Release that Witch

”Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Your Majesty?” Dispersion Star’s voice startled Roland.

”Er...” Roland rubbed his forehead and said, ”Does anyone else know about it?”

”Only astrologers named after a star know it. The students in the Arithmetic Academy don’t know,” the old scholar said as he knelt down.

Roland now understood why the astrologers were all wearing a stern expression as though they were facing a death sentence. Apparently, they believed that Roland would kill them to prevent their betrayal of the horrific truth about the Bloody Moon, for the real purpose of founding this Astrology Association was to explore the Star of Extinction, which was a secret that only the royals were entitled to.

These astrologers were expert in political games, so they naturally knew the consequence of their discovery. Roland was impressed with their caution and loyalty. He shook his head and said, ”You did a great job. Don’t tell anyone about it. Keep up with the good work. Continue to manage the Arithmetic Academy and forget about astrology. Compared to something that doesn’t exist, helping with Neverwinter is apparently more important.”

With these words, Roland left the attic, leaving the stunned scholar behind.

”Let’s head back to the castle,” Roland said in a low voice.

He walked in a even more brisque manner than when he had come and almost broke into a trot.

”Do you think the astrologers are telling the truth?” Nightingale asked as she revealed herself.

”I don’t know... I just have a hunch,” Roland said. ”It doesn’t mean that the Bloody Moon doesn’t exist. Perhaps, it’s something else...”

”Something... else?”

”For example, a pit.”

Roland had never given much thought about the Bloody Moon. It was giant because it was close to the earth. For example, the Jupiter observed on io took up two thirds of the sky. People here called this object a moon simply because it was round with a soft glow.

If this was an Erosion, then it could be a square or a polygon.

Nightingale asked in confusion, ”Are you saying that the sky is cracking?”

”It may be even worse than that, but I have to find it out first.”

”How?”

Roland cast her a glance and answered, ”By dreaming.”

...

Although it was not yet his typical sleeping hour, nobody had forbidden Roland to enter the Dream World during the day. This time, he did not inform any of the God’s Punishment Witches but only asked Nightingale to guard him.

”We’ll meet upon the appearance of the Divine Will.”

Roland had had no idea what the Divine Will was. Now, he suddenly came to the realization that the messenger was not referring to the time in the Dream World but that in the real world.

It was incredible that the messenger knew the true nature of the Dream World and even had knowledge of the real world. The messenger could probably even sense the change in both worlds. All Roland’s suspicions seemed to have been confirmed when Dispersion Star had said ”the Bloody Moon doesn’t exist”. Both the ”Battle of Divine Will” described by the executives in the Prism City and the anonymous book led Roland to the same conclusion.

”What are you going to eat for breakfast?” Zero asked him, with a toothbrush between her teeth as she stood in front of the sink.

”I’m not having breakfast today. You can eat alone!” Roland shouted without looking back. He pulled on his coat briskly and rushed out on his slippers.

The alley below the apartment was alive with people. The breakfast booths where deep-fried doughs and buns were sold were surrounded by students and young professionals. The residential area was teeming with the raucous voices of yelling vendors and the sizzling sounds of the deep-fried doughs.

The only place that seemed to immune to all these noises was the Rose Café.

The coffeeshop was like a loner slinking outside the mainstream community. When Roland took out the key and opened the door, he could see the vendor across the street cast him a pitiful and scornful look that people typically afforded to an idiot.

Roland took a deep breath and went straight to Room 302. The shop was on the ground floor, but Roland insisted the room number to be 302. It was a a little strange, but he did not care about it.

Since Roland had been busy dealing with the incidents in Neverwinter, he had kind of forgotten about the Dream World for a while. Therefore, when he pushed open the door, he felt, surprisingly, a little nervous.

Roland did not care about whether the messenger would be able to get into the closed shop. As the messenger could send a message to him through the champagne glass, he certainly possessed some extraordinary power. Perhaps, the messenger would pop up somewhere out of nowhere abruptly.

Roland took a deep breath and put his hand on the doorknob.

The shop was empty.

Apart from a table and four chairs, there was no further furniture. Certainly, there was no hiding spot either.

A little disappointed, Roland slowly walked to the table and sat down.

Was he wrong?

Then he realized that the messenger was not an apparition after all, who could travel from one place to another in a split second. Perhaps, he should wait for while.

But Roland became more and more uncertain.

Could the messenger really find this place that had just opened a month ago? What if he was waiting at another place?

Could the note be a hoax that had nothing to do with the Divine Will in the real world?

Roland had not a shred of evidence to his theory.

Apparently, it would not be that easy to solve the problem.

When Roland was about to leave the shop, suddenly, the bell rang.

Clink and clang.

”Welcome to — ” Roland’s words rested on the tip of his tongue. The God’s Punishment Witches did not come with him this time, and Garcia would not visit his store very often either. No customer should come here considering the absurd prices listed outside. When Roland opened the door, he saw a familiar figure outside the shop.

Roland had seen her twice.

He had met her during the orientation for new martialists in the Prism City.

He had also met her in the Reflection Church in the old Holy City of Hermes.

Roland remembered this face.

”I didn’t expect that you would open a coffeeshop here and name it ’Rose Cafe’. I thought you didn’t find that note.”

Lan said.