Release that Witch

“Not an adventurer, I want to be an explorer!” Lightning stressed, “I’m not one of those who are only driven by money, who say that they are risk takers, but in fact are only doing the dirty work of others. Explorers only act out of interest! Are you asking why l don’t want to be with the Witch Cooperation Association… ” explained Lightning confidently, “who are looking for the Holy Mountain, which should be the dream of every explorer? Cara doesn’t understand the spirit of adventure, she is completely immersed in the old book, only looking along the road for the characteristics described in the ancient book. She is walking through the Mountain range only searching for two weathered pillars rising out of the ground. If this is the way she does it, she will never find the real holy mountain. My father always stressed the point that an explorer must honestly record everything they see when looking for a fine horse by using only a picture! That’s just the way a explorer should handle the matter.

Although Nightingale would have loved to know what kind of father would teach such ideas and raise such an absolutely strange daughter, now wasn’t the right moment to chat. After all, Wendy’s life was at risk. Since she didn’t mean any harm, an additional helper would be appreciated.

In the end Nightingale only asked, “Your ability is flying?”

“Well yeah,” Lightning nodded and said proudly, “I can even carry you both, and flow forever forward, just like the wind.”

“Then I will have to trouble you.” Nightingale made sure that Wendy was strongly bound to her back and then she held on Lightning’s shoulders, and wrapped her hands around Lightning’s chest.

“Uh … really heavy.” Lightning grit her teeth, and slowly rose upwards, “I think we probably won’t be as fast as the wind.”

……

Thus, they began their strange form travel. When Lightning was exhausted, she would be carried by Nightingale, who took everyone through her world of fog. When Lightning was physically recovered, Nightingale would then climb onto Lightning’s back, so that she could fly forward again.

When both of them were exhausted and compelled to rest, Nightingale would find the time to ask her some basic questions — for example, who her father was, or the situation with her family.

Lightning said that her father was the world’s greatest explorer and that he even traveled across the ocean. He had an ocean sailing fleet and was affectionately called Thunder by his crew. However, she had lost her mother when she was still very young, so she didn’t have many memories of her. While on a sea voyage, her ship had run aground and capsized during a storm. Lightning was lucky and was rushed to an island by the ocean currents, but she lost all contact with her father. On the island, Lightning used the knowledge and skills her father taught her to survive, nearly spending two months alone on that island before she awoke during the winter.

With her new ability she flew westwards across the channel to the south of Graycastle. After going through numerous setbacks, she joined the Witch Cooperation Association in the end. She felt that as long as she adhered to exploring, one day she would be able to come across a miracle and see her father again — as long as he was still alive.

Nightingale didn’t gain much useful information from this dialog. Her ability could only be used to distinguish if the other side was lying, but she couldn’t determine the authenticity of the spoken content. In other words, as long as the other person said that the sun was square and didn’t doubt it, her ability would still show that they were telling the truth.

However, there was actually some information that could be inferred. For example, she must have been born in a wealthy family — families who were struggling with poverty wouldn’t have the time to explore. The fact that her father had an ocean-going fleet was also consistent with this judgment. Therefore, Thunder’s true identity was perhaps a wealthy ocean-crossing businessman. Lightning had blond hair, unlike the descendants of the Kingdoms of the mainland and more like the sea people from across the fjords.

Wendy had awoken several times. During these times, Nightingale would always try to let her drink as much water as possible, but after drinking, she lost her consciousness again. Nightingale could feel that Wendy’s body temperature was falling lower and lower. This made Nightingale feel increasingly anxious.

The two had no other alternative than hurrying, and the normally three-day-long path took them one and a half days to finish. At the entrance, the horses the prince had left for them were still tied to the ground, and the heap of straw in front of them was still only half eaten.

Nightingale climbed on one horse while carrying Wendy and let it run, followed by Lightning as she rushed non-stop towards Border Town.

Chapter 60 Arrangements