Release that Witch

The woman had tawny long hair, her side-swept bangs clipping to one side, revealing half of her forehead. She had soft facial features, giving Roland an impression that the woman had a gentle and delicate character. Yet under the current circumstances, her exquisite beauty did not strike Roland but actually gave rise to his increasing suspicion of her being a ghost.

Apart from that, Roland also noticed that her gown was a little too shabby. A few stitches were coming out, and the cuffs and corners of the garment were torn and ragged, as though it were picked up from a waste station.

”I, I heard you go out, so I wanted to check if the door was properly locked. When I turned around, however, I saw she was standing there!” Zero was ghastly pale, evidently terrified by the event.

The woman seemed to also notice the commotion. As she raised her head and looked at the door, her expression changed abruptly.

Roland curled his hand into a fist in secret. He was ready to take the blow.

But what the woman said next completely blew his mind. The woman uttered an exclamation of surprise. ”Your... Majesty?”

What?

Your Majesty?

”Um... you’re...” Roland tried to figure out what had actually happened.

”I’m Phyllis, Your Majesty. What’s happened here?” The woman was as puzzled as he.

”Phyllis?” Roland revolved a multitude of thoughts and questions in his mind rapidly ”Is she the God’s Punishment Witch in the castle hall? Why would she intrude his dream? Is this dream world now opening up and connecting to the other world? Where’s Anna? Why hasn’t she appeared?”

”Hold on, you know each other?” Zero realized something was wrong here. ”What does she mean by ’Your Majesty’... Are you role-playing now?”

”Ahem, she’s a... remote relative of mine.” Roland suddenly realized that it was not the time for him to stand in a daze. ”As to the way she addresses me, it was just a jape. We grew up together and it’s normal that she comes up with some particular names.”

”A relative?” Hearing that the woman was not some random ghost, the little girl soon slipped back to her usual bold, defiant manner. She started to become more skeptical as well. ”You just asked who she was.”

Utterly unabashed, Roland shot back, ”Did I? I only saw a crying craven who almost wetted her pants.”

Zero reddened to her temples. ”You, you liar!”

”Didn’t you just shriek? This lady was in the room earlier. You were just too occupied with your homework in your bedroom to notice her.”

To Roland’s dismay, the woman soon took the implication. ”Sorry, I... I didn’t mean to startle you. I was in another room when His Majesty was leaving. I was about to say hello when you cried out and rushed out of the room.”

Roland put a final touch to their improvised show. ”I guess that was it. She asked what had happened. The truth is that you scared her. If I find a little girl scream like crazy when I get out, I’ll be as confused as she was.”

”I... I...” Zero groped for words that did not come. She could not deny the fact that she did scream, for she was not in a habit of lying. Caught in such a dilemma, the little girl felt her eyes moist with tears.

Roland realized that was a bit too much for the little girl to bear, so he bent over and ruffled her hair. ”Anyway, it was a miscommunication. Go back to study now.”

He could not help feeling a twinge of guilt for Zero because he knew a child like her could not possibly see through the intricacies of guiles and subterfuges deployed by adults. Her life would only be complete after experiencing deception and lies of grown people, as this was an inevitable step, a ceremony she must receive, to inaugurate her adulthood and become mentally mature.

Roland had thought Zero would run into her bedroom in tears, but she actually sniffed and dried her eyes quickly before kicking him hard in his legs. ”Uncle, you such a jerk!” With these words, she rushed back to her room in a fury.

Roland twitched his lips. Her reaction was a little different from what he had anticipated, but... overall, she had learned the lesson.

”Haha.” The woman who called herself Phyllis burst into laughter. ”It seems you aren’t those common people’s mighty king here.”

”But I’m the creator and ruler of this world.” Roland gestured the woman to come in. ”Let’s talk inside. I also have a lot of questions to ask you.”

...

After half an hour, Roland was finally convinced that the woman was Phyllis.

She not only talked about Taquila but also about what she had experienced in the castle, as well as the fact that she used to disguise as a guide in ”Black Money” under the name ”No. 76”. Moreover, she further corroborated her story by disclosing some details Roland had not been very clear about.

It was impossible to develop such a well-organized and logically consistent narrative by simply reading his memory. Roland was thus certain that the woman was not a sentient being automatically formed in this world.

Plus, the current body presented to him was exactly what Phyllis originally looked like.

Then the question was very clear.

Why would she enter this dream world?

Phyllis shook her head. ”I don’t really know either... It was pretty late at that time. The First Army just changed their shift. I was going to disconnect my body and have some deep sleep to restore my strength. When I woke up, I was here.” She paused for a moment and then continued, ”You call it... a dream world?”

”Correct. This is a world operating only in my dream, but I don’t know if this rule still applies now.” Roland felt there was no need to hold anything back from her at the moment, for he had to find out the reason why Phyllis could enter his dream as soon as possible. Although Roland knew this complicated world did not exist in his head, it was still... pretty shocking to see someone come uninvited. After all, he was positive that the dream world was created precisely according to his memory. An intrusion meant somebody entered his memory without his permission.

Roland unfolded the ladder behind the door and put it next to the bed. ”Perhaps we can do a small test to find out why you came here.”

”What’s this?” Phyllis asked in surprise.

Roland explained to her, ”When I fall off the top of the ladder, the dream will come to an end. You can try it first to see if you can return to the real world. I’ll terminate the dream later. If both of us can successfully get out of here, you then wait for me in the hall. I’ll be right back.”

”Hang on... Your Majesty.” Phyllis reached out her hand in an attempt to grasp him.

Roland was astounded at her behavior. It was definitely an act of extreme insolence in Neverwinter. Could she have completely abandoned all her manners and customs learned over the past hundreds of years after coming to a totally foreign environment? Roland thought that was very unlikely.

Phyllis asked in a low voice, ”Could you... pinch me?”

”What?” Roland was stunned.

”With the greatest strength that you have, please.” Phyllis rolled up her sleeve and presented her pale arm to Roland.

”I’ve confirmed that pain won’t end the dream.”

”I just want to experience some pains... Please.”

”Experience?” Roland soon thought of Agatha’s description of God’s Punishment Witches and immediately understood what Phyllis meant. After a moment of silence, he pinched the witch’s wrist with his right hand.

Phyllis clenched her teeth, yielding to an articulate moan of satisfaction. She trembled in such excitement as a thirsty traveler who had a delicious drink once tasted and long since forgotten.

It was after a long time that Phyllis finally opened her eyes and exhaled a long breath.

”God almighty, I can feel pains again!” Phyllis looked like a completely different person, her radiant eyes fixed on Roland, glistening with exhilaration.

Roland spread out his hands. ”You can do it yourself too.”

Phyllis shook her head and suddenly went to her knees. ”That’s different, Your Majesty. Perchance, this world is only a dream for you, but I would like to do anything just to stay in here. I’m afraid I would never be able to come back after I leave. Could you allow me to dream just a little longer, at least for now?”