Roland was dragged out of bed by the nightingale.
When he learned Nana Wa Paine's father had come to him, he was initially startled, but soon recognized this as a golden opportunity. To keep the young girl assisting against the Evil Demon Moon, he needed to find a reason for the Paine family to stay in Border Town through the winter.
This was an exceptionally thorny issue. The Fourth Prince's reputation and prestige had plummeted to rock bottom among the Nobles, and with strained relations with the fortress, the nobles in the eastern district were unlikely to remain in the town. Roland had never considered collaborating with the Nobles from the outset. While they might excel in power struggles, they were ill-suited for joint operations.
He quickly put on his clothes, did a quick wash, and headed to the reception room.
Tiguan Pien, who had been left to dry in the scorching heat by the Imperial Guards for hours, was now seething with rage. The moment Prince appeared, he rose abruptly: "Your Highness, where is my daughter?" This was Roland's first encounter with Nana Wa's father. The man stood short and stocky, his rugged beard accentuating his rugged appearance. His attire—a cotton jacket with a waistband, oversized pockets, and tight leather trousers—reminished a hunter more than a Noble.
"She's in good condition, Mr.Payne—" "Why did your guards let her in while keeping me out?" Tigu cut in sharply. "Your Highness, I demand an explanation! Bring my daughter out to meet me!" What was this? Roland froze. He had expected either the man to admit his daughter's tragic descent into witchcraft, or to beg him to keep it secret, or even to ask him to resolve the matter. But Payne's aggressive approach, completely disregarding Noble etiquette, was something he hadn't anticipated.
As for why the guard let Nana Wa in, it was entirely due to her own actions. She kept visiting Anna for fun every now and then, and the guard had grown quite familiar with her.
After a brief pause, Roland summoned a maid and instructed her to fetch Nana Wa.
No matter how rude the other party may be, he remains Nana's father and should let them meet first before discussing the matter. If he shows even the slightest intention to hand the young girl over to the Church or abandon her, it would not be too late for him to take action.
Nanava came out with Anna.
The moment Tigu Pien saw his daughter, the impatience in his eyes vanished instantly. He opened his arms and called out to Nana Wa, "Come to Dad!" But the little girl was still hiding behind Anna, her head half-hidden. "Are you going to sell me to the Church?" "Eh... What are you talking about, silly? The Church won't take a fool like you. Come home with me!" Roland was utterly baffled. According to Nightingale, Nana Wa had been spotted by her father while using her Magic Power, and in panic, she had fled to the castle to find Anna. Her father had chased her there with a menacing look.
Yet now, the eyes God in Tigu's gaze toward his daughter held nothing but care and tenderness, utterly devoid of the hatred ordinary people might feel toward witches.
Did you make a mistake?
Roland hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak his mind, "Mr.Payne, your daughter is a Witch—you must know that." "Your Highness, I don't understand what you mean," Tigu said, stomping his foot as he stepped forward to grab Nana Wa's hand, but Anna blocked his attempt with a sidestep.
"Father, I have become a witch... I am sorry," Nana Wa whispered.
Tigu finally grew impatient. "Stop talking nonsense! Witch? That must be Karl's trick again. If I'd known, I wouldn't've sent you to the academy. The Church's whole charade is utter nonsense!" Hearing this, Roland suddenly understood something. Was it because the other party had misunderstood him that they were covering up everything for Nana Wa?
This explains why he was so anxious before meeting his daughter.
"Anna." He winked at the Witch, who nodded and reached out her right hand toward Tigu, who had circled around her to try to pull Nana Wa away. Flames erupted from her palm, shooting up past his head.
Tigu's eyes widened in panic as he took several steps back. Nana Wa, equally alarmed, clung to Anna's arm. "Sister Anna, don't!" "Your Highness, this is—" Roland spread his hands. "As you can see, she's a witch too, just like your daughter." "Nana Wa's freedom to enter and exit the castle isn't as simple as you think. Shall we talk this through?" Tigu suddenly snapped awake, letting out two gasps. "Your Highness, I..." Roland gestured toward the table. "Sit down and let's talk. Let's have some tea first." He sighed inwardly. "My reputation is so terrible—so terrible that even children aren't spared." Roland now understood the rudeness from the start. A father who cared for his daughter, seeing her run into the Lord's castle while the gatekeeper acted as if nothing was amiss—what did that mean?
If the person involved is themselves, they'd probably be too scared to even attempt to dismantle the castle with their bare hands.
The persistent denial of his daughter being a Witch makes his true intentions all the more apparent—Tigoo fears Prince might use the excuse 'Nanawa has fallen and needs purification' to pressure him, while he himself couldn't care less whether his precious daughter is a Witch.
Tigoo hesitated for a long time before finally sitting down, gulping down his tea in one go. After wiping his mouth, God felt somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. When did you find out my daughter became... a Witch?" "Before winter began. The first person to discover her awakening wasn't me, but her teacher Carl Vanburt. As friends with Anna, he entrusted Nana to me, hoping I could protect her," Roland explained carefully. "For the past month and a half, she's come to the castle whenever she could to practice her abilities. By the way, your daughter's ability is healing." "Is that so..." Tigoo scratched his head. "I mean, why did that cat suddenly start running and jumping?" "A cat?" "Well, actually nothing special. When I got home, I saw the kid sitting at the door holding a cat that had been hit by a carriage. I was about to sneak up behind her to scare her, but she ran away when she saw me. The cat did the same—clearly had broken its leg," he glanced at Nana and Anna. "Are you friends?" Anna hadn't responded yet, but Nana's head was already nodding rapidly.
Tig's expression softened a little.
Seeing this, Roland asked, "You don't believe the Witch is a demon lured by the Devil?" "My daughter is absolutely no demon!" he declared with ironclad certainty. "Whatever she becomes, that's beyond doubt!" His demeanor was worlds apart from Anna's father's. Roland couldn't help but marvel at how he now understood why Nanaava had always been carefree, her face perpetually lit by a smile. To a child, such a family was like a warm cradle.
"I don't share that view, Mr.Payne," Prince stated bluntly. "Your daughter's abilities are of vital importance to the wounded. I hope she can remain in Border Town to assist me in confronting the Demon Moon." Tigu hesitated briefly. "Your Highness, I must decline. When the Demon Moon arrives, this place will become perilous. I cannot leave her in the town." Tigu's fiefdom was not part of Border Town's jurisdiction, so even as Prince, he couldn't directly command Payne. But Roland thought, if they were willing to sit down and talk, there was no reason he couldn't persuade him.