Cement production quickly stabilized. To ensure Anna could rest adequately, the kiln operated only every two to three days. Before calcination, they stockpiled as much raw material as possible. In response, Roland issued another recruitment notice, doubling the number of stone breakers.
However, he was fully aware that he could not rely on Anna indefinitely for these tasks. Prolonged exposure to dusty environments increases the risk of silicosis, and with the anticipated expansion of production scale, a single Anna would be insufficient to meet the demand.
Witchcraft should not be treated as expendable resources, but rather as a catalyst for advancing civilization. Though Roland was acutely aware of this, he could only focus all his efforts on fortifying the city walls. Without suppressing the demonic beasts, there would be no hope for progress.
The foundation work for the city wall connecting Beipo Mountain and Chishui River has begun. Following the traditional pre-construction protocol, he, as the project's chief supervisor, personally took the first shovel of earth in front of a crowd of astonished spectators.
He had assumed that once the cement issue was resolved, constructing a city wall would be a breeze. But in practice, he found himself completely clueless about the project. How deep and wide should the foundation be? How to level the uneven terrain? How to ensure the 600-meter-long wall remained perfectly straight after completion? He had seen young workers using instruments and rulers—likely theodolites and levels—during municipal road construction. But here, there was nothing like that!
Roland, a mechanical drafting specialist, was dubbed the 'science-and-engineering duo' alongside the brick-laying neighbor, Civil Engineering Dog, though their expertise was worlds apart. The hired masons, none of whom had ever worked on major projects, were even less skilled than Roland. As a result, the city wall construction dragged on, with only half a shallow trench dug in a week.
Once a project spirals out of control, the final outcome becomes unpredictable. Take this painstakingly excavated shallow trench: it's more like a drainage ditch than a proper city wall foundation. Though Roland initially marked the width during excavation, the trench gradually warped and narrowed. From a distance, it looks like a serpentine snake twisting and turning.
Despite the challenges, Roland refused to halt work. Driven by his 'every bit counts' philosophy, he remained at the foot of the northern slope all day, manually adjusting the foundation pit's alignment and steadily advancing the excavation until the kiln was operational. Meanwhile, he doubled the wages for the stone masons listed in the recruitment notice.
Fortunately, the awkwardness was short-lived. While Roland was directing the preparation of the sixth batch of cement in the kiln, the Minister's Assistant Barov reported that a stonemason had answered the call, adding that he had previously served in the Graycastle stonemason guild and was now waiting outside the courtyard for an audience.
He recalled briefly and felt a surge of joy. The Graycastle stonemasons were a notorious organization in his memory—even the Fourth Prince had heard of them. Though they had been disbanded after a construction accident, accidents were inevitable in this line of work.
"Bring him in," Roland said with a composed expression, nodding. He had initially wanted to steer Anna away, but reconsidered. Border Town had over two thousand residents, and few had ever seen the Witch in person. Anna's current appearance was a far cry from her desperate state of mind when she sought death, compounded by her eccentric attire—she'd probably be unrecognizable even to those who'd seen her before.
When Knight escorted Carl VanBert into the courtyard, he was on edge. He planned to first inform Your Highness that this season wasn't ideal for major projects, then gradually change his opinion of the Witch after earning Your Highness's trust. But rumors suggested Your Highness was notoriously unapologetic—what if his persuasion backfired?
With a heart racing, he bowed in reverence, but when he looked up, his gaze froze—The girl beside His Highness was so familiar that he felt as if he were dreaming. Karl rubbed his eyes and looked again, exclaiming, "...Anna!" Good grief, Roland thought, this was too much of a coincidence. Could any random craftsman have hired the Witch's neighbor? It was clear she knew Anna intimately—otherwise, she wouldn't have recognized her at first sight. Turning to Carter Lannis, the Chief Knight understood immediately. He locked the door and sealed the only exit.
"Old... teacher?" Roland was momentarily stunned by Anna's reaction. "What? Teacher?"
"It's really you, Anna, I... I..." Karl's eyes welled up with tears as something streamed down his face. He collapsed to his knees, repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... It's too good, too... too good..." After a long pause, Karl Vanbert composed himself. He slowly rose and bowed to Roland again, "I'm deeply sorry, Your Highness, I lost my composure." "What's going on here? Aren't you a stonemason?" "I was." With the weight lifted from his heart, Karl's words flowed more smoothly. Your Highness didn't kill Anna—the one hanged was the substitute. Realizing this, he knew exactly what to do. Though he couldn't fathom why the Witch had been saved, even if Your Highness wanted to take her to the palace, it was better than sending her to the gallows. At least it proved Your Royal Highness wasn't afraid of rumors that witches were incarnations of the Devil.
He recounted in detail his journey from Graycastle to Border Town, where he founded an academy and discovered his student Nana Wa Pien had also become a Witch. In conclusion, he implored Your Highness to shelter Nana Wa within the palace, sparing her from persecution if exposed.
Standing nearby, Anna listened intently. Though her face showed a desperate plea for Nana Wa, she remained silent throughout.
Another witch has been discovered—this is truly great news! But the surname Payne sounds familiar. Roland summoned the Minister's Assistant and learned it was the name of a minor noble family in Border Town.
"You may bring her to me. If she is indeed a Witch, I promise her safety," Roland pledged. "But I cannot remove her from the Payne family, especially before she faces real threats from her kin. And my rescue of Anna wasn't as simple as you think..." He paused, then decided to clarify. "I need her help. Unlike the baseless claims about Devil's malevolent power, I believe a Witch's power is neither good nor evil—it can be controlled. So neither Anna nor Nana Wa, nor any other Witch, will be considered guilty unless they commit a crime." "Now, let's get to the point. Have you participated in building the Graycastle walls?" Prince shifted the conversation back to the construction project.
"Yes!" Karl nodded. Though His Royal Highness didn't take Nanava in as he had hoped, and the need for a witch's help was puzzling, he was still willing to protect Nanava's safety—enough for him.
"Very well, I intend to construct a defensive wall at the base of Chishui River and Beipo Mountain to repel the evil beasts. You are now in charge of this project."