(I apologize but Ash will be romantically involved with Zion. I know she's canonically gay)

It's been two weeks since I joined Roland, and it's been pretty fun all things considered. I explained my ability to the members of the Witch Union, and the younger members were basically starstruck at my changing forms. They're all nice women and I've grown rather attached to them in a way, like a brother. Roland has named me the Guardian of Border Town as well as Engineer of the Witch Union. I guard them too, but many don't need it. Right now, he's meeting with a merchant and asked me to be there as a sort of guard and intimidation tactic. Though I highly believe this woman doesn't care in the slightest. 

Zion: 'Margaret Farman, a merchant from the City of Dawn. Gotta admit, she's pretty hot.'

Margaret: Your Highness, your Steam engines are incredible! I want to buy 10 of them! I'll offer you 500 Gold Royals each, how does that sound?

Zion: 5,000 Golf Royals in all. Rich people really can do whatever they please.

From what Roland told me, he views the Steam engine as a sort of symbol of his and Anna's labor. I can see why he'd be apprehensive about selling it, but the amount of money she's offering is just insane. She's rich to the T, but buying the entire stock right off the bat? That's just crazy.

Roland: 'Zion and Nightingale can't tell if she's lying thanks to the stone around her neck.'

Zion: 'She acts just like Lighting.....'

Margaret: It works just by boiling water? Could it be powered by the mysterious energies of the East?

Roland: Miss Margaret, besides Niter, I need Iron, Bronze, Lead, and Ferrous Sulfate. I hope you can provide me with these resources.

Margaret gives a bright smile with her eyes closed.

Margaret: No problem, Your Highness. If your town needs more, I propose a more long-term-

Her eyes suddenly go wide, confusing me and Roland until he sees me walk to the window behind him. I open the window and Lightning collapses into my chest with tears coming from her eyes. I carry her bridal style and look at Carter, who was also acting guard.

Zion: Carter, go find Nana!

Carter: Ok!

Margaret: L...Lightning....?

Zion/Roland: 'Huh?'

Margaret rushes to me, exasperation on her face. 

Margaret: Isn't that Lightning? Why would she be here?

Zion: 'Even if she's an outsider, she's too concerned for someone who we haven't told her about. If I had to guess, she's someone from Lightning's past.' Shawn, I need you to take her to a guest room on the first floor. Don't let her out without mine or His Highness's orders.

I ignore her pleas to get Lightning some medical help. I wonder, what made her fly back the way she did? And why was she crying like that?

Timeskip
Me, Wendy, Leaf, and Nana are next to the bed of a sleeping Lightning. She finally wakes up and, much to my surprise, springs up with a little effort. She then rubs her eye, slightly confused about the entire thing.

Zion: Are you ok Lightning? You depleted all of your magic.

Nana: You don't have any physical injuries, but tell me immediately if you feel uncomfortable!

I slightly chuckle at Nana. She may be a child, but she's gotten more devotion than someone in the actual field of medicine.

Zion: Lightning, do you mind telling us what happened?

Wendy: That's right, you flew back in such a panic and were unconscious for an hour. 

Lightning: I found the ruins marked on the map....but...there are Devils inside....

Everyone looks at her in shock. Unlike Demonic Beasts, Devils are humanoid Demons capable of using tools. I fought some in the past and only ever ate one. Sadly, I never ate its head or brain. They're dangerous creatures that can take out battalions of men. Scroll, the resident teacher of the Witch Union, pushes past Roland in fright.

Scroll: You went in?!

Lightning: N-no, the Devil was guarding the door to the basement. There was someone crying for help inside...but I was too scared, so I only thought about escaping and didn't try to save her. Am I unfit to be an explorer....?

I rest my hand on her head, making her look at me.

Zion: Lightning, you're more than qualified to be an explorer. Even the bravest of explorers can analyze their surroundings. Just because you didn't save her doesn't mean you're not fit to be an explorer, it just shows your situational awareness. Take it from me, you did the right thing by escaping.

Leaf: Could the person asking for help be a Witch?

Scroll: Those ruins have been there for 450 years. Even Witches can.....unless, if someone's been living there.

Lightning: But there weren't any signs of anyone near the ruins.

Zion: I doubt anyone's living there. Beasts roaming the Misty Forest would love to take a bite out of anyone who'd live there.

Wendy: Zion's right. Not only are the beasts running wild, but with the amount of bugs and poisons, there isn't a stable source of food.

Leaf: No matter what, we need to find a way to save them....but with the guard being a Devil...

Soraya: Are we really out of solutions....?

Roland: I'm afraid that the reality will be clear once we go ourselves. Let's just be happy Lightning made it home safe. As for the prisoner in the tower, me and Zion will definitely come up with a plan to save them

Zion: As long as we work together, that Devil won't stand a chance. 

Timeskip
The next day
Roland told me about Lightning's connection to Margaret. I'm glad she sees Witches in a positive light, I don't think I can cover up killing her. I'm currently in my workshop repairing a few of the Rifles of the First Army. They aren't broken per se, but they needed some maintenance. Despite Roland's intelligence, he forgot that weapons like this need to be maintained, so I'm gonna teach the First Army how to maintain and repair their Rifles and Artillery.

Zion: And.......done.

I put the last Rifle away and picked up a spare cannon barrel. Before I can do anything, there's a knock on my door. Looking through the peephole, I see that it's my little Pyrokinetic buddy. I open the door and look down at her.

Zion: Hey Anna, what brings you here at this hour?

Anna: Nightingale and the others brought a Witch, but she doesn't seem to be a.....savory character...? Is that how you say it?

Zion: You used it right, but why did you come here?

Anna: Well...I wanted to see if you would guard Roland.

I chuckle and pat her head. I tease her about her crush a lot, but she acts sort of like a Tsundere about it. I slip on my armor and look at her.

Zion: I'll guard him, Little Flame, don't worry.

Anna gives me a hug as we make our way to Roland's castle within Border Town. I also eavesdropped on Wendy's conversation with our guest, which gave me more information about her strength but not anything useful about the Church. I did put a name to the soldier's little group, the God's Punishment Army. Also, I think she hates Roland, like with a passion.

Daytime
3rd pov
Roland: Welcome Ash.

Roland can be seen with Nightingale and Anna by his side with Zion standing guard. Ash is in front of him with a judgemental glare, not trusting Roland one bit.

Roland: I've already heard the gist from Theo and Wendy. I heard you want to take away my Witches.

Ash: Your Witches? Don't get full of yourself-

Zion: He means 'My' in the sense of them being in Border Town, not his property. 'Though those are bold words from someone in this day and age. I know slavery is legal somewhere.'

Roland: Thank you for clearing that up. Sir Zion's right, I've never thought of them as my personal property. They stay in Border Town of their own free will, and I believe Border Town to be the best sanctuary for them. As for the bay you're talking about, let's ignore the danger of crossing the sea first. Sir Zion, have you ever visited Sleeping Island during your travels?

Zion: A few times Your Highness. From my experience and some first-hand accounts, Sleeping Island isn't suitable to live at all. The weather is very erratic for one, and it's plagued with tsunamis and hurricanes. The fish and sea life do taste good but put up one hell of a fight.

Ash: Tilly Wimbledon will lead us.

Zion: 'She seems rather confident in Roland's sister, which is understandable. Out of all the siblings, she had the advantage in intelligence.'

Roland: Tilly....! Are you talking about my sister who disappeared?

Ash: That's right. Tilly has gathered numerous Witches and brought them to the bay, where they can be shielded from the Church. Under her command, we'll be able to create our own homeland with our own power. As for you-

She glares at Roland, prompting Zion to ready his ability in case she attacks.

Ash: You don't understand what idiocies you've committed. Spreading the news will only lead to the Church knocking at your door.

Nightingale: You.....

Roland holds up his hand, not wanting Nightingale to escalate this any further.

Roland: The Sacred Punishment Army, the one that Wendy mentioned? The most powerful soldiers of the Church? As a Transcendent, how many can you fight at once?

Ash holds up 3 fingers.

Ash: I can handle 3.

Roland slams his hands on his desk and stands up enthusiastically.

Roland: Well let's have a spar!

Ash:.....what?

Roland: A fair, one on one fight. If my knight can defeat you head-on, then that means I have the ability to fend off the Church right?

Ash grabs the hilt of her sword with a somewhat sadistic smile.

Ash: Interesting. I'm not going to lose, though. Call your knight!

Roland: Well not now, I need a week to prepare. During this week, you can live in the castle and experience the town life with other Witches. Perhaps you'll change your opinion then.

Ash: Hmph, or they'll change their minds and come with me.

As Ash leaves, Roland stops her due to a realization.

Roland: Wait, have we met before? I felt Deja vu when I first met you.

Ash: Oh so you have an impression? If Tilly hadn't stopped me, I believe you'd only have one limb left today.

As Ash leaves the confused listeners, everyone looks at Roland.

Zion: Your Highness, have you grabbed her butt before?

Nightingale: Or touched it in general too?

Anna: Touch? Butt?

Roland: Huh?! What kind of a person do you think I am? And what do you mean too?

Anna: Your Highness, are you sure you can defeat a Transcendent with a knight?

Zion: She's right Your Highness, failing would damage the trust the Witches have in you.

Roland pats Zion's shoulder with a smile.

Roland: I believe in you Zion, I know how strong you are.

Zion: It's good you're confident-wait what?

Roland: Although Witches who boost their physical attributes aren't affected by the Stone of Divine Judgement, she's still fighting with her body. Even if you're strong, it may not be enough to compete with her skill. As long as I can design a weapon that can maintain a fast rate of fire, we have an 85% chance at winning.

Zion: Wait, why-

Roland: I've already come up with the basics. First, I'll need Nitrocellulose or Guncotton. It's relatively easy to make, I just have to soak cotton in two types of strong acids. I have a large supply from the Duke's castle. They're sitting in the castle's storage rooms right now, but I'll have to degrease it. As for the Sodium Hydroxide for degreasing......

Zion: For that, the only solution I have is the Chlor Alkali Process. I recommend consulting Moon about this. 'Oh, Nightingale left. Maybe to stalk that Ash woman. Oh well, not my concern.'

Timeskip
Zion pov
I'm in Roland's office again, in my little corner as everyone's designated it. I had made a little motor with Moon's help to give her a confidence boost, and the results were promising. Anna and Moon look at it with amazement as it moves faster than the Steam engine. 

Zion: You like it? It's thanks to your power Moon. With your help, me and His Highness can develop a direct current motor. This is the Law of Induction in action.

Anna: So this is the Law of Induction?

Moon: Amazing...It was hard to understand when Scroll and Mr. Zion taught us.

As Roland admires the little creation, Carter walks into the office and bows.

Carter: Your Highness, the First Seat Alchemist of Redwater City is here.

Oh yeah, Roland and I were talking after he explained the things he needed for his creation. Because of his lack of advanced knowledge in the field and my being busy with my many hats, we decided the best course of action was to convince an esteemed Alchemist to come here. Roland nods and tells Carter to bring him in. The Alchemist bows out of respect for Roland.

Alchemist: Your Highness, Sir Zion, I am Kyle Sichi. I am here because of your invitation. If you're not occupied, I would like to discuss the equations I mentioned in my letter. 

Roland: You mean our equations?

Kyle: You mean you both wrote them yourselves!? Could it be....did the Royal Alchemy Society come up with these?

Roland: Ahem.....most of the equations were made and translated by Zion. He's tested all of them and made the proper corrections with his own knowledge.

Well, he isn't completely lying. I did do the majority of the equations in the letter and tested them in my previous life, so I just applied it to the knowledge of this world's Alchemy I got from eating other Alchemists.

Zion: He's correct. I discovered an old book with these recipes and converted them to equations to fit the standards. While I won't give you the original book, I can give you this translated copy. However, the equations are more equal to Chemistry, a similar practice to Alchemy from a faraway land.

Kyle: C..Chemistry?

Roland: The book mentions something about the hypothetical "Law of Conservation of Mass", something Zion can explain better.

Zion: Thank you, Your Highness. The Law of Conservation of Mass basically states that every substance is just there, it doesn't increase or decrease and it cannot be created or destroyed. They only transfer from one another based on the mass.

Right on cue, a maid brings us cake. I hold up a plate to the Alchemist.

Zion: Take this cake for example, you absorb it when you eat it and the rest is disposed of. By adding both parts, it would stay the same weight despite the different forms.

I chuckle at the maid and Kyle's confused looks. It's understandable, this law was made in 1789 and this world still uses Alchemy rather than Chemistry. Despite everything I'm saying being basic Chemistry, the world here isn't advanced enough to understand or even believe if they don't see it.

Kyle: But Sir Zion....what about wood? If you burn a piece of wood, no matter what, the weight of the ashes will always be lighter than the wood.

Zion: The excess mass, or weight, became gas and water. The water turned into steam from the fire and left the ashes behind.

Kyle: Was that written in the books?

Zion: No, that's my assumption. But funnily enough.......

I go into one of the drawers and pull out a blue book titled "Chemistry 101".

Zion: It was in the book, but doing the experiment myself without prior knowledge was the fun part and more rewarding.

Roland: If you work for me, Zion will personally let you read this book. Your salary will also be the same as it was in Redwater City, and your contract will expire in 5 years.

Zion: There are however some terms you'll have to agree with. It's all in this confidentiality agreement, which basically says you won't share your works under your service to Roland Wimbledon with any other Alchemists.

Roland: If you accept, you can begin work immediately. Border Town will provide accommodations and a laboratory.

With a snap of his fingers, Barov brings a quill and contract for Kyle to sign. For an old man, Barov moves pretty fast. 

Kyle: I understand, but....what do you want me to make?

Roland: High-density acids, the stronger the better.

Kyle signs the agreement and leaves, but not before taking the Chemistry book. He however doesn't see Nightingale appear on Roland's desk.

Nightingale: Lies.

Zion: Well of course they were lies, we needed to give him some study material to set the groundwork.

Roland: He's right, it's a little white lie. He'd accept his own findings rather than me or Zion teaching him. People trust themselves most of all.

Nightingale gets a smirk and rests her hand on Roland's face.

Nightingale: Then who was the one to teach you?

Roland: Umm...

Before he can answer, Nightingale rests a finger on his lips.

Nightingale: You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I don't want to hear your lies.

She disappears, leaving a smiling Roland.

Zion:......You like her.

Roland: Shut up!