was increasingly drowsy and her consciousness gradually became hazy.     

Roland turned around, opened the veil of the girl, and lowered his head to kiss her on her lips.     

The last scene became very vague, with the veil falling on the floor, Nightingale faintly saw that the girl with her eyes closed... appeared to be herself.     

She smiled and fell asleep.