卷 stood at the bedroom door, hesitating for a moment before pushing it open.

Wendy was sitting at the table with a worried look on her face, holding a book. Without looking closely, one could guess it was "The Theoretical Foundation of Natural Science."

卷 couldn't help but chuckle. She rarely saw Wendy showing such an expression. Even when the Witch Cooperation Association was trapped in the desperate mountains, facing severe shortages, Wendy still smiled and encouraged every sister, seemingly never worried about those hardships.

Who would have thought that a book would plunge her into distress.

"You can't understand it at all, right?" 卷 said, "I was like that the first time I read it."

"I thought it was Nightingale," Wendy turned her head upon hearing the voice, "...What about now?"

"I still can't understand it."

"That's good, you're the same as me." Wendy sighed, "Not to mention Anna, even Soraya has comprehended new abilities. I feel like I'll be surpassed by the younger generation if I don't work harder. I really don't understand how His Highness knows so much knowledge, being able to describe an invisible world as if it were real."

"In fact, he doesn't know that much," 卷 shrugged, "I mean, in some aspects."

"For example?"

"For example, Nightingale's matter." She pulled out a stool and sat next to Wendy, "Have you noticed that her behavior is very different from before? She rarely conceals herself when protecting His Highness, she only wears a hood when going out, and... she even listens attentively during evening classes. You share a bedroom with her, so you should know better than I do. Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

"Actually, it's nothing," Wendy shook her head, "It's her own choice."

Her attitude surprised 卷, "Choice?"

"Yes, just as you guessed," Wendy closed the book and said frankly, "She has fallen in love with Roland Wimbledon – of course, you can see that without guessing. It's a common rumor that someone who provides sanctuary for witches will gradually win their hearts. Such stories were common during the Witch Cooperation Association's journey."

"Those are stories made up by others, and most sisters didn't get a good ending."

"His Highness Roland is different from them."

卷 was stunned. She didn't expect Wendy, who had held the same view as her not long ago, to say this, "You know that witches cannot bear children, and a prince cannot..."

"The prince will marry a witch," Wendy spread her hands, "And he told you that himself."

How did she know? Was Nightingale present at the time? 卷 suddenly understood something, "Are you blaming me for keeping it from you? No, Wendy, I didn't say anything because I didn't want this matter to leak out and have a negative impact on His Highness's path to the throne."

"..." Wendy was silent for a long time before saying, "I know, I'm not blaming you, because that's what I told Nightingale as well. Before I knew about this, I thought sisters wouldn't have a good ending, but since the prince doesn't mind, should we force them to change their minds? I prefer to see her the way she is now, instead of Nightingale suppressing her emotions and being depressed. No matter what the final result is, at least she followed her heart."

So that's how it is, 卷 thought. Although she agreed with not spreading the news, she didn't want to prevent the sisters from falling in love anymore, and she didn't want to make choices for them without their permission – unlike Hakala, Wendy always started from the sisters' perspective and encouraged their little remaining courage.

"But, does His Highness know about this?" 卷 suddenly thought of a serious question, "What if his willingness is based on not knowing that witches cannot bear children?"

"Um..." Wendy also lowered her voice, "Why don't you go ask him?"

*******************

Outside the Western Border city walls.

The near-summer sun illuminated the grassland brightly. In the distance, one could see herds of cattle and sheep leisurely eating grass. It was hard to imagine that three months ago, this place was covered in ice and snow, with nothing but terrifying and brutal Evil Beasts.

Shooting training had continued for most of the afternoon. Nightingale mastered shooting skills much faster than Roland had expected. Perhaps everyone had different talents, he thought, and some people were born to fight. Now, her posture of reloading, aiming, and shooting was completely unlike that of a novice.

"If she were born into a knightly family, she would definitely become the top star knight in Graycastle," Carter couldn't help but praise, "Just like me."

"Fortunately not, I don't want her arms to become as thick as yours." Roland glanced at him, "How does it feel to be evenly matched with an Extraordinary Witch?"

"The moment I was knocked away, I even thought I was fighting a battering ram. My entire chest felt like it was crushed," Carter said honestly, "Seriously, it was terrible."

"There shouldn't be a next time," he said with a smile.

When another round of standing shooting was completed, the prince applauded Nightingale and said, "So far, it's been very good. Next, we'll do a simulated training."

Nightingale inserted the sniper rifle into her belt and walked to the prince's side. In the bright sunlight, the sweat on her nose sparkled.

"Do you see those targets?" Roland pointed to the five half-body targets not far away, "They are all hung with God's Stone of Retaliation. You should be able to see them very clearly in the mist. What you have to do next is to combine your ability with your marksmanship and take down these enemies in the shortest possible exposure time."

Because objects and space are constantly changing when in the mist state, it is difficult to ensure that the bullet is flying towards the target. Previously, she tried shooting directly in the mist, and as a result, nine out of ten bullets changed their trajectory after rushing out of the mist range, and one almost hit Roland, who was standing behind her.

Therefore, Nightingale must leave the mist when shooting, and the shorter the exposure time, the more difficult it will be for her to be countered by the enemy.

"Understood," she smiled slightly, raised her cloak with one hand, and disappeared in front of the two.

When the first gunshot rang out, Roland only saw a white figure quietly emerge. As flames and gas erupted, the target shattered in response. Before the splashing sawdust had completely landed, she had already arrived behind the second target, pulling the trigger within a range of three or four meters.

Then came the third and fourth... Each time she shot, she hadn't even completely left the mist. Apart from the silver sniper rifle and the fleeting flash of fire, Roland couldn't see any more details, and it was even difficult to capture her position with his eyes. Nightingale, who was leaping in the mist, was like teleporting – this scene could only be seen in movies in the past. In the blink of an eye, all five targets had been shattered. He blinked, and Nightingale was back by his side.

"How was it?" she asked with a smile.

"Uh..." Roland looked at Carter, who was stunned, and asked, "What do you think?"

"I'm afraid no one can catch Nightingale xiaojie," the chief knight took a deep breath, "Not even Ashes wearing the God's Stone of Retaliation."

"So, have I graduated?" She wiped the sweat from her nose and wiped it on Roland.

"Of... course." (.)