"The Church's most elite warriors are also top-secret weapons used to combat extraordinary witches," Ash said. "They possess strength and speed no less than mine, and..." she hesitated, "they seem to lack any sense of reason. During a fight, I chopped off a Divine Punishment Army soldier's right hand, but he didn't hesitate to use his left hand to gouge at my eyes. Even when I turned to flee, his actions weren't affected much—this isn't about will. Even the strongest person, even if they can maintain their fighting spirit after losing an arm, can't adapt to the loss of balance in the short term."

"I've only heard of the Church's Judgment Army," Wendy murmured. "If they possess such powerful warriors, why haven't they appeared during the previous witch hunts?"

"I don't know," Ash said slowly. "Even the name 'Divine Punishment Army' was something I only heard about later when I returned to the old Holy City, from some people's mouths."

"You... you went back?" Wendy asked in surprise.

"Yes, how could I easily let those scum off?" She stood up and walked to the window. "I later attacked several small churches and a Judgment Army garrison. There happened to be a Judgment Chief at the garrison. I thought they really weren't afraid of death at all." Faced with the torture of death and pain, the other party didn't perform much better than ordinary people, also showing fear and begging for mercy. "From him, I learned the name 'Divine Punishment Army.' They are all Judgment Army soldiers transformed through rituals. Only the most outstanding warriors can receive this honor. Accepting the transformation must be voluntary, and it seems that the success rate is greatly related to the firmness of one's will. In other words, the Divine Punishment Army is different from witches. They are not naturally formed or due to innate talent, but are artificially modified."

"..." Wendy was so shocked by this news that she couldn't speak.

"I guess they can't deploy the Divine Punishment Army in combat as they do the Judgment Army, perhaps because of the transformation's side effects. Warriors who have lost their minds are, in a sense, no different from monsters." Ash sighed. "During that time, I hid in the sewers or deep wells during the day, and came out to attack Church believers at night, until the Church launched a city-wide search, forcing me to withdraw from the old Holy City. The day I left, the blood that stained my body stuck my clothes and skin tightly together, looking ferocious. Probably in the eyes of outsiders, I was also a wild beast that had lost its mind."

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter now. You can live a good life here like an ordinary person. His Highness the Prince is very good to the sisters. After experiencing the Demonic Month and the Duke of the Fortress's attack together, most of the townspeople have also accepted the existence of witches. This town is the Holy Mountain we have been pursuing."

Ash looked at the woman leaning against the windowsill with her. In her memory, the children living in the convent were all thin and weak, with dim eyes and no spirit. But Wendy's current appearance is hard to imagine from her childhood. Both her figure and appearance are very different from the children of that time, and the gentleness that naturally flows in her tone also makes her feel peace and tranquility.

However, some things she had to say, "I won't stay here, and I didn't come for this." She paused. "I want to take all of you away, to a truly safe place. Border Town is not a place to stay for long."

"You're not staying here..." Wendy was stunned for a moment. "Why?"

"As long as you live on this continent, you will always be threatened by the Church. Tilly has gathered most of the Kingdom of Graycastle's witches and is heading to the Fiords, intending to build a kingdom belonging to witches there."

"But doesn't the Fiords also have the Church?"

"Because of the special landform of the islands, they are separated from each other, and their influence can only be maintained in a small area. And..." Ash curled the corners of her mouth, "there are no Divine Punishment Army soldiers on the islands."

It was time to let them see the witches' thunderous fury. One island after another, uprooting the Church's forces, just as they were clearing out the witches.

"You and your sisters must leave, Wendy," she continued to persuade. "Spreading rumors to recruit companions is a mistake. I can hear this news, and the Church can too. They will never allow a witch organization to expand its scale at will. Before long, the Church's army will traverse Graycastle to exterminate you. Facing the invincible Divine Punishment Army, do you think the Fourth Prince will protect you? No secular lord is willing to coexist with witches. He may be good to you now, but in times of crisis, he will not hesitate to abandon you."

Wendy was silent for a while before saying, "I don't know what the other sisters think, but I won't leave Border Town."

"This place is already on the edge of a cliff," Ash frowned. "The longer you stay, the more dangerous it becomes."

"If we abandon His Highness the Prince and leave the town to avoid the danger that is coming, what is the difference between that and him abandoning us? I don't want to be that kind of person, and..." she took a deep breath, "I don't think His Highness will succumb to the pressure of the Church as you say. Nightingale once asked him the same question, and His Highness's answer was: to allow every witch in his territory to live like a normal person, even if it means being enemies with the Church."

"..." Ash didn't answer. She didn't know what to say for a moment. She had seen too many broken promises, and even if the other party was willing to protect the witches to the end, what would be the point? In the face of overwhelming power, it would only increase the sacrifice.

However, she had now figured out the situation of the Witch Union. After the death of the Snake Demon Hakala, the remaining members of the Witch Union had basically been taken in by the lord of Border Town. Tasha, who went to Silverlight City to spread the news, was probably not a civilian who happened to rescue the witches, but the lord's personal guard. Although she didn't know what cunning methods he used to make the witches trust him so much, under the threat of her greatsword, his carefully constructed disguise would soon collapse.

"I want to talk to your lord, Roland Wimbledon," Ash finally said in a deep voice.

…

Meeting His Highness the Fourth Prince was the next morning.

Ash was led into the office by Nightingale, and she saw that hateful man again.

Although she didn't want to admit it, he did have the same bloodline as Tilly. His long gray hair was simply tied back with a hair tie, and it emitted a little silver light in the morning light, which was a symbol of the Graycastle royal family. His eyebrows and nose were also somewhat similar to Tilly's, but the more similar they were, the more she disliked him. Unlike the appearance she often saw in the palace before, his dress was exceptionally clean. Apart from a well-fitting set of clothes, he could hardly see any ornaments—no earrings, necklaces, rings, or bracelets. He simply leaned back in his chair, but there was a feeling of looking down on her.

The aura of a superior.

The thought couldn't help but pop into her mind.

Okay, judging from the appearance alone, he has indeed improved, Ash said coldly in her heart, I wonder how long you can maintain this pose.

"Welcome, I heard your name is Ash?" The other party took the initiative to speak. "You are a messenger sent by my sister, right?"

"I decided to come to Border Town on my own."

"But that's also a messenger, right?"

"..." Ash frowned. What's the point of emphasizing the word "messenger"? She didn't want to get entangled in unimportant things. "I guess so."

"Very good, Messenger Ash," he showed an ambiguous smile. "I heard you want to take my witches away?"