Release That Witch

The delegation set out the second day after the storm and the sail that took them was the Charming Beauty.     

Sylvie leaned against the fence of the hull pulling out a piece of beef from her bag, and shook the beef over her head.     

"Ou, ou..."     

The huge seagull landed with the twitter from the sky. Sylvie could not stop blinking due to the air current from the flapping of the wings. The beef in her hand was caught in the seagull's beak. When she looked up, the seagull had returned to the front of the sail and guided the direction in the vast sea continually.     

This was what Maggie told her to do, because she could not take out the jerky by herself when she turned into a seagull.     

Even though there was nothing different between her and normal seagulls (except for size), Sylvie could still observe the change in her magic power and its real shape. If she looked carefully, she saw that the magic power that came from all directions turned into light spots before disappearing.     

"I heard she could change into different birds and gain their abilities. Is that right?" someone said, "as far as I know, seagulls never lose their way in the sea and can always tell if a storm is coming."     

"Exactly, Mr. Captain." Although Sylvie did not turn around, she knew who was speaking now." That's why we dare to choose a new route. Otherwise, we'll be landing in the southwest of the Kingdom of Graycastle after going around Endless Cape."     

Her ability not only allowed her to see the change and flow of magic powers and give her a vast view without a blind spot, but also to see things around her without obstruction anytime and anywhere. She could even see the sailors sleeping below the plywood and the fish at the bottom of the boat.     

"There's a port there too?" Captain Jack spat out cigarette smoke. "I remember there were explorers who had been to the west of Endless Cape, but they found nothing except mountains and shallow beaches."     

"It'd be best if there's nothing there," Sylvie said indifferently, "that way, everyone can return home."     

"Doesn't that mean we're getting nothing out of this trip?" The captain shook his cigarette. "I was looking forward to seeing if there's a new scenery on this new route."     

This trip was entrusted to them by Lady Tilly. Their mission was to visit the other witches' haven, so they can improve their relationships and help each other. Other than the selected five witches on the ship, there were also Ashes and Molly. They would not be going ashore; they were on the ship to ensure that the route was foolproof. Molly's Magic Servant could help the ship withstand the storm and Ashes could make sure the pirates who had their eyes on their ship to never return home again.     

Ashes also had another mission. That was to determine Roland Wimbledon's true identity for Lady Tilly.     

Before they left, Tilly had explained to her the causes of the matter, the possible outcomes, and the ways to deal with them. Simply speaking, Tilly wanted her to try her best to reach an agreement with the leader of the Witch Cooperation Association and exchange for the real Roland. But to be honest, she thought that this was a difficult task. It was still acceptable if the association did not agree with the exchange. But what if they did not want information to be leaked and imprison everyone on the ship?     

Through the cabin walls, she saw Lotus, Evelyn, and Magic Servant playing with happy expressions. She could not help sighing.     

She hoped the witches in the Witch Cooperation Association were as friendly as Maggie had said.     

...     

After a week of navigation, Sylvie finally saw the gray coastline.     

"We're almost there!" Honey shouted as she lay on the side of the ship. A row of swallows, ospreys, and seagulls beside her were made noise in unison.     

"We're finally there…?" Candle lay on the side of the ship, wearing a haggard expression. "I think I'm close to my limit."     

"This is only a temporary phenomenon. Child, as long as you go ashore, you'll soon recover." Jack held the telescope and laughed. "I've been sailing for many years, but I've never seen anyone who dies on board because of the turbulence."     

"Where's Maggie?" Honey asked.     

"She's going to Border Town in advance to contact the Witch Cooperation Association," Ashes said, "and I believe someone will pick you up soon."     

"Aren't you coming with us, Sister Ashes?"     

"Tilly needs my help more." Ashes laughed. "Don't worry, the Witch Cooperation Association will treat you like sisters... If you have problems, ask for Wendy. She'll definitely help you immediately. "     

[Wendy?] Sylvie quietly stored this name away in her mind.     

"Oh, there's one more thing." Ashes patted her forehead. "Remember to stay away from Lord Roland Wimbledon. You mustn't be left alone with him if you can help it."     

"Why? Isn't he Lady Tilly's brother?" Evelyn did not understand.     

"He is," Ashes said earnestly, "but that doesn't stop him from liking to touch the witches' butts!"     

Everyone gasped.     

The sail was finally docked at a shallow beach about 250 meters from the location. After all, there was no detailed map here. No one knew how deep the water by the shallow beach was. It was simple to go ashore. They did not even need to use a small boat. Molly made her Magic Servant to wrap up five witches, including herself, to float across the seaboard.     

This shallow beach was clearly an extension of the mountain that turned into a soft beach after continuous erosion of the sea. The dash inland and the coast were completely separated by the high mountains not far away. The mountains were endless, getting taller as they went west. At the end of the vision, the great mountains almost turned into something like the Impassable Mountain Range.     

After waiting for two hours, Sylvie noticed a strange shadow approaching.     

The shadow was pretty large, comparable to the size of the Charming Beauty. The round outline of the shadow made it obvious it was not a natural creation. Logically, such a huge thing should be very heavy, but its movement was as smooth as it was floating in the air. She could not see the shadow clearly due to the mountains and the woods, but she was sure that it was climbing quickly and was almost over the mountain.     

After a while, the thing left its shadow and revealed its true self.     

"Oh my God. What's that?" Lotus asked in surprise, turning to the sky.     

"Sister Ashes, have you seen that thing before?" Evelyn asked, pulling her arm.     

"No..." Ashes seemed surprised. "It's my first time seeing this thing too."     

"Looks like this is the way the Witch Cooperation Association is welcoming us," Sylvie said.     

The unbelievably large-sized spherical object was floating in the air with a basket made of vines hanging underneath. Maggie was inside the basket, flanked by two other witches. What was striking was the long yellow canvas hanging from the bottom of the basket, where large words were written on it.     

It read: "Welcome to Border Town."