Plans For the First Experiment.

The girl was little and extremely cute.

She had a button nose and was wearing a cape over her curly hair that waved down the side of her cheeks.

The girl also had an extremely mature look on her face. Rosedale had seen that look before on quite a few girls in his past life. When he was a scientist in academia, some of the test subjects for his experiments had been young girls. Of course, none of them had died, but it was still dangerous. Yet, even though that was considered, they did it for the money. Most of the girls in his trials were orphans like this girl here. However, when he compared them, this girl looked much more terrifying.

"Are you a witch little one," Rosedale asked, "How did you know I seemed different today?"

"It's your smile mister! You always used to have this silly grin on your face like you were thinking of something indecent. However, today, it's almost like you transformed." The girl wiggled in her dress. She clearly was hoping for some money for the compliment.

"Well, I guess you'll be the only one to know I'm a completely different person then yesterday. However, I have a proposition for you little one. Would you like to work for me?"

The little girl, Molly, dropped her jaw and nodded her head. Her mouth seemed to start watering from the idea of getting out of this barn. Every night, she had to hear countless screams, and it made it extremely hard for her to sleep. However, anything was better than sleeping close to the barrier. From those hell spawn infested walls, you'd see countless beasts throwing fire trying to break the witches spell. Her father had been lost to the demon soldiers fighting at the walls.

"Uhm, does that mean I don't have to stay here anymore?"

Rosedale pat her on the head. "If I let something as precious as you here, I would feel terrible."

The girl smiled before Rosedale turned around and noticed a man was staring at him. It was his chamberlain Jeffrey, and Marissa once again. They seemed to have come before he could even go in the brothel. It was unfortunate for him, but he knew it must be important if they arrived early.

"Sir, your brothers and sisters have already left! They are going towards Long Song Stronghold. If you don't stop them soon, they'll surely die to the hell spawn!"

Rosedale sighed when he heard this. He forcibly mustered up an angered expression before he pat little Molly forward. "This little girl is going to be working for us. However, prepare some horses for me and Merissa. We'll be forced to chase after them."

Jeffrey sighed before he stared down at the little girl. She was extremely filthy, and he would most definitely have to get her new clothes, and some biscuits to fatten her up. She was thin enough to bend like a pretzel.

"Well, I'll bring her to the house. However, are you serious about the horses? Do you really think you could do anything to stop them. Once you're across the barrier, you'll most surely die if a hell spawn sees you."

Merissa, at this moment, put her hand around Rosedale's arm. I will take care of him.

She lightly squeezed his arm as both started to disappear. Her ability was technically more of a mirage than true invisibility. Yet, once she did this Jeffrey's facial muscles relaxed. His crow feet stopped bunching his eyes into a grimace. Now, it was more of a look of worry.

At the moment, Rosedale's brothers and sisters were actually using a new trail. So, in actuality, the journey would be safe as long as the trail wasn't found. They had been digging under red water river for months and had made considerable progress in a tunneling network. Luckily, no members of the hell spawn had discovered it yet. However, his brothers and sisters were putting it all at risk for their sneak attack on the enemy's commander. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to be there. Unless, of course, he was much dumber than Rosedale thought.

"Well, since you two have decided on that. I will bring this girl to the house with me. By the way, what's your name little girl."

Molly laughed before she smiled. "My name is Molly, it's pleasant to meet you, boss."

Jeffrey laughed before he grabbed her hand and began tugging her along. He turned back as Merissa was examining Rosedale's body. She noticed something peculiar about him. However, Rosedale was staring towards Jeffrey. He shouted one thing and wagged away Merissa's poking.

"If I can ask you a favor Jeffrey, please gather all the junior stone masons, engineers, and alchemists still remaining. It seems I'm going to have to be the one with the sound mind around here."

"Of course, I will do that. You can even take my horse! However, what do you want me to do with this girl?"

Rosedale smiled as the little girl bounced and skipped up and down.

"Give her a room, Jeffrey! Also, if you can, tell my Earls and Knights the girls are on me tonight. I'll need to see them later as well."

Jeffrey nodded and left on foot. The entire time this was happening Merissa was poking at Rosedale's body.

"Please tell me the truth about what happened to you that night before we leave. If you don't tell me, I'm going to have to beat it out of you brother."

The two of them walked over to the horses and mounted them.

The entire time, Rosedale decided not to answer her. Basically, it was tactful to sometimes avoid difficult questions with silence. He also didn't know what he could say. As they started riding for the redwater river, he thought about some of his memories from a child.

When he was young, his father often told him to never underestimate anyone, especially girls. He explained to him how witches work, and all the things important about them. The most important thing was that they were not devils. There had been a lot of debate from the pope, and other powerful members of the church. Yet, there was one word he heard that popped up in his memory that really shook him. It was the word underestimate.

The entire time he was with Merisa on horseback, she talked even though he didn't. During this time, he found out some extremely useful information about the tunnels, and Charles and Tabitha's plans. Basically, they weren't planning to go out until the morning. It was that crucial piece of information that sparked his recent insight.

"Merissa, start going faster! We need to get to the tunnels immediately." Rosedale began to calculate the odds of his hunch being right. Something inside of him told him it was high. He gulped as he thought of his brothers and sisters dying in those mines. It was in plain site, yet hard to fathom without time. For certain ideas, you could only get them without trying.

"Fine, but you better tell me what's going on in that head of yours! You're becoming like father by the minute!"

Rosedale laughed before he slammed down his wipe against the horses back.

[Ding! System has detected 300 hells spawn in your area. Please take extreme caution.]