Release that Witch Chapter 1495 - Different Paths

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Astonishment struck Tangen.

From her clothing and behavior, Tangen could tell the woman hailed from Neverwinter. Even if her outfit was a mere imitation, only the Administrative Office could have dreamed up and built the public transportation system—a marvel straight out of fantasies.

After nearly two years on the job, he'd dealt with passengers from the Fjords all the way to the Kingdom of Dawn, yet Neverwinter locals always came off like total country folk. That was the running joke among him and his coworkers. Right when the lady stepped in, he'd pegged her as a Neverwinter native who'd spent ages overseas, but oddly, she acted like the city was new to her...

“You must be joking... who would dare demolish the kingdom’s castle.” Tangen chuckled as he pulled away from the pickup spot. “Actually, the Administrative Office talked plenty about expanding the castle to match King’s City in size, but Her Majesty shot it down right away. It even made the news, and in the end, that land turned into a war memorial garden. You’re... not from around here?”

“I lived here for a time, long ago.” The woman rested against the window, gazing at the passing scenes. “It looks like Her Majesty truly understands the common folk.”

“Absolutely! Sure, plenty doubted Her Majesty Wendy’s ability when she took the throne, but no matter her youth or gender, a Wimbledon remains a Wimbledon.” Tangen raved sincerely. Every word came straight from his heart! Without her post-war rewards, he'd never have relocated from the north to this splendid city.

“Heh...” The lady smirked. “Tell me more about her.”

A flicker of suspicion crept into Tangen’s mind. Her tone lacked the usual awe or the resentment typical of old nobles; it felt more like chatting about an old friend. Was she some kind of spy?

This wasn't baseless worry—Tangen had picked up rumors that even after the Battle of Divine Will ended, with the Kingdom of Dawn's abdication and Graycastle's sway over the continent, not everyone was on board. On the surface at least, many Dawn nobles had voiced gripes against the Quinn family. And the pardoned Duke of Longsong had sailed off from the Fjords. He'd surely top the list if anyone plotted to topple the Wimbledon line.

Then there was the late king's bastard son, bound to draw attention someday. Still just a kid now, but who knew what schemes he'd hatch later?

Who could say if those plotters had already made their move!

The deeper Tangen mulled it over, the stranger it seemed. He chose safe, trivial topics to chat about with the lady while sneaking glances at her—

Apart from her stunning looks—pitch-black silky long hair and towering stature—her haughty way of speaking stuck out like a sore thumb. Plus, through the rearview mirror, Tangen caught a glimpse of her golden eyes peeking from behind the shades.

Those piercing eyes left him dazed for a moment.

As these thoughts swirled, the car reached the castle outskirts.

“Uh... here we are.” Tangen cleared his throat. “That’ll be 120 for the trip.”

Without delay, the lady passed over some paper bills, grabbed her briefcase, and headed toward Graycastle.

Oddly, if trouble did brew, Tangen felt a twinge of regret.

He clenched his lips and sped away.

...

“Can't we just resolve how to use magic power more widely all at once?”

In the throng at the castle entrance, Isabella hurried after Agatha and questioned.

The heated argument that had wrapped up in the Administrative Office centered on forging stronger ties between the Awakened and ordinary folk, so magic power could uplift everyone.

After merging technologies from diverse races, the Quest Society outlined two initial routes. One aimed at devices mimicking magic power's operations, while the other drew from demon techniques—renowned as the Cargarde Family’s magic stone synthesis. The first path featured few side effects yet couldn't function without witches, given the rarity of Awakened individuals and limited talent for wielding such magic, underscoring the severe constraints of this direction.

When installations outnumbered those powered by witches, they could swiftly become elite privileges, clashing with the new Quest Society's vision. Regrettably, most supported it—for the near future, castle access holders and Administrative Office members ranked as the kingdom's elite. They'd reap initial gains from magic power installation advances, leaving ordinary folk behind.

The second option carried dangers; its advances stemmed from Eleanor’s experiments. As a Mother of Soul, Eleanor cultivated Cargarde entities fused into human forms—whether hands, legs, nose, ears... Even forehead horns embedded magic stones.

So far, two triumphs had emerged. Volunteers exchanged limbs for magic-bearing bodies—though their powers paled beside witches and couldn't fully activate low-grade magic stones, they operated magic-powered installations solo. This marked a pivotal research leap.

Yet, rooted in core principles of magic power and wielder interactions, uncertainties abounded for ordinary people artificially fused with magic stones; thus, the committee rejected it outright, with Barov vehemently demanding its classification as forbidden technology.

Agatha understood Isabella’s dream of swift resolution lay not in those two paths, but a clandestine third known solely to the Quest Society—human evolution. Insights from the Battle of Divine Wills revealed life's boundless evolution toward greater magic power under its own laws; hence, the ultimate pursuit was collective human magic mastery. Free from awakening or hierarchies, every newborn would wield magic innately. Triumph would herald humanity's new epoch!

This endeavor lingered in early infancy, far from ready for endless clinical tests. Unveiling it would spark outrage. Even shielded experiments risked exposure; thus, Agatha never assembled a dedicated team, smothering the concept at birth.

“I get your frustration, but you witnessed it yourself—human receptivity to magic power hasn't hit the ideal mark yet,” Agatha responded softly. “The new Quest Society is newly formed, so we must deliver more achievements to demonstrate magic power's benefits. We can't echo Lady Alice’s misstep.”

“But those old stubborn folks reject the second path too,” Isabella grumbled petulantly. “Without magic users' backing, spreading magic-powered installations beyond Neverwinter will prove difficult.”

“True enough. Yet we're not without alternatives.” Agatha unfurled her clenched fist, unveiling a paper slip—handed to her by Edith post-meeting.

Revolution forever entailed benefit restructuring and reallocation. Ordinary humans' grasp of magic power's mysteries transcended mere technical hurdles, evolving into a fresh conflict.

She yearned for the era under King Roland's rule. Back then, his decrees faced no opposition, no matter their audacity. All strove unified toward a singular purpose.

Yet after a fleeting melancholy, Agatha rallied her spirits.

Indeed, she couldn't keep depending on him—he had guided humanity from the abyss, leaving subsequent challenges for them to claim and confront with resolute will.

Precisely then, a woman strode past her.

Agatha jolted in surprise.

And whirled around at once—

“What’s wrong?” Isabella inquired. “Did you drop something?”

Agatha realized they stood several meters apart. Isabella eyed her with confusion, puzzled by the sudden halt.

“No... I thought I saw a familiar face.”

She blinked repeatedly and scanned the throng once more, yet failed to spot that elusive figure.

“Someone familiar?”

“Yeah, maybe I mistook her.” With two swift steps ahead, Agathe pressed on. “Let’s head back to the Spellcaster Tower—plenty of research still awaits us.”

Her ambition burned to triumph in the “battle” of revolutionizing magic power.

Preparations were already fully in place for her.