The dramatic changes left Agatha utterly bewildered. She couldn't believe what the other party was saying, yet those stories sounded so real—how could any witch imagine such a tragic fate without experiencing it firsthand?
If she were in her place, she would never imagine herself being enslaved or hunted.
Even the lowest-ranking person in the Holy City is a human being, not an animal.
She grew utterly exhausted. Wendy, noticing her distress, brought a cup of warm milk and said, "Drink this, and you'll feel better." Though the red-haired woman lacked the overwhelming power and authority of God's Saviour, she still warmed her like a flame—not blazingly hot, but soothingly gentle. The milk's sweetness, as if she hadn't tasted it in ages, flowed into her stomach, restoring some strength. After a brief rest, they resumed their conversation.
Though baffled by why one group of witches would guard against another, they must first earn the trust of their adversaries to convince them to remove the God's Stone ankle bracelet.
As for how credible Prince and Wendy's claims are, you'll have to see for yourself.
She would never have believed that the Federation had disappeared so completely, as if it had never existed, until she had seen the narrow, backward wilderness with her own eyes.
"As I mentioned earlier, my name is Agatha from the Tachira Mystery Society. In the thirtieth year of the God-Intention War, Tachira, the last holy city, couldn't survive until the war ended. Most people fled, but I went to the Hidden Forest to retrieve some of the remnants." "Wait... you're fighting the Devil?" Prince asked.
Aegesa furrowed her brow. "Who else is involved besides us? Do you think ordinary people like you can handle this?" "Are you the Church's Witch?" "What is the Church? I've never even heard of it," she snapped impatiently. "Tachira... No, all Holy Cities were founded by Witches. They house tens of thousands of people, mostly ordinary folks like you. Your job is to raise and care for children until they awaken, then hand them over to specialized organizations for training. Of course, skilled Witches join the Alliance to fight the Devil." Prince paused for a moment, then produced a book and handed it to her. "Can you read what's written here?" Aegesa flipped through the pages, quickly captivated. "This... is a Witch's diary." "You use this script?" asked a light-haired Witch.
"The Federation created this system to separate ordinary people from official language, effectively excluding them from high-level affairs – though I don't think that's a good idea," she remarked. "How does it work?" she asked curiously. "If it's just another set of language, ordinary people could learn it, right?" "It requires Magic Power," Agatha explained. "It's not too difficult. If you're a Witch, I can teach you." "Language is meant for communication. The more widely it's used, the better. This approach is truly foolish," Prince commented. "Excluding ordinary people drastically reduces your pool of available talent. In fact, with proper training and education, they can handle many roles. Without Magic Power, they're just as competent." Even though he shared her views, Agatha wasn't used to an ordinary person criticizing the Federation's decisions. She could work with non-Magic-Powered individuals, but disliked them bossing her around.
She began to miss Kafu.
Even a family guard chief is more courteous than a so-called prince.
"Your name is Shujuan," the elder-looking Witch abruptly cut in, "and you're Miss Eggar." "Have you ever heard of Akali?" Eggar's hand trembled slightly. "Where did you learn that name? Didn't we all forget the events of four hundred and fifty years ago?" "I discovered an ancient book in a ruin within the Eastern Forest of Graycastle," Shujuan replied. "This very book you're holding has her name on its last page, written in plain human script." Eggar flipped to the final page, scanning through the hastily scribbled notes. A long sigh escaped her lips as she fell silent. The image of the sword-wielding woman summoning radiant light once again surfaced in her mind—only now, the shadows within the golden glow had grown even darker.
After a long pause, she spoke slowly, "Akalis, the Queen of the Meteorite City and one of the three leaders of the Federation. She is a High-Level Transcendent, the so-called Transcendent Above. Even among the Federation's many Holy Guardians, she is the most powerful." "Transcendent... Above?" A murmur of discussion echoed among the witches.
"Since this knowledge has been lost, it's perfectly normal that you don't know," Agatha said in a solemn voice. "A Witch's abilities grow stronger from the moment of awakening and solidify on the Day of Maturity. But this isn't the end of their power. Through personal insight, emotional connection, and practice, a select few lucky souls can achieve an extraordinary enhancement... We call this Advanced Awakening. There's no limit to how far it can go, nor are there strict thresholds for power growth. However, you can observe significant changes in their Magic Power form." "Well, it's like power evolution, right?" Prince stroked his temple. "To be precise, four Witches in the Alliance have undergone this transformation." The words nearly choked Agatha. "Four? How many members does the Alliance actually have?" He counted on his fingers. "Over ten." "Don't make assumptions if you don't know the facts!" She sounded irritated. "Four out of ten people can awaken to Advanced? You don't understand what that means. Don't confuse it with the solidification and branch abilities from the Day of Maturity—it's completely different! Those who advance are all God's chosen ones, where both opportunity and effort are essential!" Prince seemed helpless. He gestured. "Anna." A graceful and composed girl. As Agatha watched the Witch approach the bed, she mused. Even in Witch, her striking appearance stood out remarkably. Her blue eyes mirrored the surface of Moonlight Ice Lake, so clear they could see their own reflection. Yet she was still too young—likely just coming of age—having no experience in training, emotional connection, or enlightenment. One must remember that she had already reached twenty-six by the time she advanced, qualifying as an exceptional talent within the Federation. Only through experience could one truly understand the immense difficulty involved.
Eggartha mused to herself, probably mistaking their adult branching abilities for higher-level awakening.
A cluster of orange flames appeared in Anna's palm.
"A fire-type ability, a common summoning type, with mastery measured by maximum temperature and heating rate. Those capable of erupting can be considered combat witches," she quickly concluded.
As soon as the words were spoken, the flames instantly dimmed, transforming into a slender emerald flame. It slowly shifted its color from dark green to light green, yet the green flame seemed to devour the surrounding light to fill itself.
"This is her adult-level consolidation ability, and that's the key point moving forward," Prince explained.
Hardening? No... How could this be hardening? An adult should only make the flames burn hotter, the core brighter, and the scale greater. She couldn't help but open her mouth wide. And what's the point of talking about the next step?
Soon, Agatha witnessed an astonishing sight—the emerald flame vanished, replaced by a black square devoid of any flame, resembling a lifeless metallic block. Its smooth, flat walls with sharp edges stood motionless in the Witch's hand.