An engineer worn out by overtime, Cheng Yan wakes up in the body of Roland Wimbledon, fourth prince of the Kingdom of Graycastle, at the very moment a witch is about to be hanged. Sent to govern Border Town, a remote outpost, he decides to save the witches and launch an industrial revolution.
Personality
Pragmatic, curious and deeply humane, Roland rejects the cruelty of his era. He keeps a modern man's humour in the face of superstition and approaches every problem like an engineer.
Powers & abilities
He has no magic power, but he has a modern engineer's knowledge. By combining it with the witches' abilities, he brings Border Town into the industrial age.
History
Drawn reluctantly into the contest for Graycastle's throne, he turns Border Town into a prosperous city, welcomes witches persecuted by the Church and faces the threats hanging over the kingdom, including demons from outside.
Relationships
Anna, the first witch he saves, becomes his closest partner. Nightingale, from the Witch Cooperation Association, becomes his bodyguard. His siblings are his rivals in the race for the throne.
Key moments
- His arrival at the moment of Anna's hanging.
- Building the first machines in Border Town.
- The arrival of the Association's witches, which changes everything.
In the adaptations
Er Mu's novel has been adapted as a manhua and then as an animated series. It is one of the best examples of Chinese "kingdom-building" fiction.
Did you know?
- Release That Witch (Fang Kai Na Ge Nü Wu) is one of the most-read Chinese novels in English on Webnovel.
- The title echoes the line Roland speaks to save Anna.
Our take
Roland is an original hero who wins through science and empathy rather than force. Release That Witch is a very satisfying building story.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan