The Answer
The Answer
Unlike Anna, Nana was awake on her Day of Adulthood. To help her focus more quickly before the pain fell on her, everyone stayed with her, telling stories or playing simple games, to keep her awake.
Roland showed off some coin magic tricks, surprising everyone, especially Nana who stared at his hands without blinking. On a normal day, she would have asked him to teach her.
The magic of this age was vaudeville. Roland had watched it in the palace. It included the snake dancing to the flute, fire-breathing, crushing a stone plate on one's chest and so on. It seemed less appealing compared to the elaborate modern magic that focused on camouflage and tricks of the fingers.
Lightning shared her adventurous sailing stories. She talked about sailing with her father, Thunder, through isles and fjords, crossing vortexes and reefs and hunting deep water sharks and octopuses. Everyone was charmed by the stories, despite knowing that a large part of it was made-up. Roland could not help dreaming of it. In his imagination, the sailing ship turned into an ironclad battleship that sailed through the open sea and approached new land.
In fact, he lacked in understanding the history of this world where the clear record only went back to four hundred and fifty years ago. He had never caught any reason for this from the knowledge that the prince had learned from his court mentor. Maybe he had not paid any attention to it during class, Roland thought. Moreover, there was no archive or library in Border Town. He decided he would ask some maesters once he had taken Longsong Stronghold.
When Lightning's story was finished, Roland could not help yawning. He turned his eyes to Nightingale who shook her head, meaning the magic power had not changed. The lack of timepieces made it incredibly inconvenient to track time. Roland poured himself some warm water, sat down and continued to wait.
But as time went on, all of them sensed something unusual. The process was taking too long. Nana had been yawning all night, too tired to keep awake. Anxiety grew in Nightingale who touched the young girl's forehead, as she watched the flow of magic power in her body.
..
To his surprise, a glimmer had emerged on the horizon of the dark sky.
"Look!" Roland drew back the curtain, everyone turned at his shout. Looking at the dim light far on the horizon, they all realized that a new day had come.
Nana had passed her day of the bite of magic power safely.
*******************
Roland stretched himself and headed back to his chamber where he found two unexpected visitors.
It was Nightingale and Wendy.
Their faces were not sleepy at all but filled with excitement.
"Are you really sure that today, no, last night was the 'day' for Nana?" Roland asked.
"Yes, but the change was too small for me to confirm the vital moment of the bite," Nightingale said firmly, "your Highness, you're right! By regularly releasing power, the gross power will increase, but the pain we suffer will be less. If we keep training for a specific number of hours every day, all witches will stand a chance to survive their Day of Adulthood."
"In the entire Kingdom of Graycastle, your land is the only place where witches can use their powers freely. This means, in a sense, that this is Holy Mountain we've been pursuing." Wendy went on. "I want to beg you to inform more witches of the news and bring them to this holy land. I'm sure they'll be glad to serve you."
"This is what I intend to do." Roland nodded. "My subjects will partially understand and have contact with witches after the Months of Demons. That'll be the right time to spread the news—by way of spreading rumors. You should know that I can't publicly recruit witches in an open and expansive way. It would provoke a great disturbance in the realm." He paused for a moment. "Unless the church becomes extinct or I take the throne."
"Then I'll assist you to take the throne." It seemed that Wendy had been waiting for those words, and she kneeled to pledge her fealty. Roland could tell from her unskilled movements that maybe she had just learned the curtsey. Yet none of the details mattered, he accepted her fealty in the same way that he had accepted Nightingale's.
Wendy stood up and smiled at Nightingale. "How am I doing?"
Nightingale curled her lips. "After a fashion."
Roland could not help but shake his head. "You should go to bed. You've been up all night." "
"Your Highness, I want to ask for one more thing." Wendy who had just stood up and kneeled again.
"Go on," Roland said seriously, his smile fading. He could tell from her stance that it would be a difficult promise for him to make.
"I want to go back to the camp again."
"Wendy!" Astonished, Nightingale stared at Wendy, whose eyes were filled with determination.
"I don't know whether they've found Holy Mountain. Maybe they have, maybe they haven't. I hope to leave for the Impassable Mountain Range after the Months of Demons. If Cara can't find Holy Mountain, they should be back in the mountains by then."
"That would be most perilous." Roland frowned. "Your respected mentor attacked you with no mercy."
"If she had really wanted to kill me, I would be dead," Wendy said, "she summoned the demonic snake of 'Suffering', not that of 'Death'. Maybe few or even none will come back here with me, but at least I can bring the news to my sisters that releasing power every day will save them from the dreadful pain." Her voice softened at this point. "Your Highness, as long as you treat witches well as always, my life belongs to you. I'll never treat my life lightly. I'll keep safe. Please promise me."
Roland remained silent. He should turn down Wendy's request for her safety. But he knew what the request meant to her. She would risk anything to save more witches. If Roland turned her down, she may still obey his command, but yet the death of her sisters, caused by his refuse, would scar her.
"I promise you." Roland nodded at last. "Go with Lightning two months after the Months of Demons has passed. Just in case, I'll offer you the flintlock and God's Stone of Retaliation. Promise me that you'll wear it when negotiating with Cara or other witches. And Lightning will stand by too so that they can't hurt you with their power."
"Your Highness, please let me go with her!" Nightingale said.
"No, Veronica. His Highness' safety is far more important. All witches' hopes now lie with him." Wendy smiled. "Take good care of him."