Release that Witch

In the days following the train’s demonstration, there was an air of enthusiasm in Neverwinter.

Even Roland could feel it in the castle. It was not his opinion but a conclusion based on the data in a report sent from City Hall.

Barov held the report and said, filled with joy. ”The applications for citizenship we’ve received In the past three days are 60% more than that of normal times, and half of the applicants, about 725 people, have just moved in less than two months ago. In other words, it only took us three and a half months to get the number of applications that should have taken us five months to collect! The number of applicants decreased slightly after the demons’ attack, but now it not only offsets the difference, but also shows a surge, which means that we don’t need to worry about people’s concern over the demons anymore. Your Majesty, the demonstration is a huge success.”

Since Roland introduced the Data Statistics and Comprehensive Analysis to the management, the City Hall Director started to put numbers in his report. As time went on, more numbers were adopted and went into detail. It seemed to Barov that no conclusion could be brought forth without comparing data. Besides, he also invented some formulas for analysis, and one of them was called ”period between the Arrived and the Settled”.

Barov explained that the formula showed how determined the migrants were to become the citizens of Neverwinter. After the identity card was added in the city’s rules, any refugees who wanted to be an official citizen had to come to the City Hall and submitted their application. Generally, one who had any specialties or a permanent residence would be eligible. In addition, the applications from people who had passed the examination of City Hall and had no bad records would be accepted by City Hall as well.

The newcomers, in spite of themselves, started to look forward to the card. In addition, because they made livings in different industries, it took them different periods of time to be able to afford a downpayment. Hence, Barov tried to calculate the average period of time those people spent, and in his opinion, the shorter the period was, the more loyal the people were to their king and the more faith they had in the new king’s city.

However, Roland took a different view of that conclusion. He never trusted the loyalty of strangers. They might have real faith, but ultimately, they cared more about whether their own welfare was secured.

At any time, it was reasonable for anyone to side with the stronger, so showing the strength at the right time could significantly increase the cohesiveness of the people. The train was a good choice. Even though most people did not know what it really was, the overwhelming feeling that the huge size, the hundreds of tons of weight, and the roar of the cylinder had brought to them was unmistakable.

Even Thunder was awestruck by the train when it ran through the railway near the Castle District in an unstoppable way. Unlike ocean transportation, the weight of goods had always limited the land transportation, yet the train would apparently break that barrier. Thunder even joked that when he was too old to have any more adventures, he would move his whole family to Neverwinter, where the life was also a kind of adventure, for there were so many new things emerging all the time.

If the train could amaze the most famous explorer in Fjords, then its shock to the common people was beyond expression.

Where else could they find a place so promising?

Barov continued, ”Also, we’ve received invitations from many merchants, some of which come from the Chambers of Commerce in Redwater and Silverlight. They’ve eagerly begged an audience. I think they want to know more about the train.”

”Refuse them all,” Roland said, smiling. ”The train is not for sale at present, and they can’t afford it even if I was willing to sell it. But you can promote other goods to them, like the first and the second generations of steam engines retiring from the mining area.”

Neverwinter was not the poor border town any longer, and not all Chambers of Commerce were eligible to be received by Roland. For those who did not have a special association with him, the City Hall Director would be enough to handle them.

”I see.” Barov touched his beard and said.

”Since the people were in high spirits, how about carrying out the new reserve force system?” Roland changed the subject.

Barov nodded. ”No problem, I think. But... Your Majesty, do you really think the war would go that badly?”

”It’s just in case. In a war that determines the fate of all human beings, shouldn’t we take it more seriously?”

After Roland returned from the war, he had ordered the General Staff to draft the new reserve force system. It mainly contained two parts: Military education and training, and expanding the reserve force. Military education and training would be introduced into the primary education in order to train the students’ basic awareness of discipline and knowledge of fighting. Expanding the reserve force would be carried out without interfering with the production. During the progress, the people would be trained in batches with all kinds of fighting skills. It could be regarded as a sort of militia.

Since the new military system was mandatory, it would not be more appropriate to carry it out at the moment when the people were enormously enthusiastic. Once the system began, Graycastle’s military would become an organism that would be able to heal itself. That meant when the front line lacked men, the rear was able to send back up soldiers without any delay, while in the past, every batch of recruits had to run through two or three months’ training all over again before they were qualified.

Roland planned to recall the Second Army, which had been turned into reserve troops, to Neverwinter, because the threat from the Timothy and the church had been lifted in the Longsong District. In addition, the previous two-pronged attack had reminded him of the necessity to set up a second army. When the Battle of Divine Will broke out, he did not need to personally march an army on the front line.

”Meanwhile, you can start preparing for the next military conscription,” Roland commanded. ”When the Months of Demons end, I want to see the soldiers in the official troops exceed 10,000 men, whose equipment was also well matched. Do you understand?”

”Yes, Your Majesty,” Barov promised without hesitation.

”Good, you can leave now... Wait!” Roland suddenly frowned.

”What else can I do for you?” Barov stopped and asked at once.

Roland’s attention, however, was completely caught by Nightingale’s words right now. She said, ”News from Sylvie has just arrived. It’s reported that she had spotted new movements from the demons. It seems that the Devilbeasts have expanded their patrol area and are building a new camp.”

”Call them back immediately,” Roland commanded her under his breath and then turned to Barov and said, ”Convene a meeting of the officials from all departments. Something happened in the north.”

...

Soon, the meeting room was full of people.

Sylvie, who had never been in a such a meeting, looked nervous when she was stating the details. Fortunately, Lightning quickly joined her and helped her tell the whole story.

It had been a routine investigation.

Due to the threat from the flying Devilbeasts, Roland had banned Lightning, Maggie, and Lorgar from going to the relic area of Taquila alone for safety reasons. Yet in order to keep an eye out for a sign of the demons, Maggie would carry Sylvie to investigate the edge of the area every four days. The phantom instrument had failed to locate the target precisely so that they had to rely on the witches to make up for its failings.

Thanks to the Eye of Magic, that could see far beyond the demons’ range, they only needed to frequently fly out and watch the area from a safe distance.

But this time, the investigation team had spotted a trail of Devilbeasts within the distance that they thought was perfectly safe.