"The Church's most elite samurai are also top-secret weapons to use against transcendent witches," Ash said, "they have as much strength and speed as I do, and they ......," she hesitated, "they don't seem to be sane." During the fight, I cut off the right hand of one of the Divine Punishers, but he did not hesitate to cut my eye with his left hand, and even if I turned and fled, his actions were not affected much - it has nothing to do with will, no matter how strong a person can maintain his fighting spirit even after a broken arm, but the balance of losing an arm cannot be adapted in a short time. ”

"I've only heard of the Church's Inquisition," Wendy muttered, "and if they have such powerful warriors, why haven't they ever been in the hunt for witches?"

"I don't know," Ash said slowly, "even the name of the Divine Punishment Army was heard from some of them when I returned to the Old Holy City. ”

"You...... Have you ever been back?" Wendy was surprised.

"Well, how could you easily let go of the scum," she said, standing up and walking to the window, "I later attacked a couple of chapels and a Judgment garrison. There happened to be a presiding judge in the station, and I thought they were really not afraid of death at all. "In the face of death and painful torment, the other party behaves no better than civilians, will show a look of fear, and will also beg for mercy. "From him, I learned the name of the Divine Punishment Army. They were all inquisitors transformed through rituals, and only the best samurai could receive this honor, and the acceptance of transformation must be voluntary, as if the success rate had a great deal to do with the strength of the will. In other words, the Divine Punishers are different from witches in that they are not formed naturally or because they are gifted, but they are artificially modified. ”

"......" Wendy was speechless by the shock.

"I guess they can't use the Judgment Army in battle like they do, perhaps because of the side effects of the transformation. A deprived samurai is, in a sense, no different from a monster. Ash sighed, "During that time, I hid under waterways or deep wells during the day, and came out at night to attack the churchgoers, until the church launched a city-wide search and was forced to evacuate from the old holy city. On the day I left, the blood on my body clung to my clothes and skin, and I looked hideous, probably in the eyes of outsiders, I was also a beast that had lost my mind. ”

She felt a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay now, you can live like an ordinary person here, His Royal Highness the Prince is very good to his sisters." After experiencing the attack of the Demon Moon and the Duke of the Stronghold together, most of the townsfolk have accepted the existence of witches. This town is the sacred mountain we were looking for. ”

Ash looked at the woman who was leaning against the windowsill with him, and he remembered that the children living in the monastery were thin and thin, and their eyes were gray and gray, and they could not see their looks. And Wendy's current appearance is difficult to imagine what she looked like in childhood, both in body and appearance, it is very different from the children of that period, and the gentleness that naturally flows in her tone also makes her feel peaceful and serene.

Still, there were some things she had to say, "I'm not going to stay here, and I'm not here for this." She paused, "I want to take you all and take you to a truly safe place." Frontier towns are not places 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, and Tilly has gathered most of the witches of the Greykeep Kingdom and traveled to the fjord, intending to establish a kingdom of witches there. ”

"But isn't there a church in the fjord?"

"Because of the special topography of the archipelago, the islands are separated from each other, and their influence can only be maintained in a square inch. And......" Ash curled the corners of his mouth, "there is no Divine Punishment Army on the island. ”

It's time for them to see the witch's thunderous fury. Island after island, uprooting the power of the Church, just as they weeded out witches.

"You and your sisters must leave, Wendy," she continued, "it was a mistake to spread rumors to solicit companions, and I can hear it, and so can the church. They will not allow a witch organization to grow as they please, and I hope it won't be long before the Church army will cross the Grey Keep to wipe you out. Do you think the Fourth Prince will protect you in the face of the invincible Divine Punishment Army? No secular lord would want to live and die with a witch, and he may be good to you now, but when the time comes, he will not hesitate to abandon you. ”

Wendy was silent for a moment before she spoke, "I don't know what the other sisters will think, but I won't leave Bordertown. ”

"This is the edge of a cliff," Ash frowned, "and one more day is dangerous." ”

"What is the difference between leaving His Royal Highness the Prince and leaving town to avoid the impending danger and abandoning us? I don't want to be like that, and ......," she took a deep breath, "I don't think Your Highness will succumb to the pressure of the Church, as you say. Nightingale had asked him the same question, and His Highness had replied that every witch in his realm should be able to live like a normal person, even if he was an enemy of the Church. ”

"......" Ash did not answer. She didn't know what to say for a while, she had seen too many promises, and even if the other party was willing to protect the witch to the end, what was the point? In the face of overwhelming power, it was just a sacrifice in vain.

However, she has also figured out the situation of the Mutual Aid Society so far, after the death of the snake demon Hakala, the remaining members of the Mutual Aid Society have basically been accepted by the lord of the border town, and the Tasa who went to Silverlight City to spread the news is probably not a civilian who happened to rescue the witch at all, but the lord's personal guard. Although it is unknown what cunning methods he used to make the witches trust him, under the threat of his own sword, it is certain that his carefully constructed disguise will soon crumble.

"I want to speak with your lord Roland Wimbleton," finally Ash said in a deep voice.

......

I met His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince the next morning.

Ash is brought into the office by Nightingale, and she meets the disgusting man once more.

Although he doesn't want to admit it, he does have the same blood as Tilly. The long gray hair is simply tied back with a headband, and it glows with silver in the morning light, which is the symbol of the royal family of the Grey Castle. His eyebrows and nose are also somewhat similar to Tilly's, but the more similar they are, the more she dislikes them. Unlike what he had seen in the court, he was unusually clean, and there was hardly a single ornament to be seen except for a well-fitting garment—no earrings, no necklaces, no rings, no bracelets. He simply sat back in his chair, but he had the feeling of looking down on himself.

The temperament of the superior.

The thought crossed her mind.

Well, judging from the appearance alone, it has indeed improved, and Ash said coldly in his heart, I don't know how long you can maintain this posture.

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

"No, I decided to come to Frontier on my own. ”

"But that's the messenger too, right. ”

"......" Ash frowned, emphasizing the meaning of the word messenger, and she didn't want to dwell on inconsequential places, "Sort of. ”

"Very well, Ember Bringer," he smiled, "I heard you want to take my witch?" )