Right under this midday sun, a gentle breeze drifted into the room through the window, stirring a few scattered documents and Tilly's hair.

Perhaps it was because the annoying hair kept touching her eyes, or maybe something else, but she suddenly felt a prickling sensation welling up in her eyes. Even so, she didn't dare close them, afraid that the scene would disappear again.

But the other party didn't seem to intend to give her a chance to be in a daze.

Dropping the luggage bag, the visitor strode forward, went around the mahogany table, and opened her arms to hug her directly.

The solid and real touch came through her clothes, which made Tilly realize that what she saw... might not be an illusion.

"Ash..."

"It's me." Ash pressed against her cheek and said, "Long time no see."

As soon as the other party spoke, Tilly's vision instantly blurred.

It was as if something that had been suppressed for too long had finally gotten a chance to pour out.

Although she knew it wasn't very dignified, she unexpectedly didn't want to stop it. In front of Ash, she didn't need much cover, whether she was happy or sad.

Besides, she wasn't sad now.

Not at all.

Ash gently stroked her hair, quietly providing her with space to release her emotions. The two of them remained standing like that, letting the sunlight envelop them.

After a long time, Tilly calmed down.

She wiped the sticky tears from her face and glared at Ash, "What exactly happened after the Divine Will War? Why are you only back now? What has Brother been dragging all these years?"

The latter smiled and rubbed her slightly flushed face, "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything I know. To be honest, I was also very surprised to see Roland again in the Dream World."

Then Ash recounted her experience after waking up in detail.

In Roland's words, although he had gained control of the Cradle, searching for a witch's consciousness in the civilization memory bank was still a time-consuming and laborious task. Moreover, her body no longer existed. Considering the need to restore it as accurately as possible, Ash stayed in the realm of consciousness for a long time.

During this process, she gradually pieced herself back together from scattered fragments. However, considering that her consciousness was also growing during the adaptation process, Ash was not sure how different she was now from the past.

As for the body, it was entirely cultivated based on impressions. Although Roland wanted to conduct several experiments before implementing the connection, she didn't want to wait any longer. Fortunately, the integration process went smoothly. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing on the island in the Bottomless Land.

"So the scar on your face is gone for this reason?" Tilly asked.

"Uh..." This time it was Ash's turn to feel a little embarrassed, "I used to think it could remind me to always be vigilant and increase deterrence in battle, so I kept it. But now... there's no need to continue fighting, and I think you... might..."

Looking at her stammering, Tilly couldn't help but laugh, "I won't deny it. But that won't be a factor in my preferences. Is this outfit also what you often wore in the Dream World?"

"Mhmm. Not just clothes, but also money and luggage. Roland said it was easier to replicate these things than to reshape consciousness."

The two looked at each other for a moment before Ash continued, "I don't know if I lost anything in that unconscious wandering. I don't even know if the current me is the Ash you have in mind compared to the past me, but one thing I can confirm is that my desire to see you has never diminished from the beginning."

Tilly interrupted her by raising a hand, "I can confirm for you, you are Ash, and there is no change from the past."

Ash was silent for a while, and then showed a relieved expression.

"By the way, what about Anna and Nightingale? They clearly returned to the camp after the war. And what is the situation with my brother now? Is there no way for him to get out of the realm of consciousness in the future?" Tilly propped herself up from her arms and changed the subject.

"Roland is not in the realm of consciousness now, but in the world itself. He cannot leave the Cradle Central Hub, but Anna and Nightingale can come back at any time. But..." Speaking here, Ash cleared her throat, "The problem is not whether they can, but whether they want to. In short, Roland is having a better time than you think, so don't worry about him."

"Is... that so?" Tilly asked in confusion.

"That's right, forget that guy, he's not worth your concern." Ash shrugged, then turned around and took out a stack of documents from the luggage bag as if she suddenly remembered something, "Besides, Roland has some things to be delivered to you."

Tilly's face stiffened immediately, "Is it going to be some new responsibilities or entrustments again?"

"It doesn't require you to handle it yourself." Ash explained, "These are all the things he fiddled with. Their main purpose is to reopen the connection channel between the Dream World and the real world."

Previously, entering the Dream World was inseparable from Roland's "Light Pillar", and because of his disconnection, the God's Punishment Witches could no longer relax as in the past. If it wasn't for knowing that he was just temporarily leaving, I'm afraid Light Tacharilla would have a big problem.

Now that there was finally a solution, Tilly couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief for the ancient witches.

Judging from the strange diagrams and patterns on the documents, this was likely a new magical device.

"I'll have Agatha come over." Tilly raised her eyebrows slightly after making the call. "By the way, there were a few ancient witches whose consciousness was interrupted along with Brother's, right? Their bodies can no longer be used now."

"Roland has also considered this. In fact, the next thing he will do is design a brand-new carrier for the God's Punishment Witches, which can not only be used as a soul container, but also automatically adapt to consciousness, so that it can restore ordinary perception ability." Ash nodded, "But this step cannot be completed solely by the Cradle. Neverwinter City must also participate in it until it masters such technology."

"I believe Celine and the others will go all out." Tilly smiled.

"And when these are completed, it will be the last step." Ash continued, "This time Roland seems to want to do it more thoroughly. In addition to allowing the witches to access the Dream World, he also wants people from that world to come here. That guy has even called it the New Gate Project in the plan."

Tilly opened her mouth in surprise.

She instantly realized the purpose of Roland's actions. Without a doubt, once a technologically superior group and a magically superior group exchange ideas, it will inevitably bring earth-shaking changes.

It can certainly rapidly promote the development of civilization, but it will also cause many foreseeable troubles. The thought of having to face those troubles made Tilly feel a headache.

"I knew I shouldn't have taken over this crown." She pouted and said angrily.

"But I think that even if it happened again, you would still agree to his request." Ash took a step back, then knelt on one knee and placed a fist on her chest like a knight, "You have performed better than you imagined, Your Majesty. You are already a qualified monarch."

Tilly stared at her for a moment, then slowly stretched out her right hand, "Then are you willing to walk with me?"

"Of course." Ash's answer was sonorous and forceful, "It is my honor."

That's right, compared to an hour ago, the things piled up on her desk not only did not decrease, but became more numerous.

But she didn't have the same resistance as before.

Because this time, the scenery around her was completely different.