The pool in the bathroom was steaming.

Wendy lathered the little girl all over with a wet bar of soap, including behind her ears, under her armpits, and between her fingers. Seeing the patches of dirt slide off with the foam, revealing the tender skin beneath, she felt a sense of satisfaction she hadn't experienced in a long time.

During their escape with the Mutual Assistance Society, she had soothed every frightened, anxious, or despairing new witch, restoring their calm and rekindling their hope for a better life. Yezi was like that, Lily was like that, Nightingale was like that... But since arriving in Border Town, the witches' lives had undergone tremendous changes, and no one needed to worry about survival anymore—not that she was saying it was a bad thing, and she was very grateful to Roland for everything he had done for the sisters. It was just that without witches who needed to be taken care of, even Mystery Moon had become cheerful, which made Wendy feel a little lost.

Now, she was finally reliving the joy of being an older sister.

"Close your eyes, I'm going to rinse you."

"Okay," the other girl's voice was light and soft, like a water droplet sliding off a blade of grass.

She had to admit, His Highness's decision was truly wonderful.

The water flowed through the girl's hair, down her back, carrying away the now brownish-gray foam. It wasn't until the third rinse that the water finally returned to its normal color.

Without the disguise of clothes, her frail body was fully visible to Wendy. What a thin child, Wendy couldn't help but think, she could see the protruding vertebrae of her spine, her arms were so thin that one hand could grasp them, and her skin wasn't white, but a pale yellowish color caused by long-term hunger, which didn't match the name White Paper at all.

Fortunately, she was a witch. As long as she was well cared for, she would recover soon.

After her body was washed clean, it was time for a pleasant bath. Wendy tested the water temperature and put her into the tub. The slightly scalding hot water immediately engulfed the two of them, but as long as they endured the initial discomfort, they would soon feel the happiness of being surrounded by warmth.

White Paper couldn't help but groan softly. She probably hadn't had a hot bath in a long time. The hands that were tightly holding Wendy gradually relaxed. Wendy turned the girl halfway around and sat her in her lap, carefully separating her tangled hair.

"When did you realize you were a witch?"

"Two... years ago," White Paper whispered, "It seems like it was also in winter."

"That's not strange," Wendy smiled, "Most witches awaken during the Month of the Demonic, because it is said that magic is the most abundant during this time."

"Isn't it the power of devils?"

"Of course not," she patted the girl's head, "Becoming a witch is a very, very normal thing. Apart from being able to perform incredible abilities, we are no different from ordinary people. You know, hundreds of years ago, witches were still regarded as the darlings of the gods."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." Actually, the differences were quite big, such as the overall improvement in appearance and body, and the inability to bear children, Wendy thought, but these things could be taught to her slowly in the future.

"Then... what is magic?" White Paper asked timidly.

"A naturally formed power, like the brilliance of the sun, is omnipresent," Wendy thought for a moment, "No, that's not right either. The sun still sets, but magic doesn't. In short, just think of it as part of your body, and a part that is constantly growing."

"Constantly growing?"

"That's right, it will grow stronger and stronger as you get older. In order to accommodate it, you must also improve your body's ability to withstand it, otherwise, you will suffer backlash." She explained carefully, "The church is using this point to lie that witches are devoured by demonic forces, which is actually completely wrong. As long as you keep practicing your abilities, you can increase your magic capacity, so you don't have to worry about it affecting your body. If you awakened as a witch two years ago, you should have already passed your first Awakening Day, it must have been painful... at that time."

The girl nodded twice.

"Don't worry, since you've come to Border Town, everything will be fine," Wendy comforted softly, "If you practice hard, you should be able to get through this year's Awakening Day easily."

Just as she was speaking, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open, and Lily ran in holding a towel, "I heard there's a new sister? Where is she? Mystery Moon said she really wants to see her!"

"It's obviously you who wants to see her!" Mystery Moon, who had been dragged in behind her, rolled her eyes, "You've already taken a bath, what if you have to practice your abilities in the afternoon?"

"Don't worry, it won't hurt to rest for a day. His Highness won't bother you, you're not Anna xiaojie."

"...You traitor!"

When White Paper saw the two of them barge in, her head immediately shrank down, half-submerged in the water.

"Oh, is this the new witch?" Lily leaned on the edge of the tub, looking at her with great interest, "I seem to be about the same age as you, but you can still call me sister."

"Why should she call you sister just because you're about the same age," Mystery Moon clamored, "I haven't seen you call me that."

"They're all witches from Border Town," Wendy introduced with a smile, "Don't look at them like this now, when they first arrived here, their performances were basically the same as yours... especially Mystery Moon, she wasn't much bolder than you, and she spoke in a very soft voice."

"Ahem, I was just worried that His Highness would dislike my abilities for being too poor," Mystery Moon muttered.

"His Highness has told me many times that your abilities have great potential to be tapped," Wendy shook her head, "As long as you finish studying Elementary Physics, you might be able to evolve unimaginable abilities."

"Don't mention those things, she hasn't even learned all the characters yet, and she barely passed the last test," Lily shrugged, "She's still asking me to tutor her at night. By the time she learns those strange theorems and formulas, Roland His Highness might have already unified Graycastle and no longer needs the help of witches." Ignoring Mystery Moon's upright eyebrows, she looked at the girl in Wendy's arms, "By the way, what is White Paper's ability?"

"...To melt snow." The other girl hesitated before speaking.

"Anything else?" Lily asked curiously, "Can you turn the melted water back into ice?"

"No," White Paper whispered, "Also... also can quickly turn hot water into cold water."

"Is this controlling temperature?" Wendy pondered, "But melting snow is heating up, and cooling hot water is cooling down, but you can't achieve the opposite effect, so it doesn't feel like it. Have you only tried using your abilities on water?"

"Other things don't change much."

"Try this," Lily picked up a basin of washed soapy water.

The girl carefully reached into the basin, and soon, the steaming water cooled down. Then, under everyone's gaze, the murky soapy water underwent a strange change. The floating foam gradually disappeared, and the churning white particles were gone. The basin of water became clear and transparent again.