Release That Witch

Anna patted Nana on the back. She also felt like throwing up, but she restrained herself.     

A wounded man was brought to them and while he was still conscious, he repeated, "Save me, save me..." The despair and plea in his eyes was heart-wrenching to watch. When she saw the bowel hanging out of his body, Nana vomited.     

Even so, she made up her mind to complete the healing. After Brian placed the bowel back to the wounded man's body, Nana reached out her hand and healed the wound with her eyes closed.     

"Um..." The little girl seemed a little dispirited. She leaned on Anna and said softly, "Today is the first time I heard the sound of the horn. Did His Highness get into trouble?"     

"I don't know." Anna shook her head. She wanted to take a look at the city wall so much. But she was also worried that she might only make things more troublesome for Roland. She was now a little envious of Nightingale's power of invisibility, for that power would make going out very convenient.     

At that time, there was a booming sound from the city wall. Everyone felt a slight vibration.     

Brian stood up and walked to and fro impatiently in the room.     

"Take it easy, lad." Baron Pine was wiping his sword. "Losing patience before going to the battlefield would only make bad things worse. Not to mention, now things are still far from bad."     

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency," Brian answered. "I just can't calm down. I just don't want to sit here wasting my time while others are fighting on the city wall at the cost of their lives. Defending this little town should have been my duty."     

"Perhaps." Pine shrugged his shoulders. "But the duty of defending the town doesn't belong to you alone. I've heard that His Highness will grant you the title of knighthood. Then you should understand that a knight's foremost duty is loyalty. If he asked you to protect Anna, then it would be your duty to obey."     

"You're right." Brian returned to his seat after a moment's hesitation.     

But soon, they heard the second horn blow—more desperate than the first and rumbling like a thunder in everyone's heart.     

Pine frowned.     

"Anna!" Nana cried out in surprise.     

When he turned his head, he saw the witch walking directly to the door. Brian caught up and stood in front of her.     

"Didn't you say that you wanted to defend the city wall? Now it's time," Anna said calmly. "As long as you come with me, you aren't disobeying the order of His Highness."     

Brian became bewildered. He turned his gaze to Pine.     

[That was clever,] the Baron thought to himself. [What she said makes sense. The prince didn't make it a rule that she should only stay at the hospital. According to Nana, she can summon fire. If things are really urgent, the participation of a witch might turn the situation around.]     

Finishing his thought, he nodded. "Take care of her."     

"Yes, I will," Brian became spirited instantly and replied cheerfully.     

Seeing the two leaving, Nana asked, "Father, will you go to the battlefield?"     

"My battlefield is right here, my sweet one." The baron smiled. "Whether they're demonic beasts or demons, I'll never let them hurt you."     

The city wall was not far from the hospital. Anna and Brian ran eastward on the flagstone pavement along the wall. When they came to the central lookout tower, they realized things had escalated for the worse.     

The city wall had then a huge opening. Roland's guards were defending the opening with shields, but still, a few of them were knocked down. Among the demonic beasts, there was one with the look of a boar that was particularly ferocious. The guards at the front who got hit were almost sent flying with their shields.     

"Hey, it's dangerous here. You should leave right now!" Someone warned when he saw Anna in her strange outfit.     

Anna acted as if she had heard nothing. She walked directly to the opening. When the demonic beast made its way through the crowd, it turned and headed for Anna. Brian the guard came to the side speedily, lowered his body and waved his sword horizontally—the frenetic beast did not dodge, and one of its forelegs hit the blade and sent the sword flying, while the force of its own body weight severed the leg.     

It fell down shrieking and struggled like a fish out of water. No one dared to come close. Anna walked near it and placed her hands on the ground. Soon fire rose from under its body and quickly burned it into charcoal.     

Roland also noticed the flame that emerged all of a sudden. When he found that it was Anna who did it, his heart almost leaped out of his chest.     

That was never in his plan!     

He had planned to make Nana win the affection of the Militia first. After most of the people had accepted witches as one of them, he would slowly make Anna known to them.     

But now it was too late. He said immediately to Nightingale, "Pay no more attention to me now. Protect her first!"     

[No harm must come to Anna. She's the key in the development of industrialization. If she was injured, the loss would be immeasurable,] thought Roland.     

"Got it," Nightingale replied. "Take care of yourself as well."     

Anna walked to the opening. Roland's guards made way for her since they had all seen this girl in the strange outfit many times. She stood right in a wall of shields, stretching her arms out horizontally. Flames grew from her hand like vines and climbed onto the surface of the city wall where the opening lay.     

Everyone who saw this wonderful scene was dumbfounded. They could not believe their eyes when they saw a wall of flame rise unhurriedly and fill the opening in the city wall. This, however, could not be an illusion, because the high temperature of the flame made the guards step back involuntarily and the snow around melted instantly, giving rise to dense white mist.     

The demonic beast also felt the heat of the flame wall. They fled from it, though a few still darted into the flame before they soon burned in it.     

"Everyone, get to the top of the city wall!" Roland grabbed the chance and shouted, "Spear Squad, resume your formation! Hunter Squad, fire!"     

After saying this he grabbed Carter's flintlock and ascended the wall, shooting at the demonic beasts which had no way out.     

The prince's action inspired everyone. After all, in this era, the noble and the royal members hardly fought in the front. When Prince Roland chose to fight with the Militia whom he had selected from the common people, it seemed inspiring indeed.     

Everyone shouted "Defend Border Town! Fight for His Highness" and resumed the defensive formation as if the city wall had never been damaged.     

The fight lasted till dusk. There was eventually no more demonic beasts alive in front of the city wall.     

The flame gradually dimmed and vanished. Anna wiped the dampness from her forehead and walked out of the opening.     

Then Roland saw an incredible scene.     

The guards all touched their chest and nodded respectfully to her. The Militia, as if affected by the guards, watched her quietly. No one shouted "demon" or "sorceress". Peace prevailed at the moment on the border.     

An unknown power was dreadful indeed. But when the owner of it stood by the people's side and fought against the evil with them, trust and gratitude would gradually replace fear.     

Roland tried to suppress his excitement and walked over to Anna, only to find her pale and staggering. It seemed she would collapse any minute.     

"Are you okay?" He held the maiden's shoulders worryingly, while the latter gave a faint smile, passed out and fell in his arms.